WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
December 18th (two services: 9:15 and 11:15) "Rejoicing Voices: A World Music Christmas." The program will celebrate the Christmas story through world music, representing a variety of cultures and musical styles. Music will include songs in Spanish, Chinese, Swahili and Latvian, as well as familiar carols and congregational singing.
December 24, Christmas Eve (five services: 3:30, 5:00, 7:30, 9:00, 10:30)
3:30 and 5:00 will both be "family" services. Little Lambs and Sounds of Joy will tell the Christmas story through music and drama at 3:30. Jubilation will provide special music at 5:00.
Also, at both 3:30 and 5:00, we will have a special presentation of “What's An Angel To Do?” (dancing by Amanda Schieler, visuals by Rick Thompson, vocals by Steve Connell, Ed Bennett, and Debbie Han)
The theme for the NewWay service at 7:30 is "The Wait is Over." The service will be candlelit, unplugged and intimate.
The two late services (9:00 and 10:30) will include lessons and carols, a sermon, candle-lighting and communion, with special music provided by the adult choir
Communion will be served at all services. Nursery will be provided for the first three services (3:30, 5:00, and 7:30).
December 25th (one service: 10:00) - Yes, we will have worship on Sunday, Dec. 25th! We are planning one service at 10:00am. This should give you plenty of time to look through what Santa brought you before worship, and then to enjoy the day with family and friends after worship. In between, you can join us as we celebrate the birth of Jesus together.
December 31st New Year’s Eve (5:00 pm) – NewWay is planning a worship service followed by dinner in Fellowship Hall. Nursery will be provided during the service. Baked ham and drinks will be provided for the meal. Please sign up in the Connecting Link and indicate if you can bring a side dish or dessert for the meal.
January 1st - We are planning one service at 10:00am for New Year's Day.
We hope you will take advantage of the many wonderful opportunities to worship together during this special time of year.
ASSOCIATE PASTOR NOMINATING COMMITTEE
BEGINS WORK
The Associate Pastor Nominating Committee (APNC), elected by the congregation Nov. 20, met for the first time Dec. 8. The first step was to get organized. The group selected David Dees as chairperson and Barb Dolmon as secretary, and agreed to meet weekly, with rare exceptions, until the work is completed.
Completion means calling and installing an associate pastor, but much must happen along the way. Within the Presbyterian Church, certain steps must be followed, in a certain order, to ensure the integrity of the process as it affects the congregation, prospective candidates and the denomination as a whole.
The APNC will write a Church Information Form (CIF), a document containing statistical and demographic information about the congregation and explaining, to the best of our ability, the church’s mission, strengths and challenges. Think of this part of the CIF as describing who we are, who we want to be and what we want to do in our ministry together. The APNC will seek input from the congregation to use in writing the narrative. The CIF also will include a job description for the associate pastor and identify the attributes needed in the person called to fill the position. The APNC will consult with various church leaders to gain their insights into this area.
Once the CIF has been approved by the Session and Blackhawk Presbytery, the regional governing body, the APNC can begin to seek prospective candidates for the position. Initially, we will seek good matches between our CIF and a related document called a Personal Information Form (PIF) that is submitted by pastors who may be looking for a position. Where good matches seem to exist on paper, the APNC will investigate further. No one knows how long it will take to find the right person for our congregation, so we ask for your patience and prayers.
One thing that is different with a committee seeking to call an associate pastor, as opposed to a pastor, is that the pastor is present to work closely with the committee throughout the process. We look forward to Richard’s input and support. One thing that is the same is the strict requirement of confidentiality to protect all parties involved. For that reason, once the APNC begins to receive and review forms from prospective candidates we will not be able to share much information with the congregation. We seek your understanding about this limitation on the flow of information. We will keep you apprised as to our progress to the extent possible.
Ultimately, any candidate recommended by the APNC must be approved by vote of the congregation and the Presbytery. In the meantime, we appreciate your willingness to entrust us with this exciting opportunity to help provide for the continuing development of this congregation in service to Christ. Thank you.
The APNC: Laura Bauman, David Dees, Barb Dolmon, Joan Jensema, Lou Rabe and Bruce Randall
STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN RESULTS
WE ARE “GROWING TOGETHER”
The Stewardship Campaign is winding down. We are happy to report that as of December 11, we have $330,000 in pledge commitments for 2006. From this tremendous response, we can see the members and friends of RCLPC are truly committed to Growing Together.
We will be sending out a letter in the coming days to acknowledge any gift you may have made. Please look this over and verify your pledge was entered correctly. If you feel an error was made, you can contact Lee Ekstrom or Ken Zoerner.
The Stewardship Team would like to thank everyone for the love and gratitude that was shown in this year’s campaign. This is something we can all feel good about.
Laura Bauman, Karl Dencker, Steve Middaugh, Fred Neuschel, Tricia Schieler, Bill Weller, and Ken Zoerner
WELCOME OUR NEW (OLD ?) ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
How often do you go searching for something, only to discover that it was right there in front of you from the very beginning? That has been the experience of the personnel committee as we have sought a new administrative assistant. We are happy to report that we have offered the position on a full-time basis to Kim Stewart, and she has accepted.
The personnel committee solicited and reviewed a number of applications, including Kim’s. It became very clear that, not only was Kim the most qualified among the applicants, but she also brought many positive attributes to the position that made her the right fit for RCLPC. Not only is she committed to doing her job effectively, but she cares deeply about this congregation and she shares our values and sense of mission. We consider ourselves deeply blessed that we have someone like Kim willing to take on this position.
Obviously there are challenges involved when a member is also an employee of the church. This church decided several years ago that having members serve as employees is not only permissible, but even preferable in certain situations. Questions of boundaries, confidentiality, and accountability are important, but the personnel committee has explored these issues carefully and believes they are manageable.
Starting in January of 2006, office hours will return to 9:00-3:30 Monday through Friday. Note that these hours do NOT include Sunday. In other words, if you see Kim walking around on Sunday, she is NOT on the job. She is here as a member to worship. Kim will need to keep her role as a member separate from her role as administrative assistant, and it will be important for all of us to respect her time and her boundaries.
We hope you will join us in enthusiastically welcoming Kim in her new capacity as administrative assistant!
!! HELP !!
The Nursery Committee needs you. We are looking for 2 people to work in the nursery for the 7:30PM service on Christmas Eve and 2 people to work at the 10 AM service on Christmas Day. If available please call Raechel Sowa.
BUILDING and GROUNDS CORNER
The Sanctuary really looks great with the new paint job, who did all that?
Several people were involved. We hired our neighbor, Scott Kearney to do the actual painting. A group of church volunteers headed by Jodi LeFevre and Sally Weller coordinated the color scheme. Sally also helped wash woodwork in preparation for the paint. Cy Zank came in and closed up the old archway in the front wall. That archway opened to an exit at one time in our past. Cy also replaced the baseboard woodwork and trimmed out the rear stain glass window. Our thanks to all for a job well done.
The paint on the outside metal doors was really flaking off,
now they look like new again. Did we replace them?
No we had a volunteer step forward and say, “Those doors really look bad, do you mind if I scrape, prime and paint them?” Do we mind? We only wish we had more people like Roy Holub who see a problem and jump right in to fix it. And when he finished painting, Roy still was not done. He then decided to install a drip irrigation system in the Courtyard to keep our plants nice and green. Our heartfelt thanks to Roy for a job well done.
THE BOARD OF DEACONS
After a 166-year wait, RCLPC now has a Board of Deacons! The Board, ordained and installed on October 2, held its first meeting on Monday, November 28, and elected Bill Moll as Moderator and Joy Martin as Secretary
What are deacons? Fundamentally, they form the compassionate arm of the church, with duties toward both the congregation and the community at large. Under the direction of Rev. Richard Floyd, the group considered the immediate needs of RCLPC’s quite large and diverse congregation. It identified the need to promote a sense of community in the church, especially by recognizing the needs and concerns of the 211 families that are members or friends of the church.
To do so, each deacon will be assigned a group of families for periodic contact. We are just getting started, so it may take time, but expect to hear from your deacon in the coming weeks and months.
The following 11 persons comprise the Board of Deacons: Cindy Borre, Doug Crane, Cheryl Dutkiewicz, Karen Hutchings, Ann Legg, Joy Martin, Bill Moll, Linda Peel, Laurie Pohl, Al Popp, and Dorothy Vick. All of the deacons are here to serve you.
Bill Moll, Moderator, Board of Deacons
OUR KATRINA FAMILY
We are happy to report that the Flood family is moved into their new home for the next year in Woodstock. Thanks to all who helped make this a reality. The list is too long to name names, but to all of those who are funding this financially, donated household items, helped move, bought the movers lunch, got the family a Thanksgiving dinner, and helped organize the entire process along with those who provided moral support, we thank you. The idea of taking on such a large family (larger than we have planned) got a bit overwhelming, but by the same token we are overwhelmed at all we were able to accomplish by working together as a church.
The Floods are very thankful and were so happy to be in a home in time for Thanksgiving. There is a very heartfelt thank you card from the family on the bulletin board in the Connecting Link…take a moment to read it if you can, it will make you feel great about the good we as a church can do.
A couple of follow-up items:
We currently need to raise an additional $2040 of rent money. If you are able to help towards this, in big or small ways, that would be greatly appreciated!! Also, if you have already made a financial commitment, please put the checks in the regular offering plate but be sure to clearly mark KATRINA FUND on the memo, so that it gets properly allocated.
Also, people have asked me what the Floods still need, so here is a list:
Phones Steak knives
Pillows Twin sheets and pillow cases
Tools (hammer/screwdrivers etc) Portable heater
Clocks Cookbook
They also would like the following items, but call these items their “wish list” because they are not necessities, but things they would really appreciate if anyone has them: Mixer DVD or VCR player
They thank us for all the clothing donations, and currently feel they do not need any more clothes other than Women’s size 26 professional clothing and boots.
If you are interested in donating anything on the list, please leave it on the floor of the coat rack outside of fellowship hall (by the men’s restroom). The Floods will gladly pick up the donations.
PADS
Thank you for the past donations to PADS (the bin is next to the Food Pantry Box). All items have been delivered and with much appreciation. Please do not forget these people who are without homes during this winter season. Please add them to your prayer list and also to your personal giving tree.
OPERATION PRAYERS AND COOKIE LIFT
Christmas boxes were sent to our three soldiers: Katie Pelz, Matthew Trummel, and Andrew Pohl. Thanks to Marge Hansen for paying the postage, to Colin Krukiewicz for donating his candy from school parties, to Tricia and George Schieler for donating magazines, to my parents, Mil and Marv Moltmann for donating disposable cameras, and to Ed Bennett and Marge Hansen for donating grooming supplies. Please keep them and all of our soldiers in your prayers. If you have a loved serving in the military in the Middle East, please contact me.
Mary Moltmann
NEW BOOKS THIS MONTH IN THE LIBRARY
The library has another Yada Yada Prayer Group Book, this one is “Get Tough”.
For the Young Adults check these titles out. “Hannah’s Hope”, it is about a 15 year old girl who longs for the father she never knew.
Chicken Soup for the Christian Teenage Soul ; stories of faith, love, inspiration and hope. All these stories are short, and easy to read for those who have little time to read a book.
With the new movie out Narnia, the library has the complete set of books, read one at a time. To help you understand the full meaning of the story, check out “Inside Narnia”, which is a guide in exploring the story.
Many Christmas books are also ready to be picked up and read during the Holidays.
Joyce
INQUIRER’S CLASS
There will be an Inquirer’s Class on Saturday, January 28th. We will gather for a light breakfast at 9:00am and then spend a couple of hours learning about RCLPC and what it means to be a member. Anyone interested in learning more about the church or exploring membership is welcome to attend. If interested, please contact the church office at 815-459-1132.
VBS PLANNING MEETING
Saturday, Jan. 14th, 9 - 10:30 am
It's hard to think about the summer when winter is looming, however, it's time to start planning VBS 2006. Anyone who is interested in being involved may join our planning meeting. We'll choose a curriculum and set a date for VBS 2006. We need your help to build upon the success of last year. Come out and support a wonderful activity for the children. Questions? Contact Emily Floyd.
COOKIE WALK UPDATE!
Imagine the feeling of butterflies, sweaty palms and the catch of your breath as you enter the doorway of your livingroom and are drawn in by a glimmering tree floating on countless boxes in the hushed, dark, early hours of Christmas. You're bathed in the mystical glow of love that transforms the room into an oasis from the night. It is more than the work of jolly old man in a suit. It whispers the still presence of God. You've entered that sacred moment of awe and gratitude.....the feeling of overflowing joy and beauty. Hold those feelings close and let us share that they are the gift you gave Nancy and myself when we entered Fellowship Hall to set up for the Cookie Walk. We humbly thank you. You not only blessed this mission with a generous bounty of sweets, you gave the gift of your talents, your helping hands, your encouraging words, and your uplifting music. It could not have happened without you. You are the author of this successful endeavor:
* Wow! It is so beautiful and festive in here!
* Look at all the cookies!
* They're so colorful and beautiful!
* You have such creative cookies!
* This is the only Cookie Walk I come to!
* I tried coming last year, but they were all gone! So, I made sure I came early this year!
* You have a wonderful variety of cookies!
* I really love the music! It's the first time you've ever had it, isn't it?
* I'm looking for these special German cookies that have a pressed design, but I don't see them. Do you know who makes them? I bought some at the store and they were no where near as good! (and I paid $20 a pound for them!)
* Everything smells so wonderful!
These are only a few of the comments I heard, and some were said more than once! I wish all of you could have been there. I can only convey the words, not the feelings with which they were said. Many of the guests relaxed listening to the music, sipping on coffee/hot cider, and nibbling on coffee cake. I feel certain all basked in the glow of RCLPC's spirit and will think of us warmly.
In the upcoming weeks, we'll share the gifts we' pass on to our designated charities. Remember that they are an extension of the care that started with you. You are a blessing.
In sincere gratitude,
Marypatriece Raupp
Nancy Blakely
Cookie Walk Coordinators, 2005
Dear friends,
Just a quick note to let you know that beginning January 16, I will be taking a 2-month sabbatical from my duties at RCLPC. I will be using this time to relax and re-create, discern God’s call for my life and to lend a helping hand after the birth of my twin grandchildren. While I will miss all of you very much, I am looking forward to spending this time away deepening my relationship with God, recharging my creative juices and of course, getting to know my grandchildren. I look forward to returning March 16 with renewed energy and great enthusiasm.
In peace-Sheila Mohler
NATIVE AMERICAN CONNECTION
Please take a few minutes to look at the article and picture of Sidney Byrd, 86, on the bulletin board in the Connecting Link. Mr. Byrd is a member of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe who speaks Lakota because he was born on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Porcupine, South Dakota and raised by his grandparents.
To quote from an interview in the Dakota Journal, he says, “In order to live a spiritual life it is necessary to build three kinds of bridges between ourselves and others; bridges of mutual understanding, mutual enrichment and mutual respect. I’ve been enriched in my life as a Presbyterian Missionary and hopefully I’ve influenced others to live this way of life.”
Byrd was born in 1918 in the midst of a worldwide Spanish Flu Epidemic that killed more people than World War I. His grandfather, Weston, had been commissioned as a missionary in the early 1900’s. He and his wife lived in a dirt floor log cabin on a monthly salary of $12.00. Byrd grew up as so many Natives did in that era, being forced to attend boarding schools away from family, where punishment was severe if an Indian’s native language was spoken. Alone and friendless, finding refuge in a “crying tree”, he just tried to get through each day.
Through a spiritual experience and the friendship extended him by an elderly couple that lived near the Boarding School, he came to care about himself and to want to live, learning to read and speak English and develop himself. When he was allowed to visit his grandparents years later, they rushed to embrace each other only to realize they couldn’t communicate as he had forgotten how to speak Lakota. He still believes today that anybody that can speak two languages is richer than somebody that speaks just one. As he says, “The white man has won a victory – they beat us and they wouldn’t let us speak our language and in a few years, the language will be gone”.
His courage, however, enabled him to graduate from Dubuque Theological Seminary in Iowa as well as earn a graduate degree. He has served parishes in five states for eight different Indian tribes. Now retired, he has finally returned home to Flandreau. Just one of the many stories that come out of the Native American spirit. Stories of overcoming great obstacles and helping their people to reach their potential.
Joy Martin, Alice Haznedl, Ann Legg, Janet Pearce, Ginger Robinson, Rod Russell, MJ Towne, Gloria Thorson.
IN and AROUND RCLPC with BARB
Well, as many of you already know, I didn’t get to spend Thanksgiving with my daughter. I spent it in the hospital (second year in a row ;-( ) I was there for eight days with a bowel obstruction - ouch! Leanne did have her workers over as planned and she missed her mother very much. Thank you for your prayers, phone calls and cards.
* An update on ERNIE DUNN: Ernie has been in and out of the hospital and is finally back to the Nursing Home. He is having a rough time and really needs our prayers… as does Hazel. Their son Rick fell and either tore or pulled a muscle; he is now on crutches and in pain. Florence Nightingale (AKA Hazel) has played this role far too long. She is still hoping that they will be able to come to Illinois and son Damon is on his way to Nevada to help them. We are hopeful, too. Get well guys, and you are all in our prayers.
* As I am writing this article, ERV HUECKSTAEDT is back in the hospital. He has not been feeling up to par since his surgery and now they found out his remaining kidney is not functioning properly. Let’s remember Erv, Esther, and the Prindiville’s in our prayers.
* LARRY JAMISON (husband of MARY LLOYD, father of ANDREA and BETH) has retired after 29 years with American Airlines. The whole family went with Larry on his last trip to Frankfurt. They had a retirement party for Larry in Texas and former members RICK and GINNY BAILEY and DAVE and MARCIA WALKER attended. Larry plans to keep flying for Mercy MedFlight, a charity air ambulence. The Jamisons and the Baileys will be going to Kenya in March through the Kenyan Childrens Foundation. It sounds like some exciting times are n store for you and we wish you God’s Speed!
In closing, remember, You can’t choose how you feel, but you can choose what you do about it! I pray I make the right choices.
I am, Barb Turley
VOLUNTEERS ARE STILL NEEDED
Volunteers are needed for the Christmas Eve services which will be held at 3:30, 5:00, 7:30 (NewWay), 9:00 and 10:30 pm on Saturday, December 24th.
A sign up sheet is in the Connecting Link for Ushers, Greeters, Communion Preparers, and Communion Servers. Also needed are volunteers willing to set out and light the luminaries after the 3:30 service. (The luminaries have been put together by Joyce and Pierre Berube.) This would be a great time to start a family tradition!
The Giving Tree
“Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these
my brothers and sisters,
you did it to me.”
Matthew 25:40
This year the tree in Fellowship Hall is covered with blue ornaments that outline opportunities for each of us to reach out into the community and touch someone in need or help an agency that ministers to people in need. Each blue ornament has an opportunity and a contact number for more information. Opportunities will be available all through Advent.
When you have completed your commitment please come and place a Chrismon ornament on the tree. Chrismon symbols represent a wide variety of well-known biblical and theological concepts. If you are feeling creative, there are patterns and materials for making a Chrismon or feel free to hang a premade ornament on the tree.
If you have any question, please feel free to contact Sheila Mohler.
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Click here to see the December calendar.