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March 19, 2010

5th Sunday of Lent

Scripture readings this Sunday:
Psalm 126 John 12:1-8

Stephanie Escher will be preaching this Sunday as Pastor Vickie is traveling to Florida.

The Sunday morning bible study group led by David Foster currently is discussing Matthew 26. You are invited to join them as they follow Jesus’ path during the final days before his Crucifixion and Resurrection. All are welcome at 8:45 a.m. in the third floor chapel above the church office at the top of the Grace Street staircase. No advance preparation is needed. Bring your bible or use one provided by the group. Also see Holy Week Reflections (attached) prepared by Tammy Rogers. Copies will be available in worship. Please pick up copies to share with friends and neighbors.

POTATO BASH meal following worship this Sunday… join us for good food and fun at 11:15 a.m. in fellowship hall! Huge baked potatoes with more toppings than you can imagine. Come hungry. Rich and Sina Kraneis have this down to an art! Contact them if you want to help. Donations of desserts or drinks are welcome! This is a fun event we try to hold around St. Patrick’s Day.

This Sunday is your last chance to order 2010 Easter flowers. $12.00 each. Please pay when ordering. (Make checks out to "Irving Park United Methodist Church" - mark Easter flowers in the memo line. Please return order form to the church, attention Joyce Mylander, or in offering plate on a Sunday. Questions? Call Joyce at the church office 773-283-6262.

Holy Week Worship – See Special Worship brochure attached to this email
Palm Sunday, March 28, 10:00 a.m. Worship with Parade of Palms
Maundy Thursday, April 1, 7:30 p.m. Service
Good Friday, April 2, 7:30 p.m. Bilingual Service with our Hispanic Mission congregation
Easter Sunday, April 4, 10:00 a.m. Festival Worship Service

Important church announcement: at the Church Council meeting this past Wednesday a vote passed for a special Charge Conference Wednesday, April 21 at 7 p.m. in conjunction with the next Church Council meeting. At this time the church membership will vote on the approval of funds for the next phase of our Building Restoration. Following worship on March 28, April 11 and April 18, members of the Trustees will be available to answer questions about the work that has been done over the past two years as well as the next steps in the restoration phase. This is a major step in the future of our church. Please take time to make sure you have your questions answered. Kent Keutzer, chairman of the Trustees, invites emails and phone calls but encourages members to take advantage of the Q&A sessions after church. We also will be preparing answers to frequently asked questions that will be available from a member of the Trustees or through the church office. coachk1620@yahoo.com or 773-316-9755 (mobile).

The annual Easter Bag distribution for the children served by the pantry will be the Wednesday before Easter, March 31. If you want to help, please contact Vicci@therodgersgroup.com. This will be during Spring Break for Chicago Public Schools, so anyone who wants service hours or just wants to make a difference in the lives of these children ... sign up to help. Please see flyers on round table in the narthex for details. We need donations of supplies or money to purchase supplies. We will assemble the bags on Tuesday morning, March 30. This Easter outreach was started over 10 years ago by the youth of our church and now is shared with members of the Irving Park community. Treats also can be donated for our own church children for distribution after worship Easter Sunday.

Sunday
Bible study – 8:45 – 9:45 a.m. - Upstairs chapel
Worship – 10 – 11 a.m. - sanctuary
Fellowship – 11:15 – 11:45 – fellowship hall (downstairs)
Inquiring class for new members – 11:30 – 1 p.m.
Spanish worship service – 12 noon

March Birthdays...
     March
              26 - Madeline Prather
              31 - Burt Tappert

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Please keep all those who have suffered loss or illness, lack of work, heartbreak or other life challenges in your prayers. Also raise up your joys! If you are interested in being part of our Prayer Network, or would like to have them pray for a special person or cause, contact Tina or Wally Felckowski: bwf79@sbcglobal.net
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Coming up:
Saturday, April 17 – Church Clean-Up Day – 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Two three-hour work shifts to do various chores around the building. Please sign up!
Sunday, April 18 – John Knutson & Pam Kleinert’s twins, Samantha & Nicolas Knutson will be baptized during 10 a.m. worship
Friday, April 30 – Sunday, May 2 – Confirmation Retreat, Wesley Woods,
Sunday – May 9 – Confirmation Sunday
Sunday – May 9 – Pastor Emily’s last Sunday
Sunday – May 23 – Pentecost Sunday (Youth leading worship at 10 a.m.)
April 30 – Church camp registration forms and funds due. Details attached to this email.
CHURCH CAMP: June 25 – 27, Wesley Woods, Wisconsin
September 25, Saturday evening. Church Fundraiser. Family friendly program. Details to follow.

MISSION UPDATE
Next week we will collect donations for our March Mission – ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING. This is not part of our Rainbow Covenant. It is the church wide offering for The United Methodist Committee on Relief and covers the administrative and basic need to prepare and be on site for UMCOR. This allows 100% of the special offerings to be used for the purpose the gifts are given.

To learn more about our planned mission work, look at the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall and watch for Mission of the Month handouts around the church. If you want to get involved in mission work, contact Lowell Allen, lowelldallen@att.net. Thank you! Donations to Haiti total $768.00, and to the Tree of Life-Pine Ridge and Rosebud Native American Reservations $147.00.

Libertyville UMW is hosting a program, "Shining the Light on Mental Illness," on Saturday, April 17 8:30 - 2:00 at the church. We will have
speakers with different expertise as well as a performance by a professional drama group - "Erasing the Distance." Please come if you can, and spread the word. Call 847-362-2112 to register. Free will offering; light lunch.

Weekly
Sunday morning bible study, 8:45 – 9:45 a.m. All are welcome. We meet in the third floor chapel, up the stairs inside the Grace Street entrance. We discuss a Psalm and study the book of Matthew. Contact David Foster for more information: david.foster2@att.net.

Worship – 10 a.m. (English), 12 noon (Spanish)
Sunday school for children ages PreK to 6th grade during 10 a.m. worship
Nursery care for infants through PreK during 10 a.m. worship

Posted by vickie at 11:42 PM

4th Sunday of Lent

Scripture readings this Sunday:
Psalm 32 Luke 15:11-32

Pastor Vickie will be preaching this Sunday.
“I wanted to feel truly alive, and I was tired of waiting for others to create a culture of peace I had been envisioning. So I decided to try living as if it had already arrived by living differently.” – Catherine Whitmire

MISSION UPDATE
Thank you! Your donations to our January & February Missions will go a long way towards relieving suffering and uplifting those in dire need of help. Donations to Haiti total $768.00, and to the Tree of Life-Pine Ridge and Rosebud Native American Reservations $147.00.

In March we will emphasize ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING. This is not part of our Rainbow Covenant. It is the church wide offering for The United Methodist Committee on Relief and covers the administrative and basic need to prepare and be on site for UMCOR. This allows 100% of the special offerings to be used for the purpose the gifts are given. The offering will be received March 28. To learn more about the Rainbow Covenant designation and our planned mission work, look at the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall and watch for Mission of the Month handouts around the church. If you want to get involved in mission work, contact Lowell Allen, lowelldallen@att.net.

Spring warmth and rains will soon settle the mud and bring the flowers into sunshine. The weeds will come up too. Gardeners, have you a few moments to clean some of them from the church gardens? Let the Church office know if you want to help.

The Irving Park Community Food Pantry needs donors for their annual Easter Bag distribution for the children of their clients. The distribution will be the Wednesday before Easter, March 31. If you want to help, please contact Vicci@therodgersgroup.com. This is during Spring Break for Chicago Public Schools, so anyone who wants service hours or just wants to make a difference in the lives of these children ... sign up to help. Please see flyers on round table in the narthex for details. We need donations of supplies or money to purchase supplies. Thank you.

Sunday
Bible study – 8:45 – 9:45 a.m. - Upstairs chapel
Worship – 10 – 11 a.m. - sanctuary
Fellowship – 11:15 – 11:45 – fellowship hall (downstairs)
Inquiring class for new members – 11:30 – 1 p.m.
Spanish worship service – 12 noon

Upcoming Events:

Wednesday, March 17, Church Council meeting, 7 p.m., Fellowship Hall – Reports due to Karyn Prather by Tuesday, March 16 a.m.

Thursday, March 18, Communication Team meets, Vicci Rodgers Keutzer’s home, 3739 N Tripp, 773-777-1674

Sunday, March 21, following worship… POTATO BASH meal. Join us then for the good food and fellowship! Contact Sina Kraneis if you want to help.

2010 Easter flowers may be ordered through Sunday, March 21st. Flowers are in 6 1/2 inch pots and cost $12.00 each. Please pay when ordering. (check made out to "Irving Park United Methodist Church" with "Easter flowers" on the memo line. Please return order form to the church, attention Joyce Mylander, or in offering plate on a Sunday. Questions? Call Joyce at the church office 773-283-6262.

Church Camp – see attached information. Sign up now!

Coming up:
Thursday, April 1, 7:30 p.m. – Maundy Thursday service
Friday, April 2, 7:30 p.m. – Good Friday worship service
Sunday, April 4, 10 a.m. – Easter Sunday
April 30 – May 2– Confirmation Retreat, Wesley Woods,
Sunday – May 9 – Confirmation Sunday
CHURCH CAMP DATE SET: June 25 – 27, Wesley Woods

Sunday Morning Ministry Opportunities:
Help make the Sanctuary beautiful by donating flowers to mark special occasions in your life—birthday, anniversary, birth of baby, etc. Contact Joyce Mylander at the church office (773) 283-6262.
Bring food for fellowship time. The sign up sheet is in Fellowship Hall or contact Joyce at the phone number above.
Help set up or clean up for fellowship time. As we continue to work on being a green, ecologically friendly church, we are using our dishes rather than paper or Styrofoam. This requires more hands! Sign up sheet is in Fellowship Hall or contact Joyce/Office.

Spanish Worship Service, Sunday at noon.

Posted by vickie at 10:50 PM