To be alive is to be vulnerable.
To be faithful is to resist the temptation of security.
-Dorothee Soelle
Lent 2 (February 17), Genesis 12:1-9. Abram (soon to be Abraham) begins the long journey from his homeland to an undiscovered country, trusting in God to guide him.
Lent 3 (February 24), Exodus 17:1-7. As the Israelites wander in the wilderness, they learn what it means to depend on God for daily bread and daily water.
Lent 4 (March 2), Psalm 23. We are reminded that, though we walk through the darkest valley, God is with us, and though we may be surrounded by enemies, God prepares a table of blessing for us.
Lent 5 (March 9), Ezekiel 37:1-14. In the story of the valley of dry bones we see that it is never too late for God, and so we should never lose hope.
Palm Sunday (March 16), Matthew 21:1-11. Jesus enters Jerusalem as a King...but what kind of king is this, who rides not a warhorse but a donkey’s colt? What kind of king is surrounded not by an army but by singing children? This is not your usual parade, not your usual power, not your usual king...
May this season of Lent be a time of meditation on “holy insecurity”—finding God and trusting God in the midst of our insecure lives.
-Richard
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A RCLPC-record breaking year in the Souper Bowl of Caring!
Here at RCLPC we broke our previous records and raised $1460.60 for the Crystal Lake Food Pantry on Souper Bowl Sunday (February 3). We also collected 354 of the Food Pantry’s most needed items. Thank you for showing your support, for helping those in need, and for walking alongside our youth as they show compassion and love for others. |
Pennies
Pennies
Pennies!
We often think of pennies almost as “not-real-money” but when we get a bunch together they can make a big difference. We still need about 15,000 pennies to meet our goal of 29,000. Please help!
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Next week, February 22 and 23, our senior high youth will spend a weekend in a most unpopular way—they will eat nothing for 30 straight hours, and 24 of those hours will be spent at church learning about hunger and doing mission projects to help alleviate hunger in our local community. Many of our youth are looking for sponsors, so please help them out!
29,000 children die from hunger or hunger-related preventable diseases every day. It sounds like an insurmountable problem, but we can do something about the number of deaths! It only takes $360 to feed a child for an entire year. Each of our youth is trying to feed at least one child for the year.
In addition to seeking sponsors, we are collecting pennies. We’re hoping to collect 29,000 pennies, one for each child that dies each day. We’ll use them to make a visual reminder of lives needlessly lost to this one problem—a display you will be able to see on Sunday February 24. After the Famine is over, we will turn the pennies into cash and add the $290 to the total amount we raise. That $290 will feed a child for almost 10 months.
Please bring your pennies to Teri’s office ASAP! And please find a youth to sponsor! Also, if we show up at your house on our food pantry scavenger hunt, don’t be surprised!
Youth participating are:
Alex Nelson, Anna Zoerner, Carl Wesa, Jessie Gronset, Kayleigh Jensen, Matt Hillmann, Meredith Mitchell, Norma Thompson, and Samantha Koenig.
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Stay after worship on February 24th for a spaghetti lunch prepared and served by our Senior High Youth! This is a great opportunity to hear about some of their experiences during the 30 Hour Famine and to support their summer mission trip to inner-city Chicago, where they will meet hunger and poverty face to face.
Spaghetti, salad, bread, lemonade…all the makings of a wonderful afternoon. See you there!
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The Middle School Youth Group will be participating in a Bowl-A-Thon on March 2nd at the Westland Bowling Center in Crystal Lake. They will be collecting donations to help support the Big Brothers, Big Sisters of McHenry County, an organization that matches kids with adult mentors. If you are interested in donating, please ask one of your outgoing youth for more details or go to www.bbbsmchenry.org. Thank you as always for your wonderful support! |
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  Thanks to everyone who made Valentines for our Marines and soldiers in Fellowship Hall recently and who donated items or money for postage and the purchase of items. Care packages have been mailed that include your Valentines, magazines, chocolate, candy, comedy DVDs, CDs, a phone card, peanut butter and jelly, beef jerky, foot powder, gel insoles, duct tape, nuts, batteries, potato chips, skin lotion, and cookies from the Senior High Bake Sale. Please keep Ryan Atkinson (friend of the Stipatis), Christopher Erwin (nephew of Rob and Julie Baser), Charles Gay (friend of Karla Koenig), Michael Lambert (friend of Ed and Val Krukiewicz), Andrew Pohl (nephew of Jim and Laura Bauman and Rick and Laurie Pohl), and Jonathon Roach (son of Cindee Robinson). If you have a loved one serving in the military who you would like to add to the Cookie Lift project please contact me at cookielift@rclpc.org ~ Mary Moltmann
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Since most of us in Prayers and Pincushions have put in 70 or more years we’re well into liver spots and we can tell you what to do about them. We talk about such things and many other maladies that afflict the gracious way of growing older. But that’s not our only topic of conversation. We also push opinions about politicians. Did you know they have liver spots too? They have expensive make-up artists. We don’t, so we use our own remedies. We’ll share that expertise with you any second or fourth Thursday of the month we decide to get together at 10:30 or 11:00am at Marge Hansen’s house… 1019 Heron Way, Woodstock. What do you want to know about growing older? Take it from the “been-there-done-that-group” and expect some fun conversation… Remember… DON’T SWEAT THE LIVER SPOTS!! SEE YOU SOON. Bring a bag lunch, your curiosity and troubling questions.
Questions ??? … call Marge Hansen.
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The Board of Education presented Certificates of Achievement to 51 Woodstock High School seniors who were recently named Illinois State Scholars by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. The students earned this recognition through a combination of their ACT or PSAE test scores and class rank at the end of their junior year. Only the top 10% of the graduating seniors in the state of Illinois qualified for State Scholar status. The Class of 2008 Illinois State Scholars included our very own Rebecca Dolmon from Woodstock High School. Congratulations Rebecca! |
Last year members of our congregation began providing financial support for Sara at Fairhaven School, the special school in Alexandria, Egypt, for handicapped children that we have been associated with for several years.
The Mission Outreach Ministry has stepped out in faith to offer the sponsorship of a second child. The director of Fairhaven has sent us information about another student in need. Randa, age 14, has been deaf since birth and was unable to speak until recently when she was taught at school to read lips and make herself understandable through signing. When she first arrived at Fairhaven, Randa could not walk because of a back problem. The director of the school informs us that Randa’s walk has “straightened and she is always cheerful and willing to join in games and activities.”
Prayerfully consider helping in sponsoring Randa. Monthly tuition costs are $140 per month for the eleven-month school year. One time donations as well as monthly or quarterly contributions in whatever amount you can afford are acceptable. If we receive pledges and contributions exceeding the monthly tuition costs, we will sponsor additional children at Fairhaven School.
If you would like to help, please call Rick Johnson at 815-728-7002. Learn more about Fairhaven at www.saraychurch.org, click on “Community Service” then click on “Mentally Challenged.”
~ Mission Outreach Ministry
Blackhawk Presbytery is sponsoring a mission trip to the
New Orleans area (Slidell, LA) April 26 – May 4
We have reserved 20 beds at the Presbyterian Community Outreach center. More beds may be available depending on interest. Those going on the trip will be responsible for travel and food expenses. There is no cost for housing. The final cost will be determined after the roster is established. The deadline for reservations is Wednesday, March 5. We will be commissioning our mission team at the March 8 Presbytery meeting.
If your church is interested in participating in the trip, please select a representative from the church to contact me at panitamc@aeroinc.net . I will send you the volunteer information packet from PCO and keep you updated. If you are interested in seeing the facilities or learning more about PCO in Slidell please visit their website: www.pcoslidell.org... Thank you for your interest in this mission opportunity.
~ Rev. Anita Stuart-Steva
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A farmers’ market in the midst of cold and snow? Perhaps it’s worth a drive after church on Sunday, February 24! The Epworth United Methodist Church, on the northwest corner of Randall Rd. and Highland Avenue in Elgin, is hosting both a farmers’ market and fair trade sale from 10am to 2pm on the 24th.
The market will feature fresh greens, cheese, honey, yogurt, potatoes, popcorn, organic milled flours, and olive oil from the Palestinian region. Fish, farm-raised in Illinois, plus beef, chicken, and pork will be available. Soaps, handmade note cards, and pet items are just a few more of the items on their list. You can restock your coffee, tea, and chocolate supply here, too. Call the Methodist church at (847) 931-5400 with questions.
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Visit the Center for Economic Progress’ FREE TAX PREPARATION SITES and get your taxes done fast and free. Services are free to: FAMILIES (more than one person in home) with incomes of less than $40,000 and to INDIVIDUALS with incomes less than $15,000. The Crystal Lake Tax Site is at McHenry County College, 8900 Hwy 14, Bldg. A, Crystal Lake, IL 60012 on Wednesdays, from 5:30-8:00pm and on Saturdays from 10am - 1pm.
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Improving Health Care for Native Americans
From: Presbyterian Washington Office
"In his 1802 address to Indian nations, Thomas Jefferson said, 'Made by the same Great Spirit and living in the same land with our brothers ... we consider ourselves as of the same family; we wish ... to cherish their interest as our own.' But when it comes to the health care of our Native American brethren, the government has hardly cherished their interests as our own… We owe the first inhabitants of this nation better access to quality health care."
Leaders in Congress have not made this crucial update of the Indian health care system a priority. Nevertheless, they are aware that there are huge gaps in both the Indian health care system and access to it. As a prime example, Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) inadvertently highlighted the differences in resources when he spoke about the good fortune that led to the recovery of Senator Johnson (D-SD) who fell desperately ill on Capitol Hill, “Tim Johnson was taken immediately to George Washington Hospital where they have a team of physicians..... Had it happened the next day [during a scheduled trip to the senator’s home state], he would have been on an Indian reservation in South Dakota.”
This week, the Senate will consider S. 1200, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2007, which will reauthorize the Indian Health Care system and make needed improvements. This legislation will help bring Native American health care into the 21st Century by addressing current disparities. Advocates are worried, however, that the bill will get bogged down with unrelated amendments.
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