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	Get ready for an exciting celebration of Jesus’ love filled with amazing Bible adventures, unforgettable songs, memory-making crafts, and life-changing missions. Welcome to Avalanche Ranch, a wild ride through God’s word! Vacation Bible School is scheduled for July 16^th – 20^th 6:00 – 8:45 p.m. Click on the Avalanche Ranch button to the left to register to participate or volunteer.

On this page: Calendar, Prayers, Announcements, St. Paul School News, Stewardship

Of all the gifts for which we thank God, above all is the gift of Himself to us, His erring but redeemed children! “Whom have I in Heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides you” (Psalm 73:25).

Our purpose is to reach out to families and individuals of all backgrounds and bring them into healing and transforming relationships with the Lord Jesus and with others in His Church through the sharing of God’s Word and Sacraments.

THE CHIMES April 22, 2007 Listen to Sermon Here St. Paul Lutheran Church and School a multiethnic family of faith 1025 Lake Street * Melrose Park, IL 60160 Church Ph. No. 708-343-1000 * School Ph. No. 708-343-5000 Fax No. 708-343-8635 www.stpaulmp.org Rev. Thomas R. Johnson, Pastor  Mr. Douglas Grebasch, Principal

CALENDAR

EVENTS THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL, April 22 - 29, 2007
TODAY:	9:00 AM	Worship Service (NHC)
		Servicio de Adoración (NSC)
	10:15 AM	Coffee Tour
	10:30 AM	Sunday School / Christian Growth Hour
TUESDAY:	7:00 PM	Prayer & Praise
	7:30 PM	Praise Team
THURSDAY:	7:00 PM	Choir Rehearsal
		Bible Class (Spanish)
		8^th Gr. Parents’ Meeting
SATURDAY:	5:30 PM	Contemporary Service (HC)
SUNDAY:	9:00 AM	Worship Service (HC)
		Servicio de Adoración (SC)
	10:15 AM	Coffee Hour
	10:30 AM	Sunday School / Christian Growth Hour

CONFIRMATION SUNDAY. Sunday, May 6^th, a group of our eighth-grade students will make public an important statement of their faith and commitment. A note to the Parents: Please be advised that Pastor Johnson would like to meet with you and your child on April 28, after the service.

THE NEW HYMNALS HAVE ARRIVED! We hope to dedicate the new Lutheran Service Book hymnals in our Sunday morning worship service on April 29th.

ORGANIST/MUSIC DIRECTOR. Please pray for the Board of Deacons and Pastor Johnson as they begin the process of finding a permanent music director. Pray that God would strengthen us and give us joy to be in His holy presence. "One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple"

(Psalm 27:4).

WE HAVE A DCE INTERN! Chelci Spiegel has been placed at St. Paul as DCE for a year internship. Many of you already know Chelci and know how much of a blessing she will be in our midst. Pastor Johnson will be attending a workshop at Concordia University in Chicago on April 27 and 28 to receive training as supervisor.

Please include the following prayer needs in your personal and family devotions this week.

ü We pray for those in care facilities and at home who are physically unable to worship with us. We also ask God to heal and comfort the following members and/or friends of our congregation:

Lydia G.	Jayce S.	Del M.	Rosalie H. (Lynette W.’s Grand-Mother)
We also want to continue to remember those in nursing facilities, those who are recovering, and those who are receiving ongoing treatments.

*(If you would like us to pray for someone, please let Maria, our church secretary; know, either by phone or with a request card. Names of congregational members will remain on this list for 4 weeks unless additional requests are received.)

ü We pray for those celebrating birthdays the week of April 21^st - 27^th

22:	Maria K.
23:	Thomas G.
25:	Ralph S.
26:	Jazmin Rose P.
27:	Janet W., Kimberly H.

FROM PASTOR JOHNSON. “If you are in the hospital or are in need of pastoral care, please notify Maria in the church office. If it is an emergency, please call my mobile phone (in printed copy of chimes). Please don’t hesitate to call me at any hour if it is important; I keep the phone with me at all times. If the matter is important enough to think about calling a pastor, by all means call me. Please do not think you will disturb me or I will think the matter unimportant. Thanks!”

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HELP! On Saturday, May 5^th, 9:00 AM on, we need you help with a variety of projects. If you can lend a hand in washing pews, cleaning up the grounds, fixing hymnal racks, etc. we need you! Call Jane in the church office (ext. 247), if you have questions.

CARE CORPS/PROVISO PANTRY. This and next weekend a Bathroom Tissue Drive is being held to supplement the weekly food distribution at Proviso Pantry. Please bring rolls of tissue to the narthex or the lunchroom and place them in the boxes provided. Your help

is greatly appreciated. Our goal is a thousand rolls!

O.W.L.S. Reserve May 16^th to go on a South Shore Tour ($19 for a 2 hour tour). This tour assembles at the Palmer House, travels through Grant Park, the Museum complex, Jackson Park, home of the Columbian Exposition, south to the University of Chicago, as well as many other points of interest along the way. More details later….The final meeting of the year will be June 13^th when we will meet for a potluck picnic. Anyone interested in hosting this affair?

PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY. Shawls can be used as a means to bring God’s love, comfort and peace to those in need. If anybody would like to spend spare time making a (or some) shawl please contact Carla Schoepp at 708/345-7730. These shawls may be crocheted or knitted. Carla has patterns and if you don’t have yarn available please let her know when you call her. Our parish nurse, Mrs. Groll, will give these shawls to someone who is sick, or who is hurting, or perhaps a new mother, or someone who she knows would feel comforted by a gift made with prayer and concern for fellow parishioners.

FLAGSTONE NEEDED. If you have any unwanted flagstone pieces around your place please bring it to the church. A landscaping project for the area on the west side of the sanctuary is in need of those pieces. Please call Jane at ext. 247 if you have any questions.

PANCAKE BREAKFAST. Next Sunday, April 29, after the worship service, Grace Lutheran School’s 7^th & 8^th grades will be serving a Pancake Breakfast as a fund raiser for their class trip to Atlanta, Georgia. St. Paul’s members have supported Grace for several years. Grace Lutheran School located at 28^th & Karlov in Chicago does not have a parent church to help support it. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

EXODUS WORLD SERVICE. A Christian refugee assistance ministry invites adults to attend a Celebration of Hope, the annual dinner to be held on Friday, April 20, at the Stonegate Conference Centre, located at 2401 W. Higgins Road in Hoffman Estates. The reception begins at 6:30 PM and the dinner at 7:15. The keynote address will be presented by Dr. Martin Marty, a world-renowned speaker, columnist, pastor, and teacher. The dinner is complimentary. An opportunity will be provided to mark a gift to support the ministry.

If you would like to sit at our table, please contact Angela Zabransky,.

SAVE THE DATE!! Get ready for an exciting celebration of Jesus’ love filled with amazing Bible adventures, unforgettable songs, memory-making crafts, and life-changing missions. Welcome to Avalanche Ranch, a wild ride through God’s word! Vacation Bible School is scheduled for July 16^th – 20^th in the evenings. Our goal is to serve 100 children this year! Go to www.stpaulmp.org/VBS for more information and to register to volunteer on line. Contact Lynette Welter for more information.

On Sunday, May 6, Paul S. will join more than 16,000 walkers and volunteers across Illinois in the 2007 MS Walk. He'll be showing his support by fund raising for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the 20,000 Illinois families touched by multiple sclerosis. The money raised at the 2007 MS Walk supports programs, services and vital research into the cause and cure of multiple sclerosis. He's accepted the challenge to raise funds for these programs. Your support will help him reach that goal, which in turn will make a difference in the lives of 400,000 Americans living with multiple sclerosis. He hopes you will join him either by walking along side him or making a donation to this goal to end the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis. Speak to Paul about how you can give your support or visit: www.msillinois.org and follow the links for MS Walk 05/06/07 to search for Paul's name. Thank you and bless you.

Starting immediately, and for security reasons, we’ll be requiring that EVERYBODY entering the school and/or the church building sign in the visitors log sheet located at the school entrance, and also wear a visitor’s pass. Please do not be offended, we might know very well who you are, but this is necessary for everyone’s protection.

ST. PAUL SCHOOL NEWS this week

Click here for school newsletter page

THE LORD HAS RISEN!!

POWERPOINT, PICTURES, AND PRAISE…Through a PowerPoint presentation, Chuck Laabs shared with the children pictures of both the history of St. Paul and the many Christian symbols and artifacts located in and around the school and the church. The children came to a better understanding of the rich heritage of St. Paul and the meaning of the symbols found throughout the facilities. Yet worship is not to be defined by surroundings…worship is people…people who gather together to offer praise and thanksgiving to a loving heavenly Father. The rich heritage of St. Paul continues to remain alive through people…people in worship. This week’s chapel speaker will be Pastor Douglas Groll. As always, please accept this warm invitation to worship with the children of your school. Chapel is held in the church each Wednesday beginning at 8:45.

DOWNTOWN…As part of the fine arts curriculum, on Tuesday, April 24^th, the students in the 4^th through 8^th grades will board buses and head to Orchestra Hall to hear a “Youth” performance of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. This performance was specifically designed to familiarize students with the various musical instruments of the orchestra and to encourage interest in the performing arts. Who knows? Perhaps one of St. Paul’s students will graduate to play first chair in the symphony.

NOW IS THE TIME…St. Paul has received a substantial number of applications from families with children at St. John – Forest Park, families from other nonpublic and public schools in the area, and from families new to the community. As a result, if you are aware of individuals considering having their child(ren) attend St. Paul Lutheran School for the next school year, it is imperative that they call the school office and establish an appointment ASAP.

ADVANCE REQUEST FOR HELP…With the award of the grant for the new playground/fitness equipment from Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, your assistance with various installation projects is needed. The equipment is scheduled to arrive the week of July 23^rd. Help will be needed to assemble the equipment and prepare the grounds for its installation. The playground committee is in the process of developing a time frame for the installation of the equipment. Look for work sign-up sheets in the near future. Thanks in advance for your willingness to assist with this project.

NOW IS THE TIME…with the arrival of Spring and the need to “spruce up” your yard with plants and fertilizer, or perhaps to purchase a lawnmower, Home Depot and Sears cards from Manna are the answer. Manna cards also provide you with the opportunity to assist your school through everyday purchases (i.e. gas, groceries, and household essentials). MANNA cards and certificates are just like cash…there are no processing fees involved. (At Kohls, you can even pay off your existing credit card bill.) Orders placed on Monday may be picked up each Thursday. It doesn’t get any easier than that. Pick up an order form from the box located in the hallway leading from the church to the cafeteria or in the church narthex…place your order…and drop the form in the slot in the school office door.

IT’S GRILLING TIME…With the arrival of warm weather, now is the time to “fire up” that grill and do some serious grilling. Steaks cooked to perfection…baby back ribs flavored with your own special sauce…hamburgers…all sizzling on hot coals. Now doesn’t that make your mouth water? Don’t forget your favorite desserts and appetizers. Market Day order forms are available in the narthex and in the box located in the hallway between the church and the cafeteria. So pick up a pencil and place your order today!!!

APRIL NEWSLETTER ITEMS:

As the Newsletter is very cumbersome to duplicate online, a few important items from the most recent issue are included here. We will endeavor to keep them up to date.

PASTOR JOHNSON’S APRIL LETTER:

What’s the Big Attraction?

Isaiah 53 is a passage of Scripture often read and quoted during Lent, for it is the prophecy of our Lord’s suffering on our behalf. Here are some of the descriptions of Jesus:

“He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him . . .

“He was despised and rejected by man . . .

“. . . we esteemed Him not.”

Yet we know that Jesus attracted many followers:

“Large crowds . . . followed Him” (Matthew 4:25; 8:1).

“When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick . . .Then He gave [the loaves] to the . . . people . . .The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children” (Matthew 14:14-21).

It depends upon what people find attractive, doesn’t it? Those with a worldly view see a broken, bleeding, defeated man carrying a cross. Those who have come to know the real Jesus see one who carries their burdens, heals their diseases, forgives their sins, and gives them food to eat – both for the body and for the spirit.

This is the Jesus of Easter. With nails and side and feet still bearing the scars of His humiliation and death, He shows Himself the risen, triumphant Savior. It is He believers have been following for centuries. It is for Him that millions have been willing to give their Earthly lives, knowing that a better place is prepared for them in Heaven.

This is the Jesus we proclaim. This is the Jesus we present. This is the Jesus we worship with all that we are and have. This is the Jesus the world is longing to know. This is the Jesus Who commands us to introduce Him and make Him known and Who gifts us so that we are enabled to carry out His will.

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!!