What are you doing for Lent?
Check out what is happening at church
*Pancake Supper on Tuesday, February 28 from 6 to 7:30 pm
*Ash Wednesday Services at 6:30 am, 12 noon, 7:30 pm
*Follow the Way of the Cross on Fridays at noon during Lent
(Mar 3 to April 7). A simple meal of soup and bread will follow.
*Study the Windsor Report with Fr. Bill during Lent.
Classes will be on Tuesday evenings at 7 pm and repeated on Fridays at 1 pm. The first class will be Tuesday, March 7th.
*Victor Scantlebury, the Assistant Bishop for the Diocese of Chicago will be the celebrant at the 9 am & 10:45 am services on March 5th.
*Be sure to pick up your Lenten Devotional Guide in Ludtke Hall!
2006 Annual Meeting Review
For those of you who missed the annual meeting, I thought it might be nice to fill you in on all the happenings. First, I suppose, I should thank all those who came and participated in the meeting. This year there were no “great issues” facing the parish, but even in the little things, the every day actions of running a parish, I was reminded of the deep love and care that we have for St. Charles’ Episcopal Church in the actions of our annual meeting.
I encourage you, if you did not attend the meeting, or forgot to pick one up, to get a copy of the parish annual report. In this document you will get a review of the amazing year and the wonderful ministry we have accomplished in 2005. In there you will find the final financial report for 2005 and the preliminary budget for 2006. The Vestry and Treasurer worked hard to present a balanced budget for 2006. As you will see, they still have a little more work to do!
Some of you may not remember that three years ago at the annual meeting the Vestry presented a budget with about a $9400 deficit that the Vestry planned to address on the fly in the coming year. The $9400 was placed in the budget as a “leap of faith.” The debate at the annual meeting was spirited and the result was that the Vestry was directed to return a balanced budget to the church no later than June 1st of that year.
This year the Vestry decided that the prudent thing to do was to delay a decision on cost of living increases for the staff until June, at which time they would have a better understanding of how the predicted higher energy costs and our new air-conditioning would affect our utility costs. This time the annual meeting directed the Vestry to take the “leap of faith” and give the cost of living increases now.
Some might think that this is a slap at the Vestry, but I see it as something different. When it gets right down to it, the people in the pew are the financial engine of the parish. It is their faith that generates the money the Vestry spends. In 2003 we didn’t have the faith to stretch. In 2006 we do. For three years we have been growing in more than numbers. The vision and work of the vestry is paying off. Their leadership is being rewarded.
As we do every year, we said good-bye to retiring members of the vestry as we elected new members. Ellen Johnson retired as Senior Warden and Liz Benning, Gina Ingraham, and Katie Thomson retired from the Vestry. We shall miss them. They have each earned a time of sabbath. Ken Dunham was elected as our new Junior Warden as Joe Ryan continued into the second year of his term as Warden, advancing to the Senior Warden spot. Kens advancement to Warden left another vacancy to fill in the Vestry and so we elected four new members; Mary Benjamin, Henry Mora, Michelle Moore, and Linda Saxer. If you don’t know these people yet, you will. Though they are all fairly new to the parish, they all come with skills for the task and a passion for our mission.
After elections we had a review of the status of our various building projects. The AC has been installed and is ready to go at the first sign of summer... admittedly a ways off yet. We are now beginning the process of getting drawings and contractors for the next project, the new bathrooms and redesign of our back entrance and stairs. We expect to have this done by the summer when we will begin the parking lot work. We will need to be flexible and gracious with ourselves and more importantly with our guests during this time of construction. It will be a disruption on us all, but with God’s grace and our hard work we will get through it.
That’s it for our Annual Meeting wrap-up. We had a pretty good attendance this year and I know we can do better next year. Yeah, I know I’m starting to sound like a Cub fan, but it’s true.
See you next year!
Bill +
Clergy Notes
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do no cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Psalm 51:10-11
Greetings -
The embodiment of Lent speaks to me through these lines from Psalm 51. Lent is a time where we ask God to create in us clean hearts, as we consider the possibility of what life would look like without the Resurrection. It is a time tp prepare for Easter – a time to consider the sacrifice Jesus made for us. During Lent, we are invited to wash the grime off our spiritual lives and to ask God to purify us so that we can fully enter into the joy of the Easter reality. We think we understand God’s will, and what God would have us do in every situation – and then we’re surprised as life doesn’t unfold the way we expected it would. But as Jesus entered the desert during the forty days following his baptism, let us enter the desert as well. Let us use Lent to rest in the possibility that God has a plan for each of us individually and as a church. In worship, we will be asking the congregation to kneel during the Eucharistic Prayer, regardless of what your habit currently is, as a sign of our acceptance of Christ’s kingship. In Easter we will be asking the congregation to stand during the Eucharistic prayer as a symbol of our life in the risen Christ.
On a personal level, it helps me to think of Lent as a tithe (10%) of the year when I take a deeper look at my spiritual life. I use Lent as a time to develop new habits – like prayers at every meal, or an acknowledgment of God being present every time I get in my car. Each Lent, I vow to spend more with God and to be intentional about it. If you like the idea of fasting, remember it isn’t about the actual lack of a food item, its about giving something up so that we can spend more time with the Lord.
There is a wealth of information about Lenten plans in this issue. Please read it in its entirety and consider the possibility that God will speak to each of us as we make more time for the Spirit. Enter into the dialogue! Join us for the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper on Tuesday, February 28th and then begin Lent on Ash Wednesday, March 1st with the imposition of ashes. Take a class, walk the labyrinth, knit a prayer shawl, join a book discussion or participate in the Stations of the Cross. God speaks.
Blessings this Lent as you seek after God and receive the gift of a clean heart.
Deacon Liz
From the wardens...
As we anticipate the coming of March the warm weather is sure to follow. As we await the warmer temperatures we begin preparing for Lent. Lent is a time for personal spiritual growth and reflection. There will be many opportunities right here at St. Charles’ to nourish your spiritual thirst.
We would like to thank our retiring/former Vestry members (Liz Benning, Gina Ingraham, Katie Thomson and Senior Warden Ellen Johnson) for a job well done. You will be missed. We also extend a warm welcome to our new Vestry members (Mary Benjamin, Michelle Moore, Henry Mora and Linda Saxer) please keep them in your prayers. Watch the Vestry Board for our new Organizational Chart.
On the construction front, the air conditioning units are in place (bring on the warm weather) and the new wheelchair ramps have been installed. The architects are finalizing the plans for the new bathrooms and construction should begin soon. The final installation of the new sign will be finished when we get a little warmer.
If you have any questions at all do not hesitate to give us a call.
Joe Ryan (Senior Warden) 630-762-0353 or email scecsrwarden@comcast.net
Ken Dunham (Junior Warden) 630-587-1861 or email Kend5@hotmail.com
PS. A note about finances: You may have noticed in The Pulse that as of the 9th week into our new fiscal year we are already $9,638.00 dollars behind in pledges. Please be sure to do your best to keep up to date in your pledges so we can accomplish all that God sets before us!
Four Habits Worth Having
(Max Lucado When God Whispers Your Name)
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18 NIV
Growth is the goal of the Christian. Maturity is mandatory. If a child ceased to develop, the parent would be concerned, right? ...
When a Christian stops growing, help is needed. If you are the same Christian you were a few months ago, be careful. You might be wise to get a checkup. Not on your body, but on your heart. Not a physical, but a spiritual.
May I suggest one? ...
Why don’t you check your habits? ... Make these four habits regular activities and see what happens.
First, the habit of prayer
Second, the habit of study
Third, the habit of giving
and last of all, the habit of fellowship.
What’s Up in Kids’ Formation?
Happy March!
Top of the Mornin’ to ya!
The class in the Green Atrium is learning about the letters Paul wrote. They started the month learning about Lent. The children all got a take home paper about Lent for Kids. Why not read through the weekly scripture and try the activities?
In the Blue Atrium they are learning about the last days of Jesus. As they travel through Lent they will learn more about what makes Holy Week so Holy.
The Middlers lessons are about world religions and at the end of the month, Jesus’ temptation.
The Jr. High is working on a study of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. This C.S. Lewis is a wonderful study of good and bad, love and forgiveness, redemption and resurrection.
The High School is continuing their study of the Old Testament through the eyes of the people who lived in Bible times.
Announcements:
☺ Happening #81 is coming up March 5 - 7th at St. Mark’s in Barrington Hills.
Happening is a wonderful retreat weekend for high school students and the cost is a very affordable $45 per person. Singing, Talks, Games, Meditation, Prayer, Eucharist...you name it! It’s a great time from start to finish. See Liz Ryan for more information.
☺ March 11th there is a great Diocesan Event called the Leadership & Ministry Fair! There are learning opportunities for adults and kids. Interested in learning more? See Liz Ryan or go to http://www.epischicago.org/DownloadResource.cfm?RecID=429 for a brochure of all the learning units and activities.
☺ Believe it or not... if you are interested in registering your children for Camp Chicago there is an “Early Registration Discount” if you send in your full registration fee. Save $20 for a camp week and $15 for an Intro to camp weekend. See Liz Ryan for Camp Chicago registration forms.
☺ Ludtke Scholarship Applications have been given out to graduating senior in our High School class. Just a reminder to get moving on the letters required for application, all forms and letters need to be in by March 5th. (If your graduating senior has not received a copy or has misplaced it, call Liz Ryan for additional copies.)
☺ Have you been looking for a “Top Ten Reasons to be an Episcopalian” or Episcopal Church
t-shirt? They are still for sale and benefit the High School’s Mission/Pilgrimage Fund. See Liz Ryan any time.
Ludtke Scholarship Applications
The deadline for applications is March 5th to enable the committee to select a recipient and get that information to the appropriate school in time for the Senior Awards Breakfast. All graduating St. Charles’ Episcopal Church high school seniors are eligible to apply for this scholarship. If you need an application, please contact Liz Ryan or call the church office 584-2596.
On Sunday, March 12, we will begin a unique fundraising opportunity for the "Ministries of St. Charles' Episcopal Church". We will schedule dates at restaurants in our area and the restaurants will donate a percentage of the checks to our church.
Church Fundraiser!
On Sunday, March 12 we partner with Beef O’Brady’s at 3341 West Main Street in St. Charles (377-2333). From 4pm to 9pm you can simply go out to eat with your family or friends or come by yourself and join some of your fellow parishioners. 10% of your bill will be donated to the church and part of our important budget items will be funded if you tell them you are there for our fundraiser. There will also be flyers you can pick up in Ludtke Hall and share with your friends and neighbors. They can just give the flyer to their server.
Beef O’Brady’s is a smoke-free family restaurant with entrees between $6.95 and $8.95 and a children's menu. There are arcade games in an adjoining room and at least 14 tvs tuned to different sporting events. (They have even been known to put a tv on children's channels.)
Happy Birthday to...
1 Bill Johnson
1 Adrian Travis
1 J.D. Adams
2 Matthew Druffel
3 Amanda Travis
5 Christine Lyng
5 Ian Rhead
5 Nate Becker
6 Ken Dunham
11 Chris Campbell
13 Scott Judd
16 Jack Clarke
17 Bernice Bunker-Ludtke
18 Aidan Manning
20 Ellen Johnson
21 Mat Elfring
21 Thomas Johnson
22 Jane Van Nortwick
22 Judy Clarke
23 Janet Samuels
23 Ethan Hoffer
30 Anne Lander
Happy Anniversary to...
12 Ed & Kathryn Manning
15 Henry & Ann Mora
16 J.D. & Judy Adams
28 Erik & Kristen Balisi
Did we miss your birthday?
It may be that we don’t have a database form in the office with all your family and individual information. If you are not sure we have the information, now’s the time to fill out one of the STC database sheets that can be found in booklet entitled “How to become a member” that are in the holder on the table below the Prayer Board in Ludtke Hall. We’d hate to miss the opportunity to pray for you and your family, so don’t delay!
Blood Drive
Did you know that blood from one donation can be split into three components - possibly saving three lives?! Whole blood can be broken into red blood cells (often used by leukemia patients), platelets (used to promote blood clotting, especially important in chemotherapy) and plasma (used to replace fluid in blood, crucial for burn patients).
The High School Youth Group is sponsoring our Annual Blood Drive on Wednesday March 22nd. The bloodmobile from Heartland Blood Center will be here at the church from 4pm to 8pm. Sign up in Ludtke Hall or call the church office for a time. Our goal is to have at least 30 people sign up.
Did you know...
...4.5 million Americans would die each year without life saving blood transfusions.
...approximately 32,000 pints of blood are used each day in the US.
...every three seconds someone needs blood.
...just one pint of donated blood can help save as many as three people’s lives.
...if all blood donors gave 2 to 4 times a year, it would help prevent blood shortages.
...platelets help blood clot and give those with leukemia and other cancers a chance to live.
...severe burn victims can need 20 units of platelets during their treatment.
...60% of the US population is eligible to donate – only 5% do on a yearly basis.
...since a pint is a pound, you lose a pound every time you donate blood.
...anyone who is in good health, is at least 17 years old (16 with parental permission) and weighs at least 110 pounds may donate blood every 56 days.
This is an easy way to lend some aid to those in need. It takes less than an hour (between paperwork and donation) and is worth every second of your time. Teens 16 yrs. old (with parental permission), and 17 yrs. old (parental permission not required but preferred) may also donate blood. (Permission slips will be given to teens in Formation, additional slips available from Liz Ryan.)
The need for blood is always constant. Make giving the “Gift of Life” a family affair!
Dates to remember...
The Communications Committee will meet on Tuesday, March 7 at 7.00 pm in Ludtke Hall. All are invited to attend. Thank you for picking up your newsletter and saving us $35.28 in postage for the February newsletter!
The Newsletter Deadline for March is the 13th. Lela Lowe who is not only the Administrative Assistant but also the Newsletter Editor will be on vacation from March 16 until April 3rd. The Stuff ‘n Such Team will gather on Friday, March 31 and your April Newsletter will be available for pick-up on Sunday, April 2.
Scrapbookers take note!
Our Scrapbooking night was great fun! We decided to meet monthly and our next meeting will be Wednesday March 22 from 7 - 9:30 PM. A few choir members expressed interest so we will look for a different night for our April meeting. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Diana Scanlan at scanfam@core.com
2006 Stewardship Chair and Junior Warden
Coming into 2006 we are looking at the largest pledged amount in the history of St. Charles’ Episcopal Church and some astonishing statistics. We’ve pledged just over $265,000 for the support of the church for this year. That’s about $25,000 more than ever before and reflects, I believe, the support for all that is happening here. More than 50% of those pledging increased their pledge from last year and we gained a sizable number of new pledgers, Thank you all very much.
Just this past weekend one family unable to pledge last fall indicated their circumstances had changed and they were now able to pledge. A card and envelope was provided and we thank them for the support. It is not too late for anyone wanting to make a pledge for 2006 – or even add to their already generous 2006 pledge as was suggested by several at the annual meeting. If you do intend to add to your pledge, please let Lela Lowe and it will be done. Knowing the expected pledges greatly assists the vestry in its financial forecasting and planning.
The addition of staff raises by action of the parish at the annual meeting generated a couple questions later to me that this may have second-guessed the vestry and finance committee’s budget efforts. Not at all in my view! The discussion at the annual meeting on finances closely paralleled those held in the vestry. The vestry proceeded cautiously and wanted to wait a few months just how the finances shaped up. I, for one, took the motion at the annual meeting as a strong endorsement that there is great confidence in the parish as we move ahead. .
As I noted in the annual report, the major issue for us is cash flow. The church has monthly operational and administrative needs and if we can stay current or even a bit ahead on pledges each week, we’ll be fine. Any additional pledges now will help in the months ahead and assure we stay current on our obligations.
♪Hope for Sudan♬
An evening of music to support
the health Clinic in Renk, Sudan
Sponsored by St. Barnabas, Glen Ellyn
March 4, 2006 at 7:30 pm
Pierce Chapel on the campus of
Wheaton College
(corner of Union & Washington Street Wheaton)
The program will include a variety of music performed by local musicians and
the Lost Boys of Sudan Choir
Tickets: $20/ $10 for students and seniors
Tickets will be available at the door or call 630-469-1394
A Note of thanks from....Amy Schultze Steenson
Dear St. Charles’ Friends,
Thank you so much for the wonderful meals the past months. Todd and I appreciate them very much. Thank you also for your prayers and support as we go through the journey of my accident recovery. I am certain your prayers make a difference. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Much love,
Amy & Todd Steenson
* Note to readers: Amy is a former choir member who was in a terrible car accident in August of last year, ten weeks after she and Todd were married. Her injuries were extensive and though she is healing, she still has a long way to go. Please keep them both in your prayers.
More thank yous!
Dear friends at St. Charles Episcopal,
Emily Thompson and I would like to thank you all for your help with our food drive. It was a real team effort. This year was the most successful year for the food drive ever. Please take a minute and check out pictures on the youth bulletin board.
Thank you for your support.
Aidan Manning
Who’s Who in the Church!!!
Missionary work has been a passion for Geneva resident Linda Winter, who went on seven mission trips to Honduras as a member of St. Mark's Episcopal Church. The missionaries viewed the Hondurans as "peers," and she said they learned a great deal from their Honduran hosts. She also headed the Trinity soup kitchen group at St. Mark's and led a Bible study. Father Bill Kruse and she started a healing ministry there.
Linda has been attending St. Charles' Church more than a year, and says she has found herself "very happy" here. She is divorced with three children, Nate, 24, Claire, 16 and Marshall, 14. She double majored in classical studies and Spanish literature at Heidelberg College in Ohio. Today she is studying for her master's degree in counseling psychology at Northwestern University and is training to become a psychotherapist. Between her studies and the long commute to Evanston, she doesn't have much free time. But once she finishes her degree next year, she hopes to get involved in the soup kitchen and other service ministries at St. Charles'. She also wants to return to Honduras on a mission trip. When she has time, Linda enjoys sewing, baking and cooking. She thanks St. Charles' Church for making her feel very welcome.
Church Rummage Sale
Are you doing Spring Cleaning and going through your closets? Put your “treasures” aside and hold them for our Annual Rummage Sale. The Sale is scheduled for Saturday, April 29th with items being accepted no sooner than April 22nd. Mark the date and plan to come and help. Watch for sign up sheets in April.
What is the Windsor Report? What does it mean?
There has been a lot of talk in the church about the Windsor Report. This summer at the General Convention of the Episcopal Church there are sure to be many resolutions regarding it. What is it and what does it mean to the life of the church and to us in St. Charles’ Episcopal Church. During Lent this year I will be leading a class about this hot topic in the church. In a way that works to honor all sides of the debate we will be looking at the issues that lead up to the Windsor Report, and the results that followed. This 90 minute class will be offered at two different times each week: Tuesday evenings at 7:00pm or Friday afternoons at 1:00pm.
The first class will be Tuesday, March 7 and will continue for five weeks.
See you in class!
Bill +
A Challenge
The U.S. Congress is presenting Christians with a challenge. Early in February the U.S. House approved, by two votes, to slow the growth of entitlements by $39 Billion in the areas of Medicaid, Medicare, welfare spending, and student loans in the 5 year budget. The reductions in federal money sent to the states for Medicaid and services to the poor, along with additional restrictions, will likely increase the load on the ministries we support – Hesed House, Lazarus House, Tri City Family Services, Shelter Assistance Committee and The Salvation Army. For example, this law reduces increases in the federal funding for child support enforcement that states use to ensure that child support payments are collected and provided to divorced mothers and their children. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that, because of this cut, $8 billion less in child support payments will be available to the children and their mothers over the next ten years. This will increase the number of fatherless, poor families.
The Washington Post stated that this budget will mean "[w]omen on welfare are likely to face longer hours of work, education or community service to qualify for their checks. Recipients of Medicaid can expect to face higher co-payments and deductibles, especially on expensive prescription drugs and emergency room visits for non-emergency care. More affluent seniors will find it far more difficult to qualify for Medicaid-covered nursing care."
Also in February the U.S. Senate voted to keep the tax rate reductions on dividends and capital gains passed in 2003 (the U.S. House voted for them in December, but the two bills need to be reconciled). These and other tax cuts will amount to $70 billion in reduced federal revenue over 5 years. The Tax Policy Center has concluded that the bottom 80 percent of households receive 15.8 percent of the tax cuts' benefit. The top 20 percent receive 84.2 percent of the benefits. These tax cuts give us an opportunity to relieve some of the burden that the budget cuts will impose on the ministries we support. (Those ministries can only help pick up those who have fallen through the “safety net.” They can do little to prevent the fall.) Look at the “your total tax” line on your 2004 Form 1040 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return and subtract it from “your total tax” line on your 2002 return. All else being equal, this is an estimate of what the 2003 federal tax cuts have meant to your family. How much of this federal largess are you willing to use to support the ministries effected by the cuts in federal spending? That’s a challenge we Christians should not ignore.
Jim Bachman