northwest news - Northwest Covenant Church
Transcription
northwest news - Northwest Covenant Church
NORTHWEST NEWS NORTHWEST COVENANT CHURCH MOUNT Special Events in Thursday, September 3 Northwesterners Friday-Sunday September 5-7 Blast-Off Saturday, September 5 Open House Sunday, September 7 Youth Group Kick-Off Wednesday, September 10 Feed My Starving Children Women’s Study Begins Sunday, September 14 Christian Formation Begins Monday, September 15 Men’s Study Begins Saturday, September 20 Youth Disc Golf Tournament Sunday, September 21 Blood Drive Business Meeting P R O S P E C T, September 2014 ILLINOIS Making Sure the Past Has A Future I recently had the privilege of visiting St. Mary’s Church in Lutterworth, England. It is renowned for its former pastor, John Wycliffe who first translated the Bible into English in the 14th Century. The historic Church building has dominated the landscape of Lutterworth for over 800 years. The church’s mission statement reads, “Working for the Kingdom of God." Their web site states “We acknowledge the great work of all who have served the Church here in former generations and we strive to remain a centre for mission. To proclaim Jesus Christ crucified, risen and ascended. Our strong desire is that future generations will continue to carry the banner of faith in Jesus as Lord and Saviour and build up his Church.” I spoke with a couple people at the church about their concerns of present day ministries. They said that there had been an influx of young families into Lutterworth. There was a need for a mother/child ministry, and the church had to make some changes in order to have space for children. The church decided to take out some pews in order to make an area for the children. The church members reflected on the challenge of honoring the past while doing present day ministries. One lady commented, “Do we want pews, or do we want people? The building isn’t sacred – the ministry is sacred. If we have to make changes to the building for the sake of the ministry, then we should do it with care and respect.” The church’s web site also states, “We try here in the Church where [Wycliffe] died to follow his threefold example - to keep the Bible as an open book for all to read and understand, to share the Gospel with all people and to try to maintain the truth of Christ in our teaching and our worship.” As Christian churches we share the same goals and concerns and although we are separated by an ocean I found it interesting that we face similar challenges in making sure that our pasts have a future. Recently we have made a number of renovations to Northwest with the hope that we will be able to do more fruitful ministry now and into the future. We have done our best to honor the past and make sure it has a future. Our goal of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ in our community in word and deed is always our primary concern. We are blessed to have a wonderful building as a tool to fulfill this goal. See inside for details. —Pastor Paul Page 2 NORTHWEST NEWS WEEKLY CALENDAR FALL SCHEDULE BEGINS SEPTEMBER 14 Sunday Mornings: 8:30 am Contemporary Worship 9:45 am Christian Formation (Includes Praise Time and Sunday School) 11:00 am Traditional Worship Sundays Traditional Worship High School Youth Group (as scheduled) Communion 9/7 10:15 am 6:30 pm Mondays AA, Youth House Al-Anon Men’s Study (starts 9/15) 7:00 am 8:00 pm 7:30 pm Tuesdays Community Bible Study 7:00 pm Wednesdays AA, Youth House Middle School Youth Group MOPS 9/3, 9/17 Women’s Study 9/10,9/24 7:00 am 6:30 pm 9:30 am 7:00 pm Thursdays Men’s Breakfast at Eros Choir Rehearsal Worship Band 6:00 am 6:30 pm 8:15 pm Fridays AA, Youth House 7:00 am Saturdays (September 6 only) Contemporary Worship 6:00 pm Business Meetings Council 9/9 Mission, Outreach & Evangelism 9/3 MOPS Planning 9/10 7:00 pm 7:00 pm 9:30 pm Council Corner On September 21st, as a congregation we will participate in a Business meeting where we will be discussing two issues of importance to the church. The first is to present, discuss and hopefully, vote to move forward a series of recommendations regarding matters specific to Rand Road. The recommendations, which have been previously distributed, have evolved from the May Town Hall and are intended to establish policy for both the Council and congregation going forward. The recommendations, if and as may be adopted, will formalize so much of the considerable discussion of our collective past on the topic. We as a Council look forward to this discussion and how we will move forward after September 21st. Additionally, there will be a presentation on behalf of the committee that has completed its review of the current Constitution and By-Laws. A number of recommendations are proposed that the committee believes will promote efficiency in how the church is administered and in many cases, eliminates redundancy. Proposals introduced on September 21st will be formally acted upon at the 2015 Annual Meeting. The proposed By-Laws will be distributed on the 21st but ahead of that date, a memo will be made available that discusses the changes proposed, hopefully in a way that is clear. Thank you for all the support you have shown to the church so far this year. As always, please feel free to contact me at any time with any questions you may have. —Bill Brimm, Council Chair BLAST OFF!! Save the date for our Fall Kick-Off Celebration, BLAST OFF - where we’ll launch kids on a mission of God’s love! A mini-VBS style event for children age 4 through 5th grade. Friday, Sept. 5 from 6:15 - 8:15 (supper offer ed fr om 5:30 - 6 pm please sign up if you will be coming for supper) Saturday, Sept. 6 from 10 am - noon (a light br eakfast will be offer ed from 9:30 – 10 am) Sunday, Sept. 7 at 10:15 am Celebr ation Wor ship Ser vice and lunch following for everyone. If you are interested in helping with this event, please contact Daun Geissler. Flyers are available in the narthex for you to invite friends. Registration forms are available in the church lounge. CHRISTIAN EDUCATION VOLUNTEERS Have you considered serving in Christian Education at Northwest? There are many areas where you can volunteer as we start our fall programming. Please prayerfully consider serving in this ministry that contributes to the life and growth of our church. Opportunities for service include Sunday School Teachers, KidsTime leaders, Childcare and Nursery workers, Children’s midweek program workers, CE event volunteers and MOPS Childcare Workers. If you have a special place in your heart for children and have a passion for serving the church and God, please contact Daun Geissler or a member of the Education Board. Page 3 NORTHWEST NEWS Community Bible Study (Mother's of Preschoolers) Northwest MOPS is a group of moms who believe better moms make a better world. Mops is open to ANY mother of children through the age of 6. We meet the first and third Wednesday of the month from 9:30 AM to 11:00. Meetings are held at Northwest Covenant Church. Come and enjoy a hot breakfast while your children are supervised. After breakfast, enjoy a speaker or a craft, and have fellowship with other moms. Each meeting includes childcare with activities and a snack for the children. The first meeting you attend is free. After that the cost per meeting is $7 with children or $5 without a child. If finances are a problem, that can be worked out confidentially. For more information, check out nwcmops.blogspot.com or contact Judy Johnson 847496-7571/ [email protected] “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” Revelation 1:3 All who desire to follow this instruction from the Bible are welcome to study the Book of Revelation with Community Bible Study’s co-ed evening class in Mount Prospect, beginning Tuesday, September 3, at 7 p.m. Serving the community for 30 years, the class meets at Northwest Covenant Church and will use the Community Bible Study format of home study questions, small group discussion, lecture, and professionally written commentary for 18 weeks in Revelation and six weeks each in Galatians and James for its 2014-15 study course. For information, please contact the class coordinator Pam Reed at 847-373-7375 or by email at [email protected] Our first meeting is Wednesday, September 3. Come and bring a friend. All are welcome!! Now…it’s time to get back to “Ripping & Rolling” again!! Help! Help! A few volunteers are still needed to take care of the children during the MOPS meetings. We meet the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month from 9:30-11:00. If you cannot make a commitment for regular meetings, I could also use some subs for days when regular volunteers are ill or have other plans. This is a great way to serve the church and the community since most of our moms are not from our church. Please contact Judy Johnson at 847-496-7571 [email protected] Children’s Choirs CHAPEL CHOIR will begin with our fir st r ehear sal on Sunday, September 14. TIME TO BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY. We meet in the choir room on Sunday mornings, and participate in Sunday worship monthly. Several special events are in the works, too! All kids are welcome, grades one and up! CHERUB CHOIR, which consists of the kids in the PreK-K class, during the Christian Formation time on Sunday morning. We participate in Sunday worship every month! Questions? Contact Jennifer Swanson Hillbo, Director of Children's Choirs. ALL men and women ar e welcome to join us in the church lounge on Thursdays starting September 11th, at 10:30am for Tea, Treats and Fellowship, then 9:30am every Thursday after that to Rip N Roll. You DO NOT have to know how to sew. Ther e ar e many different jobs. All are pretty easy. There’s snipping and ripping off the salvage of the sheets, there’s measuring and tearing strips of sheets, there’s folding the strips and pulling off loose threads, there’s sewing those strips end to end to end, there’s measuring lengths of strips, there’s folding and ironing those strips, and then FINALLY there’s the rolling of those strips into what becomes the bandages and other medical uses for the Bongolo Hospital in Gabon, West Africa. SEE....it’s pretty easy. Anyone can do one of those jobs. There is a desperate need for these bandage rolls. It’s a mission ministry that we would like to continue to be a part of. Come as often as you are able. Come once. Come once in a while. Come every time. There is no age requirement. ;) We need your help to get the work done. We also have coffee and treats and wonderful fellowship. You are welcome to bring your lunch and continue fellowshipping around the table in the library at 11:30 am. Some stay. Some don’t. Whatever fits your schedule. If you are unable to join us on Thursdays, but would really like to participate in this ministry, there are many of the “steps” that can be done at home. Please contact Kim Johnson or the church office for more details. Page 4 NORTHWEST NEWS Beyond the Boundaries by Louise Jaeschke Perfect Hair, Number 3, and the Definition of Health When my sons were in middle school we had the opportunity to meet Wynton Marsalis. If you are unfamiliar with that name, I can tell you that he is a trumpeter, composer, teacher, music educator, and the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. He is committed to promoting the appreciation of classical and jazz music to youth. He has received nine Grammys, and a jazz recording of his was the first of its kind to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. Talk about accomplishments. . . . . It was surprisingly easy to make arrangements to meet him. Both my boys played trumpet. We purchased tickets to one of his concerts, and then I wrote to his office and asked if there was any way that we could meet him. His assistant, Isabel, wrote back and said of course you can. She put our names on the backstage list for the afterconcert meet-and-greet, and there we were. There were a number of people waiting with us in a long corridor near the dressing rooms, and we watched as he worked his way forward, spending a few minutes with each person. As I watched him make his way down the hallway I noticed that he was glancing at us as he approached. At that moment, I didn’t realize that he was looking at my older son’s hair. When it was our turn, he said hello to my boys and gave them each a big hug. Then he reached for my son, Mark, and started stroking his hair, saying, “You have perfect hair! You have perfect hair!!! YOU have PERFECT HAIR!!!!!” We were laughing pretty hard; he seemed fixated on Mark’s hair, and he couldn’t keep his hands off it. Something about the cut, color and texture really caught his attention. He did get over it (but it took awhile,) and we proceeded to have a more normal conversation. But as Mark’s mother, I was much less concerned about the appearance of Mark’s hair as I was about what was inside him. Like every mother, I wanted my children to grow up with certain values and traits. I suppose you could say that right now Northwest Covenant Church has perfect hair. We have had a new haircut, so to speak, and the colors and textures have been enhanced. Not only does it brighten our spirits, it is also welcoming to others and offers good coffee, cozy conversations, lovely work spaces, and a feeling that we care about our building. But what our church building looks like is not the end-all of our life as a church. We have always known that. What’s important is the stuff about who we are, what we believe, and how we relate to our world as Christians. It’s about how we interact with our faith and how we bring that faith into the greater community. This September, we will be looking at recommendations regarding our future. Recommendation #3 talks about health, ministry, mission, vision, and revitalization based out of the Mount Prospect Campus. Our Central Conference leaders want us to be “burdened” for those in our greater community so that we can “transform” our neighborhoods in the areas of compassion, justice and mercy. They tell us that this is a component of being a healthy church. As human beings, we are aware that the definition of good health is constantly changing. Everything from ideal cholesterol levels, to what we eat, to the amount of exercise we get has changed over the last several decades. We know that there are things we didn’t do before that we should do now to help keep ourselves healthy. We also know the factors that define healthy living will continue to change as the years go by. It is the same for churches. What was good for us several decades ago may not work for us now. What made us a healthy church in 1965 or1985 may not be what we need to be a healthy church in 2014. It doesn’t matter whether you are talking about people or churches; the definition of good health is always changing. And when you add the words “burdened” and “transform” into a healthy church’s vocabulary, it is likely that achieving good health could mean taking that church to a level of ministry beyond anything it may have done in the past. Are we burdened? Do we transform our greater community? If not, do we want to? Jesus was burdened—burdened in all possible ways imaginable—and also burdened in ways that we cannot possibly imagine. Jesus transformed. Are we called upon simply to be believers, or are we called upon to also be like Jesus? Should we take a long, hard look at Recommendation #3, and try to decide if it could become the basis for life as a church family? Having perfect hair is nice, but having perfect hair is really not important—not at all—even though that’s how this article began. It’s really all about the changing definition of health. And it’s really all about number 3. Page 5 NORTHWEST NEWS Please mark your calendar for Wednesday, September 10, from 6:00-7:30 pm and look for the sign-up sheet at church for the second all-group FMSC Food Packing Session to be held in Schaumburg (1072 National Parkway). PLEASE bring your spare change to church and put it in the FMSC Collection Jar. FMSC invites volunteers to help cover the cost of the food packed. Consider these facts in making a donation: · $.22 is the cost of each meal · $50 (1 box of food) will feed a child for 7 months · $80 will feed a child for an entire year · $200 feeds a family of 5 for 6 months” We need your help to make this a successful food packing event! Bring the family! The minimum age to volunteer at FMSC is 5 years old. Please see the website: www.fmsc.org for more information. September Food Collection — Bring in food items of your choice. Food collected will be donated locally. Please put items in church container. Please know, too, if you are in need of these collected items, please help yourself. Please bring in your empty prescription bottles for Bongolo Hospital in Gabon, West Africa. Bandages from Rip n Roll also will be sent to Bongolo. See Jane Applequist’s article on page 6 for more on these projects. Event Recaps A group from Northwest Covenant attended church service and spent time with members of Douglas Park on July 13. On that occasion donated office supplies were given to Douglas Park. Again in August a small group from Northwest had the pleasure of traveling to Douglas Park. Worshiping with our brothers and sisters in Christ in such a warm and inviting atmosphere is genuinely rewarding. Our August visit was highlighted by the presentation of 14 backpacks to children in need. This blessing was possible with funds from a memorial in honor of Beth and Lee Peterson's grandson, Mark. In addition, individual donations were made to fill all the children's lunch boxes with some special treats. Several boxes of children books were donated which will go a long way to start a lending library at the church. The ministry in Douglas Park is important to its congregants and vital to the community. In one of the most violent areas of the city, it provides both outreach and evangelism in its truest form. Visiting just one of their services to hear the heartfelt testimonies will leave little doubt. We need to encourage and embrace their endeavors with prayer and donations. Further, our physical presence demonstrates a brotherhood of of encouragement and support. We look forward to continued support with ever increasing numbers at future events this fall and winter. Peace, Mary Scudder, Mission, Outreach and Evangelism CEDA Northwest, (with a new name, Northwest Compass, Inc.) and Northwest Covenant partnered to host the Mobile Food Connection on August 20th from 4-8 p.m. Up to 100 families could receive a box filled with free Food. This is a form of outreach for Northwest Compass to provide participants with information on the services, other than food distribution, that the organization offers. Backpacks with new school supplies for 20 children were donated to Fairview School. With your generous support, eleven little girls and nine little boys, who ranged in grades kindergarten through fifth grade were supported. Thank you for your generous spirit!!! Five volunteers worked tirelessly from 9-12:30 p.m. on August 8 to pack school supplies for children serviced by the WINGS Mount Prospect location. THE FRIENDSHIP BOX You will notice a box in the church lounge containing a variety of note cards. Each week we pray for the concerns of our congregation, and perhaps you would like to send a note of encouragement or congratulations to those individuals. Please help yourself to a notecard from the box, write your message, address the envelope with the person’s name and put it in the box. We will make sure your greetings are delivered that week. Page 6 NORTHWEST NEWS The Delp Details Safe to say August has been an exciting month! It has been over 12 years since the dream of starting a medical clinic and a home for at-risk children was born. That dream is getting closer and closer and as just as of a few weeks ago, the dream is becoming a reality. Two work teams came down to help out with breaking ground for the first home for at-risk children. Teams from Coshocton Christian Tabernacle from Coshocton, OH and Pleasant Community Church, a Covenant church from Warren, PA, both came down to help. Construction started on Monday, August 4th. During the course of one week, we were able to get the footers dug and poured and all of the columns put up, as well as put up a tool shed. Shew! It was a lot of work. In addition to breaking ground on the home, we also just recently received good news from the U.S. government that the Santiago Partnership has been officially granted 501c3 non-profit status! Praise the Lord! The Coshocton Christian Tabernacle had been sponsoring us with their non-profit status but it is good to have our own as we can now claim the status. We also just had some excitement of a different sort. An earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale hit with its epicenter just a few kilometers away from us. This was scary enough but then there were quite a few more scares as we counted around ten aftershocks. Thank you so much for all of your wonderful support and all that you do through prayer! We love you very much! Blessings, Stay connected with the Delp’s: Joel, Kim, Simeon and Esther We will keep supplying these updates in the church newsletter, but you can also check up on us at our blog at: http://blogs.covchurch.org/delp/ Feel free to shoot us an email if you would like at [email protected] or call us at 773-5058783. Our address in Ecuador is: Casilla 17-11-6068, Quito, Ecuador. Please also check out the website for the Santiago Partnership at www.santiagopartnership.org A Small World Virg asked me the other day if I had read an article in the Lindsborg News Record. This is his hometown paper that comes to us - often several weeks late - and I confess that I almost never read it! But this issue was different. The Assaria (another tiny town in the area) news column featured an article about Bonnie Thelander Kane and her son Keir. Bonnie Thelander Kane and her late husband Klint Thelander were members of Northwest Covenant in the 1970s. Keir Thelander was a baby and toddler that played in our nursery here at Northwest before his family moved to Indianapolis. Virg knew them from years past because for a couple of years Bonnie was his high school English teacher. When we all ended up living in this area, Bonnie was the one that invited Virg and me to come to Northwest Covenant. So it was fun to read about them in the local Kansas paper. Dr. Keir Thelander is a surgeon and medical director of the Bongolo Hospital in Gabon, West Africa. His jungle hospital treats over 39,000 patients per year, many of whom need to take prescription drugs home with them when they leave. And they often don’t have containers in which to put those pills. The members and friends at the Assaria Lutheran Church, Assaria, KS are collecting used pill bottles and getting them to the hospital in West Africa. I emailed Bonnie and asked if they needed more – if this was something we could collect here at Northwest. I also asked if they needed the rolled bandages made from sheet strips that we work on Thursday mornings at church. She quickly sent back an enthusiastic yes to both questions! So save your used pill bottles and put them in the basket in the lounge. When we have a lot we’ll take them to Cleveland when we go to visit our son and his family and they will be kept in a warehouse until a container takes them to Africa. We already delivered two large boxes of rolled bandages which will leave for Africa in the fall. Thank you so much for your participation! It’s truly a small world! Jane Applequist Page 7 NORTHWEST NEWS It has been a wonderful summer of ministry between the mission trip, girls’ group, guys’ disc golf, a few outreach events and hearing about students’ experiences at camp, but I am ready to get back into our normal routine of youth group. During the last school year we focused on community building among the group. It has been fun to see many of the students connecting with each other. As we enter into this new school year, we want to be looking outwardly…inviting those that may not be connected but also encouraging students to invite friends that aren’t apart of another youth group. Our hope is that students will make room in the youth group for others, that our current students will continue to grow in their faith but there is space for more to come to realize the transformation love that Christ extends to each and everyone of us. Parents, please encourage your son/ daughter by offering to pick up and transport their friends to youth group. Students, please be willing to take the risk of inviting. Congregation, you are welcome and encouraged to invite and bring students as well (and of course to pray for the youth ministry). Thanks, Pastor Mark Youth Group Kick-Off On Sunday, September 7th we will be kicking off youth group for the school year. We are inviting all middle school (grades 6-8) and high schoolers (grades 9-12) to come and celebrate the beginning of the school year. Come ready to eat, play games, hang out, get wet (wear clothing that can get a little wet) and hear about what is coming up for this coming school year. Meet at the church at 6:00PM…we will be finished at 8:00PM. We encourage you to bring a friend with you that are not connected to the youth group!!! New Parental Consent Forms Needed The Parental Consent form has changed. Over the summer, the Wellness Guidelines were evaluated and one of the outcomes of the evaluation process was to update our Parental Consent Forms (medical/liability release). The ones that we currently have and have been using will no longer be the ones we use in the future. I know that some of you have already updated your forms since June 1; we ask that you take a few minutes to fill out the new form to replace it. Forms will be available in the Youth House and in Pastor Mark’s office to pick up. Our goal with the Wellness Guidelines is to create a safe environment for all students, physically and emotionally, so that they can grow deeper in their relationship with Christ. Fall Youth Group Schedule — Both starting after Labor Day! High School (Grades 9-12) - Sunday Evenings from 6:30PM-8:30PM Middle School (Grades 6-8) - Wednesday Evenings from 6:30PM-8:00PM CHIC 2015 All high schoolers, please mark your calendars for July 12-17, 2015! Those are the dates of CHIC, a youth conference that happens every three years. We would love to see all of our high school students participate in CHIC. For many, this becomes a pivotal event in their faith journey. We will have a parent/student meeting on September 18th at 7:00PM to talk more about CHIC. CHIC is open to those entering grades 9-12 in the 2014-2015 school year. In the meantime, check out www.chic2015.org High School Supper at the Petersons (NEW) House High Schoolers, you are invited over for supper to our new home on Thursday, September 4 th from 6:30PM8:00PM. Our new address is 514 S. Evergreen Avenue, Arlington Heights. We’d love to know if you are planning on coming…please email Pastor Mark at [email protected]. Youth Supper Out Middle School – Wednesday, September 24th from 6:30PM-7:30PM @ Chipotle (in Randhurst) High School – Sunday, September 28th from 6:30PM-7:30PM @ Culvers (on NW Highway) Page 8 NORTHWEST NEWS FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN On Wednesday, September 10th the youth group (middle school and high school) will once again head off site to serve at Feed My Starving Children. We will be heading down to the Schaumburg location. Please meet at the church at 5:15PM...we will be returning to the church around 8:00PM (eat supper before arriving at church). We strongly encourage families of youth to participate in this (instead of just dropping your son/daughter off and leaving) and if you have any extra seats in your car, we would love for you to help drive an extra student or two. We need all those planning on going to sign up! The church has 40 spots reserved so we hope for a multigenerational team (ages 5 and up can pack) for that evening! Youth Group Disc Golf Tournament Saturday, September 20th — 2:30PM - 6:00PM The guys have been practicing disc golf all summer; now is the time to put it into practice!!! We are having a disc golf tournament for all youth (middle school, high school, guys and girls). Students will be forming teams of four...we encourage students to bring their friends!!! Meet at church. We are going to play the 12 holes in Rolling Meadows and then return to church for pizza and awards. Please sign yourself and your friends up if you are planning on coming!!! This Month: Thursday, September 4th – Supper at Petersons (high school) Sunday, September 7th – Youth Group Kick-off (all youth) Wednesday, September 10th – Feed My Starving Children (all youth and families) Sunday, September 14th – High School Youth Group Wednesday, September 17th – Middle School Youth Group Thursday, September 18th – CHIC Parent/Student Meeting Saturday, September 20th - Disc Golf Tournament Sunday, September 21st – High School Youth Group Wednesday, September 24th – Middle School Supper Out Sunday, September 28th – High School Supper Out Planning Ahead: Pumpkin Hunt – Sunday, October 12, 2014 Feed My Starving Children (all youth) – Wednesday, November 12, 2014 Regressive Dinner (Christmas Party) – Sunday, December 7, 2014 DeepFreeze Retreat (middle school) – February 6-8, 2015 CHIC 2015 (high school) – July 12-17, 2015 NEWSLETTER DEADLINE for the October issue is Sunday, September 21. Please leave your news items in the church office in the mailbox marked Newsletter or email Beth Petersen at [email protected] Men’s Study Group The Men’s Study Group will begin again on Monday, September 15, at 7:30 p.m. at church. We usually meet in the library or the choir room. We will continue our study of the book Honest to God by Bill Hybels. All men are welcome. Questions? Contact Steve Jackson. Women’s Study Wednesdays, September 10 and 24 Come and join us as we discuss the book “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan. We meet on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at 7 p.m. at Carol Nelson's home. Call for directions - 847-392-8260 All women are welcome. NORTHWEST NEWS N ORTHWEST C OVENANT C HURCH Page 9 OUR CHURCH FAMILY Congratulations 300 N. Elmhurst Avenue Mount Prospect, IL 60056 Phone: (847) 255-4671 FAX: (847) 255-4712 Prayer Line: (847) 255-4698 Office Hours: 9:00 am- 4:00 pm M-F e-mail: [email protected] www.northwestcovenant.com and 511 W. Rand Road Arlington Heights, IL 60004 —to Pete and Dana Jackson on the birth of their daughter Kara Nikaya on July 24. Proud grandparents are Steve and Bobbi Jackson. —to Eric and Laura Sundquist on the birth of their daughter Kathryn Elizabeth on August 5. Proud grandparents are Roy and Lois Sundquist. —to Jack and Laura Galuchie on the birth of their daughter Madeline Kentley on August 8. Proud great-grandfather is Ray Congratulations —to Karolyn Ake & Grant Blankenship who were united in marriage on August 16. Our Mission Statement Northwest Covenant Church, as disciples of Jesus Christ, seeks to be an authentic Christian community where lost people are found and hurting people are helped. Congratulations —to Jeff Lightfoot on his engagement to Simona Kordosova. Simona is from Zlate Moravce, Slovakia. Their wedding date is June 20, 2015. Our Sympathy PASTORAL STAFF: Rev. Paul Thompson, Pastor Mark Peterson, Associate Pastor of Youth CHURCH STAFF: Barry Anthony, Interim Worship Director Daun Geissler, Director of Children and Family Ministries Beth Petersen, Administrative Assistant Karen Lindquist, Organist Jennifer Swanson Hillbo, Director of Children’s Choirs April Hoke, Buildings and Grounds CHURCH COUNCIL: Bill Brimm, Chair Louise Jaeschke, Vice-Chair Darrick Robbins, Secretary Ted Ecker, Finance John Tiessen, Diaconate Ginger Harris, Education Mary Scudder, Mission/O&E Peter Johnson, Worship NEWSLETTER EDITOR: Mary Nellis Mark Your Calendar for Sunday, September 21 Business Meeting —to the family of Mary Maxwell, Pastor Paul’s aunt, who passed away July 28. —to the family of Cecylia Bucka, Barb Forstrom’s mother, who passed away Thank You Notes —have been received from Patti Murga, the Delps, and Linda Soderstrom and family. Please see the church bulletin board. A Weekend at the Lake Fourteen women from Douglas Park, led by Pastor Espinoza’s wife Annie, will be attending Covenant Harbor’s Fall Fellowship women’s retreat this September thanks to scholarship funds provided by Northwest’s Women’s Ministries fund. Pray for our sisters attending from Douglas Park and Northwest to have a wonderful time of refreshment and renewal as they “fix their eyes on Jesus,” and “shoot adrenaline into their souls!” Retreat Theme: Hebrews 12:2—Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus. . . “Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed— that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever.” (The Message) There are still openings to register and to stay overnight at camp or attend as a commuter. Contact the church office for information. NORTHWEST NEWS Northwest Covenant Church 300 N. Elmhurst Avenue Mt. Prospect, IL 60056