June 2014

Pastor's message...  
Rev Ron Purser

 

Can you still hear the Hallelujah Chorus from Easter? Has the mystical celebration of "Christ the Lord has risen today?" still resound in your life? This is the joy and excitement the followers of Jesus felt on that Day of Pentecost and the Spirit of faith, hope and love were launched. We, as Protestants particularly, need to return to a sense of celebration for the many changes and experiences in life.

Protestantism in the West reflects the sufferings of Christ and the lostness of humanity. Eastern Christianity reflects the glory of Christ and the mystery of communion. In the West our services rehearse the crucifixion; in the East the services rehearse the throne. And the East and the West meet in Him. That's why I am saying: the gospel includes glory and celebration, mystery and meeting, awe and silence. Wonder tiptoes on top of the Cross: Where there is suffering, glory is close by. Where there is a sorrowful tune, there is a joyful tone--if you listen. We must listen again. (Can you hear the Hallelujah Chorus?)

Listen: the gospel of Christ on the cross and Christ on the throne. It's silence, celebration, wonder, mystery, and surrender. It dances, emerges, tromps--aware of the present and presence.
"And, lo, I am with you always..." It bows to providence, bends to poise, and empties heaven; fills earth, you and a dancing God takes over your heart. Wine-stricken and in a new mood for celebration, you move in this world, not of it. Your Exodus in living is more than out; it is into Christ. We need to recapture that sense of mystical faith that's Biblical, that opens the doors of heaven. Too long we have not danced in the spirit, talked with silence, brooded over wonder. We have won souls, yes. Preached the gospel, yes. Been faithful, yes. Sent missionaries, yes. Fed the poor, yes. Yes we have--but we have touched away the Incarnate existence; with our business in the Temple, our chatter, propaganda and noise, the baby child Wonder has left us.

We have stolen the fire from Prometheus and passed out the alphabet, like cotton candy at a fair, to everybody. Most of us Christians can make words now, noise, but fewer and fewer make wonder, silence--like Mary did, sitting at his feet and crowning him Prophet (letting him teach her silence); falling at His feet and worshiping Him as Priest (letting Him touch away her grieving heart at the silent tomb); and kissing His kingly feet (letting Him open her heart like a movie screen to play back His role as King, as Lord of the universe). She worshiped Him as Prophet, Priest, and King, done in the mood of wonder.

There's a mysticism that's to be had. It's called the presence of Christ. For so long Protestants have recognized the doctrine, but not the presence. But Truth sometimes enters the room clothed in mystical garb. Am I writing too poetic? Maybe so. But in this parting letter, as in the verses of the song; "I wish for you my friends, the faith, the hope, the love, the happiness I have found over the year in Christ and with you."

May God bless this Summer with peace and joy!
 
Rev. Ron    ron@littlehomechuch.org


Worship schedule...  silhouette-hiker.jpg

 
June 1

Sacrament of Holy Communion

Sermon: "Faith and Commitment"

Theme: Walk Out Into Life

Scripture: Hebrews 11;8, 10; Matthew 11:4

 

June 8

Graduate Recognition Sunday

Sermon: "God Is Still Speaking or Is It Nudging Us?"

Theme: To Walk Out of God's Will Is to Walk Into Nowhere

Scripture: Micah 6:6-8; John 10:10

 

June 15

Father's Day

Sermon: "More Than What We Do,

Christian Life Is Who We Are"

Theme: Faith, Hope, and Love Found in Christ

Scripture: Exodus 10:9-15; Colossians 2:9-10

 

June 22

Sermon: "There's a Call for You"

Theme: Cost of Discipleship

Scripture: Mark 1:20; 8:34

 

June 29

A Service of Gratitude and Celebration in Honor 

of Rev. Ronald and Maggie Purser 

 


"Gifts from Our Courtyard Garden"
...it's a fun fundraiser for LHC

  

Premium perennials from our beautifully designed 

and carefully nurtured Courtyard Garden will be divided, 

potted, and available for sale.

 

Hors d'oeuvre and Dessert Buffet

Wine, Craft beer, Infused cocktails and Lemonade punch

 

Wine Pull and Raffle Basket Fun too!

 

Requested ticket: $10 per person

Purchase tickets: info@littlehomechurch.org 

or 630.584.4013

 

Volunteers needed...

Make an hors d' oeuvre...Make a dessert...

Help divide & pot...Help set up or clean up...

 

Volunteers, please sign up in the Parish Hall 

or email ksk@kaskadesign.com

 

Thank you!

 

K.Haben

 

Moderator's update...

We have lots of activity and this can cause questions and uncertainty for some folks, while others look forward with joy and anticipation to changes and the excitement it can bring.

 

At LHC we have a fantastic web site: littlehomechurch.org.  

We also have a great Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Little-Home-Church-by-the-Wayside-UCC/294766427278930  

and we have our beloved By The Way which is emailed out monthly via Constant Contact. Can any of the above, newer social media outlets beat face-to-face communication? While they certainly do create more ways to communicate we also have a monthly council meeting (second Tuesday of every month at 7 pm in the Parish Hall) which is open to every member, guests and friends of our community. We also have two of our congregational members who serve as Members at Large who are glad to talk to you, get you answers and present your concerns and ideas to council if you'd like. And there is always coffee hour after church. We have lots of ways to communicate at LHC, but communication requires a sender and a receiver--or simply put, it's a two-way street. The LHC Council and our great staff and volunteers are always looking for ways to get information to you. It's up to each of us to actively participate in the communication process to make LHC the place God wants it to be and to listen to the Holy Spirit to see where it will go. I invite, and encourage, each of you to be part of the LHC communication explosion!

 

Interim Search Update
The Interim Search Committee has completed the first round of interviews. They've called one of the potential candidates back and conducted a second interview. The salary and benefits package has been put together and Council has approved the drafted Interim Covenant. With great hope, joy and anticipation we will present this to our candidate and we pray for acceptance and anticipate our journey towards closure with the selection process. We are hopeful to stay on goal and to have the Interim Pastor in place by July 7, 2014.

 

LHC Interim Search Committee, Council Demographics and Council Opportunities

We were recently asked why the Interim Search Committee was comprised of all women, in the same age category. Well, if you look at our 2013-2014 voting Council members, the entire group was comprised of women. For our Council line-up next year, we have had one brave male join the group. Mr. Bob Kaska has stepped up to the plate and will be our Stewardship Chairperson. We still have 3 openings on Council for the 2014-2015 year, which starts in July. The open positions are Moderator-Elect, Member-at-Large and Clerk. What a blessing it will be to have these positions filled, but they won't be filled unless someone prayerfully accepts the call.

 

Dixon House

No changes since last month...we are still waiting on resolutions regarding the septic system and the lot lines to be surveyed and then, finally, we will get the house listed on the real estate market.

 

In closing, I realize this will be my last BTW entry as your Moderator. Whew, what a year and what an honor and blessing! I thank each and every one of you for the privilege to serve you, God's church, LHC and those around us. I ask for your continued participation in the life of LHC and support of the members who lead our faith community.  

 

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. 

Romans 8:28

 

Peace, Kathy Haben

 

 
Activities...  

 

A Book & A Prayer Book Club

4th Monday of every month

7 pm in the Parish Hall   

 

Please join us on Monday, June 23, at 7 pm as we discuss yet another historical fiction book recommended to us by author, Jane Kirkpatrick. English Creek by Ivan Doig, creates a rich and varied tapestry of northern Montana and of our country that is still innocent before the Second World War. It is the summer of 1939, and our hero discovers his own connection to the land, to history, and to family. We'll discuss how religion, faith and spirituality play into all of this. 

 

We look forward to seeing you...and bring a friend!

Contact: Kathy Haben, 630.876.0620, khaben@att.net 

 

Handbells

 

Choir   

Thanks to everyone for a wonderful year of worship and music!

 

Adult Choir

The Adult choir will be singing through June 8, and then return on June 29 for Rev. Purser's retirement celebration. It will be a day of festive hymns, anthems, and even some Dixieland jazz. Several guest singers, the Northside Brass Quintet, and Robert Vanderschaaf will join the choir on organ. The Adult Bell Choir will also perform a beautiful rendition of "American the Beautiful" foreshadowing the upcoming 4th of July.

 

Adult Bell Choir

The Adult Bell Choir will rehearse over the summer.

 

And as is tradition, we could always use some special music for the Summer services.

 

Larry Dieffenbach, Director of Music, Organist

lsdieffenbach@sbcglobal.net 


 
Ministry news...

 

Congregational Life

Sunday, June 29 will be a service of gratitude and celebration as we honor Rev. Ron and Maggie for their 13 years of devotion and service to the Little Home Church. The service will begin at our regular worship time of 9:30 am, and will be followed by a reception in the Parish Hall. We hope you can attend this very special service. There will be a letter sent to the entire congregation with further details. 

 

Regarding the Reception, please contact: 

Susannah Lesswing at susannahlesswing@lesswing.com 

 

Regarding the Service, please contact:

Jane Shelton at janeshelton8@gmail.com 

 

 

Evangelism

The Evangelism report has some very good news with our newest member, Joe Krantz. We are delighted to have Joe join our church on May 18. He has been a familiar voice in the bass section of our choir for several years, and plans to continue. Joe has also

performed many solos during services, and we are blessed by his beautiful resonating voice. He certainly has become an integral addition to the choir. Joe is graduating from

Elgin Community College this month with a degree in vocal performance. He will be attending Elmhurst College in the fall, majoring in music. He currently studies piano with Larry (our own Minister of Music) and voice with Jeff Hunt of St. Charles. Joe has performed in Elgin Opera's Young Artist masterclass and Verismo Opera Theater's production of "La Traviata" and in the chorus of Savoyaires "The Mikado." We are thrilled to have Joe's talents in the choir, and are excited he chose LHC to make his spiritual home.

 

We are hoping to add a few more people to our membership in June. Please feel free to contact me if anyone has questions, and/or if you have someone in mind who might be interested in joining. I am very excited that in the last 9 months we have added many new members to our church family, and I continue to reach out to anyone who is looking for a spiritual home. 

 

Carol Berger, Evangelism Ministry

 

 

Christian Education
On Sunday, May 18, Ty Wilson-Muno, Jake Milfred, along with Trevor and Chase Odegaard received the sacrament of confirmation. They have been exploring the life and love of Jesus Christ and their commitment to Him and to His Church. We welcome these young men into the membership of the church and look forward to watching their faith grow even more.
 
 
Vacation Bible School
July 7 thru 11
9 to 11 am 
 
We are inviting all children, ages 3-12 to come join the fun. This year's vacation bible school looks to be an exciting one. The theme is Workshop of Wonders, and the key phrases for this session are: Imagine with God, Build with God, Grow with God, Work with God and Walk with God. 

These will be reinforced with Bible stories such as the Story of Esther, the Parable of the Mustard Seed, and more. As always, there will be plenty of crafts and songs, snacks related to the theme, and my favorite part...science experiments. All the science experiments have been field tested in test churches, and include making lava lamps, working with pulleys, invisible ink messages, and more. We are always looking for people to help with decorations, crafts, activities and snacks. Please contact me if you have a special talent to share, or is you have the time and desire to help out. I'll look forward to hearing from you.
 
For more information, please contact Lori Haseltine at 630.587.1906 or lori-h@comcast.net

 
Outreach
We continue to need donations of paper products for the food pantry located at Resurrection Church. Donations can be dropped off here at LHC church, and they will be delivered to the pantry. Needed items: paper towels; toilet paper; and tissue.

 
Education...  heart-drawing-girl.jpg
 
Quiet Time Bags 
Canvas bags with crayons, storybooks and activity books for children during worship are available in a basket at the rear of the church. Please return them to the basket after worship.
 
Morning Bible Study 
For the month of June, Bible Study moves to Tuesdays at 10 am. The group will begin studying I Thessalonians. No preparation is necessary. We hope you can join us.
  
Children's Sunday School
Sunday School is held during the Sunday service. Come have fun learning and playing at Little Home Church! All children are welcome to join us for a Bible story, crafts and music. Parents, if you'd like to see what we're doing you're welcome to sit in.
 

Our love & prayers...  flower-bouquet.jpg

 

Recently hospitalized or ill...
Sharon Bergland, Dulie Ware
 
Condolences to...   
Janice Christensen on the loss of her mother, Mary Margaret Jamrosz. She passed away on May 25 at the age of 93.
 
Tim Haben on the death of his father, Tom Haben on Thursday, May 29. He was 85.  
 
Thank you to our service men & women:   
SGT Samantha Prang
SGT Greg Haben

 



Sunday Service

9:30 am




upcoming
dates


Bible Study
Tuesdays, 10 am

Flag Day Parade & Ice Cream Social
Sun. June 8, 4 pm

Council Meeting  
Tue. June 10, 7 pm

Ministry Annual Reports Due
Fri. June 13

Garden Party
Sun. June 14, 6 - 9 pm
  
'By the Way' Deadline
Tue. June 17

'Junual' Congregational Meeting
Sun. June 22, 10:45 am

'A Book & A Prayer'    
Book Club
Mon. June 23, 7 pm

Celebratory Service 
& Reception Honoring 
Rev. Ron & Maggie
Sun. June 29, 9:30 am

 
church calendar
  
 

 

 
church  
leadership


Pastor
Reverend Ron W. Purser

 

Pastor Emeritus
Reverend Dr. Don Heinrich

 

Director of Music Organist 
Larry Dieffenbach

 

Office Manager
Lori Prang  

 

 
 
Church Council
 
Moderator 
Kathy Haben

 

Moderator-elect
Susi Winquist

 

Stewardship Ministry
Ann McLaughlin

 

Evangelism Ministry
Carol Berger

 

Outreach Ministry
Valeri Baldwin

 

Congregational Life
Ministry
Susannah Lesswing
Jane Shelton
  
Christian Education
Ministry
Lori Haseltine

 

Worship & Spiritual Growth Ministry
Sandy Antonelli

 

Facilities Ministry
Anne Bouchard
Dan Roach

 

Members at Large
Louise Aughney 
Kathleen Sullivan Kaska 

 

Financial
Art Zwemke
  
Clerk
Jan Marchese
  

 

 

 

flowers+   
fellowship 


Provide flowers to decorate the altar or host a fellowship hour after worship as a wonderful way to recognize an occasion or to remember someone special.

Email the office or use the 
sign-up sheets posted in the Parish Hall if you would like to participate. A reminder call will come from the Church Office so you can note what should be listed in the Sunday Bulletin.

Open dates are noted below. Check the church web site for updates.
  

Altar Flowers


June 1
Kaska

June 8
(open)
   
June 15
Schramuk

 

June 22
McLaughlin/Hege/Bechet
 
June 29
Karwowski
 


Fellowship Hour


June 1
Winquist
  
June 8
Hadfield
 
June 15
(open)

 

June 22
(open)
 
June 29
Celebratory Reception in honor of Ron & Maggie
 


visit our
facebook
page

Give us a "Like"
...we now have 83!

 


Post a photo or send any info, photos or notes to be posted on the Page to the Church office.

 

 





happy 
birthday

 
June 1
Bob Kaska
  
June 3
Trysta Malm
  
June 4

Brittany Winquist

Mary Alice Roach


June 6

Kathi Abell

Will MacCarthy


June 8

Nancy Schatzeder

Olivia Gatsch

 
June 9

Neil Milfred
 
  June 11
Matthew Biondo
  
June 16
Caroline Berger
 
June 17
Peter Roach
 
June 25
Kathy Thorne
 
June 29
Alex Kentfield
Eleanor Karwowski
  
 
 
info  
needed...
   
It's graduation time and many of you have children or grandchildren who are graduating from high school and college. We would love to acknowledge their accomplishments and are looking for that info. If they're graduating from high school, let us know which school and what their post high school plans are. If they are graduating from college, let us know which school and what degree. 
 
Just give the church office a call at 630.584.4013 or email 
 
  
  
 
we  
noticed
   
Many thanks to... 
 
--Our Confirmation mentors who gave the gift of their time and commitment to this year's Confirmation Class. Thank you to Jean Muno, Robbin Farrell, and Doug & Arlene Halpenny.
 
--Participants in the Blood Drive. We had 10 donors and 3 deferrals! Thank you for the gift of life!
 
  
  
 
more thanks...
   
Dear LHC Congregation,
 
Thank you so much for the lovely packages that were sent out this year! It's always a lovely surprise to get all the candy and goodies. I absolutely love them and I appreciate the hard work that is done to get them sent out! It's so nice to have your support and love from far away. I hope you know that I'm thinking of all of you as well.
 
Thank you again,
Kate Lesswing
DePauw University '16
 
  
  



shiny-tree-button2.jpg
 
BTW has gone paperless 
& postage-less!
 
Only a handful of people have responded to the notices sent out to all who still receive this electronic newsletter in the mail to confirm whether they want to stay on the postage mailing list, or be added to the electronic email list.
 
This month only those people who have requested a hardcopy will be mailed the BTW via USPS. 
 
Contact the church office if you would like a hardcopy in the mail, or be added to the email list: 630.584.4013
 
Thank you!


 


 
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Little Home Church by the Wayside UCC      32W128 Army Trail Road, Wayne, IL 60184
630.584.4013    fax 630.584.8427     info@littlehomechurch.org     Pastor Ron cell: 630.886.5677
Editors: Lori Prang and Kathleen Sullivan Kaska