First Congregational

Community Church

Congregational TimesMay 2018 Volume 18,

Issue 5

Little Things from LisaNational Day of Prayer – Unity

On May 3rd at Noon at Settler’s Park in Rockton, you can join others in the community for a time of prayer for our nation. The service lasts 45 minutes to an hour and prayers are led by lay and pastoral volunteers each assigned topics to pray for. We will be praying for our country, leaders, community, armed forces, police, local pastors and the like. I’ve included a bit of history from the National Day of Prayer website for your consideration. If you’d like to learn more, please visit nationaldayofprayer.org.

From the Website:“Because of the faith of many of our founding fathers, public prayer and national days of prayer have a long-standing and significant history in American tradition. The Supreme Court affirmed the right of state legislatures to open their sessions with prayer in Marsh vs. Chambers (1983).

The National Day of Prayer is a vital part of our heritage. Since the first call to prayer in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation, the call to prayer has continued through our history, including President Lincoln’s proclamation of a day of “humiliation, fasting, and prayer” in 1863. In 1952, a joint resolution by Congress, signed by President Truman, declared an annual national day of prayer. In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Reagan, permanently setting the day as the first Thursday of every May. Each year, the president signs a proclamation, encouraging all Americans to pray on this day. Last year, all 50 state governors plus the governors of several U.S. territories signed similar proclamations.

The National Day of Prayer has great significance for us as a nation as it enables us to recall and to teach the way in which our founding fathers sought the wisdom of God when faced with critical decisions. It stands as a call for us to humbly come before God, seeking His guidance for our leaders and His grace upon us as a people. The unanimous passage of the bill establishing the National Day of Prayer as an annual event, signifies that prayer is as important to our nation today as it was in the beginning.

I hope you will consider joining us at the park or taking some time during the day to pray for unity for our country. It’s easy to complain about things we do not like, but God calls us to be part of the change we’d like to see. And prayer is where God asks us to begin….seeking His will for our lives. May the Lord bless this event and all those who join in prayer.

Pastor Lisa

BIRTHDAYS ANNIVERSARIES1 John Robert Terry Jr 14 Ethan & Jordan Menges1 Shirley Carter 26 Norm & Jean Iversen3 Shirley Putnam 30 Hank & Lisa Abb5 Ula Bryan

15 Ashley Hannum20 Benjamin Ward25 Jarl Pettersen28 Gordon White

8:00 GREETERS 10:00 GREETERS6 Leah & Logan Ball Shirley Putnam

13 Duane & Marilyn Lillie John & Sandra Brinkman20 Cindy Trimble Lynne Nelson & Dawn Lindsey27 Jeff & Marcie Ball John & Tracy Terry

LITURGISTS FLOWERS6 Karen Gothard Shirley Carter

13 Joy McDonnell Guy & Sue Richards20 Jarl Pettersen Gloria & Karen Gothard27 Owen Mathieu Karen Lewis

PastorRev. Lisa M Abb

Music & OutreachHolly Richardson

CustodianBill Melton

ModeratorPaula PettersenAllan Mathieu

TreasurerStan McCord

Financial SecretaryDiane Wheeler

Church ClerkMarie Mathieu

Christian EducationChildren: Tracy Terry

Youth: Ethan & Jordan MengesAdult: Karen Gothard

DiaconateBill & Misty Melton

Brian & Diane WheelerStan McCord/Jayne Oakes

TrusteesJeff Ball

Cathy HendersonNoah Melton

Nominating CommitteeJudy Melton, Wendy Mathieu, Jeaneal Lantz

Memorial CommitteeJanet Lind, Dawn Lindsey, Lynne Nelson

Missions CommitteeKaren Gothard, Stan McCord, Marcie Ball,

Joy Aiello, Darlene Worley

Church Office: 815-623-2348

Items for Weekly Bulletin: email to firstconroscoe@gmail.com Please put “Bulletin” in the subject line

Items for Monthly Newsletter: email to klgothard@att.net

I cannot tell you how pleased I am with the consistent attendance and the increased fellowship we are having in our group! Each week it is a pleasure to watch you work together and become more comfortable with one another as we play these various bible trivia games.

And wouldn’t you know it, the season is almost over! We will close out our Sunday evenings late in May. But summer fun activities are just around the corner. We will attempt to gather once a week throughout summer for fun and fellowship! Hope we see all your faces continue to come!

VerticalFocus

Coming To The Pulpit

Our series on what happens after we die continues throughout the month of May. We will also have two guests preaching during May as Pastor Lisa will be gone a couple of times. There’s still time to get in your questions about Heaven if you have any. Don’t be shy or embarrassed about what you don’t know. You are NOT alone! Heaven is a mystery and so is our eternity. But scripture does provide some help for us if we search. Hopefully this series will bring comfort and peace to those who feel unsettled about the future.

At the April meeting of the Afternoon Circle, the group decided to make a food or monetary donation to Carpenter’s Place in May. They are in contact with them to finalize exactly what they need. They also have decided to go to Fresco at the Gardens, Anderson Gardens, for their June luncheon on June 13th. Details and a sign up sheet will come later. The date of the May meeting has been changed to May 2nd.

Women’s

Our men’s luncheon will be on Wednesday, May 2nd at 11:30 AM at Sophia’s Restaurant in Roscoe. Hope to see ya’ there!

Norm Iversen

Psalm 31:7-8I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. You have not given me into the hands of the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.

You may at times see “unspoken request” through the prayer chain. This is many times from someone who just needs to know that prayers are covering them even though they do not feel comfortable naming the problem to others. We also have several members who have concerns for extended family and do not feel comfortable sharing details. Even in the times when we will not utter aloud the afflictions of our soul, God sees them and is at work within our prayers. So please remember to include in your prayer life the many unspoken and silent prayers of the fellowship. They are important too and bring comfort to those who need to know they are surrounded in love.

Retiree’s and

Please keep these folks in your prayers. If you have someone you would like to have listed here in the future, please notify the church office, Karen Gothard, or Pastor Lisa.

Shirley Carter family Insko/Worley’s on the loss of Larry

Sally & Bruce Marshall Connie Leather & Daughter CherLaVeda & Harold Stout & Francis Jerry Clendenny

GROUP LIFE AND FELLOWSHIP

Thank you to all who provide goodies each Sunday, making our time of fellowship yummy.

Just a reminder:Coffee and goodies are provided weekly following each worship

service.

If you would like to share a treat or help with kitchen duties, sign-up sheets available downstairs (or just pitch-in when you can).

WORSHIP CHOIR REHEARSALS:

Every Sunday at 9:15am(last Sunday School room on the left)

Have questions or ideas? Call Holly for details.

We’re diggin’ in deep!Mondays at 1pm

Fireside RmAll are Welcome!

Prayer Chain

Psalm 88:1-2Oh Lord, God of my salvation…..Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear unto my cry.

If you have a concern, ask others to pray with you over that concern. We have a Prayer Chain with people

willing to pray for you.

Call the church office at 815-623-2348 or Marie Mathieu at 815-629-2062. Leave a message and we

will gladly pray for you and the concern.

If you have a private concern, we will pray for an ‘unspoken request’. God always KNOWS.

And again we say, THANK YOU!

We had a great turnout on Sunday April 22nd at our workday for the Insko family! We celebrated a

gorgeous Spring day with yard work, fellowship, and a sense of satisfaction that comes when friends are able to help friends. Many thanks to all that were able to

join us.

Speaking of the Insko family, the totals are in for our March soup luncheon fundraiser, and once again we

are amazed and blessed by your generosity! A total of $3,000 dollars was raised from the following:

$1,419 Soup Fundraiser$500 Vertical Focus Donation

$250 Afternoon Circle Donation$250 Evening Circle Donation

$335 Individual Donations$246 Church Council

Thank you SO MUCH to all the groups and individuals that participated – AMAZING!

UPCOMING DATES!!

May 4 th and 5 th Clothing Giveaway at the church. Volunteers are needed for:

(1) Setup – Mon 4/30 and Tues 5/1 from 9-12; Wed 5/2 from 12-2; and Thurs 9-11

(2) Working on Fri (9-4) or Sat (9-1)(3) Teardown at Noon on Saturday

June 7 th , 8 th , and 9 th Garage Sale at the church. Volunteers will be needed for setup, working the sale, and especially for teardown on Saturday afternoon.

Please join us for these terrific outreach events that help our local communities.

Youth Page

Youth PageYouth Page

Monthly Church Events – May 2018Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

John Robert Terry Jr birthday

Shirley Carter birthday

2

1:00 PM Women’s Afternoon Circle

6:30 PM Bible Study

3

Shirley Putnam birthday

4

CLOTHING GIVEAWAY9AM – 4PM

51:00PM Instrumental Rehearsal

CLOTHING GIVEAWAY 9AM – 1PM

Ula Bryan 100th birthday

68AM & 10AMWorship Services with Communion

9:15 AM CHOIR REHEARSAL

Fellowship Hour between services

5PM – Strait Up Sundays

71:00 PMMonday Afternoon Bible Study

8 9 10 11 12

1:00PM Instrumental Rehearsal

138AM & 10AMWorship Services

9:15 AM CHOIR REHEARSAL

Fellowship Hour between services

5PM – Strait Up Sundays

14

1:00 PMMonday Afternoon Bible Study

7:00 PMChurch Council Meeting

Ethan & Jordan Menges anniversary

15

Ashley Hannum birthday

16

6:30 PM Bible Study

17

10:00 AMCFO’s Meeting

18 19

1:00PM Instrumental Rehearsal

208AM & 10AMWorship Services

9:15 AM CHOIR REHEARSAL

Fellowship Hour between services

5PM – Strait Up Sundays

Ben Ward birthday

21

1:00 PMMonday Afternoon Bible Study

Women’s Evening Circle Meeting7:00 PM

22 23

6:30 PM Bible Study

24 25

Jarl Pettersen birthday

26

1:00PM Instrumental Rehearsal

Norm & Jean Iversen anniversary

278AM & 10AMWorship Services

9:15 AM CHOIR REHEARSAL

Fellowship Hour between services

5PM – Strait Up Sundays

28

1:00 PMMonday Afternoon Bible Study

Gordon White birthday

29 30

Hank & Lisa Abb anniversary

31

First Congregational Community Church 10780 3rd Street – P. O. Box 66 Roscoe, IL 61073-0066 Phone: 815-623-2348

Rev. Lisa Abb firstconroscoe@gmail.com

web site: www.firstconroscoe.com

Every Sunday8:00 A.M. Morning Worship Service 8:45 A.M. Bible Study8:45 A.M. Coffee Fellowship Hour9:15 A.M. Choir Rehearsal10:00 A.M. Morning Worship Service11:00 A.M. Coffee Fellowship Hour5:00 P.M “Straight Up Sundays” Youth Programs

Join us for a Heart Warming FamilyWorship Service at 8:00 a.m. or 10:00 a.m. Nursery service is available for children 4 years of age and under.

Join us downstairs for coffee, dessert, and Fellowship in between Worship Services.

Every Monday1:00 P.M. Bible Study

Every Wednesday6:30 P.M. Bible Study