Little Home Church by the Wayside / UCC | |
By the Way |February 2025
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"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.”
2 Corinthians 1:3–5
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After finishing this morning’s Contemplative Service on reverence, I got in my car to go get some coffee before starting the day’s duties. There was a wonderful story on the radio about an aquarium in Japan that was under renovation and closed to the public. The employees noticed that one of their “star attractions” a sunfish was not eating and repeatedly banging his body up against the glass walls of the aquarium. It turns out that he was lonely, he missed the daily visitors and the interactions with the people. The staff put up cardboard cut outs of themselves with uniforms and cardboard cut outs of other folks and the very next day the fish began eating again and stopped banging against the aquarium walls. Lori reminded me how much folks appreciated the cardboard cut outs of each other when we were an online only church during the Covid Pandemic.
In Bible Study this week, we examined the phrase “Give us this day our daily bread.” Daily bread can be the need for physical food and the need for spiritual food. How do we get these things? The answer is from each other. Paul asks the folks at Corinth to comfort each other with the comfort that they received from God. We need to follow that example too. Some folks might be hungering for a meal and some folks might feel very lonely like the sunfish due to a change in their life that was out of their control.
Whether the need is physical, or spiritual, or both, we need to help each other out. If you are feeling lonely or need something like the sunfish did then reach out, bang your head against the glass, let folks know you have a need. If you see someone lonely or in need who are banging their head against the glass then reach out with the “God in me” and let the person know that I see the “God in you” because we have all been on both sides of the glass wall at some time in our lives.
Grace & Peace
Pastor Larry Dieffenbach
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WE ACCEPT, EMBRACE AND AFFIRM THE DIGNITY AND WORTH OF EVERY PERSON,
AS WE ARE ALL CREATED IN GOD'S IMAGE.
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'Come together to serve'—get involved and join a group,
an event, or a LHC initiative.
Worship Service Sundays, 9:30 am
(recorded/uploaded to our YouTube channel during the week)
Weekly Bible Study, Wednesdays, 10 am via Zoom and in person
Weekly Choir Rehearsal, Wednesdays, 7 pm
All Church Read—Sunday, Feb. 2, 11:30 am
Contemplative Service—Thursday, Feb. 6, 8 am & 7 pm
Men of LHC Monthly Breakfast Meeting—Saturday, Feb. 8, 8:30 am
Sisters in Spirit Breakfast Meeting—Saturday, Feb. 8, 9 am
Church Council Meeting—Monday, Feb. 10, 6:30 pm
A Book & A Prayer Book Club—Thursday, Feb. 13, 7 pm via Zoom
President's Day Holiday—Monday, Feb. 17 - CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED
By the Way Submission Deadline—Wednesday, Feb. 19
Contemplative Service—Thursday, Feb. 20, 8 am & 7 pm
Chili Cook-Off & Dessert Bake-Off
Saturday, February 22, 6:30 pm
CHURCH OFFICE HOURS
Monday through Thursday, 9 am to 3 pm—630.584.4013
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WE as a Council and myself as Moderator have hit the ground running in 2025:
—WE spent the majority of both our December and January Council meetings preparing the budget for 2025
—Pastor Larry and I have completed and formalized the annual staff reviews for 2024
—WE have prepared for, planned for, and successfully executed the Janual Budget Congregational meeting approving our budget for 2025
—I have participated in our quarterly Moderator “Trifecta” meeting which includes myself, our previous Moderator Emily Miller, and our Moderator Elect Kit DeWitt
—Pastor Larry and I are preparing for our 6 months check in discussions with our Ministry Chairs
—I have participated in the Grateful Gifts committee planning meetings
—I have participated in the Joyful Joyful weekly construction meetings
I am not going to lie; the past two months have been a tremendous amount of work for all of us. It has been draining and tedious at times, but I fully know that the reward is far better than the effort we put in. I was initially stumped when writing this By The Way report; in fact I was one week late getting it to Lori (thank you for your patience Lori). I was struggling to find my inspiration all while bogged down in the details of the work at hand. But literally the morning of our Janual meeting while double checking my comments, the agenda and making sure all was in order, my mindset completely shifted. My thoughts shifted and went from what I have to do, to what I get to do, to what I am blessed to do. Divine inspiration perhaps?
Then not one hour later while in our Sunday service Pastor Larry’s centering prayer and his sermon spoke about connecting the business of the Church with the Ministry of God. WE are blessed to do the work and the business of the Church because God is steadfast and because God is love. How does Pastor Larry know exactly what to say, and when to say it? He spoke to my heart and where I was struggling, and reminded me that WE can fulfill Gods calling, no matter what the effort entails WE are here to serve.
I am so very grateful to be a member of our Little Home Church and for the reminder that WE are all blessed for the opportunity to be of service.
Julie Graham, Moderator
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Warmest greetings to you all. As I write this article for the February newsletter it happens to be well below zero outside! Such weather makes me hope and pray that our homeless neighbors are able to find a warm place to sleep and food and water to sustain them. It also makes me grateful to belong to our family of friends and neighbors at The Little Home Church bythe Wayside where we have the opportunity to actively take part in the mission of our church to do what we can to help our neighbors both near and far who are in need. Doing something is what we are called to do…love our neighbors as ourselves. In giving there is receiving.
Our church provides a “sanctuary” for each of us to receive the warmth of care from our fellow members and friends as well as by God’s caring spirit. Whether in Sunday services, coffee hour, Bible study, Sunday School, Sisters in Spirit, Men’s Fellowship, serving on the church council, volunteering at the Food Pantry, All Church Read, donating and/or delivering home supplies to refugee families, tending to the church grounds and building, we may all find a spirit of loving care in The Little Home Church by the Wayside.
Two other places within our church where giving and receiving a spirit of care may be found are the Wayside Ringers and the Chancel Choir. We gladly welcome new members. You need not be able to read music or sing solos. You only need to have a desire to be a part of a group of people who love learning and sharing together both in rehearsal and during church services. You also need not worry that you cannot commit to every rehearsal or every Sunday. We understand that we all have times when we travel, are ill, or have other things to tend to.
The Chancel Choir sings on the first, second, fourth, fifth Sundays September through May. We rehearse on Wednesday evenings from 7 to 8:30 pm with some Wednesdays off during holidays. The Wayside Ringers play on the third Sundays September through May and rehearse from 8:30 to 9:15 am on the Sunday they play.
Should you be even a bit curious about giving one or both of the choirs a try, please talk to me. It would be my pleasure to answer your questions and offer more detailed information about the music program at The Little Home Church by the Wayside.
Grace Bardsley, Director of Music
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Chili Cook-Off & Dessert Bake-Off
Saturday, February 22, 6:30 pm
Come join the delicious fun...be a Chef, a Baker, or a Judge! The Men of LHC and Sisters in Spirit are combining their energies and bringing back our traditional Chili Cook-off & Bake Off!
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Be a Chef...make your favorite chili recipe (with 3 pounds of meet or vegetarian version) to win the admiration of fellow chili lovers and compete for the coveted Best Chili Chef Award!
Be a Baker...make your favorite dessert to win the admiration of fellow dessert lovers and compete for the coveted Best Dessert Chef Award!
Admission is $10 per person which buys you five votes. Each additional vote is $1. The chili & dessert with the most votes wins!! Sign-Up Sheets are in the Parish Hall!
Contact the Church Office with questions!
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SAVE THE DATE - GRATEFUL GIFTS 2025 | | |
While at church sitting in the pew…
A) Do you sometimes say to yourself? " Wish I could remember that person's name."
B) Or do you elbow your partner or friend sitting next to you and ask? "Do you know who that is over there?"
C) Or do you say to yourself? "I will look at the church directory when I get home and look up the name of that person?"
D) All of the above or a combination of the above.
E) None of the above because you have an excellent memory and remember everyone's name.
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To help everyone who answered A,B,C, or D the Evangelism Committee would ask that everyone make an effort to wear a name tag at church. We would like to create a community environment where everybody knows your name. The nametags are located right inside the church doors when you come in. If you see you’re running low, just let the ushers know and they’ll make a note of it and the office will resupply.
As always if you happen to notice someone new in church please reach out, introduce yourself, and invite them to join you at fellowship.
Speaking of the church directory, if you’d like to update your photo please just email a new one to the Church Office.
Website and brochure update
The committee continues to meet via zoom on the second Tuesday of the month. We have reviewed and discussed changes that have been made to the website. A subcommittee has been formed to update the brochure. If anyone has any ideas or comments please feel free to reach out.
Rose Mayer, Evangelism Ministry Chair
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Dear Little Home Church,
Thank you for your generous support over the past year. It is because of donors like you that we are able to fulfill our mission of feeding the hungry. Here is a list of your 2024 contributions to our organization. It is through the help and generosity of people like you that we are able to continue our work. Your compassionated support truly makes a difference!
Sincerely,
The Staff and Board of Neighborhood Food Pantries
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Sisters in Spirit (SiS) regrouped for breakfast on January 18. Over tasty biscuits and coffee, we had a free-ranging discussion about potential distribution of funds from our account. We talked about in-house donations (e.g., Community House needs/wants) as well as outreach possibilities in the wider community, with a final decision to be made at a later date.
We are planning to make a donation to the Grateful Gifts raffle and we will again be offering a plant sale—this year on May 3. Order forms will be available soon.
We have decided to change our monthly meeting day to the second Saturday of the month so that folks can have an opportunity to help out at the food pantry on the third Saturday. For a slight change of pace, our next meeting will be a Potluck Breakfast, on Saturday, February 8, at 9 am in the Parish Hall.
SiS is the LHC women’s group and we welcome all women members and friends of LHC to join us. Connect with Susi Winquist or Anne Bouchard for more information about SiS.
Blessings,
Susi Winquist & Anne Bouchard
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It's the time of year that the daylight hours grow longer and that can mean only one thing...it's time for the annual Plant Sale!
Sponsored by Sisters in Spirit (SiS) it will be held on Saturday, May 5 from 1 to 3 pm. As in years past we will offer numerous annuals in flats, individual pots and planters, along with herbs, veggies and strawberries. Weather permitting, we will also be offering hardy perennials fresh from our own gardens. If you have plants that need dividing, we may be able to help you dig.
Please share the Order Form and plant sale information with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and any of the other plant-loving saints you meet on life's path.
SPECIAL NOTE: You must order at least 2 plants of each type of veggie, herb or strawberries ordered.
Orders are due to the church office on Monday, March 17
The sale and pick-up date is Saturday, May 3, from 1 - 3 pm
Contact Anne Bouchard with any questions.
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As evidenced by a drive along Army Trail Road, it is exciting to see that construction continues on the Community House despite the recent severe winter weather. The current goal is to get the building fully enclosed so that work can proceed inside until it warms up enough to finish the roof and exterior. The upper 40° days predicted for the end of January will be helpful!
At the Janual meeting, the congregation was reminded of the financial picture related to the Community House. Options to mitigate and pay off our loan as soon as possible were presented for consideration, with a final determination to be made at (or before) the Junual meeting.
Finally, thank you to the participants in the 'Joyful, Joyful—Too' campaign. To date, nearly $175,000 has been pledged or donated, of which almost $100,000 is already in hand. Amen! Every gift brings us closer to a debt free future. Thank you!
Anne Bouchard
On behalf of the Joyful Committee
Joyful Committee: Anne Bouchard, Chairperson; Pastor Larry Dieffenbach; Chip Braulick; Kit DeWitt;
Bob Kaska; Kathleen Sullivan Kaska; Susannah Lesswing; and Susi Winquist
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Wednesdays, 10 am—In person & via Zoom
We are going to start off the New Year with a study of the Lord’s Prayer. We will use the book The Lord’s Prayer: The Meaning and Power of the Prayer Jesus Taught, by pastor and bestselling author Adam Hamilton.
“The power and significance of the prayer Jesus taught. Most Christians know the Lord’s Prayer by heart. We pray it often, at different times and in different settings. We remember it as the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples. But do we really understand and appreciate the meaning and power of its words, what we ask of God each time we pray it? When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, Jesus gave them this prayer. He likely taught it to his followers often, not just one time. He never intended the Lord’s Prayer to be a museum piece, framed and placed on a mantel or in a display case. It was Jesus teaching God’s people, through his disciples, how to pray. In The Lord’s Prayer: The Meaning and Power of the Prayer Jesus Taught, Adam Hamilton guides us to really know—and really pray—the Lord’s Prayer. He explores each of its rich lines and their meaning in the Bible, illuminating what we ask of God and what we ask of ourselves through its words. And he teaches us how to use it as a pattern for our own prayer life.”
Bible Study meets in person in the Pastor’s Office or on Zoom at 10 am. The book is available on Amazon or your local book store. If you need Pastor Larry to order you a copy, please email him at larry@littlehomechurch.org. The cost of the book if you order from Pastor Larry is $12.
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Our Contemplative services for this month are February 6 and 20. There are two services each of those days, 8 am and 7 pm and each last only 30 minutes. Take 30 minutes out of your day and gather with others as Pastor Larry leads you through a guided mediation on the theme of the day.
A list of all the services can be found HERE.
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As you know, Little Home Church is the charter organization for BSA Troop 99 and Pack 99. If you know of any young people who would like to become involved in Scouting, please tell them about Troop 99.
If you have any questions about it, please reach out to one of our newer church members, Doug Kurtz. Doug has graciously volunteered to be the LHC Chartered Organization Representative.
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LHC Book Club—Via Zoom
Meets 2nd Thursday of the Month, 7 pm
Next Meeting—February 13
The February selection is The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.
Click here to see the books chosen for 2025
Click here for Zoom link:
Meeting ID: 891 0088 0154
password: bookclub
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As Christians, one of the most powerful privileges of our spiritual life is the invitation to feel God’s grace and presence through ongoing prayer. Believing in the power of individual prayer, a prayer offered up by many becomes even more powerful. With that thought in mind, we invite you to join our Prayer Chain to support the spiritual life of members and friends of Little Home Church.
To Make a Prayer Request: Click Here
Homepage: littlehomechurch.org
Email: info@littlehomechurch.org
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Feb 3 - Debra Galloway, Mary Sterner
Feb 5 - Jen Haseltine
Feb 7 - Kay Kendall
Feb 9 - Gary Figurski
Feb 11 - Lewis Okey
Feb 13 - Carol Berger, Dan Reid, Maureen O'Donnell
Feb 14 - Leigh Bechet, Lori Prang, Connor Walsh
Feb 15 - Brian Martisauski
Feb 17 - Grace Bardsley
Feb 19 - Maizy Soukup
Feb 20 - Clara Brito
Feb 21 - Andrea Redmond
Feb 23 - Josh Winquist
Feb 24 - Gallagher Casey
Feb 26 - Frank Muno
Feb 27 - Jamie Casey, Beverly Miller
Feb 28 - Glen Galloway
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FELLOWSHIP / USHERS / PULPIT ASSOCIATES / FLOWERS |
Time to sign up!
A simple way to give the gift of your time and enhance our worship experience at the same time is by signing up to be an Usher or a Pulpit Associate! We have upcoming openings this winter where we can use your help! It's easy and appreciated.
Our Fellowship coffee time after worship is in full swing. Consider hosting one Sunday. You provide the goodies, we provide the coffee and tea. You can also check out the flower sign up sheet to provide Flowers one Sunday to decorate our altar table. The sign up sheets are up in the Parish Hall. If you have any questions, just contact the Church Office.
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To those recently ill or hospitalized...
Rev. Ron Purser, Joe Sterner, Mona Rose
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Thank you for continuing to remember
Little Home Church by the Wayside.
Your support is greatly needed and appreciated.
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THANK YOU TO OUR CHURCH STAFF, COUNCIL, AND ALL VOLUNTEERS | |
Pastor - Larry Dieffenbach
Pastor Emeritus - Rev. Ronald Purser
Director of Music - Grace Bardsley
Office Manager - Lori Prang
Organist/Pianist - Nick Metzger
BTW Editors
Lori Prang and Kathleen Sullivan Kaska
Graphic Design
Kathleen Sullivan Kaska
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CHURCH COUNCIL
Moderator - Julie Graham
Moderator-elect - Kit DeWitt
Christian Education - Emma Kaska
Congregational Life - Mira Reid
Evangelism - Rose Mayer
Facilities - Brian Martisauski
Outreach - Andrea Redmond & Mary Fleischmann
Stewardship - Peter Connolly
Worship & Spiritual Growth - Greg Abell
Members at Large - Heather Bragg &
Ann McLaughlin
Financial Treasurer - Chip Braulick
Financial Secretary - Mary Harling
Clerk - Kristen Thornton
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