The Pilgrim

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By Rev. Rix Thorsell 4 <strong>The</strong> fresh air and sunshine beaming down through green leaves bring the new day alive with anticipation for what’s to come. Students walking from every direction approach a large structure that will be a second home for the next nine months, where teenagers will socialize, work, eat, and learn together for most of their waking hours. But that first day of school, as a freshman approaches with anticipation for what’s ahead, it’s a day of possibilities for things to come and fill his life. <strong>The</strong>re’s always excitement mixed with fear as a new student walks through those doors, breathing in the smells of cleaned windows and polished tile floors. You can almost touch the energy in the air as hundreds of bodies move about, trying to open new lockers or find a hidden classroom before the bell goes off. It’s an experience that holds so much potential for the future, one that we prepare to head into as a community this coming Fall. As a church, we’re getting ready for our first day of school as we move into some big things on the horizon at First Congregational Church of Downers Grove. Capital Campaigns, 150 th Anniversary Planning, a revamped Sunday School, and an expanded and encompassing Youth Ministry program are all ripe with possibilities, with ways that can bring us closer together as community. This coming year, like a classroom filling with students early Monday morning, we’ll doubtlessly find ourselves called to be present in some way; to offer our talents and gifts to our church family. This can be something scary and perhaps a little anxiety inducing, especially if we’re being asked to give extra time and energy when we already feel as though our day couldn’t hold any more. But it can also be a fulfilling opportunity where we find a second family that brings us back to the best parts of our high school days. It can provide and nourish us more than we could know. When talking about what church is, it’s always a more than a worship service one day a week. We can meet new faces there, but the deep friendships that happen through the church (and I’ve seen a lot) are because we’ve invested our presence in a new ministry or service project that comes along. And it’s not simply a chance for friendship, but a place that offers ways to make meaning of those relationships and how we understand our own lives. We learn things that would astound even the most educated academic, things that we can only get through our presence in this Christian community. One of the greatest things I’ve noticed is that our church has a niche for everybody. Whether you’re passionate about the environment, have tech skills to share, love singing, acting, knitting, or any other interest, this community has places to engage that. While there’s a lot of places to find these things (gyms, golf courses, you name it), we’re more than a social club; our purpose seeks to walk alongside our lives, revealing the ways God is present in everything we do. It seeks to lift us up and empowers us with the energy of the first day of school. It lets us start over again when we need it, and build together for something greater than ourselves. It’s the thing that affirms why we’re Christians in the first place. This is a year that promises to be many things for many people. As we prepare for that first class to start, ready to begin a journey that will determine the future of the congregation, we’re primed and ready to go. Christ has invited us back to school, let’s answer the bell.
5 Check out What’s New!!! New Website Address We’ve moved our domain to make it easier to find! Locate our Youth Ministry site at: www.uccdgyouth.org. This will now be a fully functioning communication tool for parents, youth, leaders, and your pastors. Visit this site for any questions you might have regarding upcoming changes and additions to our Youth Ministry. Confirmation Mentoring For our Confirmation Program this year, we’ll be asking our congregation to step up and play a big role in our youths’ faith lives! Mentoring will call our confirmands to find an active member of the congregation who they could use as an example of what it means to be a Christian. We will develop these relationships together as a group during our new monthly “Confirmation Conversations,” which will allow youth and mentors to talk about their faith in a practical sense. Details and information can be found at our webpage under the “Confirmation” tab. Youth Group This year we are going to offer an experience unlike any other, as we ask members in the congregation to bring their skills to Youth Group and show us what our community has to offer! As we partner with committees, ministries, and other groups over the course of the year, we hope that every youth can see how church is relevant and useful in their busy lives. We’ll have the chance to form community for retreats, outings, and our summer mission trip, as well as every Sunday for our youth groups. This is a year not to miss. Check out our website for more information! Broadcast Ministry Our youth will now have the opportunity to create and air their own youth group podcast, in addition to working with our UCC Broadcast Ministry program. Led by station manager, Len Potter, we will be offering opportunities to volunteer running and broadcasting our Sunday services online! Make an impact on how the rest of the country will hear our message! This will be the highlight of our Rally Day Kickoff youth group on Sunday September 7 at 10:45 a.m. (Jr. High) and 7 p.m. (Sr. High). Contact Pastor Rix for more details. This year is filled with some incredible and exciting new ways to engage our faith! Check out some highlights for this year: New Website Address www.uccdgyouth.org Come visit us! Confirmation Mentoring Wednesday’s @ 6:30pm Youth Group www.uccdgyouth.org Come visit us! Sunday Morning at 9:30 am Everyone is Welcome!
Page 1 and 2: A Message From Our Senior Pastor I
Page 3: Spiritual Pit Stop Is your train mo
Page 7 and 8: UCCDG News! Ladies of the Morning F
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