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Text Only Version
January 24, 2007
The SPIRIT of Ridgefield-Crystal Lake Presbyterian Church
Click here to see the January calendar.
Click here to see the February calendar.
“Be Thou My Vision.” Fiddlers. Riverdance. St. Patrick.
“CELTIC”—it’s cool, it’s hip, it’s trendy.
We all know it and love it. But what is it, really?
More than just ethereal music, more than clogging, more than a cool accent…the Celtic Christian tradition draws on centuries of practices, stories, and customs, along with a distinct worldview, to inform everyday living. There is no distinction between sacred and secular, between work and worship—everything in this tradition is interconnected, like those Celtic knots that are so popular in jewelry.
The adult education class will take a three-week adventure into Celtic Spirituality. This winter, take this opportunity to delve deeper into the Celtic Christian tradition—its history, stories, saints, prayers, and practices. Celtic Christian spirituality is a rich resource for our own spiritual lives—perhaps you’ll find something you can incorporate into your own spiritual life as we head toward the season of Lent.
You are invited to explore Celtic Spirituality with Teri during the adult education hour, each Sunday from January 28 through February 18.
Uyai Mose! (Come All You People!) -
Tuesdays, February 27-March 27, 7-9 pm, Fellowship Hall
Funky languages, cool beats, great art, vibrant colors... Long history, current news. Colonialism, missionaries, thriving churches, faithful people. Stories, drums.
Tuesday evenings during Lent, come to the church for an exploration of the church in Africa—its stories, its songs, its people, its past, and its present. Sherri and Teri will lead us through the continent, region by region, with history, stories from African Christians, music, drumming, and more. We will share dinner each Tuesday evening at 7pm, and we’ll finish up around 9 pm.
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Reminder...
The last service date for NewWay is this Saturday, Jan. 27th at 5 pm as we will take a brief sabbatical from this service to reflect on what you tell us in the survey and to re-vision, re-think, re-energize, re-staff, and possibly re-schedule a third worship service.
Got SPIRIT?
We are sorry for the delay in receiving your last Spirit newsletter. We made some changes to the format that not only saved us money, but thought would help automate the process through the Post Office. We hope we have resolved the problem with this issue. ~ RCLPC Office
Congregational Meeting
The session has called a congregational meeting for February 11th at 10:00 a.m. (between the services) for the purpose of reviewing the annual report and approving terms of call for pastoral staff.
Save the Date! February 24th!
MEET-n-EAT: A NEW OPPORTUNITY
Food, fellowship, and fun at a local restaurant. Watch for more details! Questions, call Laurie Pohl.
Bake Sale!
Get your cookies! While you’re at it, grab some brownies and a pie! Buying your baked goodies for the week here instead of the store will support RCLPC’s Senior High Mission Trip 2007—to New Orleans. All the goodies go on sale February 11, before, between, and after the worship services. Prices are reasonable, the cause is good, and the taste is fantastic!
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Vacation Bible School Planning Meeting
As we begin once again for summer and our Vacation Bible School program, we would like to invite you to join us. This year, our VBS theme will be “Lift-Off” … Soaring to New Heights with God! We will be holding our first meeting on Saturday, February 10th at 9:00 AM in the lounge. Please come join us to hear about the program and how you can be part of it. We look forward to seeing you on the 10th. If you can not make the meeting but want to find out more, please contact Cheryl Lilly.
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YOUTH SCOOP
Senior High Youth Group Study Break!
Take a break from that homework and come hang out here with friends for an hour! On Wednesdays from 7-8pm, we’ll have music, themed snacks, and low-key fellowship.
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Next FELLOWSHIP MEETING
Monday, Feb. 12th 7:00 pm
Fellowship events are being planned. Come join in the fun and help the fellowship team plan for their next event.
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Operation PRAYERS & COOKIE LIFT Update
We have good news that the Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 16 (Major Tom Lenhardt is Patti Hill's brother), for whom we helped put on the Christmas party, is on its way back to California. However, they have been replaced by the MALS Squadron #29. We would like to continue our support of the Marines that are based at the Al Asad Air Base in the Anbar Province in Iraq. Therefore, Mary Moltmann has asked to set up a program to collect donations through the end of this year to continue that support. The tentative plan is this:
March: ship out Girl Scout cookies
End of May: have a “dog days of summer” mailing of items like sunblock, chapstick, bug spray, eye drops, nose drops, etc.
End of August: ship Halloween/harvest boxes with supplies and Halloween candy
October: Christmas stockings - Nancy Vazzano's idea was a hit with the soldiers this year
Mary will also be appealing to the larger community to donate items and money for postage. If you have questions about how you can get involved or help out with donations, please send an email to cookielift@rclpc.org, which will be forwarded to Mary who can help you with your questions.
Right now we need to act fast on the Girl Scout cookie plan as we found out from Nancy Blakely that the deadline to turn in cookie orders is on or about this Saturday, January. 27th. Some Girl Scout troops order extra cookies, so boxes will probably be available for sale when they are delivered in early March.
Marissa Blakely and Emma Iddings are both selling Girl Scout cookies and you can contact either or both of them if you would like to place an order to be donated to the Cookie Lift Project. If there are other Girl Scouts in our congregation who are selling cookies, please let Mary Moltmann know. If you have any questions, please e-mail Mary Moltmann at cookielift@rclpc.org.
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We Need Snacks
The Senior High Youth Group has started a Wednesday night ministry called “Study Break”—an hour on Wednesday evening when students in grades 9-12 can get together, take a break from school work, and hang out with church friends. Part of this ministry is a snack time! If you would be willing to donate some snacks, please bring them to the church office. Any snacks are great—chips, chex mix, drinks, cookies, crackers, cereal, candy, peanut butter and jelly, anything!
Thanks!
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Dress Up Clothes Needed
The children in the nursery love to play dress up. Therefore, a request has been made by our nursery staff for dress up clothes. Donations would be much appreciated. Any questions, please call Raechel Sowa.
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BOOKS at BORDERS Has Changed Their Name...
As the new year began, the group met and had some great ideas on moving the group forward into the new year. These include:
* a name for the group: the Meanderthals! (note the spelling; rhymes with "Neanderthals", but with fully opposable thumbs and a more developed literary taste than the average cave dweller... the "Meander" portion of the name is intentional, since the group historically has a tendency to "wander" off topic, in a well-meaning way... and is now agreeing to wander together on their literary journey)
* a new website: themeanderthals.com , serving as our hub of communications, and a lighthearted/fun framework within which to structure the group
* trying new meeting locations (this week: Panera Bakery, Crystal Point Mall)
* mixing in watching some movies along with reading books... particularly movies connected to books we're reading
* starting off meeting every other week rather than every week, to increase flexibility
* a little more structure to the meetings and focus on the books than in the past -
* a better balance of social chat and book discussion
* a commitment to a variety of book styles, genres and topics (I think the group's already been doing that, but now it's part of the charter)
* a commitment to "going the journey together"... i.e., we don't read ahead of the assignment, but let the story unfold with us together.
* exploring including people physically unable to attend by their calling in to the group's cellphone/speakerphone
The book the group was most interested in reading first is "The Audacity of Hope" by Barack Obama. We're excited about the new year and looking for anyone interested to come and give the group a try! Contact Stephen Neilson.
Volunteers Needed to Help with the Free Community Dinner...
First United Methodist Church needs volunteers during the month of February to help with the Free Community Dinner. Volunteers are needed for the 3:00-5:30 pm cook and serve shift and the 5:30-7:00 pm serve and clean-up shift. If you can help, please contact Deb Heath.
NATIVE AMERICAN CONNECTION
The Ancient Americas
A new Exhibition will be at The Field Museum March 9, 2007 entitled The Ancient Americas. It tells the epic story of human life on the American continents from the arrival of small groups of Indian “hunter-gatherers” whose way of life survived into the 20th century to the great but fragile empires of the Aztecs and Incas.
This expedition will shatter long-held preconceptions says a recent newspaper article from the Dakota/Lakota Journal. Through the use of maps, dioramas, and computer videos this insightful story celebrates the great diversity and high level of achievement attained, independently, by peoples throughout the Americas. Artifacts built on the Field Museum’s unsurpassed archaeological collections tell the story and allow visitors to see for themselves the evidence on which the knowledge of the ancient Americans is based. Highlights include family workshops, student classes led by leading curators, a lecture on “Pueblo Memories, Oral Traditions”, the mound-building Hopewell and Mississippian cultures of the Midwest, gold objects left by the conquistadors and hundreds of luxury and spiritual items will be on display. Sounds like a worthwhile trip into Chicago, doesn’t it?
Dawn Condill and Joy Martin attended a thought-provoking screening and discussion of the documentary In the Light of Reverence held at the Native American Education Services College at 2838 Peterson in Chicago. The video looks at three sacred Native American areas including the Black Hills near Rosebud and Pine Ridge Reservations, and the destruction going on by those who refuse to understand the importance of these holy places to Indians. As one of the Indians interviewed says, “The holy land to Christians is across the ocean on the other side of the world but our holy land is right here in the United States. These sacred places are our church”. ~ Joy Martin
FREE Senior Citizens Matinee Performance and Dinner
Prairie Ridge - Wednesday, March 14th at 1:30 pm
“Thoroughly Modern Millie”
A new stage version of the classic movie musical starring Julie Andrews & Mary Tyler Moore, audiences of all ages will be swept up by this humorous tale of love in the roaring 20’s. Complete with the Charleston, tap-dancing typists, and flappers, this show is sure to leave you smiling as you leave the theater.
Shuttle buses will run from The Church or Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (located on Walkup across from Veteran’s Acres Park) to the high school starting at 12:30 pm up until show time. Please call the Ticket Hotline at 815-479-0404 ext. 401.
(Two of our youth are in this musical: Matt Hillmann and Stacy Terlep. Congratulations.)
SOUPER BOWL OF CARING
Can they do it????
Will the BEARS win the Super Bowl??????
The diehard fans will say they will win! I can’t guarantee a Bears victory, but I can guarantee a victory for others and us through the SOUPER BOWL of CARING!!!
The “Souper Bowl of Caring” is a nationwide event that supports individuals in need. Groups and organizations around the country collect monetary donations and non-perishable items to donate within their local community. The totals are phoned into the national headquarters and the national total is announced during half-time of the Super Bowl.
On Sunday February 4th, the youth groups of RCLPC will be collecting monetary and/or non-perishable donations after each of the services. We are also asking that the children of our church bring non-perishable items to Sunday school. The youth will total all donations after the services; the amounts will then be phoned into the program headquarters. The total from all organizations will be announced during half-time of the Super Bowl. Our donations go to the Crystal Lake Food Pantry. Last year our church collected $910 (a record high for us) and 24 non-perishable items. Nationwide over $5,016,573 was raised. You can get more information at www.souperbowl.org
Please remember those in need, and help us to help even more people than last year.
Thank you in advance, RCLPC Youth Groups
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