2021 Congregation Survey – Your Voice is needed!
  • New deadline for completion = September 12
  • Questions include major themes expressed in the July Conversation Groups
  • Only takes 11 minutes to complete
  • We need as many respondents as possible to help Session set ministry priorities
  • All individuals aged 13 and up are asked to respond
  • Call or email the Church office for a hard copy if needed
  • Thank you! from the Church Session
 
Please click the Survey Monkey logo to access the 2021 Congregational Survey.



September 7th, 2021 Devotion

Hello Friends!

On vacation, I was able to attend a worship service in my hometown, and enjoyed this thought-provoking story that was part of the sermon entitled, What do you want? 

Warmly, Sue Sklansky

Sally was pretty frustrated and concerned with all the depressing things happening in the world—Afghanistan, Hurricane Ida, climate change, etc. She wanted to do something but didn’t even know where to begin. It all felt so overwhelming! How could she even make any difference, with so many bad things in the world right now? It felt hopeless.
           
To get her mind off all her worries, Sally decided to go shopping and stumbled upon a small boutique store on Wilmette Avenue that she hadn’t noticed before. She walked in and it was like nothing like she had seen before. It was so bright and cheerful, with neat orderly rows. And behind the counter was a man, who she immediately recognized as Jesus! She was so surprised, but had to ask, “Are you, Jesus???”

“I AM,” he said smiling. “Do you work here?” she asked. With a knowing look, he replied, “No, I own the store. What is it that you want?” “I am not quite certain, said Sally, I am so worried about all that is happening in the world that I don’t even know where to begin!” Jesus said, “Why don’t you take this clipboard and take your time wandering around the store and when you are finished, bring me your list and we will see what we can do.”

So Sally wandered around. She was amazed by what the store had: peace on earth, happy families, no more wars, clean air, no drugs, and on and on.  Sally made her list: world peace, no more hunger or poverty, no more natural disasters or animals going extinct. There, that seemed to cover it. She took her list back to Jesus and he was so pleased. He replied, “These are great choices!” and he presented her a set of corresponding packets on the counter. “What are these?” asked Sally.

“Well, this store is a catalog store and these are seed packets for you to start. Please take them with you and begin planting seeds to help fix all that you are concerned about.” With a furrowed brow, Sally replied exasperated, “You mean I don’t get the finished product?”  “No said Jesus, you take them home, you plant them and nurture them and see them grow, and then someone else reaps the benefits.” 

“Oh,” she said and left the store without buying.

So friends, what is it that you truly want, and what are you willing to do to get it?

Warning - Email Money Scams Continue
Many times in the past weeks a scammer has impersonated Pastor Jeff by creating a fake email address that seems legitimate (in this case pjefflehn.fpcw@gmail.com) with a message saying he has a confidential need and could you reply back to "him.” The scammer even downloaded Pastor Jeff’s picture from the website to make it all look more convincing. Eventually, the scammer asked for Amazon gift cards and wanted you to take pictures of them with your phone and send them back to the fraudulent email address. Please do not respond and disregard these emails. We are so sorry for the hassle! We’ve reported it to the Wilmette Police, Google, etc., but there is little they can do, as this type of fraud is widespread. Pastors and church staff members will never ask you to purchase gifts cards via email and send them back to them. Also, always check the email address it’s coming from - from jlehn@fpcw.org, for example. If something seems suspicious, please call the church or Pastor Jeff directly to be sure. Thank you. 
This Sunday, September 12th is our First Festival gathering at 10 am under the big tent in our parking lot. We will have chairs for everyone and a pre-packaged lunch after the worship service.  New this year: a giant inflatable slide and human bowling! There will be something for all ages. We hope to see you next Sunday!

Outdoor Worship Continues
Join us outdoors in our beautiful Fellowship Garden for 10 am worship every Sunday until the weather does not allow. Bring your own chair or use one of ours. This allows us to worship in the safest way we can now, without masks and singing. The parking lot will be available for any who need close access to the Garden. The service will also be live-streamed. Rain plan: we worship in the sanctuary with masks.

If you're joining us via Livestream, a video link will be included in the Saturday evening email. Peggy will begin prelude music at 9:50 am and we'll get underway after that, so please join us as you're able.

Two ways you can participate in worship are by (1) sending an email with a “God sighting” you've experienced this week to godsightings@fpcw.orgor (2) sending an email to prayersofthepeople@fpcw.org with any prayer, joy, or concern you have this week. Please send them in by 9 am on Sunday for inclusion in the worship service that morning.
The Beatitudes Through the Ages – Sundays, 8:30-9:30 am, Sept 19 – Nov 21
Join us this fall as we study the Beatitudes together. Our guide will be the excellent book that came out earlier this year, “The Beatitudes Through the Ages,” by Rebekah Eklund. Through a close study of Matthew and Luke, we’ll explore how the Beatitudes have affected readers across differing eras and contexts. What does it mean to be hungry, or meek, or pure in heart? Is poverty a material or spiritual condition? And what does being blessed entail? Drawing on poetry, politics, music, and biblical scholarship, this class will help us appreciate the wisdom of the Beatitudes and apply them to our lives of faith today. The class will meet for 10 weeks beginning on Sunday: Sept.19 - Nov. 21, 8:30-9:30 am.
 
Five years ago, FPCW welcomed two refugee families who arrived in Chicago for resettlement after fleeing their home countries of Afghanistan and Sudan. We worked with World Relief to help them move into and furnish new apartments, enroll their children in school, and begin to adjust to their new life in America. They became our friends and those of us who had the privilege of knowing and working with them were greatly enriched by the chance to participate in their lives.
 
One of our congregational members who worked closely with the families recently expressed his experience in this way: "Those were some of the more fulfilling times in my life. I felt like we were really making a difference and contributing to the lives of those families. And it opened up doors to help other needy families along the way."
 
Now, once again, we are expecting a flood of refugees coming to Chicago in the weeks and months that lie ahead. And once again, World Relief is offering ways for us as a church community to get involved whether it is by volunteering as a host church, advocating to protect vulnerable refugees, making a contribution to World Relief or donating household goods or furniture.
 
Since we participated in a similar effort five years ago, we now know the ropes to a large extent. We know some of the challenges to expect. And we know that we need to have a robust group of members who have time, energy and commitment to devote to this project.
 
If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ in reaching out to newly arrived refugees in Chicago, please contact

  • Mary Watt mhw1117@mgail.com or
  • Pete Holtermann pcholtermann@gmail.com
 
We hope to schedule a meeting sometime in mid-September to discuss the opportunities for us to get involved in meeting this critical need.
 
Mark Your Calendars
Save these dates for our Fall Programs!

Midweek Meetup! Formerly known as Singers & Ringers, our new program will now include games and crafts with Scott and Lindley.
Date: Wednesday, September 22 (and every Wed. after)
Time: 4:45-5:45 with a pre-packaged dinner available at 5:45.
Grades: PreK – 6th (we would love all Jr. Highs who would be willing to be helpers!)

*We will follow Covid protocols, meeting outside as much as possible. We have more than recommended air exchange in the Fellowship Hall/Sanctuary and will meet there when the weather is inclement. Masks are required!

Chancel Bells
Date: Every Thursday evening – first rehearsal September 23!
Time: 7:30-8:30 pm
Place: TBD (Music Room or Fellowship Hall)
*Masks required and we will stand spread apart

Chancel Choir
Date: Every Wednesday evening – first rehearsal September 15
Time: 7:30-8:30 pm
Place: Fellowship Hall or Sanctuary (where we have better than recommended air exchange) Masks required and we will sit spread apart
Contact Your Church Staff
Jeff Lehn
jlehn@fpcw.org 260-740-4162 
Laura Sherwood
lsherwood@fpcw.org 513-904-9886
Peggy Massello
pmassello@fpcw.org 847-226-2614
Lindley Traynor
ltraynor@fpcw.org 224-522-2243 
Sue Sklansky
ssklansky@fpcw.org 312-608-4909
Scott McElhenie
youth@fpcw.org 847-284-0946
Madeline Weston
office@fpcw.org 847-707-3745
Marvin Behm
finmanager@fpcw.org 773-715-5649