November 28, 2010 A Publication of The Union Church of Hinsdale, U.C.C. Volume 42, Issue 22 Message from the Minister Continued on next page… The future has arrived. When we began together eight years ago, we looked ahead at what would become a challenging and exhilarating season in the history of Union Church. There are seasons in our lives when everything changes and the world looks different come morning. Such has been this season for us as a family, together as the church, and culturally as a nation and global community. The Good News photo when we arrived in 2002 shows Ellis and me holding our fourth grade daughter, not yet shoulder height to her mother. She looked ahead to braces, Show Choir, middle school, Work Tours, and now graduates this spring from Hinsdale Central High School. Half her life has been formed and shaped through this community. Ellis arrived newly retired as a professor from the University of Northern Colorado only to work first at Benedictine University, and then moving up at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology to his current position as Academic Dean. In these eight years our sons Micah and Joshua matured to men. Our elder son Joshua moved here from Colorado so that he and Amanda could attend school and live near Nana and Granddad. Amanda finishes her nurse’s training and Joshua completes his second year of seminary at CTS. He continues under care of this congregation in preparation for ordination to ministry. Their beautiful babies Claire Verlee and John Henry were born here, baptized into the family of faith. During these same years Micah and Hillary met on a Work Tour. When she finished high school and he completed his Master’s Degree in Spain, they began to date and the rest is history. They happily reside as newlyweds in Utah with their two enthusiastic dogs where he works for the government and she teaches school. Thanks to the support of Union Church, I completed doctoral work in the spring, having spent these past eight years serving here as your pastor. Together we rolled up our sleeves and built a new wing to the church, raised the last of the $9 million to pay off the construction loan, and engaged in ongoing strategic planning to shape and form the basis for building a future. Among those commitments were Faith Initiatives to focus our work on discipleship through Christian Formation for all ages, Expanding Mission, and Transformative Worship. The third of these initiatives came to fruition through our new worship model that was launched this fall. Conversations about extravagant hospitality stirred our thinking and challenged our faith, leading to a new welcome statement at the end of 2009. Discipleship deepened through House Church and Simple Supper Bible studies that have grown this year to fifty regular participants. Each of these initiatives, along with necessary staff changes, prepared Union Church to continue it’s legacy of national leadership into the future, yet these changes came at a price. There were moments when relationships strained and the bonds of Christian charity were tested, as we sought to move forward with mutual respect and regard while holding fast to decisions we believed were faithful to God and the church. Less visible to us are the shifts in American Protestantism that press upon us externally and impact our understanding of what it means to be church in a season of rapid cultural and economic change.
Transcript
November 28, 2010 A Publication of The Union Church of Hinsdale, U.C.C. Volume 42, Issue 22
Message from the Minister
Continued on next page…
The future has arrived. When we began together eight years ago, we looked ahead at what would become a challenging and exhilarating season in the history of Union Church. There are seasons in our lives when everything changes and the world looks different come morning. Such has been this season for us as a family, together as the church, and culturally as a nation and global community. The Good News photo when we arrived in 2002 shows Ellis and me holding our fourth grade daughter, not yet shoulder height to her mother. She looked ahead to braces, Show Choir, middle school, Work Tours, and now graduates this spring from Hinsdale Central High School. Half her life has been formed and shaped through this community. Ellis arrived newly retired as a professor from the University of
Northern Colorado only to work first at Benedictine University, and then moving up at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology to his current position as Academic Dean. In these eight years our sons Micah and Joshua matured to men. Our elder son Joshua moved here from Colorado so that he and Amanda could attend school and live near Nana and Granddad. Amanda finishes her nurse’s training and Joshua completes his second year of seminary at CTS. He continues under care of this congregation in preparation for ordination to ministry. Their beautiful babies Claire Verlee and John Henry were born here, baptized into the family of faith. During these same years Micah and Hillary met on a Work Tour. When she finished high school and he completed his Master’s Degree in Spain, they began to date and the rest is history. They happily reside as newlyweds in Utah with their two enthusiastic dogs where he works for the government and she teaches school. Thanks to the support of Union Church, I completed doctoral work in the spring, having spent these past eight years serving here as your pastor. Together we rolled up our sleeves and built a new wing to the church, raised the last of the $9 million to pay off the construction
loan, and engaged in ongoing strategic planning to shape and form the basis for building a future. Among those commitments were Faith Initiatives to focus our work on discipleship through Christian Formation for all ages, Expanding Mission, and Transformative Worship. The third of these initiatives came to fruition through our new worship model that was launched this fall. Conversations about extravagant hospitality stirred our thinking and challenged our faith, leading to a new welcome statement at the end of 2009. Discipleship deepened through House Church and Simple Supper Bible studies that have grown this year to fifty regular participants. Each of these initiatives, along with necessary staff changes, prepared Union Church to continue it’s legacy of national leadership into the future, yet these changes came at a price. There were moments when relationships strained and the bonds of Christian charity were tested, as we sought to move forward with mutual respect and regard while holding fast to decisions we believed were faithful to God and the church. Less visible to us are the shifts in American Protestantism that press upon us externally and impact our understanding of what it means to be church in a season of rapid cultural and economic change.
2 2
Invitation to Faith: Transformative Worship
Our Staff Senior Minister:
Rev. Dr. Verlee A. Copeland 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.
World AIDS Day Service
December 1 at 7:00 p.m. Please join us for this community worship service, as we remember and pray for those afflicted with AIDS throughout the world. The service will be held in the Chapel at the Union Church of Hinsdale on Dec. 1, 2010 at 7:00 p.m.
According to the Pew study on U.S. Religious Landscape, persons who report frequent church attendance has dropped from 80% in the 1950’s to 20% in the past decade. The fastest growing religious preference for adults in the United States is “no religious preference”. Our study of Transforming Congregational Culture with Tony Robinson as consultant, lifted up this trend away from the Civic Faith Era when “if you built it, they would come”, to the marginalization of mainline church as the cornerstone of the public square. Churches that have stabilized, grow and thrive have found ways to be nimble and responsive in this changing demographic. Though anxiety is heightened among many of us in this time of leadership change at Union Church, I want to leave you with great hope for the future. You have all that you need to successfully navigate these internal challenges and external pressures. The new worship model has increased worship attendance by 20% over last year. The core of capable and gifted elected leadership of this congregation is greater by numbers than the average number of regular worship attendees in more than 65% of United Church of Christ Churches on any given Sunday. Members of our church steadily grow in faith and discipleship through countless successful programs that deserve your every resource and support. I urge you to respond to these issues during the interim period through prayer and with great faith, and to treat one another with the highest regard as brothers and sisters in Christ. You are the body of Christ, the best hope God has of bringing about the Kingdom of God on earth as in heaven. God is counting on this church to follow Christ in word and deed, feeding the deep hungers of all God’s people. Finally beloved, let me express gratitude to all of you for the privilege of serving as your pastor during these eight years, of celebrating God’s gifts and furthering God’s mission in the world through the work of Union Church. I will always be grateful to God for what God has done for us and through us in this time together, and I will remember you with affection. May God’s peace be with you always, even to the end of time.
- Verlee A. Copeland
Continued from cover…
3
Invitation to Faith: Community Life
The Allegro Handbell Ensemble
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. Our weekly Sunday “Cash & Carry” table is stocked with a limited assortment of cards. If you’d like, look over our order form, you’ll find cards you can use at grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, movie theaters, home improvement stores, and almost any business that accepts gift cards. Using RING RING CHA-CHING couldn’t be easier. Purchase gift cards for places where you plan to shop, and use those cards instead of cash or credit. We sell the cards to you for full face value and you redeem the cards for full face value. Allegro Handbell Ensemble (AKA Allegro Bell Choir) purchases those gift cards at a discount & keeps the difference as a rebate, earning a percentage of every dollar spent using the gift cards.
Our order form is available on the Music Ministry bulletin board and in the Gathering Place on Sundays. If you have any questions or want to place orders by phone, please call Elizabeth Krainc (630-969-0545) or Wendee Greene (630-969-7668).
Dinner Dance Thank You The Union Church Dinner Dance was held Saturday, November 13 at the Hinsdale Golf Club. The attendance was 178 people, our largest attendance ever! We raised over $43,000, the highest dollar amount ever – and we had a fabulous and wonderful evening together. There are MANY thank you’s, as this was a GROUP EFFORT. We thank all the Live and Silent Auction Donors, the Benefactors and special Donors. We thank the Committee members for doing everything. Thanks to those who lead the evening’s festivities and auctions, who organized the cake centerpieces and those who baked the cakes. Thank you to everyone who made this night so special. The Dinner Dance was a smashing success thanks to so very many wonderful people! It was an awesome night all the way around! Thank you, everyone! We had a lot of fun putting this evening together to benefit Union Church.
- Melissa Mann & Mary Sue Honigschmidt
Stewardship Update You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity.
– 2 Corinthians 9:11 Pledges for the upcoming year continue to be received. We want to thank the faithful members and friends who have pledged their commitment to the ministries, mission and future of Union Church. Members are invited to hand in your pledge card in the next few days if you have not done so already. Later this week we will be calling members who we have not heard from to schedule a time to meet with you in your home to discuss the vitality and future of our church. If you need another pledge card, you can call the office or email your estimate of giving to Gabby Perez, our financial manager [email protected]. Thank you for your support of Union Church.
4
Invitation to Faith: Community Life & Christian Formation for All Ages
Family Life Ministries Presents...
Celebrating The Christmas Season with your
Kids at Union Church Family Advent Devotional Books available "Gather Round the Christmas Tree" Pick up your advent devotional from Pastor Tanya this week and explore the deeper meaning of the Christmas Tree. The first day of Advent is November 28th. Family Advent Ring and Candles set available for order. Add to the meaning of your meal times during Advent by ordering your own small Advent Ring and candles set is $20 a piece. For candles only, the charge is $5. Place your order with Pastor Tanya. Sunday December 19th @ 11:30 - 1pm (after 10:30 worship) Family Potluck Lunch and Christmas Tree Ornament Craft Please reserve your spot and tell us what you would like to bring to the potluck. Reserve space for your family with Pastor Tanya Tuesday December 21st @ 5:30 -7:00 p.m. Family Caroling to Shut ins -- no singing experience required! Our own Roberta Wentling will be leading us in song. Bring your kids and come with us caroling to shut ins around town. We will end at Pastor Tanya's house for refreshments and hot cocoa. Call the church and let us know if your family would like to join in the fun!
Project Christmas Stocking Unit 6 of the Women’s Association will again be filling large (10” X 14”) stockings for the Inner City Ministries who will distribute them to deprived children (6-12 years old). Donations, before Dec. 1, of the following items would be greatly appreciated:
Pens, pencils, crayons, small coloring books or reading books, matchbox cars, marbles, balls, jacks, necklaces,
small dolls, barrettes, coin purses, and socks. These items can be left in marked boxes in the Gathering Place before
Dec. 1. Questions? Call Jane Ballantine at (630) 323.5113 or Barb Voorhees at (630) 323.3359.
Women’s Fellowship Gatherings
Unit 1: For location and time please call Nancy Warner at (630) 887.9380
Unit 2 - 12/ 2, 9:15 am Home of Daisy Pletcher
5709 Foxgate Lane
Unit 3 – 12/3, 1:00 pm Help fill stockings
At home of Barb Voorhees See Unit 6 listing
Unit 4 – 12/9, 12:30 pm
Silver Tea, No regular meeting
Unit 5 – 12/2, 7:00 p.m. Home of Jane Wareham
729 E. Third St.
Unit 6 – 12/3 1:00 pm Home of Barb Voorhees 732 69th St., Willowbrook
Unit 7 – 12/10, 12:30 pm
Silver Tea, Tues am class continues For more info. contact Kim Notaro ([email protected])
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.
Lecture and Chanting by the Monks of Drepung Loseling Monastery
Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010 @ 7:00 p.m. at Union Church of Hinsdale
The Monks will be offering a short lecture about meditating on Compassion followed by chants,
traditional multiphonic chanting for world peace and healing. You may bring your own prayer cushion and
sit on the floor or take a seat in the chairs provided. There is a love offering for this amazingly magical
event. Items from Tibet will be available for purchase after lecture.
Please contact Rev. Tanya Sadagopan at (630) 323.4303
for more to reserve your place at this event.
5
Invitation to Faith: Christian Formation for Children and Youth
Youth Events Nov. 28 – Dec. 19, 2010
TNT (Middle School) Nov. 28: No TNT (It’s Thanksgiving!)
(in sanctuary from 5-6:30) Dec. 19: Christmas Party (Details TBA)
High School
Nov. 28: No HS Youth Group (It’s Thanksgiving!)
Dec. 5: Really Bad Christmas Movie Night Dec. 11: Christmas Cookie Making
(@ the Stoffers) Dec. 19: Christmas Party (Details TBA)
Spring Work Tour 2011 November 20, 2010
Spring Work Tour 2011 is March 25-April 2. We will be heading to Whitesburg, KY and we will be working with HOMES Inc. We will be doing home construction and repair. Applications can be found on the youth website and outside of Jer’s office.
Check Out Some Scenes From TNT Whirlyball:
Christmas Pageant: The Baby Jesus and His Barnyard Friends
The holiday season is upon us. Christmas music is round the clock. It is time to signup for Pageant! Our Christmas Pageant will be held on December 24 at the 4:00 service. All children, age 4 through 5th grades, are welcome to participate in the Pageant. Registration forms will be available in the Church office or online at www.uchinsdale.org. If you are interested in a speaking part, please fill out the section on the registration form and return by November 28. Practices will be held after the 10:30 fresh worship service on December 5 and 12. We will have an afternoon practice on December 19 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm and a dress rehearsal practice the morning of December 22. Please mark your calendars for the practices and return the registration forms as early as possible. For more information, please contact Penny Johnson in the church office.
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
Burr its cold outside. For the month of December we will be collecting new mittens, scarves and gloves for our Mitten Tree. The mitten tree is to benefit the children at Erie House.
Erie Neighborhood House is one of Union Churches mission partners. Erie House strengthens Latino and diverse low-income communities to reach their fullest potential with educational programs for all ages. The Early Childhood
Program, ECP, joins us with this mission project. Let’s make the Mitten tree the most festive tree at Union Church!
Questions? Contact Penny Johnson at (630) 323.4303.
6
Invitation to Faith: Expanding Mission and Social Justice for All People
Guatemala Dinner and Pancake Breakfast
The team has been set for our return trip to Rabinal, Guatemala in January of 2011. Our two fundraising events are the Guatemala Dinner, (Friday, December 3) and a Pancake Breakfast, (Sunday, December 12). Please mark these dates on your calendar and plan on coming to eat some food, enjoy some fellowship and benefit our Habitat For Humanity trip! If you would like to buy tickets, volunteer to work or just make a trip donation please contact Rev. Thom Parrott-Sheffer in the church offices at (630) 323.4303.
St. John United Church to Celebrate 100th Year Anniversary
One of Union Church’s mission partners is St. John UCC, a small church located on the west side of Chicago. St. John will celebrate the 100th anniversary of their church building on November 28, 2010 with a 3 pm church service. All Union Church members are invited to attend the celebration which will feature the introduction of a mural painted by the youth of Union Church, led by Bill Grimm. Bill designed the mural which started as a work tour project. Thanks go to Bill for his tireless efforts to complete the mural on time for the anniversary! Please join other Union Church members at this joyous occasion. St. John is located at 2442 Moffat Street, Chicago. Please contact Eva Ericsson at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Spirit Gifts An alternative for giving the gift of love and hope! This program, sponsored by the Christian Mission Ministry and the Women’s Association, offers everyone the opportunity to “purchase” gifts for the foreign mission, human service organizations, social justice and witness programs and other ministries at Union Church. These gifts are donations to these programs and ministries in honor of family members or friends. Gifts can be in amounts from $1 to $1000 or more. Spirit Gifts are available for purchase in the Gathering Place each Sunday until Christmas. A complete list of Spirit Gifts charities is available in the Gathering Place. Questions? Contact the church offices at (630) 323.4303.
Toy Drive This year the Holidays with Heart Gift Bazaar at Erie House is on Sat, Dec. 11, 2010. Toy donations are now being accepted, deadline is Dec. 8. There is a toy collection box in the Gathering Place. The toy drive benefits Erie program participants aged infant through age 18. Individual toy value should not exceed $35 and be unwrapped. Wrapping paper, tape, scissors, ribbons and bows are also appreciated. Thank you!
7
Invitation to Faith: Community Life
Poinsettia Sale Poinsettia will go on sale Sunday, Nov 28 and continue till Wed. Dec 15th. They are $18.00 each and may be purchased down in the office, by phone or in person. The forms are in the office. They will also be sold in the Gathering place after worship starting Nov. 28th.
Current Events & Faith Each Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
Join us as we look through the week’s news events and discuss its impact on our faith. Led by Andrew Johnson in the Kitchen Classroom.
Life is Uncertain… Eat Dessert First
When planning your Christmas menu be sure to include Market Day’s mouthwatering desserts. Choose from delicious pies—Pumpkin, Deep Dish Apple, Lemon Supreme and more—or other to-die-for treats like Black Forest Cheesecake or Caramel Apple Tarts The Allegro Handbell Ensemble earns extra profit on desserts this month, so stock up—it’s for a good cause!
December Market Day orders may be placed online at www.marketday.com (Allegro account number is 1359), or you may leave paper orders in the marked racks just inside the north parking lot doors or in the narthex. Please, turn in your orders as soon as possible. The bell choir thanks you for your support!
Thanksgiving Offering to Help Feed The Hungry
The 2010 Thanksgiving offering will benefit A Just Harvest’s Community Kitchen (formally Good News Community Kitchen). A Just Harvest operates the largest and only self-standing community soup kitchen in the Chicago area. Located in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood, hot meals are served 365 days a year to anyone in need. In fact, Union Church sends volunteers to serve as well as food for a meal to the soup kitchen once a month. In these trying times of budget cuts and rising food costs, A Just Harvest has sent out a plea for help. They serve over 54,000 hot meals a year and the need is growing. As you prepare to give thanks this year, please give generously to help those who are not as blessed. Thank you.
The Tower Chorale
Ring in The Tower Chorale’s 25th anniversary season with their December holiday concert, “Silver Bells”. The chorale will be joined by Anima, a renowned children’s chorus from Glen Ellyn and accompanied by brass, percussion, organ and piano. The concerts are Friday and Saturday, December 3 & 4, at 7:30 p.m. at St. John of the Cross Church, 51st St. & Wolf Rd. in Western Springs. Members of the church who are singing in the concert are: Sue Baker, John Jacus, and Dorothy Stephan.
Sunday November 28th Lighting the "Hope" Candle
Pastor Tanya preaching at 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
Sunday December 5th Lighting the "Joy" Candle
Jeremy Hylen preaching at 9:00 a.m. Pastor Thom preaching at 10:30 a.m.
Sunday December 12th
Lighting the "Love" Candle Special Music by Michael Surratt and choir at 9:00 a.m. Special Music by The Joyful Noise Band at 10:30 a.m.
Sunday December 19th
Lighting the "Peace" Candle Pastor Thom preaching at 9am
Jeremy Hylen preaching at 10:30 am
Christmas Eve : Friday December 24th 4:00 p.m. Christmas Pageant
Worship led by Jeremy Hylen and Penny Johnson 8:00 p.m. Lessons & Carols w/communion
