Ivanhoe News 1

Ivanhoe News

Volume 177, Issue 23 January 2016

Thank You! “I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you” (Philippians 1:3-4). The generosity of the people of Ivanhoe Church is in-spiring. In all aspects of our ministry together, you always go above and beyond. But, as I received a Christmas gift from you, once again I say, “Thank you!” from me and my family to you and yours. With Gratitude, Pastor Kris

“It is not over, this birthing. There are always new skies into which God can throw stars. When we begin to think that we can predict the Advent of God, that we can box the Christ in a stable in Bethlehem, that's just the time that God will be born in a place we can't imagine and won't believe. Those who wait for God watch with their hearts and not their eyes, listening, always listening, for angel words."

Ann Weems

Adult Education Study – Coming Soon For Lent – February 2016

Painting the Stars

"Mystery is a condition of awe, of resting precisely in an unknowing, long enough for the silence to have its way with us. The goal of this curriculum is to cre-ate some space for us to inhabit this mystery more deeply, and explore the relationship between sci-ence, particularly evolution, and religion. Perhaps most importantly, the hope is that each participant will feel from the inside what it is like to be the pres-ence of all this creativity showing up after 13.7 bil-lion years as him or her. Without this felt sense of being one with the creative process that is ceaseless-ly animating life, the conversation will remain objec-tive and academic. We invite you to engage these seven weeks with an awareness that you are not separate from the creativity that produced you." -- Bruce Sanguin, Author of Participant Reader

Mark your Calendar / Upcoming Events Sunday, January 31, 5:30pm = Chili Cook-Off (Donations go to Back Bay Mission – Adult Trip to Biloxi = April 3-9 ) Sunday, January 31 = Souper Bowl of Caring Wednesday, February 10 =, Ash Wednesday “Drive Thru” = 7-8am + simple service @ Noon

Ivanhoe News 2

Board of Deacons Ken Flaks/Ken Kelting, Co-Chairs Our Journey of Hope Continues Our Journey of Hope Training Program will resume in January. A make-up session for those who could not at-tend session one in November will be held on Wednes-day, January 13, at 7:00. The program will then resume with session two on Wednesday, January 20, at 7:00. Both sessions will be in the Fellowship Hall and will last about one and one-half to two hours. Our Journey of Hope Program consists of a series of training sessions designed to give participants the tools, training and support to raise up cancer care ministries in churches and communities. The sessions are designed to equip and empower attendees to effectively minister to people dealing with cancer and other diseases as well as support for caregivers. The program design includes vid-eo presentations, discussions of the video and oth-er pertinent issues that many have experienced.

If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Kris or Ken Kelting.

Thank you to the Thompsons for hosting the meal after Caroling. Thank you to all the carolers for sharing in the celebration.

Men’s Social Club Luncheon

The Men's Social Group lunch will be held at 11:30 am on Tuesday, January 19, at Crossroads of Ivanhoe, just east of the church. Please contact Ken Kelting with any ques-

tions or if you need transportation.

Ecclesiastical Council for Scott Cunningham

On Sunday, January 31st at 3:00pm, The Fox Valley Association

will be holding an Ecclesiastical Council at First Congregational UCC, 461 Pierson Street,

Crystal Lake, IL 60014 for Scott Cunningham.

Board of Trustees Peter Fruehan, Chair Submitted by Robert Money

We would like to take this opportunity to express our thanks and appreciation for a wonderful year! Each member of this congregation has gifts and abilities that have strengthened the mission and ministry of Ivanhoe Congregational Church.

For all of your time, effort, hard work, and pray-ers, please accept the thanks and appreciation of the Board of Trustees. It is truly a blessing to be a member of this congregation.

We wish everyone a happy and blessed New Year!

This is the day that God has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!

News from Your Mundelein Cooperative Preschool

Representatives from the Preschool, the Church’s Board of Trustees, and Pastor Kris met together in November to explore ways to create closer relationships between the church and school. One outcome of this meeting is you will occasionally see what we are up to in your church newsletter. December is busy with holiday preparations. While typing this I heard one of the children in the other room, “We need to get Jesus a present, his birthday is coming up.” We will also visit the Marriott Theatre to see Seussical, the Musical. In preparation, children have been hearing Dr. Seuss books and doing projects based on his books.

In January, we are starting a new class, open to any three, four, or five year old. Children can attend Tuesday and/or Thursday afternoon. The class will focus on Math & Science skills, presented through hands-on- learning. In the words of Dr. Seuss, “We will have lots of good fun that is funny,” as we stretch our learning. Call the preschool at 847-949-1899 or email Carol at clboycepreschool@yahoo.com for more information.

Ivanhoe News 3

Christmas Gifts for Children of Avon Township

Senior Choir December 20, 2015

Caroling

2015 Ivanhoe Youth Christmas Pageant

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Action Auction 2016

The Action Auction will be held on Sunday, Febru-ary 28. This event has been a fundraiser (and “fun-raiser”) for many years at Ivanhoe. The donations, volunteer work and generosity of our members make this a successful event.

The day begins with our worship service and spe-cial music for the Lenten season. After the service the following takes place:

Silent Auction in Fellowship Hall 11:00 to 11:45 Luncheon in Fellowship Hall 11:45 to 12:45 Live Auction in Sanctuary 12:45 until auction is

complete

In the Fellowship Hall, you will find a table where you can pick up your "personal auction paddle”. Your paddle is used for the Live Auction and the paddle number is used for bidding on Silent Auction items.

Donations for the Silent Auction should be new items. Past offerings have included gift baskets, home decorations, garden tools, handcrafted items and toys for children. If you have donations for the Silent Auction, please arrange to have them at the church no later than 10:00 am on Saturday, Febru-ary 27. You can put them in the library. Please make certain that you have provided the donor name with your donations.

The Luncheon is a potluck meal coordinated by the Auction Committee. A sign-up sheet will be posted in Fellowship Hall in early February.

The Live Auction will be held in the sanctuary. Donations for this event in the past have ranged from: theme lunches/dinners/breakfasts at mem-ber's homes or restaurants, gift cards, tours of area museums, pies, cakes, large or special craft items, theater tickets, Cubs tickets, or home theater or Ivanhoe screen movies. This auction is always a fun event and no one is too shy to bid. If you are donat-ing for this auction, you will be asked to fill out a form and give your information to Keith or Diane Temby no later than Sunday, February 14, so that the programs can be printed in time for you to take home and review on February 21. Last minute items are always welcome.

If you are unable to attend the auction, just select those items you wish to bid on and a budget maxi-mum, then ask a church member to bid for you. You will be billed for your Action Auction purchases, so no need to bring your checkbook.

If you have any questions, please contact Mary Lou Beals, Dennis Beals, Lee Dickinson, Diane Temby, Keith Temby, Sherri Kelting or Ken Kelting.

MLK Day For a number of years, St. Peter UCC in Lake Zurich

has held an exciting and vital Martin Luther King Celebration on MLK Day – this year, January 18 at

10:00am – 12:00pm. All are invited!

Wauconda FBLA Presents…..

MEALS FOR ALL Dinner is sponsored by the Moose Lodge of Wauconda

Dinner includes: Homemade soup, chili, salad & rolls

Dessert includes a variety of flavored cheese cakes and is sponsored by the WHS – NHS

Organization Wednesday, January 13

$1 4:30-6:30pm $1 Dinner is located at the Moose Lodge

We will have the WHS band quartet playing!

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Board of Christian Education Sandee Dwire, Director

Thank You! The Board of Christian Education would like to thank the congregation for helping make this year's Cookie Walk and Raffle a huge success. Your generous donation of cookies and your purchasing of boxes of cookies and raffle tickets provide the financial support for many of our CE programs throughout the year. A special thank you to Lisa Shirley who turned our student's artwork into a beautiful "star of wonder," and congratulations to Zelma Dunn, this year's raffle win-ner!

Ivanhoe Book Club

After taking a break through the fall and Advent sea-sons, the Ivanhoe Book Club would like to start up again, and we are looking for new members. If you like to read and are interested in being part of this group, please contact Sandee Dwire at sdwire@hotmail.com. The book club meets four times a year and chooses books from a wide range of genre. It's a great way to be in fellowship with other book lovers!

Women’s Guild

For all Ivanhoe women The January meeting offers another opportunity to sup-

port the Home of the Sparrow: We will make fleece blankets to help take the chill out of winter for women and children in need. Meet on 1/16/16 in the church

hall at 9:30am - refreshments included!

Wellness Ministry Traci Smith Happy New Year! We hope none of you are stressing about your New Year’s resolutions – remember, just 20 minutes of activity a day like walking can be a simple step toward a happier, healthier you! Mark your calendars, our kickoff workshop for 2016 will teach us tips & tricks to help relieve a common issue many of us share: Get Out of Lower Back Pain! January 25, 2016, 7 pm Allison Wilmes, an experienced holistic movement therapist, will teach us easy, effective and gentle move-ments to release lower back tightness and pain. You'll learn how to sit correctly to avoid pulling on your back muscles, how to retrain your brain to connect with your muscles, and how to add a few simple movements to your daily activities that don't take a lot of time. It sounds too good to be true but it works like a charm; feel it for yourself! If you have suggestions for additional topics you would

like to see in 2016, please email Traci Smith at tlynnuscell@gmail.com.

Happy January Birthdays

Anne Tinsley January 3 Peter Ogilvie January 7 Jim McCormick January 10 Robert Money January 13 Susan Nicholson January 14 Jamie Pogue January 17 Liz Johnson January 18 Mark Kakenmaster January 23 Shirley Kostas January 24 Dillon Schaap January 28 Kathleen Gruebele January 31

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Historian's Corner Steve Schmidt Maybe you heard there was a “War on Christmas” on coffee cups. But modern concerns about a war on Christmas are hardly new, writes Carl Philipp Emanuel Nothaft: In fact, the first war on Christmas occurred in the 16th century. December 25th came into popularity in the 8th century, when the Venerable Bede, an English monk, used the date of the winter solstice as Christ’s birthday. Bede formed his opinion using Latin sources that emphasized solstice symbolism, but also hinted that the birthday could have fallen earlier. The date remained uncontested until the Reformation during the 16th century, writes Nothaft. When scientists and chronologers took up the question, they tried linking together biblical events with the plausibility of things like a census being called during the rainy winter months. One scholar, Beroaldus, suggested that Christmas be moved to the autumnal equinox instead. “The debate over Jesus’s birth date was more than a sterile and technical question of historical chronology,” writes Nothaft. Anti-Catholic sentiment added fuel to the debate. Protestant theologians, struggling to separate themselves from Catholicism, attacked the Catholic calendar. Swiss theologian Rudolf Hospinian suggested that the Catholic church chose December 25th in order to convert the pagan Roman Saturnalian feast into a Catholic one. By attacking the historical basis of Christmas, Protestant theologians could challenge Catholic dogma and lay their own claim to religious practice. The argument culminated when the Puritan-led English Parliament banned the celebration of Christmas in 1647. Christmas was reinstated in 1660 when King Charles II was restored to the monarchy, but debates about how and when to celebrate it have continued throughout the centuries. (CARL PHILIPP EMANUEL NOTHAFT Journal of the History of Ideas, Vol. 72, No. 4 (October 2011), pp. 503-522 University of Pennsylvania Press)

Northern Illinois Food Bank

Full on Faith 2016

All congregations are invited to put faith into action by helping hungry neighbors during Full on Faith week at the Northern Illinois Food Bank! Sign up to volunteer in Park City during the week of February 22-27, 2016 and help the Food Bank fill all volunteer shifts with mem-bers of faith groups. The Food Bank supplies food to food pantries, soup kitchens, after school programs and more in its 13-county area. Volunteers at our three cen-ters make it possible to serve 71,000 neighbors in need each week We have made a reservation to volunteer on Tuesday, February 23, from 1-3:30pm at the Park City facility serving Lake County. Sign up at the coffee bar or talk to Ken Flaks. For more information;

www.SolveHungerToday.org/Full-On-Faith

FYI - Thanks to volunteers, partners, and donors, a gift of $1 provides $8 worth of groceries to neighbors in need in Northern Illinois.

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So every week (or almost every week) I got up went over to Grandma’s on Sunday mornings. I had a cup of coffee with her, read the comics. And then we would go to church together. “Judy and Julia” – I was told the al-literation made it easier to remember our names. I started to learn her favorite hymns, and I could tell which ones she remembered from her childhood: her voice would get louder, she wouldn’t need to look down at the hymnal, and she’d sing with a sort of bounce. Some of those hymns we are singing today. Church got a little harder when I went away to school. I took her whenever I came home for weekends or breaks, but all of a sudden there was a whole group of Ivanhoe people who were willing to pick Grandma up on the Sundays when I was away. This display of kind-ness and compassion, going out of their way to pick Grandma up on a Sunday morning, is something that my family and I appreciate deeply. It meant the world to her to keep going to the church. Those were true acts of friendship, and a testament to the kind of people we met here.

I watched as it became more difficult for her to flip the pages of the hymnal and sign her name in the at-tendance book. I think that was really frustrating for her. But Ivanhoe never left her behind. Visits from Pas-tor Kris and other church members kept her in the loop and always raised her spirits. How cool is it that some-thing as simple as joining the little white church on the hill could provide so much comfort and community? It makes me happy to see all of the people she loved so much in the same place, especially a place as beauti-ful and meaningful to Grandma as Ivanhoe. I think it’s a wonderful place to celebrate her life and love. But I want to say a special thank you to the Ivanhoe church, to all of the people who made this such a great community for my grandmother. Thank you for giving me a couple hours with my grandma every Sunday morning and for bringing “Judy and Julia” together in that way.

Judy and Julia

( These “Words of Remembrance” were shared by Julia Hart at the memorial service of her grandmother Judy Bubin on November 28, 2015.)

So I’m not one of Judy’s kids. I’m not even the oldest grandchild. I am the second of only five people on this earth allowed to call her Grandma Judy. And that’s a pret-ty special privilege. She was a cool grandma – there’s no denying it. I think Amy once had her listening to the Black Eyed Peas – “Where is the Love” was track 1 on a mix CD in Grandma’s Camry for a long time. Dan never failed to get her laugh-ing. Like my Mom said, she loved to laugh – loved to sur-round herself with people who would make her laugh. Corinne was the same way. She always knew how to calm her or distract her on a difficult Alzheimer’s day. And An-nie, all you have to do is look at some of these pictures to know that there’s a family resemblance there… But I had the privilege of joining this church with my Grandmother about 5-6 years ago when I was a senior in high school. I don’t think many granddaughters get to say that they joined a church with their grandmother at 18 years old… When Grandma moved to Grand Dominion in Mundelein (Grandparent Domination, as we called it), she told me that she would love to join a church again. She hadn’t been going for years, but having grown up in a United Church of Christ down in Hinsdale, she wanted to start going again. I said that I wouldn’t mind finding a regular church too. So we started shopping. We spent an entire summer “trying out” churches. Sun-day after Sunday, visiting a different worship service eve-ry week. Libertyville, Mundelein, Grayslake. There are some really lovely churches in Lake County. But Ivanhoe was different. I think we knew that immediately. The Church was beautiful, welcoming and bright. I re-member exactly where we were sitting on that first Sun-day. I loved the words “no matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.” And I think Grandma felt an instant connection to the United Church of Christ all over again. But the people really sold it. There was such a family presence at Ivanhoe - a small-er congregation with a strong sense of community – that it wasn’t a difficult decision after that first Sunday.

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 New Year’s Day

2

3 Worship

4

5 Knit & Crochet 1:30-3:30pm Board of Deacons 7:00pm

6

7 Choir 7:00pm

8 9 Men’s Service Club 8:30am

10 Worship

11

12 Knit & Crochet 1:30-3:30pm Board of Trustees 7:00pm

13

14 Choir 7:00pm

15 16 The Crib 6:00am Women’s Guild 9:30am

17 Worship

18 Martin Luther King Jr. Day

19 Men’s Social Group Knit & Crochet 1:30-3:30pm

20

21 Choir 7:00pm PADS

22

23

24 Worship ________________31 Worship

25 Wellness Workshop Get Out of Lower Back Pain! 7pm – 8pm

26 Knit & Crochet 1:30-3:30pm

27 28 Choir 7:00pm

29 30

JANUARY 2016 - Ivanhoe News