EVANGELINESevucc.org/docs/June 2015.docx · Web viewThese experiences make god’s Word come alive with new ... Joshua 1:9. Aurora ... (Al & Shirley Flath’s daughter), Paula Redman,

EVANGELINES

EVANGELICAL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRISTBlessed to be a blessing

Volume 59, Issue 6______________________________ _______ ________ __June 2015

“MOVING FORWARD” If people would have been asked in 1968 which nation would dominate the world in watch making during the 1990s and into the twenty-first century the answer would have been uniform: Switzerland. Why? Because Switzerland had dominated the world of watch making for the previous sixty years. The Swiss made the best watches in the world and were committed to constant refinement of their expertise. It was the Swiss who came forward with the minute hand and the second hand. They led the world in discovering better ways to manufacture the gears, bearings, and mainsprings of watches. They even led the way in waterproofing techniques and self-winding models. By 1968, the Swiss made 65 percent of all watches sold in the world and laid claim to as much as 90 percent of the profits. By 1980, however, they had laid off thousands of watch-makers and controlled less than 10 percent of the world market. Their profit domination dropped to less than 20 percent. Between 1979 and 1981, fifty thousand of the sixty-two thousand Swiss watchmakers lost their jobs. Why? The Swiss had refused to consider a new development—the Quartz movement—ironically, invented by a Swiss. Because it had no main-spring or knob, it was rejected. It was too much of a paradigm shift for them to embrace. Seiko, on the other hand, accepted it and, along with a few other companies, became the leader in the watch industry. The lesson of the Swiss watchmakers is profound. A past that was so secure, so profitable, so dominant was destroyed by an unwillingness to consider the future. It was more than not being able to make predictions—it was an inability to re-think how they did business. Past success had blinded them to the importance of seeing the implications of the changing world and to admit that past accomplishment was no guarantee of future success. (James Enery White, Rethinking The Church, Baker Books, 1998, p. 20.) There is something to be learned from the Swiss. We are a church that has a beautiful past and many things worked in that past and some still do. But as we move forward as a Body of Christ we have to consider the future. It is up to us to decide what we are going to do. We are beginning a visioning process for our church. This will give us the opportunity to look more closely at where we have been, where we are, and where we are going. The future will be as bright as we choose to make it. The most important thing we can do as the visioning process unfolds is to be open to newer and perhaps better ways to reach out to those around us, and not just those who we see on Sunday morning. The Lord Jesus calls us to make disciples of all people. That will mean being more creative in our approach to ministry. That will mean looking outside the box. That will mean sometimes getting out of our comfort zone. What an exciting time to be a part of EvUCC. The sky is the limit of what we can accomplish. So let us as a

Evangelical United Church of Christ is a Christian community called to share God’s love with all people through the good news of Jesus Christ.

Evangelines Volume 59, Issue 6 Page 8

people of faith embrace the endless possibilities and look to the future of what can be. Let us not be afraid to take some chances. The Spirit of God will lead us if we listen to Him. God bless you!

Pastor Chris

NASHVILLE: Unplugged

This May, 18 of us went to Nashville, TN for a weekend Service Immersion. It was a phenomenal trip with Junior High youth and you’ll get to hear more about it in the coming weeks. But for now, I want to give you three snippets from the trip that made my heart sing.

1) Girl Talk- while driving home, one of the 12-passenger vans had myself, a female chaperone and all 8th-grade girls. As their conversation turned to boys (for the 100th time), I asked them about what “dating” means in the 8th grade world. The response was that it’s a mixed-bag in today’s culture. For many, it’s finding a secluded bench or corner of the room to pretend your lips are super-glued together (my words, not theirs). But the girls in my van said, “We’re in 8th grade, we don’t need to be focusing on a relationship that’s about the physical stuff, that’s not even appropriate at our age. For now, we need to focus on finding traits in boys that make us feel secure, happy, and cared for.” I asked if these words represented the thoughts of the rest of the girls in the van, which was met by a unanimous and resounding “yes!” and personal testimonies about purposefully refraining from allowing relationships to prioritize physical aspects over the emotional. It led to a 1.5 hour discussion about this subject and I couldn’t have been prouder to hear my sisters of faith respecting themselves and their futures with confidence and prudence.

2) Lights Out- When we arrived at the host church in Nashville, I gave the Talk (“let’s not break anything, set anything on fire, get arrested, etc.”) 20 minutes later I hear the embarrassed beckoning through the hallways “Pastor Will…” A rogue playground ball had knocked a fluorescent light cover to the ground, shattering it. I asked if anyone was hurt and then “so what happens now?” The youth sprang into action, cleaning and sweeping (partly from a sense of Responsibility but surely with a dose of Guilt in there too). But why I’m sharing this is because of a young man who has a pretty…tough home life, and he’s only been coming to our programs for a few months. A home life where this sort of thing is met with severe consequences. As he was cleaning, his fearful eyes met mine as he asked, “Are you mad?” I told him “no” and I was just proud that they were immediately responding in the right way with cleaning up and taking responsibility. I got the impression my words floored him. Before the relief filled his face, there were some moments of genuine confusion. What I *think* happened that moment was that he found an environment (EvUCC youth group) that proved to him to be a safe place in a way he’s hoped for, and I think seeing our group’s response to this is going to keep him coming back into our doors again and again.

3) Judged Books and Covers- Every youth has a different story, personality, and maturity level. Certain youth gravitate into leadership roles, while others are dependable workers, others are caretakers, or comedians, prayer warriors, and some are there for the experience. Two such young ladies who came


Volume 59, Issue 6 Page 9

come to youth programming every week just “for the experience.” While at a non-profit Thrift store, these two were told to put on Volunteer vests and work the floor at the changing rooms, shoe racks and be customer-relation personnel while the rest of our group was in back doing behind-the-scenes sorting, organizing, labeling, pricing, etc. I wondered if I would see these two in about 15 minutes asking to switch out. Instead, every time I checked in on them over the next 3 hours, they were patiently and joyfully interacting with a predominantly low-income Hispanic demographic of shoppers in way that brought joy to my heart. Never before had I seen these two emotionally invest so deeply, and they were absolutely amazing at it. Customers were laughing and genuinely thankful for the assistance and by the end of our time there; our Coordinator complimented their work above all others. Then for the rest of the weekend, they were volunteering to help with small things left and right. I was so proud of them and told them so many times, and it reiterated to me the oldest lesson in the book about assumptions. It also confirms a truth that I believe is central to EvUCC’s relative success at youth programming: serving others bonds us closer than ever, and so we do it time and time again.

What an amazing experience, thank you church for your prayers, support, and love for our youth. Love your hearts,

Pastor Will

SUMMER MERGE SERVICEOur Summer Merge Service begins again at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 7 and will run through Rally Day on Sunday, September 13. What a great opportunity for us as a Church to worship together in one service. It will be an amazing solid worship experience and a great time of fellowship. Many positive comments were made last year when we merged both services during the short summer months. We are becoming a church of "What If", willing to explore the possibilities of what we can become in the name of Jesus Christ our Risen Lord. Let us embrace this opportunity together as we worship our God as one family of faith.

2015 GRADUATING SENIORS Kaylee Baer Mitchell MunieBenjamin Clayton Danielle O’ConnellJessica Drewer Zachary PlocherAlexander Dugan Taylor PrusaErin Esquibel Clint ReilsonNicole Esquibel Ryan StoneAbigail Johnson Cathleen YungTyler Kimmle Madison ZobristAshley McPherson

SCHOLARSHIP AWARDSSamantha Szoke – EvUCC

Tyler Kimmle - EvUCCClint Reilson - Todd Porter



Zachary Plocher - Samuel L. and Anna E. Jenny

SUMMER SUNDAY SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Summer Sunday School needs class leaders for the SundaysJune 21st , June 28th, July 5th, Aug 2nd, and Aug 16th

We need people to lead our Sunday school classes this summer for children ages preschool through 6th grade. If you like working with children but lack time for full time commitment, this is your chance to pick one or several Sundays with a friend or family member to lead a children's' Sunday School class.

The lessons are provided so all you need is to be ready for some engaging fun with our students. Summer Sunday School will start June 7th and continue through mid-August. Please contact Darlene or the church office if you are able to help with any of the dates listed above.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

We are in need of many volunteers to help children explore the culture of Jesus’ boyhood. You can help as a class leader, as one of the Marketplace shopkeepers, or any area you are interested in. At Hometown Nazareth everyone will become a part of history as they see, hear, touch, and even taste what it was like to live in Jesus’ hometown! These experiences make god’s Word come alive with new meaning for all who participate!

Mark your calendars and join us July 27-31 for Hometown Nazareth VBS. The Adventure starts at 9:00am and ends at 11:15am . To sign up to help you can call 654-7459 or contact Darlene.

The next church breakfast will be on Sunday, June 7th. Hope to see you there.


Volume 59, Issue 6 Page 9 HOLY COW!

We are in need of volunteers for the Holy Cow booth at Schweizerfest to help sell ice cream floats and ice cream novelties. We have open shifts on Friday, June 12, Saturday., June 13 and Sunday, June 14. The link for online sign up is www.signupschedule.org/evucc or you may contact Lynn Rivas at 618-339-0804. This is a great opportunity for our church to share a presence in our community.

PARADE TIME!Seeking people wanting to get there exercise and also help promote the church's 175th birthday by walking in the Schweizerfest parade on June 13 and 14. Meet at 4:30 at the Highland School District offices on Broadway by Michaels. Any questions call Tim Marti 660-7846.

WOMEN’S GUILD The Women’s Guild will be meeting on Tuesday, June 2nd at 9:00. It will be our annual breakfast meeting, furnished by the Guild. Our speaker will be Darren Rottmann, who will tell us about his work at Shriner’s Hospital making prosthesis for children with missing limbs. There will be a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the narthex. Please mark that date and plan to join us. Reservations should be made by May 28th. The Board will meet on June 1st at 9:00 to set-up for the breakfast.

HELLO from PEPPERMINT PRESCHOOL Close your eyes and listen in your mind to the Graduation March (Pomp & Circumstance). Then picture many four year-olds marching into the sanctuary wearing their Peppermint School shirts and graduation mortar boards. It is a picture worth a thousand words. We have just experienced this event with another group of amazing students graduating from Peppermint Preschool. Their accomplishment, the proud families, and every one beaming is overwhelming. One can actually feel it in the air. Every year, I tell the families in the audience that in a blink of your eye, you will be repeating this again at their High School Graduation. I employ them to be “hands on” parents. Have a stake in your child and don’t let their school years just pass by. A good student is one who has their parents’ love and support 24/7. I suggest they work with their child’s teachers hand- in-hand. It isn’t the teacher or school’s responsibility to be their moral instructors. Many things need to begin and continue at home. You are your child’s strongest foundation. Don’t let your child down. I have a wonderful book that I share with our Peppermint parents. It is My Shining Star – Raising a Child Who is Ready to Learn. It is a small book that enlightens ten truly positive points that every family should adopt as their family code. The titles are 1. Respect 2. Listening 3. Patience 4. Trust 5. Work 6. Honesty


http://www.signupschedule.org/evucc


7. Time 8. Reading 9. Writing 10. Habits. Actually, these points should be examples to all of us every day. May we all try to improve our role. May God Bless and help us to be better in every part of our lives.

Miss Beckie and the Peppermint Staff

2015 CONFIRMATION CLASSOn April 26th twelve members of our confirmation class pledged to continue their faith journey by joining the church. They are:

Laney Nicole Cooper: Joshua 1:9 Aurora Michaela DeNap: Isaiah 41:10 Ethan William Fenton: Ruth 1:16 Makenna Ellen Grohmann: Philippians 4:13 Jayden Kay Head: Matthew 7:1 Jennessa Sarah Kimmle: Matthew 6:24 Connor Lee Mortland: Matthew 7:1 Karlene Mackenzie Rheaume: Matthew 7:1 Dennise Lee Roy: Matthew 7:1 Mackenzie Ann Schoeck: Psalm 30:11 Alexander Matthew Stewart: Matthew 7:1 Hannah Lee Wilson: Matthew 7:1

They have completed a significant amount of instruction and faith formation and we are excited to welcome them as members of EvUCC!

SAVE THE DATE – Hoyleton Golf Classic

WHEN: Friday, July 24th

WHERE: Tamarack in Shiloh IL

SCHEDULE: 11:00 Registration and Lunch 12:00 Shotgun Start

Dinner & Awards following the Game

For more information, contact: Darla Rennegarbe at Hoyleton Ministries [email protected]

or Barb Bray in the church office 618-654-7459

HITZ HOME SALAD LUNCHEONThe Hitz Home Auxiliary is getting ready for their Salad Luncheon to be held on Friday, June 5 at 1:00 p.m. In addition to the large variety of salads (chicken, ham, turkey, taco, etc.) there will be entertainment following the


Volume 59, Issue 6 Page 9luncheon. A quilt raffle will also be held and tickets may be purchased in advance in our church office. The price for the luncheon is $6 and will be held in the Hitz Home common area.

CAUGHT IN THE ACT OF SERVICEThank you to the following people for volunteering and serving when needed:

Jane Carrillon for organizing/filling the Children's Worship folders that are used each Sunday by thechildren.

Melissa Reinarman for preparing the colorful Vacation Bible School bulletin boards for our exciting Hometown Nazareth VBS adventure.

Marla Baer for pulling together the biographical information and pictures to create the eye-catching senior recognition board.

OUR CHURCH FAMILY

We rejoice in the birth of:

Olivia Mae VerDuin born Tuesday, April 28th to Pastor Will and Alicia VerDuin.

Elsie Morgan Ecker born April 30th to Phil and Shauna Ecker.

Robin Clover Schuster born May 16th to Kyle and Veronica Schuster.

We bestow blessings on the marriage of:

Jana Gathard and Chad Zurliene married at EvUCC on Saturday, April 25th.

We extend our sympathy and rejoice in thepromise of resurrection with…

The family of Susan Stiens who passed away on May 1st.

Jennay Wieter and family in the passing of her father, Roger Young, on May 2nd.

The family of Carolyn Tator who passed away on May 17th .

Also, please continue to pray for…Bob Barney, Marie Bimes, Robin Chumbris, Marge Clayton, Florence Collmann, Carolyn Crabtree, Jeanne Dankenbring, Viola Deibert, Randy Dellamano, Bob DePew, Gene and Debra Dilley (Marsha Rinderer’s sister and brother-in-law), Rev. Tom Drewer, Jared Emig (nephew of Jerry and Karla Zurliene), Alma Erwin, Ellen Gelly, Olivia Genteman, Elaine Grundhoefer (Harold Byers’ sister), Maurie Henricks (Tom’s father), Carol Hoffman, Don Hundsdorfer, Curt Iberg, Janet Jenny, Dorothy Johnson (Aunt of Ron and Kathy Schneider),



Betty Kamm, Penny Kapp (Kay Wellen’s sister), Vera Kunz, Betty Legier, Herman Louer, Linda Luebers, Mary Marchal, Ruth Meffert, Henry Metzger, Joe Michaelis, Becky Morris (Shirley Hug’s niece), Daniel Morris, Richard Moser, Dale Nagel, Anthony Perez (friend of Steve and Denise Clayton), Jessie Powers, Alicia Rayner (Al & Shirley Flath’s daughter), Paula Redman, Sandra Reinacher, Don Rinderer, Joan Sackett, Flo Schneider, Doris (mother of Barb Stallard), Nathan Steding, Gloria Stuckwisch, Samantha Strom (friend of Tina Kutzgar), Carladine Vulliet, Alvin Whitsell (Florence Collmann’s brother-in-law), Dale Wiesemeyer (Niala Keilbach’s brother), and Kathy Wilsman (Nancy Byers’ sister), and Howard Zbornak.

June Service CalendarDate Ushers Layreaders Nursery

June 7 9:00 Stan Giffhorn Gloria Klaus Bob Kruse Janet Kruse Tom Wehrle Merle Wernle Rodney Zobrist Debi Zobrist

9:00 Tamie Heichelbeck 9:00 Jane Sudhoff

June 14 9:00 Matt Loyet Missy Loyet Drew Loyet Kaden Loyet

9:00 Dwain Chapman 9:00 Dena Henricks

June 21 9:00 Elaine Fenton Jacob Fenton Jenna Fenton Nancy Ramsey

9:00 Stan Giffhorn 9:00 Tracey Zobrist

June 28 9:00 Dennis Osterwisch Diana Osterwisch Steve Thiems Bonnie Thiems

9:00 Ryan Smith 9:00 Donna Brendel

COFFEE HOUR HOSTSJune 7 Memorial June 21 StewardshipJune 14 Mission June 28 Membership

ValetsDate 9:00

June 7 Kelly KnackstedtJune 14 Julie Mason



June 21 Kerri ReilsonJune 28 Connie Sparlin

Tech BoothDate 9:00 Sound 9:00 SlidesJune 7 John Snider Denise ClaytonJune 14 Ron Mortland Connor MortlandJune 21 Dan Drabing Denise ClaytonJune 28 Dan Drabing Denise Clayton

EXCERPTS FROM THE WEEKLY CONNECTION

DuBois Volunteer OpportunitiesAs the Illinois South Conference's very own camp, DuBois Center provides an integral piece of the Christian education and youth ministry puzzle for many congregations through the summer camp program. We firmly believe in the faith-growing power of a week at camp, and we are dedicated to continuing our mission as we reach and pass our 50th anniversary. However, this mission would be impossible without the support of the volunteers who join us for a week (or part of a week) as cabin counselors, barn helpers and activity specialists. If you're looking for a way to spend part of your summer that will be rewarding and fulfilling, consider volunteering at camp. You could also have a huge impact on the lives of youth from your congregation and the conference at large! Contact us inthe office at [email protected] or 618-787-2202 .

_________________________________________________________________________________________________-2202. St. John's support groups provide opportunities for families and friends caring for an aging loved one to discuss their concerns and uncertainties, as well as find resources to help regain a sense of balance and hope. We also provide information about helpful coping techniques and resources to make your job as caregiver a little less stressful. The sessions allow you to listen and discuss common issues with the group, leaving you with more understanding and a sense that you are not alone. No charge to attend.

Family Caregiver Support Group - Edwardsville Wed, May 20 from 6:30 p.m.-8 pm. This support group is intended for family caregivers caring for loved ones with any type of disability. Sessions are held the 3rd Wednesday of each month. For more information call 618-656-7090.


mailto:[email protected]


Deaconess Foundation presents Children at the Center on June 20, 2015. Hundreds of area families will be served and supported by the meals and events provided at no charge. Music, entertainment, bounce houses, open to the public. Enjoy free food, fun and games. Approximately fifty volunteers are needed from UCC congregations to provide a quality experience for babies, youth and families. Morning, midday and afternoon shifts are available. Lunch and event t-shirt will be provided. Sign up today with an email to Alex at [email protected]

All proceeds from the event will benefit Uni-Pres Kindercottage of E St. Louis. A beacon of light and safety for children and families, the mission of Uni-Pres Kindercottage is to provide an environment in which children have opportunities for growth and enrichment through education and social programs developed in a community setting and resulting in healthy and stable families.Contact St. Paul UCC in Lebanon with questions and registration at 618-537-4991.

Evangelical United Church

of Christ2520 Poplar St.Highland, IL 62249Office: 618-654-7459Email: [email protected]: www.evucc.orgFax: 618-654-6346

Evangelines Schedule

Articles Due

Assembly Date

Mailing Date

June 15 June 18 June 22


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mailto:[email protected]


Sign-up Today for Vacation Bible School !July 27 - 31


Documents

EVANGELINESevucc.org/docs/June 2015.docx · Web viewThese experiences make god’s Word come alive with new ... Joshua 1:9. Aurora ... (Al & Shirley Flath’s daughter), Paula Redman,