May 2018

First Chronicles
The Newsletter of the First Congregational Church of Evanston UCC

Healing, Mending, and Scars:

Narthex Gallery Art Show Opens Sunday, June 3
God uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a
crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread,
broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box
that gives forth perfume. It is Peter, weeping bitterly, who
returns to greater power than ever. —Vince Havner
Kintsugi, the Japanese art of mending pottery, elevates
the repair using gold leaf and powdered precious metals
at the break. The beauty of the piece is magnified
by the addition of the elegant repair, and the break
becomes part of the story (https://mymodernmet.com/
kintsugi-kintsukuroi). On the evening of Sunday, June 3, a congregational Japanese
Our own experiences dust us with bits of psychic dinner will feature Rhonda Storm presenting the Kintsugi art form.
gold. The repairs we claim may be inner scars serving to three-cups-of-coffee group, or live in the zone working
make us stronger, and perhaps we become golden on the on your own art and surprise us all at the opening.
inside. Do you have a collection of objects that can tell An entry form is available on page 6, in the narthex,
a story put together in a work of art? Is there a garment or for download on the church website.
or object that you lovingly mend because of its connec- —Rhonda Storm
tion to your life?
This is a call for artwork inspired by healing, mend-
ing, and scars. Collage, sculpture, drawings, prints, tex- Upcoming Events
tiles, or photography might be your medium for this
show. Do you have something that has attained an Sunday, May 6
elevated status through use and repair? Pull out your 10 a.m., Youth Talk, Balcony and Fellowship Hall
embroidered, patched jeans from the ’70s! Do you have
an event or meaningful object in your life that requires Saturday, May 19
mending? What would you do to make it whole again? 10 a.m.–3 p.m., First Congregational Church of
The concept for the show is intentionally broad, and Evanston booth at YEA! Festival, Raymond Park
there is the possibility of a wide array of artworks. Here
are some ideas I came up with while thinking about the Sunday, May 20 (Pentecost)
show to illustrate this concept. 11:15 a.m., Congregational Meeting
• A game of Sorry!—but the board reflects situations
that can be healed if one is truly sorry. Sunday, June 3
• Broken items put together in a new mended form Healing, Mending, and Scars Art Show Opening
to make a sculpture.
• Have you mended from an illness or surgery? How Sunday, June 10
could this experience of healing be incorporated into a 10 a.m., Celebration Sunday
work of art?
• Is there a place you go to heal your soul? Could Friday–Sunday, June 22–24
this be the subject of a painting or photograph? All-Church Retreat, Tower Hill
Please do begin to think about your contribution
to the show. Discuss your ideas at church or in your
This Month’s Chancel Choir Anthems
May 6
Richard Clemmitt, “May the Living Christ
Be With You”
May 13
John Rutter, “God Be in My Head” and
“For the Beauty of the Earth”
May 20 (Pentecost)
Bruce Saylor, “A Mighty Sound from Heaven”
and “In the Spirit”
May 27
Johann Sebastian Bach, “Creator, God of Love”
Charles Gounod, “Sanctus” (from St. Cecilia Mass)
News and Notes
Thanking Jon Gilbert Martinez on May 13
Jon Gilbert Martinez serves our congregation as semi-
nary intern from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Semi-
nary. He and his husband, Jacob, are also active members
of our congregation. Sunday, May 13, will be Gilbert’s
last Sunday as our intern, so he will be leading us in
worship and will give us a chance to extend our heartfelt
thanks for his service with and to our church family.
Gilbert has contributed to our vitality as a worship
leader, pastoral care provider, and educator in immigra-
tion issues and setting boundaries. He works behind the
scenes as our webmaster (www.firstchurchevanston.org)
and often steps in to photograph or video our activities.
We will miss his presence up front and are thankful that
he and his family will remain with us as members!
Pentecost Sunday and Spring Congregational Meeting
Pentecost is the annual celebration of the “birthday” of
the Christian church—when Holy Spirit came upon
the Hebrew people and Gentiles alike, inspiring them
to preach the good news of Christ’s Gospel. We cele­
brate by speaking in many languages so that all can
understand God’s word (see Rev. Ann if you are able
to participate in the readings) and by wearing the color
red to signify the fire of the Spirit. We will also share
in the sacrament of baptism for Henry Kiboi, son of
Allison (Krause) and James Kiboi.
Following worship on May 20, please plan to stay for ties and a member of First Congre­gational Church of
our congregational meeting. One of the many blessings
of our church structure is that all voices are needed in rental housing in Wilmette. We remember Jean’s faithful
discussion and decision making.
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Youth Talk May 6
Don’t miss our last Youth Talk of the school year. On
Sunday, May 6, we’ll meet in the balcony to experience
the first half of worship together, then head to Fellow­
ship Hall after the sermon for snacks and conversation.
May 6 is Immigrant Rights Sunday within the UCC, so
we’ll be talking about justice for immigrants that day.
Join us and bring a friend! For more information, con-
tact spetersen@firstchurchevanston.org.
YEA! Festival on May 19
On Saturday, May 19, from
10 a.m. to 3 p.m., First Congre­
gational will once again host an
art-making and community-
connecting table at the Young
Evanston Artists (YEA!) Festival in Raymond Park. This
has become a fun, creative way to meet our neighbors
and the young families of Evanston. In addition, several
of our congregation’s young artists from area schools
will be showing their work. Don’t miss out on the joy!
If you’d like to volunteer for a one- or two-hour slot at
our table, please sign up in the church entryway or email
spetersen@firstchurchevanston.org.
Celebrating Graduates June 10
Are you graduating? We want to celebrate you! On
Sunday, June 10, we will honor our recent graduates; we
want to be sure your achievement is included. Whether
it’s high school, a certificate program, vocational school,
college, or graduate school, we want to celebrate them
all! Please send your name and accomplishment to
spetersen@firstchurchevanston.org. Congratulations!
Affordable Housing Named
for Jean Cleland
On April 10 the Wilmette Vil-
lage Council voted unanimously
to approve the Cleland Place
Apartments—an early celebra-
tion of the 50th anniversary
of the Fair Housing Act! This
16-unit building, developed
by the Housing Opportunity
Development Corporation, is
named for the late Jean Cleland
(1923–2013), founding volunteer of Open Communi-
Evanston. The facility will offer much-needed affordable
dedication to housing equity and her loving spirit.

Registration Open for Summer Retreat
Sign up now to save your spot at this year’s annual All-
Church Retreat at Tower Hill Camp and Retreat Center
in Sawyer, Michigan, June 22–24. We’ll be staying in
comfortable conference-style lodging with time for play-
ing, praying, beaching, discussing, walking, relaxing,
reflecting, creating, singing, and more! It’s always a won-
derful, enriching weekend in the woods and on the shore
of Lake Michigan for all ages. Come by yourself, bring
your partner, invite a friend, or bring the whole family!
Please email Sarah at spetersen@firstchurchevanston.org
for more info, to sign up, or to join the planning team.
Planning Ahead: Rev. Ann’s 2019 Sabbatical
The proposal is in! First Congregational Church applied
for a Lilly Foundation grant to support congregational
activities and Rev. Ann’s renewal time in early 2019.
Informed by small group conversations with moderator
Anne Trompeter and vice moderator Beth Babbitt Borst,
the proposal expresses the hopefulness of celebrations as
a church family moving into the future together. Stay
tuned for more updates—this August we will find out
if the grant proposal is approved.
Donate via Text Messaging
You can now donate to First Congregational Church of
Evanston via text messaging! How it works: To give gifts
via text, send a text message with the dollar amount (e.g.
“$10”) to 1-847-443-9923. You will have to fill out a
short form with your billing info. After the initial setup,
giving is as easy as sending a text message.
At-Large Council Members
The congregation’s at-large Council members, Mary
Greene and Chris Petersen, are available to listen to your
questions, concerns, and positive feedback about wor-
ship and all areas of church life at First Congregational.
If It’s Broken—Let’s Fix It!
As staff, members, or friends
of the church, we are all
responsible for the upkeep
of our beautiful buildings.
If you see something broken or missing (a burned-out
light, for example), please contact Melia Pappas in the
office by phone at 847-864-8332, ext. 22, or by email
at mpappas@firstchurchevanston.org. Be as specific as
possible with your observation. Let’s all collaborate in
being good stewards of our space. Thank you!
Chancel Flowers
Donating chancel flowers is a wonderful way to honor
someone special in your life, to commemorate a special
occasion (perhaps a birthday or anniversary), to say thank
you, or to honor the memory of a friend or family mem-
ber. The flowers cost $35. Donations are acknowledged
in the Sunday bulletin. For more information or to make
a donation, contact Melia in the church office at 847-
864-8332, ext. 22.

Happy Birthday
to everyone
cele­brating a
birthday in May!

Jackie Chill Emma Lehman

Emily Connors Claire McFadden
Pamela Daniels Lacey Ogbolumani
Richard Davis Luke Perkins
Kingsley Day Jonas Petersen
Alexander Hardesty Bill Tripp
Many thanks to Debbie Mansen, who offered an extraordinary
array of her delicious homemade cookies for Palm Sunday, Charles Krause
Easter, and Earth Day coffee hours.

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From the Director of Learning and Outreach
Despite chilly temperatures, children and families cheerfully gathered
for the second annual Easter egg hunt in Memorial Garden after a joyful
Easter worship celebration.

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An artistic, multigenerational group collaborated to produce an Earth Day service celebrating God in all creation and in our creativity.
All ages contributed to the service by writing prayers, making art, sewing costumes, playing music, and performing in an interactive
adaptation of the picture book Old Turtle by Douglas Wood. Many thanks to all who shared their gifts! —Sarah Petersen

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 Healing, Mending, and Scars Entry Form

Healing, Mending, and Scars is a visual arts exhibition of works reflecting upon the role of healing and scars and
how the process shapes us (see page 1). The experiences we reflect upon for this show may be ones that have made
us more resilient and strengthened our relationship to God. You may also choose to depict your personal journey,
showing the scars you have acquired like a badge of courage. There are several suggestions in the prospectus to
inspire you. Better yet, consider the theme for the show and represent it from your own unique perspective in
your own way.
It is easy to participate in this event. Artists (that includes all of us!) simply fill out the entry form, securely
attach it to the work of art, and place it in the Gibson Parlor prior to show set-up on Sunday, May 20. For works
that cannot be left in the parlor, or if you need help transporting the work, please contact Rhonda Storm at 224-
999-2988 to make arrangements. All two-dimensional work must be ready for hanging and all other work ready for
display with special instructions if necessary. The show opening is Sunday, June 3. Late entries cannot be accepted
without special permission.

Name ____________________________________________________________________________________

Title _____________________________________________________________________________________

Materials used ______________________________________________________________________________

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Description of work and how it relates to your experience (optional) ____________________________________

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