June Church Calendar2 McKinsey-Hostetler wedding7-9 Renovate 10 One Another Meal 11:00 am Family Center

11-15 Family Center under construction

Sunday WorshipMorning Worship 9 am - 10 am

On Summer Break:Children’s Church Sunday SchoolVolleyballYouth Groups

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Andy’s Letter • First United News • Spotlight on Vacation Bible School Milestones • Attendance • First U News • Church Calendar

June 2012Andy Huette, Sr. Pastor Brett Monge, Jr. High Youth Director 407 W Seventh Street, PO Box 280, Gridley, IL 61744 309-747-2299 www.1stu.org

Milestones at First United

in May

Reading has been one of the primary means the Lord has used and currently uses to teach me and grow me in faith. That being the case, I’ve asked some First United staff to recommend a few books they’ve recently read and enjoyed so that our entire church family may be encouraged to read over the summer. Andy recently read:

Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor. This biography of one of the most influential missionaries in history was so inspiring that I want to re-read it every year. Hudson Taylor’s faith is challenging to the contemporary Christian climate in which

we live. He trusts the Lord to provide for his ministry in a way that I’ve never encountered before. His zeal for the mission of China Inland Mission and his faith to go into dangerous places cultivated a desire for greater faith in me.

The Next Story: Life and Faith After the Digital Explosion by Tim Challies.I hadn’t realized how much technology has changed the world, and my own life and didn’t realize how much I needed this book until after I began reading it. I’m distracted easily by constant beeping, and spend many

waking hours in front of some sort of screen. This book made me think very seriously about the digital culture of my home and offered many practical suggestions about how to utilize technology without becoming enslaved to it. Brett recently read:

The Discipline of Grace by Jerry BridgesThis book was life-altering and earth-shaking for me when I first read it a few years ago. Do you ever wonder what our role is in our growth in holiness vs. God’s role in our growth? In his easy-to-

read style Bridges clearly explains the process of sanctification in the life of a Christian. Just as we rely on God’s grace to be saved, we must also in rely on God’s grace as we strive to live holy lives.

The Unquenchable Flame: Discovering the Heart of the Reformation by Michael ReevesA little rusty on your church history? I guarantee that you will not find a shorter, more fun read on an era of church history than this book. I repeat:

this book actually makes history fun. Covering everything from the often hilarious and always boisterous Martin Luther of Medieval Europe to the mild-mannered and theologically rich American Puritans of the 18th century, Reeves covers a lot of good information in a short amount of space and will have you rolling with laughter in the process. This book is a good reminder that we can learn much about our present and future by studying the past. Grant recently read:

Radical Together by David Platt As many of you probably guessed, this is the follow-up book to Radical (which was one of the book options this past year in Sunday school). I did enjoy reading Radical but I would say that this one I actually enjoyed more. Radical

Together deals more with how to get our churches in line with God’s purposes rather than just you as an individual. If you enjoyed the first one, then you will surely enjoy this one. Keri recently read:

When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert.This book gives practical principles for churches who do local outreach and send people on short-term mission trips. It was thought-provoking and challenged my thinking about short-

term missions: where we go, what we do, who should go, and how we fund them. Our missions team is reading When Helping Hurts to help us set strategy and objectives for future short-term trips. Happy Reading!Grace and Peace, Andy

Little Lambs presented their circus to family and friends on Tuesday, May 22.

Dear Church Family,

Our graduates were recognized on May 20, Right to left: Brett Monge, Youth Di-rector, Randi Palmer, Will Wenger, Dakota Hermes, Collin Buchanan, Nicole Bu-tikofer, Chelsea Barnard, Taylor Umland, Noah Johnson. Photo: Katie Zeller.

Our new members were wel-comed on May 20. Right to left: Andy Huette, Sr. Pastor, Kelly Mool, Hadley Welsch, Heidi Welsch, Chris Gentes, Nicole Butikofer, Scott Oliver, Phil Har-zler (in back), Linda Hartzler, Jowanda Grace, Susan John-son, Noah Johnson, Tim John-son, Bob Wettstein, Stephenie Deckard, Sarah Meiss, Derek Meiss. Photo: Katie Zeller.

Our Core Values Open Bibles One Another Beautiful Feet Spiritual Growth Authentic Worship

Spotlight on . . . Vacation Bible School, July 23 - 27

2 3

Attendance & Offering5/6 224 $ 8,762 5/13 289 $ 4,2845/20 315 $ 4,464 5/27 307 $ 6,045

June Milestones Birthdays1 Alan Glatz4 Ron Richard5 Dan Dixon5 Matty Wenger7 Melvin Grace7 Phyllis Smith7 Joan Yoder10 Alec Ihlenfeldt11 Donald Raber16 Brian Buchanan17 Adam Ludy18 Matt Wenger19 Chris Blair19 Lily Blair20 Jacob Ludy21 Elise Morrison24 David Hess24 Taylor Vandegraft25 Jennifer Morrison25 Amanda Poppen25 Michelle Porzelius26 Amber Glatz26 Luke Porzelius28 Mary Carls28 John Mollenbeck29 Alicia Cooper29 Alice Guth30 Caleb Kaupp30 Ashley Neal Anniversaries4 Ron & Stephanie Richard 8 Jason & Michelle Porzelius 10 Andy & Abby Huette13 Phil & Linda Hartzler14 Larry & Carol Neuhalfen21 John & Jean Mollenbeck

Sunday School Offering Offering Kids Fed

5/6 $ 78.39 261 5/13 $ 27.45 915/20 $ 76.87 256

RegistrationRegister in June during Coffee Fellowship. Denise Benedict is the registration contact. The information will also be on the website by the middle of June.T-shirtsYou can order a VBS t-shirt for your child at registra-tion. The cost is $6 for the shirt.Class InfoThere will be kids’ classes for Pre-K through 5th grades. Jr. High and adults will also have classes. There will be no high school classes this year.ChildcareChildcare for volunteers and families attending will be provided for infants up to pre-K. MealsA meal will be served each evening starting at 4:45 for all workers, leaders, helpers, and entire families attend-ing the classes. We’ll stop serving at 5:30. Latecomers can still eat and serve themselves after 5:30.

PrayerThere will be a prayer time at 5:30 before classes start. Kids’ ProgramThere will be a program directly after church on July 29 starting at 10:15 a.m.CoordinatorsKim Edwards, Lori Hardman, and Peggy Poppen are the 2012 VBS Coordinators.Want to Help?We need assistants and others to lead kids from class-to-class. Contact the coordinators to see how you can get involved.

2011 VBS scenes

Currently, we broadcast our Sunday Services live each week via an internet live stream. The live stream permits those that can’t physically attend the service to join in through the internet from anywhere in the world, and listen live, as the service takes place.

The person running sound for the worship service has also been responsible for monitor-ing the live stream and making CD recordings of the service. To enhance the sound quality of the broadcast, we are making plans to have a sound technician assigned specifically to monitor and adjust the mix. We have decided to move the mix for the live stream and the recording to a different room of the church building, and run the sound for those feeds remotely.

With these changes, we need people willing to be trained, and willing to commit to a series of consecutive Sunday services—most likely four consecutive weeks—to help.

The job is somewhat technical in nature, but most of the fine tuning will already be done, making it a simple matter of controlling volume levels, and making sure mics and instru-ments are turned on and off as needed.

If you think this sounds like something that interests you, please contact Brad Neal, Denny Foor, or Todd Morrison for more information about the requirements and commit-ment involved.

The Family Center will be under construction the week of June 11 and possibly part of the following week.

The window from the dishroom into the Family Center will be closed and moved so that it opens into the hallway between the two kitchens.

The work is being done to bring the dirty dish area up to Code as well as help reduce the noise that comes from the dishroom while events are taking place in the Family Center.

Thank you for your cooperation during the re-construction!

First United’s 2012 VBS theme is “Backstage with the Bible.”Please join us on July 23 - 27 from 6 - 8 p.m. for a fun week. There are classes, activities, and volunteer opportunities for the whole family.

Help Wanted: Sound Technicians for Sunday Mornings!No experience needed - training provided

$ 126,182.50 Jan-April General Fund Giving (92,757.68) Jan-April Budget$ 33,424.82 Giving Over Budget

$ 16,712.41 50% to distribute

$ 5,570.80 to Lifesong for Orphans$ 5,570.80 to Midwest Food Bank$ 5,570.80 held for natural disaster relief

Thank you for your generosity in giving!

Surplus GivingJanuary - April 2012

“Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38

Give, and It Will Be Given To You . . .

Children BlessingOther Children

Our Sunday School and Children’s Church offerings were taken for Lifesong’s Honduras school; Little Lambs offering was taken for Life-song’s Liberia orphanage.

We collected and disbursed the following to Life-song for the 2011-2012 school year:

$ 1,865.88 Sunday School 72.63 Children’s Church 558.51 Little Lambs

$ 2,497.02 Total Offering Disbursed

Summer SportsVolleyball

The First United recreational volleyball group is breaking for summer except for a few pick-up games when enough people are available to play. If you would like to be on the call list to play in those pick-up games, please see Kris Bridgers, 747-3098, or Danielle Mallory, 747-2056.

Co-ed SoftballThe season starts the middle of June and ends the middle

of August. All games are played at South Pointe Park in El Paso. There is a small cost to cover the league fee. If inter-ested, please see Ken Hall, 309-287-1615.