November 15 is Stewardship Sunday... 
"God is doing a new thing...
do you not perceive it?"
Isaiah 48:19
Our stewardship theme for 2016 is based on our New Beginnings initiative. As we journey through the New Beginnings process as a Congregation we are given the opportunity to take a fresh look at our Church; our Community; our Mission; and Ourselves. Soon you will receive your pledge card, please bring it to our Stewardship Sunday service on November 15 and stay for our celebration lunch.
As you determine your financial support to our Church, please consider your blessings and our new beginning. Positive new things are happening at Little Home Church...perceive; participate; pledge.
Stewardship Ministry
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Pastor's message...
Thank God for the many blessings!
"And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work."
(1 Corinthians 9:8)
I am ecstatic when I think about the way God has blessed my life! I get to serve Little Home Church, which has been 16 of the most fulfilling months of ministry in my whole career of serving God. And when I think back about a few highlights e.g. the Men's Group, glorious music and inspiring worship, Arun Gandhi's visit, the new Connections Small Group Ministry, Back Bay Mission Trips 2015 and now 2016, 23 new members, increased pledging and worship attendance. But the real blessing is in the intangibles of new energy, new spirit and New Beginnings. "And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work."
We are involved in New Beginnings on all levels of service, mission and building community. When we work with God, God works with us. And God is 'blessing us in abundance!' How can we feel downhearted? With an awareness of God's Spirit moving in and among us creating new life, new directions for LHC, how can we feel anything but joyful...and thankful? Look at what God has done for us. How can we not be encouraged to share in the work of God right here at LHC. It's not accidental that we are asked to pledge from our resources each November in the same month with Thanksgiving. It is with an attitude of thanksgiving that we recognize what God is doing among us and asking us to eagerly rise and 'share abundantly in every good work.' "And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work."
God is still working among us. New Beginnings are happening all around us. We are blessed and gratefully thank God by sharing from the abundance of our blessings. Blessed to serve with you,
 Pastor David
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Worship schedule... 
November 1
Holy Communion
All Saints Sunday
Sermon: "Finding New Life"
Scripture: John 11:32-44, Rev. 21:1-6
November 8
Sermon: "We All Want Commitment"
Scripture: Mark 12:41-44, Ruth 1:15-17
November 15
Stewardship Consecration Sunday
Sermon: "What We Really Value"
Scripture: Matthew 6:19-21, Psalm 136
November 22 Rev. Nancy Schatzeder preaching November 29 Hanging of the Greens Sermon: "Can Anything Good Come Out of Nazareth?" Scripture: John 1:43-46, Luke 1:26-29
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Ministry news... 
Stewardship
Twelve Members of Little Home Church have responded to the call of the Stewardship Ministry to reduce our current budget deficit by pledging $20,000.
This is a 'Challenge Pledge' to the remaining congregation...now it is your turn to be a believer in the good works of LHC and make an extra pledge this year to raise a total of $40,000 by the end of 2015.
100% Participation = Success
Whatever the amount, choose to participate in the challenge!
Please indicate 'Challenge' on your check. Thank you!
Robert E. Kaska Stewardship Ministry Chair 630.235.2306
Worship and Spiritual Growth 
Hanging of the Greens
Sunday Nov. 29
Please join us after worship for our traditional Hanging of the Greens when we decorate LHC for Christmas! As always, a potluck lunch will follow. We hope you'll join us.
Jane Shelton
Congregational Life
Mark your calendars for this lovely annual event, and watch for an email announcement you can share with your family and friends. There will be many opportunities to help make this a wonderful kick-off to a season of 'sharing the spirit.'
Barb Braulick
Outreach
Fall Blood Drive
Monday, Nov. 16, 3 to 7 pm
Did you know every two minutes someone needs blood? Let's increase our church's participation this time. The goal is 20+ donors...so please sign up to donate to help others. Sign up at church (see Lori Prang) or online at Heartland Blood. To ensure a healthy donation, eat and drink prior to donating. All donors will receive a certificate for a mini-sundae from Colonial Ice Cream! Thank your for your gift of life!
Community Crisis Center appreciates the 20+ lbs. of toiletries donated by LHC so far this year. Donations are collected in a basket in the hallway between Parish Hall and LHC offices.
DaysForGirls (DFG) rep, Pam Bellm provided a Mission Moment on October 11th. Pam outlined how this mission creates a freer, dignified and educated world for girls through access to lasting feminine hygiene solutions. DFG kits last up to 3 years, are culturally appropriate (easy to wash, dry, and break down cultural taboos, and these kits buy back days at school that otherwise would be lost every month. DFG provide washable hygiene kits that are distributed through a global network of 350+ chapters and teams. DFG chapters and teams are located throughout the US, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. These chapters and teams have distributed kits to over 80 nations on 6 continents.
Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans sent LHC a thank you note from Bob "Doc" Adams expressing their appreciation for the much needed bedroom furniture for Tammy's Trace. The furniture includes a single bed, dresser, chest on chest, night table, box spring and mattress. 2015 marked the first full year of Support Services for Veteran Families Program, the expansion of Veterans Employment Program and the introduction of the Veteran's Nutrition Program. These programs respond to the evolving needs of veterans in a seven-county service area. These programs restore hope; reunite families and helps veterans rebuild their lives.
Playdate has grown in popularity for moms, kids, and caregivers gathering on Monday mornings 9-11 am. Last Monday the
 weather was perfect to be outside for chalk drawings. You might have noticed them going into Parish Hall. Nancy Alex is mixing it up with special activities and visitors including a visit by the Wayne police on October 19. The children enjoyed meeting one of Wayne's finest and picked up a few important safety tips. We're working on getting the fire department to provide a similar visit. All are welcome and visitors are open to participating as much or as little time as they can.
Little Home Church provides water and coffee. Given many children have allergies, parents or caregivers may bring their own snacks or treats. Always lots of fun and chattering going on in the nursery on Mondays morning...pass along our invitation to any families with small children that you know. On Nov. 9 we hope to have some firemen along with their fire truck come and visit. If anyone would like Playdate flyers to email or post in your community, please email Valeri Baldwin or Nancy Alex.
Neighborhood Food Pantries is once again partnering with neighborhood churches to provide the annual Thanksgiving Food Baskets. LHC has committed to providing 45 baskets. As in the past there will be a 'shopping list' of items required for each basket. Valeri Baldwin will have a sign-up sheet in church. The baskets are due Sat. Nov. 21 and should be dropped off at Resurrection Church (corner of Army Trail Road and Rt. 59) between 7:30-9 am that day.
We are presently collecting Health Kits for Syrian Refugees. Please consider helping by providing the following:
A one gallon Ziploc plastic bag filled with these basic care items: one hand towel; one wash cloth; one comb; one metal nail file or nail clipper; one bath size bar of soap; one toothbrush (NO toothpaste); and six band-aids. We will be collecting these through Nov. 15 and they can be dropped off in the basket in the Parish Hall. These items can make a difference in the lives of refugees. We hope you'll participate.
Our Giving Tree is right around the corner. We will partner again this year with Wayne Township to help make Christmas a little brighter for some of their needy families. We will be adopting some families and providing gifts that might be on their wish lists. Look for the Giving Tree in the Parish Hall later this month!
Valerie Baldwin
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Christian Education
Friday Night at the Movies
November 13, 7 pm
Parish Hall
Robot and Frank
Set in the near future, Frank, a retired cat burglar, has two grown kids who are concerned he can no longer live alone. They are tempted to place him in a nursing home until Frank's son chooses a different option: against the old man's wishes, he buys Frank a walking, talking humanoid robot programmed to improve his physical and mental health. What follows is an often hilarious and somewhat heartbreaking story about finding friends and family in the most unexpected places.
If you have any questions, please contact Maureen O'Donnell at 630.462.0331 or [email protected]
Bible Study
Wednesday Mornings, 10 am
The group continues to study the New Testament book of James. Whether you are a newbie to Bible study or have some experience you are welcome. NO preparation is necessary. The group meets in Pastor David's office and they are anxious for you to join them.
Interfaith Connection
A wonderful worship and fellowship experience occurred the last Sunday in October with our guests from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Glen Ellyn. Over 30 visitors attended from the mosque, and Imam Shamshad and Pastor David shared the sermon portion of our worship. Discussion and lunch followed the service. Several members of our congregation visited the Ahmadiyya mosque on two previous occasions, and Sunday's interfaith service created a spark of interest in other members of our congregation toward understanding how the Ahmadiyya Muslims practice their faith.
After the worship, Imam Shamshad offered a brief overview about the practice of Islam and the various denominations, followed by questions and answers. We then broke into three small groups, which allowed for insightful, open dialogue, enabling everyone to learn more about the customs as well as raising awareness about our similarities and differences. The result was an enthusiastic open invitation from our Muslim friends to join their mosque for a potluck dinner on Oct. 31 to continue building a bridge of mutual respect and understanding.
thank you...
Respected friend Pastor David Russell
On behalf of all my congregation I want to thank you and all your membership for warm welcome and opportunity to speak to your congregation and answer their questions which remove their misunderstanding, which really created and built bridge between two communities, thank you again and yes we will do some other programs together too, let us know when any program is coming in your church?
Please convey our greetings and special thanks to all, food was very delicious, our ladies also enjoyed being with your ladies in the church and to discuss some of the women issues and to know better Islamic and Christen teachings thank you again God bless you all.
Imam Shamshad
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Choir
'Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not a coincidence.' - Erma Bombeck
'The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.'
- H.U. Westermayer
Thanks to everyone in the choir for making the special music on Peace Sunday and also for the previous Sunday with our Appalachian Band!
November 22 - The West Suburban Flute Orchestra
David Kelsey is bringing some of 19 flutists to our church that morning.
December 20 - Journey of Promises 
A Christmas Cantata with full orchestra!
Bell Choir
The handbell choir begins practice November 4 and 11 for their
performance on November 15. They will also play on Christmas Eve. Come join us for rehearsals.
Larry Dieffenbach, Director of Music, Organist
A Book & A Prayer Book Club
 1st Tuesday of every month 7 pm in the Parish Hall
November 3 Still Alice by Lisa Genova.
In Lisa Genova's extraordinary New York Times bestselling novel, an accomplished professor diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease learns that her worth is comprised of more than her ability to remember.
Alice Howland is proud of the life she worked so hard to build. At fifty years old, she's a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard and a world-renowned expert in linguistics with a successful husband and three grown children. When she becomes increasingly disoriented and forgetful, a tragic diagnosis changes her life--and her relationship with her family and the world-forever.
At once beautiful and terrifying, Still Alice is a moving and vivid depiction of life with early-onset Alzheimer's disease that is as compelling as A Beautiful Mind and as unforgettable as Ordinary People. You will gain an understanding of those affected by early-onset Alzheimer's and remain moved and inspired long after you have put it down.
December 1
A Red Bird Christmas by Fannie Flagg.
With the same incomparable style and warm, inviting voice that have made her beloved by millions of readers far and wide, New York Times bestselling author Fannie Flagg has written an enchanting Christmas story of faith and hope for all ages that is sure to become a classic.
Deep in the southernmost part of Alabama, along the banks of a lazy winding river, lies the sleepy little community known as Lost River, a place that time itself seems to have forgotten. After a startling diagnosis from his doctor, Oswald T. Campbell leaves behind the cold and damp of the oncoming Chicago winter to spend what he believes will be his last Christmas in the warm and welcoming town of Lost River.
There he meets the postman who delivers mail by boat, the store owner who nurses a broken heart, the ladies of the Mystic Order of the Royal Polka Dots Secret Society, who do clandestine good works. And he meets a little redbird named Jack, who is at the center of this tale of a magical Christmas when something so amazing happened that those who witnessed it have never forgotten it.
We hope you'll join us for a warm discussion that will put you in the spirit of the season!
Men of LHC Ministry
Next gathering:
Saturday, Nov. 14, 8:30 am
Breakfast at Colonial Restaurant
Come join this group for fun, fellowship
and food...!
Art Zwemke
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How and why must we move from tolerance to acceptance?
A few weeks ago I attended an interfaith gathering in the southern suburbs. The theme was 'How Does Your Faith View Compassion, Love and Peace?' The format was simple: a panel of representatives from the Buddhist, Shinto, Zoroastrian, Muslim, Jewish and Baha'i faiths each gave a brief and succinct response to the topic, followed by a Q&A session. Unfortunately, the two invited Christian panelists who accepted the invitation to participate--one a Catholic priest, the other a main-line Protestant cleric--did not show up.
The day before going to this interfaith meeting, I went out to my mailbox, and among the usual advertising brochures and donation requests, was my regular monthly issue of 'Teaching Tolerance,' a publication by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). In this litigious society, it is more often the threat or eventual result of legal action that "brings down" hate groups of all stripes, and the SPLC helps lead the legal charge against bigotry, and promotes the teaching of tolerance in our public, private and parochial educational systems.
Anyway, I always thought that 'tolerance' was a good thing. As I carefully listened to the panelists discuss their faith's views, it was evident that (radicals and fundamentalists of any of the faiths aside) each of the faiths had common core values despite obvious theological differences (i.e how these values are put into action), and tolerance seemed to be a shared core value. Yet as we were discussing 'tolerance,' the Buddhist monk literally jumped up, robes flying, and in a very un-calm and un-Buddhist manner shouted, 'tolerance is not good enough, we must progress to acceptance.'
He went on to say that the word tolerance can have negative overtones i.e. tolerate can mean to 'put up with something.' When thus defined, it can relegate the thing tolerated to a lower place on our core values scale. On the other hand, acceptance gives equal credence (note: agreement is not implied!) to different or even opposing views. The root question then became, "how do we get from mere tolerance, to the higher core value of acceptance?"
The answer is understanding. Building bridges of understanding across often turbulent waters of mistrust and misinformation which often swell into waves of hatred, is no easy task. Our Little Home Church, the UCC, and many other forward-thinking denominations, faiths and organizations have taken on the herculean task of building these bridges. As a member of our little congregation, I could not be prouder (excuse me, pride is a vice I was told, so let's make that thankful) of what we have done to put our faith and our values into action.
Peace,
Alex Kentfield
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Recently hospitalized or ill...
Deedee Starrett, Tim Shelton
Thank you to all our service men and women.
We continue to keep SSG Greg Haben in our thoughts and thank him for his service to our country.
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Sunday Service
9:30 am
Wednesdays, 10 am
Choir Practice
Wednesdays, 7 pm
Playdate
Mondays, 9-11 am
A Book & A Prayer
Tue Nov 3, 7 pm
Church Council Meeting
Tue Nov 10, 7 pm
Friday Night at the Movies
Fri Nov 13, 7 pm
Men of LHC Breakfast Sat Nov 14, 8:30 am Colonial Restaurant
Stewardship Sunday
Tue Nov 15
Fall Blood Drive
Mon Nov 16 3-7 pm
Parish Hall
December BTW Deadline
Tue Nov 17
Thanksgiving Dinners Due
Resurrection Church
Sat Nov 21 7:30-9 am
Happy Thanksgiving
Thu Nov 26
Office Closed
Hanging of the Greens
Sun Nov 29 10:30 am
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December 5
Women's Advent Tea
10 am
December 13
Christmas Pageant-5 pm
Lasagna Dinner-6 pm
December 20
Christmas Cantata
9:30 am
December 24
Christmas Eve Services:
Family Candlelight Service, 5 pm
Communion Candlelight Service, 11 pm
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We remember and honor in prayer those family members and friends who left us this past year...
Philip Aughnay
Vida Bardsley
William Chapman
John Crum
Virginia Edwards
Ronald Hege
Wayne Jarvis
Richard Jarosz
John Beverly Kelly Jr.
Delores Krecji
Alice Ann McGready
John McGuire
Gregory McLaughlin
Philip McLaughlin
Loretta Orabutt
Charles Orabutt Sr.
Valerie Ota
Florence Reveillac
David A. Riley
Patricia Roach
Ward Starrett
Lotte Doria-Vuksan
James Walker
"For all the saints, who from their labors rest, who thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest. Alleluia! Alleluia!"
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Pastor
Reverend Dr. David Russell
Pastor Emeritus
Reverend Dr. Don Heinrich
Director of Music Organist
Larry Dieffenbach
Office Manager
Lori Prang
Custodian
Odie Perry
Moderator
Alex Kentfield
Moderator-elect
Kathleen Sullivan Kaska
Stewardship Ministry
Bob Kaska
Evangelism Ministry
Ann McLaughlin
Outreach Ministry
Valeri Baldwin
Congregational Life
Ministry
Barbara Braulick
Christian Education
Ministry
Frank Muno
Worship & Spiritual Growth Ministry
Jane Shelton
Facilities Ministry
Anne Bouchard
Chip Braulick
Members at Large
Susi Winquist
Carol Berger
Financial
Art Zwemke
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Pastor David's schedule:
Mon - Thu
Mornings, afternoons, and one or two evenings
Thu mornings
Sermon writing time
Pastor is available in an emergency.
When Pastor David is out of the office Mon-Thu for meetings or pastoral care, the Church Office will know how to reach him.
Fridays-Day off
Saturdays-
Day off unless there is a wedding or LHC special event
Pastor David cell: 847.890.2774
Office Manager's schedule:
Mon - Thu
9 am to 3 pm
Office is closed on Friday and Saturday.
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Provide Altar flowers or host a Fellowship Hour after worship.
Email office or sign-up in Parish Hall.
Reminder call will come from the Church Office so you can note what should be listed in the Sunday Bulletin.
Check the church web site for updates.
Altar Flowers
Nov 1
LHC Missions
Nov 8
(open)
Nov 15
Berger
Nov 22
Haben
Nov 29
Graham
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Nov 1
Sbarbaro
Nov 8
(open)
Nov 15
Stewardship Ministry
Nov 22
(open)
Nov 29
Hanging of the Greens Potluck Lunch
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Nov 4
Nov 7
Ro Montgomery
Nov 8
Liz Haben
Nov 11
Dave Hochstetter
Jared Winquist
Nov 12
Anne Haben
Ardis Redmond
Nov 15
Steve Prang
Nov 18
Elizabeth Thorne
Nov 20
Susi Winquist
Nov 21
Abrielle Kapoor
Nov 24
Kathleen Haben
Nov 27
Sullivan Kaska
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we noticed...
Thank you to Mark Lesswing who, despite having the flu, came to the Office Manager's rescue when her computer shut down!
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Mondays, 9 to 11 am
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