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The SPIRIT of Ridgefield-Crystal Lake Presbyterian Church  March 22, 2006
Click here to see the April calendar.

WORSHIP FOR HOLY WEEK AND EASTER

April 9, two services only: 9:15 and 11:15. Palm Sunday.
The children will begin our Palm Sunday celebration and the choir will share Ellingboe’s Requiem at both services as a way of leading us into Holy Week. There will be a congregation-wide breakfast in between the services. (Contact Karl Dencker for details, or see the sign up sheet in the Connecting Link)

April 13, 6:30pm in fellowship hall. Maundy Thursday.
We will commemorate Jesus’ last supper with his friends and remember his commandment to love one another. Service and supper begin at 6:30pm. Last year’s service was very well-received with over 80 people in attendance. In order to accommodate everyone wishing to participate we will need an accurate count, so please RSVP in the Connecting Link.

April 14, 7:30pm in the sanctuary. Good Friday.
We commemorate the death of Jesus with a service of tenebrae. Tenebrae means “shadows” and refers to the practice of extinguishing candles throughout the service. The service ends in darkness and silence.

April 16, four services: 8:00, 9:00 (NW), 10:15, and 11:15. Luke 24:13-35. Easter Sunday.
The darkness and silence come to an end with the rising sun and the joyful refrain of “Christ is risen!” We will retell the story of the road to Emmaus, where two disciples encounter the risen Christ through breaking bread and telling stories. That’s where we find the risen Christ, too: in the community gathered together around the table and in the stories we tell. Communion will be served at all services.

Please note: Nursery care will be provided for all services (including Maundy Thursday and Good Friday).

MANY ANNOUNCEMENTS and sign-up opportunities can be found in the Connecting Link, the hallway inside the front glass doors leading to the Fellowship Hall. Please sign up for the Maundy Thursday service and for Palm Sunday breakfast and check out the many other offerings as well.

INQUIRER’S CLASS

There will be an Inquirer’s Class on Saturday, April 29th.  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, or sign up in the Connecting Link.  Nursery care will be provided upon request.

BUILDING & GROUNDS CORNER: Door Locks

Did we change the locks at church? Some of them look different.

Yes, we have made several changes. All exterior doors have gone high tech with computer controlled electronic locks. We made this change for several reasons. First, we wanted to protect anyone working alone in the building from the surprise of an unexpected visitor. (The church is often solicited for money and help. While we welcome these folks, it is better to know who is at our door before they unexpectedly appear next to you). We can now monitor the front door via video and intercom, controlling the door locks from the office. Second, over the past several years with all the changes we went through we completely lost track of the many keys that have been handed out. Third, other groups who use our facilities have been showing up and using the building without always receiving permission and accessing areas of the building we prefer they not use. And we have had repeated problems with people entering one door, and exiting another, leaving the first unlocked. Fortunately this has not resulted in a serious problem but we wanted to gain control of the situation before coming in one morning to find we had overnight vandalism.

The doors now unlock with a “key fob” instead of a traditional key. You just hold your “key fob” near the sensor by the door to unlock it. All the doors are programmed to unlock and relock at preset times, i.e. Sunday mornings. User access can be restricted so that an outside group who uses fellowship hall Thursday nights for a meeting will only be able to unlock the connecting link door and only on Thursday nights. If you plan an evening meeting at church the office must be advised or the doors will not remain unlocked after you use your “fob” to enter. The “fobs” are individually registered to each holder and recognized by the computer controller with each use. Anyone and everyone who needs access to the church after hours is invited to stop by the office to pick up their very own “key fob”. ??? What is a “fob” ???

EGYPTIAN CONNECTION:
the Rev. Gendi Ibrahim Rizk visiting on March 26

Twenty-six years ago this month, RCLPC members were preparing for their first visit to Egypt. This connection has endured through the years since the Rev. Gendi Ibrahim Rizk came to our church through a “mission in reverse” program in 1979. Now another group is making plans to go and experience life and share faith with our sister church in Alexandria, Egypt.

We are privileged that Gendi will be with us again on Sunday, March 26. This will be a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the many projects of the El Saray Church in Alexandria, including Fairhaven School, which we have helped support since its founding in the early 1990s.

Gendi will speak at each of the three worship services on the 26th. He will also be in fellowship hall during the adult education time at 10:15 for fellowship, questions, and conversation.

EGYPT TRIP FUNDRAISER - Service Auction

This year, the senior high youth and adults will be auctioning their services to the highest bidder. All donations raised will go directly to help our youth serve in Christ’s name at Fairhaven School and El Saray, our sister church in Alexandria, Egypt.

From 7:45 am on March 26 to 11:15am on April 9, you will have an opportunity to bid for the trip participants’ time. This is a great way to get any procrastinated odd jobs done without even lifting a finger! If you are the highest bidder, you will be contacted by the person whose service you bid for. The mission trip participants thank you for your support. If you have any questions, please contact Jeff and Sheila Mohler.

RCLPC RUMMAGE SALE—May 20th from 9 am—3 pm

Mark the date and the week leading up to it.  Donations can be dropped off at the church the week of May 15th between 9am and 3:30pm. Remember, all proceeds will go towards the senior high mission trip to Egypt.  We still need some help with organizing this.  Please call Tina Stipati.

EASTER BASKET ITEMS NEEDED

It is time again for the children and youth in our church to prepare Easter Baskets for the children from Home of the Sparrow. This is such a great opportunity for the young members of our church to bring a smile to another’s face. The opportunity is also available to the adults in our church through various donations of items and/or time. This year we will be preparing the baskets on Palm Sunday, April 9th, from 10:00 – 11:00 AM. The following are some of the items needed: volunteers to assist, small Easter baskets, Easter grass, plastic eggs, candy, snacks, small toys, books and or coloring books. There will be donation boxes in the hall by the Sunday classrooms and by the office. If you are able to volunteer, please contact one of the following individuals. Thank You in advance! Cheryl Lilly or Jayne Zoerner.

LETS CELEBRATE our connection to Christ and to each other!

We want to challenge you to use your creativity, imagination and love for Christ to create a cross made of any material you desire.  It can be made of wood, legos, mixed media, whatever your heart is called to create.  The cross needs to be approx. 4"x 6" and must be able to be attached to a larger cross (so it will not be able to be returned to you).  This could be a very cool project which invites EVERYONE to participate.  You can make your cross as a family or as an individual.  Don't worry if you aren't an artist; we want a variety of different "personalities" to shine through.  By Easter our cross should be complete!  So we ask that you have your cross into the office by April 7th so we can assemble our community cross.  Questions?  Call Melanie Wesa with questions or email her.

RAINBOW CONNECTION PHOTOS

We are attempting to put a rainbow of pictures together between services which will include all who attend RCLPC now and in the future. So, please stop by the colored backgrounds to have your picture taken so we can make this happen. (They will probably be in Fellowship hall this week). It's a good way to connect ourselves to one another all in one beautiful rainbow! After your picture appears you can write your name underneath so everyone knows who you are! You can have your picture taken with your best friend, family or anyone you choose. We will be doing this all through Lent and beyond so remember to pick your favorite colored background and smile! If you are willing to take photos please call Melanie Wesa.

Announcing the formation of a NEW ADULT FELLOWSHIP GROUP RCLPC "Supper Club"

Sign up to join RCLPC's "Supper Club", a new and exciting fellowship group for all adults.  While Gourmet Group takes a much needed rest we will enjoy three large group events planned for "Supper Club".  Join by choosing one of the scheduled events that you will help host (with the help of many others); however, the event will be held at one location and all members will attend.  With delicious, casual cuisine and fun activities, "Supper Club" will be a good time for all. Choose from a Mexican Fiesta (May 6), a State Fair (Aug.5), or a "Monster Mash" Costume Party (Oct.28).  Sign Up Today in the Connecting Link. Questions? contact Jodie LeFevre or Deb Steele.

 

NEW TUESDAY NIGHT DISCUSSION GROUP at RCLPC

Exploring the Way is the title of the new book that will be discussed on Tuesday evenings from 7:30 – 9pm starting on April 4th. Everyone is welcome to join us as we share our faith stories and ideas and come together to discuss our spiritual journeys. Cost of the book is $9. Contact Juanita Miller or the church office 815-459-1132 to order your book. Look for the sign up sheet in the Connecting Link.

FRIDAY MORNINGS OUT

Friday, March 24th… buy popcorn at the train station and take a train ride to Arlington Heights and back to Crystal Lake: 10 am leave CL, arrive Arlington Heights at 10:32. Leave AH @ 11:16 arrive CL at 11:55. We can go for a short walk while in Arlington Heights.
Friday, March 31st… no activities due to Spring Break

WANTED: FAVORITE RECIPES

Appetizers, beverages, soups, salads, side dishes, main dishes, breads, desserts, cookies, and candies recipes are all welcome. We are looking to get an all church, family and friends cookbook published. We plan to put this together as soon as possible. Any profits from the cookbooks will go to the "Cookie Walk Missions Fund." You may submit as many recipes as you would like however we ask that each one is placed on the Recipe Collection Sheets located in the Connecting Link. Please double check your recipes for any mistakes before submitting them. We will inform you when a deadline date is set. Thank you for your participation and support in this exciting creation. If you have any questions please call Nancy Blakely.

NATIVE AMERICAN CONNECTION
WIND CAVE IN BLACK HILLS

Any explorers out there??? Eighteen cave explorers surveyed over 3,300 feet of new passages last month, making Wind Cave the fourth-longest cave in the world. Cavers from Colorado, Nebraska and South Dakota brought the total distance surveyed to 119.6 miles, pushing it past the former fourth longest cave in the world in Switzerland.

The most significant discovery involved large passages located just off a 200-foot long belly crawl. Physical Science Specialist Rod Horrocks said in the Lakota Journal, “This is one of the greatest caves in the world, not only for its massive length but because of its complexity, diverse cave formations, and boxwork”.

The formal exploration of Wind Cave began in 1890 by sixteen-year old Alvin McDonald. Since then, over one thousand people have surveyed in Wind Cave and discovered underground lakes, a room a half a mile long, a calcite honeycomb formation and branching helictite “bushes”. In 1891, McDonald wrote that he had “given up the idea of finding the end of Wind Cave”. This is a sentiment shared today by modern cave explorers who feel that less than 10 percent of the cave is currently explored. For more information visit www.nps.gov/wica. Sounds like another explanation as to why Native Americans revere the Black Hills so much.

Joy Martin, Alice Haznedl, Ann Legg, Janet Pearce, Ginger Robinson, Rod Russell, MJ Towne, Gloria Thorson.

Shhhhh.... It's A Surprise!

Once again, we are planning a surprise for this spring's nine high school graduates.  We are in particular need of people who are good with scissors and who can machine sew a straight seam.  We have two project work days scheduled for Friday, April 21 (1-4 PM) and Saturday, May 6 (9AM-12PM), which will allow us to have some fun while we work on the projects.  If you would like to learn more about this project and lend your assistance, please call Andrea Pracht or email her. 

NURSERY STAFF APPRECIATION MONTH

Now, you know that our nursery staff helps our church in so many ways…they provide Us with a safe, caring, fun and Reliable place for the youngest members of our congregation to Stay. This April is RCLPC’s “Nursery Staff Appreciation Month”. Every one of us has something nice to say, write, or bring to the wonderful women (Denise, Leslie, Marcy, and Jenny) who spend time with RCLPC’s precious little ones. Please let your imagination guide you as you decide how You would like to thank our nursery staff. Our Nursery impacts the whole church community in such a positive way… Please sign up in the Connecting Link for one Sunday in April (multiple families per Sunday are ok…and is greatly appreciated). Some ideas to inspire your creativity: a card from our Caring Crafters cart, homemade drawings/card/note, a breakfast treat for the staff, etc.
Any questions, please contact Debi Keyzer. Thank you all!

IN AND AROUND RCLPC WITH BARB

A very nice “top ‘o the morning” to you all. (I know, St. Paddy’s Day is long over, but I just like the sound of this greeting.

To start off my column today I would just like to say a big THANK YOU to MARY MOLTMANN , ED BENNETT and their wonderful helpers for the beautiful Welcoming Party for the Flood Family, and I do mean beautiful. Wasn’t it nice? I do know that Mary is a big slave driver. I heard she even made Ed mow the grass so it would look extra nice on Sunday. The hall was lovely, the food delicious, and what a joy to get to know the whole Flood family just a little bit better. Thanks to all of you. This might also be the place to thank STEVE and LAURA MIDDAUGH (parents of NOAH and ALISE) for all of the many hours they have given to our “Katrina Cause”. You have made it so easy for us to feel like we have helped just a little. You picked out a great family for us at RCLPC. Thank You!!

* Our own ANN VORNSAND (daughter of STEVE and DORY, sister of ELIZABETH) took part in the Tri-M recital at Jacobs High School on March 16th. She sang Crucifixion for the voice solo and played Accolay for her violin solo. Only 15 people performed in this recital. Tri-M is the music honor society at the High School. We are so fortunate to have Ann at our church sharing her talents with us.

* Congratulations to our newest set of grandparents - CONNIE and CHUCK RASMUSSEN. Chuck’s son Cary and his wife Melissa gave birth to a little boy on March 12th. Leo Brayden Rasmussen came into this great big world weighing 7 pounds 11 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long. (I think I heard that grandma Connie had those same stats!) This might just be the ticket to let Connie retire at the end of this school year. Congratulations to you all!

* Speaking of grandparents, I caught up with grandma Mohler (SHEILA - wife of JEFF) on Sunday and got the latest info on the twins. Both are fat and sassy, over 10 pounds now. Sammy is a restless sleeper and Emi will no longer let him share her crib. (Did you know that the latest thing for twin babies is that they share their sleeping quarters?) Now they can only find togetherness outside the bed. Please keep us informed, as we like to stay caught up with our little ones.

* On Sunday I also ran into one of our great friends that has moved on - DEBBIE STUART. Boy was it nice to see her again and get a hug. Debbie was here visiting with her grandbaby and will be coming back in June. I asked her to let me know in advance of her visit and then I can let you all know so we can maybe get together with her. It is so nice to have our friends pop in every once in awhile.

* Just a fact!: My old art teacher friend taught all of the North Elementary School people how to remember the correct order for the colors of a rainbow. She named her bird ROY-G-BIV so she would never forget - Red Orange Yellow - Green - Blue Indigo Violet

Thank you for spending this time with me.
I am Barb Turley.

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