Bethel United Church of Christ

“God Is Still Speaking”

 

315 E. Saint Charles Rd

Elmhurst, IL 60126-3655

 

Office Hours:  Monday - Friday 9 AM to 12 PM and 1 PM to 4 PM

 

Phone: (630) 279-4040 Fax: (630) 279-4043

Visit us on the web at www.bethel-ucc.org or email us at office@bethel-ucc.org

 

 

 

TRUSTEES:  Jeff Braun, Patty Rafferty, Joe D’Onofrio, Red Beebe, Julie Naumann, Ardathe Lindberg, David Hartlage, Bruce Smith, Ex-Officio (Pastoral Rep) Rev. Stephen Schuette

 

DEACONS:  Ed Hill (chair), Alice Merrill, Priscilla Crowther, Linda Lyman, Mark Murray,

Jack and Beverly Richardson, Ex-Officio (Pastoral Rep), Rev. Sally Scheib

 

ELDERS:  Rebecca Love (chair), Barbara Schuette, Bill Scheib, Alicia Kalinich, Betsy D’Onofrio,  Rose Fealy, Ex-Officio (Pastoral Rep) Rev. Stephen Schuette

 

 

 

 

Worship Services

 

June 3 – 10 AM Sunday Service – POP Finale

 

June 7 – 7:30 PM Word and Note

 

June 10 – 10 AM Music Sunday Service

 

June 17 – 10 AM Sunday Service – Fathers Day

 

June 21 – 7:30 PM Word and Note

 

June 24 – 10 AM Sunday Service – Women’s Sunday

 

 

HOME COMMUNION  If anyone would like home communion please call the church office.

 

LOOK FOR OUR BLOG DISCUSSIONS on the Bethel website.  Visit www.bethel-ucc.org.

 

The newsletter and other important releases are available on the Bethel website (www.bethel-ucc.org) under Publications.

 

 

A Message from the Pastor

 

Now that Spring is in its full beauty I am astounded….again!  The beauty of the world, the warmth of sun, the refuge of shade under a harboring tree, the energy of the grass in this year that’s conducive to its growth inspires.  Even the resilient sycamore tree outside my office window that showed signs of real stress last year is rebounding.  (Note that I am writing before the onslaught of any cicadas yet.)

 

Being surrounded by such beauty presses me to consider other forms of beauty…like beauty in the soul.

 

I suppose that Protestants in general, but reformed Protestants in particular are suspicious of such fanciful attitudes.  Beauty in the soul?  I can hear my Grandmother’s redirection of such a question:  “Get your head out of the clouds and get back to mowing the lawn.”  Beauty to her was a clothesline full of whites, rung by hand through the ringer and gently blowing in the breeze.  Bring them in off the line and I always thought that the fresh smell was…well…beautiful.

 

Some traditions honor “Saints” – people of beautiful souls who show the rest of us about grace and peacefulness in spirit, about resiliency in humor (ever read Mother Teresa?), about how to carry yourself so that you aren’t pulled into the mire.

 

Ever know any saints?  I’m a believer.  Grandma was one of them – ironically beautiful in her no-nonsense disdain of such philosophies of beauty.  I’ve known others too who “shone” (was that a halo?) with what it means to be fully human and yet embody a soul that is not “of the world.”  In fact I believe each of us has that beauty just lurking below the surface.

 

But it definitely helps to see it in others.  It helps when you’re trying to find it in that person that is always most mysterious – yourself.  When you see it shine in a living, breathing person that light of recognition clicks in and we say, “Aha!  That’s what it looks like, in the words of a familiar benediction, to be at peace, to hold fast to what is good and not return evil for evil, to strengthen the faint-hearted, support the weak, help the afflicted, honor all people, and to love and serve the Lord rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.”

 

Praise be for saints among us who shine with God’s light.

 

Rev. Stephen Schuette

 

 

Council Notes

 

On May 5^th I participated in Bethel's annual Spring clean up event. I arrived a bit past 8a.m. that Saturday and many members of our congregation were already hard at work picking weeds, trimming the gardens and dusting inside the sanctuary. When I asked David Hartlage the event coordinator what I could do he pointed to sixteen yards of mulch and said "can you spread that around the memorial garden, landscape areas and the flower boxes"? Bill Lyman was already pitching in and Jim Dondlinger arrived shortly thereafter. Those of you who've never worked on any task with Jim and Bill owe it to yourselves to try it sometime. We then had an all-hands-on-deck moment after two wheel barrow tires flattened and our hand pumps could not generate any magic to inflate the tires. With difficulty (and shovels) the mulch was finally spread. David returned around eleven that morning with a new wheel barrow. I chalk this one up to another classic Bethel team experience and project--one where we get together as a community, help our church and learn a little about each other. Oh, and we'll start next year's project with a wheel barrow that's ready for business. Don't forget the donuts.

 

Jim LaPalermo, Council President

 

Financial summary

	Income	Income YTD	% of Budget	Expenses	Expense YTD	% of Budget
April	31,873	167,092	39 %	26,750	140,320	33 %

 

 

If you have questions or would like further detail please contact Rod Stipe, Treasurer.

 

 

From the Board of Trustees

 

The Bethel Spring Clean-Up Day was held on the morning of May 5 under the direction of David Hartlage.  The following Bethel members participated: The Hartlage Family, Betty Jump, Ardathe Lindberg, Fern Wilson, Linda Lyman, Barbara Vegter, Red Beebe, Jim LaPalermo, Jim Dondlinger, Brian Barrett, Bill Lyman, and Darrell Wilson.  Activities included cleaning of sanctuary (windows inside and out, scuff mark removal, vacuuming), repairs (outside cable secured, light fixtures), litter pickup, weeding, topsoil spreading (3 cubic yards), mulch spreading (16 cubic yards).  The hard work put in by those participating is greatly appreciated and the benefits are enjoyed by the entire Bethel congregation.

 

An updated Wish List is posted in the Narthex.  Items include a digital projector and the replacement of incandescent bulbs with low energy compact fluorescent bulbs costing $500.00.  These compact fluorescent bulbs will save energy and be environmentally friendly.

 

The roof on the Poplar parsonage has been replaced and the trim on the house will be painted in the near future.

 

From the Board of Elders

 

Thanks for Easter Sunday – A belated thank you to those who helped this committee with serving breakfast and hiding eggs… to the Men of Bethel and to Jim and Jan Dondlinger and the BYF. 

 

End of School Year Thanks – Thank you to all those who were involved with the youth programs at Bethel this year… to Nursery workers …to POP teachers …to Breakfast Club teachers and leaders …and to BYF leaders.  It was a great 2006-07 year!!

 

There will be some changes next year as Elaine steps down from leadership in POP.  Thank you Elaine for your years of dedication to the children…for every Sunday..for 3 Christmas programs…for  recruiting and organizing teachers….for…every Sunday…

Summer Planning

Outdoor Worship is planned for the last Sundays of July and August: July 29 and August 26.   We understand that the cicadas will be a presence in June and it may be too noisy!  

 

Summer POP will meet in June and July beginning the Sunday after POP Sunday.  There will be 8 sessions.  All the children will meet together. We will sing songs and play games and do fun Summer POP stuff!   There will be no children’s programming for the 4 Sundays in August.

 

 

From the Board of Deacons

 

June Birthdays: 1 Maritza Scheib, 1 Collin Scott, 2 Taylor Stipe, 3 Michael Moulds,

3 Jeremy Wilk, 4 Lucas Hineline, 4 Bill Riddle, 5 Sara Moser, 5 Matt Rafferty,

7 Joan Lampo, 9 Matt Atristain, 10 Bob Kowalkowski, 11 Keith Bieszczat, 11 David Dorr,

11 Tom Murphy, 12 Chris Wolff, 13 Rose Fealy, 14 Jordyn Stevenson – Foster,

16 Henry Hemberger, 16 JoJo McCarthy, 17 Antonio Salzano, 19 Lisa Landreth,

19 Dana Murphy, 21 David Hartlage, 23 Rachel Atristain, 23 David Lindberg,

26 Paula Hantak, 26 Mickey Polak, 28 Dorothea Odom, 30 D.J. Martini

 

June Wedding Anniversaries:  1 Bruce and Chris Smith, 3 Jeff and Jenny Pozen,

8 Warren and Melissa   Salek, 10 Alex and Felicia Burkovskiy, 16 Larry and Jeanne Crippin,

17 Harry and Marie Hostetler, 22 Bob and Kathy Renier, 24 Bob and Rose Fealy,

25 Gordon Scott and Sara Moser, 26 Steve and Barb Schuette

 

Directory Updates

 

Students returning from or going away to college, please forward your new address to the church office.

 

Youth Fellowship

 

Summertime BYF....Work and Fun

It's amazing to think that another school year has come to an end! WOW!!

 

We have some activities on the calendar already but want you to know that we will not keep the 1^st and 3^rd Sunday as meeting dates since we already see some conflicts. Please watch for email, read church bulletins and newsletters or call us, 630-941-1037, for information.

 

On Saturday, June 23^rd, we have an opportunity, through the Human Concerns committee, to spend the morning at Casa Central, in the Logan Square area of the city. We will most likely work on a painting and weeding project. We will leave the Bethel parking lot at 8 a.m. And return at about noon. Casa Central is an agency with which Bethel has had a relationship for MANY years. Come along and see what goes on there!

 

Another “little” project that we would ask our teenage girls for help with came up recently. Gillian Fealy, Bob Fealy's 20-something year old daughter, has created a plan to provide magazines to teenage girls who are ill and being treated at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago.  A drop box can be found near the rear church door.  Please leave current and not-so-current magazines there so they can be taken to the hospital to bring some joy to those girls. Then....say a prayer for young people who are seriously ill and a prayer of thanks for how fortunate you are!

 

The August 2-10 houseboat and work trip to Rock Island is organized. We still have things to discuss and would like to have the opportunity to meet with those who have committed as well as those who are still thinking about it. Please join us for a meeting on Sunday, June 10th after church. We will be calling and emailing you too.

 

It's hard to believe that we will have 10 BYF kids going away to school in the fall. They have been the backbone of the group and we will really miss them. They have been especially good at working on service projects that have literally benefited people around the world. We feel honored that they have remained involved in these projects with us. They are:

 

Ryan Biesterfeld - Augustana College

Andrew Davis - Miami of Ohio University

Charlie Fiedler - Augustana College

Tom Lampo - California Institute if Technology

Erica Lockerbie - University of Iowa

Dan Murphy - University of Illinois

Alex Oberlin- Bradley University

Kyle Stipe- Bradley University

Patrick Schwartz- University of Iowa

Reed Sundberg- Augustana College