"Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you...for the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him."
~Isaiah 30:18
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First Presbyterian Church of Wilmette
600 Ninth Street
Wilmette, IL 60091-2779
847-256-3010
[email protected] |
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Dear Friends,
If you were asked to describe God in one word, which would it be? Maybe you would say God is graceful, kind, caring, or giving. I recall how I felt when I was in eighth grade and said God is godly, surely there is no better way to sum it up than that. However, when asked most people would describe God as omnipotent. Omnipotence is an easy way to put everything together into one category. Sure, God is love and strength and thoughtfulness, but doesn't omnipotent cover all those other qualities as well? It is how we learned about God, he knows everything, is everywhere, and has all the power in the world.
But would you ever describe Jesus as all powerful? I think the only time I describe Jesus as powerful is when I talk about a specific action or message from Jesus, but not when I talk about his character. In fact, I would argue that Jesus is meant to be the bannerman of weakness. Jesus picks disciples who are from morally weak professions, spends time with the sick and infirm healing them, gets betrayed, and dies. All this points to Jesus being a stereotypically weak person, even his birth seems a bit weak, born in a manger because there was no room in the inn.
Jesus' evident weakness is his defining characteristic because he uses his weakness to show God's strength. However, just because Jesus is weak, does not mean he is not strong too. Instead, he shows his strength through weakness. Jesus knows that violence cannot defeat violence and hate cannot defeat hate, so he seeks to show us a path to change the destructive cycle that humans so commonly are susceptible to. Jesus shows us that his true message is that through the "weakness" of peace and love, we can use our faith to tap into the true power of God's strength. This week, I encourage you be more like Jesus and put your faith in God as you go through a period of weakness.
Grace and peace,
Scott McElhenie
Sunday, February 16, 2020
Sixth Sunday after Epiphany
8:45 am
Childcare
Adult Study
Sunday School
Club 56
10:00 am
Worship
11:15 am
Fellowship Hour
5:00 pm
Tower Youth
Sunday Sermon Series
During the 2019-2020 program year the weekly sermons are following themes from the book, "We Make the Road by Walking." Each week we will highlight in the
E-News the theme for several Sunday ahead.
- February 16 - Jesus, Violence and Power
- February 23 - Making It Real
Please note: Sunday school classes begin at 8:45 am and at 10 am children join their families for worship. Please click here if you would like to review the letter Jeff sent explaining the new schedule and
Lindley Traynor, Director of Children's Ministry, created suggestions on worshiping with children.Please
click here
to access this informative guideline.
100% Chance of Rain
During the months of January and February, S&R will be preparing
the musical "100% Chance of Rain" for worship on Feb. 23rd.
Join us as we tell the story of Noah and the flood through story and
song!
Carol Korak, our Clerk of Session provides us each month with a report from the most recent Session meeting. Please
click here to access the December Clerk's report.
A Note from the Personnel Committee:
Pastor Erin's Upcoming Sabbatical
Our Personnel Policy at fpcw supports a three-month sabbatical for our pastors after a certain number of years of service. This upcoming summer, the Personnel Committee and Session are excited to share they have approved a sabbatical for Pastor Erin. (She has been eligible for one since 2016.) The sabbatical will begin in mid-May and end in mid-August. Drawing on the biblical concept of Sabbath, our policy describes a sabbatical as a "period of time...to reflect, refresh, renew, retool, and revitalize, and restore the wholeness of one's being." It's an opportunity to step back, learn, and be nourished for the long road of pastoral ministry. Erin has laid out three goals for her sabbatical: (1) visit other churches and talk with faith leaders in order to gain perspective and insight about the changing landscape of the church; (2) experience a time of renewal with family in Washington state; and (3) spend time with and learn from refugee families in the North Ridge neighborhood (where Stock the Shelves takes place). We are looking forward to her return in August! The Personnel Committee and Session are working on logistics of this time away, ensuring support for pastoral care coverage and worship leadership. They will share more details soon.
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 Nominating Committee 2020:
A New Path to Aliveness -
Taking a lesson from
We Make the Road by Walking
, in chapter 28, we look to the path that Jesus set forth for us to follow. As a Nominating Committee, and as a congregation, we are charged with bringing
fpcw
into the future boldly. McLaren writes, "We must look forward and dare to step beyond where the road currently ends, venturing off the map, so to speak, into new territory...to fulfill the highest and best intent of tradition, to make the road by walking forward together."
Walking boldly involves putting ourselves out there, to risk and try something new, to push the limits of our faith. What better way than to join the leadership of the church, where important decisions are made, lives are altered, and new initiatives begin as the church is moving into the future boldly! Please nominate yourself or a friend today. Ballots for deacon or elder can be placed in the church office
.
The 2020 Nominating Committee: Rick Baer, Carolyn Jevelian, Bill Sharp, Paul Traynor, Cynthia Milne, and
Sue Sklansky.
2020 Stewardship/Budget Update
Thank to your generosity and commitment the Giving Team has now wrapped up our 2020 stewardship campaign. We received 130 pledges for a total of $833,822! Many families increased their pledge from last year and we received several new pledges as well. We are deeply grateful for your financial commitment to the life and ministry of fpcw in the year ahead. Thanks be to God. Again, thank you for your generosity! At the Session retreat on Saturday, February 8, we approved a balanced budget for 2020. We look forward to sharing more details at the Annual Meeting on Sunday, March 1. Again, thank you for your generosity!
New Member's Exploration Class
If you are a new or regular visitor, we would love to get to know you better! Please attend a New Member's Exploration Class offered on Sunday, March 8, 11:15-1:00 pm, in the lounge and it includes lunch. The class explores all things
fpcw
and what it means to be Presbyterian. Attending is not a commitment to join the church. Please RSVP to Sue Sklansky.
Joyful Music Sharing Experience
An amazing way to experience God is through music. Augustine once said, "Singing is praying twice." He was right. Whether we just listen or sing along, music can activate parts of who we are and helps us reconnect with God. This February we would like to send out a daily email, much like we did last year, but instead of sharing prayers we'll share a favorite piece of music. The goal is to grow our faith by experiencing God through music. If you'd like to participate please email to
Madeline Weston your favorite piece of music. We will link your music choice to a YouTube video and we'll include the lyrics too. Also, let us know why this music has been meaningful in your life. Please contact
Madeline or
Pastor Jeff if you have any questions. We look forward to a unique musical sharing experience this coming February.
Join us for the 2020 Men's Retreat at
fpcw
on February 21 and 22!
We are excited to welcome Rev. Phil Blackwell as our speaker as we explore the theme of "Our Journey(s) of Faith." One of God's gifts is to give us a unique journey to find our way back to God.
We'll gather Friday night for a potluck dinner (7-9pm) and fellowship at the home of Dan Johnson, and we'll gather on Saturday (9-2 pm) at
fpcw
. Cost is $25 to help with speaker and food costs. Please check with Pastor Jeff
or David Bennett
to RSVP or to ask questions. We hope to see you there!
Join us for 6-weeks beginning in February as we prepare
Robert Ray's
Gospel Mass
for worship on March 15. Be a
part of this moving choral work set in gospel style accompanied by piano, bass and drums.
Greeters Needed!
The new year is a wonderful time to greet new visitors and old friends.
Please consider sharing 10 minutes of your time on Sundays to welcome all who join us for worship! Click here to
access
the SignUpGenius link and be a greeter to welcome those who join us on Sundays.
fpcw Children and Family Ministries
Children's Musical
There will be no Sunday school on 2/23 due to the children's musical in worship that morning. 
We're about six weeks into our "Grow Together, Worship Together" experiment of having Christian education for all ages at 8:45 am, and worship for all ages at 10:00 am. If you have feedback you'd like to share, please email Pastor Jeff, Pastor Erin, or Lindley Traynor. Thank you!
fpcw Youth News
Club 56/ Confirmation/ Tower
Please
click this link to learn what's happenings with our youth. Our youth program which includes grades 5th - 12th has a very busy year ahead filled with events, activities, dinners, outings as well as opportunities to gather for worship and meaningful conversations.
Mission - Transform Lives
Is a year-round, once-monthly resource, providing nearly 500 Chicago area refugees and families with 15 household and hygiene supplies that are not provided by food stamps: laundry detergent, hand soap, dish soap, body soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, household cleaner, deodorant, razors, shaving cream, diapers, feminine hygiene pads (no tampons), shampoo, lotion and toilet paper. To donate, visit
stocktheshelves.org
, or drop off your donation at
fpcw
. To volunteer at a distribution event (fourth Wednesday from 8 - 10:30 am) or help load the truck (fourth Tuesday from 7 - 8 pm) sign up and learn more
at
stocktheshelves.org
.
Family Promise Hosting
Our next hosting for Family Promise has been scheduled for February 23rd through March1st. Please click here to access the SignUpGenius and please pick a time to volunteer. We're looking for chefs to make dinners and hosts to stay overnight.
Wilmette Food Pantry
fpcw
contributes food and non-food items to the Wilmette Food Pantry. Donations may be left in the containers located in the
fpcw
parking lot lobby.
Need some glad tidings?
More activities, inspiration, and cheer
available on our
website
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