FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF WEST CHICAGO

NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2020

www.firstumcucc.org ...we are on facebook! 5th. Stay-At-Home Issue L First United Methodist Church of West Chicago L page 2

DEAR I am still confident of this: encourage you to keep your confidence in the Lord as you navigate these uncertain times. Use these days to draw CHURCH I will see the goodness of close to the Lord, and I know He is clear in the Word that FAMILY the LORD in the land of the He will draw near to us! living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart I suppose one of the and wait for the LORD. reasons the Psalms -Psalm 27:13-14: (NIV) are so powerful is that there is such a desire What a summer we are experi- to “enter His gates by PASTOR AVANI encing! Every day is a new day. with thanksgiving I wanted to let you know how and praise” – So much I miss meeting together as a church family while bat- often, the Psalmist tling the Coronavirus. expresses his love for the place of While we know and realize the “church” is not a building, but meeting with God. the people who make up the body of Christ, there’s little doubt that this is not the way any of us envision what church will be Again, I realize going forward. we live in the New Testament, and Someone once said, “you don’t know what you have until it’s we know God gone.” Of course, the church is not “gone” in a literal sense, dwells in us, but but not meeting together sure does make me appreciate what the Word also makes it clear the ultimate we had! Yet, the thing that keeps me going is realizing this is design is that we meet together. not a situation that will last forever. soon! But until then, we will wait on God in patience. I love you, and miss you! There is such an odd feeling walking through the various emp- If there is anything I can do to minister to you, please don’t ty rooms in the church, especially the big room that is often hesitate to reach out to me. filled with people worshiping God and hearing the Word, but it’s all very quiet now. Together for Justice,

Many of the Psalms are quite encouraging, and my mind goes to a few verses in Psalm 27:13-14. While all of us might honestly say that our patience is wearing a bit thin, I would

WEEDING? L First United Methodist Church of West Chicago L page 3

ACTIONS by LINDA STOYNOFF BIRTHDAYS & This month in our year ANNIVERSARIES TO of protecting water quali- PRESERVE ty, we focus on polluting chemicals: GOD’S AUGUST P Dandelions have lots PLANET? of vitamins, consider 1...... Bruce & Norene Treudt (1971) pulling them and putting 3...... David Kraus the flowers in a small 6...... Gigi Hendricks vase and use the washed ...... Carolyn Roberts greens in a salad. This 7...... James MacDonald can avoid weed killers 8...... Nina Chezem which wash into our ...... Matt Tracey waterways. 11.... Linda Johnson 12.... Erlaine & Howard Born (1973) P Try to never use 14.... John & Leslie Singh (2004) Roundup(glyphosate) 15.... Wayne & Sandy Woodward (1964) weed killer as it probably 16.... Mel Wuest causes cancer and can 18.... Burt & Dorothy Andrews (1962) end up in waterways. If ...... Dennis & Linda Johnson (1978) you must use it, closely follow all safety precautions listed on 19.... Steve Scott the product. 20.... Matt Moore 28.... Bruce Petrie P Buy organic fruits and vegetables which don’t use 30.... Kristina & Uwe Gsedl (1992) chemicals. If you can’t to do it for everything, start with a few things. Using your dollars to support organic farming is putting your money where your mouth is… GREEN DISCIPLES The Church will no longer accept batteries for recycling. Again, this year I am focusing on giving just a few sug- BATTERIES It has become impossible gestions each month hoping to make it easier for all of us NO to find outlets for recycling to make small steps to protect our planet for now and the single use, household batter- future.. P LONGER ies. Recycling these batteries ACCEPTED is tougher, because most places do not consider them a serious enough source of by MIKE HORSLEY pollution to require recycling and recommend that they be GREEN DISCIPLES A big thank-you to the Green put in the regular trash. You can still recycle rechargeable Disciples, Brian, Gigi, Judi, batteries. The reason for recycling rechargeable batteries is CLEAN-UP quite simple: They contain toxic heavy metals such as cad- WASHINGTON Lana and Mike, for picking up mium, mercury, and lithium. That’s why it’s illegal to throw trash along Washington Street them away in many states. For a listing of rechargeable STREET on Saturday, June 27, 2020 battery recycling locations, go to: as part of the Church’s com- mitment to the DuPage Coun- https://www.dupageco.org/OnlineRecyclingGuide/. by MIKE HORSLEY ty Adopt-a-Highway Program. It is unfortunate that we can no longer find easy drop loca- The Green Disciples encour- tions for single use batteries. Please find a location for recy- age all to join the Adopt-a-Highway program as a statement cling any rechargeable batteries. For powering your future, of serving the community and dedication to maintaining it is time to buy some rechargeable batteries! and sustaining God’s Earth. For more information contact: Mike Horsley at [email protected].. P Protecting and Sustaining God’s Earth! P L First United Methodist Church of West Chicago L page 4

FALL SERMON SERIES

This summer is different. We all have many plans unrealized. What happens when our world falls apart? What does it look like to search for God in the gray area of our lives? How do we press onward when our tightly-knit plans unravel into loose threads?

Our fall worship series explores stories of unraveled shame, identity, fear, grief, dreams, and expectations, where God meets us in the spiraling, unraveling our plans—and us— forming all into something new.

We need YOUR participation in this series. Please cut a strip of fabric and write your prayers or prayer request on it. You can write, “Dear God, please weave______into my life.”

Then mail it to us or drop it off at the office on Wednesday or During our worship service, we will weave the strips together as we pray. If you have questions or need more information, please contact the office. L First United Methodist Church of West Chicago L page 5

and cleaned the mud and blood off her. After the shower LIFE Chapter 8 Winky-2014 and as my wife and Zan treated her wounds, I tried to Winky wasn’t the same. find out what happened. “Mom, what happened?” She STORY She hasn’t been the same looked perplexed, “What do you mean, what happened?” for quite a while. She lived “Why are you bloody?” “I fell down”, “Ok, how did you fall with us for eight years and down?” She frowned a little as she tried to remember, “I everything went well, for think I fell into a bush” This made sense. We had a lot by LYNN HOUSNER of blackberry bushes around the property and they had in memory of the most part. She would EMMA HOUSNER do laundry, clean, and cook lots of thorns. “Did the bush have thorns” “Yes!” She said while my wife and I went somewhat emphatically. “And, I fell down on my shoulder. to work at West Virginia It hurts.” My wife and Zan took Winky to the hospital. University. We lived on 40 pristine acres in Kingwood, a Thankfully, we have a full-service hospital in Kingwood. town of 3500 in the Cheat River valley. Winky was large- The X-rays revealed a broken collar bone. Winky stayed ly independent and lived in Chicago until she was in Preston Memorial Hospital for three days and then 80. She would not have needed to move in with us except was transferred to Heartland Rehabilitation hospital. that she sold her house to help my brother with money he Mum stayed there for a month receiving physical and needed for his divorce. So, she sold all of her possessions occupational therapy for her physical injuries and to except for a few items that I transported from Chicago strengthen her legs for walking with stability. She also to Kingwood in a Ryder Truck and she moved in with received speech therapy and therapy for her cognitive us. At 80, Winky was a 5 ft 100 lb grey-haired dynamo. decline. Winky was never one to let grass grow under her She looked and behaved like Estelle Getty in the Golden feet and she always wanted to help people. So, by the time Girls. She would help around the farm and insisted on I visited her after two days, she was busy watching out being included on all projects including painting the metal for her roommate. By the time she left after a little over roof on the house and tearing down our dilapidated barn. a month she had a nice cohort of 5 or 6 “friends” who She never met a hammer, paint brush, mower, or wheel she visited and helped with whatever they needed.There barrow that she didn’t like. As the years went by, Winky was a time not long ago when my wife’s mother lived with slowed down. After getting up with us early on Saturday us. She had Alzheimers and true to form Winky took her mornings to attack our weekend projects, her after-lunch under her wing and helped her with anything she needed. “nippy naps” got a little longer. But, she remained sharp While Winky was in Heartland, we decided to secure the as ever routinely beating my wife and me at rummy upstairs so she would not be able to wander. So, I had a each weekend. Her decline was gradual and began with friend put padlocks on the two doors to the outside. Mum forgetfulness. She also got impatient, which she always was getting more frail and unstable in her walking and was, but never overtly. We would be watching Law and we were concerned with her negotiating the stairs coming Order and she would pipe in, “how can you watch this downstairs. Winky would come downstairs and spend the garbage?” or we would be watching the nightly news and day with me. We would watch television, but she would she would lament, “isn’t there anything good happening have problems following the plot. Sometimes we would in the world?” which frankly, I understood. It just wasn’t try to play cards, but this was getting difficult for her as like her to complain. She was always a kind and generous well. It was sad to see her decline and it frustrated her woman who always knew that the Lord was her on her because she knew something was wrong. She often would side. To my wife and I, she had become a loveable, irasci- say pointing to her head, “your old mum’s losing it” when ble old maid. But, Winky was still able to take care of her- she could ...not retrieve the right word or memory. She self. So, she continued to stay with us. The turning point would tell me she needed to get something upstairs and in my mother’s life came early one morning in the Spring when I asked what it was, she would not remember, but of 2014. My wife and I slept downstairs and my mother would insist on going upstairs anyway and coming right slept upstairs, an accommodation we had to arrange down again. She had also begun coming downstairs at because my illness placed me in a wheelchair. I could night, so we placed a padlock on the door to the basement. not climb the stairs to get to our regular bedroom, so we When we brought Winky home, we explained that locks renovated the basement to serve as a handicapped acces- were for her safety and that the lock on the door to the sible apartment. On this morning, Winky walked into the basement was only for nighttime. The first night we went basement covered in mud mixed with blood. My wife and to bed, hoping everything would be alright. Within an I were horrified. We called for my friend, Xiaozan Wang, hour she was shouting for us and pounding on the door to who was visiting from Shanghai to help. My wife and the basement. We unlocked the door... PAGES 8 Zan, as we call Xiaozan, gave my mother a hot shower L First United Methodist Church of West Chicago L page 6

HAVE YOU Have you heard that we have a Health Team now? We have formed a Health Team to HEARD help sort through the science and regulatory recommendations for decisions about opening the building to in-person activities. As you know, the CDC makes broad rec- ABOUT THE ommendations that usually accompany a prediction for the outcome of those choices. NEW The Governor of Illinois is guiding the statewide restrictions and recommendations HEALTH TEAM? for businesses, schools, churches and other public spaces to re-open for public use. Additionally, the NIC Bishop also makes recommendations to the congregations in the Northern Illinois Conference. It is a lot of information to process! There is also a myr- iad of websites that post their own interpretations, methods and rules for re-opening. LUCY NELSON Frankly, it is overwhelming to try to interpret all of this information. We have formed a Health Team to help our congregation interpret a clear path forward for ourselves and our building. The Team includes both Pastor Avani and Pastor Leslie, Tina Gsedl is representing the Trustees, Mike Horsley is representing the congregation in general, and Donna Howard and Linda Smith are working nurses who will lend their knowledge and expertise. I am the team leader and plan to do my best to keep us focused and be sure that our recommendations are clearly communicated to the Trustees, who have the final say on the use of the building. We have invited representatives from the Church of the Nazarene as well so they are part of the conversation and under- stand how we arrive at the decisions about building use in relation to the Coronavirus restrictions. We want you all to know that we are meeting and working behind the scenes so we can be prepared when we can all come together again. There are a few points that I would like to share with you at this time.

1. Our Trustees plan to follow the direction from the NIC Bishop

2. At this point in time, the Bishop feels that the most prudent course of action is to keep out buildings closed to in person meetings. There may be the occasional need for an in-person meeting that follows the masks and social distancing rules and is limited to less than 10 persons. Those will be extremely limited and the excep- tion, not the rule.

3. There will be no in-person VBS this year.

4. We will not be opening the building for in-person worship until the restrictions on attendance and infection control can be reasonably observed for our congregation.

5. We are closely monitoring the infection rates in DuPage County and West Chicago specifically to guide our rec- ommendations. Currently, West Chicago is tied with Addison for the highest positive testing rate in DuPage County. There is a much higher infection rate here than most places in Illinois. The Health Team will include that information when recommendations.

Please feel free to contact or e-mail any of the members of the Health Team if you have questions or concerns. We will do our best to address your concerns. And I will do my best to communicate our recommendations as decisions are made. Please keep your eyes open for a longer, more in depth survey about your comfort level with a selection of options or restrictions for returning to in-person worship. Please take and return the survey when it comes so we can take your feelings and concerns into consideration. Take care, wear those masks and keep the faith! P

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ment(s) via email. They can then move at their own pace to LOCAL Are you interested in car- get through the readings and complete the assignment--even CHURCH ing for or improving your if it takes them longer than 12 weeks. During the course, church’s program of history? they will have access to an assigned moderator for any ques- HISTORIAN The General Commission on tions that might arise as well as access to a closed Facebook SCHOOL Archives and History of the group with other course participants. Once completed, the United Methodist Church will participant will receive a certificate from GCAH. be offering a Local Church Historian School in 2020 for The Book of Discipline says our Commission is “to encourage by BURT ANDREWS church historians—or anyone and assist the local churches in preserving their records, interested in the story of compiling their histories and celebrating their heritage….” their church. This school provides United Methodists the opportunity to do just that. This is the same school developed and offered by the Indiana Conference in the past, now updated, and being offered by the The school will begin on September, 14, 2020. Plan now to use General Commission on Archives and History to any United this opportunity to ensure that the heritage of each of our Methodist church globally*. churches will be celebrated and that each church can receive the full benefit of its own amazing story. The Local Church Historian School curriculum will cover a wide range of skills necessary to become a “complete” church Register here: historian. Participating congregations will benefit from a new https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ consciousness of their heritage and legacy and be motivated su/MMsXW6v/LCHS to study their unique stories and proclaim it to those around them. LCHS is a 12-week long course that allows participants *The only prerequisite for the Local Church Historian School to move at their own pace through a series of exercises. Each is access to dependable email service. (Minimal computer week participants will receive reading material and an assign- skills are required.) P

RECYCLING Please continue to collect the following items for PROGRAMS recycling once the church is again able to accept AT THE items for donation and recycling. CHURCH Pop tabs are collected for Ronald McDonald House in Winfield. The tabs are recycled for cash and the money supports RMHC as they support families whose child is staying at Central DuPage by LISA MARIE VOGT Hospital.

Bread tabs are collected for Danielle Cares for Chairs. The tags are recycled for cash and the money is used to purchase wheelchairs for kids. This also keeps bread tabs out of landfills (they are not recyclable).

Keep your used printer cartridges out of the landfill. We collect them and turn them in for special recycling which keeps them out of landfills.

Have some old keys laying around that you no longer need? We collect them and turn them in for special recycling which keeps them out of landfills. P L First United Methodist Church of West Chicago L page 8

...and tried to explain her Winky, which touched her deeply. Dad was always a LIFE again that this was for her kidder and had a wonderful sense of humor which en- STORY own safety, but she only deared him to her. Dad was the love of her life and in her felt afraid of being locked later years she would often say, “I’m mad at your dad for in. After two nights like not staying around longer.” “Remember mum, dad was a this we felt it was time quality assurance engineer with Dupont and he inspected to see how she would do materials for nuclear reactors fabricated in Japan. You ` in assisted living. We told went with him and you and dad made friends with the Jap- continues from Page 5 her it was a retirement anese who were your neighbors and people from around community. Fortunately, the world who worked with dad. You stayed in touch with Kingwood has an assisted the Japanese you met for many years.” Mom nodded her living facility called Windy Hill. It is a small facility with head and smiled, “That was a wonderful time.” “You and only 50 beds. The people we met there seemed kind and dad met a young German engineer named genuinely caring. The facility had large windows in the Mr. Winters. You asked him about the name Winklbauer cafeteria and TV lounge that looked out into a forest that and where the Winklbauers might live. Mr. Winters said it came right up to the windows. Chipmunks, squirrels, and was a Bavarian name. You and dad asked Mr. Winters to dear lived and played right outside the windows which help you try to find your family, so you wrote to Rathhaus- provided a delightful diversion for the patients. We felt es or town halls around Bavaria since we were planning terrible having to resort to this alternative, but keeping a trip to Germany the following year when you came back her safe was of paramount importance, so we thought we to Chicago from Japan”. Mom was nodding and smiling as would give it a try. Thank God Winky has done well at I talked, “I remember now.” “You and dad returned home, Windy Hill. The caretakers truly like her and every time and he got ill. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I visit her hair is combed and she has new nail polish. He had that operation, the Whipple procedure, and we True to form she wants to stay busy and help her fellow thought they got the cancer in time. But it went to his “retirees”. I have often visited her and watched her clean brain and when he began to lose his balance and he knew up after lunch or dinner and help other “retirees” with something was wrong”.Mom shook her head, “I’m still mad getting ready for meals by putting on bibs or arranging at him for leaving.” “Me too. Remember, after dad passed, folks around a table. She also assists the staff in activi- we decided to go on our trip to Europe, since we thought ties like shredding old documents. The last time I visited dad would have wanted us to. So, you, and Katrina, and she was sitting at the front desk like she ran the place. I decided to go anyway. We flew to Frankfurt and began Initially, Winky would call me often because she was a trip of a lifetime. I had everything planned down to the confused about where she was. She would think she was minute, which turned out to be a good thing and a bad at a bus station, airport, or hotel. But as she got to know thing. It was good because we had places to stay and we people she has called less often. This is a mixed blessing didn’t have to worry about finding hotels or B&Bs. But since we want her to feel content and safe at Windy Hill, it was bad because we had no flexibility and sometimes but the more comfortable she gets the less she remembers we were rushed and had to drive like crazy to get to our her family. It has become hard to visit Winky. She recog- preplanned destination. Remember, when we were on our nizes me and always seems glad to see me. But, Alzhei- way to Paris from Bern, Switzerland and we had reser- mer’s is robbing her of her essence; her personality, her vations at a hotel in Rambouillet, just south of Paris. Do memories, more and more each day. I feel guilty having to you remember what happened?” Mom tilted her head back place her in assisted living, but she quickly needed 24-7 and scrunched up her face, trying her best to remember. I supervision. The last time I visited I told her that I had couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t hurt yourself mom, I’ll tell talked with Rainer Winklbauer in Gergweis, Germany and you. We stopped to get gas outside of Rambouillet and as that her cousin and Rainer’s father, Michael, had passed usual there was a fight about who was going to pay. Rather away. Winky looked saddened and tried hard to remem- than fighting loudly in front of a bunch of perplexed ber, but it just wasn’t clicking, so I decided to tell her the French folks, which was our typical behavior, I relented story of how we found our relatives in Germany. “Remem- and let you fill the tank. So, we left the gas station and ber when you and dad lived in Japan”. Winky immediately got onto the highway when the car started to buck and lit up. She always spoke of her time in Japan with dad as spew white smoke.” Winky clenched her teeth, raised her the best time of her life. By the way, dad was the one who eyebrows and through an apologetic smile she said, “Oh gave mom the nickname Winky. Her maiden name was boy, I remember now. We broke down and had to have the Winklbauer and when they met and started car fixed.” “That’s right. You had mistakenly put diesel dating in Altoona, Pennsylvania he immediately dubbed fuel in the car and it reacted badly. So, we pulled over L First United Methodist Church of West Chicago L page 9 to the brim of the highway and I started walking to find they would look into whether there might be the closest service area. I had seen these areas with gas, Winklbauers in the area that you might be related to. food, and sometimes lodging sort of like Howard John- So, when we got to Osterhoffen we checked into a nice, sons in America along the highway. I had seen a service quaint B&B that was very German and had a wonderful area a few miles away when we stopped for gas, so I authentic Bavarian dinner of Knodel (bread dumplings) began walking. Katrina told me later that this is when mit gravy, weisswurst (sausage made from veal, pork, you jumped into oncoming traffic to try to stop someone, and bacon), sauerbraten (sour beef roast), and bratkar- so they could pick me up and give me a ride. Miraculously, toffeln (fried potatoes), apfelsteudel for dessert, and of a truck stopped and you were able to communicate our course, beer. And, I had made reservations for before our plight to the driver. He picked me up and drove me to the trip started!” “The next day we went to the Rathaus and service area where they called the French police for me. found the young man we had been corresponding with. We Mom, do you remember what happened next” knew it was a long shot, but we were here so why not try Winky looked pensive for a moment and said, “I remem- to find some Winklbauers.” The young man had checked ber that it cost us a lot”. I laughed “It certainly did. We around and said, “The Winklbauers here in Osterhoffen, broke down at around 3pm and the French Police arrived we don’t think are your Winklbauers. Winklbauer is a around 5pm. They called a tow truck and it was getting common Bavarian name and it will be hard to find rela- dark by the time it arrived. They put the car on a flat- tives. We did locate Michael Winklbauer in Gergweis who bed truck and we sat in the car as we drove down the you might want to visit. I can call and see if they can highway. We then left the highway via an emergency exit meet you.” We said that we would like that and he called where the driver had to get out of the truck and remove the Winklbauers of Gergweis and arranged for us to meet a chain blocking the exit and then replace it after we them the next morning. Winky perked up and got excited, went through. I remember how dark it was and we looked “I remember that for sure!” “The next day we drove to at one another wondering what was going on.” Winky’s Gergweis not knowing what to expect and not being very eye’s widened and she said, “I do remember it was dark well prepared for such a meeting. Michael Winklbauer and and scary we didn’t know where we were being taken.” his wife live in a traditional Bavarian home with exposed “That’s right, we locked the car doors and hoped we wood beams and heavy dark furniture made of wood. weren’t being kidnapped by some crazy, homicidal French Their home was cozy, but not ostentatious. They were mechanic. We continued deeper into the dark French very cordial and motioned for us to come in. They did not countryside for over an hour until we stopped at the me- speak English, but with the little German that I knew and chanics garage. He unloaded us and the car and gave us their pantomime we knew to enter and sit down. They of- coffee and wonderful French pastry. He drained the car of fered coffee and strudel and we ate silently and awkward- diesel fuel, put in regular gasoline and the car started as ly not knowing where to go from here. We nodded and if nothing had been wrong. We were so relieved we gladly smiled at one another as we ate. Thank goodness Josef paid the exorbitant fee. After all, it was close to midnight and his wife Wilde, who spoke and understood English, and the mechanic’s evening was disturbed by our mishap. arrived and we finally were able to explain what were Mom, I knew you felt bad at the time and you insisted on doing in their home.” Mom was remembering now, and she paying the mechanic’s fee.” Winky perked up, “Yes, I felt was nodding and smiling. Our visit became a family event awful.” “Mom, if this hadn’t happened we wouldn’t have since few people ever come to visit Gergweis, although had our adventure which we still remember 20 years it is a quaint German village with several churches, a later. Of course, this wasn’t the end of the adventure. It restaurant or two, and a local brewery, which we found was midnight and we had no idea where we were or how out later was typical of most villages throughout Bavaria. far away we were from Rambouillet. This was before GPS Gergweis was also close to the Danube. I continued telling devices. The mechanic gave us general directions and put the story to mum, “Later, Arno and Ranier Winklbauer us on the right track. We finally got to our hotel at 3 am arrived and an older Tante (aunt) came over with a box with plans to leave first thing that morning to Paris. The full of family pictures. She explained through Wilde that next day we got up at 7 am and pushed forward accord- some of the pictures were sent back from America. So, we ing to my plan. I had two exhausted and grumpy women were looking through the pictures when I came upon one with me who constantly reminded me about my pre-plan- that looked strangely familiar.” Now Winky really got ex- ning.” “But remember earlier in the trip how my planning cited, “I remember now. You gave me the picture.” “That’s worked out in Osterhoffen and Gergweis.” Winky looked right, and I asked if you saw anything unusual about the a little confused, “Boy, I’m not sure I remember.” “Let me picture, do you remember?” My mom replied with recol- refresh your memory. You and dad had written to the lection, “The picture was of three girls going ...through Rathaus in Osterhoffen and you got a reply saying that Catholic communion.” Winky... PAGES 12 L First United Methodist Church of West Chicago L page 10

UNITED Summer is here although this has not been the summer we may have planned for we are man- aging through, we are still required to wear a mask in the presence of others and in stores. We METHODIST are still unclear of all the details of the COVID-19 virus. So many events have had to be cancelled WOMEN in our church, communities and nationwide. It’s like God pressed pause on the remote. In a way (UMW) the pause has been nice, we tend to do so much and sometimes we forget to just slow down, stop and reflect.

by JENNY TRACEY I have been able to camp every weekend since the beginning of June, but we are only able to have family camp with us. No guests, no beach, and no activities I am the event coordinator for the park and it has been nice to have this break and just be able to hang out with friends, finish and start projects we had to put off due to me working out there every weekend.

I think we need to take this time to look at the activities we do and find ways to make them better and reflect on how we can learn to slow down and press the pause button every now and again. At no other time in our lives had we had this opportunity to do this. It seems we are always planning and doing without stopping to reflect and then move on to the next event.

A few of the ladies of the church met for a lunch on July 1 inside the church, masks were worn for conversation, 3 people sat at each round table, the tables were spaced 6 feet apart, and the food was catered by My Chef in Naperville. Thank you to Roberta Kent who organized this organized, ordered and picked up the food. It was so nice to see everyone again!

Future Thoughts: Hoping that we are able to continue to wear our masks, social distance, and stay healthy I am hoping that we will be able to see each other in the later months. This has been hard on all of us and we need to keep in mind that it has affect- ed all of us differently we need to be respectful of others and how they handled this pandemic. P L First United Methodist Church of West Chicago L page 11

FINACIAL Following is a summary of income and expenses for the UPDATE first half of 2020. Income for the month of June was again below the budgeted by ROBERTA KENT amount, but expenses were also lower than budgeted amounts so we ended June with a healthy cash balance. We made one monthly payment on conference apportionments If you have questions and hope to continue making payments each month. Many about any of the information in this report, I will be glad to members have made extra gifts to missions that have allowed give you more details. You may e-mail your questions to us to offer support to members struggling financially as well me at as provide lunches for nurses and staff at CDH and nursing [email protected] homes where members are currently residing. Your continued or call me at (630) 653-1692 financial support is greatly appreciated. CHURCH INCOME Pastor Amounts Received: Rev. Avani Christian [email protected] Contribution Income...... $110,974.48 630-696-7817 Building Rental and Miscellaneous...... 3,186.23 First United Methodist Church | Contact: Total Income as of 6/30/20...... $114,160.71 P.O. Box 915 | West Chicago, IL 60186 (630) 231-3344 | [email protected] Other Available Funds: www.FirstUmcUcc.org Cash Carried Forward From 2019...... 5,442.88

Office Hours: Total Available Funds...... $119,603.59 Wednesdays & Fridays | 9:00 am - 5 pm

First Congregational Church | Contact: CHURCH OBLIGATIONS TO DATE P.O. Box 458 | West Chicago, IL 60186 (630) 231-1306 Amounts Paid: Staff Salaries and Benefits...... $57,248.57 Youth Pastor: Leslie Singh | [email protected] Mortgage Interest...... 13,615.75 Music Director: Ron Benner | [email protected] Building and Property Maintenance...... 7,557.74 Lay Leader (UMC): Lana Runyan | [email protected] Utilities...... 8,060.32 Church Council Chair: Other Building Expense (Includes Insurance)...... 5,121.40 Catherine Chezem | [email protected] Operating and Office Expense...... 4,162.90 Moderator (FCC): Mission and Outreach...... 10,828.48 Erlaine Born Administrative Assistant: Ministry and Worship...... 1,173.87 Lisa Marie Vogt | [email protected] Newsletter Design: Principal Reduction on Mortgage...... 7,821.11 Uwe Gsedl | [email protected] Total Amounts Paid as of 6/30/20...... $115,590.14 Photography (unless otherwise noted): Judi Horsley | [email protected] Amounts Outstanding and Unpaid: Housekeeping: UMC Conference Apportionments...... $6,133.98 Erlaine Born Other Unpaid Bills...... 0.00 Total Outstanding and Unpaid as of 6/30/20.... $6,133.98 L First United Methodist Church of West Chicago L page 12

First United Methodist Church P.O. Box 915 West Chicago, IL 60186 630-231-3344 [email protected] FirstUmcUcc.org

...stoppedand her eyes had been pleasant and cordial, but like Germans not very LIFE looked upward as she demonstrative, became celebratory as they broke out the struggled to remember. beer and welcomed all of us into the family with hugs all STORY “And who was the middle around. We spent a long weekend in Gergweis and mom girl?”Winky nearly shout- stayed with her nephew Josef, his wife Wilde, and her ed, “It was me!” “Yep, daughter Katarina. It was Folkfest time in Bavaria and it was you. And as we weº spent all of the weekend with Michael and the rest of passed the picture around the Winklbauers. A few years later Josef and Wilde and ` Arno and his wife visited us in Kingwood. Winky flew continues from Page 9 and the Winklbauers saw the obvious resemblance in from Chicago and we had a wonderful reunion. I had they hugged you and arranged with my relatives in Altoona, Pennsylvania Katrina and me as family. They brought out the beer and to have a Winklbauer reunion at the Bavarian Club in the celebration began in earnest.” We found out later as Altoona. Winklbauers came from all over central Pennsyl- we did some genealogy later that Michael’s father was vania to meet their relatives from Germany. Winky was Winky’s uncle. Her father, Frank, was Michael’s father’s in her glory as we ate German food and beer and danced brother. Frank and his brother Peter came to America to German music. I danced with my mother and she said, and three brothers stayed in Germany. But, once we “This has been so wonderful, I’ll never forget any of this. saw Winky in the communion picture, we knew imme- I only wish your dad had been here to see this, I’m still diately the Gergweis Winklbauers were our relatives. mad at him.” Even with Alzheimers, I could see that mom Winky had just lost her husband and now had found remembered our adventure traveling in Europe and how her German family. She was beaming and it was, in her we found her relatives. Some memories are just too won- words, “an incredible blessing.” The Winklbauers who derful to forget. P