I don’t know where I’ll grocery shop, or work out, or go for a cup of coffee. I don’t know the intersections to avoid at specific times or who to call when I need help moving something heavy. I don’t know where the light switches are. If you’ve ever moved you’ve experienced the unsettledness of needing to learn those things about a community that we usually take for granted.

I am so grateful for the warm welcome I’ve already received from the members and staff at FUMCAH that I’ve met in the last few weeks. If you see me in the community or around the church, don’t hesitate to introduce yourself.

I’m looking forward to learning about Arlington Heights and FUMCAH. I’m looking forward to discovering enticing restaurants and quiet coffee spots. I’m looking forward to learning which church closets store all the good junk, and what rooms are too hot in the winter, and blissfully cool in the summer. I’m looking forward to learning the congregation’s favorite hymns, quirky traditions, and the shared stories that shape who we are together. I’m looking forward to learning about your families, your work, your hopes and frustrations. I’m looking forward to learning with you what it means to be a person of faith in Arlington Heights at this particular time. I look forward to becoming your pastor.

-Pastor Melissa Earley

JULY 2017

July 2: Matthew 10:40 - 42 Pastor Darneather Murph-Heath

July 9: Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard – Matthew 20:1-16 Pastor Melissa Earley's First Sunday

July 16: Parable of the Soils – Matthew 13:1-9

July 23: Parable of the Weeds – Matthew 13:24-30

July 30: Parable of the Mustard Seed and Yeast – Matthew 13:31-33

Worship Schedule

July Worship - A Few Stories that Jesus Told

During the month of July we will explore together a few of the parables of Jesus. Less fable and more puzzle, Jesus’ stories engage us by getting us to ask questions.

Summer SistersDuring the “school year,” our Sisters group meets each week for study and conversation. This summer, we are staying in touch by

gathering periodically. On Tuesday, July 11, we’ll meet with the Crossroads group to make cookies for the Summer Suppers. Please join us in the ROC at 1:00 pm. Recipe suggestions and/or shopping help are much appreciated. Please let Pastor Lynn know if you can come (l.mikels@fumcah.com).

On Wednesday, August 2, Mary Ann Laforet has invited us to her home at 7:15 pm. Please do let her know if you can come. We’ll experience "lectio divina" and catch up with one another. Sisters is an open group; join us if you can.

July Mission

Sustainable Action International (SAI) serves the impoverished rural community of LaVictoire, Haiti. SAI teaches the people of Haiti how to provide for themselves, to work the land for increased production and create job opportunities within the community. SAI provides the initial

resources, education and training to equip the people of LaVictoire to build a future for themselves. Their work includes digging a deep water solar well, building a primary school, and teaching farming techniques. Most recently, SAI completed a church building, and their next project is a soccer field. You can learn more at www.sustainableactionintl.org

SAI ships needed items to Haiti using refrigerator boxes. The next scheduled shipment will be full of shoes and school supplies. The cost for each box is $130. Our goal for July is to raise enough money to ship 8 boxes! Thank you for your support of Sustainable Action International.

Travel ClubDo you like to travel? Do you like hearing about other people’s adventures? Are you a little uncertain about what travel entails, especially as the

international scene changes so rapidly? These are some questions/comments that have emerged in informal FUMCAH conversations lately and your Adult Faith Formation Committee is exploring the idea of a Travel Club. We are not exactly sure what that would look like, but would love to hear your suggestions and ideas. Let us hear from you! Please call or email Pastor Lynn or talk to a member of the Adult Faith Formation Committee.

If you would like to share pictures from one of your own trips, please contact Pastor Lynn (l.mikels@fumcah.com). The Committee is considering a mini-travelogue day at Kaleidoscope next year.

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9th Annual FUMCAH Golf & Dinner EventEarly Bird Registration - Win A Prize!

The 9th Annual FUMCAH Golf & Dinner Event will take place Saturday, September 9, at 11:00 am at Rob Roy Golf Course in Prospect Heights. Registration is now open!You can visit go.fumcah.com/golf to register online or pick up a form at the church office. Register by the end of July and you will be automatically entered to win a prize.

Summertime is Picnic TimeAn “All Church Picnic” returns after worship on July 16. We will take food orders from Jimmy John’s before worship and you can enjoy a meal with friends after

worship, it’s that simple. In addition to sandwiches, there will be chips, lemonade, and cookies. Folding chairs are available or you may bring your own chairs or blanket. If you prefer, you might also choose to bring your own food. (Can you tell that we know United Methodists love choices?) We will picnic rain or shine - but indoors if it rains.

New Hymnals - "Worship & Song""Worship & Song", the new green hymnal, is the most recent music publication for use in the United Methodist Church. It was released in 2011. It was compiled as a supplement to The United Methodist Hymnal (1989), and The Faith We Sing (2000). The music in this hymnal provides music from many different styles, including praise music, recently written hymns, gospel songs, world music, and music from various ethnic traditions and communities. These hymnals were provided through memorial funds, and we honor the memory of the following people:

Francy Bearden, Wayne Ziwiski, Dave Johnson, Nora Amato, and Phil Crusius

Next Chapter PicnicGet ready for some fun at Ron and Marilyn Reed’s home on July 15. Starting at 4:30 pm, they will have yard games and good

times while sharing salads, appetizers, and desserts. If you want to bring meat (or tofu) to grill, grills will be available. Bring your beverage of choice, lawn chairs, and bug spray if you'd like. Please contact Mary Ann Laforet (boesels4@me.com or 847-870-8344) to RSVP. Fellowship Hall has been reserved in case of inclement weather, but be aware that there would be no grills available. We can pray that God smiles down on us that day with sunshine!

Meals on WheelsA big thank you to all of the volunteers participating in the Wheeling Township Meals on Wheels Program in April. Those involved in

delivering meals were: Dick Ault, Mary Jane and Bob Robertson, Betty Hopkins, Ralph and Pat Peterson, Bob and Gloria Morris, Terry Passolt, Wendy Dunnington, and Kathy Helig.

Faith CircleSummer Salad Supper and Service Project

FAITH members (and guests) are welcome to join our Annual Summer Salad Supper and Service Project. It will be held July 19,

at 6:30 pm, hosted by Amy Johnstone. RSVP to Patty Neuswanger (pattyneu@sbcglobal.net.)

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ASP 2017• We raised

almost $10,000.

• The crews each worked on one house for a total of four families served.

• We traveled over 1,000 miles.

• We had 10 adult and youth volunteers.

Check out some pictures from the trip!

Summer CrossroadsCrossroads is the fellowship group for all FUMCAH 4th, 5th and 6th graders and their friends. Two special events are planned for July.

Cookie Making for Summer Suppers - Tuesday, July 11

Join us in the ROC at 1:00 pm when we make cookies for Summer Suppers. These suppers are a way to help food insecure persons in our community, so important when there are fewer PADS sites open. Please RSVP to Pastor Lynn (l.mikels@fumcah.com).

Greater Food Depository - "Kids Day Repacks" - Friday, July 28

The Greater Chicago Food Depository in Chicago is having one of their rare, and very special, “Kids Day Repacks” when younger volunteers are welcomed. There is such demand for this that an application must be submitted and then one waits to find out about approval. Our application was accepted! Ten Crossroaders and ten adults can volunteer that day. A 1:1 ratio is required by the Food Depository. Registrations accepted on

a “first come” basis. Our shift at the food depository is from 9:30-11:30 am. After our shift, we will have a brief tour of the warehouse. Please RSVP to Pastor Lynn (l.mikels@fumcah.com).

Please wear enclosed shoes (gym shoes are perfect), long pants and a shirt with sleeves. Each Crossroader may bring a friend, if desired, and adult chaperones are definitely needed. We plan to carpool to the warehouse; there is easy, ample parking. After we serve, we will stop on the way home for a fun and exciting lunch – more on that later!

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• July 18 - Color Theory• July 25 - Mosaic Tile• August 1 - Jewelry Making• August 8 - Drawing

Cost: $10 for one, $30 for all 4 (discounts available for families). Visit go.fumcah.com/heroicart to register online or contact the church office.

Summer Heroic Art WorkshopsStrengthen your artistic skills by participating in one (or all) of our four summer art workshops. Workshops take place on Tuesdays, 10:00 am-1:00 pm.

VBS 2017: July 10-13FUMCAH invites all children to soar this summer at Hero Central, our Vacation Bible School. This experience includes music, interactive Bible fun, super science, cool

crafts, great games, and MORE. The fun runs from July 10-13, 3:00-5:15 pm, for ages 3 through rising 6th graders. Our theme verse from Psalm 34 is: "Do good! Seek peace and go after it!" Visit go.fumcah.com/vbs to register online, or pick up a VBS brochure at church.

Be A Volunteer! Adults and youth – dust off your capes and plan to join the VBS team. For more information, contact Pastor Lynn (l.mikels@fumcah.com).

Summer Art Club for Kids! (Date Change)

Tom Frerk, our artist in residence, is leading a Summer Art Club for kids ages 8 and up. Meetings take place on Friday, June 30, Thursday, July 20, and Thursday August 3, from 9:30 -11:00 am. Material cost for each class is $5. Please contact Tom Frerk (thomfrerk@gmail.com) if you are interested in joining.

Music & Theater CampSetting the Stage staff will once again lead our amazing Music Camp, Monday, August 14 through Friday, August 18, 1:00-3:00 pm. Children will sing, dance, and play the parts of characters from Beauty and the Beast. They will share their performance in worship on Sunday, August 20 as part of our summer 2017 "Gospel on Broadway" series.

Cost: $40 per child ($20 each for additional children in the same family); please sign up by July 24. Children must have completed Kindergarten to participate. Visit go.fumcah.com/musiccamp to register online. For more information, contact Pastor Lynn (l.mikels@fumcah.com).

Summer fun at FUMCAH

Preschool/We-e Care RegistrationFUMCAH Preschool/We-e Care Program is accepting registrations for the 2017/2018 school year. Contact the preschool to schedule a tour (847-255-5119 or fumcps@sbcglobal.net).Visit our website for more information about schedules and fees.

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Real time Solar Panel InfoFUMCAH's solar panels were turned on April 28, 2017. Your support through prayers and financial contributions made this possible. The projected payback is about 15 years based on current information available regarding the cost of electricity and projected increases over the next several years.

Visit fumcah.com/greenchurch to read more about the project and view the real-time performance of the solar panels on the SolarEdge monitoring portal. The display refreshes every 5 minutes and shows power production, energy production, and environmental benefits. The solar performance webpage is best viewed on a computer in full-screen.

Bountiful HarvestStop by our table on Sunday mornings! Bring your fresh produce to share, or select produce and give a monetary donation. Money received will be given to a local food pantry. Sponsored by the

Faith in Action Committee. For more information, please contact Nancy Duel at 847-259-3793 or nduel@aol.com.

Care for CreationBeing a good steward of God’s great creation is a holy thing. If you want to be part of this sacred calling, join us! Please contact Christina Crusius(christina.crusius@gmail.com) if you’d like to share your ideas

or join FUMCAH’s Green Team.

Green Coffee Hour on Sunday, July 23rdThe FUMCAH Green Team will host a Green Coffee Hour on Sunday July 23rd. We’ll be “fancy” and “earth friendly” when we use our cloth napkins and china cups. We’ll compost food scraps

and coffee grounds, recycle packaging, and avoid single-use plastics and paper cups. You can help us to “go green” every Sunday by bringing your own coffee mug, and using a spoon to stir coffee rather than a plastic stirrer.

What’s Red, White and Blue, and Green?The Arlington Heights' Fourth of July parade, with the Interfaith Green Partners recycling brigade! The FUMCAH Green Team will join partner churches (with

their recycling bins) to promote recycling and green efforts in the community. Join us at the parade on Tuesday, July 4! We'll gather at 10 am to prepare, march the 1.5 mile parade route, and be finished by 12:30 pm. We encourage you to wear GREEN or a church hat or T-shirt, and be prepared to spend a delightful couple of hours connecting with other earth care advocates. Contact Allison Anderson (allison.anderson.1804@gmail.com) or Christina Crusius (christina.crusius@gmail.com) if you’d like to join us.

Faith in Action, in the CommunityHave you ever watched the news and felt unsure of how God is working in our world? Are your “Sunday” values in sync with our weekday values? There are things happening in our community that you can pray for and stand up for to create a more just and loving world. God works through us! Did you know that Community Renewal Society’s cluster of northwest member churches (including FUMCAH's Faith in Action team) have been meeting regularly to work on establishing a supportive housing site in Arlington Heights? Did you know that we meet with our Illinois state senators and representatives to support laws to help ex-offenders find employment? We also spoke at a village meeting recently to support Cook County's wage legislation. What does God call us to do in our community? If you’d like to put YOUR faith into action and work with like-minded people, contact Allison Anderson (allison.anderson.1804@gmail.com).

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MarriageJune 4 -Michelle Boggess to Zachary Martindaughter of Jim and Julie Boggess

BaptismJune 11 - Adelynn Mia Chanchico Chutipisalkuldaughter of Nicole and Derek Chutipisalkul, and sister of Leila

Congregation News

Financial Report through May 2017

May Revenue: $48,658 Year-to-date Revenue: $321,078May Expense: $61,358 Year-to-date Expense: $311,868We have paid four months ($37,800) of our $90,720 apportionment for 2017. Consider Electronic Funds Transfer – no need to worry that you don’t have your checkbook or cash with you! And, please let me know if you’d like any help looking at your pledges and contributions on our church database, Access ACS.

With Access ACS, you can also set up contributions, through your bank account or credit card. Please consider rounding up your donation to cover the fees for this service, especially on credit card charges (2.25%). We really encourage EFTs and it’s great for church budgeting! Contact Melinda in the church office with any financial questions or concerns.

Thank you very much for your good stewardship in 2017!

Volunteers for Newsletter Mailings We are looking for volunteers to assist with the monthly newsletter mailings. You would meet at the church once a month for a couple of hours to help with folding and attaching mailing labels. Please call the office (847-255-5112) or email Joyce (j.hawley@fumcah.com) to sign up.

Help the Outreach Committee Plan Community Events!The Outreach Committee is exploring new ideas for reaching out to our surrounding community. They are forming a small sub-committee of individuals excited about conceptualizing, planning, and executing events for our community. If you are organized, energized, and creative, we'd love your help. Please contact Maya Rayner (m.rayner@fumcah.com) for more information.

Would you like to be a Coffee Hour Volunteer?We have a “crew” of willing and dedicated volunteers who serve at Coffee Hour every Sunday after worship service. However, we need more! Would you be willing to serve a few Sundays each year? You would have help as you would be working with two or three others! Your team would set up about an hour before the worship service, leave the service a little early to do last minute preparations, and then clean up afterwards. It’s a small amount of time spent a few Sundays a year to make many people happy and also have a good time working with others! Please let us know if you would like to join the “crew” of Coffee Hour volunteers

by calling the office (847-255-5112) or emailing Joyce (j.hawley@fumcah.com).

DeathJune 15 - Gail Grashorn, FUMCAH member for 62 years

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or current resident

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