January 23, 2011 A Publication of The Union Church of Hinsdale, U.C.C. Volume 43, Issue 2 Inside This Issue: Erie House Thank You New Newsletter Guidelines Spaghetti Dinner: Save The Date Chicago Philharmonic WA Fellowship Gatherings Sunday School Updates Coat Drive Friendship FUNship And more! Message From The Minister “MOVING FORWARD” Greetings! Much has happened since I wrote you last and much continues to happen as we listen to the Spirit of Christ and try to have vision for our future. I invite you to continue to be engaged and continue talking as we discern how we will move forward. I will be meeting with a Transitional Steering Committee soon. However, in anticipation I have shared these thoughts with the staff and ministry teams: Possible Transition Steps January: Appointment of a Transitional Steering Committee Committee Planning with Rev. Dr. Zoelzer begins including the development of a method to involve the entire membership in a series of Forums February – April: Series of Forums conducted by the Steering Committee around specific questions that discern and vision April – June: Sharing of gathered information with the congregation, staff, Executive Council, and ministries Action steps based on information gathered September – November: Cottage meetings about the future of Union Church including qualities in the next Senior Minister of the Congregation January 2012: Senior Minister Search Committee begins its work May the Good News of faith continue to inform us as we move forward. Rev. Dr. Tom Zoelzer [email protected]Transitional Minister Union Church of Hinsdale, U.C.C.
Transcript
January 23, 2011 A Publication of The Union Church of Hinsdale, U.C.C. Volume 43, Issue 2
Inside This Issue:
Erie House Thank You New Newsletter Guidelines
Spaghetti Dinner: Save The Date Chicago Philharmonic
WA Fellowship Gatherings Sunday School Updates
Coat Drive Friendship FUNship
And more!
Message From The Minister
“MOVING FORWARD”
Greetings! Much has happened since I wrote you last and much continues to happen as we listen to the Spirit of Christ and try to have vision for our future. I invite you to continue to be engaged and continue talking as we discern how we will move forward. I will be meeting with a Transitional Steering Committee soon. However, in anticipation I have shared these thoughts with the staff and ministry teams:
Possible Transition Steps
January: Appointment of a Transitional Steering Committee
Committee Planning with Rev. Dr. Zoelzer begins including the development of a method to involve the entire membership in a series of Forums
February – April: Series of Forums conducted by the Steering Committee around specific questions that discern and vision
April – June: Sharing of gathered information with the congregation, staff, Executive Council, and ministries
Action steps based on information gathered
September – November: Cottage meetings about the future of Union Church including qualities in the next Senior Minister of the Congregation
January 2012: Senior Minister Search Committee begins its work
May the Good News of faith continue to inform us as we move forward.
Transitional Minister Union Church of Hinsdale, U.C.C.
2
Invitation to Faith: Transformative Worship
Our Staff Transitional Minister: Rev. Dr. Tom Zoelzer Minister for Mission
and Outreach: Rev. Dr. Thom Parrott-Sheffer
Minister for Christian Formation and Family Life:
Rev. Tanya Sadagopan Director of Children’s Christian Education:
Penny Johnson Director of Youth Formation:
Jeremy Hylen Director of Music Ministries:
Michael Surratt Director of the Chancel Choir:
Todd Diehl Director of
Contemporary Music: Brad Nye
Director of Children and Youth Choirs: Roberta Wentling
Assistant Handbell Director: Elizabeth Jung
Director of Early Childhood Programs:
Jennifer Keldahl Executive Manager:
Merrilee Hall Financial Manager:
Gaby Perez Project Manager:
Joel Gratcyk Communications Assistant:
Melanie Burton Buildings and Grounds:
Jim Vojtek, Bob Brija
WORSHIP SERVICES Sunday Worship
9:00 and 10:30 a.m. Prayer and Healing Service 3rd Sundays at 7:00 p.m.
CHURCH OFFICE HOURS Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sundays 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Erie House Thank You
Once again the people of Union Church have demonstrated your generosity to the children at Erie Neighborhood House. You have donated several hundred toys! The toys were delivered to the “Christmas Store” in time for it’s opening. The Erie staff and volunteers delivered the toys (both big and small) so that every child and siblings had gifts to open on Christmas morning. We don’t know all of your names, but we bring many thanks from everyone at Erie House for all of those wonderful toys and send our New Years greetings to all of Union Church of it’s friends.
Weekly Pledge Envelopes Available
If you would like to have weekly pledge envelopes for 2011, please contact Gaby Perez, our financial manager at (630) 323.4303 or [email protected].
Newsletter Articles and Submissions
ALL contributions to the newsletter should be emailed
to: [email protected] If you need to send graphics or pictures please be sure that they are less than 1 MB in size, total. If you have ANY questions or concerns about the newsletter please contact Pastor Thom with all inquiries. Thank you!
3
Invitation to Faith: Community & Church Life
WA Fellowship Gatherings
Start your February by gathering with other women for a time of fellowship. Look over the list below, pick a location and time and join us. In addition to a short program that has been chosen by the group, February is the time when we begin to think about which groups we will support in the coming year. Don’t worry about whether you will know anyone, we make friends easily.
Thursday, February 6
9:15 AM Unit 1 – Home of Lorelei Collins Unit 2 – Home of Pat Dietrich Unit 3 – Home of Ellie Hankie
12:30 PM -‐ Unit 4 Home of Jenny Kubitschek
7:00 PM
Unit 5 – Home of Marion Mortimer Unit 6 – NO meeting members are invited to attend Unit 3’s meeting
Tuesday mornings
Unit 7 – Book discussion group (contact Kim Notaro for details) Union Church
Child Care is available by calling Jennifer Keldahl, Director of Early Childhood Programs; please make this reservation as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made.
Drop in Book Club Returns The Drop in Book Group Returns!!! Join us for "Brown Bag Books" on Thursday January 27th. We will be discussing the book "Breakfast with Buddha" by Roland Merullo. Bring a brown bag lunch and join us at noon!
Used Books
A whole new selection of used books has been placed in the lower level alcove area. If you haven’t taken the time to stop by the Women’s Association book sale, please do so before the end of January. All money donated will go the Association’s college scholarship fund; scholarships are awarded to applicants each May.
Chicago Philharmonic Chamber Players
Coming to Union Church
The award-‐winning Chicago Philharmonic announces a new concert series featuring the Chicago Philharmonic Chamber Players at Union Church of Hinsdale. Guests can enjoy high level classical music performances in Union Church’s inspiring sanctuary. The Chicago Philharmonic is made up primarily of Lyric Opera Orchestra members and other top-‐tier professional musicians from the Chicago area. The series kicks off on Sunday, February 13 at 3 p.m. with a program titled Valentine’s Delights. The group will perform romantic works that will warm the heart. Included will be String Quartet No. 3 in A minor Op. Post by Charles Gounod, Italian Serenade by Hugo Wolf and Piano Quartet in G minor Op. 25 by Johannes Brahms. Performers include William Billingham, Piano; John Macfarlane, Violin; Karyn Macfarlane, Violin; Karl Davies, Viola; and Margaret Daly, Cello. This will be the first concert of a two part series. The second concert Sounds of Spring takes place on Sunday, May 22 at 3 p.m. with works to welcome the freshness of springtime. Concerts take place at Union Church of Hinsdale, 137 S. Garfield Ave. The February concert is underwritten by The Blanchard Family. Tickets are $15 in advance ($10 seniors 65 and up)/$20 at the door ($15 seniors 65 and up). Series pricing available. Tickets can be purchased online at www.chicagophilharmonic.org or by phone at 847.866.6888.
4
Invitation to Faith: Music & Community Life
The Allegro’s new fundraiser is continuing through May. It’s fundraising while you shop. RING RING CHA-‐CHING fundraising gift cards, also called scrip, are the same gift cards you would normally purchase from a retailer in your local retail stores, and they work the same way. Order forms are available at http://www.uchinsdale.org and on the Music Ministry bulletin board as well as the Gathering Place on Sunday morning. If you would like to place an order and the retailer you need is not listed, please call Elizabeth Krainc or Wendee Greene; they might be able to add them to our list. Share this news with friends! Questions and to place orders by phone, please call Elizabeth Krainc (630-‐969-‐0545) or Wendee Greene (630-‐969-‐7668).
Thank you, The Allegro Handbell Ensemble
Spaghetti Dinner: Save the Date
The Annual Spaghetti Dinner is a fundraiser for our Bell Choir
and Youth Work Tours. This year it will be held on Sunday, February 27 from 4:30-7:30 p.m.
Join us for a fun family style dinner with music and friends.
Tickets will be going on sale soon.
Questions? Call the church offices at (630) 323.4303.
Ring Ring Cha Ching
Benefiting The Allegro Handbell
Ensemble
Guatemala Mission Team Returns from Successful Mission Trip
What makes for a successful Mission Trip – it is a combination of good work, shared faith, shared life, laughter, reflection and revelation. This was truly a successful trip.
Come and share the stories and hear how God was moving in our midst as we lead worship on
January 30 at both 9:00 and 10:30.
5
Invitation to Faith: Expanding Mission and Social Justice for All People
Sunday School Stewardship Update
Mitten Tree
Thanks to all the children of Union Church and ECP who generously donated to our mitten tree project. We collected over 100 mittens, scarves and hats for the children of Erie House. Our mitten tree in the Gathering Place was beautifully decorated with the many donations. Thank you to our wider church community for helping make this Advent project so successful. Habitat for Humanity Guatemala Our Sunday School offering for the last couple of months was going to support our Adult mission trip to Guatemala. The children have over $121.56 towards the building supplies for a house. With each $5 collected, the classroom was given a brick to symbolize the building of the house. Our 3s & 4s Sunday School classroom had 8 bricks! We are hoping to see pictures of the house our Sunday School offerings helped build when the Adults return. The second session of LOGOS starts January 26 and runs through March 16. Registrations are currently being accepted for the second session. For more information, please see Penny Johnson on Sundays in the Gathering Place or call the church office at (630) 323.4303.
Coat Drive Ends Soon!
Our Annual Coat Drive for Interfaith House runs through the end of January. Bring donations of adult winter coats
to Pastor Thom’s office. Thank you!
Friendship and FUNship
The fellowship group for elementary school students will go to CHINA on Friday, February 11th. This meeting should be particularly fun and authentic because the Schwarzbauer family will help us put together what we have to eat and the activities we do. We invite elementary school students and their friends to join us. We meet 6:30-‐8:30 PM. Cost is $5 per person. If you have any questions, please contact Kim Notaro or Susan Young.
Visit our website to get more information about upcoming events, listen to the Sunday
Morning Sermons podcast, read the blog, view current and past newsletters, plus much more!
http://UCHinsdale.org
An updated and more user friendly website is coming in March. Stay Tuned!
