July

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Durand UMC’s accessibility plans will lead to more dynamic community role

(July 26) Members of Durand UMC, located northwest of Rockford near the Wisconsin border, are planning a $1.3 million expansion and renovation project to make the church building more accessible to members and the community.

The goal is to install an elevator and make all areas of the church handicapped accessible; enlarge existing education wing to accommodate a new kitchen, new offices, library and handicapped-accessible restrooms; and remodel the sanctuary to increase seating capacity and enhance multimedia capabilities.

“Overall, it will make the community look at our church as one that’s vibrant and growing,” said Leon Gorsch, co-chair of the Building Committee. “We have a good location. We are very visible in the community, on the corner of the downtown business district.

“We’ve been an anchor for the community, which looks to the church for a lot of community activities. We’re a polling place and do kindergarten registration there. If we can show that we’re a vibrant congregation, we can add to our congregation.”

Second call

Durand UMC is the second 2002 Church Builders call. The church is a Church Builders call for the second time in its 165-year history. The existing sanctuary was built in 1926. When the education wing was added in 1973, Church Builders made a gift to the project. That wing, which houses a large room with movable dividers so it can be used as a fellowship hall or divided into smaller classrooms, will be the focus of the current renovation that is expected to make it even more usable for community and church functions.

“Fellowship hall is used as a community room for the village,” said the Rev. John Boryk, pastor. “It is accessible because it’s on ground level, but there is no kitchen on that level. We have a kitchenette on that level, but [adding a new kitchen on the fellowship hall level would make it] even more usable in a rural community with limited restaurants and banquet facilities.”

The new kitch-en will also facilitate church functions. “Our old kitchen [in the basement] has become undesirable appearance-wise for church functions,” Gorsch said. “We have a history of doing a pancake day for fund raising in the fall. We always used the kitchen in the basement for that. Being able to move that to the fellowship hall and get everything on one level will help.”

Sympathetic hospital

The church has already acquired commercial-grade stainless appliances, including a double oven and two refrigerators, for the new kitchen. “We put in a bid on kitchen equipment from a local hospital,” Gorsch said. “We’re getting $25,000 worth of equipment for $2,000. We were very fortunate. A used kitchen equipment supplier was bidding against us, but the hospital was sympathetic to us.”

The expansion is possible because the church acquired two pieces of adjacent property in the last few years, that “changed the scope of our vision,” Gorsch said. “Before that, we just thought we would remodel the basement and add an elevator. It was a fairly limited vision.”

One piece of land will allow for expansion of fellowship hall, construction of the kitchen and library while maintaining a driveway and a few parking spaces. The second property will provide parking.

And the new elevator will help people get to the rest of the building. “We’re trying to make our church more handicapped accessible,” said Gavin Byl, co-chair of the Building Committee. “We have several groups that use the church for banquets and other activities. It will be a good outreach to the community for us to be more accessible. We’ve got a lot of room we just can’t get to.”

One of the hardest rooms to get to is the sanctuary, which is 10 steps up from ground level. “When you’re a greeter or an usher and you see people struggling to make it up the stairs, you realize why it’s important for us to do something like this,” Gorsch said.

The church does have a small chair lift that moves up an incline, Gorsch said, but many people don’t like to use it because it’s awkward and is limited to one person.

No barriers

“We would like to get an elevator to move handicapped people from the entrance level up to the sanctuary,” Gorsch added. “We could also use it for funerals to move caskets. We also would have the elevator go to the basement level because right now we try to have functions down there, but accessibility is a problem.”

“It would allow people to come into the worship space without barriers,” said Boryk.

Durand is a farming community in the extreme northwest corner of Winnebago County. Fields of corn and soybeans and hog farms dominate the landscape. Durand proper has a population of nearly 1,100; nearby communities of Davis and Lake Summerset add another 4,650 residents. The church has 330 members with average worship attendance of 110.

Most of the funding for the building project is expected to come from church members. Approximately $320,000 is already in hand from member donations designated for a new kitchen.

“Formulas say we should be able to afford a $1 million building project,” Gorsch said, “so $1.3 million is a bit of a stretch. But if things go well - and we hope they will - we think this will be doable.”

Byl said fund raising will probably include a congregation pledge drive asking for a three-year commitment “over and above normal giving,” plus some major community fund raisers.

3 phases

Depending on the amount of money raised, the project could be done in as many as three phases.

Phase one would improve handicapped accessibility, including the elevator.

Phase two would add on to fellowship hall, including a library, kitchen and new offices.

Phase three would rotate the sanctuary 90 degrees, resulting in a wider sanctuary with improved accessibility from the rear, more seating capacity and the potential for overflow seating.

“We’d like to do phases one and two at the same time,” Gorsch said. “Phase three we could easily delay and do later on.”

Construction could start as early as this fall or next spring. “Our architect wanted to start construction this fall,” Gorsch said. “Our building committee feels that’s probably a little optimistic for the work we have to do in fund raising. It all depends on how the finances come together.”

“The basic design is close to what we want,” Byl said. “Now we’re just adjusting it here and there and getting some firm numbers back from contractors. A lot of them are looking for more work, and interest rates are down. Now would be an excellent time to do it if we can.”

Architect is Daniel Saavedra, member of Rockford UMC, of Saavedra Gehlhausen Architects of Rockford.

Become a Church Builder

Church Builders are individuals throughout the Northern Illinois Conference who pledge $25 or more per call - usually three each year. Funds help purchase land and construct new buildings and parsonages. Deteriorating buildings have been restored and those damaged by natural disaster have been repaired or replaced.

The Board of Global Ministries pays administrative costs of Church Builders, enabling all donations, plus interest, to be given to designated churches. For more information about Church Builders and how you may join, contact the Northern Illinois Conference, (773) 380-5060, ext. 223, Dick Roberts, Church Builders chairperson, (847) 823-7267, or Nancy Duel, treasurer, (847) 259-3793.

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Field, Ahrens receive Denman evangelism awards

(July 19) For the first time in several years, the Northern Illinois Conference Foundation for Evangelism presented the Denman Award in Evangelism to one clergy person and one laity during the Annual Conference session last month in DeKalb.

The Rev. Dr. Scott Field, senior pastor of Wheatland Salem UMC in Naperville, received the 2002 Clergy Denman Award. Jared Ahrens, member of Faith Evangelical UMC in Elmhurst, received the 2002 Laity Denman Award.

“In 1980, Dr. Field was sent to the Wheatland Salem church to close it,” said Charles Davis, trustee for the Foundation for Evangelism, in making the presentation. “Fortunately for the church and the Conference, Scott listened to God and not man. Under his leadership, the small, rural congregation mushroomed to outgrow its building. [It] purchased a larger piece of land at Book Rd. and 95th St. in Naperville. Within five years of moving in, the church needs to make its third expansion.”

Davis said that during the past three years, the church received an average of 128 new members with two-thirds coming by profession of faith. Worship attendance last year averaged 664; church school averaged 358; 58 youths were confirmed in May; a church-sponsored Christian preschool has 500 children with 350 on a waiting list.

Davis also praised Field for encouraging new members of Wheatland Salem UMC to grow in knowledge of the Bible and the Christian faith through study groups and seminars, as well as participating in local area mission projects and mission trips to Jamaica, Peru, Paraquay, Tanzania and Australia.

Ahrens, who graduated from University of Illinois two years ago, was recognized for his work with youths and young adults in his local church. During his senior year at the university, during vacations and breaks, he helped with the youth ministry in his church, Davis said, even writing Easter plays that the young people perform each year.

After graduation he began a ministry to college students in his church that became known as “The Edge.” “This group is growing and attracting both those who had left the church and unchurched college students,” Davis said.

Last year, Ahrens and other young adults volunteered to lead a new Sunday evening service called “The Gathering.” Designed to reach out to seekers and the unchurched, the contemporary service has 50 to 60 people attending.

Ahrens has taught a session on personal evangelism. last year he formed a weekly prayer group, meeting in his home, to specifically pray for those who don’t know Christ. He has participated in mission trips to Juarez, Mexico, and Maputo, Mozambique.

“Jared has evidenced a strong and mature Christian faith,” Davis said, “with a heart for saving souls for Jesus Christ. It is my understanding that he is planning to enter seminary this fall.”

The awards are named in honor of Dr. Harry Denman who served as head of the Methodist General Board of Evangelism in 1949 when he created the Foundation for Evangelism to promote, encourage and provide resources for responsible evangelism across the church.

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476 participate in Wheatland Salem Kids’ Club

(July 19) Wheatland Salem UMC, Naperville, Kids’ Club ’02 “God Rules! Awesome Cool!” was attended last month by 476 children, pre-school through fifth grade, forcing the church to conduct both morning and afternoon sessions.

Paula Traviolia, director of Kids’ Club, said that there were also 125 volunteers, including 75 youths, staffing the program.

And the five-day program was extensive. Three groups of 40 students each morning, and three groups of 30 students each afternoon, rotated among three Bible stories written and performed by Kids’ Club volunteers. Traviolia said each day featured different stories, totaling 15 for the week. “This year we focused on Old Testament stories through Jesus’ birth,” she explained. “Next year we’ll do Jesus’ life; then the next we’ll do after Jesus. We’ve been doing this three-year cycle for some time.”

Kids’ Club also offered a large biblical era marketplace under the direction of Faith Eichhorst, who has been involved with Kids’ Club for 20 years. The marketplace included foods, crafts and games, and was populated by Roman soldiers and vendors, all attired in garb of the era. Youths in fifth and sixth grade and adults portrayed citizens of the ancient era.

“The marketplace has been taking up about half of the church’s gym,” Traviolia said, “but this year we’ve expanded into about three quarters of the space. The remainder holds a tent city at which students are divided into tribes for their journey through the various activities of the day.”

Handicrafts for the students were available in the marketplace, where they made jewelry, bought food items, attended Temple and learned about Jewish history. Other modern-era crafts were created in crafts rooms on the church’s second floor.

Kids’ Club also included a mission project, allowing students to learn about and bring a daily offering for Heifer Project International. Goal for the week was to raise $600 to buy a cow, but by Thursday, the kids had already contributed enough to buy the cow, a flock of chickens and some fish.

For more information about the Kids’ Club, call Stacy Sprinkle, minister to Children, (630) 904-1035, ext. 112.

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Conference offices will move
to Chicago Temple, Elgin First

(July 12) The Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) Council on Finance and Administration (CCFA) and Trustees have approved a temporary move of Conference offices from the Lutheran Building on Higgins Road in Chicago and into space in First UMCs in Elgin and Chicago.

The move is expected to save more than $20,000 in rent per year between now and the time a new Conference Center can be designed, approved and built. In addition, the Conference will reinvest money previously spent on rent into United Methodist churches and make program staff more accessible to people throughout the NIC.

Savings to the Conference

“This is a necessary move that will help flesh out and bring clarity to the need for a Conference center,” said the Rev. Felix Burrows, CCFA chair. “This is not a substitute for that. This is a necessary step as we move toward having that Conference center established. By the time that gets worked out and finished, it will probably be three to five years down the road.”

And, over five years, Burrows said, moving to the interim locations could save $151,000 in rental expense.

The Office of the Treasurer and Administrative Services, including accounting, human resources, information services, accounts payable, apportionments administrator, benefits administrator and United Methodist Reporter subscriptions, and the Director of Connectional Ministries and his assistant will move to the 19th floor of the Chicago Temple, 77 W. Washington St.

They will join the Bishop, Director of Congregational Development and Redevelopment, United Methodist Foundation and Chicago Home Missionary Society, already housed on the 18th floor of the building.

The Media Resource Library, Director of Leadership Development, Director of Outreach and Witness and an assistant will move to First UMC, 217 Division St., Elgin, in space adjoining the Elgin District offices.

Completed by Sept. 30

Moves should be completed by Sept. 30, according to Lonnie Chafin, Conference treasurer and director of Administrative Services.

The move was recommended by a joint committee on office location with representatives from CCFA, Trustees and Conference Council on Ministries (CCOM). The committee was formed after Annual Conference voted last month to delay for another year the decision to build a new Conference office facility on the west side of Chicago and an Adult Retreat Center west of the Fox River.

Because the lease for current office space in the Lutheran Building at 8765 W. Higgins Rd. expires at the end of August, “we had to decide whether to renew the lease or not, and we thought we had better be as fiscally responsible as we possibly could,” said the Rev. Julie Bunt, associate pastor of Morrison UMC and member of the joint committee on office location.

Chafin explained that prior to Annual Conference it was assumed that the Higgins Road lease would be renewed until construction of the new facility was complete. “Because the interim period has been expanded, we thought the stewardship of simply renewing the Higgins Road lease should be analyzed,” Chafin said.

In the analysis, Chafin said the committee discovered less expensive alternatives. “By moving into space in our own churches while we’re waiting to build the new offices,” he said, “we will be saving at least $20,000 per year compared to what we would pay if we stayed where we are.”

Chafin said those savings will be realized even after all relocation costs, including moving, renovation of new office space, printing new stationery, etc., are paid.

“And by having staff at First UMC in Elgin and the Chicago Temple, we’re renting from ourselves,” Bunt said. “To me, that seems like a good model for a connectional church.”

“We will be using our money wisely,” said Nancy Renick, member of the NIC Board of Trustees and the Chicago Temple. “We will be not only reducing overall costs for the Conference office, but also plowing our rent money back into United Methodist mission and ministry.”

Offices more accessible

Renick also pointed out that the interim location will make NIC offices more accessible to people all across the Conference. “We wanted to be sensitive to the staff being able to commute from where they live,” she said. “The city was a good choice for the administrative staff. They really don’t have a lot of meetings [with non-staff members from across the Conference], so parking shouldn’t be an issue.” She said moving program staff to Elgin makes them more accessible to people throughout the Conference.

“Elgin is not, by any stretch, the center of the Conference,” Bunt said. “But it’s a lot easier to get to than Higgins Road, at least for those of us in the western part of the Conference.”

Members of the Joint Committee were Burrows, Renick, Bunt, Phil Baker, Gorham UMC, Chicago; Audrey Johnson, Court Street UMC, Rockford; the Rev. Gessel Berry, pastor of Hartzell UMC, Chicago; and the Rev. Louis Reyes, pastor of First UMC, Bensenville, and CCOM chair.

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United Church of Rogers Park wins interfaith award

(July 12) United Church of Rogers Park, Chicago, is the recipient of a 2002 Faith in Community Award from Inspired Partnerships. The award honors congregations that demonstrate excellence in several areas, rather than in a single category.

“United Church of Rogers Park is a lifeline to its community,” said Nancy Renick, executive director of Inspired Partnerships. “Its goodwill and service extend beyond its own members to touch the lives of many of Chicago’s most vulnerable residents.”

In addition to housing the United Church congregation, the church is host to Devon Telugu UMC and to several other faith communities, as well as the largest day-care center in the neighborhood, serving 180 children; after-school programs; a teen arts program; English as a Second Language classes; 12-step programs; free tax-counseling service; Community Feast, a free meal served each Sunday; and a thrift shop now in its 75th year.

The awards are funded by the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation and include a $1,000 cash prize and a limited edition Tiffany-designed stained glass mini-window. Inspired Partnerships is a Chicago-based not-for-profit organization that helps congregations of all faiths care for and use their houses of worship for community service through training and technical assistance, project management and contractor referrals. For more information on Inspired Partnerships call (312) 294-0077.

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Fourth Street starts puppet ministry

(July 12) A half-dozen women volunteers cut, sewed and glued together puppets for a new ministry by youths at Fourth Street United Methodist Church, 551 S. Fourth St., Aurora. Penny Bohlen, a former professional puppeteer, designed the puppets and the ministry as a community outreach to Aurora youths.

The women assembled 13 puppets - six children and seven adult figures, including a Jesus figure - to launch a puppet ministry aimed at 10-12 year olds. The ministry debuted at a week-long vacation Bible school in June.

Clothing and facial features were customized to create ethnic puppets, including Hispanic, African-American and Caucasian.

Bohlen has led puppet programs for five years at the Warrenville public library, where she is an assistant librarian. Puppets resemble “Sesame Street” figures on a stage and include scripts for programs.

For more information, contact Bohlen, (630) 897-5966.

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Greenstone Parish to debut July 7

(July 5) On Sunday, July 7, a new United Methodist congregation, Greenstone United Methodist Parish, will hold its first worship service on the south side of Chicago. The result of a merger of three churches - Fellowship, Pullman and South Deering UMCs - the new congregation will worship in the former Pullman UMC building at 11211 S. St. Lawrence. The new church name, “Greenstone,” is derived from the green limestone used on the exterior of the structure.

“I think this is going to be a great thing,” said the Rev. Louis Roos, pastor of the new church.

Roos said no business meetings have been held between the merging congregations, but worship services have been conducted in each of the three facilities, followed by fellowship meals. “It is much more important that the people get to know one another,” he said. “The details will be addressed much more effectively when there are no strangers present.”

Last Sunday, June 30, members from the three former churches worshiped at Fellowship UMC and then held a barbecue at South Deering UMC.

On Sunday, Aug. 4, one month after the merger, Roos said he plans to hold a celebratory worship service with a large procession of members carrying in items for the sanctuary, such as a Bible, candles, cross, etc. “I hope it will be a beautiful service of really bringing the church together,” he said.

That evening Roos plans to begin holding Sunday evening worship services with the Rev. Kwame John Porter, retired pastor of Fellowship UMC, as one of the regular preachers.

“We intend to offer a full program of worship, Bible study and everything else,” Roos said.

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‘Little Church with Big Heart’ had
big impact on community, history

(July 5) On Sunday afternoon, June 23, one of the most historic churches in the annals of Methodist social action, South Deering UMC, in south Chicago, closed its doors as a prelude to merging with Pullman and Fellowship UMCs to form Greenstone United Methodist Parish. A closing service of reflection, attended by Chicago Southern District Superintendent, Dr. Donald Guest, and several former pastors, saluted many of the accomplishments of “The Little Church with the Big Heart.”

South Deering Methodist Church and its pastor, the Rev. David Fison, were featured in a March 11, 1957, Life magazine article, “Discrimination in the North.” The article described the threats to Fison, his family and his 20-member congregation because they invited African-Americans to attend worship services. The article showed pictures of Fison walking elementary school children, white and black, to the church for “released time session” after school.

Life magazine

Life also showed pictures of Fison looking through windows in his home broken by persons in the community who objected to his welcoming blacks into the neighborhood. For 20 Sundays during 1957, aerial noise bombs were detonated above the Trumbull Park Field House where the congregation was worshiping. Fison, the first resident pastor at South Deering, despite its being founded in 1880s, was evicted from his rented parsonage.

At that point, the Rock River Conference (now Northern Illinois Conference) Chicago Home Missionary and Church Extension Society (CHMCES) stepped in to buy a parsonage for the Fisons.

Despite threats and attacks, South Deering’s members persevered, accepting the first black family as members on Palm Sunday in 1957. In a letter to Rock River Conference churches the next year, CHMCES said: “Less than two years ago a courageous little band of about 20 members of the South Deering Methodist Church dared to stand for the belief that Christian love and brotherhood could bring peace to their troubled community. Today their ranks are nearly trebled and their message is reaching an ever-widening circle of sympathetic neighbors.”

In June 1958 the congregation broke ground for a new building to replace one that had burned in 1955. The land for the new building, 10536 S. Bensley, had been donated by the Florida Methodist Conference.

Dared to take stands

In subsequent years, South Deering became synonymous with daring to take a stand. The small congregation has confronted Chicago aldermen, the school board and park department in demanding equal treatment for all people.

“When the steel mills in the area began closing, there was economic upheaval that caused massive job losses in our community,” recalled Jack Booker, who joined the church in 1983. “It was a struggle, but South Deering’s congregation stepped in with a food bank, clothing store and offered a preschool program for children in a safe environment.”

Guest said, “I praise God for the opportunity to walk in a community of faith that dares to take a stand.”He emphasized that every story told at the service “are not stories that will be forgotten.” He noted that South Deering also was served by one of the first African-American women pastors, Christine B. Leak, in 1982.

Guest urged the members to carry such stories to the new congregation. “Share the stories to start a new story,” he said. “God is still in the business of working miracles. I believe God is going to bless us as God has blessed us in other places in this conference.”

'Mature Christianity'

The Rev. Louis Roos, pastor of South Deering, Pullman and Fellowship UMCs, declared: “We’re not closing. We’re starting something new. Sure, we’re sad about closing this building, but the members of this congregation know that they’ve got more to do. That’s mature Christianity.”

Charles Gregersen, chair of the Board of Trustees at Pullman, attended the reflection service. “We need new spirit to be breathed into our congregation,” he said, in describing the merger as essential. “We really need these people. I’m really impressed with these people.”

Former pastors in attendance included the Revs. Donna Atkinson, representing her husband, Donald, who died while serving at South Deering, Ken Tulloch, Albert Shears and Billie Jean Westmoreland. The Rev. Dwight Stewart, the congregation’s first black pastor, sent a letter encouraging the congregation in its new endeavor.

“We had heard of the legendary struggles of South Deering for justice in the community,” Atkinson said. “It was an honor to be appointed here. It’s an important role this congregation has played in this community to bring justice and peace.”

Willie Barber, a member who reflected on the 1990s, said, “We tried to help this community. I don’t know if the community appreciates this church or not, but as the doors close, the community is going to miss it.”

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UMW turns in labels to acquire mini-van

(July 5) Northern Illinois Conference United Methodist Women (UMW) announced that they have collected more than 1.1 million Campbell’s soup labels and delivered them to the Campbell’s facility in Minnesota in order to acquire a mini-van for Marcy-Newberry Association, a United Methodist-affiliated community center on Chicago’s west side. The seven-passenger mini-van is expected to be delivered this fall.

Forty boxes of labels were loaded into a rented trailer by Owen Skelly and Robert Genther, members of Morgan Park UMC, with the help of Dallas McCall and Roosevelt Lindsey, Morgan Park custodians. The men had to carry the boxes down one flight of stairs and then slide them down a jury-rigged chute over the church’s fire escape down to the parking lot and the waiting trailer. The trailer was then driven by Skelly and his wife, Jeanne, to Grand Rapids, Minn.

“We are so grateful to all of you who have been diligent in saving and cutting labels for us,” said Norma Jung, UMW president, “and for all the soup you have eaten for our benefit. Thank you, thank you!”

Under the leadership of Anne Genther, member of Morgan Park UMC and collection coordinator for the van project, UMW has been collecting and trimming labels since 1996. The original goal was to get a 15-passenger van for Marcy-Newberry.

“When this project was started over six years ago, one million labels were required for a large, 15-passenger van,” Jung said. “Over the years, however, the premium has been raised several times. Now it requires 1.5 million labels for the larger van.”

Earlier this year when the total of labels collected reached 1.15 million, project leaders told UMW members that all labels would be redeemed by June 1 for the van.

“At that time, none of us realized that it was going to be a smaller van that we would be getting,” Jung said. “Marcy-Newberry could use a larger van, but we discussed it at our board meeting and decided to keep our credibility with our women and go ahead and redeem the labels for the mini-van.”

“We felt we had pushed it as far as we could,” Genther added.

Jung expressed gratitude to Genther “for her hard work and dedication to this effort. She has been not only a Conference UMW officer for the past several years, but also our liaison and board member at Marcy-Newberry.”

Jung also thanked the members of Morgan Park UMC who donated space for storage of the labels and a room where volunteers have trimmed, cut and bundled labels in packets of 100. “They will be happy to have their room back,” she said.

But the women plan to keep collecting labels - from Campbell’s soups, Franco-American, Swanson, Pepperidge Farm, V-8, Prego, Vlasic Pickles, Marie’s salad dressing and Mrs. Paul’s frozen foods - to acquire more items for Marcy-Newberry.

“I’d like to see an ongoing collection of labels for Marcy-Newberry,” Genther said. “We can get all sorts of sports equipment, educational supplies for the Head Start and after-school programs and things for the administrative offices.”

The Conference UMW mission team is looking for a new label collection coordinator because Anne would like a rest. If you are interested, contact Jung at (847) 297-4436.

In the meantime, labels can be sent to Marcy-Newberry Association, 1073 W. Maxwell St., Chicago, IL 60608, Attention: The Rev. Margaret Ann Williams.

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Hyde Park holds 12th annual quilt show

(July 5) United Church of Hyde Park, 1448 E. 53rd St., Chicago, recently held its 12th annual quilt and coverlet show. The show exhibited 217 items, mostly draped over the pews, but some hanging from the balcony.

The show raised about $9,000, which will be donated to the church’s organ and capital funds.

United Church is a racially, economically and denominationally integrated congregation with Presbyterian (USA), United Methodist and United Church of Christ.

The show reflected the mix, according to Alta Blakely, a member of the congregation. “We do not insist on the most beautiful quilts,” she said, “but quilts that reflect our community.”

Through the years, three neighbors have exhibited quilts made by their slave grandmothers. The widow of Bill Veeck, former owner of the Chicago White Sox, sent a quilt. One church member has exhibited a hand-woven coverlet made in 1838 for her great grandmother by well-known weaver Harry Tyler in Jefferson County, NY.

“In recent years, we have been able to share the proceeds with the church capital fund,” Blakely said. “This year, the 217 items included quilts, wall hangings and Christmas quilted items.”

The annual show began in 1991 to raise money to help repair the congregation’s 1924 E.M. Skinner organ. Through the years, the quilt show has raised nearly half of the $23,349 needed to effect repairs.

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Libertyville scouts combine ‘God and Country’

(July 5) Fifteen students in grades one to five participated in a three-month program at the UMC of Libertyville to make connections between religious ideals and Scouting principles. The program, called God and Country, ws open to all Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, and met once a month to discuss lessons and share projects they had completed. The scouts completed a workbook, contemplating their own lives, Jesus’ life and how they can serve others.

Heidi Rasmussen, who participated with her daughter, Carly, said she liked that the program emphasized values. “I also liked the opportunity for one-on-one interaction with my daughter and the discussion we had about Jesus,” she said.

The Rev. Darlene Cools, Christian education director, coordinated the first-time program at Libertyville that focused on the unique qualities of each student. Lesson themes were on “The Story of My Life,” “The Story of Jesus’ Life” and “The Story of Jesus and Me Together.” Special projects included interviewing family members about their church expriences, coloring pictures about Jesus’ life and learning how students could be helpful and serve others.

“It gave the kids an opportunity to reflect on Jesus’ life and see what it means to them,” said Penny Cooper, who attended with her husband, Kevin, and their triplets, Mark, Scott and Lisa.

One of the volunteer leaders, Robin O’Connor, praised the program because it connected the church with the Scouting community. “So often our busy lives are so compartmentalized,” she said, “that it was nice to bring these two areas together.” For more information, call Cools at (847) 362-2112.

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Society of St. Andrew to hold ‘gleaning’

(July 5) The Society of St. Andrew, an ecumenical Christian ministry that feeds the hungry by saving fresh produce that would otherwise go to waste and giving it to the needy, will conduct a “gleaning” at Neumiller Farms in Savanna from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 27.

In partnership with United Methodist Men, the society provided more than 45 million pounds of fresh produce in 2001.

The Society of St. Andrew is the nation’s leading field gleaning organization. “Gleaning” is the biblical term for gathering the food left in the fields after the harvest. (See Leviticus 19: 9-10.)

“There was an article in the Chicago Tribune last week that stated that local food banks have experienced an 80% increase in the demand for food,” said Joe Royston, Northern Illinois Conference hunger advocate. “Are we ready to respond?”

On July 27, Neumiller Farms will allow volunteers into its potato fields to glean white potatoes. If the crop is not ready, the gleaning will take place the following Saturday, Aug. 3.

Neumiller Farms is located at 7389 Highway 84 S. in Savanna, about four miles south of the intersection of IL Routes 64 and 84.

There is camping available in Thompson and Savanna, as well as Mississippi Palisades State Park, north of Savanna.

“If everyone comes who says they are coming,” Royston said, “this will be the largest gleaning event in the nation! And there’s room for more gleaners. The Neumillers have approximately 1,200 acres of potatoes for us to glean.”

The Neumillers also grow about 400 acres of sweet corn.

“Last year the contractor could not get to the last 40 acres, because it was one day too ripe,” Royston said. “I would love to find corn in the grocery store only one day too ripe!”

Royston said there are about 70,000 ears of corn per acre. Forty acres multiplied by 70,000 equals 2.8 million ears of corn.

“The good people at First UMC, Savanna, were only able to save about a half acre,” Royston said. “Two million ears of sweet corn went to waste in our backyard.”

Royston can be contacted at hranil@endhunger.org or (630) 663-1087.

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