First Congregational Church

Sunday Morning Worship

September 10th, 2017

9:30 am

UNITED IN GOD’S LOVE

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“If we were to set out to establish a religion in polar opposition to the Beatitudes Jesus taught, it would look strikingly similar to the pop Christianity that has taken over the airwaves of North America.” ― Tony Campolo “The Beatitudes are no spiritual “to do list” to be attempted by eager, rule-keeping disciples. It is a spiritual “done” list of the qualities God brings to bear in the people who follow Jesus.” –Ronnie McBrayer Jesus calls the poor in spirit, the grieving, the meek, those lacking justice- blessed, not because of any magnificent criteria or strength they/we bring to the pain and broken places in our world, but because of the way God is present with them in the midst of life’s challenges now and in the promise of being there with us whatever may come.

–Pastor Scott

God is still speaking . .

No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey …

You are welcome here! A SPECIAL WARM WELCOME TO OUR GUESTS!

Thank you for joining us today! We hope that you feel the warmth of God’s spirit here as we worship together! Please complete the form (in the pew) to let us know a little more about you and place it in the offering plate. As our guests this day it is the only offering we ask. If you should have a prayer concern or would like to meet with the Pastor please indicate this next to your name. Thank you!

Following worship please join us in Fellowship Hall for an informal Continental Breakfast.

Please note our worship services are online and televised, your participation in the service may be visible during these live ministries. If you should not wish your child to be on screen, please refrain from sending them forward during the children’s time or have them sit directly in front of the pews in the front.

Children are welcome in worship; however, should your child grow restless feel free to sit with them in the Parlor at the rear of the Sanctuary.

Nursery/childcare is available for children up to age 2 and is located on Level 2 just beyond the Chapel.

Children are invited to attend Sunday School following the Children’s Message. Classes are offered for all ages.

Large print bulletins and hearing devices are available. Please ask an usher.

An elevator is at your disposal for all levels; our west entrance has a ramp.

Our Church Website is http://www.uccdg.org Follow us on: Twitter @ http://www.twitter.com/uccdg

Facebook @ http://facebook.com/uccdg Web stream @ http://www.uccfn.org

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PRELUDE ANNOUNCEMENTS Pastor Scott *SHARING THE PEACE *OPENING SONG Build Your Kingdom Here -Rend Collective *CALL TO WORSHIP (Responsive) Pastor Scott In a world of uncertainties Remind us that You are God and the foundation of our lives. In cultures that measure blessedness by success, fame, and wealth May Your Holy Spirit redefine what makes one truly blessed As we celebrate the start of a new church year and “Rally” together as one body May Jesus be the One who brings us together, Who breaks down and reconciles barriers and differences, and Who blesses us reminding us that God’s work has begun in Him and through Him and is far from finished. Amen. CHILDREN’S SONG Jesus Loves Me (1st Verse) CHILDREN’S MESSAGE Pastor Scott The Lord’s Prayer (read in unison) Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen. CHILDREN’S SONG Jesus Loves Me (2nd verse) Jesus loves me still today, Walking with me on my way, Wanting as a friend to give, Light and love to all who live. SCRIPTURE READING -Virginia Hopley Matthew 5:1-12 MINISTRY OF MUSIC Blessed Be -Jason Gray The Band

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REFLECTION MESSAGE Blessed? Pastor Scott PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE Pastor Scott Silent Prayer Prayer OFFERING OURSELVES AND OUR GIFTS Pastor Kim Sharing Our Gifts with the Offertory Special Offertory Music House of Grace -Martin Chancel Choir *Presentation of the Gifts with Praise (sung in unison) To God, all glorious heavenly light, To Christ revealed in earthly night, To God the Spirit now we raise, Our joyful song of thankful praise. *Prayer of Dedication Pastor Kim * CLOSING SONG #666 Blessed Are They -Haas *BENEDICTION Ancient Words - Deshazo One of our worship traditions to show our solidarity and love in community is to join hands and sing. If you are visiting with us, we invite you to join us in song and in spirit POSTLUDE Greater -MercyMe The Band

OUR TIME OF WORSHIP TOGETHER HAS ENDED.

NOW MAY OUR CHRISTIAN SERVICE BEGIN!

Today’s Musicians Vocals: Kelley Calpin and Anthony Berg

Guitar Owen Cooper: Bass: Connor Roe Piano: Sarah Younker Percussion: Justin Kono

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PRAYER CONCERNS AND COMMUNITY JOYS Patty Miller & Matt Miller, victims of hurricane’s Harvey and Irma

Today’s Sunday School: There will be no Sunday school today to prepare for our “Rally Day Carnival. Children 0 – 2 years will be in our nursery to the north of the Parlor.

GREETERS:Olgha Sandman, Marty Schranz USHERS: Fred Borrowman, Eric Nelson, Jan Hessler, Dick Hill HEAD USHER: Dirk Gutzke COUNTERS: Heather Bilcer, Cliff Mazzone (Lead Counter) Adrienne Colvert

There will be no coffee hour today due to the “Rally Day” celebration.

This week’s altar flowers are in celebration of Ella Forsman’s birthday from Kathy & Mike Bosco.

This Week’s Announcements HURRICANE RELIEF EFFORTS: If you are interested in helping families and individuals

in the midst of hurricane relief there are several ways you can help. 1. Pray for those affected. 2

send donations through UCC Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief minister either through ucc.org

or by check to First Congregational UCC –memo HURRICANE RELIEF. 3. Assemble SWS

EMERGENCY CLEANUP BUCKETS. These buckets have clean up materials that are then

sent locally through UCC disaster relief to areas where they are most needed. 4. Join us this

summer as part of an intergenerational mission endeavor as we assemble a disaster relief team to

go and physically clear out homes and rebuild homes that have been stripped down to the studs.

Please sign up with the church office if you are interested- youth, young adults, adults all

welcome. The trip will take place in June 2018 site will be determined by the scale and scope of

work done between now and the new year.

B&G Update: Our August bill from ComEd was $1,792 or $863 less than in 2016 on 11,666 fewer kW hours. Our total ComEd savings (vs 2016) in 4 months since new RTU's installed is $2,463 on 34% fewer kW hours. This August was 5 degrees cooler, on average, than last year. The Variable Frequency Drive on the new 50 Ton unit allows the fan to operate at speeds less than 100% based on demand The old unit always ran at 100% capacity whenever it was running. Tom Williams Bridge Mentoring Team: Bridge Communities Mentor Training-Saturday, September 30, 8:15 a.m.-2:30 p.m.! Location: Gary United Methodist Church, 224N. Main St. Wheation, Il! Register at bridgecommunities.org/Support-us/Mentoring/Mentor-Training.html.! Class for persons interested in finding out more about Bridge and possibility of becoming a mentor. Mentors assist the client families as they work to develop the life skills necessary for self-sufficiency. They help families with: budget development and savings plan, debt reduction, financial literacy, self-esteem, emotional support, parental skills and healthy decision

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making. A team of 3 to 4 mentors works together to help the family. Any questions call Char Wild at 630 985-4416 or email charwild@comcast.net.!.

Christian Witness in Society: Make a positive difference. UCC.org examines current justice issues within the call to be the hands and feet of Jesus in today’s world, and offers opportunities to take personal action. Receive weekly justice action alerts from the UCC by going to ucc.org. Click on “Advocate for Justice,” then click on “Take Action.” You can receive justice alerts by email or text. Sign up. You CAN make a difference in the world.

Caring For Creation Tips: Saving Water with Garden and Lawn Care, ▪ Water in the morning; allowing plants to dry off during the day to prevent fungal diseases. ▪ Don’t water your lawn on a windy day, or between noon and 5 pm. ▪ Water lawns deeply once a week to promote deeper roots. Use a rain gauge or small container to measure 1 inch of water. The Caring for Creation web site has more tips at: www.uccdg-caring-for-creation.weebly.com.

Women's Fellowship - Ladies of the Morning and Evening: All ladies are welcome to join any of our meetings. Date: Thursday & Friday, September 21 & 22, What: All Church Garage Sale - price and organize items for sale, When: We'll start early. 8:00-ish. Come when and for as long as you can. Hopefully at least a 2 hour commitment, Where: Fellowship Hall, Any extra time you can give in addition to Thursday & Friday, 9/21 &22 would be lovely. There will be someone in Fellowship Hall Sundays after church to get volunteers signed up to work throughout the Garage Sale week, 9/17-9/24, NOTE:There will be no donations accepted after Wednesday, so pricing/sorting/cleaning will start Thursday morning, 9/21!! GARAGE SALE: OUR ANNUAL CHURCH GARAGE SALE is happening Saturday, September 23 from 8:00am to 3:00pm, and then Sunday, 9/24 from 10:30-1:00 it’s our ½ price or $5/bag sale! Presale for volunteers is Fri 9/22 from 4-6pm and for other church members 6-8pm (with a customary 20% markup). We need many volunteers from 9/17 through 9/24! Sign-up sheets are now available in Fellowship Hall on Sundays and on the church’s website plus on our new app, under Current Events. Please sign up for a shift or more! This sale benefits our church, its ministries, and the wider community as well. Donations of furniture, household items, electronics (no TVs), toys, games, sporting goods, baby items, books, music/video, tools, collectibles, jewelry, holiday & craft items, etc. (no clothing) in saleable condition may be dropped off on Sunday, 9/17 from 3-6pm and Mon, Tues & Wed (9/18, 19 & 20) from 3-8pm at the west entrance of the church, where volunteers will assist you. Meanwhile, Trudi Connick will be collecting jewelry donations for the sale every Sunday. Questions? Contact Gail Clark at gclark214@comcast.net or 630-881-3362. Thank you!

MEN’S RETREAT 2017: Yes we are back! September 29th and 30th. A special thanks to the Weimerslags who have graciously offered their lodging to host us. We’ll head out 4pm on Friday and return Sunday morning for worship. This is an

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opportunity to talk life, God, and everything under the sun with the rest of the guys in the church. Also a beautiful time of year to get out in the natural surroundings around Galena. Please email Pastor Scott if you are interested in attending. We ask each participant to give $55 for the weekend- this should cover meals, a Saturday night meal out, help defray gas costs, and allow us to do

something kind for our hosts. The price does not include beverages.

What is Godly Play? Children have an innate sense of the presence of God. The

Godly Play approach helps them to explore their faith through story, to gain religious language and to enhance their spiritual experience though wonder and play. Based on Montessori principles and developed using a spiral curriculum, the Godly Play method serves children through early, middle and late childhood and

beyond. •Godly Play is a creative, imaginative approach to Christian formation

and spiritual guidance. •Godly Play values process, openness, discovery,

community and relationships. •Godly Play models the worship life, stories,

symbols and rituals of faith communities. •Godly Play nurtures participants as well as practitioners to connect personally to larger dimensions of belief and faith through wondering and play. In an age where we feel we need to meet children in their high-tech world, Godly Play is a unique way to present the beautiful and eloquent truths of the Bible in a very simple, natural form with no bells or whistles. “In most religious education, children are told who God is. In Godly Play, children discover who God is.” Using the principles of learning in the Montessori Method, we respond to the child’s request to ‘help me do it by myself.’ It shares spiritual education in a beautiful, peaceful, intimate manner, demonstrating the power and richness of God through meaningful and intentional presentations of the Word. This puts the teacher in the role of spiritual supporter or guide who fully accepts that each child has his or her own relationship with God already! TRAINING FOR THIS PROGRAM will be held from September 21-23 in Northbrook, IL. Participants must register before September 17th. If you would like more information about this program or are interested in participating please email: pastorkim@uccdg.org Pads-Food and Volunteers Needed for October: This is our 32th year of serving the homeless in DuPage County. We provide three meals and a place to do laundry, shower, and sleep on Monday nights through Tuesday morning. Our church provides the facilities from October through May. During the month of October we are also responsible for both food and volunteers to fill all the shifts. Other churches fill the remaining months. There was a sign up sheet in the Pilgrim which can be turned into the church or come see me after the service to sign up in Fellowship Hall. Donations for the purchase of food are also appreciated. For more information contact Char Wild 630 985-4416 or charwild@comcast.net

New Bible Study Coming This Fall - Bad Girls of the Bible! Yes, you read that title correctly. We know the Bible is chock full of men and women of good character who model a Christ-centered life for us…but have you ever been curious about the Bad Girls of the Bible? Who are they, and what makes them “bad”? Do

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they redeem themselves and become upstanding Women of God? If so, how? What does that mean for us as Christians – good, bad, or otherwise? Join Pastor Kim this fall as we embark on a colorful journey to examine these women, discover their transformation, and learn how their experiences remain meaningful

and relevant for all of us today! We will meet at 2:00pm and 7:00pm on a week day to be determined (Monday or Thursday) from October through December. Please call or email Pastor Kim with questions (630-601-2580, pastorkim@uccdg.org). All are welcome!

New Church App: Please download our new app on your iPhone or Android NOW! Just search for our church name. The app will keep you connected “real-time”.

MANNA: MANNA CARD CHANGES! The Manna company we have been using has been acquired by Great Lakes Scrip Center. There are some changes that will make it easier to purchase Manna Cards and support our church. Here is the website for the new company- shop.shopwithscrip.com/. You can use this to order cards on your own. Orders received by Tuesday night can be picked up on Sunday morning. You can also use the website to reload some of the cards you purchase. Check out the list of merchants and the percent they give back to our church on the website. Remember you pay for the amount you receive, so it is easy to help the church budget at no cost to you. Follow these instructions to set up your account and begin ordering today. If you have questions, see us at the Manna Table on Sunday mornings. Go to https://shop.shopwithscrip.com/ click on the grey "register" button in the upper right hand corner, click on the left side Join a scrip program. Use the enrollment code 92A2CLLA55623. You can create your logon information. Once you create your account you can order by clicking the "shop" button. If you sign up for Presto Pay, which is their ACH system you can order and pay online. You will need to go through their security process to sign up. If you do not want to sign up for Presto Pay you can email orders to Laurie Olsen glennlaurieolsen@gmail.com and Steve Johnson Sjoh413@gmail.com.

Amazon Smile: When you shop @AmazonSmile, Amazon will make a donation to First Congregational United Church of Christ. https://smile.amazon.com/ch/36-2361106 Greater Chicago Food Depository Wednesday Night Repack: Join church members each Wednesday evening from 6:00 – 9:00 pm for a food repack session. The Greater Chicago Food Depository is located at 4100 W. Ann Lurie Place, which is just off the Stevenson Expressway at Pulaski Road. For more information, contact David Hersemann at dah5@comcast.net, or Laurel Carlson at lacduke@comcast.net

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Coming Up This Week SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2017

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Worship Service-Sanctuary

10:45 AM - 11:45 AM Praise Band Rehearsal-Sanctuary

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM RALLY DAY-COMMUNITY CARNIVAL!!!!

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2017

6:00 AM Acceptance Group of Alcoholics Anonymous-Coffee House

5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Martial Arts Chapel

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2017

6:00 AM Acceptance Group of Alcoholics Anonymous-Coffee House

10:00 AM Adult Coloring Group-Parlor

6:30 PM Building & Grounds Committee meeting-Room 503

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM 2nd Tues Song Circle-Two Way St Coffee House

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2017

6:00 AM Acceptance Group of Alcoholics Anonymous-Coffee House

9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Bible Study (at members' homes)

11:00 AM Church Staff Meeting-Library

12:00 PM Administrative Deadline for Bulletin

6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Greater Chicago Food Depository Wednesday Night Repack

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Grounds of Hope Worship Service-Coffee House

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM PFLAG-Chapel

7:30 PM - 9:00 PM Alanon meeting-Coffee House

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2017

6:00 AM Acceptance Group of Alcoholics Anonymous-Coffee House

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM FCLC Jumpbunch Chapel

6:30 PM - 7:45 PM ESL-Library

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Chancel Choir Rehearsal-Choir Room

7:00 PM Scouts-Fellowship Hall

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2017

6:00 AM Acceptance Group of Alcoholics Anonymous-Coffee House

4:30 PM Administrative Deadline for Pilgrim

5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Martial Arts Chapel

8:15 PM Two Way Street Concert-Coffee House

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2017

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Martial Arts Chapel

12:00 PM - 4:00 PM All Bridge Saints-Fellowship Hall/Kitchen

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Sing Around-Coffee House

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OUR CHURCH STAFF

The Rev. Scott Oberle, Senior Pastor ........................................... pastorscott@uccdg.org Rev. Kim Whisler-Vasko, Associate Minister of Faith Formation . …. pastorkim@uccdg.org

Cathy Sanders, Minister of Pastoral Care and Visitation ............. casanders3@aol.com Kelley Calpin, Director of Music Ministries ..................................... kcalpin@gmail.com Maria Carini, Assistant to the Minister of Music ............................ mcarin1m@aol.com Dena Provenzano, Director of Youth Ministries .................. dprovenzano@uccdg.org Jan Barker, Director of Children’s Ministries ...................................... jbarker@uccdg.org Leslie McFarland, Administrative Secretary ................................. lmcfarland@uccdg.org Kimberly Rutter, Bookkeeper…………………….. ........... bookkeeper@uccdg.org Carl Lorek, Custodian/Maintenance Supervisor ................................... Carll@uccdg.org Kim Choate, Director, First Congregational Learning Center ... kchoate@uccdg.org Radika Jungwirth, Admin. Asst, First Cong. Learning Center ...... radikaj@uccdg.org Dave Humphreys, Two Way Street Coffee House ................ dave@twowaystreet.org Bill Hammack, A-V Specialist ............................................................. bill@symbolix.com Len Potter, Broadcasting Ministries .................................................. lenp@potterpro.com Justin Kono, Band Director ......................................................... j.akira.kono@gmail.com The Rev. Dr. Robert D. Schieler, Pastor Emeritus

Each and every member of our church has a ministry! Church staff available

Monday – Thursday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and Fridays by appointment. Office Phone: 630-968-0358 Office E-mail: FCUCC@UCCDG.org In pastoral emergencies, Pastor Scott can be reached at 630-432-0380.

*Visit our weekly Sunday Service on channel 6 each Sunday at 11:30am.

An Open and Affirming Congregation

First Congregational United Church of Christ 1047 Curtiss Street, Downers Grove, IL 60515

630-968-0358 Church Website www.uccdg.org

Twitter @ http://www.twitter.com/uccdg Donate here Facebook @ http://facebook.com/uccdg Broadcast Ministry http://uccfn.org/

First Congregational Learning Center FCLC Website: www.fclcdg.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/fclcdg