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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 16th – 20th 6:00 – 8:45 p.m.  Click on VBS for more information.

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

May 20, 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,  May 20 - 27, 2007

TODAY:

9:00 AM

Worship Service (HC)

 

 

Servicio de Adoración (SC)

 

10:15 AM

Voters’ Meeting / Brunch

TUESDAY:

7:00 PM

Prayer & Praise

 

7:30 PM

Praise Team

 

 

Book Fair  /  Parent Teachers’ Conferences

THURSDAY:

9:00 AM

Quilters

 

7:00 PM

Choir Rehearsal

 

 

Estudio Bíblico

 

 

Book Fair  /  Parent Teachers’ Conferences

FRIDAY:

NO SCHOOL

Book Fair  /  Parent Teachers’ Conferences

SATURDAY:

5:30 PM

Contemporary Service (HC)

 

6:00 PM

8TH Grade Graduation Banquet

SUNDAY:

9:00 AM

Worship Service (NHC)

 

 

Servicio de Adoración (NSC)

 

10:15 AM

Coffee Tour

 

10:30 AM

Sunday School / Christian Growth Hour

 

 

PARISH NURSE OFFICE.  Please be informed that the Parish Nurse, Marlene Groll will be on vacation for the next 2 weeks.  Jane Geske, Parish Nurse Co-ordinator, will be available to talk to you if you need to ask some questions or need assistance with medications, etc.  Please call the church office for information.  Marlene will be back in her office the first week in June.

 

STEWARDSHIP CORNER.  In Titus 3:14 we read, “Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good….and not live unproductive lives.”  One way we live productive lives is by being active and involved in the work of the church.  Each of us has a special role to play in extending God’s kingdom through the church.  God calls us to be participants, not spectators.  We may sing in the choir, teach Sunday school, serve coffee, collate bulletins, serve on committees, or usher.  Whatever we do, we need to “serve wholeheartedly, as if [we] were serving the Lord, not men”  (Eph. 6:7).

 

PRAYER AND PRAISE  will continue to meet on Tuesday's through the month of May.  The group will not meet through the summer. Regular meeting times will resume in the Fall. Please feel free to join us as we take time to pray each Tuesday in the Sanctuary at 7:00 PM.

 

HELP WANTED….. Anyone interested in working with the sound board on Saturday evenings or Sunday mornings, please contact Pastor Johnson in his office at ext. 241.

 

 

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:

 

Hildegarde W.

Lois R.

Lydia G.

Norm U.

 

 

Jacie A.

Joyce S.

Mary R.

Helen D.

Ken H.

 

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.)

 

 

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!”

 

 

ü          We pray for those celebrating birthdays the week of  May 19th  –  25th

 

19:

Thomas G.

20:

Paiton L.

21:

Gwendolyn H., Kennedy G.

22:

David M., Katherine S., Mary Elizabeth O.

23:

Lucille K.

24:

Jeremiah F., Ralph B.

25:

Bridget M.

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

MINI-VAN FOR SALE.  Someone in the congregation has a Mazda MTV ’92 for sale.  Good condition.  New tires, exhaust and brake systems just fixed.  If you are interested, please call Maria in the church office, ext. 240.

VBS NEEDS YOU!  We need help to 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 16th – 20th 6:00 – 8:45 p.m.  And we can’t do it without you!  Check out the VBS bulletin board or go to www.stpaulmp.org/vbs to find out how you can help!  You can even sign up online!  Contact Lynette Welter.

 

ST. PAUL SCHOOL NEWS this week

Click here for school newsletter page

 

SESAME STREET…on Lake Street…Bert and Ernie, the two main characters from Sesame Street, joined the children in chapel this past week.  Bert told Ernie to clean his room before he could go to basketball practice.  While Ernie was putting away his “rubber ducky” and other toys in his room, first a monkey and then a snake paid him a visit.  They both told Ernie that God wanted him to be a missionary to Panama.  Ernie couldn’t even find Panama on a map, let alone know what to do when he got there.  The monkey and the snake both assured him that God would take care of the details.  Ernie decided that he would follow God’s call and head off to Panama to be a missionary.  God calls each of us.  Perhaps God will call some of our children to be missionaries and share the Good News with the thousands of isolated villages and tribes located throughout the world.  This was the message Pastor Ed from the Puppet People ministry shared with the children in chapel this past week.  Following the chapel message, Pastor Ed had three of the children dress in native garb and showed the children some different types of insects that are native to Panama.  THE CHAPEL SERVICE WAS FANTASTIC.  This week’s chapel speaker will be Julie Coffey, our very own 4th grade teacher.

 

PARENT – TEACHER CONFERENCES…will be held Tuesday evening, May 22nd, Thursday afternoon and evening, May 24th, and Friday morning, May 25th.  The primary focus of these conferences in 2nd through 8th grades is to share with parents the results of their child’s Stanford Achievement Test Battery.   These tests are designed to evaluate individual progress in each discipline of the curriculum in direct relation to the national norms.  They specifically define each child’s academic strengths and areas which need improvement.

 

A WORD OF THANKS…This past Thursday, May 17th, approximately 70 students from Walther High School earned their service hours at St. Paul.  They were involved in various projects including painting the storage shed, “gardening” in the space between the school and the church, washing windows, “sprucing up” bushes,  removing old desks and chairs, recycling hymnals, and a number of other tasks.  A word of thanks goes to the Walther students, their teachers, and the members of St. Paul who assisted with this work day.  Thanks also goes to Jane Pluss for organizing this event.

 

FOR YOU OR FOR YOUR CHILD OR GRANDCHILD…The last book fair of the year will be held this week during regularly scheduled parent conferences.  Check out all our great titles for summer reading.  The book fair will be open Tuesday evening, May 22nd, from 6:00 – 8:00, Thursday afternoon and evening, May 24th, from 3:00 – 5:00 and 6:00 – 8:15, and on Friday morning, May 25th, from 7:30 until 10:00.  Come out and get set for summer reading!

 

A LONG BUS RIDE…As part of the school’s social studies curriculum, on Wednesday, May 23rd, the 7th grade students will board a bus and head for Springfield, IL.  While at the state’s capital, they will visit various historic and governmental sites including the Illinois State Museum, the Illinois Capitol Building, the Lincoln Tomb, and the new Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum.

 

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.

 

 

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.)  Manna order forms are located in the narthex of the church and in the hallway between the church and the cafeteria.  Since the last day to place a specific Manna order is over, there is a large stock of “pay as you go” inventory available  through the summer.  Most of the inventory will include gas, grocery, and a limited number of restaurant cards.  Any questions, please call Mrs. Koehne

 

 

MAY 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 MAY LETTER:

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” —Acts 2:42- 47, ESV

 

Something was going right with the early Christian Church. She was small but she was growing. The growth was both deep and wide. What was the formula? And how can we apply that magic bullet to help St. Paul Lutheran Church grow deep and wide? Don’t you want a piece of the action?! I sure do.

 

Well, (un)fortunately, God leaves no room for utilitarianism or a “quick-fix” to satisfy our American impatience and need for instant gratification. There is no formula or magic bullet. “The Lord added to their number day by day.” The Lord did it…period.  Maybe a better question is: “What does it look like when the Lord is adding to our number or gearing up to add to our number?” The Scriptures are clear about this. And the Book of Acts gives us that picture—especially in the first few chapters.

 

The Early Church cared. They cared about the truth of God. And so, they cared about hearing God’s word. They cared about all of God’s gifts that He wants to give: forgiveness, life, and salvation through the Word, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. And so, they got together often to enjoy those things—both in public worship and their homes.

 

The Early Church cared. They cared about one another. They cared that everyone had what they needed. They sacrificed their own stuff to help those in need. They were excited about being part of each other’s lives. They were at the Temple on Sundays and in each other’s homes Monday through Saturday. They not only cared, they even seemed to like each other.

 

When you went to the Temple on Sunday and to Simon Peter’s house for lunch on Tuesday, you heard the same simple message. That message came from the Apostle’s mouth in his sermons and Bible studies. That message came from the gifts of God that you received on Sunday morning. And that message came from the demeanor, interest, and hospitality of the people around you.

 

And what is that message? You matter. You matter to God. You matter to me. You matter enough to God that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to live, die, and rise for you. You matter. You matter enough to the Jerusalem Church that we will sacrifice our time, gifts, and money. You matter enough to me…by the way, why don’t you come over for supper on Thursday night?

 

This coming fall, St. Paul would like to take a step in the direction of these first century brothers and sisters in Christ. We hope to begin small group ministry with the prayer that God will create more opportunities for caring communities in our church body. If you are interested in leading a small group or being part of one, please let me know. Small groups may be what you and I need to hear God’s message: “You matter.”            

 

Yours in Christ, 

Pastor Tom Johnson

 

 

FROM THE PARISH NURSE

 

Marlene Groll

 

"My doctor thinks it would be a good idea for me to have a motorized wheelchair". This was part of a telephone conversation I recently had with Verna S., one of the homebound members of St. Paul. I routinely call and check on those members who cannot attend service regularly or are temporarily a "shut in" in recovery from surgery or are receiving treatment for an illness.  "Let me see what I can do to help you", I replied.

 

I immediately thought of the motorized wheelchair that Josephine B.’s family had donated to St. Paul after her death in 2004. At that time we had no one in need of that type of chair. It was decided to place the chair on loan to Lutheran Church Charities in the name of St. Paul hoping that someone could make use of it as soon as possible.