First Congregational Church
United Church of Christ

ADULT CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Our offerings on Sunday morning at 9:15 are plentiful and exciting.  Along with breakfast — served each week — you have these opportunities in March to learn and grow in your faith..  Childcare is available. 

In-depth Bible Study (Each Sunday) – The writer of 2 Peter says of Paul’s letters: “There are some things in them hard to understand.”  The class studying 1 Corinthians is discovering just how true that can be, but the group is up to the challenge.  Come join the discussion.  No biblical expertise is necessary. 

The Spirituality of Finance – (March 1) The group is already having some great discussions about the current economic challenges and what really makes us happy.  This month’s topic will be “Inner Prosperity.”  Join us in the 2nd floor conference room. 

Stepping Stones (March 8) — This month’s class will watch a video and discuss how to begin a mental health ministry and keep it going.  The film will present five key points for starting and maintaining a ministry of mental health: education, covenant, welcome, support and advocacy.  The group will reconvene after the 10:15 service to continue the discussion and deal with any unfinished business from the 9:15 session. 

Controversial Conversations with Carl (March 22) – Elgin has a municipal election in April.  What direction would you like to see the community go?  Why? Are there any AFLA’ers in the congregation?  Non-Elginites are also welcome to share with us the direction they’d like to see their community go.

Are you searching for a new direction? Are you interested in career counseling that goes deeper than monetary issues? Do you want to explore career possibilities with meaning and purpose? LifeKeys is a course for examining your potential from a faith-based perspective without being “preachy.” You will discover your: Life Gifts, Personality Type, Spiritual Gifts, Values, and Passions.

Classes will be held at 7:00 pm, April 20, 27, May 4, 11, & 18 at First Congregational United Church of Christ, 256 E. Chicago Street. There is a $20 charge for a workbook. For more information call 847-741-4045.

2009 Jane Hampton-Chipman Memorial Recital Series
The Music Ministry of First Congregational Church, Elgin proudly presents

2009 Jane Hampton Chipman Memorial Recital Series

February 27    Jon Warfel and
12 Noon    Carlyn Lloyd
March 13    Michael Surratt
12 Noon
April 3    John Linker
7:00 pm
April 10    Chancel Choir
12 Noon    with soloists and orchestra
    Stabat Mater by Giovanni Pergolesi

FOLK MUSIC SERVICE
Watch this space for information in next month’s newsletter about FCC’s 4th annual folk music worship service, coming, April 26.  Join the ensemble, or come up with your own musical offering, or just sing and clap along.  Circle the date on your calendar now.  It promises to be a rollicking good time!  

Updates for our church directory are now available in the narthex outside the chapel.  All pages are three-hole punched and ready for insertion into your directory.  Next updates for new and current members will begin in September.  

Charlie and Lauren Rantz, and their children, Brad and Drew, have moved back to Elgin from Colorado.  Welcome Home to FCC!

The Damaris group will meet on Thursday, March 26th.  Please join us for dinner at 6:30 at JuRin Japanese Restaurant, 588 Randall Rd. South Elgin.

Minerva Pollnow had cataract surgery on February 4.  She is still under a doctor’s care for complications.  

Joan Schneider-Cooper had double knee replacement surgery on February 9.  She is home and recuperating well.  

Aiden Garcia fell in gym class on February 20 and broke his collar bone.  He is recuperating at home.

Tim Bayler, son of Bob and Lavon Bayler, is struggling with severe pain due to a spinal fusion which was not successful.  

 Dorothy West, Pam Swan’s mother, passed away on January 26.  

Paul Grote’s grandmother recently passed away at the age of 102.  

The Sunday School children will receive fish banks on Sunday, March 1st.  These banks are to collect their offerings for One Great Hour of Sharing.  One Great Hour of Sharing is a disaster relief offering.  Whenever and wherever there is a need OGHS money goes to help bring relief, both here in the U.S., and world-wide. 

Children are encouraged to “Feed” their banks with loose coins and bring them back on Palm Sunday, April 5th.

We invite anyone interested to join the Confirmation Class and their mentors for the viewing of the movie Jesus on Sunday afternoon March 8th.   This 90 minute movie uses the words of the Gospel of Luke as it tells the life of Jesus.  It is a great movie.  We will begin with a pizza lunch at noon and conclude between 1:30 and 2:00.  Please let Lois know if you’d like to join the group, so we order enough pizza.

The last FROG Friday of the year will be held on Friday, March 20th  at 6 p.m.  We’ll begin as always with a pizza supper and then have a sing-a-long, story, games, and crafts.  FROG Friday is for all kindergartners - sixth graders.  The junior high and high school youth serve as group leaders for this program.  Come and bring a friend.  It is a lot of fun!  The cost is $5 for dinner and craft.

Jr. High and Sr. High Lock-in – March 20th
Come and help with FROG Friday on March 20th and then stay for our Lock-in.  Our theme for this event will be Feeding the Hungry.  In addition to having a lot of fun, we will be learning about hunger and its impact on our world.  This lock-in will continue until 2pm on Saturday.  On Saturday, we will be going on a scavenger hunt for food for the hungry and working at the Northern Illinois Food Bank in Geneva. As always, your friends are welcome to join us.  Please bring a bottle of your favorite beverage to share (no power drinks or highly caffeinated drinks).  Watch for an email to give you even more details.  

We are encouraging the children to be present each week in Sunday School.  Their regular attendance makes it easier for them to learn about our faith without gaps in their learning.  We want to recognize these people for perfect attendance during the month of January:  Greta Franke, Ben Brictson, Emilie Kottmeier, and Diana Castillo Congratulations!  We hope that more children will try to be present each week.  We will be recognizing perfect attendance for February in the next newsletter.

Join us on Sunday, March 15th for a Pasta Luncheon.  We will be serving a variety of pasta dishes and delicious breads (thank you, Panera).  The cost is only $5 per person.  This luncheon will help to fund our mission trip to Washington, DC.  So, come and join us and support this effort.  Please let Lois know if you’d be willing to make a pasta dish for our luncheon. 

Heifer International gratefully recognizes:
Elgin First Congregational UCC.
Your contribution of Healthy Animals and Training is a gift of love and life.

MISSION TRIP TO WASHINGTON, D.C.
Our Mission Trip is planned for Thursday night, July 2nd – Sunday morning, July 12.  This year we will be working in the homeless community in our nation’s capital.  Through an organization called YSOP (youth service opportunities project), we will be assisting people neglected by our society.  We will be working in teams to serve meals at soup kitchens, sort and distribute clothing items, provide recreational activities and companionship to young children, distribute food at  food pantries and socialize and bring snacks to people in drop-in centers.  This is guaranteed to be an eye opening experience.  Our evenings will include times of reflection and recreation.  While in Washington, DC we plan to participate in the 4th of July celebrations, take in all of the national sites and some of the museums including the Holocaust Museum.   It is NOT too late to sign-up to join us on this journey.  The cost for the experience is $300.  Non-refundable deposits of $150 are due now to hold your place on the trip.  DO NOT LET COST BE THE THING THAT KEEPS YOU FROM ATTENDING.  SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE. If you have any questions, please feel free to talk to Lois.

MISSION TRIP MEETING SUNDAY, APRIL 5TH
Our next mission trip meeting and group building session will be on Sunday, April 5th following coffee hour.  We will order pizza for lunch.  At this gathering we will meet others who have signed-up for the trip.  We will discuss our travel plans, and talk about our work, we will make plans about places we want to visit and watch a movie to help us prepare for our visit to the Holocaust Museum.  We should be finished between 2:00 and 2:30pm.  Please RSVP to let us know that you will be attending.  

JEEZ, STEWARDSHIP ALREADY?!
Well, not what you might think. The Ministry of Stewardship is hoping to communicate about more than money… or time… or talents. Stewardship can be a much more interesting and life-giving topic than simply asking for – or giving of – money, time, and talents (important as they are).

Stewardship can be about being a faith family. It can be about acknowledging fear-filled times and yet experiencing God in ways that can change lives and lift us beyond fear. It can be about feeling connected to something bigger and more wondrous than you’ve felt for a while. It can be about hope.

Yes, we’re still talking about stewardship. But there’s so much to say, we can’t wait until fall to begin. Let’s start now. Please join us at fellowship hour on March 1st where we’ll show the video “The Story of Stuff.” This is a popular, thought-and-discussion-provoking video that has had excellent reviews when shown at Disciple Way, the Spirituality of Finance group, and the church council.

Maybe this is the type of thing that “God is still speaking” about…

STEPPING STONES
The video "Mental Illness and Families of Faith" was shown on February 8.  We did an additional discussion time at coffee hour.  Our next video in the series is entitled "How to Develop a Caring Congregation"  It will be shown on Sunday, March 8 at 9:15 in the Library.  We will do a follow-up discussion at coffee hour.
 
Since Easter will be on the second Sunday in April, Stepping Stones is trying a new adventure.  In conjunction with the Mother's Group, we are planning two sessions in April. 
 
SESSION 1 Thursday, April 2 from 5:45-6:45 p.m. in Fellowship Hall.  The topic will be "Communicating with Significant Others."
 
SESSION 2 Thursday, April 30 from 5:45-6:45 p.m. in Fellowship Hall.  The topic will be "Communicating with Young Children."
 
Plan ahead -- mark your calendars and invite a friend to share in these worthwhile events
 

(Better known as the little committee that could,
with all of your support!)
 
We would like to thank everyone who sold and bought fruit.  A huge THANK YOU to those who helped unload and organize the distribution on such a short notice.  We had a great group of people that were well organized and had a lot of fun working together.  We wanted to know your reaction to the quality of our vendor's fruit.  Please contact Gina Orazi at gto215@yahoo.com or call 847-854-5688 with any comments.  We hope everyone enjoyed their delicious fruit over the holidays.  We cleared a little over
$900.00 this year.

Over the past two years this committee has come to you with various suggestions that have come from our congregation.  Some of these fund raisers have been excellent contributors to our renovation piggy bank.  Some have made us wonder why did we do this?  Think ice cream sale!!!  We thank you for all of your ideas.
 
We have done Danny's Pizza Nights, the balloon launch--ice cream anyone?--the calendar raffle, the garage sale, two flower sales, two fruit sales, and photo opportunities with that candid photographer.  There were the two gala events that raised money for the renovation along with matching funds for John Kauffman's summer play. Creative talents provided enjoyable entertainment for us all.  Then there is that amazing duo running the Scrips program. The total of all of these programs has raised close to $10,000!  Thank you for your generous support.
 
We are truly blessed with talented people willing to share their grace filled blessings with our church family.  Keep saying and believing,  "We think we can, we think we can, and we will accomplish our goals with God's guidance."
 

Just wanted to take this opportunity to thank my wonderful church family for all the cards, prayers, offers of help and the many dinners that have sustained Ron and I through this time of healing from my broken ankle.

How fortunate we all are to belong to such a loving and caring church family.

Thanks again.
Janet and Ron Banwart

March  1    Tom & Lorri Powell
March  8    Ron & Liz Schaaf
March 15    Janet Banwart & Sandy Dalton
March 22    Stewart Crockett
March 29    Paul & Tracy Grote

01    Bailey Stark, Matt Halfpenny
08    Cassidy Sell, Emilie Kottmeier
15    Grace Anne Aldred, Abby Garcia
22    Kenzie Fahnestock, Abby Kottmeier
29    Anna Halfpenny, Savannah Lile

01    Penny Donehoo, Linda Taylor
08    Jennifer Bero, Janet Banwart
15    Karen Carlson, Shirley May Byrnes
22    Jennifer Phillips, Curt Phillips
29    Lee Ellsworth, Glenna Prevadovic

01    Dennis & Mary Hewitt
08    Jeff & Beth Iverson and Family
15    Jim & Pat Jocius
22    Evelyn Johnson
29    Kevin & Letty Jocius

01    Ron Schaaf
08    Jennifer Green
15    Jeanne Rothlisberger
22    John Cooper
29    Paul Grote

01    Barb Burton
08    Penny Donehoo
15    Laura McMinn
22    Kirsten Pedersen
29    Carl & Mary Flaks

01    Jodie Stackowiak, Kirsten Pedersen, Laura McMinn, Cherie Murphy, and Sandy Dalton
08    Chase Sund, Anna Mitchell, Mary Taylor, and Grant Powell
15    Walt Kilmanas, Ron Banwart, Lorri Powell, Ron & Karen Carlson
22    Jim Schock, Deborah Treacy, Chuck Zimmerman, and Sandy Dalton
29    Steve & Colleen Stauffacher, Jeanne Rothlisberger, Sandy Dalton, Chuck Zimmerman