Primetime Preview!

Primetime is back on track this week after Ash Wednesday last week.

We start at 5:30 with the kids in choir and the Youth meeting up in Balcony West to continue our investigation of our spiritual gifts. Tonight we'll be focusing on the Gifts of the Spine.

The adults will also be exploring thier spiritual gifts during their study which will also start at 5:30 and break for dinner.

Dinner is at 6:15. The cost is only $2/ $10 for a family and the food is excellent.

At 6:45, the kids meet with Becca to do "Bible Idol" Tonight's contestants are Samson, Gideon, and Deborah. The youth have choir and orchestra, the gospel of John group meets as does the men's group.

at 7:30 the Rejoice ensemble practices in the sanctuary.

Join us at CSUMC in PRIMETIME!!!

Choir Festival Pictures!

Thanks to Carole Scoffield for sharing her pics too!

Click here to view.

This Week At Court Street

Today 2/27

9:00 Quilters/History&Archives
1:00 Lenten Study Group, Room 209 (Becca Butler teaching)
6:00 Bell Choir
6:15 Knitters at Jan Mace's Home
7:00 Chancel Choir

Wednesday 2/28

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 3/1

7:00 Lenten Study at the Home of Sue Cram
7:00 Task Force

Friday 3/2
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER

Saturday 3/3

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

Sunday 3/4
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 Rejoice/5:12 Meeting in the Sanctuary (all invited)
5:30 Confirmation Class

The Sunday Summary

Well, not very many people braved the cold and snow this Sunday, and with good reason! It was a mess out there! To those of you who did make it, we were glad to see you!

A few highlights:

• It was the first Sunday in Lent, so we heard the Gospel account of Jesus being tempted by Satan. We also talked about what "Lent" really is.
• I (Becca) introduced the Spiritual Gifts Spotlight and talked about our Lenten Study.
• Our District Superintendant The Rev. Ouk-Yean Kim Jueng joined us for worship.
• Despite the few numbers, we were large in spirit and faith!

Pastor Keith's Sermon was entitled "Under the Influence". Here are a few highlights from his sermon:

• We are all under the influence of temptation.
• There are 4 things in life we cannot avoid: temptation, taxation, inhalation, and expiration
• St. Anthony said that we should expect temptation even at our last breath.
• Pastor Keith quoted Peter Gomes: "When people ask why preachers waste their time on the people in their pews, "preaching to the converted" … they fail to understand that it is those who aspire to goodness who most need to be reminded of and protected against the dangers of the moral ambiguity that is the seed of temptation."
• He gave us steps for overcoming temptation, based on how Jesus overcame it: Knowledge of Scripture, Knowledge of Self, Knowledge of Purpose.
• He also referenced 1 John 2: 16 as an example of how temptation works.

The Youth participated in the 48th Annual Youth Choir Festival at Our Savior's Lutheran Church. They did a marvelous job! Pictures and (hopefully) video will be up soon!

Primetime Preview

Primetime will be a little different tonight because of the Ash Wednesday Service that begins at 7:00 in the Chapel.

At 5:30, the kids will still meet with Rob for Kids Choir and the Youth will be in "Balcony West" where we will begin the Lenten Bible Study together.

At 6:15 dinner will be served.

After dinner, there will not be regular Primetime programming due to our Ash Wednesday Service.

Please come join us for worship!

The Lenten Journey Begins

Today, the Lenten Journey begins.

Lent is the 40 days (not including Sundays) before Easter. Why 40? Well in biblical terms, 40 means fullness and this is seen in the story of Noah, the days Nineveh was given to repent, and the years in the reigns of Kings Saul, David and Solomon. (Calendar:Christ's Time for the Church, Lawrence Stookey) Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert as his preparatipm for his minitry. During this time he was tempted by the devil and resisted such temptation. According to Delia Halverson, "The number fourty indicated an amount of time essential for accomplishemtn of what needed to be done" (Teaching and Celebrating the Christian Seasons). In the early church, Lent was a time of preparation for baptism.

Today, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. We celebrate today by attending special worship services where ashes are imposed in the shape of a cross on the forehead. Why do we use ashes?

Delia Halverson in Teaching and Celebrating the Christian Seasons says,
"The ashes are placed on the forehead, representing our mortality. But they are placed in the sign of the cross reminding us that as Christians we die in Christ. As we move through the season, we move from despair to hope, as Good Friday offers redemption with Christ's death"

Laurence Hull Stookey in Calendar: Christ's Time for the Church says,
"Ashes, the sign of death, are put on teh forehaed not in some random pattern but in the shape of a cross. This alters the starkeness of the message, which becomes 'You will die. You cannot change that. But you can die in Christ, whose death transforms your own demise. Meanwhile, live in Christ and discover Christ's new life which conquers death'."

Joseph P. Russell in The New Prayer Book Guide to Christian Education says,
"Ashes symbolize our mortality and sorrow for our sins. The people of the Hebrew scriptures put ashes on their forheads as a sign of penitence. Job (Job 42:6) and the king fo Nineveh (Jonah 3:6) repented in ashes, wearing sackcloth."

Essentially, we use ashes because it shows that we KNOW we are mortal creatures, but that mortality takes a "back seat" to the future we have in God and Christ. So while Ash Wednesday is somber and sobering, it is also "Good News" because we know God has conquered death through Christ.

For more of Becca's views on Lent and the tradition of "giving up" things in preparation for Easter, please read her Ash Wednesday Sermon from 2003.

Join us tonight at CSUMC for our Ash Wednesday Taize worship service at 7:00 in the Chapel. This service is in the Taize tradition of meditative prayer and will include the imposition of ashes.

Lenten Studies at CSUMC

As we go through Lent together, our focus will be on Spiritual Gifts. While this may have been something you’ve experienced before, I’m hoping that this study together will really help us grow in new and exciting ways as a church. Our Lenten Journey together will take place in several ways.

Lenten Home Bible Studies: Hosted in Members’ homes and taught by volunteers. These groups will be using the study “Gifts of the Spirit: Functioning Together as a Whole Body of Christ,” which I wrote especially for Court Street! This study is available to anyone who wants to use it during Lent. The “cost” is a suggested donation of $2-$5.

Spiritual Gift Spotlights: Each Sunday during worship, I will “spotlight” a few of the spiritual gifts. I will give more information on the gifts and speak about how those gifts might be used in our church, your homes and families, and in our community at large.

Small Groups: Each member of the church will be asked to attend ONE small group session during Lent where we will complete a Group Support session that helps further identify and define spiritual gifts. This can be done during the Home Studies, during Circle Meetings, during Sunday School classes, or even at other scheduled times. You only need to do the session once and there will be plenty of opportunities.

Consecration Service: At the end of our journey together, each person will fill out a card that lists their top 3 spiritual gifts and their personal commitment for using those gifts in our church, their homes/families, and our community. These will be collected during our Easter Service and will be consecrated and given over to God for God’s use. We will truly celebrate God’s gift through Christ by offering ourselves back to God as gifts.

So what are the Spiritual gifts? According to scripture, they are: Administration, Apostleship, Compassion, Discernment, Evangelism, Exhortation, Faith, Giving, Giving aid, Healing, Helps, Miracles, Prophecy, Teaching, Tongues, Interpretation of Tongues, Serving Shepherding, Word of Knowledge, and Word of Wisdom.

During Lent, I’ll highlight each of these gifts briefly during worship and write about them in our here. We’ll also focus on gifts each week in the Lenten Studies, and you’ll have a chance to get to know yourself and your fellow members a little better through the Group Support sessions. I know it sounds like a lot of work and involvement, but it’s not, and the results will really help not only each individual person, but our church as a whole!

I’m looking forward to Easter Sunday when we can each present our gifts as offering to God and celebrate together all that we have learned.

The Schedule for the studies is as follows:

Sundays: 1pm at a local restaurant. Hosted and taught by Becca.
Mondays: 7pm at the home of Jan Mace.
Tuesday: 1pm at CSUMC (room 209). Hosted and taught by Becca.
Wednesday: During "Primetime" at CSUMC, hosted and taught by Rob and Lorelle Wandell.
Thursday: 7:00 At the Home of Sue Cram
Friday: none
Saturday: 10am at the home of Bruce Martin.

If you are interested in participating in one of these groups, please contact the host. If you do not have contact information, please contact Becca or the church office.

Study books are also avaliable for those not in the groups. Contact the Church for more information on the books or to "purchase" one for a donation of $2-$5.

This Week at Court Street

Today 2/20:
9:00 Quilters, History&Archives
6:00 Bell Choir
7:00 Chancel Choir

Tomorrow 2/21
6:30 Men's Group
9:30 Esther Circle
12:00 Ash Wednesday Service
5:30 PRIMETIME
5:30 Kids Choir
5:30 Youth in Balcony West
6:15 Dinner
(no Bible Idol or Youth Choir this week)
7:00 Ash Wednesday Taize Service

Thursday 2/22
12:00 Newcomer's Meeting
1:00 Chimes Ladies in the Library
6:00 SPRC Meeting
7:00 Task Force (room 209)

Sunday 2/25
8:00 Chapel Worship
8:45 Rejoice! Worship
9:10 Better Living
9:30 Lamp Lighters
9:50 Sunday School/Libray Group
10:45 Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary
4:00 Youth Choir Festival at Our Savior's Lutheran (No Youth Nite Activities due to this)
4:00 Book Club at Pat Water's Home


If you have things to add to the list please let Becca know by commenting here, e-mailing the church, or contacting the church office.

WE WENT SLEDDING!!!!

We had such a fun day today! The youth and some kids and some others gathered at Aldeen park to sled.

Now, where i'm from, we call the hat you wear on your head a "toboggan"...today, I rode a toboggan for the very first time. It was so much fun!

Special thanks to Bruce Martin and Diane Lutmer!

Check out the pictures of our adventure here.

The Sunday Summary

Sunday was a great day to get out of the cold and share together in worship here at CSUMC. It was quite a day!

Here are a few highlights from this week's services:

• Amy Schlaff reminded us that next week is "Blanket Sunday" to benifit Church World Service. The blankets are $5 each and are distributed in needy areas or after major disasters. CWS blankets have been given around the world and even here in the US after hurricane Katrina and the recent tornados in Florida. For more information you can check out thier website.
• The children sang "Seed in Your Heart" during the 10:45 Service. They sounded great!
• The Rejoice! Service experimented a little this week with an expanded praise ensemble, a smaller bulletin, and a power point presentation. It was a GREAT service and we had a lot of people here to share with us.

Pastor Keith's sermon was entitled "THey've been to the mountain top and...." Here are some highlights from his sermon:

• We all experience transfiguration in our lives.
• A mountaintop experience has no meaning if it stays on the mountain.
• In the biblical sense when a transfiguration takes place it means something is going to happen. IT is preparation for the "next step" or next "assignment".
• We are transformed so that we might go and be instruments of transformation for toher people.
• We are called to make "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven"
• For Jesus, the transfiguration was a time when he was transformed by god and prepared and encouraged. God let him know that he had Moses and Elijah beside him in the weeks to come.
• God says, "This is my son, Listen to him". When we listen to Jesus we begin to understand our own transfiguration and go beyond just hearing the word to actually acting on those words.
• Pastor Keith quoted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I've been to the Mountaintop" speech, given in Memphis.
• He also told us the story of a 15 year old young man who is working to put an end to slavery in all forms.
• Finally, he reminded us all that while we are unaware of the way God works in our lives, God does indeed work to bring us our own transfiguration.

Sunday night, the youth had Confirmation Class, and the congregation was treated to a concert by the "Starlight Radio" group in our sanctuary.

RAHAB WINS!

In last week's Bible Idol we were suprised by Rahab's victory, but her story of hospitality in the face of danger won over the judges (it doesn't hurt that most of the judges are girls who like to see girls win). The judges were not at all impressed with Achan and his deciet, but they were rather fond of both Joshua and Rahab and it looked like it was going to come down to a close vote. It was very close, but Rahab secured her victory and moves on to compete again!

PRIMETIME PREVIEW

Happy Valentines Day! Won't you come in out of the cold and let us share God's love with you here at Court Street United Methodist Church?

Tonight's activities start at 5:30. During this time, the Youth (middle and high school ages) meet in "Balcony West" our very cool IKEA styled room to talk, study, and catch up on our weekly activities with me, Becca (the Director of Christian Education).

Also at 5:30 our Kid's Choir (elementary aged children) meet and sing together with our Music Director, Rob.

During this time Kathy Welk will also continue leading her scrapbooking class. This is the last week for Scrapbooking!

At 6:15 everyone gathers in the Dining room for a delicious dinner. The cost for dinner is only $2.50 ($10 maximum for families). This is a great time for fellowship and friendship, and the food is good too!

At 6:45, we split up again. This time the Elementary Aged children go with me (Becca) to Bible Idol! in our Prime Time room. The Youth go with Rob to practice their singing, and scrapbooking class continues.

Tonight, Bible Idol will feature our fourth round of competition. Last week the favorite, Moses, took home the victory. The characters competing this week are Joshua, Rahab, and Achan. Will the favorite come out on top tonight??

The evening ends with Rejoice! rehearsal which takes place in the sanctuary.

Please join us here at CSUMC for our midweek ministry: PRIMETIME!!

This Week at Court Street

Today:
9:00 Quilters/History and Archives
6:00 Bell Choir*
7:00 Chancel Choir*
*These Activities are Cancelled for tonight due to weather!

Tomorrow (Wednesday):
6:30am and 7:00 pm Fellowship of Christian Men Group
5:30 PRIMETIME!!!
5:30 Kids Choir/ Youth in Balcony West
6:15 Dinner6:45 Bible Idol/ Youth Choir
7:00 Gospel of John Study
7:30 Rejoice! Rehearsal

Thursday:
6:00 Bell Choir (rescheduled from Tuesday)
7:00 Chancel Choir (rescheduled from Tuesday)
7:00 Task

Sunday:
8:00 Worship in the Chapel
8:45 Rejoice! Worship in the Sanctuary
9:10 Better Living Sunday School Class
9:30 Lamplighters9:50 Sunday School
10:45 Traditional Worship in the
5:30 COnfirmation Class

The Sunday Summary

It was another busy Sunday here at CSUMC. All three services were back in full swing after last week's combined service.

In the 8:00 service, the warmth of Christ was evident in the love shown towards one another. We had one very young guest for the children's moment, and Pastor Keith delivered his sermon "Real Options".

The Rejoice Service featured "Shout to the Lord", "More Love" and "Rock of Ages" and the great music of the Rejoice! Ensemble.

At the 10:45 service, the choir presented a beautiful anthem "Sanctify this Place" which had an underlying melody from "Holy Holy Holy". It was a gorgeous expression of the Choir's faith and their talent.

I had the privlege of teaching in the "Better Living" Sunday School class. What a treat! I had such a good time sharing my faith, my call to ministry, and my vision for CSUMC with this wonderful group of people. It was truly a gift!

The Scriptures for this week were: Jeremiah 17: 5-10 and Luke 6:17-26.

Pastor Keith's sermon was entitled "Real Options" and here are a few highlights from his message:

• The problem for us today is not a lack of options, but being able to decide among the options we have.
• "Religion is 99% trust and 1% knowing"-- HL Melken
• We must go back to Jesus. Jesus trusted God and was open to God's leading. Jesus' power comes from his constant openness and trust in God.
• "It is our Atitude and not our Aptitude that determines our Altitude" Steven Covey
• We have the option to trust in God or trust in something else, and we can't afford to be idolotrous.
• God needs us! God doesn't have hands or feet or a mouth other than ours.

Pastor Keith challenged us to trust in God, but to remember that Trust is never a substitute for hard work, critical thinking or analysis. Rather, trust that God works with us and for us all the way!

Sunday evening, the Youth met and had "Youth Nite". This week we fellowshipped together by eating "Walking Tacos" and watching the faith-challenging movie "Bruce Almighty".

It was another great Sunday at CSUMC! Join us next week!

Life is a Caberet!

This past Friday evening, CSUMC hosted our annual Caberet. Caberet is a showcase of the talent in our church and is somewhat a cross between a talent show and an old-fashioned variety show (Think Ed Sullivan in a church basement). It was a great night!

Acts this year included:

• Extreme Makover with Tim and Kathy Welk
• "Cabaret" by the Chancel Choir.
• "Court Street Church" (to the tune of America from West Side Story) by the Lydia Circle.
• Brahms Waltzes #15-17 performed by Julia Schade and Rob Kennan
• "The Red Tie Club" presented by the Wednesday Night Men's Bible Group
• Sonata Latino with Meeghan Dooley on Flute and Julia on piano.
• "Historic Hoops" (a scary look back at the 1920's basket ball uniforms) by the Kennan family.
• On a Clear Day, sung by nonagenarian Bob Bremnar who wrote his own verse to the song.
• "The Candy Store" a skit by Rob Wandell and Kathleen Kennan
• Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride presented by the Puppets For Christ Group.
• Seventy-Six trombones as played on the saxaphone by Tim Welk.
• Cristo Me Ama: A version of Jesus Loves me featuring the Chancel Choir, the Youth Choir, The Kids Choir, the Rejoice! Ensemble, and the Youth Orchestra.
• The whole church did the Macarena together!
• Bell Boogie performed by the Ju-Bell-ation bell ringers.
• Chiquita Banana Song and Aba Daba Daba presented by Shirley Holley and assisted by Ryan Welk.
• Cantar! by Rob and Julia.
• Bali Hai from South Pacific performed as a saxaphone trio by Ryan and Tim Welk and Rob Wandell.
• Manana presented by Marva and the Marionettes.
• Palm Leaf Rag by Marie and Rob Kennan
• The Staff Skit: Something's Happening at Court Street
• THe Rippin' Knitters
• Jamaican Farewell by Verlette Gorman, Gerry Kinch, Denny Campbell, and Rob
• And to close it all out a rousing game of Name that tune!

WHAT A NIGHT!!!

Pictures will be posted soon on our website!

MOSES WINS!

Last night in Bible Idol, the Favorite finally won. In previous weeks, we were suprised by "underdogs" moving forward-- Noah was ousted by Abraham, Joseph beaten by Rebekah. But last night, the favorite stole the show. Moses was our winner along with his rousing rendition of "Pharaoh Pharaoh" and his miraculous journey from child to hero. It was an exciting round of competition, and the judges did a terrific job!

Also in Primtime last night the Scrapbookers kept working and the Study groups met for their discussions. Dinner was grilled cheese and soup... the perfect meal on a cold February night!

The youth worked on their Puppet act for Friday's cabaret. They are really working hard to create a great act!

Sorry we missed you...won't you please join us next week?

PRIMETIME PREVIEW!

Are you freezing? Then come in out of the cold and warm up with another "hot" night of programming here at CSUMC's Primetime!

Tonight all sorts of rehearsals and activities will be in full swing to prepare us for Friday's Cabaret! The Childrens and Youth Choirs will be rehearsing, the youth puppeteers will be getting their act in shape, and everyone will be helping with set up!

Additionally, another delicious dinner will be served at 6:15 in the Dining Room. The cost is only 2.50 for individuals and $10 for families!

The kids will continue their search for "The Bible's Biggest Star" in tonights installment of BIBLE IDOL! Tonights contestants are the Exodus heroes Moses, Miriam, and Aaron. Who will move one step closer tonight? Think you know the answer? Stay tuned!

There are only 2 more weeks left of the scrapbooking class! This group will meet this Wednesday and Next Wednesday as well.

Also, the Gospel of John study continues...this takes place from 7-8 pm and is taught by our own Ray Rhoads. Come for dinner and stay for the study!

This Week at Court Street

It's another busy week at Court Street!

Today:
9:00 Quilters/History and Archives
6:00 Bell Choir*
7:00 Chancel Choir*

Tomorrow (Wednesday):
6:30am and 7:00 pm Fellowship of Christian Men Group
5:30 PRIMETIME!!!
5:30 Kids Choir/ Youth in Balcony West
6:15 Dinner
6:45 Bible Idol/ Youth Choir
7:30 Rejoice! Rehearsal

After Rejoice! Rehearsal, there will be set-up work for Friday's Cabaret.

Thursday:
7:00 Task Force

Friday:
7:00 CABARET!!!! This is our annual talent/variety show. Please come join us for our Carribean
Fiesta!-- If you are joining us, please park in 2nd Congregational's lot.
7:30 Mendelssohn Concert in the Sanctuary: Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Tickets available by
contacting Medelssohn at 964-9713

Sunday:
8:00 Worship in the Chapel
8:45 Rejoice! Worship in the Sanctuary
9:10 Better Living Sunday School Class
9:30 Lamplighters
9:50 Sunday School
10:45 Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary
After Worship: Ad Council and Task Force Meeting (Dining Room)
5:30 Youth Nite!

*Due to today's weather, please contact the church to be sure these activities are still happening!

The Sunday Summary

We had a GREAT day at Court Street this Sunday! We held a combined service where all of our members worshipped together. It was a great service. One of the highlights of the service was the dedication of the "Artisans Quilt" which was a project initiated by former pastor of CSUMC, Rev. Norma Lee Barnhart as part of her work towrad her Doctor of Ministry Degree. It was presented to the congregation and consecrated by Pastor Keith, Verlette Gorman, Perky Flynn-Heath, Rita Johnson, Jereve Miller and Rae Ann Wlaters. Others who worked on the project included Rev. Barnhart, Tim Gorman, and Bruce Johnson. Here is a picture of the quilt!

It was a great day for music at Court Street, too. The Youth Choir presented "Chatter with the Angels" and the Chancel Choir presented "They That Wait Upon the Lord". I (Becca) was lucky enough to get to play my flute along with the choir which was quite a treat for me. The Ju-Bell-ation Bell Choir also participated by ringing on our closing hymn "This Is the Feast of Victory".

It was also the first sunday of the month so we celebrated the Sacrament fo Holy Communion together. There was something really special about the whole congregation getting to partake together.

The Scriptures for the week wer Isaiah 6: 1-8 (The Call of Isaiah) and Luke 5: 1-11 (Fishers of Men)." I attempted to actually fish for people during the children's time, but the children quickly corrected me and taught me that Jesus meant for us to actually go out into our community and bring people in instead of sitting in the sanctuary with a fishin' pole.

Pastor Keith's sermon, "Did You Hear?" was about being called and how difficult it might be to say "Here I am Lord" like Isaiah Did. He challenged us to change our mindset about what it means to be a downtown church. A few points from his sermon:

• There are many kinds of calls. Some are calls from God, some calls compete with God.


• We often feel inadequate or unqualified when God calls us to do something.


• God does not call qualified people. God qualifies the people whom God calls.


• "We are here today because we were called by a God who loves us and wants us to make something out of nothing."


• God is aking us to trust and then work: hard work, creativity, inguinuity.


• "Lets not be afraid to make our city and our church what it can be."

Pastor Keith, Rob Kennan, and I were also treated to a reception in the dining room presented by the Staff-Parish Relations Committee. It was a great chance to fellowship together as a whole church and for all of us to meet all of you! Thanks to SPRC for making this happen.

Soup-er Bowllllll Sundaaaaay!

The Soup-er Bowl party was a great success. We had about 20 kids, youth, and adults gather at Forest Hills Lanes in Loves Park for food, fun, and of course BOWLING! It was a great night and we had alot of fun together.

Here's the link to the pictures!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/81463035@N00/


Thanks to everyone who came out tonight and contributed soup to the Food Pantry. Also, special thanks to Kathy and Diane for all their help making tonight happen.

Something to look forward to!

We're going to have a big day on Sunday at Court Street...with so much going on you definately don't want to miss it!

We'll be celebrating worship as a combined congregation at 10:00 am in the Sanctuary...we will be together as one whole family of God this week!

Sunday school classes will meet at 9 am this week.

We'll be dedicating the "Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors" quilt that the artisan group put together. This is an AMAZINGLY beautiful quilt that shows off all the areas of our church. You will be impressed with this beautiful work of art.

Also, after the service we'll be celebrating in the Dining Room at a reception for all the new staff that have come to Court Street in the past year. Now would be the perfect time for everyone to meet Pastor Keith, Rob, and myself Becca.

The Youth are having thier Soup-er Bowl party at Forest Hills Lanes (in Loves Park) at 4:30. Admission is a can of soup. Come BOWLLLLLL with us!

REBKEAH WINS!!!

It was a great night at Bible Idol...it was a very close contest between Joseph and Rebekah. The judges were clearly unimpressed by Jacob. Perhaps it was his constant fighting with his brother Esau, or his favoritism towards one of his children, but the judges knocked Jacob out of hte running early. But as the scores came in, it became clear that the race between Joseph and Rebekah would come down to the wire. While all the adults clearly thought that Joseph would win, afterall he has that famous coat and all! But, well, Rebekah came out on top! It was indeed a suprise, but she'll be moving on to the final rounds of competition.

In addition to Bible Idol, the rest of Primetime was great too! We had a delicious meal and some great fellowship with one another. The Scrapbookers were working feverishly, the youth were their usual crazy selves, and the kids and youth choirs practiced. Additionally the men's group had a meeting with Pastor Keith as well.

We're sorry you weren't there to join in the fun!! Join us next week!