December 2012

Christmas Blessings to You “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11

From the entire staff at First Presbyterian Church — Merry Christmas!

Christmas Worship Schedule Wednesday, December 19 7:00 pm Service of Healing and Comfort, in the Chapel

Monday, December 24, Christmas Eve 4:00 pm Family Christmas Pageant & Worship

8:00 pm Christmas Worship Come at 7:30 pm for Christmas Prelude Music.

11:00 pm Christmas Worship with Holy Communion Come at 10:30 pm for Christmas Prelude Music. The 4:00 and 8:00 pm services will be webcast at www.fpcah.org.

Beth Freese Dammers Lynda Gaug Barbara Gorsky Adam Hendrickson David Horne

Beth Johnson Cindy Koerner Jane Kosel Julie Luebke Kris Mainellis

TC Anderson Liz Armstrong Ginny Braun Mary Fino Judy Fitchett

Lisa Math Chris Urban Alison Vernon Debbie Walter

December 2: 1st Sunday of Advent, Sacrament of Holy Communion 9:00 & 10:30 am — Sanctuary Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25:1-10; Luke 21:25-36; preaching: Beth Freese Dammers — “WARNING: Be Alert!”

9:00 am — Chapel Jeremiah 33:14-16; Luke 21:25-36 preaching: Barbara Gorsky “Standing Before God”

December 9: 2nd Sunday of Advent 9:00 & 10:30 am — Sanctuary Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 3:1-6 preaching: David Horne “One Voice”

9:00 am — Chapel Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 3:1-6 preaching: Beth Freese Dammers “Preparations”

December 16: 3rd Sunday of Advent 9:00 & 10:30 am — Sanctuary Zephaniah 3:14-20; Luke 3: 7-18 preaching: Barbara Gorsky “Changed Lives”

9:00 am — Chapel Isaiah 12:2-6, Luke 3:7-18 preaching: Beth Freese Dammers “What to Do”

December 23: 4th Sunday of Advent 9:00 & 10:30 am — Sanctuary Micah 5:2-5a; Hebrews 10:5-10 preaching: David Horne “The One of Peace”

9:00 am — Chapel Micah 5:2-5a; Luke 1:46-55 preaching: Barbara Gorsky “Praising God”

December 30 9:00 & 10:30 am — Sanctuary Psalm 148; Colossians 3:12-17 preaching: Beth Freese Dammers “Rule of Life”

9:00 am — Chapel Luke 2:41-52 preaching: Judy Fitchett “Christmas—Behind Us or Ahead of Us?”

See front cover for Christmas worship.

The January 2013 Chimes deadline is December 5, 2012, at 9:00 am. Submit articles to Kris Mainellis, communications coordinator, at krismainellis@fpcah.org.

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December Worship From the Pastor by Rev. Dr. David L. Horne, Interim Senior Pastor

Christmas will arrive in a few days. At this time, the giving of greetings, shopping for gifts, and making connections with family, friends, and work colleagues will fill the schedule. This year amid the celebration and joy of the season are feelings of sadness, loss, and anxiety with the world situation. As the Christ child comes to us, we are reminded of the peace and love of God present with us and in the world. Come and celebrate this good news in worship on Sundays at 9:00 am and 10:30 am, and on Christmas Eve at 4:00, 8:00, and 11:00 pm. The singing of familiar carols, the joyous Christmas music, the children’s presentation of the Christmas story (at 4:00 pm), and Holy Communion on Christmas Eve (at 11:00 pm) are opportunities for each of us and our families to be nour-ished and strengthened in Christian faith. May you have a blessed Christmas!

Vision Statement: Inspired by Christ’s love, First Presbyterian Church of Arlington Heights seeks to welcome and faithfully serve all people and to glorify God through worship, education, and mission.

From the November 12, 2012, meeting:

• Listened to the faith journeys of the newly elected ruling elders and deacons as they were examined and approved for ordination and/or installation on December 2, 2012.

• Learned that the deacons will be giving $950 to each of the follow-

ing organizations: WINGS (Women In Need Growing Stronger); Journeys: The Road Home; Shelter, Inc.; Faith Community Homes; Have Dreams; and Designing for Veterans.

• Discussed membership requirements of Session committees with an

aim to increase new member participation. • Approved a Call for a Special Congregational Meeting on Sunday,

November 25, at 10:00 am in the Sanctuary for the purpose of elect-ing a Trustee to fill an unexpired term in the Class of 2014.

• Approved two Parents’ Day Out fundraising events: (1) PDO book

sale November 25-30; and (2) PDO Pancake Breakfast January 26.

For additional Session information, please look for the “Session Meeting Highlights” report in the Narthex literature rack.

Session Highlights by Tom Pardo, Clerk of Session

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The process has begun again: We gather together, we pray, we talk, we discern, and then, with great thought and care and trusting in the Holy Spirit, we assemble our new mission budget for 2013. And it really is like an assembly line. Piece by piece we put together a complete package of giving. We consider many things when making these budget decisions: how much money goes to support inter-national mission work, how much stays in the country, how much goes to local mission efforts, how must stays right here in Arlington Heights. We consider ages, various needs, and finally what our heart is telling us, and we put together the budget. It is exhausting work! Thank you for the privilege you bestow on us to make these diffi-cult, yet rewarding decisions about where your mission dollars go. We will continue to support our Pres-

Another Year of Faithful Service Through Mission by Rev. Barbara Gorsky, Interim Associate Pastor

byterian Church (USA) World Mission efforts and we can be pleased to know these dollars go to support more than 200 missionaries that serve throughout the world. Here are just a few of the organizations and minis-tries we support:

• Bread for the World

• Mission trips to the Dominican Republic and South Dakota

• High school and middle school mission trips

• Faith Community Homes

• Firman House

• Christopher House

• Journeys: The Road Home

• Good News Partners

Throughout the year as new needs surface, we again return to this process of deciding where our money should go. When disasters happen we search for additional ways to give and reach out to those in need. We take very seriously the task our committee is entrusted to do and again, thank you for sup-porting the mission work of this church!

Mission trip to Sisseton, South Dakota

On Saturday, November 10, more than 50 women of the congregation and their friends participated in a wonderful day of self-discovery and spiritual growth at the “Growing in Gratitude” Women’s Retreat held at First Presbyterian Church. Pastor Barbara Gorsky and seminary intern Judy Fitchett led the morning session on gratitude. Members Jan Niemeyer and Stephanie Levan (a seminary student at McCormick) shared with the women their faith journey stories. Women participated in small group activities that best suited their learning styles and interests as they chose from workshops incorporating hymnody, a spirituality center, and a book talk. They also shared a delightful homemade lunch and an inspiring closing worship service with Holy Communion.

Growing in Gratitude at the Women’s Retreat

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Snapshots From Our Family Album by Ann Knapp

Roger Bertelson Each January for over a decade Roger and Irene Bertelson have been on a mission—a mission to Gaspar Hernandez in the Dominican Republic (DR). Along with eight to ten members of the First Presbyte-rian Church Do-minican Republic Mission Team and four from Colo-rado, the team focuses on helping to make a better life for our special partners there. During their January 2013 mission trip, the Bertelsons, who have two sons and five grandchildren, will celebrate their forty-eighth wedding anniversary on the beach. Being in another country is nothing new to Roger and Irene. Roger worked for Texas Instruments and Motorola for most of his career and they spent sixteen years living in South-east Asia; two years in Singapore and 14 years in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “We enjoyed traveling and seeing as much as we could on short trips throughout Asia,” Roger says. “Travel made for ex-cellent educational opportunities for our sons and Irene and me.” Returning to the United States in 1996, they moved to this area and in 1999 became First Pres mem-bers. Pastor Jeff Deardorff asked Roger to join the Mission and Out-reach Committee to help better communicate the DR mission’s ac-tivities to the committee and Ses-sion. Irene’s first trip to the DR was in 1999; Roger’s was three years later. “We have a beautiful partnership with Pastor Osvaldo Valereo and his congregation,” said Roger.

“The Team members all agree that we benefit as much or more than do the Dominicans. The people are so appreciative of everything we have left them with: better health

through our clinics; clean water through our water pro-jects; English class; Bible school; the Scholarship Program; and so much more.” Roger feels blessed in see-ing the results of their efforts

and in the careful use of the funds the mission team leaves with Pastor Osvaldo each year. “There is in-credible pride for our church in realizing the significant impact we create through our mission efforts and program funding.” Roger loves our church’s mission programs. “One problem, if it is one,” he says, “is we haven’t been

The Dominican Republic Mission Trip is a part of life for Irene and Roger Bertel-son. Each year they celebrate their wed-ding anniversary while serving.

successful in making the entire con-gregation aware of what is being done by so many people’s efforts. We need to get more people in-volved in Mission activities. That’s a ‘To Do’ item for the Mission Committee.” A member of the Chancel Choir and Men’s Chorus, Roger also par-ticipates in Bible study programs, including the Men’s Bible Study group. He has been on Session twice, served on the Stewardship Committee, and will soon begin his fourth year on the Mission and Outreach Committee. He enjoys a few rounds of golf, a monthly men’s book club, and keeping up with the financial markets. Roger believes that staying focused on doing God’s work is a key to feeling good about oneself. “I think the biggest blessing of being a member of First Presbyterian Church is having an opportunity to find God and to serve in any way that feels comfortable to us. There is always more to do and, if you enjoy what you are doing, you will do more.”

Thank you to all the volunteers who have already signed up to help with the First Pres PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter) ministry. Through this program we provide hospitality, food, and emergency shelter from October 1 through April 30 to families and individuals who are homeless. The PADS pro-gram is staffed entirely by volun-teers from our church who prepare, supervise, and clean sleeping ac-commodations. Volunteers also provide, prepare, and offer dinner, breakfast, and a sack lunch, all in a welcoming, supportive, safe environment.

Holiday and Other Help Needed We still need shift volunteers, sub-stitutes (especially women for the second and third shifts), food dona-tions, and Christmas Day and New Year’s Day help of all sorts. Sign Up Online Volunteers can now sign up online at www.fpcah.org. You will be able to view open dates for food donations and shifts and then sign up. Or, you can call Helen Ross at 847-392-0907 or send an e-mail to pads@fpcah.org.

Christmas & New Year’s Help Needed for PADS

What’s Coming Up

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Just Friends (adults 50+) Saturdays in December, join the group for fun activities centered around Christmas, including sev-eral concerts and a visit to Brook-field Zoo’s Holiday Magic. To learn more, contact Sandy Leiphart Meyer, at 847-818-0521, or watch the weekly Church Life in-worship newsletter.

The Bridge Christmas Party (adults 30s & 40s) — Saturday, De-cember 8, at 7:30 pm, celebrate the season at Heidi and Vince Wiltse’s house. Bring an appetizer to share and $5 per person for beverages. Please bring an unwrapped toy for the Wheeling Township Toy Drive. RSVP by December 6: Kelly Dean, 847-358-7626, k_p_dean @hotmail.com

Pathways Christmas Brunch (young families, couples, and individuals) — Sunday, De-cember 9, enjoy a casual family Christmas brunch at the home of Courtney and Garett Childs after the 10:30 am service. RSVP by December 2: Courtney Childs, cechilds@gmail.com; Cost: $10 per family or $5 per individual

Prime Time Live (PTL) Christmas Open House (adults, 50s, 60s, & 70s) — Mark your calendars for Sunday, De-cember 9, following the First Pres Christmas concert (about 5:45 pm) at the home of Gladys and Earl Holtz (1216 Kaspar, Arlington Heights). Bring an appetizer or dessert to share. Please RSVP and let the organizers know what you will bring. Contacts: Sandy Richardson, 847-590-8540, sandy.k.richardson@gmail.com, or Sue Henderson, 847-259-9857, suhenco@comcast.net

Christmas Tea — Turn to the back cover for your invitation to Presbyterian Women’s Christmas Tea, Wednesday, December 12.

Trendsetters Christmas Party (adults 50+) — Saturday, December 15, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm in the Parlor, come and enjoy a Christmas Party. Please bring finger foods to share and a wrapped white ele-phant gift. RSVP: Lois Meister-heim, 847-870-1096, or Billie Kresge, 847-255-5624 Collecting Leftover Christmas Cards — The deacons’ Prison Ministry is once again collecting extra Christmas cards. These cards

will be used next year for the deacons’ card ministry to Stateville Prison in Joliet, Illi-nois. During the month of December, please place your extra

cards and envelopes in the marked box in the Narthex. Contact: De-nise Poy, 847-259-0728

Aluminum Can Drive — Mark your calendars for Saturday, Janu-ary 26, from 9:00 to 11:00 am in the West Parking Lot and bring your aluminum cans to church. At the last drive, October 27, we col-lected 121 pounds of cans, which

Men’s Breakfast

All men of the congregation are invited to attend the annual Men’s Breakfast on Saturday, December 8, at 8:00 am in Fellowship Hall. The delicious breakfast will be prepared by Boy Scout Troop 32.

The morning will also feature entertainment and good fellow-ship. A free-will offering will be collected, to benefit the Men’s Bible Study’s sponsored charities. RSVP: church office, 847-255-5900

New Church Librarian We are grateful to church member Mary Heb-den (shown here with her husband Scott) for volunteering to serve as the church’s new librar-ian. Mary has been a member at First Pres for eight years and was previously a member of First Pres, Lake Forest. She is a recently retired registered nurse and enjoys singing regularly with the choir. Please watch the Library for new displays and new additions, as our collec-tion is always growing. Thank you, Mary!

brought in $80.50 for charities sponsored by the Men’s Bible Study. We collect aluminum cans only. Contact Stan Conning if you have any copper items to recycle. Contacts: Stan and Nancy Con-ning, 847-358-7259 Mission Trip to the Dominican Republic — The annual mission trip to serve the people of the Gaspar Hernandez region of the Dominican Republic will take place February 1-9, 2013. If you would like to learn more or get involved, please contact Roger Bertelson at 847-397-8874 or rogerbertelson@hotmail.com. Turn to page 8 to help provide medical supplies for the mission.

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Music @ First Pres by Alison Vernon, Director of Music Ministries

Sundays in the Sanctuary Traditional Worship, 9:00 & 10:30 am December 2 9:00 am: Chamber Singers

10:30 am: Chancel Choir

December 9 9:00 am: Cherub & Carol Choirs and Westminster Youth Chorale

10:30 am: Chancel Choir

December 16 9:00 am: Cherub & Carol Choirs and Handbell Choir

10:30 am: Chancel Choir and Handbell Choir

December 23 9:00 am: Men’s Chorus and Cherub & Carol Choirs

10:30 am: Chancel Choir

December 30 9:00 & 10:30 am: Special Music

Sundays in the Chapel finding grace, 9:00 am Music performed by Compass

December Music in Worship

Merry Christmas! And to help celebrate this festive time of year, there will be lots of special music. This month’s Wednesdays @ Noon recital, on De-cember 5 at 12:10 pm, will feature a special presentation of holiday music with handbells by Kris Ward, piano with Carol Frieburg, and organist Chris Urban. The children will be singing in many of our 9:00 am Sunday ser-vices, the bells will be ringing, the adult choirs will be singing, and of course there is the big “Glory of Christmas” concert, Sunday, December 9, at 4:00 pm. This year, many of our musical members will join in playing with the orchestra and our children’s choirs will participate also. Save the date for this special event. And plan on attending one of our special Christmas Eve services: the family service at 4:00 pm, the carol service at 8:00 pm, and the communion service at 11:00 pm.

Wednesdays @ Noon 12:10-12:45 pm in the Sanctuary

December 5, 2012 Carol of the Bells — Kris Ward, handbells; Carol Frieburg, piano; Chris Urban, organ February 6, 2013 Pipes & Hammers — Chuck Beech, piano; Chris Urban, organ March 6, 2013 Organ Recital — Kirstin Synnest-vedt

April 3, 2013 Trombone & Organ — Gordon Palmer, trombone; Chris Urban, organ May 1, 2013 — Organ Recital Chris Urban

The Glory of Christmas

Sunday, December 9, 2012 At 4:00 pm in the Sanctuary Celebrate the joyous good news of Christ’s birth at this wonderful concert featuring the Chancel Choir, Chamber Singers, orchestra, and all children’s and youth choirs.

Come, Just as You Are, to Worship

finding grace

9:00 am Sundays in the Chapel

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Church Life

Baptisms The following children were welcomed into the family of faith on

Sunday, November 18, 2012:

Gavin Joseph DeGeorge, son of Katy and Frank DeGeorge, born April 20, 2012

Alexander George Stromberg, son of LeRoy and Allison Stromberg, born May 30, 2012

Sympathy Please join in extending sympathy to:

Family and friends of Rev. Victor Brown, former pastor (1947-1955) at First Presbyterian Church of Ar-lington Heights, who died October 23, 2012

Jan and Jon Minoff and family, on the death of her father, Ed Barrier of Concord, North Carolina

Stuart and Mary Ruffin and family, on the death of his mother, Eliza-beth Ruffin

Mary Siegfried and family, on the death of her husband, Walter Sieg-fried

Family of Virginia Meier

Bob and Joan Gainer and family, on the death of their son, Rob Gainer

Marcia Bennett and family, on the death of her husband, Chuck Bennett

Lauren Haas and family, on the death of her grandmother, Audrey Engel

Letters & Thanks Letters and thank-you notes from the congregation and community are posted on the bulletin board outside the church office area. Last month, expressions of thanks were made by Elaine Dreier, for a flower delivery; Sally Crooker, for flowers, prayers, and visits; and Jeannette Ericson, for many cards.

Nursery Help Needed Adults (18 years or older) are needed to help Sunday mornings in the church Nursery, especially dur-ing the 10:30 am service. Substi-tutes are also needed. Contact Beth Johnson at bethjohnson@fpcah.org.

Christmas Ushers Needed We need some extra usher help for the Christmas Eve worship services (4:00, 8:00, and 11:00 pm). Regu-lar and substitute ushers for 10:30 am Sunday worship are also needed. Contact Paul Wachtel at 847-302-9293 or pwachtel10 @gmail.com to get involved.

Advent Devotional Booklet Youth and adults involved with our Youth Ministries programs at First Pres want to give the entire congre-gation an early holiday gift. Our present to you is an Advent devo-tional booklet that can be your own spiritual guide for the Advent journey. Join us as we share our spirituality, contemplate the com-ing of Christ, and reveal how the

In Remembrance of Departed Saints

On All Saints’ Sunday, we remembered the members of this congregation who joined the Church Triumphant between November 1, 2011, and No-vember 4, 2012.

Victor Walsh November 20

Paul Gilling December 8

Bernina Arnold December 21

Clayton Hemsey December 22

Harry Jones December 25

Ursula Larko January 11

Jeannette Regione January 12

John Herman January 19

Alison Liotti January 23

Robert Radasch February 6

Kathleen Blanck February 18

Delores Swanson March 27

Gwen McDonald April 2

Jack Semler April 10

Annabel Hess April 22

Eleanor Gammel April 28

Jim Christensen June 10

Roger Moore June 23

Marlene Albert August 8

Linda Downie August 25

Doris Williams August 30

Diane Stephan August 31

Richard Cameron September 18

Omega Galyon September 28

Ray Walker October 19

Holy Spirit works through all of us during this special time. Copies of the devotional are available in the Narthex.

Family Christmas Caroling Date: Sunday, December 16 Time: 4:00 pm Place: Meet in Fellowship Hall Who: All ages / Cost: free

We will split into groups of families and individuals to go out to the community to Christmas carol to church members. We will go to nursing homes, retirement commu-nities, and members’ homes. After caroling, we will meet back at the church at 6:15 pm for pizza.

We will be accepting donations of $5 McDonald’s gift cards and new, adult-size hooded sweatshirts to give to PADS guests on Christmas Day (our church is the host site on Christmas Day this year). RSVP: Michele Holifield, 847-873-7801 or mkholifield@yahoo.com, or call the church office

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Missions

South Dakota Mission Coat Drive Temperatures on the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation in far northern South Dakota can reach 30 degrees below zero in the winter. Please consider donating new or gently used, clean winter coats in sizes Toddler-Adult XXL, to the families from our sum-mer Vacation Bible School pro-gram. New hats, gloves, scarves, and mittens are also appreci-ated. We collected 100 coats last year and we are hoping to match that again this year. The coat drive runs through Sun-day, December 16. Please place items in the large boxes in the Nar-thex. The coats will be delivered to South Dakota before Christmas. Thank you for your support and generosity. Any questions, please contact Michele Holifield, at mkholifield@yahoo.com or 847-873-7801.

Medical Supplies Needed for Dominican Republic The First Pres Dominican Republic Mission Team is collecting medi-cines for the clinics we will sponsor dur-ing the 2013 winter mission trip. A col-lection bin will be in the Narthex through January to receive donations of the following supplies: Band-Aids; first aid cream; Tums or a similar antacid; adult and children’s vitamins; infant, children’s, and adult

From My Perch on the Fencepost by Ingrid Kaufman

Sharing the Greatest Gift of All

With the most popular holiday just around the corner, it seems like everyone is trying to get into the Christmas spirit. Stores line their aisles with Christmas goodies and decor, TV shows switch to the theme of giving and love, and Santa takes toy orders from children. And why shouldn’t they; after all, it is that time, the meaning of the season, right? So, why do we give gifts at Christ-mas time? It’s because God gave us the ultimate gift—the gift of eternal life. We give out of grateful hearts that know we have been forgiven. We give out of love for God, who first loved us and sent His son to die for us.

Yet, the very first Christmas seemed to do without all of these. The very first Christ-mas somehow started a frenzy without the power of TV, without candy canes, without Santa, and without Christmas sales. Even more amazing, the very first Christmas involved a poor cou-ple—nobodies—who would lay the most precious child of all in a man-ger. (Luke 2:4-7) In this season let us remember the true meaning of Christmas: peace on earth and good will toward men. For the Savior came to give us the greatest gift of all, the gift of love. Instead of buying fancy toys,

think of how you can help those who would normally go without. Ask yourself how you can assist others who are not as fortunate as you. Show them the true meaning of Christmas, the gift of God’s love (John 13:34), and love others as God first loved you (I John 4:19).

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host

praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ ”

Luke 2:13-14

pain medicine; and reading glasses at +1.25, +1.50, and +1.75 strength. Thanks for your support!

December Special Offering On Sunday, December 16, the spe-cial offering will be the Christmas Joy Offering. Christmas Joy is an opportunity to give back to those who have given so much. Whether providing financial assistance to current and former church workers

and their families or enabling deserving stu-dents to attend Presby-terian-related racial ethnic colleges and schools, your generous gifts to the Christmas Joy Offering will bring Good News of Great Joy to the poor in cir-cumstance or spirit. Thank you for your generous gifts.

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Youth Ministries

US Olympic Ski Team Tryouts Saturday, January 5 Anyone else notice that the morn-ings are a bit chillier lately? That means the annual Youth Ministries Ski Trip is right around the cor-ner! On Saturday, January 5, from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, all students in middle school through high school (and their friends) are invited to enjoy a fun-filled day of skiing at Alpine Valley Ski Resort. Trans-portation will be provided and ski rentals and lessons are available. Chaperones are needed and are welcome to ski or hang out in the lodge with a cup of hot choco-late. This event is a perfect oppor-tunity to reach out to your non–First Pres friends and show them a good time. Think snow! Here are the details: The cost is $40 if you are bringing your own skis or snowboard; $60 if you need rental equipment. Youth and adults will need to bring money for lunch, or bring a sack lunch. RSVP by De-cember 29 to TC Anderson at tcanderson@fpcah.org. Money and permission slips are due before we leave for the event.

Home for Winter Break? Save This Date!

Thursday, January 3 — Winter Break College-Age Event, Sponsored by CollegeCARE Ministries Watch for details. We’re looking at extreme trampolining as one of our options. Let us know now if you are interested so we can try for a group discount. We welcome your suggestions, too. We may grab something to eat nearby and just hang out for awhile. So let us know if you might be able to at-tend. Meanwhile, good luck as you wrap up your studies for 2012. Contacts: Nancy Williams or Lynese Pearson, collegecare.fpcah @gmail.com

Thanksgiving Dinner for the Sage and Wise Sets World Record for Food, Fun, and Fellowship

On Sunday, November 18, the high school students of First Pres put on their black and white and their biggest smiles and served Thanksgiving din-ner to the sage and wise of our church. Newly remodeled Fellowship Hall was bursting at the seams (along with nu-merous waistbands) as more than 100 guests were served. Special thanks to the kitchen crew for their yeoman’s work: Patti Noble, Cindy Koerner, Amy Hempleman, Barb and Sam Psimoulis, Cathy Walker, Kim Hogan, Karen Kraske, Michele Holifield, Mark and Betsy Allen, Benna Hermanson, Larry Hayes, and Sue (the Gravy Queen) Lyon

Senior High Retreat Reflection by Gus Psimoulis

Traditionally, the fall retreats have been always very fun and beneficial for me and everyone else who goes. With this retreat marking my third of my high school career, it definitely lived up to what I expected and more. Going on Senior High Re-treats is a great experience to grow in

relationships or create new ones. Every year there is a great message I can apply to my life. With this message I can grow in my relationship with God, my friends, and with people I don’t really know too well. I always really enjoy the time away from schoolwork and stress, where I can just hang out with really cool people and grow in my faith as well. It’s always a good time.

Middle School Lock-In Reflection by Bailey Dean

I had a really great time at the lock-in. This was my first lock-in ever. I will definitely tell my friends to come to the lock-in next year. I will tell them that even though we stay up late, we have a lot of fun. Things that I really liked were playing Sardines and other fun games. I was really surprised when TC told us that we had to meditate for 30 minutes (because we were way too energetic and excited). Of course TC was joking about the meditating thing. I was so happy because we got to finally sign the wall in the Y-Search room. The food people brought was great and it lasted us through the night. I give the 2012 lock-in five stars.

Youth Summer Trips Senior High Mission Trip to Chicago — June 16-22 Presbyterian Youth Triennium (for high schoolers) — July 16-20 Middle School Mission Trip to Louisville, Kentucky — July 21-27

Tyler Larson, Gus Psimoulis, Drew Larson, and Robert Kraybill

Natalie Marr, Bailey Dean, and Grace Carroll

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First Forum Winter Courses First Forum winter classes of the new term will begin in January. For more details on these courses and the upcoming spring classes, visit the Adult Education page at www.fpcah.org, or check out the brochure (available in the Narthex and other places around church). “Nearing Home: Preparing for the End of This Life,” will be presented by Beth Freese Dammers, Barbara Gorsky, Dan Schubring, George Drost, and Mary Kay Bochenek, Sundays, January 13 through Feb-ruary 10, 2013, from 10:30 to 11:30 am in the Chapel. Through video presentation of “The Undertaking,” a Frontline video special presentation, we’ll explore how we respond at the time of death. Discussion will include how to preplan and make funeral decisions that are best for you and your family. One session will focus on wills, estates, and power of at-torney. Also included is a session to consider retirement living op-tions. Join this five-week class with a team of experts in their fields to discuss the many aspects of nearing home.

“Cross-Examinations: Understand-ings of Atonement,” will be pre-sented by Rev. Dr. Robert Cathey on Sundays, February 17 through March 24, 2013, from 10:30 to 11:30 am in the Chapel. The cross of Jesus is the central symbol of the Christian faith. Al-though the early church affirmed that Jesus was fully human, fully divine, how Jesus’ death by execu-tion saves us was left open to inter-pretation. This course will explore both ancient and modern under-standings of the cross, highlighting recent critical thinking about atone-ment. The class will use Cross Ex-aminations: Readings on the Mean-ing of the Cross Today, edited by Marit Trelstad. Contact the church office for your copy of the book ($9).

Adult Education

Thanks for the Food Firman Community Services is grateful to the congregation for all the Thanksgiving food donations. Firman Community Services’ new School-Aged West (SAW) Learning Center has now opened a food pan-try through the Greater Chicago Food Depository. SAW is located adjacent to Firman’s Early Child-hood Learning Center, at 37 W. 47th St., Chicago. Your generosity made it possible to donate 35 bags of food this year. Thank you.

Winter Accessories Needed The mission of Firman Community Services is to maintain a neighbor-hood-based human services agency that seeks to improve the educa-tion, economic, social, moral, and spiritual quality of life for people of the communities served in Rolling Meadows, Cicero, Worth, and Chi-cago. Please help by donating knit-ted or purchased gloves, hats, and

Presbyterian Women by Denise Poy

Small Group Studies First Pres offers many adult Bible studies and small groups in which to grow and learn. You can join a group at any time. For more infor-mation, contact Beth Freese Dam-mers at 847-255-5900 or bethfreese dammers@fpcah.org. Here is a current schedule of groups:

Sundays at 10:00 am — Bible study, Choir Conference Room

Sundays at 10:30 am — Coffee: Grounds for Discussion (various topics), Room 110/112

Mondays at 6:30 am — Men’s Bi-ble Study (lectionary), Parlor

Mondays at 1:30 pm — Commune group (Creeds of PC[USA]), Board-room

scarves for needy children. Con-tact: Patrician Fein, 847-382-5953 Christopher House Holiday Bazaar The annual Holiday Bazaar at Christopher House will take place Friday, December 14. Presbyterian Women welcomes the donation of new and like-new items to be pur-chased by Christopher House cli-ents at low prices. Suggested items include toys, gloves, scarves, co-lognes, packaged gift items, baby clothes, jewelry, glassware, and kitchen items. Please deliver these items to the church office, marked “For Christopher House,” by Tues-day, December 11. For more information on any of these PW activities, please contact Denise Poy at 847-259-0728.

Mondays at 1:30 pm — Commune group (lectionary study) at The Moorings of Arlington Heights

Tuesdays at 9:30 am — Commune group (Christmas Is Not Your Birthday), off-site

Wednesdays at 1:00 pm — Com-mune group (Phillip Yancey’s Prayer), Boardroom

Thursdays at 9:00 am — Commune group (scriptures for upcoming Sunday worship), Parlor

11

Children’s Ministries

Faith in Action by Monica Sparreo Children’s Mission Sunday First Presbyterian’s Children’s Mis-sion Sunday was a big success! Children from preschool through fifth grade joined together on No-vember 4 to learn what mission work is all about—and put it into practice. Older kids helped the younger kids assemble 109 hy-giene kits for Pres-byterian Disaster Assistance; create dozens of uplifting Thanksgiving cards for homebound church members; share their ideas for the best use of money dedicated to mission work; tour our PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter) area; and research some well-known charitable organizations on the Children’s Ministries’ new iPads. It was a busy morning filled with love, energy, and thoughtful

discussion about how our individ-ual efforts combine to make a big difference in our local communities. Family Christmas Caroling We’ll continue to spread joy and peace within our community by Christmas caroling on December

16. We hope all children and their families will join us for this special event. On Mission Sunday, while rotating through the vari-ous stations, the children voted for their favorite Christmas carols, which are being assembled into a “kid-approved” song-book. Families will gather in Fellowship Hall at 4:00 pm to form groups and

receive instructions. At 6:15 pm, we’ll meet back in Fellowship Hall to warm up, share stories, and have some pizza. Please let us know you are coming by registering with Michele Holifield (847-873-7801 or mkholifield@yahoo.com) or the church office (847-255-5900).

4:11 Winter Term It’s time to register for the Winter Term of 4:11, our exciting after-school kids ministry.

4:11 is held each Wednesday after-noon (3:45-6:15 pm) for children in grades K-5. Dinner is included! Register online at www.fpcah.org or stop by the church office. Win-ter Term runs January 9 – March 13, 2013 (9 weeks). Registration is $50 per child. For scholarship as-sistance, contact Lynda Gaug at lyndagaug@fpcah.org or 847-255-5900. Get ready to Sing, Play, Learn, and Eat!

December Kids Stay and Play Parents, imagine having three hours of Christmas shopping time with-out the little ones! You will be given that opportunity on Friday, December 7 (6:00-9:00 pm), and Saturday, December 15 (9:00 am –noon). Your children ages 1-9 will receive care in a fun and safe envi-ronment at First Pres. Kids will receive a snack and take part in gym time and other fun activities (Room 209/211, main floor, Chris-tian Education Wing).

What to bring: Labeled sippy cup, diapers, and wipes

Cost: $15 per child

Reservations: required two days before each date (Wednesday, Dec. 5, for Friday, Dec. 7; and Thurs-day, Dec. 13, for Sat., Dec. 15).

Questions? Contact Beth Johnson at bethjohnson@fpcah.org.

Sign up online at www.fpcah.org (visit the Children’s page) or call the church office.

Family Christmas Pageant From the Mouths of Children It’s a story many of us have heard dozens of times, but one that con-tinues to stir anticipation and ex-citement in young and old alike. The Christ-mas story will be pre-sented at our family Christmas Eve Pag-eant on Monday, De-cember 24, at 4:00 pm, and we need First Presbyterian’s children to make the story come alive! Pre-schoolers through fifth graders are invited to participate in this special service, which incorporates music, liturgy, costumes, and—new this year—an expanded set. We request that children sign up to participate in the Christmas Eve

Pageant by Sunday, December 2. A sign-up sheet will be placed in the Preschool Sunday School classroom and at a station at the top of the stairs for those who attend King-

dom. To make our pro-gram a success, it is impor-tant that all participants (no matter the size of their role) attend a mandatory rehearsal on Saturday, De-cember 22, from 9:00 to 11:00 am. Every child should be accompanied by

a parent during this rehearsal. In addition, adult volunteers are needed to help with costumes dur-ing the rehearsal and beginning at 3:00 pm on Christmas Eve. If you would be willing to assist, please contact Katy Allen at katy.allen @yahoo.com.

The First Presbyterian Church 302 N. Dunton Avenue Arlington Heights, IL 60004-5993 Phone: 847-255-5900 Fax: 847-255-3475 www.fpcah.org / mail@fpcah.org

Presbyterian Women’s

Christmas Tea

Wednesday, December 12, at 1:00 pm in the Parlor All women are invited to celebrate the season with a time of fellowship at our annual Christmas Tea.

A lovely program of Christmas organ music will follow in the Narthex, presented by Kirstin Synnestvedt. Kirstin has performed from coast to coast and holds degrees in music from Juil-liard School of Music, Syracuse University, and the University of Iowa. We hope you will take time out of your busy holiday schedule to join us as she shares her music.

Please make reservations with Sandy Richardson at 847-590-8540 or sandy.k.richardson@gmail.com.