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January 5, 2017
    

  
Children and Youth News   

YES YOU CAN MARCH   
On January 15th, UCAN is sponsoring a march in Chicago to support UCAN's violence prevention programming. The Zackleys and Yzals will participate however, all ages are welcome to participate. If you would like to fund raise and participate in the march, please let Sylvia know so we can set up an account. 
Messy Church

     
Messy Church will be this Sunday, January 8th at 4:30. Our theme this month will be Jesus Is Found At The Temple. Come and have a great time and grow in faith and in your love of others on the journey. See you there!   
            
4:30-5:15pm: Crafts and Stories  
5:15-5:30pm: Celebration  
5:30-6:00: Dinner  
  Health Resources 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Resources 
As the result of Conversation Circles last May, the Ministry of Missions and Chris Hein developed a webpage of mental health and substance abuse resources for the FCCLG website. Please go to our church website and look at the rotating colored messages near the top of the page. Click on the purple one stating "Join the Voices for Recovery: Speak Up, Reach Out." We have tried to provide a simple but comprehensive guide to obtain services. Please feel free to share this information. We plan to share our webpage so that other churches in the community may also use it as a template. Thank you to all of the participants of Conversation Circles. This continues to be a very worthwhile project.

Fellowship Opportunities

Crockpot Sunday Luncheon - January 22
Please join us for our annual Crockpot Sunday. We will meet in the dining room for a delicious lunch immediately following our worship service. If you are able, plan to bring a crockpot dish of your choice to share with others. The Ministry of Nurture will provide bread, drinks and desserts. It will be a time to visit, dine and welcome in the New Year.
 


Ready To Play Bridge? The church bridge group is beginning to play for the season. We always have room for more players. You are welcome no matter your level of play. We play once a month at a time mutually arranged between the two teams playing each other. If you have a partner, all the better. If not, we will see if we can find you a partner. If you are interested in playing, contact Doris Bryant, 708-352-3034 or
Service Opportunities

- Bring in treats of your choice and serve beverages and snacks after worship 
- Proclaim the scripture to the congregation during Sunday service
- Deliver the donated altar flowers to home-bound church members after worship
- Arrive at 9:30 am, pass out programs, collect the offering
Greeters
-Arrive at 9:45 am, wear your name tag, smile!
- Pick up the Saturday Meals Program laundry outside the kitchen after worship and return it clean before next Saturday
- Attend the Nursery during worship on Sunday
 
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WINTER WARRIORS 
Winter is here and the Property Committee needs your shovel! Everyone can help, even those who can't shovel - operating the snow throwers and salt spreaders are noble and essential tasks. Please email Erik Sander to volunteer at erik_sander@sbcglobal.net or click here to sign up.
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The Saturday Meals Program is a ministry of our congregation that serves anyone who would like to share a hot meal.

There are two shifts of volunteer service available each Saturday:

Breakfast set up and serving is from 8 to 10 a.m. Breakfast volunteers cut and plate pastries, serve hot food to guests in a buffet line, run the dishwasher, make sandwiches and pack brown bag suppers for distribution after lunch. 
Lunch set up and serving is from 10:45 to 1 p.m. Lunch volunteers plate desserts, serve hot foods to guests in a buffet line, run the dishwasher, and wipe down tables and chairs following the meal.

Email Volunteer Coordinator JoAnne Konkle for information.
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FOOD PANTRY DONATIONS FOR JANUARY
After the holiday season of giving, it can be tempting to forget about the continuing needs of the less fortunate. Please remember the food pantry in 2017! If you shop at Jewel, the 3-day specials sometimes offer good prices on nonperishables. This weekend, canned beans and tomatoes are 48 cents, making it easy on the budget to pick up a can or two for the food pantry at Second Baptist. Other stores may have similar specials to take advantage of. Thank you for your past and continuing generosity.

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THANK YOU!
Thank you to everyone who assisted the Saturday Meals Program Christmas Eve! Thank you to all who cleaned and chopped greens for salads, made bag lunches, served breakfast and lunch, cut desserts, and assisted in cleaning up. To all who donated for gift bags, sorted, bagged and passed them out. To those who sang carols, sat and spoke to guests; to those to whom mission is service and care, thank you. It was a great pleasure to work with families, friends and all, thank you. Please know you would always be welcomed to come again.
JoAnna Konkle, Volunteer Coodinator
 
FCCLG Fundraising 
 
Here's an easy way to give back to FCCLG! When you shop on Amazon, use smile.amazon.com and choose First Congregational Church of La Grange UCC as your charity. Consider making your holiday purchases through Amazon which donates 0.5% of your purchase back to FCCLG. Thank you for supporting us!


 
TEXT GIVING 
Text FCCLG100 to 73256 to give using your text messaging. Click the link and complete your gift. Standard text messaging rates may apply.
 
FCCLG Church Calendar 

WELCOME TO FCCLG! 
Welcome to "Be Still and Know" who recently started meeting at FCCLG. This is a new 12-Step Fellowship Gathering. They meet in the Drawing Room on Friday afternoons from 4:00 to 5:00 pm. Click here to see their flyer.

HOOKS AND NEEDLES 
Hooks and Needles meets in the Family Room off the Chapel on all but the first Monday of the month at 7:00 pm.
 
We make blankets for Project Linus and Still Missed along with prayer shawls, baby blankets and prayer squares for the church. Please join us in this valuable ministry. Beginners are welcome; we would love to teach you to knit or crochet. Call Linda Lauterbach or the church office if you need a code to get into the building.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING 
This years Annual Meeting will be held on January 15, 2017 , immediately following worship in the Sanctuary at 11:01 a.m. Elections of officers, committee and team members will be held. We will also approve the 2017 budget. Look for materials in the mail.
 
 
THIS  WEEK IN OUR CHURCH 
Community Events  
COMMUNITY-WIDE STYROFOAM COLLECTION
This Sunday, January 8th The First Congregational Church of Western Springs invites you to join them in recycling Styrofoam. This time of year we have a lot of Christmas packaging materials. Please bring these materials to be recycled rather than having them go into a landfill.
Click here for more information and list of materials.

BEDS Plus SOUP AND BREAD EVENT FUNDRAISER 
Please join BEDS Plus on January 29th from 3-7pm for their
4th Annual Soup and Bread Event. Click here for more event details.

CHILI COOK OFF 
The First Baptist Church of La Grange will be holding their Inaugural Chili Cook Off on February 4, 2017. You can register online at www.fbclagrange.com 
Touch List 

Prayer is at the heart of our relationship with God. Please lift these friends, family, and members in your prayers.
 
Thoughts and prayers for Joyce Allen.
Emil and Maria Balz who are recovering at home.
Prayers for Erin Markus-Bryant's nephew Emmett, who is suffering from kidney failure.
Prayers for Renee Bryant's friend Melissa, who was just diagnosed with breast cancer.
Dawn Daft, friend of Susan Schwall
The family and friends of Margaret Fieldhouse, who died on December 16th.
The family and friends of Vivienne Holt, who died on December 26th.
The family of Colin Harris, the Lauterbach's godson, as they deal with Sophia's paralysis and personality change after removal of her largest brain tumor.
Ron Kloss, Janet Bednar's father who is recovering from a fall.
Prayers for Joe Lucas who is in the hospital struggling with health issues.
Petra Palmer's granddaughter's friend Summer who is having chemotherapy for leukemia.
Jennifer Powers as she deals with health issues.
Rev. Jennifer Mills-Knutsen, Carly's friend, who is struggling through chemo half a world from home.
Thoughts and prayers for Faith Ullrich's brother-in-law Richard Storm, diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.
Victims of hatred and terror; and those seduced in to believing violence is the only option.
 
 
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