The Heartbeat of

St. Charles’ Episcopal Church

630.584.2596 scecoffice@sbcglobal.net www.stcharlesepiscopal.org

The Ascension is celebrated on Ascension Day, the Thursday that is the fortieth day of the Easter season. (This year May 1^st.) It is a principal feast of the church year in the Episcopal Church. The Ascension is affirmed by the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds and marks the conclusion of Jesus' post-resurrection appearances. It is the final elevation of his human nature to divine glory and the near presence of God.

We will celebrate this feast day with a Choral Evensong that includes music from a combined choir consisting of our members and members of Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Please join us at 7:30pm for this sacred evening!

The Day of Pentecost is another one of the seven principal feasts of the church year in the Episcopal Church. We have come to understand the meaning of Pentecost as the fulfillment of a promise which Jesus gave concerning the return of the Holy Spirit and that the church is the body of Christ which is drawn together and given life by the Holy Spirit. This year the feast of Pentecost is Sunday May 11^th. Be sure to wear red!

And indeed they have! May is one of my favorite months. The daffodils have come and gone, and the tulips in my yard are glorious! The trees are almost groaning with excitement as they are just about to burst into bloom. These changes speak to us not only of old wisdom, they speak to us of our own rebirth into Resurrection people.

It is the birthday of the Church, recalling the day when the Holy Spirit rushed into the lives of the disciples. The old has passed away, and with the care and feeding of the Holy Spirit, the Church burst into existence at Pentecost. This year, Pentecost will be celebrated on Sunday, May 11th. You will find the church decked out with beautiful red streamers, signifying the “tongues of fire” that lit upon the heads of the disciples at the beginning of the second chapter of Acts. In Italy, rose petals are released from the ceilings of churches at Pentecost, to symbolize this descent of fire – and the Spirit. In other countries, such as Poland and Slovakia, houses and churches are covered with green branches, and clergy wear green vestments to symbolize new growth. A new chance at life! It is not unlike what our yards and gardens are doing now: the old leaves have fallen and blown away, a period of lying fallow occurred, and now? Just hang on! All things are being reborn – fresh and new!

As you enter this season of freshness and re-birth, as you rejoice in the return of Spring after what was a long snowy winter, pay close attention to what the Holy Spirit of God may be doing in your life. What is the Spirit asking you to do or be for God and for the world?

Our Senior Warden, Bo Smith, has asked me to write this month's Warden's Report for the Newsletter. I am delighted to be able to do so and hope to be writing many more of them over the next two years. And, in the same breath, I wish to thank you for affording me the opportunity to serve this congregation. I will do my best to justify your confidence in me. I do, however, need your help. I have been coming to SCEC for only a couple of years and I don't know many of you. While I have no fear of speaking to a group of hundreds, (I am a retired teacher, after all) I am a pretty shy person and find it very difficult to approach someone that I don't already know. Yet I am supposed to be your "elected representative to the Priest". So I will have to ask you to take on a part of the responsibility. If there is anything that you wish to communicate to Fr. Bill or the Vestry; a suggestion, concern, question, or whatever, and you don't quite know where to take it, please contact me.(630)232-1132, <cccampbell38@gmail.com> Help me to be effective as a Warden.

Speaking of help, at the Annual Meeting in January Bo asked me to take on the responsibility of the supplementary pledge drive. Having been through this several times at other churches, my first thought was: "Can I just resign now, please?". I can't tell you how surprised and delighted I have been at all of the help that came forward and all of the work that so many put into what turned out to be a very successful effort. I know that Bo thanked everyone last month but I feel the need to add: Thanks to all the Vestry members who personally called every member of the church, to invite them to participate in a "Stewardship Gathering". (Not one of them has since expressed any interest in becoming a telemarketer).They all also attended at least one gathering themselves to act as a recorder. Thanks to all who served as Presenters (Kristen Balisi, Alan Wolf, Sharon Miller, and Gina Ingraham) and to those who held a gathering at their homes (the Ditches, the Hattans, the Mugges, the Kochs), and to the Bangs for hosting the big gathering at the church. But, of course, the most thanks goes to all of you who were able to assist us with your ideas, suggestions, and, of course, made it possible in these difficult times for us to balance our budget. This has been a wonderful experience. (I hereby withdraw my request to resign.)

And speaking of wonderful experiences, on April 19 a group of us attended the day-long Chicago Diocese " Leadership and Ministry Fair". Bo Smith, Henry Mora, Kathy Heikkinen, and I represented the Vestry, Fr. Bill and Deacon Liz attended, as did Katherine Williams and Steve Timms. Between us we attended more than twenty workshops on such topics as: A Warden Workshop; Small, Strong Congregations; Ten Commandments of Canon Law for Vestries and Clergy; and Conflict Resolution (just in case we ever have one). In truth, they were a lot more interesting than they sound, and we know that what we learned will help us to serve you better.

The most exciting part of the day was the speech/sermon given by our new bishop, The Right Rev. Jeff Lee. He is dynamic, insightful, charming, and funny. I can't wait till he is able to join us at SCEC for a service. I am sure that you will enjoy meeting him.

Finally, we are in the process of compiling all of the observations and suggestions that you offered at the Stewardship Gatherings. We will have a report on these, in addition to the results of our own Vestry goal setting workshop, in next month's newsletter.

Until then, if we don't know each other, please introduce yourself. And stay in touch. Communication is the foundation for a healthy organization and it is a two-way street.

Respectfully submitted,
Colin C. Campbell
Jr. Warden

Did you know that there is a binder full of all our Prayer Concerns that gets updated weekly? Ever wondered who

we are praying for and why? Did you miss a week and wonder why someone was on the healing list?

On the table below the Prayer Board there is a white binder full of the names of the people we have been praying for in the Prayers of the People. When you take home your Pulse you can pray for them. And you can find out what specific prayers are needed and by looking in the binder.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Our Middlers class (5^th & 6^th graders) learns about world religions as a part of their curriculum each year. On April 20^th they took a field trip to the BAPS Center in Bartlett. BAPS is a Hindu sect, and their cultural and worship center is located on Rt. 59 between North Av. and Army Trail Rd.

“When we arrived, we were instructed to remove our shoes (as do all visitors to the temple). We had wonderful hosts who patiently and reverently explained to us the stories of their faith and temple with its truly magnificent carvings in teak, limestone, sandstone and marble. Created entirely according to ancient Hindu architectural manuscripts known as the Shilpa-Shastras and meeting all the modern regulations of today, it was constructed in 16 months starting from the day its first stone was laid. Limestone from Turkey and marble from Italy were shipped to India and carved along with Makrana marble from India. No metal was used in the construction of the temple – all of the pieces are fitted together like Legos.

The members of Shri Swaminarayan worship one Supreme Being and feel that the god is manifested in many forms throughout the ages. They pray for peace, purity, enlightenment and inspiration. The interior of the temple reflected this quest for peace and tranquility. One student said that he “loved this place, it’s so serene” – and indeed it was..

At the end of our tour, we were allowed to observe a Rajbhog Arti, or ritual prayer. This practice of sung prayers takes place in front of the Murti, or sacred images of God and the Saints. At the conclusion of the prayers, everyone was invited to “put fire on their heads” (as one student put it). Actually, a sacred flame is presented and participants can ‘wash’ themselves (wave their hands over the flame, then over their head) to signify that at the end of the prayers, they are now ‘clean’. We were also invited to participate in a ritual where you pour water over a golden statue of Shri Swaminarayan while saying prayers for our loved ones (I was very touched by the way our tour guide said blessings over us while we were pouring the water).

As we were driving home we talked about the fact that we noticed many more similarities between Christianity and Hinduism than we thought there would be. This was one lesson everyone enjoyed!”

If you think you’d like to visit the Mandir, their visiting hours are 9am to 7pm daily.

Mark your calendars now for the St. Charles Singers concert in June - “Just as the Tide Was Flowing”. The program will include various folk songs from around the world, including their premiere of Henryk Gorecki’s “Broad Waters” – sung in Polish. Performances are Saturday, June 7th at 7:30pm at Baker Memorial Church in St. Charles and Sunday, June 8th at St. Michael Church in Wheaton. Tickets range in price from $10 for students to $35 for preferred seating. Tickets are available from Town House Books, by calling 630-513-5272 or online at www.StCharlesSingers.com.

If you had a leaky faucet, you would you fix it? Did you know that many of your appliances leak electric power even when turned off? The problem is that electrical leaks are not obvious; you can't see them. However, there are small, inexpensive ($20 and up), plug-in meters that can help you identify which appliances are the biggest offenders. Two of these are the "Kill-a-Watt and the "Watts Up" meters. The meters plug into the wall, similar to an electric timer, then you plug the appliances you wish to monitor into the meter.

One practical solution: once you have identified sources of leaks, put them on a power strip with a built-in switch so you can turn them off COMPLETELY when not in use. You can also make more energy-conscious decisions about current and future appliances if you understand how they are likely to be wasteful with energy.

On Saturday May 17, 2008 Troop 25 will celebrate its 50^th anniversary. The event will be held 12:00-5:00 pm on the south lawn of the church. Plans are underway for this event and various activities are scheduled including a Pig Roast and a guest speaker.

If you would like to attend this event, please contact Bill Johnson at 630-584-6941. If you would like to support our wonderful Troop by assisting with lunch by donating food or helping prepare the food, contact Ellen Johnson at 630-208-1807 or johnsoned@ameritech.net

Our Music Director, Dan Williams, would love to add you, or your child, as one of his students. Dan has taught piano, trumpet and voice lessons and is looking to expand his schedule. His availability is very flexible, and he teaches from his home, the Rectory behind the church. Lessons are usually 30 minutes and can be arranged by calling his office 630-584-2596 ext.13 or his cell phone 630-885-9934.

Do you enjoy reading this newsletter? Ever think, “Gee, it might be fun to do something like that.” We’re looking for someone who has a passion for the written word who feels drawn to the ministry of communication through the newsletter.

Liz Ryan has been “editing & publishing” the newsletter for the last few months, but would like to be able to “share the fun”. She has been receiving articles via e-mail (or drop off), formatting and printing the Newsletter once a month. All that is needed is a computer and some word processing skills and Liz would be happy to train her successor.

The newsletter can even be put together “off site” with an internet connection and e-mail. The new editor would need to be available for several days during the week prior to the last Sunday of the month. If you would like more information or if you KNOW you are called to this ministry, contact Liz in the church office at 630-584-2596.

The Purple Atrium (preschool) is finishing up the year with stories of Jesus’ ministry.

The Blue Atrium( 2^nd - 4^th gr.) continues to explore our wonderful Book of Common Prayer.

The kids in the Middlers class (5^th & 6^th gr.)are working on caring for creation and what that means to them.

The Jr. High ( 7^th & 8^th gr.) will be starting May by serving at the 10:45 service on Youth Sunday and then continue their study of what the Spirit of God is saying to us through the scriptures.

May 6 (Tuesday) – Sr. High Parents’ meeting 7pm to discuss Pilgrimage and Mission Trip details. (Parents of upcoming freshman are invited as well.)

Jun. 1– Formation Sunday! All children and youth are invited to be part of a formal blessing at the 9:00am service which will be held under the tent on the south lawn of the church. We’ll picnic and party after the service. Members of the Sr. High who will participating in the Mission Trip will be “commissioned” for this ministry at this service.

Jun. 9-14 (Monday through Saturday) – “Mission in the Mountains”! The Sr. High group will be in Prestonsburg, KY. Please keep them in your prayers.

Aug.4-8 (Monday through Friday) – Bibletimes -Disciples Today! This program is for children from 4 years through 5^th grade and is our version of a vacation bible school. Bibletimes is a cooperative effort with Bethlehem Lutheran church where it is held. Register NOW! Forms are on the bulletin board in Ludtke Hall. Lots of staff opportunities for kids entering 7^th grade in the fall through adults. See Liz Ryan for further information.

There all sorts of opportunities to share your skills with the children of this parish and the community during our annual summertime program, Bibletimes. The theme this year is “Disciples Today”. Bibletimes will be “open” August 4^th through the 8^th. If your gift is working with a small group of children - we could use your help as a “Small Group Leader”. You would assist a group of approximately 9 or 10 children of varied ages as they learn the way to be a disciple today. Praying together, making bread, discussing ways they can act, as well as encouraging them to try arts & crafts related to the scripture of the day at the Bibletimes Tent.

If you are gifted at arts & crafts, there are many places where your skills could be used. We will need at least 75 adults to run this program. Any help you can give, be it one day or five, will be appreciated. Volunteer and registration forms are on the bulletin board in Ludtke Hall. See Liz Ryan for more information.

Help Wanted:

Mature, dependable, faith-filled adult who has a willing heart, a sense of humor and a love of children, to work in Jr. High Formation class. No Experience necessary. Short hours, great benefits! Contact Liz Ryan any time 630-584-2596 or by e-mail scecyouth@sbcglobal.net

Christy Becker had been thinking about ordering a beautiful quilt from LLBean for months. Wouldn't you have thought that she would have checked the gift card list to see if LLBean gift cards were available? Finally, last Saturday, she ordered the quilt and used her credit card. On Sunday, she was purchasing some gift cards and to her great dismay, she discovered that LLBean is part of the program and they give 15%. Christy could have earned $30.00 for SCEC with her purchase of the quilt and pillow shams. She will work off her guilt by always remembering to check the list before she makes any big purchases, buy an LLBean gift card and buy the dust ruffle, and share this story with you in case you want to check out the quilts (or shorts or tee shirts or whatever) at LLBean--a great 15% donator--and to remind you to always check out the list and purchase these gift cards. So far, St. Charles Episcopal Church has received over $ , thanks to your everyday purchases of groceries, gas, books, and coffee. Please don't forget us if you decide to buy a neat piece of furniture at the Pottery Barn, a GPS system at Staples, or a computer at Best Buy. And, thank you all for your continued support!

The Communication Committee invites you to communicate with us! We all try to do our best to keep up with our fellow parishioners and the events in their lives. Sometimes we just don’t hear things until long after something important has happened. If you are sick, going to have surgery, have had a death in the family or have an event coming up (ie. Graduations, weddings, babies) we’d love to know so we can share that information with Fr. Bill, and when appropriate, the congregation! Please don’t assume that we already know, we’d rather hear four times that your daughter is having a baby or that you are having an operation next week, than not at all. Just contact the Church office at 630.584.2596 or scecoffice@sbcglobal.net .

World Relief Benefit - May 2nd 6:30 - 9:00 p.m., Community Fellowship Church, 28W240 North Avenue,West Chicago. Join World Relief for a celebration of hope and healing as former Ethiopian refugee Mawi Asgedom shares about his remarkable journey from a refugee camp in Sudan to Harvard University. The evening will also include performances from ethnic communities, dessert, a silent auction and an opportunity to donate to WR Du Page / Aurora. To RSVP or to learn more please see the fliers on the information table and/or contact Barry Cottrell via email at cottrellb@sbcglobal.net.

New Ministry to Refugees and Immigrants - Information & Awareness Meeting May 10th , 10:00 to 12:00 pm at our church. World Relief is an organization dedicated to helping refugees and immigrants and is one of the largest national organizations involved in this work. There are many such people in the Fox Valley in need of our help. World Relief offers our community opportunities for ministry, including provision of home goods, ESL volunteers, friendship partners, hosting the newly arrived, transportation, family counseling and many others. In order to introduce the organization and its work, and to tell us about the opportunities for ministry, we are hosting an information and awareness meeting at our church on May 10th, 10:00 - 12:00 pm . The meeting will include members of other churches in the Fox Valley who are also interested in working with World Relief. Those interested in attending please contact

Very soon many of us will be receiving a “gift” from the Federal government, a tax rebate. As a way to make this gift benefit more than just your immediate family, the Vestry would like to make this suggestion: why not donate a portion of your rebate to St. Charles’ Episcopal Church?

The Vestry was notified of two recent donations that have been given as a matching challenge. For every dollar received, one dollar would be donated to the church. The challenge is $6000, which could yield us $12,000!

The challenge grant has been designated for exterior maintenance (paint and gutter repair) plus ten percent of the donation will be designated for our ministry in the Sudan. What an ideal opportunity to make your tax rebate work for both the local and world community!

The gift you choose to make should include a “Challenge Grant” notation so the success of the challenge can be monitored. Donations can be made at any time, but must be received by July 1, 2008.

It isn’t often that the opportunity to be generous is this easy. Don’t miss it!

The prayer shawl ministry will meet at 6:00 pm on Thursday, May 1 before the Ascension Day service at 7:30 pm. Our next morning gathering will be Tuesday, May 20 at 10:00 am.

At our last gathering we blessed three shawls. We ask you to join us in our prayers: for Jimmy as he recovers from his brain injury and coma at Marion Joy; for Gisela, Liz Engel's friend who just lost her husband; for Fred, Mary Zupke's cousin after the death of his father (Mary's uncle).

Our Prayer Shawl group also sent 11 shawls with Deacon Liz when she went to NIU after the shooting at the university on February 14^th. They were to be given to Campus Ministry leaders to be given out to those who needed them.

Liz Engel and Christy Becker are creating afghans for two students at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (Nate's college of 2000 students). In the past few months, there have been three tragic accidents involving students at Rose. On 2/22, Drew Christy was on his way home at the end of finals week. He hit a patch of black ice and has been in a coma since then.

On 4/5, Adam Effinger and Nicholas Lee (RIP) were in an accident. Adam is in a coma.

On 4/8, Brandon Couch (RIP) was on his way to work. For more information about these young men go to www.rose-hulman.edu and click on athletics.

From Christy Becker: “I am knitting a blanket in Rose-Hulman colors for Drew. I feel very close to Drew and his family, as I knit and pray for him. But, it is a gift for me to read the bible verses and reflections that his mom posts each day. As we pray for Drew's full recovery, I ponder the difference we can make not only as prayer warriors for him, but by living our lives differently because we have crossed paths with Drew. I wanted to share this e-mail message with you.”

Hi my name is Lana Schimpf. I am Debbi's mom and Drew's grandma, (Memee). I was so touched by your guestbook post I just wanted to drop you a line. Thank you so much for your prayers for Drew. I can just picture you knitting and praying for Drew. What a beautiful picture to have in my mind. May the Lord richly bless and keep you. In Christ I am,

If you would like to be a part of this ministry please come to our next meeting. You can even learn to knit or crochet!

On Tuesday, May 13, 2008, you are invited to participate in a day-long vigil at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva. The sanctuary of the church will be open from 7 AM until 10 PM for members of the community to come together throughout the day and evening for times of silence, quiet music, spoken prayers and readings and reflections, to write their own words in a Prayers for Peace book and perhaps on a Peace Banner, to light Witness Candles, and generally share in a community expression of the longing for a world of compassion and justice and true, respectful peace. Everyone is invited to stop in at any time during the vigil’s 15 hours for as long or as brief a visit as is right for them.

This observance is meant to be a broad and non-politically-partisan day of witness, not an opportunity to place blame or worsen the divisions of our society. We’re including everything from the suffering in the Middle East to the heartbreak of Darfur to the shootings of Chicago high schoolers and NIU geology students – everything that does violence to the spirit of peace and the spirit of connectedness that should be holding the human family together.

If you would like to be a more active participant who would like to offer appropriate readings or reflections or prayers from your faith tradition, please contact The Rev. Dr. Lindsey Bates at 630-232-2350 x 222.

1. When you clasp your hands in prayer, your thumb is closest to you. So begin your prayer by remembering those closest to you -- your children, parents, friends, and other loved ones.

2. The pointing finger is next. Pray for those who point the way for us: our teachers, ministers, mentors, and others who help us learn. Ask God to give them wisdom and courage to guide others in His truth and in His way.

3. The middle finger is the tallest one, reminding us to pray for our leaders in government, in business, and in our schools and churches. Ask God to help them heed His ways as they shape our nation and make decisions that affect all of us.

4. The ring finger is next. You might not realize it, but this finger, not the pinkie, is your weakest finger. Let it remind you to pray for those who are weak or sick or in trouble. Ask God to show them that they are weak but He is strong.

5. Then comes the smallest finger of all. This littlest finger reminds us that we are to put others before ourselves even in prayer. By the time you have prayed for the needs of all four other groups of people -- your loved ones, your teachers, your leaders, and those in who are sick or in trouble, your own needs will probably seem much less important. The little finger reminds us to pray for ourselves -- and to hold to the Bible's promise that "the least shall be the greatest among you."

And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘‘See, I am making all things new.’’ Also he said, ‘‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’’ Revelation 21.5