|
The January Messenger Issue #475
December 29, 2007
THE Messiah
MESSENGER
From the Pastor
FROM THE…PASTOR?
When it was suggested that I write something for the “From
the Pastor” space in the Messenger, I thought – ME? What
could I say possibly say to wrap up the last year and
hopefully say something inspirational for the New Year like
Pastor Paul would? So I looked back at Pastor Paul’s
message to us last year for 2007 – that would surely give
me something to work with, I thought! And interestingly
enough this is what Pastor Paul said in his message last
year: “This year promises to be a pivotal and crucial time
for Messiah.” He wasn’t kidding was he?
The end of 2007 definitely did turn out to be a crucial
time for Messiah – especially for Pastor Paul and his
family. Unfortunately Pastor continues to struggle with
health issues as I write this message. And the absence of
our Pastor has indeed made it a pivotal year for Messiah in
terms of how we handled this unexpected turn of events. Did
we sit back and let things go by and throw our hands up in
dismay? Or did we step up to the challenge and keep things
going in spite of what was happening? I think the answers
to these questions tell us a lot about our health as a
congregation.
I’m very happy to say that I think Messiah did step up, and
kept going in spite of Pastor Paul’s absence. It would have
been easy to cancel things and skip things to wait for his
return – but instead we found ways to keep going and keep
functioning. During my recent meeting with Pastor Carol
Breimeier from the synod office, she indicated that she
thought it was a good sign that instead of figuring out
what we could not do, Messiah was figuring out how we could
do things and keep functioning. Not that we don’t miss
Pastor Paul A LOT! And I know we’re not leaping tall
buildings in a single bound – but we are getting about the
business of Messiah’s mission - “With Christ, Reaching Out
and Welcoming All God’s Children.”
I think Pastor Paul had a lot to do with our congregation
rising to this recent challenge. During his first two years
with us he has inspired us to “stir up among us” and become
active participants in our mission, not passive observers.
There are also many people who have gone “above and beyond”
and we’ll have a chance to formally thank them at our
upcoming Congregational Meeting on January 27th. It is
important for everyone to be there to be part of setting
forth our initiatives and continuing our mission for 2008.
In closing, I wanted to note something else Pastor said in
his column for December 2007: “Please pray for our stated
mission and join in the resolution to accomplish our goals
for the Kingdom of God.”
In addition, I would ask that we all continue to lift up
Pastor and Linda and their family in our prayers and to
pray for Pastor to return to good health and to Messiah
soon!
And finally, Pastor Paul closed with this:
18And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven
and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and
teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.
And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
~ Matthew 28:18-20
I am wishing you all God’s peace as we begin a new year.
Remember, God is with us, and with Him, anything is
possible!
Carol J. Hrodey
Congregation President
Noteworthy News
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CONGREGATION
Annual Reports are due into the church office by Monday,
January 7th. This is so reports can be compiled,
spell-checked, and printed in time to distribute copies to
the congregation on Sunday, January 20th. If you can EMAIL
your report, it is much appreciated! If you cannot, and
need to submit a handwritten or typed report, please do so
as soon as possible.
We need reports from the following:
• President
• Pastor
• Evangelism Chairperson
• Child Care Center Board
• Child Care Center Treasurer
• Christian Education (including Youth Sunday School &
Confirmation, Vacation Bible School, Adult Forum)
• Stewardship Chairperson
• Memorial Fund
• Altar Guild
• Choir
• Financial Secretary
• Messiah Brotherhood
• Property
• Women of the ELCA
If you need help, or want to see what you wrote last year,
call the office SOONER rather than LATER.
AND THE WINNER IS…HELEN LEVY!
Can you believe it? Our own Helen Levy was doing some
Christmas shopping on line, and clicked on a link to enter
the Sears Big Wish Sweepstakes contest…and WON! She
received the “Home Improvement Wish” which includes an
in-home style consultation with Extreme Makeover: Home
Edition star Ty Pennington, and $20,000 in Sears home
fashions, electronics and appliances! Helen’s name appeared
on a national television ad featuring Ty on December 23rd
at about 7 PM. She has promised to let us know when Ty is
coming to her house so we can all go hang out and oogle him
… er, I mean get his
autograph. CONGRATULATIONS, LEVY FAMILY!!!! You deserve
it!!!!
DECORATING COMMITTEE
Have you noticed our beautiful new paint job? The hallways
upstairs and down, the stairwell, and the kitchen were all
given a facelift in time for Christmas! We think it looks
great as a starting point, but we’d like to do more. We’d
like to start a “decorating committee” to improve our look
even further with stenciling, posters and artwork, and new
window treatments in some areas. Please let the office know
if you are interested in participating in this project.
Upcoming Events
(Always check with church office before you schedule an
event – there is a room assignment calendar maintained by
the Office Administrator.)
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CONGREGATION
Sunday, January 27th 11:30 AM
This is the time of year that we review our accomplishments
of the past year, and set goals for the coming year. Please
pick up your Annual Report on the 20th, take a little time
to read it over, and then be prepared to discuss and vote
on our initiatives and our budget for 2008. Based on
Pastor’s health situation, we may also need to discuss
finding an interim pastor. Please do not miss this meeting.
REMINDERS!
Naomi Circle Thursday, January 10th at 9:30 AM. Location to
be announced.
Men’s Breakfast Saturday, January 12th at 9:00 AM at
Jimmy’s Restaurant,
1440 Rand Road in Des Plaines. Join us for fellowship and
the best fresh-squeezed orange juice in town!
Friendship Day Friendship Day will resume on January 24 at
9 A.M. If you plan to have lunch, bring your sandwich or
whatever…dessert will be furnished. Please feel free to
come for an hour or so if that is all you can spare. We
need more help to continue this very important work. You
will feel rewarded for your effort. You may also work at
home, making quilt tops, making baby sweaters, and
receiving blankets. Just see Eva Thoren or call her at home
847-823-2594. Thanks and GOD BLESS.
WELCA Board January 2nd @ 9:00 AM
Executive Committee January 8th @ 7:00 PM
Child Care Board January 16th @ 7:30 PM
COMING IN FEBRUARY…
Mardi Gras Celebration
Lenten Worship Services
“Souper Bowl” of Caring
This Month in Worship
WORSHIP SCHEDULE AND READINGS
All Worship Services are at 10:15 AM unless otherwise
noted.
January 6 – The Epiphany of Our Lord
Isaiah 60:1–6; Psalm 72:1–7, 10–14; Ephesians 3:1–12;
Matthew 2:1–12
January 13 – The Baptism of Our Lord
Isaiah 42:1–9; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34–43; Matthew 3:13–17
January 20 – 2nd Sunday after the Epiphany
Isaiah 49:1–7; Psalm 40:1–11; 1 Corinthians 1:1–9; John
1:29–42
January 27 – 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany
Isaiah 9:1–4; Psalm 27:1, 4–9; 1 Corinthians 1:10–18;
Matthew 4:12–23
ADULT FORUM NEWS
Attendance at Adult Forum has dropped off dramatically
since we went to the one-service schedule. We are saddened
to see a regular attendance of only 6-7 people when we used
to get 14-18 every week. While the 9 AM start time is
earlier, it is not unreasonable, and many of the people we
are missing used to attend the 8:30 AM service. John Fox,
with some help from others, has strived to bring
interesting speakers in for Forum, and has asked repeatedly
for suggestions. The lack of support may force Messiah to
cancel Adult Forum altogether, or to do what other churches
do and only have AF sporadically when a topic is available.
We realize that not everyone can come to every thing all
the time. But such a significant change is impossible to
ignore. We welcome open, honest feedback, and would love to
hear from people regarding possible reasons for this
change. If you have a comment, please write it down
(anonymously, if you prefer) and leave it in the church
office. There can be a forum made available at the
Congregational Meeting to discuss responses to this issue
that come in.
Christian Education should be available for all who want
it. Please help us continue to reach out to all God’s
children, regardless of age!
FLOWERS AND BULLETINS
The sign-ups for flowers and bulletins are in the narthex
by the hall to the Educational Wing. Flowers are $30, and
the Bulletins are $10. Envelopes are provided next to the
sign-up calendar, or you may simply write “Flowers” or
“Bulletin” on your regular envelope in the Other box.
PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO PAY FOR YOUR FLOWERS OR BULLETINS!
Note to all those purchasing flowers: Your flowers are
yours to take home!
If you wish to donate them to one of our shut-ins, please
be sure to
let the Altar Guild know. Thanks!
January 6 – Flowers and bulletins are given in honor of
Don Kovach’s birthday.
January 13 – Flowers are given by John and Sue Fox in
honor of Peter’s 15th birthday. Bulletins are given in
honor of Chuck and Jackie Steigerwald’s 61st wedding
anniversary (1/11/58).
January 20 – Flowers are given for Heba Pearl’s birthday
(1/22/04).
January 27 – Bulletins are given in honor of Chris
Boomer’s birthday.
calendar
(See our Calendar Page)
Messages
Pilates Starts Again!
Eat too much over Christmas? Got a New Year’s resolution
staring you in the face? Join our Pilates Class!!! Only $15
per class, taught by certified instructor Missy Vacala, get
in shape and help out the church at the same time! Call the
office to sign up, or talk to Missy directly… 847-518-0742.
(official start date to be announced)
Contribution Statements
Financial statements for all of 2007 will be available at
the Annual Meeting. Statements not picked up at the meeting
will be held in the church office until February 15th. We
will NOT be mailing out the leftover financial statements…
postage is too expensive. If you need your statement for
tax purposes, contact the office by February 15th and it
will be mailed to you. All others will be shredded.
Dear wonderful people of Messiah –
Thank you for all of the love, support, and prayers for me
and my family upon the death of my father. Many of you saw
his one-man-show in 2004, and know that his ministry for
Christ with that show was spread all over the world for the
last 30 years. I am at peace in the knowledge that he is in
heaven, getting the real story from Simon Peter as we
speak. Upon Daddy’s passing, combined with the death of our
beloved cat Olivia the day before, we could feel the
prayers lifting us up – our thanks to all of you.
In Christ, The Schneider Family (Jen, Rich, and Jess)
Dear Messiah Lutheran Church,
Thank you for the baby gift bag for our newborn son,
Matthew. It was very thoughtful and will be put to good
use, especially as we use his journal to document his
progress.
Donna Mullahy, Darien, IL
Manna Order Dates
Thanks for a great turn-out on Manna over Christmas! Our
order date for this month is January 13th.
To all of our friends at Messiah,
May the spirit of the season light your world with joy and
happiness – Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We made it
safely to Nevada. We are enjoying the sunshine and 50°
weather. If we want to see snow, all we have to do is look
up the mountains! God’s peace to all.
Les and Nancy Herak and Joyce Johnson
(See page 15 of the Messenger for new address!)
Youth Corner
CONFIRMATION CLASS UPDATE
Confirmation Class is off until January 13th – there is no
Christian Education hour on December 30th, and Floyd Yager
is out of town on the 6th. On the 13th they will meet at
9am as usual. We are spending some time the week after
Christmas to clean up the classroom, and we also want to
look into a whiteboard to replace the chalkboard.
The confirmation class has tentatively agreed to meet
Sunday afternoons in addition to Sunday mornings. We will
begin that on the 13th as well and meet every other week.
Class will meet for 2 hours from either 6-8 or 4-6 (still
to confirm that). We are behind and may need more
time....either more often or longer. We will keep you
posted!
CHRISTMAS PROGRAM THANK YOU
Big thanks to Kristin Yager, Julie Holzer, and Pat Kovach
for all their hard work on the Sunday School Program! What
a great show of kids!!! And to all those other moms and
dads who chipped in, God bless you, too!
Financial corner
No, you are not seeing double. Both short articles bear
repeating, so they are reprinted from the November
newsletter.
COMMITMENT SUNDAY
Commitment Sunday was November 18th. We received about 50
pledge cards out of 176 “households.” If you haven’t turned
in your pledge card, PLEASE do so very soon…this not only
helps us with our budgeting, but also helps you with yours!
Blank pledge cards are available in the narthex and in the
church office. (Since November printing, SIX more pledges
have come in.)
MONTHLY EXPENDITURES
In October, it cost $21,557.99 to run Messiah. That
includes gas, electric, phone, water, trash, salaries,
repair and maintenance on our building and the parsonage,
office supplies, postage, and other odds and ends.
In October, we received $14,781.09 in contributions,
including offerings from the congregation, donations from
outside groups for the use of our facilities, and one
special gift from a deceased member’s estate. Feel free
to do the math on your own…
Messiah Ministries
High words of praise and thanks from the new supervisor at
Maine Township Food Pantry…
"Your generosity to help neighbors in need has been
overwhelming to me as a new Supervisor. On behalf of your
Township Board, and the staff of Maine Township, we offer a
sincere thank you."
Warm holiday wishes, Carol Teschky, Supervisor
CHRISTMAS CHARITIES ARE BIG WINNERS!
Thanks again to everyone who participated in our Christmas
Charities this year. We collected 116 hats, scarves, and
gloves for the homeless and needy, who are supported by the
Night Ministry in Chicago. We also bought gifts for over
sixty children this year…kudos to everyone for stepping up
to the challenge!
Our Mitten Tree and our Giving Tree were full to the brim!
Thanks also to Moni Ryczek for spearheading the operation
this year, and to her many helpers. (Someone in the
congregation hand-knit about 20 nice scarves for the Mitten
Tree - these were extremely well received, and this is a
wonderful idea for those who like to knit as a hobby.)
Milestones
BIRTHDAYS
Julia Mix, 1/1
Richard Seggeling, 1/2
Paul Holzer, 1/3
Nicholas Levy, 1/4
Peter John Fox, 1/5
Brian Jason, 1/5
Donald Kovach, 1/7
Larry Ryczek, 1/7
Kirby Corkill, 1/9
Betty Ortaggio, 1/9
Jennifer Schneider, 1/10
Patricia Fisher, 1/12
Thomas Jason, 1/12
Tait Jensen, 1/12
Mark Jones, 1/13
Brenda Reter, 1/15
William Demonte, 1/16
Marv Jelonek, 1/17
Raymond Ejnik, 1/20
Lester Herak, 1/20
Cara Nastali, 1/21
David Chervinko, 1/22
Heba Pearl Penumaka, 1/22
Chris Boomer, 1/23
Karol Kamman, 1/25
Evelyn Burval, 1/26
Andrew Hofland, 1/26
Lytle Thompson, 1/28
Eric Daniels, 1/29
Charlotte Pearson, 1/29
Jessica Valenta, 1/29
Neil Wagner, 1/30
ANNIVERSARIES
Chuck & Jackie Steigerwald – 1/11/1947, 61 years
Charles and Leona Johnson – 1/19/1946, 62 years
Messiah Leadership thru January 2008
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
President: Carol Hrodey (262) 652-3187
Vice President: Vikki Hanson (847) 823-2117
Secretary: Nancy Boomer (847) 678-3048
Treasurer: Brad Kovach (847) 297-4883
Financial Sec.: David Hanson (847) 296-6796
EXTENDED LEADERSHIP TEAM
Stewardship: Floyd Yager
Evangelism: David Swanson
CCC Director: Karen Black
CCC Board: Donna Berzins
Maintenance: Vic Berzins
Capital Campaign: Dave Kaufman
Property Committee: Various Members
WELCA: Eva Thoren
Brotherhood: Rich Seggeling
Christian Education: Kristin Yager
Confirmation/HS: Floyd Yager
Adult Forum: John Fox
Choir: Pat Daniels
Music: Tom Daniels, Sue Fox
Memorial Report
This report is as of December 17, 2007.
All gifts to the Memorial Fund are automatically
acknowledged to the giver by a personal note, which
includes a confirmation of the amount. Unless otherwise
designated, all gifts go into the Property Reserve Fund.
Addresses and envelope numbers on memorial cards or checks
are much appreciated. The purpose of this report is to
confirm that gifts are received and properly allocated. If
you don’t see your gift listed here after 2 months, please
contact Karen Black.
IN MEMORY OF JOHN and LORRAINE HANDZEL, SR.
Given by: Alan Nugnis
Fund: Capital Campaign
IN MEMORY OF GEORGE ORTAGGIO
Given by: Betty Ortaggio
Fund: Property Reserve
Prayer Requests
Please include the following individuals and families in
your prayers this month:
Elvira Beyer
Chuck Boomer
Joe & Evelyn Burval
Lee Cercone
Ruth Corkill
Mr. Dennis
Ardene Ejnik
Chris Jacobsen
Kennet
Richard Levy
Nancy Maher
Joey Olson
Charlotte Pearson
Aidan Ray
Mary Reter
Gloria Solum
Pastor Paul Stolz
Pastor Sally Terrell
Linda (Rodin) Ufkes
We also want to remember in our prayers our military
personnel:
Jason Koesler, Tim David, Lars Johnsen, Kevin Ward, and
Patrick and Claudine Ward.
Directory Changes
Please let the office know if you are moving! Thanks!
WE HAVE A NEW ADDRESS FOR THE HERAKS AND JOYCE JOHNSEN -
CONTACT THE OFFICE FOR INFORMATION.
Les, Nancy, and Joyce will be at this address until April,
when they will return to their place on Therese Terrace in
Des Plaines. They will split the year between these two
locations. Welcome to retirement, Les! ?
MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH
1605 Vernon Avenue
Park Ridge, Illinois 60068
Church Staff
Rev. Paul Stolz, Pastor
Jennifer Schneider, Office Administrator
Karen Black, Child Care Center Director
Vic Berzins, Director of Property Maintenance
John Handzel, Property Maintenance
Worknesh Deressa, Custodian
Tom Daniels, Director of Music
Sue Fox, Organist
Angela Berger, Bookkeeper
1605 Vernon Avenue
Park Ridge, IL 60068
p 847.823.6984 f 847.823.6996
PastorLynne@messiahparkridge.org
Office@messiahparkridge.org
|
