Outlookthe

M A Y 2 0 1 4

A N E W S L E T T E R O F O R L A N D P A R K C H U R C H

THIS ISSUE

7500 W. Sycamore Drive, Orland Park | (708) 532-4900 | www.orlandchurch.com

deacons’ corner page 2

preschool news page 3

car ministry update page 4

youth group mission trip page 5

choir notes page 6

church family news page 7 & 8

calendar page 9

Don’t forget to check out our church website for more news and information!

www.orlandchurch.com

Mark Your Calendars for This Summer’s VBS!J U N E 1 6 - 2 0 , 2 0 1 4 | 9 : 0 0 - 1 1 : 4 5 A M

Your children (K-6th grade) will have an awesome time at this year’s 2014 VBS as

they learn about Jesus’ one-of-a-kind love! Registration will begin online beginning May 16 – watch our church website for details!

Please prayerfully consider volunteer-ing during this year’s VBS. If you are interested, please contact one of the following comittee members:Jessica Clevering, Lisa Boersma, Kate Huizenga, Becky Vande Kamp, Allison Loerop, or Kellie Loerop

May 4: GEMS National | www.gemsgc.org GEMS Girls’ Club is an international relationship-building program created especially for girls. Their mission is to bring girls every-where into a living, dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ. To help foster this all-important relationship between each girl and Christ, other relationships are nurtured as well – between girls and be-tween girls and their counselor.

May 11: Elim Christian Services | www.elimcs.org Elim is a Christ-centered ministry that recognizes the God-given value and purpose of each person and is committed to learning and to sharing its expertise wherever God calls. Through Elim Chris-tian School, Elim Adult Services, and Elim Outreach, individuals with disabilities are equipped to achieve their highest God-given potential, living their lives glorifying Him! Each day over 1,000 individuals with disabilities turn to Elim for life-changing programs on one of Elim’s two Illinois campuses, within 20 Discovery Centers in Christian Schools nationwide, and through partnerships in five other countries internationally.

May 18: Bethshan | www.bethshan.orgBethshan provides an array of residential living environments for persons with developmental disabilities. The services provided are based upon the premise that all members served are children of God and shall be treated with dignity and respect. Their mission is to provide for each member the highest quality of services and support, designed to maximize his/her potential and independence, while encouraging the maximum inclusion in church and community.

May 25: Operation Blessing | www.opblessing.orgOperation Blessing acts as a distribution point for food assistance programs from corporate and private donations. Started in 1982, the organization was originally located in a small office in Worth with a closest sized pantry and one refrigerator. Founded solely by private donations, the group began to reach into the community. As it grew, Operation Blessing began to develop a reputation for helping needy families and individuals, not only with food, but also with counseling and caring. Today, their mission to “Share the mes-sage of Jesus Christ with them…make it count” is still at the heart of what they do for the Chicago Southland.

Deacons’ CornerWhen my children were teenagers, one of them came to me complaining about how “hard” it was to be a Ramsey kid. She whined about having to buy her own car and learn to manage her own checkbook when her friends didn’t have to.

“You cut us no slack,” she said.

She was right. Sharon and I did expect a lot from our kids, and we worked hard to make sure they understood the biblical principles of giving, saving, and spending. But we didn’t do it to be mean. We did it because we want wealth to be a blessing to our children - not a curse.

See, I’ve checked the statistics, and I know that 100% of humans die. We all have an expiration date in terms of our time on earth, and Sharon and I are no exception. And one day our three children will inherit everything we’ve built and saved.

I reminded my daughter that the inheri-tance we pass to her and her siblings will either bless their lives beyond belief or ruin their lives beyond repair. And the dif-ference rests in our ability to teach them how to handle money right now.

I see that truth spelled out in Proverbs 13:22. As a believer, I should be using my wealth to make a difference in the world. But I’m also called to leave a legacy for generations to come. Leaving a legacy doesn’t just mean leaving them some money; it means leaving them with the character to manage that money from a biblical perspective.

If you have children, you have legacy responsibilities as well. Make sure you have a will that is current and appropriate for your state laws. It should explain how your assets should be distributed, but it also needs to answer questions that could be asked when you pass - like custody of minor children, your feelings about life support, and your organ donor wishes.

And if you aren’t teaching your children how to handle money, you need to start, regardless of their age. After all, the best financial legacy you can leave is a genera-tion of wise and competent stewards.

-Dave Ramsey

M A Y O F F E R I N G S C H E D U L E

Leaving a Legacy

2

Preschool News-Ruth Baas, Director

T he children at Orland Park Christian Preschool arrived

back in class on April 7 after spring break and began studying the signs of spring. God has made so many beautiful things that grow again after a long, hard winter, and the children have been thrilled to ex-perience the coming alive of God’s creation first-hand.

We spent our first day back ex-ploring seeds and learning about how they grow into flowers. Our vocabulary was expanded as we learned the words “roots,” “chutes” or “stems,” and flower “petals.” The best part of the study was planting our own sunflower seeds in small pots of soil, watering the seeds in, and taking them home to find a sunny window where they will begin to grow. We are hoping for some tall sunflowers to decorate our yards this summer!

The second sign of spring that we studied was butterflies. We had a tightly-capped jar in our classroom that started with five very small live caterpillars inside and about ¼ inch of nutritious food on the bottom of the jar. During the first week, we observed the caterpillars crawling all around the jar, eat-ing the food, and shedding their exoskeletons several times as they grew. They tripled in size! Then they climbed to the lid, attached themselves, and hung upside down so that they looked like a capital J.

Within a few hours, each caterpillar had shed once more, and hardened into a chrysalis. The lid was trans-ferred into a simple netted butterfly habitat and attached to a side-wall. Within 7-10 more days, we were blessed to watch five Painted Lady Butterflies emerge from the chry-salides. We fed them sugar water sprinkled on carnation flowers and orange slices. What fun it was to bring the habitat outside and release the butterflies into the air when they were ready. God’s cre-ation is beautiful!

Baby animals are always favorites, and this sign of spring was enjoyed by our preschool children as well. We took a field trip to the Chil-dren’s Farm in Palos Park to see many new baby animals. We also have our own incubator at school which has 24 fertile chicken eggs inside. We learned about chickens and their eggs by seeing pictures of the growth of a baby chick inside the egg and pictures of the hatch-ing process. There were fun stories about chicks to enjoy too. We are anxiously waiting for 21 days to pass until our chick eggs hatch and we can meet the baby chicks in our very own classroom! Our estimated date for hatching is May

12. Once the chicks are born, we plan to keep them in our classroom for about five days and watch their tremendous growth! It only takes a few hours after birth for them to be ready to be transferred to a box that is warmed by a bright light. They begin walking around, eating and drinking, and noticing the children in the classroom right away. The experience of having the chicks in the classroom is a highlight that the children remember for quite a few years.

Around this same time, our Bible studies have been focused on Easter and how Jesus died to pay for our sins and then came alive again. Our study of butterflies and eggs/chicks related very well to learning about new life in Christ!

We are so thankful to be God’s children and to know that He loves and cares for us every day, even more than he loves and cares for flowers, birds, butterflies, and baby animals. Please praise God with us and thank Him for the opportunity to teach this important truth to His young children. Our preschool staff is thankful for your ongoing support and interest in the special work being done here at Orland Park Christian Preschool. 3

P R E S C H O O L C H I L D R E N W E L C O M E S P R I N G !

4

The Orland Park Church Car Ministry was started by deacons and church volunteers in February, 2000. Over the past 14 years, many volunteers

have been the hands and feet of God, with increasing assistance to needy families in South Chicago. On Saturday, March 22, we distributed car number 700 (a 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan minivan) to a member of Roseland Christian Reformed Church in Chicago.Through the efforts of the car ministry, Christian mercy is shown to those in need of reliable transportation to get to employment, children to day care and school, families to church, and other necessities such as grocery store, and doctor visits.

The car ministry is in desperate need of incoming vehicle donations at this time. Please help with car ministry promotions by picking up some white promotions cards from the Information Center and passing them around to neighbors, friends, and co-workers. Thanks for your support. Call the church office at 708-532-4900 ext. 300 for more information about the car ministry at Orland Park Church.

Car Ministry UpdateSince our February newsletter report, we have helped 11 families with needed transportation within area churches. We currently have one vehicle in progress of inspection and repairs, with 35+ applicants waiting for assistance.

Please continue to promote vehicle donations to the car ministry when-ever you have the opportunity.

January 18: 99 Jeep Grand Cherokee To: Reborn Community Church, Chicago

January 25: 00 Ford Windstar Minivan To: DuPage AME Church, Lisle

February 8: 00 Ford Windstar Minivan To: Emmanuel CRC, Sauk Village

February 8: 02 Toyota Sienna Minivan To: Moody Students, Missionaries to Thailand

March 8: 94 Ford E150 Club Wagon To: New Hope Bible Church, Chicago

March 15: 98 Chevy Astro Minivan To: Emmanuel CRC, Sauk Village

March 22: 05 Ford Ranger Pickup To: Calvary Ref Church, Orland Park

March 22: 03 Saturn L200, 4-door To: DuPage AME Church, Lisle

March 22: 03 Dodge Caravan Minivan To: Roseland CRC, Chicago

April 12: 03 Honda Odyssey Minivan To: Parkview Church, Orland Park

April 18: 00 Mercury Grand Marquis To: New Faith Baptist Church, Matteson

RECENT VEHICLE DISTRIBUTIONS

ORLAND PARk CHURCH CAR MINISTRY IS THE BEST PLACE TO DONATE A VEHICLE

-Bruce Harnew

We received this follow-up in March from Heather and Matt (pictured above), who received the 2002 Toyota Sienna minivan on February 8.

To our family in Christ, words cannot express how grateful we are that the Lord led us to you, and that you had a car available to provide us with. What a bless-ing for us as we finish our seminary certificate and make preparations to leave for Thailand. We have affectionately named our van “Stella B.” She has done a wonderful job running thus far. Thank you for being such a blessing in our lives! Much love in Christ, Heather and Matt.

ENCOURAGING WORDS RECEIVED

VEHICLE DONATIONS STILL DESPERATELY NEEDED!

Youth Group Mission Trip Recap

T his spring break, OPCRC Youth Group had the privilege of

serving in Rehoboth, New Mexico. After a 26-hour bus ride, we ar-rived at the dorms tired but ready to see what God had in store for us. Sunday morning started with a tour of the campus and a worship service at Rehoboth Christian Reformed Church. We then had the opportu-nity to visit Window Rock in Arizo-na and then continue on to the land of a local Native American. He told us the story of how his ancestors came to New Mexico, and then he took us on a hike of the canyon that was part of his land. We were awed by God’s magnificent creation! After the hike, we were treated to Navajo tacos as we watched a Navajo per-form some of their native dances.

On Monday we began our work at the school. Our jobs included paint-ing their Mission house, repair-ing and building some fencing on the property, and sorting through donations for the grand opening of

their thrift store. We also had the opportunity to volunteer in the lo-cal public school, which was a very eye-opening experience. The kids were hungry for our attention, and we were struck by the poverty in which they lived.

Throughout the week, we enjoyed learning more about the Na-tive American culture as we visited a local weaver who still spun her own yarn from the sheep that her family raised, and as we visited a local trading post and pawn shop that was full of hand-made Native American goods. We were able to tour the Zuni reservation, and also the Zuni Christian Mis-sion School.

We also reveled in the beauty and majesty of the scenery of New Mexico, going on several more hikes through a rock crevice and enjoying a beautiful sunrise hike on

our last morning there. Overall, we had an amazing experience serving at Rehoboth, and look forward to returning there in the future.

We would like to thank the congre-gation for their support of our trip both financially and through their prayers.

R E H O B O T H , N E W M E x I C O | M A R C H 2 8 – A P R I L 5 , 2 0 1 4

5

-Becky Vande Kamp

6

Choir Notes-Carol Vroom, Director

A s I reflect about the 2013-2014 choir season, these words from

“Speak, O Lord” come to mind:

Speak, O Lord, as we come to you, To receive the food of your holy word. Take your truth plant it deep in us, Shape and fashion us in your likeness, That the light of Christ might be seen today, In our acts of love and our deeds of faith. Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us All your purposes for your glory.

The purpose of the Orland Choir is to sing with one heart and one voice to the glory of God. We pray that has been the case again this year. We stand to sing God’s praise – we don’t want the stones to sing! We want to use our voices to tell the truth and to sing the story of salvation. I pray that we have all come to know the Risen Christ in new and deeper ways this year through participation in the choir.

I have such love and admiration for our choir leaders and members. The officers, Judy Van Byssum (president), Laura Smith (vice-president), and Amy Strong (li-brarian) have been a huge help and support for me. Beverly Hoitsma, our accompanist, is a fine musician and a true servant. I’ve seen acts of love and deeds of faith – choir members encouraging each other,

sharing joys and sorrows, and choir members encouraging other members of the congregation. Re-cently, several choir members vis-ited with both Estelle Bosma and Jo Leo. The time shared singing, praying, and reading scripture was truly precious. We also presented a service of song for the residents of Autumn Leaves last fall. We loved singing with Mel Du Bois there!

We also love singing with the whole congregation of OPCRC! On May 4, at the 8:30 a.m. service, we hope to be part of a hymnfest – a singing of the whole story. A hymnfest is a service of praise using songs from the new CRC/RCA hymnal, Lift Up Your Hearts. Churches in both de-nominations have been presenting these services since the release of the hymnal last summer. Having served for five years on the adviso-ry committee for the hymnal, I am excited that it has been published and that its songs are being sung for the glory of God!

We hope to conclude this service by singing “The Lord Bless You and Keep You.” Any member of the congregation who knows the song is invited to come up and sing it with us.

“Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.” Psalm 150:6

O P C R C C H O I R C O N C L U D E S S E A S O N W I T H H Y M N F E S T O N M A Y 4

Don’t miss this opportu-nity to impact the lives of

orphans in our community and around the world! Contact Jan Kamp if you can help with any of the following:

Donate anything that you don’t need or want, and that you are willing to sacrifice. Doing some spring cleaning? This is a great opportunity to do something good with your unwanted items! Drop-off times: Wednesday, May 7, 3-6 pm, and Thursday, May 8, 7-9 pm in the FLC. You may also donate baked goods.

Give monetary donations. ALL proceeds of the rummage sale will go to help orphans in our community and around the world.

Help: We can make a dif-ference! Come volunteer to set up or work the sale, or donate some baked goods.

M A Y 9 ( 8 - 2 ) M A Y 1 0 ( 8 - 1 2 )

7

Orland Park Church Family News

Thanks to the congregation for your prayers, visits, meals, and many cards during Pearl’s hospi-talization and rehab. After being away for over three months, Pearl is happy to be home again. We ask for your continued prayers for her recovery. Your love and concern is appreciated. Thanks be to God for his faithfulness.-Pearl and Marv Vis

Thank you for all your cards, prayers, and kind words after the death of my brother, Frank Renz.-Renee Weighill

Thanks for the cards and prayers offered on my behalf for my recent surgery. The power of prayer and a wonderful church family are truly some of God’s special gifts. -Sandy Waterlander

Come to one of two car shows to benefit Elim Christian Services on Saturday, June 21.

Schepel Buick/GMC is hosting their 18th annual Charity Custom Car, Truck, and Motorcycle Show from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in Merrillville, Indiana.

Scott’s Garage is hosting their 4th annual Elim Benefit Car Show and new Arts and Crafts Show and Kids’ Zone from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Elim’s East campus in Palos Heights, Illinois. Please call (708) 293-6518 or visit Elim’s website at www.elimcs.org for more information. Both shows promise lots of great cars, trucks, and even motorcycles, with proceeds to benefit children and adults with dis-abilities.

THANk YOU, OPCRC!JUNE 21 CAR SHOWS TO BENEFIT ELIM: YOU’RE INVITED!

Happy BirthdayLouise Van Lonkhuyzen 93 years May 1

Martin Dorn 84 years May 12

Carolyn Van Hal 82 years May 18

Pearl Vis 87 years May 30

Missionary BirthdaysMike Van Prooyen May 13

Milton Massie May 19

Martha Lin May 20

Laura Guerrero May 22

Cynthia Massie May 22

Jimmy Lin May 23

“500 or bust” bra drive: May 3-10His Heart & Hands Orphan Ministry is sponsoring a bra drive from May 3 to May 10. This drive will benefit “Free the Girls,” a non-profit organization that helps women who have been rescued from human trafficking, many of whom were sold into prostitution when they were very young. Because their lives were stolen from them, they missed out on going to school and getting an education. These women are now able to sell donated second-hand bras, allowing them to respectfully earn an income, rebuild their lives, and support their children.

So how can you help? Donate your new or gently-used bras (all shapes, sizes, colors, and styles, including sports bras, nursing/maternity bras, etc.) to the collection bin in the narthex anytime during the week of May 3-10. Also, please include a small monetary donation to help with shipping costs (checks can be made out to His Heart & Hands Orphan Ministry). We hope to collect 500 bras for survivors of trafficking! Thanks for your help!

Orland Park Church Family News

Mildred Barcella Andy Bosma Estelle Bosma Rich Brouwer, Jr. Dorothy Bruinius Bob Bulthuis Dave De Haan Terry Henschel Bob Hoekstra Kent Hook Ruth Jacobsma

Olivia Krooswyk Johanna Leo Bill Loerop Chris Otte George Schaaf Bill Schaafsma Al Siegers Janet Siegers Ron Slager Carol Slagter Art Sluis

Eleanor Sluis Henry Solle Evelyn Terry Adrienne Urbanski Bob Van Lonkhuyzen Courtney Van Ryn Pearl Vis Ruth Waterlander Sandy Waterlander Mike Wright

Happy AnniversaryBill and Betty Loerop May 3 40 years

Robert and Carol Ettema May 6 54 years

Martin and Grace Dorn May 14 54 years

Marvin and Pearl Vis May 16 67 years

John and Thelma Workman May 20 54 years

Jim and Lynell Dykstra May 21 20 years

Bob and Bettie Triezenberg May 23 56 years

Harold and Elsie Van Drie May 25 58 years

Dan and Kathy Davis May 26 30 years

Rich and Carol Brouwer May 29 50 years

P R A Y E R R E Q U E S T S

Please remember these people in prayer who are recovering from recent hos-pitalizations, who are shut-ins, or who are dealing with other health problems. Cards would also be appreciated.

To request prayer or give thanks for answered prayers, contact the church office at (708) 532-4900. If you wish to receive the prayer update by email, send your email to Trudie at the church office at trudie@opcrc.org. 8

Congratulations to Sam and Sarah Lin in the birth of their son, Alexander James, born on March 30.

We rejoice with Bob and Emily Workman as they celebrate the birth of Robert John Workman III, born on April 4.

Congratulations to Jackie (Vander Laan) and Isaiah Kauffman, who were united in marriage in Michigan on Saturday, April 12.

Congratulations to John and Nina Ahrens, who were married on Saturday, April 19, at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Mokena.

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S ! S Y M P A T H I E S

We express our Christian sympathy to:

Jim Leistra as he mourns the loss of his brother-in-law, Jacob Peter Bakker, who passed away on March 24.

George Schaaf and Bob Schaaf and family, as they mourn the loss of their brother-in-law and uncle, Harold (Mike) Wondaal, who passed away on April 2.

2

14

7

21

12

5

19

10

3

17

24

27

9

16

23

30 312625 28 29

1

15

8

22

13

6

20

11

4

18

MAY 2014SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

Preschool Graduation 10:00 am

Coffee & Comfort 1:00 pm

Men’s Prayer Breakfast – 6:30 am

Men’s Prayer Breakfast – 6:30 am

Men’s Prayer Breakfast – 6:30 am

Men’s Prayer Breakfast – 6:30 am

Cadets 6:45 pm

Mission Committee 4:30 pm

Education Committee 7:30 pm

God’s Posse Topic Night7:00 pm

Youth GroupLOFT7:00 pm

Car Ministry7:00 pm

InSight 7:00 pm

Youth Group X-Treme Trampoline Offsite 6:00 pm

God’s Posse X-Treme Trampoline Offsite 6:00 pm

9

Men’s BSF 6:45 pm

Women’s BSF 9:00 am

Women’s BSF 9:00 am

VBS Registration Begins! orlandchurch.com

MOPS 9:00 am

MOPS 9:00 am

Matthuis/Haan Wedding 3:30 pm

Schutt/Workman Wedding 4:30 pm

Preschool Family Picnic 11:00 am

Submissions for the June 2014 issue of the Outlook are due on Sunday, May 18. Please send to Denise Vander Plaats at denise@opcrc.org or drop off in the office.

InSight Girls’ Night Out Offsite

Oasis VIPs12:30 pm

Oasis First Steps12:30 pm

Oasis First Steps12:30 pm

Oasis VIPs 12:30 pm

Admin Elders 7:00 pm

Admin Elders 7:00 pm

Council Mtg 7:30Shepherding Elders/Deacons Meeting 8:00 pm

Ladies’ Craft Night 7:00 pm

Orphan Ministry RUMMAGE SALE 8:00 am–2:00 pm

Orphan Ministry RUMMAGE SALE 8:00 am–12:00 pm

MEMORIAL DAY