First Expressions The newsletter of First United Methodist Church Elgin, Illinois September 2019

Dear Friends, It took summer such a long time to get here, I can hardly believe it’s almost over! My favorite season has already begun packing for its migration to Tierra del Fuego and I’m not ready to see it go. It was good while it lasted. Pictures on the inside pages tell the story of group outings, opera series, job fair, mission work and outdoor (emphasis on “door”) maintenance projects and other warm weather activities. Now it’s time to get busy “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” If that sounds like heady stuff, it is. That’s the objective, the mission of the United Methodist Church and it’s what believers in Christ were commis-sioned to do a couple of thousand years ago. Unless you’ve heard something I haven’t heard, it remains our task today. Indeed, the world has been transformed…in a different direction. Human beings, a species that once sought a multi-dimensional (body, mind and spirit) path to pur-poseful enlightenment have morphed into a two-dimensional people willing to let technology answer all their questions and plot the course of their existence. Wheth-er a dis-spirited, de-mythologized universe is a healthy prescription for humanity remains to be seen. So far, not so good. So there’s a lot of work to do; let’s have at it! I’ll see you in church. Rick Carlson, pastor

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“Proverbial Opera:” Text, Story and Song

A nine-part summer message series, “Proverbial Opera” provided the elements of text, story and song in an exploration of the

book of Proverbs.

Teachings at-tributed to King Solomon were selected and il-lustrated with music and libretti from the world’s great operas including La Boheme, Turan-dot, Lakme, and Pagliacci.

The series was a collaborative effort with Fox Valley Lyrical Productions, arranged by the company’s director Solange Sior. Ms. Sior scheduled arias, duets and a trio to fill out the two-month pro-gram. All singers were ac-companied on piano by our own Jonathan Besançon.

On the last day of the series, members of the opera company held a benefit performance in the church parlor. Several singers returned and reprised musical selections from prior weeks. Other singers, including youth prize winners also performed at the benefit.

Chicago Cubs Bus Trip

Cub fans and someone wearing an orange Giants jersey boarded a luxury coach last month for an an-nual trip to the friendly confines of Wrigley Field to see the home team take on a visiting squad from San Francis-co. The group was treated to beautiful weather, a fine pitching duel, and the op-portunity to sing “Go Cubs, Go” as the home team was victorious.

Hands-on Mission Work: Enrichment for the Heart and Soul

Members of the committee on missions met at the Northern Illinois Food Bank in Geneva re-cently to help sort and stock food items for dis-tribution to area pantries and soup kettles.

Helping in the effort were Phyllis Wittlief, Cheryl Hayes, Jeff Bench-ley, Ron and Car-olyn Barclay, and James Fouts.

Committee members encourage others to take part in this vital ministry in the future.

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The River…on Sunday

When the Prover-bial Opera series ended, regular Sun-day morning wor-shipers got a sam-ple of the Saturday evening River ser-vice, a less struc-tured, more visual, slightly louder form of praise and thanksgiving.

Music director Stacey Monroe and band members Bret Pritchett, Hank Honshul, Phil Broxham, Robert Horn and Rick Carlson played “River” style songs with keyboard, guitar, banjo, bass and drum instrumentation. A Bible study format replaced the usual Sun-day sermon as it does most Saturdays.

The River service is neither a traditional style service nor a “traditional” contemporary style service. While some songs are familiar

to Christian radio listeners, many others are message-oriented songs from familiar genres: blues, rock, Americana and country.

All members and friends are encour-aged to attend ei-ther or both services as each one pro-vides a different ap-proach to growing in the faith. Having an option oth-er than Sunday morning also might help allevi-ate sched-ule con-flicts.

Get Ya’ Popcorn Heah!

One night in July FUMC members staffed the con-cession tables at one of the city’s Summer Concerts in Wing Park. Selling popcorn, candy, cookies and beverages not only benefitted concert-goers, it also enabled the group to empty out the cupboards following the last Open Mic night. Concession sales, like providing water stations on

race days, is a way of introducing our church as a partner in making our city a great place in which to live and work. Thanks to all who helped.

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September 2019 UMW UMW “Kick-Off”

MEETING and CONVERSATION Saturday, September 14 10:00-11:00 am

Quilter/Choir Room

Come Welcome Dr. Mindy Pugh, our Church Organist

Enjoy coffee and conversation as we learn about her journey

GREEN Bags for GOD

There are 1,145 beautiful handmade GREEN Bags for GOD shopping bags all over the countryside, from Califor-nia to the coast of Maine, from Canada to Texas, and even a few in Europe. A dedicated group of United Methodist Women have de-signed and sewn re-usable shopping bags made from do-nated repurposed fabrics and uphol-stery materials.

The inspiration for this project began with the polka dot bags at UMW Assembly 2014. About that same time, our UMW unit pledged to become a Green Unit. These bags are a tangible way for us to care for creation, go green, and help to sustain our planet. We encourage the use of our bags in place of plastic shopping bags.

The GREEN Bags for GOD are sold at our weekly per-petual UMW Sunday Cupboard and are also available in the downtown gift shop, Soulful Sparrow. All proceeds from the sale of the bags benefit our work with women, children, and youth in our community and around the world.

So as long as they keep selling, we will continue to gather in fun and fellowship to create, design, cut, sew and iron more GREEN Bags for God.

We invite ALL women to be a part of this ministry - no experience required.

Breakfast for the Hungry at Vineyard

Wednesday, September 4 We will serve a HOT breakfast for about 60 guests at Vineyard Church on Division Street, right behind FUMC. Sign-up on the UMW bulletin board if you can provide part of the meal. Please have your gift of food at Vineyard Church by 6:45 am.

UMW “Kick-Off”

Saturday, September 14 10:00 - 11:00 am Conversation and coffee with Dr. Mindy Pugh. Come to hear the story of her journey.

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Adult Sunday School The Best Yes - 10:30am in the Wesley Room

Do you find yourself spending a lot of time figuring out when to say yes and when to say no, thinking about how to manage your time, reduce stress, do your best for your family, find a little time for your-self? In this six week class Lysa Terkuerst will show us how to cure the "Disease to Please,” es-cape the guilt of disappointing others, overcome the agony of hard choices, and rise above the rush of endless demands and discover your best yes.

Guys Stuff Men’s Group Wednesdays at 6:30pm in the East Confer-ence Room

The Guys Stuff group will resume meeting on Wednesday, September 4. Join us for another sea-son of lively, manish discussions where we aim to solve all the world's problems, one week at a time. This is a very relaxed and informal group. If you have been pondering what to do with your Wednesday nights, this is the answer! Fresh faces and perspectives are always welcome.

Reflections Women’s Bible Study Thursdays at 9:00am at Big Apple Bagels Reflections Women’s Bible Study will begin meeting on Thursday, September 12, from 9:00 to 10:15 am at Big Apple Bagels, 561 N. McLean Blvd,, Elgin. This vibrant location is the perfect spot to enjoy a great cup of coffee while growing in faith and sharing good conver-sation with friends. All women are welcome to come and be a part of a new study The Message: SOLO Women’s Devotional by Eugene Peter-son, which invites us to “READ. THINK. PRAY. LIVE.” while exploring passages of scripture and spending time alone with God, dai-ly. Thursday mornings, we meet to discuss in-sights and inspirations from the week. This is the perfect study for busy women desiring a deeper connection with God and others.

Man Up!

After a three-month hiatus, it’s time for

men to get out and approach wildlife

again! What? Anyway, come and eat a

manly breakfast, get to know one anoth-

er, tell stories, learn something.

It all starts on Saturday, September 21 at

8:00 am. Done and back on the mower

at home by 9:30. Not a ruse to get you

here to do chores around the church (you

can do that another time).

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Monday Morning Coffee Group Mondays at 9:00am - Blue Box Café The Monday morning coffee group meets at Blue Box Cafe located at 176 E. Chicago Street. Come for some great coffee, con-versation and fellowship. What a great way to start your week!

Monday Morning Quilters Mondays at 9:00am - Choir Room The Quilters meet on Mondays from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm with a break at 11:30 am for a sack lunch. Not only do they have fun, but over the years they have formed some wonderful friendships. All are wel-come!

Music Ministry

FUMC Elgin has always been known for their vibrant music ministry. The Cathe-dral Choir and Celebration Ringers are a vital part of the Sunday worship ser-vices. Both groups are active from September through May.

Rehearsals are held on Wednesday evenings. The Celebration Ringers rehearse at 6:30 pm followed by the Cathedral Choir at 7:30 pm. The Ringerss and the Choir are always open to new members.

If you would like to be a part of the Celebration Ringers and have basic music reading ability, please contact our Associate Music Director, Jonathan Besançon at jrbesancon@gmail.com.

If you would like to join the Cathedral Choir, please contact our Music Director, Matthew Weber at mweber@fumcelgin.org.

Prayer Shawl Ministry Wednesdays at 9:30am in the Wesley Room

Wednesday, September 4th, the Prayer Shawl Ministry will launch its 3rd year creating shawls, hats, and other useful items to share with our church community and the global com-munity. We begin at 9:30 am in the Wesley Room and end around 11:30. If you are an ex-perienced knitter, please consider joining this fun group. If you want to learn to knit, just come. We have a variety of donated yarn and knitting needles as well as experienced knit-ters to help you get started. This ministry brings the gift of comfort to friends and family members who are experiencing some of life’s challenges. If you cannot join our group, but know of someone who would benefit from the loving hug of a prayer shawl, please call the church office and we can arrange a time for you to pick out a shawl. Each shawl has been blessed by Pastor Rick and is our gift to each recipient in Jesus’ name.

You see that faith is working with your works, and as a result of the works, your faith is perfected. James 2:22

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The River

A river is a metaphor for life, for time, for strength, wisdom, cleansing, refreshment,

and peace. At First United Methodist Church The River is a place and occasion to exam-ine all of those themes (and more) in the light of Christ, articulating them through mu-sic, biblical interpretation, and personal reflection.

The multi-generational River Band borrows from contemporary Christian music both old and new as well as blues, rock, Americana, R&B and country and any other genre through which the spirit works.

An informal, participatory worship experience, The River meets in the First United Methodist Church sanctuary on Saturdays at 5:00 in the evening.

The River Band

Stacey Monroe Bret Pritchett Noah Zuniga

Henry Honsul Phil Broxham Robert Horn

Rick Carlson

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1st Annual Craft & Vendor Fair 216 E. Highland Avenue, Downtown Elgin

Saturday, November 23 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

10’ x 10’ booth (with 8’ table & 2 chairs) Only $25.00

(additional charges may apply)

For more information or to register visit fumcelgin.org (click on the Craft Fair banner)

Calling All Crafters & Vendors

Please note: We accept only ONE consultant per commercial product or brand. (i.e. Scentsy, Paparazzi, Young Living, DoTerra, Pampered Chef, etc.)

Taizè Service

The decision has been made to discontinue the monthly Taizè ser-vice for the time being. There is hope that the service will be of-fered at different times throughout the year. The faithfulness of the members who love this time of shared prayer and music has been a gift to all participants. Blessings and peace to all.

- Karen Fletcher

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Youth leading Youth

After attending the Youth Leadership Academy in December of 2018, our student leaders have spent the better part of 8 months planning and preparing for an outreach project/camp in one of the students’ villages. They came up with the idea and planned the entire event themselves! The youth lead activities during the day for the kids in the vil-lage. They had fun with lots of games, worship, and teaching about God's creation. In the evenings, we came together for a

meal, followed by worship and a show that the youth put on. They also helped with hauling wood, painting the church, and even made a new sign for the church. The first night we were there, one of the main student leaders broke into tears during our sharing time, after hearing the gratitude of a hurting woman because the students had helped haul wood to the village. Still in tears, he explained how God had answered his prayers through her. He had been disappointed that not more of the students could come to the camp. But even with just this one woman being so thankful, he saw how God had been faithful to their purpose. Not a lot of adults came to our activities the second night, so without anyone telling them to go, some of the youth decided on their own to go invite everyone in the neighborhood, during their free time. The path was slippery, steep and far, but their heart for these people showed as they desperately wanted everyone to come and hear how great our God is. And even if the locals couldn’t walk, the kids decided they’d find a way, or they’d pray for them right then. Because our God is greater than these things. It is an incredible honor to be able to see who these students are becoming as they pursue Christ and begin to share Him with others. As we follow up in the weeks ahead, I pray they would see their worth in the Fa-ther’s eyes as they grow in confidence and excitement for the future.

Other Odds & Ends: Our big annual camp is coming up October 17-20th!

• We have an art show on August 31st, showcasing artwork from about 40 students who were taught and

encouraged by our staff

• On the 25th of every month, we have God First, always receiving new students every time

Join me in praying for these events and all the youth involved!

As always, thank you for your incredible support!!

A Note from Allison Duncan

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Free Film and Discussion

“Fix It - Healthcare at the Tipping Point”

Thursday Oct. 10th, 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Elgin First United Methodist Church Rogers Hall - lower level

216 E. Highland Ave, Elgin, Illinois 60120

847.741.0038

The US healthcare system is broken. We pay more for healthcare than any other country, yet millions of people are uninsured or under-insured and can’t get the lifesaving care they need. If you are interested in the growing Medicare For All / Single Payer Healthcare movement, please come with your comments and questions. We will watch this 58 minute film and follow with a discussion of how you can participate in creating a healthier nation.

Endorsed and supported by National Nurses United and Physicians for a National Health Program

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FUMC SCHEDULE & INFORMATION Sunday 9:00am Traditional Worship Service 10:00am Fellowship 10:15am Kids Sunday School 10:15am Youth Sunday School 10:30am Adult Sunday School

Monday 9:00am Blue Box Coffee Ministry 9:00am Quilters Ministry 5:30pm Soup Kettle

Tuesday 10:00am Church Staff Meeting

Wednesday 7:00am UMW Breakfast @ Vineyard Church (1st Wednesday Only) 9:00am Prayer Shawl Ministry 6:30pm Guys Stuff Men’s Group 6:30pm Celebration Ringers Rehearsal 7:30pm Cathedral Choir Rehearsal

Thursday 9:00am Reflections Women’s Bible Study

Friday 7:00pm Taizé Worship Service (2nd Friday only)

Saturday 8:00am Man Up! Men’s Group (3rd Saturday only) 5:00pm The River Worship Service

Free Wi-Fi Throughout FUMC!

To access the Wi-Fi from your mobile devices, simply search for FUMCPUB and connect. No password is needed.

Office Hours

Monday 9:00am to 3:00pm Tuesday 9:00am to 3:00pm Wednesday 9:00am to 3:00pm Thursday 9:00am to 3:00pm Friday 9:00am to 1:00pm Phone: 847.741.0038 Email: fumcelgin216@gmail.com

Online Information

Website fumcelgin.org Facebook facebook.com/fumcelgin Facebook Group FUMC Chatter Instagram instagram.com/fumcelgin YouTube FUMCELGIN #fumcelgin will help you to locate FUMC on all social media platforms.

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First United Methodist Church 216 E. Highland Avenue Elgin IL 60120 847.741.0038 Office 847.741.8416 Fax fumcelgin.org

#fumcelgin

WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

SUNDAY 9:00AM Traditional Worship Service 10:15AM Child & Youth Sunday School Classes 10:30AM Adult Sunday School Classes

SATURDAY 5:00PM The River Contemporary Worship Service

Welcome Statement

The First United Methodist Church of Elgin celebrates the diversity of the human community and affirms the sacred worth of each person. We seek to follow the Way of Jesus, extending love to others, as we would want to be loved. We welcome into full inclusion in the life and ministries of the church people of all sexual orientation (lesbian, gay, and bisexual) and gender identities (transgender), ages, races and national ori-gins, physical or mental abilities, and economic conditions. We especially proclaim this state-ment of welcome to all who have know the pain of exclusion or discrimination in the church. As a Reconciling Congregation, we believe that we are being reconciled to God and to one another.

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