Formed in God's Image

I was skimming my Facebook page and found a great article about Sunday School and Faith Formation by Matthew Kozlowski and Charlotte Hand Greeson.  Here are a few of their words:  

"Sunday school (Formation programs), when done well - or even done adequately - is a place of nurture. A place where, if nothing else, children (adults) are taught and shown that God loves them more than they can ever imagine, and that Jesus is with them, always."

On the contrary, there are many things that congregations do to raise children as followers of Jesus.

The truth is that formation can and must occur in a variety of places in a variety of ways.  In worship, in Sunday school, in choir, in service work, at home, in the car, on mission trips, in Bible study, in prayer, in the hospital room, on the sports field, and yes: in the popsicle-stick-glitter-covered-cross that hangs from the bulletin board until dust overwhelms it, but lo and behold winds up carefully stashed in a shoebox and carried off to college by the child who made it all those years ago in a sunlit church classroom.

Formation occurs through relationships with multiple adults who live their Christian faith and are willing to talk about it.  Formation occurs when children are told that God loves them, that Jesus gave himself for them, and that the Holy Spirit fills them..."

Adults, children, youth and young adults. Our interactions with each other help to shape the people we are. They form our faith and our image of God and of Jesus.

I challenge each of us to make a commitment to engage in one new way of being formed in our Christian faith. Let Grace be a place that engages each of us in the exploration of what it means to be formed in the image and likeness of God.  Brings your children to Grace to learn and grow in Christ.  You never know how it might impact you.

Take a moment to read the Formation newsletter that was sent out this week (available at this link).  See what jumps out at you. See if you can find what piece was added to the original email. Hint: it has to do with worship. 

Shawn

• The Holley Court Garage (a few blocks to the west, and accessible from both Marion and Ontario streets)
• The Avenue Garage at Oak Park Avenue and North Boulevard

Our Children & Youth Programs will be up and running soon! Thanks to all who have already registered their children, and all who have offered their help. You can still register at this link, and if you're interested in leading or assisting a program let Nick know.  

In case you missed it, a Formation at Grace email, containing detailed information on our formation programs was sent on Monday.  It is available at this link.  

Here are some upcoming program kick-off dates:  

• Catechesis Levels I & II for those Pre-K - 4th Grade will begin with an Open House for children and their families to learn about Catechesis after the 9am service this Sunday, September 21st. Level II Catechesis begins Sunday, October 5th. Level I Catechesis begins Sunday, October 12.
   
• A new program for 5th - 7th Graders, G. A. P. Year (Group for Action and Prayer) emphasizing prayerful service to the Grace community and beyond will kick off on Sunday, October 5th from noon until 2pm.
   
• Journey To Adulthood (J2A) for grades 8 and above begins Sunday, September 28th from noon until 1:30pm.

More information about our programs can be found on our website. 

Did you know that we have a rare Dawn Redwood tree on our property? An experienced arborist with whom we've met told us that in all his professional life he's only seen one other of that size in person. The Morton Arboretum has this to say about our treasured tree:

"The dawn redwood is a legendary tree first described in 1941 as a fossil from the Mesozoic Era (about 200 million years ago), and was thought to be extinct. Seven years later, a previously unidentified stand of trees in China was found to be this same species! In 1948, the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University collected seeds from this stand, and since then, the once 'extinct' species has been in cultivation worldwide."

Our tree is picture below, but we'd love for you to take a moment and see it in person (or see it again but with a new appreciation) in our Memorial Garden, immediately east of the church building.

This is the first in a series of articles celebrating lesser-known features of our buildings and grounds. We'll be running this feature in e-Items and heartily invite your submissions . . . so, what can you tell us that we may not know about the property we are lucky enough to steward as a community? Email Douglas or Leslie. 

You are invited to the Community of Congregations Fall Community Meeting on September 29th from 7:30 to 9:00 pm.

September is HUNGER month! To raise awareness of the issue of hunger the Community of Congregations is hosting a panel discussion surrounding the issue of hunger in our community.

Panelists include: Rev. Jo Carol Bundy, St. Cyprian's Food Pantry; Cristy Harris,Prevail; Michelle Zurakowski, OPRF Food Pantry; Andy Born, Austin Coming Together.

After a short presentation by panel members, smaller groups will be formed with each panelist to further discussions and answer direct questions. Mark your calendars and join us at St. Giles Parish, 1101 Columbian Ave., Oak Park, IL. Please bring your family, friends, and neighbors. 

This fall, Saturday, October 18, the Episcopal Church Women (ECW) of the Diocese of Chicago will be hosting an event on hunger. Emmanuel Episcopal Church, La Grange will be hosting this event which begins at 9:00am and concludes at 3:00pm. It is the belief of the ECW that many people participate in food programs without really understanding why there is such need. What does it mean to be hungry, or have no food at all? What is it like to lack proper nutrition and have limited access to healthy food? What is being done in our state and local governments? How are the causes of hunger different across Illinois? Are all poor people hungry? How can a family get help? How can we help? The ECW 2014 Fall Forum will include a panel discussion with representatives from organizations working to eliminate hunger in our region. The Rev. Bonnie Perry, All Saints, Chicago, will be the moderator. Following lunch, there will be small group discussions with panelists to cover the issues of hunger in more depth. The Rev. Peg Williams, of Grace Church in Sterling, will lead the opening and closing prayer services.

A registration form is at this link.  Additional information and updates on the program are available on the ECW website: www.ecwchicago.org.  

September 21st 10:30am Service:
MC/LEMS: Steve Fanning; Phoenix Sullivan, Tony Dobrowolski, Cherryl Holt, Barbara Larsen, Sam Love
LECTORS: Faye Peters, Jim Prescott
INTERCESSORS: John Seaton, Willie Polite
ALTAR GUILD: Joan Anderson, Heather Bovell, Flora Green, Kathy Onayemi, Al Papillon, Willie Polite, Sally Prescott, Natalie Ratz, Marie Rock, Jane Shirley, Chuck Tupta; Mary Ann Urbashich
BREAD BAKER: Barbara Larsen
USHERS: Flora Green, Stan Kaderbek, Linda Francis, Alex Lippitt
GREETERS: Donna Anderson, Adrienne Gervais, Cyndy Reynolds
COFFEE HOUR HOSTS AFTER 9:00 SERVICE: Cyndy Reynolds, beverages
COFFEE HOUR HOSTS AFTER 10:30 SERVICE: Cyndy Reynolds, beverages & treats

September 28th 10:30am Service:
MC/LEMS: Cherryl Holt; Charlie MacDougall, Karen Mensch, Natalie Ratz, Jim Redden, Julia Thomason
LECTORS: Gloria Rayburn, David de Jong
INTERCESSORS: Bonnie Shadid, Ted Reichardt
ALTAR GUILD: Joan Anderson, Heather Bovell, Flora Green, Kathy Onayemi, Al Papillon, Willie Polite, Sally Prescott, Natalie Ratz, Marie Rock, Jane Shirley, Chuck Tupta; Mary Ann Urbashich
BREAD BAKER: Barbara Larsen
USHERS: Laura Morgan Day, Sam Love, Alan Harvey, Donna Anderson
GREETERS: Ade Onayemi, Gloria Rayburn, Jane Shirley
COFFEE HOUR HOSTS AFTER 9:00 SERVICE: Cyndy Reynolds, beverages
COFFEE HOUR HOSTS AFTER 10:30 SERVICE: Cyndy Reynolds, beverages & treats