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February 2006
MARDI GRAS!
Saturday, February 25 is the date of our annual Parish Mardi Gras celebration. This is a time-honored tradition here at St. Charles', going back nearly a quarter century. While the festivities are different every year some of the traditions that don't change are the authentic Louisiana crawfish boil we start the evening with, followed by a sumptuous Cajun feast of red beans and rice, jambalaya, gumbo, French bread and fried chicken. Who knows, we may even have etouffe this year! Beignets and coffee from Café du Monde round out the menu. Twinkling lights, candles, Mardi Gras beads and doubloons transform Ludtke Hall into a Mardi Gras Krewe's ballroom, while Cajun, Dixieland, and Mardi Gras music provide a festive backdrop to the fellowship and fun. The highpoint is when we crown our annual Mardi Gras King and Queen, to reign until next year's festivities. How are they chosen you may ask? Well, you'll just have to be there to find out! You really don't want to miss this unique and fun pre-Lenten celebration. Information regarding tickets, etc. will be coming out in the Sunday bulletins this month. Do plan to attend!
From The Rector
February 2006
Disturb us, Lord, when we are too pleased with ourselves;
when our dreams have become true because we dreamed too small;
when we arrived safely because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess,
we have lost our thirst for the waters of life.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare boldly; to venture on wider seas
where storms show your mastery, not ours
where in losing sight of land we shall find the stars.
This we ask in the name of our captain, who is Jesus Christ. Amen.
I put this prayer, attributed to Sir Walter Drake, the great English Explorer and Seaman of the 16th Century, in the January newsletter two years ago as a way to remind us of who is in charge after a year of turmoil in the church. It is looking like 2006 will be another year of turmoil in the church as the National Church meets in General Convention in June to, among other things, elect our next Presiding Bishop. It is also looking like the liberal and conservative extremes of the church are gearing up for a knock down drag out fight over the future of the Episcopal Church. You will start seeing ever increasing arguments begin to spill out of the church publications and into the national and maybe even local press. This may put us in the place of answering questions from friends and family about our faith and our church.
If you are a normal person you probably have a position on this conflict in the church. Your position is probably at least a little different from the person sitting in the next pew. It may be quite a lot different. We in St. Charles’ Church have found a way to live together with these differences, I believe, because there is so much more that calls us together than separates us. The real dilemma in this issue is that people of deep and true faith, as well as intelligence and good scholarship, can come to two very different conclusions on the subject. That tells me that God must have more to say on the subject and we will have to be patient and listen. As part of that listening process I am preparing a lenten program where those who are interested can hear more about this thorny issue. It will stretch us. We will be venturing on wider seas. We will be better for it as we rely on God to “strengthen our fellowship that we will have the strength to do our part in the building up of your church.”
See you in Church!
Bill +
Pencil this date in your calendar...
A DAY TO ANTICIPATE – FEBRUARY 12
Do you know what important events have occurred on that date?
Lady Jane Grey who had claimed the throne of England for 9 days was beheaded for treason in 1554
Englishman James Oglethorpe founded the 13th and final American colony of Georgia in 1733
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the U.S., was born in 1809 in Kentucky
Charles Darwin, the English naturalist who documented evolution, was born on that day in 1809
The NAACP was founded in 1909
George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” premiered in New York City in 1924
Mattel, Inc. announced in 2004 the split of Barbie and Ken after 43 years of dating.
Do you know what important event WILL OCCUR on February 12, 2006?
A NEWCOMERS LUNCH will be served at noon at Saint Charles’ Episcopal Church!!
Come join us for soup and salad - as a Newcomer, a visitor or a long time member!
Sign up on the sheet in Ludtke Hall if you would like to attend. Please contact Liz Ryan for details.
What’s Up in Kids’ Formation?
Happy Groundhog Day!
The children in the Green Atrium are learning about love and faith from the Parables this month. The children in the Blue Atrium are studying the 23rd Psalm and hope to have it memorized by the end of the month!
The Middlers’ class have spent the month of January talking about Christian Responsibility and Hunger and what they can do while promoting their Annual Food Drive which concludes with the delivery of everything they have collected on February 11th just in time for Valentines’ Day.
The Jr. High did a great job on the Christmas Pageant!!! Who knew they were so talented?! Thanks for all your hard work gang including Jr. High leaders Lisa Parse and Sarah Travis as well as helpers Ali & Cory Blane. (Another thank you to all the kids from the other classes who participated.) They will spend most of February working on a study of the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
The High School is continuing their study of the Old Testament through the characters eyes. People are people no matter when they lived, and that’s an interesting way of looking at the Bible. Hope you ordered a sub to support their Annual Superbowl Subs fund raiser! They will make and deliver the subs on Sunday February 5th.
Announcements:
☺ Ludtke Scholarship Applications were distributed to graduating Seniors last month . They need to complete those applications and collect their letters of recommendation to be returned by the first Sunday in March.
☺ There will be NO FORMATION classes on Sunday January 29th . That is the day of the Annual Meeting. Youth 16 and up are encouraged to attend the meeting. Youth under 16 will be provided with activities including but not limited to: games, videos/dvds; arts & crafts; snacks; etc.
☺ It’s time to think about the summer. Are your children ready to think of Camp? Camp Chicago is held from July 2-July 21st with different age groups attending specific weeks. See Liz Ryan or the Diocesan Website for more information. www.epischicago.org
☺ Have you seen our new Episcopal t-shirt? They are still for sale for the reasonable price of $15 each and benefit the High School’s Mission/Pilgrimage Fund. See Liz Ryan any time.
Looking ahead...
➔February 5th - The Middlers will be serving on Youth Sunday at the 10:45am service. That’s also Boy Scout Sunday!
➔February 11th - The Middlers deliver the Food collected to the Salvation Army Food Bank.
➔February 15th - Early bird deadline for Camp Chicago (you can save $20!)
➔February 28th - Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper!
The Frederick N. Ludtke Scholarship
Applications are available for the Ludtke Scholarship. They may be obtained from the High School teaching leaders or Liz Ryan, Director of Youth & Children.
In 1985, to honor Father Ludtke, the first rector of St. Charles' Church, Jim Kelly, a former parishioner, established the Ludtke Scholarships. Each scholarship was $250 a year for four years, given annually to a graduating senior from the parish, as long as he or she remained a full-time student in a four-year college.
After Father Ludtke's death in 1992, Mr. Kelly discontinued funding the scholarships and the Ludtke family requested that they be continued with Ludtke memorial contributions. The scholarship became a one-time award of $500 to one person or $400 to each, if there were two or more scholars.
When Ludtke Memorial Funds were depleted, the vestry made the Ludtke Scholarship a line item in the annual operating budget of the church and increased the scholarship to $500 annually for four years.
The Scholarship is available to a graduating member of the Episcopal Church and is payable for four years as long as the student maintains full-time status as required by his or her college or university.
The Scholarship must be applied for with a letter from the applicant telling the selection committee why he or she is a good candidate for the Scholarship. Supporting letters of recommendation from a teacher and from an adult who is not a family member, a youth group leader or the rector are also
suggested.
A committee of at least the Rector, the vestry member responsible for Formation and one Youth Group leader will review applications to determine who will receive that year's Ludtke Scholarship.
Past scholarships have been awarded to (probably not a complete list and certainly not in chronological order): Carolyn Bachman, Lauren Hillard, David Miles, Melanie Glenn, Ben Hawley, Tupper Hillard, Colin Kaiser, Bing Koch, Chris Straley, Barton Koop, Elizabeth Barnes, Jason Mosshamer, Jessica Birk, Lisa Punch, Paul Heinemann, Brittany Hildebrand, Jessica Elfring, Ryan Thomson and Thomas Van Nortwick.
Ten years after receiving the Ludtke Scholarship, Melanie Glenn received a grant for her doctorate in aeronautical engineering. Shortly thereafter, we received a letter from Melanie that expressed her gratitude for the Ludtke Scholarship she received when she first went off to MIT. Enclosed was a
check for a "tithe" of the grant so others might continue to benefit as she had.
This year the scholarship recipient will be announced on Graduation Sunday, June 4, 2006. All interested graduating high school seniors should have their applications and letters into Liz Ryan or the church office by Sunday, March 5, 2006.
Happy Birthday to you...
3 Michaela McDaid
4 Kathy Kaiser
7 Gerald Mertes
8 Adam Lander
11 Diana Brown
12 Barbara Ross
12 Anna Weyman
12 Gary Meade
13 Marina Morrow
13 Derrick Englehart
15 Mike Zupke
16 Valda Hansen
16 George Hillard
16 Dave Kaiser
18 Susie Robinson
18 Betsy Birk
18 William Zupke
19 Kristen Balisi
22 Amy Schultze
22 Jack Heffron
22 Sandra Owen
24 Jack Kerr
25 Jerry Becker
26 Bill Nesbit
26 Elizabeth Madura
27 Michael Hansen
Happy Anniversary!
3 Jamie & Cathy Koch
4 Jim & Linda McGaan
10 Gary & Sally Punch
Soup Kitchen
Our parish, as always, responded with enthusiasm in providing Thanksgiving and Christmas party meals at the Trinity Church, Aurora, Soup Kitchen. Since we prepare and serve lunch on the fourth Thursday of the month throughout the year, we continue to look for volunteers.
We prepare the meal the Wednesday night beforehand, starting at 7pm and finishing by 8 or 8:30pm. Thursday morning we leave our church at 9:30am to transport the meal and serve it.
We are also looking for a “person in charge” for one month a year. That person selects the menu (we have many large-quantity casserole recipes on hand), sees that the ingredients are available on Wednesday night, and supervises the serving on Thursday.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to spend a day at the Soup Kitchen, you will find it a very special experience. Many people come in late morning for coffee and conversation, and stay for the noon Eucharist. They find the Trinity Church dining room a place where they are welcome, off the streets and out of the cold. We see that they are served a tasty, nutritious meal with a smile.
Come and join us. For more information contact Liz Ryan at the church, Barbara Ross or see the sign up sheet in Ludtke Hall.
7th Annual “Hunger Doesn’t End With The Holidays” Food Drive
The children of St. Charles’ Episcopal Church will conduct their 7th Annual “Hunger Doesn’t End With The Holidays” food drive to benefit the Tri-Cities Salvation Army Food Bank. The food drive will run from Sunday, January 8th through Friday, February 10th. Non-perishable food may be dropped off in designated boxes at Jewel Foods on Kirk & Rt 64 and the Blue Goose at S. 1st St. & Illinois St. in St. Charles or Dominick’s on Randall Rd. in Geneva as well as at St. Charles’ Episcopal Church, 994 N. Fifth Ave., St. Charles. For more information contact Aidan Manning.
Scrapbook Night
Do you have a lot of photos? Do you enjoy scrapbooking? Never tried it but want to see what it's all about? Join us for fellowship and fun at our first scrapbooking night on
Wednesday Feb 15th from 7 PM - 9:30 PM.
Bring your photos and your scrapbooking supplies. We'll determine future meeting times that night. Can't make it but interested or have questions? Contact Diana Scanlan at scanfam@core.com
Who’s Who in our church?
Dick and Gloria Babcock have been parishioners of St. Charles Episcopal Church since March 1988, having moved here from Deerfield. Gloria was an elementary school teacher in Palatine and Dick worked for a large bank in Chicago’s loop. He previously was in sales for Masonite Corp. and before that in the Navy (WWII and Korea). Dick’s interests include fly fishing, woodworking, and trying to keep up with their 14-year old grandson on the computer! They both enjoy classical music. Gloria served on the altar guild for a number of years and helped in the Atrium. She loves to read and is now an enthusiastic participant in EFM. Dick was the parish treasurer for several years and has done a number of woodworking jobs around the church, some in collaboration with Bill Johnson and Walker Bowman. Dick and Gloria have a few “small world” connections to other members of St. Charles. Dick was born in Evanston and was a parishioner of St. Luke’s from the cradle on. His uncle’s best boyhood friend was Niles Carpenter, an uncle of Liz Carpenter’s late husband. Niles Carpenter’s mother was a “matriarch” at St. Luke’s a century ago. Gloria grew up in the Beverly neighborhood in Chicago and she was a member of Mediator. She went to Sunday School with none other that our rector’s dad, Bill Nesbit Sr. Dick and Gloria both like living in the Fox Valley and they treasure their involvement with St. Charles Episcopal Church. They enjoy spending time with everyone from “The Rev. and Bev” down to the tiniest tots. Dick believes that he is one of the oldest men in the parish and has adapted a new goal, to live forever. So far, it’s working!
First Holy Communion Class
Children interested in learning about the Holy Eucharist and making their “First Communion” may join Fr. Bill Nesbit and Mrs. Liz Ryan for two evening classes and one Saturday. This is a good opportunity for children who have received Communion, but not been especially clear why we do it, or for children who up to this point have not been receiving Communion. The date of the celebration of “First Holy Communion” will be discussed at the first class. There is no age requirement for this class, however, it is an advantage if your child is reading. Please sign up on the sheet in Ludtke Hall to indicate your interest.
CONFIRMATION
Are you interested in receiving the sacrament of Confirmation?
Have you been Confirmed in another denomination but would like to be received into the Episcopal Church?
Sign up on the sheet in Ludtke Hall and Fr. Bill will contact you and discuss the steps you will need to take to be prepared for Confirmation. Note: Confirmations in the Diocese are Deanery-wide. The next scheduled Confirmation for our Deanery will be during the Easter season at St. John’s in Naperville.
Prayer Shawl Ministry
At all three services on December 19, a special prayer shawl was blessed. It was created for someone who has touched all our lives--our Deacon Liz. It was created for her in thanksgiving for all the joy she shares with us and for all the challenges of life that she has recently faced. All the members of the prayer shawl ministry were a part of its creation--the planning, the knitting and crocheting, the fringe and the prayers infusing the shawl with God's love and strength and support. The shawl passed through the praying hands of all in attendance on December 19 and given to Deacon Liz so she could be embraced in God's love and reminded of our love, too.
The Prayer Shawl ministry also accepted monetary donations for prayer shawl Christmas ornaments. Thank you for your generous support. Over $350.00 was collected to help cover the cost of yarn for many shawls, afghans and baby blankets.
We also thank you for requesting and giving prayers shawls to those near and dear to you. More than 115 shawls have now been blessed and delivered to people in need of healing or support or caring and those celebrating a great joy.
We currently have many on our waiting list. And, we don't want people to have to wait too long. If you would like to learn to knit, we really need you. If you can knit, but cannot make a meeting, we will give you yarn and a person to pray for.
St. Charles’ Mother’ Club
Snow Ball
Mark your calendars for Saturday February 11, from 6:30-midnight! The St. Charles Mothers' Club is hosting the "Snow Ball" a semi-formal fundraising event at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles. The event includes a festive 3-course dinner, dancing, entertainment and silent auction. A cash bar will also be available.
Proceeds from this event will benefit the St. Charles Mothers’ Club, a 501c3 non-profit organization serving St. Charles since 1924. Each year the St. Charles Mothers’ Club provides educational scholarships for moms, donates funds to provide free mammograms for uninsured and underinsured women, supports over 20 local families in need, provides breakfast bars for District 303 schools, and donates funds to various charities in the Tri-City area. Last year we donated over $24,000 to our community.
Reservations are required for the event and tickets are $40 per adult. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Sherry Costello scholarship fund, which provides scholarships to local mothers in financial need. For more information or tickets, call 217-MOMS.
The St. Charles Mothers’ Club, a non-profit 501c3 organization, was founded in 1924 by Dr. Edith Lowry to help new mothers in the community, and has a longstanding tradition of providing support and services to families and children.
VESTRY
Joe Ryan, Senior Warden
Ken Dunham, Junior Warden
2007 -- Bill Churchwell -- Sharon Miller -- Marina Morrow
2008 -- Christy Becker -- ***** -- Mary Zupke
2009 -- Mary Benjamin -- Linda Saxer -- Henry Mora -- Michelle Moore
*****as Ken Dunham has stepped up to Jr. Warden, his position will be filled by one of the incoming vestry members. The specific individual will be decided at the Vestry Retreat on Feb. 11, 2006.