Unintentional Hiatus :)

Sorry dear readers for another unintentional hiatus from blogging.

Last wednesday, I had the good fortune to go with the quilting group for an outing. We had lunch at the Stockholm Inn and then went to Anderson Japanese Gardens for a guided tour.

Click Here for the pictures from our day. :)

Amazing Bible Race...Week 7

So, week 7 is almost over, are you caught up on your readings? This week we exit from Exodus and enter Leviticus. Leviticus is one of the most difficult books in the bible to read because it has soooo much "law" and so many rules for worship and daily life. It's really easy to get bogged down in all of it, so don't get discouraged! Also, as you are reading, look carefully at the laws. Some of these laws are often quoted today as ones we should follow, yet others are not. How do you feel about that? Should the laws of leviticus be an "all or nothing" thing or should people get to pick and choose what rules they will follow? Should we follow any of them? Do these laws really apply to us today? Remember that these rules were written for people who had just come out of slavery in Egypt and were wandering in the desert. Think carefully about these questions as you read this week.

This weeks readings are:
Day 1: Leviticus 1-3
Day 2: Leviticus 4-7
Day 3: Leviticus 8-10
Day 4: Leviticus 11-12
Day 5: Leviticus 13-15

Keep up the great work on all your readings and quizzes!

Amazing Bible Race enters week 6!

We are halfway done with our first leg of the race as we make the turn into week 6!

This weeks readings are:

Day 1: Exodus 26-28
Day 2: Exodus 29-31
Day 3: Exodus 32-33
Day 4: Exodus 34-36
Day 5: Exodus 37-40

Please be sure you are keeping up with the readings! Take the time to get caught up now, so it doesn't get harder later!

TONIGHT IN PRIMETIME!!!

Primetime tonight is going to be great! Tonight Lowell Mathes will be presenting "Faith and Foreign policy" which is a class that challenges us as faith people in the ways we look at the world and the environment. He'll cover such things as "Just War" theory, hunger, healthcare, and global warming from a faith perspective. Lowell is an amazing man who knows so much! Come and see what you can learn!

Also tonight, the children continue with their choir practice and Disciples Survivor and the youth continue with the Amazing Bible Race! The Gospel of John Class continues as well.

Tonight's Schedule is as follows:

5:30 Gospel of John Class
6:00 Dinner
6:30 Kids Choir
6:30 Faith and Foreign Policy (in the Dining Room)
6:30 Youth (in the youth lounge)
7:15 Disciples Survivor

Have a great night...come to primetime!

Amazing Bible Race Week 5

We are into week 5 of the Amazing Bible Race and we are racing through the heart of Exodus. This week, we get the 10 commandments!

Here are this weeks readings:

Day 1: Exodus 15-16
Day 2: Exodus 17-19
Day 3: Exodus 20-21
Day 4: Exodus 22-23
Day 5: Exodus 24-25

Keep reading!

This Weekend at Courtstreet.

We had a really great weekend here at CSUMC, besides our 3 regular worship services, we were treated to a beautiful Taize style service on Sunday Night.

The youth were treated to a day pass at Coco Key Water Resort. Many thanks to Allen and Kay Pang for this treat! We had a great time!

Next Sunday, we will be celebrating World Communion Sunday. Please be sure to attend!

TONIGHT IN PRIMETIME!

Primetime is back in full swing here at CSUMC! We have an amazing year planned. Dinner begins at 6:00 pm and is $2.50 per person. at 6:30 programming begins.

5:30-6:15, 6:45-7:00: Gospel of John Class with Ray Rhoades.
6:00-6:30: Dinner
6:30-7:15: Children's Choir
6:30-8:00: Primetime Classes
6:30-8:00: Youth ABR and Homework Time in Balcony West
7:15-8:00: Disciples Survivor


Tonight we welcome Brian Doering who will be the Music Director for Children and Youth. Brian is a student at Rockford College and plays the violin (among many of his talents). He brings experience in working with children and youth and will certainly be an asset to our programs. Brian will be here on Sunday Afternoons and Wednesday Evenings. Welcome Brian!

Tonight's Classes:

Gospel of John: Presented by Ray Rhoads

Can the Bible be ‘good news’ for you and me today? Instead of just answering with a simple ‘yes’ – or maybe with ‘no’ – we will explore just how the Bible can have meaning for us today. The Gospel of John holds a fascination probably because of its distinctive style and content. We will explore that uniqueness as we seek meaning. In addition, we will explore contemporary theological interpretations to help us develop meaning for our lives. Regardless of your previous exposure to the Bible you are cordially invited to join others in the adventure.

Wildflower Folklore: Presented by Sharon Carmine.
Come learn the stories behind many of the beautiful flowers that bloom in our area. Presented by a Master Gardener, this class should be very informative

Disciples Survivor: Presented by Rev. Rebecca Butler
In the spirit of last year's succesful "Bible Idol" program, this year we tackle the followers of Jesus. We will be studying "the twelve" as well as the other people who followed Jesus during his ministry. This program is for elementary aged children and involves learning, games and crafts.

Amazing Bible Race enters Week 4 and tackles Exodus!

We've made it through our first book of the bible! Congratulations to all who are reading along! Be sure you are logging into The Amazing Bible Race to take your quizzews and post your activities.

This week we journey into Exodus where we will learn about Moses, Aaron, Miriam, Pharaoh, the Plagues, the 10 commandments and all sorts of great things!

The readings this week are:

Day 1: Exodus 1-4

Day 2: Exodus 5-7

Day 3: Exodus 8-10

Day 4: Exodus 11-12

Day 5: Exodus 13-14

Keep reading and keep racing!

Amazing Bible Race Week 3!

Week 3 of the Amazing Bible Race is our last week in the book of Genesis. The readings this week are as follows:

Day 1: Genesis 35-37

Day 2: Genesis 28-41

Day 3: Genesis 42-45

Day 4: Genesis 46-48

Day 5: Genesis 49-50

If you've seen or heard the musical "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" you will recognize this weeks stories. Think about how the "musical version" is different from the Bible version.

Be sure you're keeping up with your readings!

Support Crop Walk!

If you know me at all, you know that social justice concerns are a BIG DEAL to me. One of the ways I address these concerns is through my participation in Crop Walk. Crop walk is an effort by local communities to help stop hunger. Walks are held each year and have rasied millions of dollars for hunger relief. The program is administered through Church World Service, but it addresses hunger internationally, during international and national crises (Hurricane Katrina for example) and also in the local communities where the walks are held.If you know me, you know i don't usually do this on this blog, but i'm asking friends and regular readers to consider making a small donation. If you'd be interested in sponsoring my walk, even for just $1, i'd really really appreciate it. You can click here to make a secure online donation. Thank you!

~becca~

RALLY DAY and Open House

We held our first ever Open House on Saturday. While attendance was sparse, those who did come were treated to visits with the Rockford Fire Department, our police chief, various church and community organizations, and wonderful treats provided by the UMW. The youth presented one of their excellent puppet shows and we were treated to a concert by some members of our choirs.

We had a great time at our Rally Day celebration on Sunday. Although the weather was a little chilly, we were greatly warmed by the fellowship and worship we shared together outside on Court Street. It was quite an opportunity to get to worship out in nature!

The service started with a Processional Parade by our instrumentalists. They played I Will Enter His Gates. The Choir then shared an introit: A Jubilant Song. The scriptures for the day were 2 Corinthians 4: 7-11, 16-18 and John 12:24. Pastor Keith spoke about how our God is always picking up the pieces of our lives and doing something wonderful even in the face of adversity. He even broke a clay pot as an illustration! The Choir presented the anthem Total Praise and during the offertory, the Choir, Rejoice Ensemble, Children and Youth Choirs and insturments all performed a version of Jesus Loves Me.

The highlight of the service was the Benediction which included a release of butterflies. It was so beautiful to watch them flutter up toward the heavens. It was a great reminder of our duty to both Reach up! and Reach out!

Pictures will be online soon, please be sure to check back!

COME TO RALLY DAY!!!

Amazing Bible Race week 2!

So...we are continuing our adventure through the greatest story ever told! While some of our team is still lagging behind on the quizzes and such, we are all doing a good job of doing the readings! Keep up the good work!

THis weeks readings are as follows:

Day 1: Genesis 16-19

Day 2: Genesis 20-23

Day 3: Genesis 24-26

Day 4: Genesis 27-30

Day 5: Genesis 31-34

Be sure to pay extra close attention to the story about Ishmael. I'll have some questions for you about that story.

Also, be sure you read carefully about Dinah. Her story doesn't get told very often and it has some important lessons.

We only have one more week in Genesis! Keep up the good work!

And the Race BEGINS!!!!

We've started our race! The youth here at CSUMC have started the Amazing Bible Race which is a two year adventure to read the whole bible, take quizzes, and race against other youth from all over the United States.

We've started our journey in Genesis...where else to begin but at the beginning? For those who want to follow along, or if you're part of the race and haven't gotten your book yet, here are this weeks readings:

Day 1: Genesis 1-2
Day 2: Genesis 3-5
Day 3: Genesis 6-9
Day 4: Genesis 10-11
Day 5: Genesis 12-15

A few things to look out for:

Remember that more than one group of people put together the stories in Genesis. Remember that the word for God tells you which group did the writing. The sources of the Old Testament are called "JEPD" and you can find more information by clicking here.

You might also want to check out the ABR site for more information on the Bible, the Old Testament, and the way the whole thing came together.

Be sure you're keeping a list of questions you might have so when we get together on Sundays and Wednesdays we can catch up and talk about things. This sunday we'll be doing a modified version of a labryinth for the Fast Forward on "Day 5". See you then!

"Open our Hearts" Hymn

We have been singing different verses of this hymn each week. The Hymn is "Open My Eyes, That I May See" Words and music by Clara H. Scott. The following are new words/revised words to that hymn to reflect the "Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors" Theme we have been following for the past 3 weeks. Words by Rev. Rebecca Butler (that's me)!

Open our hearts
That we may do
All of the work
You ask us to
Give us the power
To share and to give
That we may help
Our world to live

Open our minds
To understand
All of the blessings
You have planned
And while we learn
To welcome and love
Send us your grace
From up above

Open our doors
That we may share
All of the gifts
You have us bear
Show us your love
And give us the way
To share with the world
Your hope and grace

Refrain:
Silently now we wait for you
Ready our God your will to do
Open our _____ * and make us new
Spirit Divine.

* (hearts, minds, doors depending on verse)

Open Doors...

Today we finished the series on Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors. The final sermon can be found here.

During the children's sermon today, I asked the children, "What kind of church is this?" I was expecting "We don't know" or "United Methodist" as a response. The response I got was much more meaningful. Carter Anderson's answer was, "My church". What a blessing that response is! A 3-year old child KNOWS that CSUMC is HIS church. Can you say the same?

Open Minds

Today we continue our series on Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors.

Open Minds

What do you think it means to have an open mind?
How have you not been open minded?
What are some ways you will work to be more open minded?

Comment here or drop me a link to your blog!

Our Newest member:

Meet our newest member!

Say hello to "Wesley" the groundhog. Named by Georgalee George and admired by many, Wesley has been digging up the ground around the front of our chruch. We are hoping that he chooses to move on, but should he not, we will be humanely taking him to a new home soon. Until then, say hello to Wesley when you drive by!

Open Hearts...

For the next 3 weeks, we will be discussing the United Methodist promise of "Open Hearts, Open Minds and Open Doors".

Today, we bgin with Open Hearts.

What do YOU think having an Open heart means?
What is one way we can have a more open heart here at CSUMC?
What is hardest for you when working on an open heart?

Think about these things and leave your thoughts here, or drop me a link to your blog :)

Next week: open minds.

Canoe Trip!

Thursday at 5:00, 32 people pulled out of the drive and headed north to Wisonsinland. We drove through Madison and on to Muscoda. We set up camp in the dark, got ourselves situated, enjoyed the campfire and settled in for a not-so-restful sleep. Friday morning, we got up and had omelets in a bag and headed up the road to get our canoes and get shuttled to our drop in point. The river was beautiful. Despite a few dramatic moments, we had a wonderful day on the river and returned to the campsite exhausted. We had a great time, and big thanks go out to Bruce Martin aka "Deer" for making this whole thing happen.

Click here for pictures from the trip!

Softball!

Well, our softball team continues it's losing ways, but we're having fun! Last week we went out for pizza to celebrate the one victory we DID have.

Click here for pictures of the team at Sam's pizza and for a group photo. The photo is missing a few folks, but hopefully we'll get a better team picture soon :).

Fourth of July Fireworks!

The staff at CSUMC and their families all gathered at Becca's apartment to celebrate the 4th and to watch the fireworks from the best view in town! We had a great time together. It was really great to have fellowship outside of our "work" together.

Click here for pictures!

Camp!

July 1-3, 5 youth from CSUMC attended "Aly's Camp" at Wesley Woods. The girls had a great time. Click here for more pictures!

Here is what the girls had to say about their time at camp:

Anna:

So… We went to camp at Wesley Woods! It was so much fun, I learned so many things, and I got so much out of it emotionally, mentally, physically, and, most of all, spiritually!Now, every summer at Wesley Woods, they have a theme for all of the camps there. And this summer’s theme was “On The Way”. Meaning “On the way to Heaven”, or “On The Way” to whatever’s in front of you. And the whole “On The Way” thing was about your “journey”. There’s your general journey through… life, our journey through camp, and whatever other journey you might be on.Now, throughout my journey of camp, I learned so much, and a lot of it I learned at campfire. Campfire is just… awesome! Campfire is actually a time for worship. And how it goes is every night for about 45 minutes or an hour and we start off by singing camp songs and dance around and all that, and then we have a little devotion. Then we get a challenge every night to… meet a new person, change your routine, or whatever. At the end we have a prayer and we leave.At those campfires I learned some important things. I learned that God is always there and He’s not letting go. He has a plan for me, for all of us, whether we like that plan or not. God was the reason I was at camp and He’s the reason for everything, anywhere, at anytime ever! I also learned that instead of basing my decisions on the world’s standards, on whether it’ll make me popular or whether people will like me for it, I should base my decisions on God’s standards and what He would like me to do. I learned that faith is not a noun, it's not just something you posses but it's a VERB. A very active verb, and you have to do something with that faith. And I think that one of the most important things I found at camp were the three major things that are gonna get me through my journey; God, Jesus, and a strong group of friends. Because, even though God is always there for me, when He can’t literally talk to me or put his arm around me, my friends can, and my friends are always there for me. So without God, Jesus, and my friends, I’d be “On The Way” to nowhere!Now speaking of friends… camp. At camp the sense of friendship, family, and love from fellow campers and counselors was amazing! You can never feel that love and closeness to God and each other anywhere other than at camp. Camp! There are so many things at camp that you can never have and never do anywhere other than at camp.You can’t have a whipped cream fight in a lake, you can’t go running and screaming down a hill with a blow horn attacking another camp, you can’t go on a pontoon boat in the middle of a lake at 5:30 in the morning and swim back to shore for no absolute reason, you can’t have an extreme water balloon fight with mega huge skirt guns attacking the counselors, and you can’t get up at 7 in the morning and go out and dance like a dork to random hip hop songs and then have a devotion after it, like we did, anywhere other than at camp. There is no where like camp. Because camp is just… awesome, and I cannot wait to go back next summer.

Kirstie:

Camp So we went to camp ! (Youth) We went to Wesley Woods ! It was INCREDIBLE ! I learned about my journeys ! I learned that we shouldn't look how the world looks at us but what about God ? Well every year the have a special theme to go a long with the things that we do at camp and this year it was "On The Way!" We talked abouthe theme mainly at Jamm time and REALLY at Campfire Jamm time was when you could dance however you wanted to and nobody would laugh! Then at the end you had a devotion ! In these devotions you had little challenges that would get you further in your journey if you tried to do the challenges ! Campfire was the best though because you sat down as a BIG family together and listen to the Will (the campfire Guy)! He always made me think ! There was never a dull moment at that campfire ! He talked about our journeys we were on and if we did the challenges we just took another step in our journey ! It was amazing ! He spoke so good that he made me cry ! At campfire I felt closer to God than I ever had ! I felt Loved and that God was really talking to me ! It was amazing because we could do a lot of things and we wouldn't get in trouble ! Like a Whip Cream fight in the lake ! A water balloon and squirt gun fight ! Get dropped in the middle of the lake at 5:30 am and swim back to shore ! There is no other place where you can do all the things that we did! I can't wait to go there next year for a fun filled summer ! I also wish that other kids get to experience the fun journey like I did ! I also would like to thank Becca and Diane for making this experience possible ! Also Aly who made this camp available for those who haven't experience camp ! Thank you ALL ! God Bless you P.s It was so good i cried like a little baby when it was time to leave !!

Nichole:

Hey!Im back from Wesley Woods! The bestest camp you'll ever go to.. :} You explore so many things like your strengths, your ability to work with others, your spirituality, and leadership. Camp was one of the best experiences that i've had and i need to thank Diane,Becca,Bailey,Wes,lauren and mostly Aly who spent $4,000 on sending us to camp. Aly was sp awsome. She was the best. :} And the whole theme for it this week was "On the way"It was a journey of faith. At camp we did all sorts of things. The first thing we did that was totally crazy was get up at 5:30 am ,take a pontoon to the middle of a lake and swim back. Then we went to Jam time. Jam time was when you went to a cabin and just went crazy to music. We did it to wake us up and open our minds. After we went psyco we would get a devotion from will. Later that day me, Morgan, Anna, Holly, Kirstie and some other campers went on a sail boat to a beach. Well that didnt work out very well. The sail wasnt on correctly and we had to motor to the beach which took about three hours. But at least Big Jeff picked us up from the middle of the lake and took us to the beach. After lunch on the pontoon boat, we had desert. It was Wipped Cream!!!!! So you know what that means! WHIPPED CREAM FIGHT!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH! It was AWSOME. Later that day we made tie dye shirts. I got tie dyed. That night dinner was spaghettie. Some little person got spaghettie all over my white shirt. But at least it looked like orange tie dye when i was done with it :} The next day we went to jam time again. After that we did some challeges. They were to test our abilities of teamwork, trust and leadership. They were hard at points but we got through it. We were "on the way" to a relashionship closer to god. Later after lunch we went canoeing. And then we had a major water fight with big water guns and water balloons! Oh and i forgot to mention something. One of our camp counselers had a blow horn and yelled "SPARTA!!!" and blew the horn and we went flying at full speed down a hill screaming atanother camp. Now how often do you get to do that? Not very often so thats why camp was so awsome.You got to do things you get to do alot or even ever. It was sad when it was time to leave for home.We had to leave all the friends that we had made. The best part was that diane was two hours late so we got to stay longer and say good bye to everyone. But you know what/ Thers always next year!

Wahoo! Day 1 at VBS

It was a great first day at Avalanche Ranch!

We met the character Buc! And learned that "GOD IS REAL~ WAHOOOOOO!"

There was so much to do!Our host church for the day was 2nd Congregational United Church of Christ.A big thank you to everyone at 2nd con for all their hard work and dedication! You were great hosts.

Please click here to see pictures of all of today's activities, and join us tomorrow for another great day at AVALANCHE RANCH!

WAHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Live from DOWNTOWN VBS!!!

It's a great day at Avelanch Ranch! We are having a wa-hoo great time here on our first day. Today we are at 2nd congregational UCC. The kids are having fun and learning that God is Real! Keep looking for more updates! VBS....WAHOO!

Pictures....

On June 10th..3 youth and I were treated to tickets to the Wesley Willows event at Starlight Theater. Thanks Clark and Kay! We had a great time seeing Peter Pan together. Click here for fun pictures!

And...as promised here are the pictures of Godspell!

Yikes! Blog-lag!

I'm sorry that we've had some "blog lag" for the past month. Things have been so busy here at Court Street that finding a moment to blog has been more difficult than I ever imagiend it would be. So...here is a fast and furious update with a promise that I'll do better!

• On Pentecost sunday we had a fantastic celebration! We had 2 new members confirmed that day: Alyssa Bates and Jared Mann. We had a birthday cake to celebrate the birth of the church and everyone was decked out in their red attire! It was a great Sunday! Click here for pictures of Pentecost!


• After the service, the Youth had their First Annual picnic and awards at Sinnissipi Park. We had a really great day and everyone left home with an award. Click here for pictures from the awards!


• On Sunday June 3rd we had a Pampered Chef party and a Scrapbooking Party in the dining room. We had a great time eating and scrapping together!


• Becca led us in worship on June 9th and 10th while Pastor Keith was away at annual conference. You can click here for a text version of her sermon that day.


• ANd then, last Sunday, the youth from Middletown Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Louisville, KY presented the Musical Godspell here at CSUMC. It was a fantastic production and we had a great time hosting them! Pictures from that event will be up soon!
• This Friday marks the beginning of "THE BLUE ROOM" which is a concert series here at Court Street featuring local bands. Check out their myspace page for more information!

Now we are in the thick of preparations for next week's DOWNTOWN VBS! We are sharing VBS with four other downtown churches! We will be hosting nearly 100 children for this great adventure and wild ride!

AND next Friday night, at 7:00 pm we'll be hosting the group Candlefuse for a concert in our basement!

THAT'S IT FOR A FAST AND FURIOUS UPDATE!!!! MORE TO COME!!!

Primetime Celebration!

We had a wonderful time last night celebrating the end of Primetime. We had delicious food from the Taylor St. Pizza Company, an Ice Cream Sundae Bar, and great fellowship with each other. Nearly 40 people came out and celebrated together. It was a great night! Thanks to those who came and to Kathleen and Lorna for their help!

DOWNTOWN VBS!!!

Downtown VBS!
Vacation Bible School will be June 25-28. Our theme is “Avalanche Ranch: A wild ride through God’s word.” We are sharing VBS with 2nd Congregational United Church of Christ, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, and First Presbyterian Church. We will be rotating buildings throughout the week. We need 2-3 members from each church to join the steering committee for Downtown VBS, and then of course we’ll need volunteers for OUR day. Court Street’s Day will be Thursday, June 28. We get the last day! We really want to show off our Court Street PRIDE! We need the following volunteers:
Before VBS:
Registration helpers: We need volunteers to help go through the pre-registrations and keep all of the things organized.
Aritists: we need some large cut outs and such of the characters.
General volunteers for the days before to prep our building.
Decorators to make every station look great!
Givers! Financial support of this program would be greatly appreciated.
For All 4 Days:
2-3 (or more) volunteers to be Ranchers (group shepherds). Group shepherds don’t have to do any preparation for activities, they are just there to guide their group from rotation to rotation and help the various rotation leaders.
Junior Ranchers: these are youth aged 6th grade and up who will assist the Ranchers.
For Thursday, June 28:
Wild Bible Adventures Leader (This is the bible story leader.) The scripture for the day is Mark 15-16 and Psalm 47:2. The bible point is “God is Awesome”. This is the day the children learn about the crucifixion and resurrection.
Operation Kid to Kid Leader: This is a project where the children stuff bears to be sent to children in Africa and South America. This is a project where our children really get a chance to reach out to others.
Cowpoke Crafts leader: This will be a craft that the children make. You will not have to come up with the craft idea. The craft, all the supplies, instructions…everything will be provided for you!
Chadder’s Wild West Theatre Leader: This is a lesson that has a movie and an activity. Children get to meet with “Chadder” the chipmunk and learn more about the bible verse of the day!
Chuck Wagon Chow Leader: Chuck Wagon Chow is a snack time where the kids create a fun snack and then eat it. We will likely need 2 leaders for this to help with the creations. The Snack for the day is “awesome avalanche surprise” and is basically a pre-packaged cup of vanilla ice cream with crushed oreos.
Horseplay Games Leader: This is recreation time and there are games! This will take place in our gym and should be great fun. 2 leaders might be needed for this group as well! You don’t have to invent the games, but feel free to add creative games if you want to!
Sing and Play Stampede helpers: Rob will be leading the music, of course, but he will need helpers! If you like to sing and help children learn songs, this is where we need you!
Lunch Crew: I need a group of people to plan, create, and serve lunch to our children. This does not need to be a fancy lunch. Hot dogs, burgers, sandwiches, even pizza…anything would be fine.
Show time roundup leader: This is the end of the day activity for the children and is a worship/celebration service reviewing the points of the day.
Photographer: Someone will need to take pictures throughout the day. We need specific pictures that will be used in the Showtime Roundup, but we also want a lot of really great pictures for future use here at the church.
All volunteers will be asked to attend a one-time, short training session where you will meet the volunteers from the other churches and receive basic training for the VBS. This will take place Wednesday, May 23 at 6pm at 2nd congregational. Everyone is asked to bring a dish to “pitch in” for the meal.

Please contact Becca ASAP if you are willing to help with any of the above activities! Thanks in advance for your support of Downtown VBS!

The Sunday Summary (and Saturday too)

Saturday's worship was great. We had 43 people worshipping together in the sanctuary at our new 5:12 service. This service is really speaking to people come and join us! Everyone hangs out afterwards for the 5:12 cafe to enjoy the coffee, the chocolate covered strawberries and whatever other treats the Galloway's bring. Come join us!

Sunday was another great day here as well. We celebrated Mother's day by honoring all of the women in our lives. Here are some of the highlights:

• All of the ladies were treated to flowers
• The JuBellation Handbells played "As The Deer" as a prelude in the 10:45 service.
• The "youth girls" helped tidy Becca's office and organize our mission stuff so it can be distributed.
• Becca talked about "How God is like a Mommy" in her Children's sermon.
• The Choir presented "The Music of God"
• Scriptures were: Acts 16: 9-15, and John 14: 23-29
• Sue Cram and Karen Brown talked about the upcoming Garden Bazaar. If you are interested in helping please contact one of them asap!

The sermon was titled "The woman who made it happen". Here are a few highlights from Pastor Keith's words:

• We celebrate women and their wisdom, toughmindedness and compassion.
• Women have been seen for having the gifts and graces to do God's work. When society doesn't allow those gifts to be shared we all suffer their loss.
• Jesus valued women highly
• 16 of 40 women mentioned in Paul's Epistles are women!
• Many women fear financial insecurity and suffer from "Bag Lady Syndrome". Even famous women have this problem.
• He told the story of Lydia: the first european woman to embrace the gospel.
• "The way to make things happen is to give ourselves over to God's spirit, like Lydia did."
• "Step away from fear adn walk in faith."

REBEKAH IS THE BIBLE IDOL!!!!

BIBLE IDOL FINALS!

The finals of Bible Idol were very exciting. David, Daniel, and Rebekah competed for the title. Each character came and sang LIVE for us!

David was portrayed by Tim Welk
Daniel was portrayed by Pastor Keith
Rebekah was portrayed by Shirley Holley

THe judges did a great job deciding and deliberating.

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES OF ALL THE FUN!!!!

Thanks to all the kids and to our guests! Bible Idol ROCKED!

Softball STRIKES again!

The Court Street Softball team played against GPS/Grace on Tuesday night. In the first inning both teams were scoreless. In the 2nd inning, they scored one, but we rallied in the 3rd and matched their one with one of our own. We held them to a score of 4-1 until the sixth inning where a grandslam on their part and a couple of errors on our part lead to a final score of 11-1. Our pitcher was Kyle (from Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd). Other players included Kathleen Kennan, Jeff (also from LCGS), Betsy Smith, Samantha and Jason Fischer, Eric Lovelady (Betsy's son), Bruce Martin, Becca and our friend Tricia who joined us at the last minute to play so we didnt' have to forfeit for not having enough girls. She was the one run that made it in, so we were very thankful for her presence and for Bruce Martin for hitting her in and earning an RBI. THanks to the Lewis' and the Swinson's for coming out to support our team!

Sunday Summary (and Saturday too)

It was a great weekend for worship here at CSUMC despite our sound system issues. We had great attendance for all three services and were glad that everyone came out to worship!

Here are some of the highlights:

• The Choir presented "And We Remember"
• We celebrated the baptisms of Abby Logli and Jacob Voight
• The Youth sang "The God of Hope"
• The Scriptures were: Acts 11: 1-18 and John 13:31-35

Pastor Keith's sermons was called "Welcoming, Nurturing, and Serving." Here are some highlights:

• The Early church struggled with the conflict between Christian Judaism and becoming a Christian as a gentile.
• Peter's vision of "Kill and eat" taught that Gentiles should be embraced.
• Peter didn't understand this until he visited with Cornelius and his family.
• The power that moved Peter was the power of "Love one anohter as I have loved you"
• He shared a story told by Rabbi Label Lam: A Russian peasant farmer who never left the small and parochial surroundings of his town had occasion to come the big city of Moscow. He arrived at the elegant hotel with mud on his boots and overalls looking completely inappropriate. The man at the desk assigned him to a room on the top floor and treated him as any other paying customer. With key in hand and a few possessions he started the long climb to the hotel room. On the first landing there was a full-length mirror. The man who had never seen himself before was suddenly startled and frightened by the imposing image before him. He growled and barked to scare the him away - only to find that the image in the mirror was willing to threaten and shout the same. He ran to the next floor and confronted the fearsome giant again exchanging harsh looks and almost coming to blows. On the third floor they stood nose to nose and exchanged simultaneous insults as a deepening war-like attitude was taking root in both of the them. Realizing that there was no where to escape this ugly beast-like fellow who was aggressively stalking him in the hotel he ran quickly back to the lobby and to the front desk to file a complaint. After having given a detailed description of the perpetrator the man at the desk understood that the he had met the enemy and it was the man in the mirror. So as to save the face of his guest and to disengage the hostility he offered simple advice. He said, "The fellow who you confronted is here to protect people. He is really quite harmless. Trust me. If you will show him a harsh and angry countenance he will do the same. However if when you see him you just smile pleasantly and continue on your way he will nod and smile at you as well. Enjoy the rest of your stay." That's what he did and remarkably that's what happened...
• The poers that move or destroy us are often inside us.
• The love we need is realy within is. If we are created in the image of God, and God is love, then WE are love.
• HE also shared about the work done at Bethpage APartments on Appletree here in Rockford. The Leadership Rockford group worked to plant flowers at this home for those strugglign with mental illness.
• "It is by really serving that we experience the spirit of welcoming and nurturing"
• Sometimes we think that love is reciprocal. Rather, love moves us to serve without expecting anything.
• We don't serve because we recieve. We serve because we love.

Please join us next Sunday for Mother's day.

We have FINALISTS!!!!

Last night the Bible Idol Judges were faced with the difficult task of narrowing down the 11 semi-finalists to just 3 finalists who will compete next week for the title of Bible Idol! It was a very difficult decision with a 2-way tie for the 3rd finalist. Finally, after a second vote, the finalists are:

REBEKAH

DAVID

DANIEL



The finals will be next week at 7:00 in the primetime room! Tune in to find out who is voted to be the BIBLE IDOL!!!

Softball is in full SWING!

The Court Street and Friends softball team played our first game last night! We lost miserably 15-3, but had a GREAT time playing together. Many thanks go out to all who played with us and here's hoping that next week your "coach" is a little more organized (i know...i really didnt have a clue). Oh...and there are rules-- CRAZY rules...i'll be giving everyone copies if you want them. If you're not on the team...you should come support us. We play again next tuesday at 7pm at Wentz park in Loves Park (off of riverside). Go Court Street!

Back from vacation...

Sorry for the lack of posts...I was on vacation from Thursday-Yesterday. I returned home to Kentucky for my College Reunion, some family fun, and to visit my church. It was nice to see everyone and have some time at home with my family and kitties.

Anyway...Last week's Bible Idol winner was indeed Daniel. He was our last regular round winner. Tomorrow night we'll have the semi finals to see who will be competing in the final round to crown our Bible Idol.

I heard that Bill Carmine did an excellent job from the pulpit on Sunday. I'm looking foward to listening to the tape of the service!

Have a great week everyone!

Sunday Summary

It was another great Sunday here at CSUMC. Here are some of the highlights:

• Rob and Lorelle Wandell shared about the Handbell festival and how it will benefit Carpenter's place. The festival is This Saturday, April 28th at 4:30 and will be held at Rockford Christian High School. Tickets are $5 and proceeds will go to Carpenter's place. Please see the Wandells or Rob Kennan for tickets.
• We heard the news that Betty Lou Leach is finally home!
• Mary Pulliam of Love In The Name of Christ... Love, INC... here in Rockford brought us information on Love, Inc. Reminding us of how important it is for us to all be involved. Love Inc is a strategy for helping those in need in our Community. It connects people with the love of Christ outside the doors of our congregation. What a great ministry!
• The Choir presented "The Colors of Your Love" as the Offetory Anthem.
• The Scriptures were Acts 9:1-20, and John 21: 1-19.
• Rob shared "It is well with my soul" on the piano we had on loan from hosting the Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center's presentation of the renowned pianist Awadagin Pratt.

Pastor Keith's sermon was entitled "Love's Symtoms" and here are some highlights from his words:

• "The Goodness of God is always proven to be a reality in our lives and in our world, even in the face of tragedy like what we witnessed at Virginia Tech."
• The story of Jesus speaking to Peter and asking repeatedly, "Do you love me" is Jesus' way of letting PEter know that he is forgiven for his denial. Three denials become three confessions of love.
• Evidence of Love: On May 2, 1962, a dramatic advertisement appeared in the San Francisco examiner: “I don’t want my husband to die in the gas chamber for a crime he did not commit. I will therefore offer my services for 10 years as a cook, maid, or housekeeper to any leading attorney who will defend him and bring about his vindication.” One of San Francisco’s greatest attorneys, Vincent Hallinan, read or heard about the ad and contacted Gladys Kidd, who had placed it. Her husband, Robert Lee Kidd, was about to be tried for the slaying of an elderly antique dealer. Kidd’s fingerprints had been found on a bloodstained ornate sword in the victim’s shop.
  During the trial, Hallinan proved that the antique dealer had not been killed by the sword, and that Kidd’s fingerprints and blood on the sword got there because Kidd had once toyed with it while playfully dueling with a friend when they were both out shopping. The jury, after 11 hours, found Kidd to be not guilty.
• Evidence of Love: The story of Liviu Librescu, a holocaust survivor who was killed trying to protect his students in the Virginia Tech Tragedy.
• Evidence of Love: Jesus. Alghough he had been denied and betrayed, he did not stop loving the disciples. He came back to forgive them and help them learn how to minister without him.
• Pastor Keith also told this story: A Rabbi once asked his students, “How can you tell when night has ended and the day is about to begin?” The students argued for a while and finally one of them said, “Rabbi, could it be when you look off in the distance and see two trees you are able to tell that one is a fig tree and the other is a palm tree?” The Rabbi answered, “No.”
  So the students argued a bit longer until another brave pupil offered an answer. Rabbi, could it be when you look off in the distance, and seeing two animals, are able to distinguish that one is a sheep and the other is a dog?” Again the Rabbi answered, “No.”Finally, exasperated the students asked, “Rabbi, tell us then, how do you know when the night has ended and the day is about to begin?” The Rabbi looked at each of them in turn and said “It is when you can look upon the face of any man, woman or child and see there a brother or a sister. Because if you cannot do that, no matter what time of day it is, it is still night.”
• Pastor Keith reminded us that feeding God's sheep means showing God's love to all people!

If you missed any of our services this weekend, please join us again this week. Saturday at 5:12, Sundays at 8 and 10:45!

5:12...the Time and Place to be on Saturday Nights!

The 5:12 service this week rocked yet again! We had 40 people worshipping together with songs of praise. We had a special guest from Love, Inc., and the cafe' was busy after the service. How great it was to worship with everyone and share in God's love at this special time!

Please spread the word about the 5:12 and come Rejoice with us!!

Great Concert!

All reports state that the concert at Wesley Willows last night was a great success! Congratulations to the youth and children's choirs for all their hard work and for their willingness to share their gifts with the community. They had a great audience and everyone loved hearing them sing!

Dining with Deborah and Dorcas

I had a wonderful day today with two of our UMW (United Methodist Women) circles. I first stopped in at the Deborah circle for coffee hour. The ladies were so welcoming and it was a wonderful meeting! I shared with them my story of how I came to be a minister and also shared my ideas and excitement about what is going on at CSUMC. Then it was off to lunch at Dorcas Circle...it was a delicious lunch! I shared ideas and stories with those wonderful ladies as well. What a wonderful way to spend the morning! We have amazing UMW groups here at CSUMC! Thanks Ladies!

PRIMETIME PREVIEW!

Tonight in Primetime, there's alot going on! The biggest thing is that the youth and the children's choirs will be heading out to Wesley Willows for a concert. This should be a really special event for the kids AND for the WW residents, so we're all very excited!

There is NO BIBLE IDOL tonight due to the concert!

The Sunday Summary

Sunday was a great day to be in worship here at Court Street. Spring has finally sprung in Rockford and you could feel the warmth inside the sanctuary. The choir was on a "break" this week (they deserved it after all of that fantastic Easter music). Becca brought the message this week. The scriptures were Psalm 150 and John 20:19-31.

Pastor Keith did a neat trick with a glass of water, a paper clip and a piece of paper. Did you know you can get a paperclip to float in a glass of water?? Pastor Keith showed us how (well, he showed us at the 10:45...at 8:00 it didn't quite work out).

Becca's sermon can be read by clicking here.

We had a "mission moment" at each service about Rosecrance and the wonderful work that they do. Please remember to save your pennies for Rosecrance!

Finally, the hard part...

We said goodbye to Julia Schade. Julia has been the Assistant Music Director here at CSUMC for nearly 2 years. She has worked tirelessly to bring quality music to our church and served in the "interim" between Music Directors. She is amazingly talented and has so many gifts. Julia shared her Organ and Drum postlude with us again this week and it was a fitting end for her time here. She received a much deserved standing Ovation. Julia moves on to become the Music Director at Grace United Methodist Church here in Rockford. We will miss her very much and we wish her much success and happiness as she grows and develops in her musical career.

Rejoice Rocks!

The 5:12 service on Saturday was very exciting. We had 50 people in attendance! The Cafe was definately the hightlight of the evening and big thanks go out to Betsy and the Galloway's for all their work in the Cafe.

Here's what one of our youth had to say:

It was INCREDIBLE !!!! We had over 50 people there and we had great music and prayer and great goodies at the END !! All you guys who missed it dont feel bad come back this Saturday because God always gives us a second chance So... here's yours if you want a fun filled LIFE Come here at 5:12!! I promise you will have a BLAST and wont wanna leave!

Couldn't say it better myself...please join us this Saturday at 5:12!

REJOICE with us!!!

Tonight at CSUMC, we begin our new Saturday Rejoice service.

Come, "Catch the 5:12" with us. Worship begins at 5:12 and should end by 6pm. Following the service, join us for the 5:12 Cafe where we will enjoy coffee and snacks and have a chance to digest the service.

The 5:12 is a "contemporary" service in a "traditional" space. We mix modern praise music with the beauty of our very traditional sanctuary. We will have music, prayer, reflections on Scripture, and communion all in a way that is NOT "Christianity Lite" but is honest, relfective, and lighthearted. We take the word of God seriously, but we don't always take ourselves seriously.

So, come as you are...Jeans, sweats, "Saturday Night going-out" clothes...dress up, dress down... it doesn't matter. Come worship before you "Go out" on Saturday nights! Join us at 215 N. Court Street here in Rockford...

And CATCH THE 5:12!

Jeremiah Wins!!!

Jeremiah was the winner in Wednesday's Bible Idol! He pulled out a narrow victory over Joash and Ezekiel. The judges are very discerning and chose a great Bible Hero for tonights winner. Jeremiah will join the other contestants in the semi-finals on May 2! And watch out for the finals...when 3 lucky contestants will appear LIVE in PRIMETIME!!!

Primetime is ON!!!

Snow? What Snow? There's no snow in April! Primetime is ON for tonight despite that white stuff outside!

Come and join us!

Tonight we have our usual activities-- Choirs for the Youth and Kids, The Gospel of John Class, Bible Idol, Youth Time and Dinner. Also tonight, Leta is beginning her Spanish Class. Come and brush up or learn the basics of this very commonly used language!

See you tonight in primetime!

Wow...What an Easter!

To say that Easter Sunday was wonderful here at CSUMC would be a gross understatement. It was GLORIOUS celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and what a blessing it was to share it with so many people.

NOthing could rival the full voices accompanied by the organ, the brass instruments, the youth orchestra, and the harp as we sang together "Up from the Grave He Arose!" What a beautiful way to celebrate the resurrection!

Featured Music for the day included:

Organ Preludes:

• My Faith Looks up to Thee --arr. Karvonen
• Alegretto -- Merkel
• Oh, the Angels Rolled the Stone away --American Spiritual
• All Glory Laud and Honor -- arr. Southbridge
• Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain --arr. Krapf
• Verset de Procession sur l'Adoro Te --Boelleman

Other Musical Pieces presented:

• In Joseph's Lovely Garden presented by the Genesis Quartet
• The Jubellation ringers presented Fantasy on 'Hyfrydol'
• Great Day! featuring Harp and Organ
• The Youth Choir sang, This is the Day accompanied by the brass ensemble.
• During the Gospel Dramatazation, the choir presented Jubilate!
• The offertory anthem was also presented by the choir: On this Jubilant Day.
• The congregation was invited to join in the Choral Benediction, singing The Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah
• And organ postlude pieces: Entrata Festiva and Joyful Recessional

Pastor Keith presented a Dramatazation of the Resurrection Account from the Gospel of Luke which included an interlude by the choir.

The other Scriptures of the day were: Psalm 118, 1 Corinthians 15: 19-26, and John 20:1-18.

Rev. Becca led us in the naming of our spiritual gifts. These were collected during the offering and were consecrated to God for God's use.

We celebrated communion together in thanksgiving and joy for the resurrection!

It was a wonderful Easter Sunday at CSUMC! He IS RISEN INDEED!!

Good Friday

Today is Good Friday, and alot of my non-Christian friends always want to know "what's so Good about a day when someone was crucified?" Well...there are lots of theories on what the "Good" means. Some people say that its an etymological switch from once being called "God's Friday". Others say that it's about the GOOD that God did from a tragedy in the reconciliation of the world to God.

Here is an article written by Ken Collins that discusses the differences. Wikipedia also has a good article.

So, what *Is* so good about "Good Friday" and why do we celebrate it? Well, first I'm not so sure it's a "celebration". It's not really a "holiday" but rather it's an observation. It's a day to observe and remember the crucifixion of Jesus and the things that occured on that day. We recall the death of Jesus and the painful events of that day. This is not supposed to be a happy day...but we aren't supposed to spend the whole day "wallowing" in the sorrow of the crucifixion either.

See, we are a Resurrection People. We KNOW what happens. We KNOW the end of the story. We know that Easter means that Jesus did not stay in the tomb. On Good Friday, we don't have to pretend that Easter hasn't happened yet. We remember Good Friday so that we can more joyfully celebrate Easter.

I don't really know if we should call it "Good Friday" or if we should call it "Black Friday" or "Authentic Friday". I don't know how to feel about the fact that someone who preached a message of love, tolerance, and forgiveness was executed so cruelly. All I know is that one man's life was so brilliant and so powerful that he inspired fear and confusion in those who had power. They couldn't allow him to live.

On the original "Good Friday"
people made it bad
3 days later
GOD made it Good.

Good Friday Services today are at noon in the chapel at CSUMC. Please join us as we remember Jesus's life and death.

Last Night's Maundy Thursday Service...

It was a lovely service. The worship committee did a beautiful job decorating the Dining room and Kay and Judy made delicious soup for dinner. As part of the service, there was a foot washing opportunity and this is what I wrote as I watched:

Watching the washing

hands

feet

water

love

families sharing

hearts opening

watching the washing

husband

wife

servant

served

family of God

offering itself

in service

in love

and my tears flowed

cleansing myself

as I sat there

watching the washing.

It was very powerful to be sitting there just taking it in as people washed each other's feet or hands. I saw the beauty of our congregation in a new way.

Thank you to all who shared.

Maundy Thursday

What is Maundy Thursday?

I have a non-protestant friend who asks each year, "When do you do that Monday Thursday thing?". I usually chuckle and remind her it's "MAUNDY" Thursday and that it's celebrated during Holy Week (which her church doesn't celebrate). But, it always makes me wonder how many of us don't reall know what "Maundy Thursday" is either.

Well, for starters let's talk about that funny word "Maundy" what does that mean? Well, it comes from the latin word mundatum which we get the word "mandate" from. It means to command or order or entrust. This recalls that Jesus gave the "great commandment" of "Love one another" to his Disciples. (See John 13:14).

This day commemorates the "Last Supper", the washing of the Disciples feet by Jesus, and the giving of the great commandment-- all of which took place (according to Scripture) just before Jesus' arrest, trial, and crucifixion.

This is the meal where Jesus speaks to his Disciples and friends and tells them that whenever they eat bread or drink wine that they should remember him. Of course, they didn't really understand what he was saying at the time, but in our hindsight it is clear that he was giving them a way to remember him after his death. We don't just "celebrate communion" on this day, but rather we celebrate the very beginnings of the communion meal and honor the first time it was said "Do this in remembrance of me."

Here at CSUMC we will be commemorating Maundy Thursday with a light meal, foot washing, and a celebration of communion. The service begins at 7pm and is in the Dining Room.

Holy Week Continues!

Here are our remaining service times for Holy Week!

Wednesday, April 4:
Lenten Community Service, 12:00 in the Chapel.

Thursday, April 5: Maundy Thursday.
Celebrate the institution of the Lord's Supper at our service at 7pm in the Dining Room.

Friday, April 6: Good Friday.
Come and meditate upon the crucifixion of Jesus at this special service. 12:00 in the Chapel.

Sunday, April 8: EASTER SUNDAY!!!
Come celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ at our combined 10:00 am service in the Sanctuary

Spiritual Gifts Spotlight

This is the last spiritual gifts spotlight. This Sunday we will be presenting our gifts to God and consecrating them during the Easter Service. For more information or to order a copy of the book, please contact becca at the church or via email.

The Mysterious Gifts!

The body of Christ is not without mystery. There are some gifts within the body that cannot be explained, yet cannot be completely ignored. These are the gifts that make us all a little uncomfortable in our own skin, and yet they too are part of the whole body!These mysterious gifts are: Healing, Working Miracles, Speaking in Tongues, and Interpreting Tongues.

The Gift of Healing

• Feels compelled to pray for the healing of others.
• Has prayed for people and they have gotten better.
• Can "channel" God’s grace and healing love to those who are suffering.
• Feels moved to be near someone who is sick or suffering.
• Prays for those who are physically or emotionally ill.
• Has a strong sense that God listens to prayers for healing.
• Gives time and energy in offering aid and comfort to others.
• People often just "feel better" when this person is near.

The Gift of Working Miracles

• Is able to recognize the miraculous wherever it occurs.
• Firmly believes that God works miracles.
• Has a very powerful prayer life and often has prayers for the impossible answered.
• Has experienced personal miracles in his/ her own life.
• Never seems to doubt the presence or power of God.
• Seems to have a direct connection with God which is often confirmed through answered prayers.
• Believes that miracles can and do happen.
• Works as God’s instrument in the lives of others.

The Gift of Speaking in Tongues

• Has spoken in a foreign language of which they have know prior knowledge or education.
• Able to "pick up" other languages quickly and easily and communicate across barriers.
• Often can’t find words in their primary language that "work" in a situation, but instead instinctively knows words from another language that will work instead.
• Often uses another language for prayer.
• Has experienced an "ecstatic utterance" that is not an earthly language.

The Gift of Interpreting Tongues

• Understands others when they pray or speak in tongues or other languages, regardless of exposure or education.
• Feels led by the Holy Spirit to offer interpretation of words being spoken or prayed.
• Has interpreted tongues or foreign languages.
• Has an innate ability to learn and understand different languages and cultures.
• Naturally attract people from other cultures because they just seem to "understand."
• Is sensitive and open to the Holy Spirit.

If you believe you have one of these gifts, please consider how you can best use your gift to serve God, your Church, your family, and your community. If you know someone with these gifts, please tell them that you see their gifts.

The Sunday Summary: PALM SUNDAY!

It was a beautiful Palm Sunday here at CSUMC. Many thanks to Becca, Kathy, Nancy, Randiann, Bruce J, and Matt W for their help with the decorating. HUGE Kudos go to the Palm Weaving Class memebers for the decorations they created...they made our sanctuary so beautiful.

During the 8:00 and 8:45 services, Pastor Keith presented a dramatic reading of the Passion Narrative from Luke.

During the 10:45 service, there was a group reading of the passion presented by Helen Gibbons, Randiann King, Jim Gibbons, Rob Wandell, and Bruce Martin. They did a beautiful job! There was also WONDERFUL music from the Kids Choir and the Chancel Choir with their versions of Hosanna!

Next Sunday is Easter! Worship with us here at 10am!

Mystery Mission Adventure!

Our Mystery Mission Adventure was a huge success! Thanks to all who participated. We started at 1pm at the church where we helped stuff all the Easter Letters and get them ready for the mail. Then we headed over to "Just Goods" which is the Fair Trade Store here in Rockford. There we learned about "Fair Trade" and explored all of the things in the store. There was so much to see!

After Just Goods, we headed out to hang "door hangers" in some neighborhoods advertising our church and our "Open Doors" and our "5:12" service. 100 door hangers dont' go very far and we learned that pretty quickly, but it was not raining at the time, so that's good.

Then we came back to the church for a break and a snack and helped carry the post-office items out so they could be taken to the post office before we loaded back up and headed to Bruce's neighborhood. THere, we walked the neighborhood knocking on doors asking for donations for the shelters and charities in the area around our church. We collected a van load of stuff! It was very cool! We have pictures, and hopefully we'll have them up on the blog soon. We came back to the church and unloaded it all and returned the Church Van.

After that we headed to Bruce Martin's house for our dinner. We had hot dogs and smores and all sorts of yummy stuff and then we settled in to watch our movie. We watched Jesus Christ Superstar while some of us worked on weaving our palms for the decorations for Palm Sunday.

All in all it was a GREAT DAY! THank you to all who donated, to Bruce and Kathy for their help, and to all the youth who gave so freely of themselves!

Last week's Bible Idol Winner: ESTHER!

It was a very close race between Esther and Isaiah, but the lucky streak for females in our competition has continued. The judges were very impressed with Esther's bravery and her ability to save her people! Congratulations to Esther!

REminder: THere is no Primetime or Bible Idol this week due to Holy Week.

Unintentional Hiatus

Sorry for the unintentional hiatus, dear readers, Holy Week is a very busy time in the life of the church! Becca will be trying to get the blog "caught up" today, so there will be lots of entries!

Thank you for your patience!

YOUTH MIYSTERY MISSION ADVENTURE!

Because the weather is not playing nice, we can't camp...stupid severe storms ick.
WE ARE DOING SOMETHING!

When: 1:00pm today, Friday, March 30
Where: Starting at CSUMC
What: Mystery Mission Adventure followed by a cookout (if it's not awful outside, but it probably will be, so we might cook-in) at Bruce Martin's house!

You need to find transportation to the church. We will take you home.

What to bring: bring whatever food items you might have purchased for the camping trip. A jacket.

We will have you home by 10pm (ish) maybe later if Bruce wins.:)

SEE YOU TODAY!!!...Spread the word! Call your friends!

Primetime Preview!

Tonight in Primetime the youth will continue their Spiritual Gift Study, the childrens and youth choirs will practice for Palm Sunday, and Bible Idol will continue. Tonight's battle willb e between Esther, Job, and Isaiah. Who will move one step closer to becoming the Bible's biggest star?

Join us tonight in Primetime! Activities begin at 5:30 with dinner at 6:15!

Lenten Service Homily

For those interested click here for the homily Becca gave during today's Lenten service.

This Week at Court Street

Tuesday 3/27
9:00 Quilters/History&Archives
1:00 Lenten Study Group, Room 209 (Becca Butler teaching)
6:00 Bell Choir
7:00 Chancel Choir

3/28
6:30am Fellowship of Christian Men AM Group
12:00 Lenten Noon Service, followed by Lunch
5:30 Prime Time
Lenten Study at CSUMC, hosted/taught by the Wandells
Kids Choir
Youth in Balcony West
6:15 Dinner
6:45 Gospel of John Class
Bible Idol
Youth Choir
7:00 Fellowship of Christian Men PM Group
7:30 Rejoice Rehearsal

Thursday 3/29
7:00 Lenten Study at the Home of Sue Cram
7:00 Task Force

Saturday 3/24
9:00 Children's Theatre Group
10:00 Lenten Study at the Home of Bruce Martin

Sunday 3/25
8:00 Chapel Service
8:45 Rejoice Worship
9:10 Better Living
9:30 Lamplighters
9:50 Sunday School
10:45 Traditional Worship
12:00 Lenten Study group, Church Library
No Confirmation Class this week due to Palm Sunday and Spring Break.

Holy Week at CSUMC

Sunday, April 1: Palm/Passion Sunday.
Regular Worship Service times (8, 8:45, 10:45). The 10:45 service will feature a palm-processional and a dramatic reading.

Wednesday, April 4:
Lenten Community Service, 12:00 in the Chapel.

Thursday, April 5: Maundy Thursday.
Celebrate the institution of the Lord's Supper at our service at 7pm in the Dining Room.

Friday, April 6: Good Friday.
Come and meditate upon the crucifixion of Jesus at this special service. 12:00 in the Chapel.

Sunday, April 8: EASTER SUNDAY!!!
Come celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ at our combined 10:00 am service in the Sanctuary.

The Sunday Summary

It was another great Sunday here at CSUMC. Here are some highlights:

• We continued in our "Spiritual Gift Spotlights" with the Gifts of the Feet and Hands.
• Becca's children's moment featured her Jesus Doll and talk about sandals, dirty feet, and Mary's gift of washing Jesus' feet.
• The Choir presented a special Choral Introit "O, The Lamb"
• The Choir also presented "Jesus Wept"
• The JuBellation ringers played our postlude. They did a beautiful piece called "Elegy"
• We celebrated the baptism of Anne Kim Breauhaus. Her parents brought her here from Korea to be baptised at Court Street!
• The scriptures for the day were Isaiah 43: 16-21, Psalm 126, and John 12: 1-8.

Pastor Keith's Sermon was entitled "How Can I say Thanks?" and here are some highlights:

• "The purpose of our lives is to serve God and when we forget that we get everything confused. We begin to believe that church is about us. It's not. It's a bout giving honor and praise to God"
• Thanksgiving is one way to give thanks for God's goodness.
• Each one of us is special and is gifted and when we find our gifts we can find ways to employ them in the service of the Lord.
• Mary was the only one of Jesus' disciples who really "got it". She understood what was going to happena nd understood Jesus' mission.
• She demonstrated a depth of commitment in giving thanks.
• She wanted to annoint or baptize him before his final days.
• Love brings us to the point of being extravagant.
• Imagine what it would be like if we furnished the church based on the mindset of Judas.
• Mary's love wasn't limited by money. She realized what Jesus had done for her in the raising of her brother, Lazarus, and she wanted to say "thank you".

Next Sunday is Palm/Passion Sunday. Please plan to join us for that service and all of our Holy Week Services.

Spiritual Gifts Spotlight II

In order to be sure we finish all of the spiritual gifts before Holy Week., there is a second spotlight this week. Again, if you need more information or would like to purchase the book, please contact the church office or e-mail becca.

We'll also be looking at the "Gifts of the Feet." The body of Christ needs feet, too. It is the feet that take the word of God out of our sanctuaries and classrooms and into the world beyond the Church walls. These are the gifts that are often neglected or left un-nurtured and yet without these gifts, the word of God goes nowhere! The gifts of the feet are: Prophecy, Apostleship, and Evangelism.

Characteristics of Prophecy:

• Will not compromise the truth even when labeled as stubborn or hard headed.


• Tells others about God’s vision for the world or for the Church.


• Enjoys showing others how the Bible might speak to their current situation.


• Is a gifted public speaker.


• Does not mind speaking the truth even at the risk of confronting those in places of Authority.


• Often feels that God speaks through them.


• Is able to offer insight and perspective on current situations and offer ideas.

Characteristics of Apostleship:

• Can often speak or understand multiple languages.


• Can easily adapt to different lifestyles.


• Feels called to do something outside the walls of the church.


• Feels called to take the Gospel to an un-churched area.


• Is not afraid of new or foreign places.


• Is comfortable serving as a "messenger".


• Gets excited about learning about a new culture or group of people.


• Is comfortable sharing their personal faith with other people.


• Extends the hand of friendship to many others.

Characteristics of Evangelism:

• Likes inviting people to Church.


• Loves to share the Gospel with others.


• Will often make a public "witness" of what God has done for them.


• Can often be found in small groups sharing about the Gospel or about the Church itself.


• Is comfortable asking other people about their faith and encouraging them to have a faith life.


• Offers a relationship with God as a "gift" for others.


• Is happy to teach, lead, or work in groups of "non-believers".

Spiritual Gifts Spotlight

We are continuing our work with the spiritual gifts. The spotlight today is on the gifts of the heart. The heart is the part of the body that provides blood and life to everything else. It is the same with the gifts of the heart. These are the gifts that pump the "lifeblood" of the congregation. Every other gift needs something from the gifts of the Heart in order to function at its best.The gifts of the heart are: Exhortation, Teaching, and Shepherding. To learn more about the spiritual gifts, or the study, you can contact the church office or e-mail becca.

Characteristics of Exhortation:

• Gets excited about the ways truth can make a difference.


• Is often sought out to give counsel or guidance.


• Sees potential in others and motivates them to action.


• Is very patient and forgiving with those who are learning new things.


• Enjoys helping others work out detailed steps for becoming better people or better Christians.


• Is able to challenge people without making them feel inadequate or condemned.


• Calls forth the best in others.


• Likes to help.

Characteristics of Teaching:

• Feels that God leads them to teach others.


• Often finds joy in harmonizing and arranging biblical teaching.


• Prefers to read or hear scripture rather than personal stories.


• Has the ability to explain things clearly.


• Has a deep desire to study and learn.


• Finds happiness in sharing learning with other people.


• Transforms data and information into life-changing knowledge.


• Is often troubled by teachings or readings that appear unsound.

Characteristics of Shepherding:

• Enjoys guiding others, sometimes going out of the way to be a good guide or teacher.


• Wants to know how to understand those they are serving.


• Is very patient.


• Enjoys taking the responsibility for a group.


• Sometimes feels led to go to those who are "straying" and help bring them back "into the fold."


• Feels responsible for protecting those who are weaker.


• Provides spiritual guidance to help others develop.


• Is committed to long term relationships with those they serve.

ELIJAH WINS!!!!!

It was really no contest in Bible Idol last night. How could the story of someone being carried to heaven in a chariot of fire be beaten? It also helped that Elijah's song was a fun version of "Swing Low Sweet Chariot". His song and his story led him to a HUGE victory over Eisha and Solomon. It was quite a night for Bible Idol! Congratulations Elijah!

PRIMETIME PREVIEW!

Primetime at Court Street tonight is shaping up to be quite a night! We have lots of things going on!

Our youth and childrens choirs are practicing, the Spiritual Gifts group is meeting, the Gospel of John class continues, and Bible Idol tonight features the battle between Elijah, Solomon, and Elisha!

The highlight of tonight will be the Palm WEaving class by International Gift Wrapping Champion, Gene Fideli. It should be a really neat class with great involvement from everyone who gets to try these creations! The class is full at this point, but if more are interested we might be able to schedule another session.

Come join us tonight at Court Street!

Lenten Service Homily

For those interested, click here for the homily Becca gave at today's Lenten service.

This Week at Court Street

Tuesday 3/20
9:00 Quilters/History&Archives
1:00 Lenten Study Group, Room 209 (Becca Butler teaching)
6:00 Bell Choir
7:00 Chancel Choir
7:00 Young Adults Meeting, Dining Room

Wednesday 3/21
6:30am Fellowship of Christian Men AM Group
12:00 Lenten Noon Service, followed by Lunch
5:30 Prime TimeLenten Study at CSUMC, hosted/taught by the Wandells
Kids Choir
Youth in Balcony West
6:15 Dinner
6:45 Gospel of John Class
Bible Idol
Youth Choir
7:00 Fellowship of Christian Men PM Group
Palm Weaving Class with Gene Fideli
7:30 Rejoice Rehearsal

Thursday 3/22
7:00 Lenten Study at the Home of Sue Cram
7:00 Task Force

Saturday 3/24
9:00 Children's Theatre Group
10:00 Lenten Study at the Home of Bruce Martin

Sunday 3/25
8:00 Chapel Service
8:45 Rejoice Worship
9:10 Better Living
9:30 Lamplighters
9:50 Sunday School
10:45 Traditional Worship
12:00 Lenten Study group, Church Library
5:30 Youth Nite

The Sunday Summary

As we all begin to "thaw out" a little from the winter's cold, it is my prayer that more people choose to spend these gorgeous spring Sunday mornings at Court Street. There was no competition for the beauty of the sun streaming in our stained glass windows this Sunday morning or for the fellowship inside the sanctuary.

Here are some of Sunday's highlights:

• Ben Moore from Reynoldswood Camp came to talk about UM camping programs and opportunities at all 3 services. Camping is a great opportunity for our young people and if you want more information, please contact becca here at the church!
• We had our Spiritual Gifts spotlight on the Gifts of the Hands
• The Choir shared He Never Said a Mumbalin Word
• Rob shared a haunting version of Were you there?
• We collected our "One Great Hour of Sharing" offering.

Pastor Keith's sermon was entitled "God's Outrageous Mercy" and he challenged us to see God's mercy in a variety of situations. Some highlights of his sermon follow:

• Pastor Keith shared the story of Roswell McIntyre: Abraham Lincoln offered an example for us. He was faced with a decision about a young soldier named Roswell McIntyre who had little training when he was drafted into the New York Cavalry and in a battle became frightened and ran. He was court martialed and sentenced to be shot for desertion. He had to be made an example of. His mother wrote the president and asked that her son be given another chance to prove himself. Lincoln thought and prayed about it and wrote these words: "I have observed that it never does a boy much good to shoot him"
  Lincoln wrote this letter in his own hand: This letter will certify that Roswell McIntyre is to be readmitted into the New York cavalry. When he serves out his required enlistment he will be freed of any charges of desertion." This seerves as an example of outrageous mercy!
• Another example of Outrageous Mercy involved President Coolidge: Once in the middle of the night, the new President awoke to see an intruder going through his clothes. He watched as the thief first removed a wallet, then unhooked a watch chain. Coolidge calmly spoke up from the darkness: "About that watch, I wish you wouldn't take that."
  The startled man, gaining his voice, asked, "Why?"
  Coolidge answered, "I don't mean the watch and chain, only the charm. I'm very fond of that charm. It means a great deal to me. Take it near the window and read what is engraved on the back of it."
  The burglar read: "Presented to Calvin Coolidge, Speaker of the House, by the Massachusetts General Court." And now he was more surprised!
  "Are you President Coolidge?" he asked. He evidently did not think he'd find the President sleeping in a hotel!
  "Yes, I am, and I don't want you to take that charm," he said. Then he asked, "Why, Son, are you doing this?"
  The young man explained that he and a friend traveled to Washington during their college break. They spent all of their money and had no money to pay the hotel bill or pay for train passage back to school. "If you don't mind," he said, "I'll just take the wallet."
  Coolidge did mind. He knew he had about $80 in his wallet. So he said, "How much will it take to pay your hotel bill and get you and your friend back to the campus? Sit down and let's talk this over."
  Coolidge added up the room rate and two rail tickets. It came to $32. That may not sound like much now, but it was a considerable sum then. "I'll give you the $32 as a loan," the President said, "and I expect you to pay me back."
  The youth thanked him. Coolidge then advised him to leave by the same window he used to enter the room, as secret service agents were sure to be patrolling the hallway. As the young man climbed out, Coolidge left him with this admonition: "Son, you're a nice boy. You are better than you are acting. You are starting down the wrong road. Just remember who you are."
  It wasn't until after the death of Mrs. Coolidge in 1957 that this story was allowed to come out. It was first published in the "Los Angeles Times." And most interesting of all is that the President's notes show that the young man was indeed better than he was acting. He repaid the $32 loan in full.
• Pastor Keith then told us the parable of the Prodigal Son and reminded us that the son was at risk and that is why the Father ran out to greet him so quickly. The father wanted to protect the son from the villagers who know what the son had done.
• We were also challenged to consider which member of the story we identify most with.
• Also, we were given some thoughts from well known Disciples Preacher Fred Craddock, who sums up what most of us would say regarding the prodigal: "Yes, let the prodigal return, but to bread and water, not fatted calf; in sackcloth, not a new robe; wearing ashes, not a new ring; in tears, not in merriment; kneeling, not dancing."
• Pastor Keith reminded us that "The parable reminds us of the character of God--willing to rescue us in joy and with grace" and that we are called to emmulate God!

Have you been a "prodigal" member of this or another church? Have you been a "prodigal" from God? Come home! We're here to welcome you with open arms...and with Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors. Come home to Court Street this week!

Spiritual Gifts Spotlight

We have continued our study of Spiritual Gifts and this week our focus is on the 3 gifts of the hands. If you would like to join a study group or purchase the book, please contact the church office at 815-962-6061, or contact becca via e-mail.

The gifts of the hands are the gifts that "get to work". They are often the unseen gifts that do the work of the Body of Christ. These are gifts of love-in-action and are often taken for granted in the church. Without the gifts of the hands, however, the body of Christ might not accomplish its goals. The gifts of the hands are: Helping/ Giving-Aid, Serving, and Compassion.

The Gift Helping/ Giving Aid. These are often viewed as two different gifts, but in this study they’ll be grouped together. This gift often works behind the scenes to ensure needs are met and practical problems are solved. The characteristics of this gift are:

• Likes to relieve others of tasks so that they can do to other things.


• Often serves as an usher, office volunteer, or other "behind the scenes" worker.


• Enjoys helping out with the little details.


• Would rather keep records for a class than teach it.


• Can organize people and resources in order to meet practical needs.


• Enabled by God to develop plans that will help others in their ministries.


• Likes to work in practical, useful ways.


• Likes to assist and help others.

The Gift of Serving. This is the gift of doing for others--especially the weak, poor, or otherwise needy. This gift is unselfish often to its own detriment and is motivated by love for those who are served. While all Christians should serve, not all are recipients of this gift.

• Has a strong desire to meet the needs of other people.


• Usually notices the needs of others first.


• Has a special ability to recognize ways to minister without speaking or teaching.


• Likes to work in the background.


• Sees unmet needs.


• Willing to do the tasks that others often don’t want to do.


• Ministers to others and helps to meet their needs.


• Doesn’t mind helping even if they are taken advantage of or not appreciated.


• Finds great joy in serving others.

The Gift of Compassion. This is a unique gift that endows the giver with the ability to touch others inwardly with mercy and love. This gift not only wants to help others, but focuses on ways to best help others. This gift also makes people fundamentally aware of the presence of God and Christ in other people and challenges others to give of themselves to those in need.

• Is moved to radical action by the needs of others.


• Likes to visit with those who are in jail, sick, in the hospital or otherwise "shut in".


• Is able to console or comfort those who are discouraged or depressed.


• Can sense when others are hurting or in need.


• Has an ability to "touch" others in a way that brings comfort or consolation.


• Likes to work with those who are neglected by the rest of the world.


• Is very sensitive to words and actions that might hurt other people.


• Genuinely loves and cares.

Are these your gifts? Do you know someone who has these gifts? Continue your work in this study to find out your gifts and how best to use them!

David Wins!

Last night's Bible Idol featured a battle between David, Absalom and Nathan. The judges immediately disqualified Absalom due to his sneaky ways, but the competition was VERY close between David and Nathan. Our head judge even had to re-tally the votes to be sure that the ruling was fair. By a narrow margin of only 2 votes David won the night and will be moving on to the final rounds of competition. We were lucky to have an extra judge last night and we hope she'll be joining us again next time! Tune in next week as we continue our search for the next... BIBLE IDOL!!!