July 2008 Crier

The nation has watched in admiration as the Midwest has come together to fight the flooding of its rivers. First come sandbaggers, food providers and shelters for those whose homes are in peril. Later come clean up crews, gifts of cash and support and rebuilding. Strangers and dear friends work with National Guard Troops to save towns and homes. I believe this is the Kingdom of God in action. Many of those who go to help are driven by a deep commitment to God, to helping one another and to being the church in the world.

We at St. Philip’s are part of this movement when we work for Habitat for Humanity, when we send Mission Trip volunteers to New Orleans, when we come together to work around the church, and when we give to One Churches Wider Mission. When we support Evangelical Children’s Home or Feed My People or any of the other helping institutions we are the church in the world.

As we bask in the glow of our 50 th anniversary celebration, this year we are trying a new thing, a new way of serving God within the church. We are asking you to fill out the Interest Inventory and to think of ways that you might serve within and without on short term specific task forces. We will start with the Christian Education Committee. They are seeking some folks to organize and carry out the fall Sunday School “kick-off”. This is only the first of many offerings of ways to serve. We hope to appeal to the strengths and availability of the congregation. So, fill out the form and consider how you might be a part of the Kingdom of God in the present.

Thanks St. Philip’s for giving Mother some of the best times of her life. The St. Philip’s Family never let her down, always there for her.

The flowers were beautiful and I want to thank all of you for coming out to see him. He would have been so proud. He loved talking to everyone.

After the Emmaus Choirs are invited to a congregation, we talk about our experience the next week during choir practice. Then the choir helps me compose a thank-you note in their own words. However…since we are on summer break, we’re not able to easily gather to do that!

So on behalf of the Emmaus Choir: Thank you. All churches are graciously welcoming to us, but some go over the top. St. Philip’s went above and beyond in helping us feel at home in your midst, from the moment we walked in the doors, in intentionally making worship “accessible,” in truly getting to know us as we broke bread (or, got sticky) at table after worship. Bless you, one and all! And choir members and staff were quite interested in the flag retirement ritual – something none of us had experienced but found intriguing – but best of all was the cones afterward.

God blessed us with a gorgeous day of travel, and with a congregation that truly embodies extravagant welcome. Many, many thanks!

(signed) Pastor Kristy May, Chaplain/Choir Director on behalf of the Emmaus Homes Choirs

Once again you helped to fill some of our families needs. Thank you for your generous donation. May God continue to hold you in his arms of grace and mercy.

We want to thank Bob Kammerer for making the cake for the confirmation reception.

On behalf of the Giving Ministry of the Missouri Mid-South Conference, we extend a most sincere “Thank You!” for your faithful support of “Our Church’s Wider Mission” (Basic Support) in 2007. It is because of your partnership that vital mission and ministry occur in settings of our wider United Church of Christ family.

Enclosed is a certificate of appreciation (on bulletin board) for your congregation’s giving to Our Church’s Wider Mission (Basic Support). If your congregation is also a “5 for 5” church, an additional certificate is enclosed.

Your gifts to this vital part of the Conference budget ensures that we will be able to continue programs that you have come to rely on as a congregation. To name just a few of the services and resources:

Providing resources and support to churches in transition
Support for missionaries in countries around the world
Outdoor ministries
Support for churches experiencing conflict and transition
Communications about our common life – “The Courier”, E-connections
Resources for local church programs – education, stewardship, worship
New church starts and revitalization for existing congregations
Conference presence at important events – ordinations, installation, anniversaries

These are only several of the ways that your dollars for Our Church’s Wider Mission are put to work.

We can rejoice together that in 2007 the increase in giving for all Conference churches was 3% more than in 2006. As a covenant partner with your local church, the Missouri Mid-South Conference relies on your continued support to meet the needs as they arise.

Once again, please accept our deepest thanks for your support. We ask that you share this letter with the members of your congregation.

Lyle Brizendine, Don Eversmeyer, Don Frandsen, Jacoba Koppert, Mike Krewson, Anna Mennerick, Joyce Meyer, Gerald Reisinger, Evelyn Rose, Walter Scheer, and Dale Parson

I wish to thank the Children’s Choir and the Chancel Choir for the wonderful service we had June 8 th for our 50 th anniversary. Without all of you I could not continue to serve the Lord with my music.

I especially want to thank Russ Hickman and Dawn Schillinger for their assistance with the Children’s Choir and I really appreciate the faithful service of our choir this past year. Will the Circle Be Unbroken as we journey on this coming season? Thanks to all of you. May the Lord continue his blessings on our choirs.

The Burchardts wish to thank all of you for including us in your 50 th anniversary. It was like coming home and we commend you for all your progress throughout the years. The church is beautiful and has so much to offer. We keep up with you by reading the newsletter. All of you did a very special job planning throughout the year and ended with a perfect celebration on June 8 th.

We are sorry we missed visiting with you each at length but hopefully we can come again soon and have more time to visit. We were also splitting the time we had with our Illinois children.

Thank you to Dana Faerber and her 50 th Anniversary Committee for a wonderful on-going celebration of the life of St. Philip’s UCC. The year long events were wonderful, the party was great and the DVD will live on. A special thanks to Jim Caldwell for producing the DVD, to those who were there at the beginning and who birthed the church and to the faithful pastors and their spouses who provided leadership and guidance. We are truly blessed.

Your contribution of $60.00 makes it possible for Emmaus Homes to enhance the quality of life and expand the experiences for the more than 315 men and women we serve. Thank you for this gift, which nurtures and supports the many ways to serve the residents and clients of Emmaus. Per your directives, this gift will be used to purchase a banner for the Marthasville Chapel.

Now that summer is here, we have clients preparing to spend a week at summer camps with programs designed especially for adults with developmental disabilities. Beyond these week-long experiences, clients can choose to spend a day at the Six Flags Amusement Park, attend a live musical performance at the MUNY in Forest Park, go bowling or play miniature golf.

At the Marthasville campus, the summer youth work camps are underway, with youth groups coming in from Wisconsin, Indiana, Nebraska, Illinois, as well as Missouri. These groups will host our residents for potluck suppers, sing songs with them around a campfire and play the traditional game of kickball between residents and work campers.

Emmaus Homes is able to provide these experiences and opportunities because caring people, like you, make a gift. Thank you for making the experiences and opportunities available to the men and women of Emmaus Homes.

Thanks to the congregation for buying pizzas again this spring! We made $378.00 to help offset rising gas prices for the mission trip to New Orleans. Thank you!

Thanks to Tom Hanewinkel (our neighbor) who planted a Raintree on the church grounds this past week. Tom has a number of volunteer Raintrees and offered one to us. Look at the row of Redbud trees on the front lot and you’ll be able to see the new tree that is braced with a pole. Many thanks, Tom.

Women’s Fellowship will be going to Pastor Sue’s house at Innsbrook on Tuesday, July 15th. More information to come on this later. Be sure to check the bulletin board for the sign-up sheet and the time they will depart from church.

Our prayer and meditation service will continue in July on the 23 rd of the month. This is a quiet reflecting service of prayer, meditation and music. Come seeking peace and understanding and spiritual growth. Please join Pastor Sue for this time.

Shirley will be updating the church directory this month (July). If you have a change of address or telephone number be sure to let her know ASAP. Thank you.

We have an additional graduate in the congregation. Joel Knoll graduated from Fox High School. He will attend Florissant Valley Community College in the fall.

When I first saw the title of this book I thought of those lines of scripture from the book of Revelation “I saw a new heaven and a new earth”…(Rev. 22: 1). I learned a long time ago never to try to read too much into those thoughts that just flash through my mind like that one did. I usually tuck them away somewhere inside. When the time is right they will resurface and it will make sense. The longest I ever recall one of them staying below the surface was 42 years. It came back about five times over the years almost as if it was reminding me that it was had not been cleared out yet. That thought was a statement made by a high school teacher – “the nation that controls the world’s oil supply controls the world’s economy”. I didn’t understand it back then but it stuck and I didn’t know why. Not too many years ago when the gas prices took the first big jumps it resurfaced --- need I say more? The thought that flashed through my mind as I read the book title resurfaced in about thirty minutes, when I got to page 23 of the book. The author used only part of the Bible quote for this book. It was the half that we can change “THE EARTH” (ourselves) and didn’t use the half we can’t change which is heaven. The book is about CHANGING...what we can...not what we can’t. From the first page I was hooked. It reminded me of several other books I have read over the years, books like, “African Genesis”, “Territorial Imperatives” and “I’m O.K. You’re O.K.”

The book has ten chapters. Each chapter is divided into shorter sections – that makes for easy short spurt reading. At least two people have indicated a desire to get a study group together to work through or just discuss this book. If you would be interested, please sign up on the sheet on the bulletin board. The book is available at the library. We will contact you to set up a time/day that will be suitable to the majority.

There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board. If you could help in any way please be sure to sign up or let Pastor Sue know. We are collecting bottled water for this event. Bring it to church before the 19 th of July and place it under the table by the front entrance. Knowing July – it’s bound to be one hot day.

Boys and girls who have completed grades 1-5 can take advantage of Discovery Day, Wednesday, July 16 th. Pastor Sue, Kit and Virginia will take this group. This is a fun, engaging, faith filled day at Camp Mo-Val. There will be a taste of many favorite camp activities – including swimming, boating, crafts, and singing.

Camp will be 9 am – 3 pm. The cost is $15.00. Mo-Val will provide FUN – ENTHUSIASM !! There will be staff leadership.

Children bring swimsuit and towel, sturdy closed-toe shoes, a sack lunch and a water bottle. We will provide a drink for lunch.

Call the office or Virginia if you would like for your child to attend this fun filled day.

Volunteers are needed for 2 more summer work days. The dates are July 19, and August 16. The focus will be to work on the new Welcome Center and Office. Jobs from electrical, drywall, walls, windows, doors, interior work, painting, to landscaping will need volunteers. I am sure there are other jobs around camp that you would prefer to do. The schedule is 9-4. Lunch will be provided.

Look on Camp Mo-Val website www.mmsucc.org for more information and pictures. If you are interested in any of these days, there will be a sign-up sheet, or call Virginia, 843-3605.

Plans and work are continuing and are progressing on time. We are excited about this year’s theme, Beach Party. We hope to have a beach and a party. Our puppet is a flamingo named “Flame”. We again will have drama. Please consider volunteering for this. We especially need men to volunteer for parts. The script is read and easy to do.

Volunteers for class leaders are still needed. This is NOT teaching, just keeping the children together and getting them from one station to another.

If in any way you would like to help, please let us know. There will be a sign-up sheet.

The summer session will began on June 15 th. We will have animated videos about characters in the Old Testament. We need someone each Sunday to lead the session. The videos are 30 minutes. Then follow with a short discussion.

If you would like to take this opportunity to do this for a Sunday, it would be greatly appreciated. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board.

Did you know? We record each Sunday’s worship service on audio tape. If you miss a Sunday or know a St. Philip’s member who would like a tape, please contact Shirley Nottelmann and she will mail you a cassette. We also can send tapes on an ongoing basis to members who are homebound.

There will be a going out of business sale of our coffee supplies on Sunday, July 13 th. Mark your calendar and come to help rid us of our supply of Coffee Exchange products.

Due to the fact aluminum cans have been stolen out of the open trailer, cans can now be put in the enclosed orange trailer in the parking lot by the trash dumpster. Thank you for your donations.

Anyone who is interested in helping to feed our 40 mission trippers a delicious lunch on Saturday, July 5, 2008, please contact April Schillinger at 636-225-2425 for donations of pasta, salad, bread, and desserts. Thank you.

If you would like a copy of the DVD that was shown at the 50 th anniversary celebration, call Shirley in the church office, and she will order it for you. The cost is $10 and checks should be made out to St. Philip’s United Church of Christ.

Wow! Did we ever provide a feast? It was a wonderful assortment, a veritable smorgasbord. The ladies and their children loved the variety and having enough to take leftovers home for the next day. Thanks so much to the following people, in no particular order, who provided food: Delba Engelhardt, Shirley Nottelmann, Kathy Shelton, Ardelle Dischinger, Pat Siewing, Joan Schumacher, Sue Leary, Joyce Brand, Hilda Leonard and Sue Bowles. A special note of appreciate goes to the youth group from the church of Les and Nancy Krenning’s daughter who were in town on a mission trip. They not only planned, shopped for ingredients and prepared three salads, three entrees and three vegetables, but physically worked at Lydia’s House as well! Thank you all for your support of a very worthwhile cause.

The next time St. Philip’s will provide a community meal will be August 8 th. Will you help?

July 9 (Wednesday) at noon – Have lunch with us (usually soup or salad). There is no cost to you. Just let Virginia or Sandy know if you’re coming.

July 23 (Wednesday) at 9:00 am. – Caregivers breakfast. If you are or were a caregiver, you’re most welcome to join us at Camp Fenwick. Please let Sandy know if you’re coming.

August 8 (Friday) at 6:00 pm – August dinner at Virginia’s and Sandy’s. There will be sign-up sheet on the bulletin board by mid-July. Consider going to either house.

Again this year we’ll participate in the annual Freedom from Hunger campaign sponsored by the St. Louis Food Pantry Association during the month of July. As you may know, hunger is all around us and, while St. Philip’s has a number of special eating opportunities beside the regular meals we have at home, some people don’t even have enough for their basic needs. These are our immediate neighbors who are helped by Feed My People – those just down the road in the Lemay area! While Feed My People also helps the needy in High Ridge, the food we donate will go the Lemay facility. In July there will be a barrel as you come in the door. How about dropping in some non-perishable items? Each can or package will go directly to someone who has been interviewed and found to be truly in need. Please help!

Mission Moment Day for the Festival of Sharing will be July 13 th. With the economy and the shortage of food supply in the food pantries in Missouri, we will be collecting food during August and the first part of September.

As you know, the vitality task force comprised of Pastor Sue, Virginia Hladnick, Nancy Krenning and Sandy Stevenson has been working on our church’s vitality. They have met regularly as a group and also with St. Mark in Arnold, our partner church in this endeavor, and members from other vitality committees at the association level. While St. Philip‘s is alive and well, there is always room for improvement. One of the areas found to need some “tweaking” was the fact that members are reluctant to make a long term commitment to serve on committees. That is certainly understandable with today’s busy life style – juggling jobs, kid’s activities, a myriad of other responsibilities or perhaps being burned out after serving on committees for so many years.

In an effort to make helping at church fit more easily into schedules and to use people’s strengths and talents, this group has proposed having short term tasks – things in which you have interest and are willing to work on for one event or activity. Christian Education has volunteered to pioneer this new way of looking at getting committee jobs accomplished but hopefully the concept will also be used by other committees as time goes on.

You are being asked to fill out the Vitality Task Force Interest Inventory which is included in this edition of the Crier. Each St. Philip‘s member is requested to complete the inventory regardless of age or current committee involvement. Extra copies are available at church. Please fill out the interest inventory and then consider helping when asked to do a short project. Many hands make light work and interested people who are willing to devote short periods of time make that work more enjoyable.

The Christian Education Committee is beginning the new process of forming teams for events, programs, and activities for the work of the Christian Education Ministry of our church.

These teams will be for ONLY A ONE TIME event, program, or activity, NOT a 3 year commitment.

We need a “Special Events” team for the Kick-Off on September 7 th. This would include meeting on July 13 th, after church with the Christian Education Committee, to plan ideas and get started.

Think about this, pray for God’s guidance to lead this committee, with your help, to make this a successful way to change this process into a working plan for our church.

Please give this prayerful thought to help the children of our church and the community.

Sunday, July 27 th, will be the next discussion group for high school and college-aged young people. Come to church for the mission trip sharing during worship, and then join us for lunch, discussion, and fellowship at Pastor Sue’s place at Innsbrook. More details to follow or contact Terri Karcher.

One of our Day Care Teachers is the proud mother of a baby girl born on Friday, June 13 th to Joshua and Tovah Edwards. She is named Lillian Rylee and weighed in at 8 pounds 1 ounce. Congratulations to them.

(This article is being printed at the request of the St. Louis Association Committee on Ministry. This committee is charged with the responsibility of granting and overseeing the standing of clergy, and supporting healthy relationships between congregations, clergy, and the association. When invited, this committee offers support and intervention services to clergy and congregations in conflict.) Sandy Stevenson is the secretary of this committee.

Your Committee on Ministry (COM), made up of twelve elected members – balanced for gender as well as lay/clergy, is focused on the health of congregations and clergy in our St. Louis Association. This is an important mission that we take seriously.

We have begun to have a much more proactive approach to this work in 2008. You may have heard about, or may be in one of the fifteen churches that participated in a recent workshop for Pastor-Parish Relations Committees. You may also have heard about the newly expanded Information Review (IR) that all clergy complete each year. It invites our clergy to reflect on their primary duties; job satisfaction as well as challenges; role as a representative of the UCC; relationship with the St. Louis Association and Missouri Mid-South Conference; continuing education and boundary training; self-care. In an effort to promote health and wholeness, the IR also invites clergy to let us know if they have professional or personal concerns that they would like to discuss with COM.

We are often involved in situations, though unique from one another, that have resulted in tensions, deep emotions, difficult conversations and decisions, as well as the opportunity for all kinds of grace, forgiveness, and growth. We have met with congregations and clergy in these settings who are all experiencing pain. These are very challenging moments in the church.

We are all in this together. We must not divide. We all want the same things. Please pray for the health of our congregations and clergy as well as for the members of the COM here in our beloved St. Louis Association. We covet your covenantal connection, sincere trust, respect of confidentiality, and full partnership as we work on your behalf and on behalf of the United Church of Christ.

Blessings and Peace,
Kevin Cameron and Carol Keller
St. Louis Association COM Co-Chairs

This is a good story and is true, please read it all the way through until the end!

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with. Her last project of the term was called, “Smile.” The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions. I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald’s one crisp March morning. It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son. We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did. I did not move an inch…an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved. As I turned around I smelled a horrible “dirty body” smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men. As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was “smiling”. His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God’s Light as he searched for acceptance. He said “Good day” as he counted the few coins he had been clutching. The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation.

I held my tears as I stood there with them. The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, “Coffee is all Miss” because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm.)

Then I really felt it – the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes. That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action. I smiled and asked the young lady at the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman’s cold hand. He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, “Thank you.” I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, “I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope.”

I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, “That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope.”

We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give. We are not church goers, but we are believers. That day showed me the pure Light of God’s sweet love.

I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand. I turned in “my project” and the instructor read it. Then she looked up at me and said, “Can I share this?” I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed. In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald’s, my son, instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student. I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn:

Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to