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4 MAY 2016 Local Church News Confirmands visit Distribution Center BY JOYCE SHELTON CHATHAM – Youth that were recently confirmed from the Good Shepherd Parish (consisting of Hillsboro, Irving, Witt, Coffeen and Fillmore UMC’s) visited Midwest Mission Distribution Center (MMDC) in Chatham. Hope Newberry, and Ethan and Hannah Carroll from the Irving United Methodist Church; Vanessa Compton and Erin Kistner from the Witt United Methodist Church and Emily Miller from the Hillsboro United Methodist Church had the opportunity to explore and understand their faith as they become new members of The United Methodist Church. Adults accompanying the youth were Pastor Sue Bryce, lead pastor of Irving UMC; Denise Kistner and Sherry Terneu from Witt UMC. A project the youth worked on during confirmation was to collect numerous items and assemble flood buckets and dignity kits for MMDC. In February they delivered 10 flood buckets to the Midwest Mission Distribution Center. An additional eight flood buckets and 19 dignity kits were delivered during the March 28 visit along with some additional supplies. They were given a tour of the facility and then worked on projects. They were instructed on how to cut out sponges and roll trash bags for the flood buckets, and also assemble some buckets. An interesting aspect of the visit was listening to Terry House, formerly of Raymond as he explained how the donated sewing machines are repaired and then sent to Third World Countries. Another highlight of the trip was to browse through the “Twice Giving” gift shop that is located on the campus site. The Midwest Mission Distribution Center (MMDC) is a disaster relief facility and a very caring ministry for the local United Methodist <strong>Churches</strong>. MMDC gives the opportunity for young individuals and groups to help provide disaster relief kits and resources as well as educational and medical supplies to those in need both locally and internationally. Chatham UMC breaks ground on $1 million upgrade CHATHAM – Chatham UMC broke ground April 3 on a $1 million building project aimed as improving accessibility and hospitality to the community. Chatham UMC is known as a “Matthew 25 Church” in keeping with the words of Jesus in the gospel of Matthew, chapter 25, who blessed his disciples for feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, visiting the sick and lonely. This church, which has been located on the corner of Illinois Route 4 and Chestnut St. since 1854, embraces its unique calling to minister to the people of Chatham and surrounding areas through ministries like Titan Fuel, “Back-to-School Blessing,” and an annual Thanksgiving Dinner served to clients of the Ball-Chatham Food Pantry. The campaign to raise funds for this project was titled “REACH! Transforming Together.” The goal of the project was to improve the accessibility of the church, and to “create a welcome, open environment” consistent with the church’s mission and vision. The REACH campaign officially kicked off March 22, 2015, and will continue through the project. The church has received pledges totaling approximately 75 percent of its fundraising goal of $1 million. The congregation is faithfully supporting the project with pledges and special gifts, and a celebratory “Anniversary Offering” will be received starting April 3. The remaining costs for the $1 million building project will be secured by a mortgage. Pledges will be paid over the next three years. The scope of the project, designed by The Aspen Group of Frankfort Ill., and Carmel Ind., focuses on the following priorities: • Accessibility – opening up the lobby to improve traffic flow and installing an elevator lift (LULA) for handicap accessibility; also moving the offices to the main floor; • Kitchen – bringing the kitchen up to code to prepare meals for our community; • Safety/Repairs – improving fire-resistance and replacing and repairing our roofs to protect our people and property Demolition began April 5, with completion projected in August or September. In the interim, the church has relocated worship services to Sangamon Prairie Reception Center (8855 Illinois Route 4). Small groups, committee meetings, and youth groups have been relocated to other sites around Chatham. The planning for this project began in 2014 under Rev. Sara Isbell who has been the directing pastor of Chatham UMC since 2007. The planning and fundraising efforts have called on the help of over 200 parishioners, who have offered support for discernment, fundraising and relocation efforts. About a dozen parishioners served on an Advisory Team to guide architectural plans, facilitated by Terry Burke and Julie Miller. The project was also guided by input from the Committee on Finance, Board of Trustees, Education Committee, Outreach Committee, Staff-Parish Relations, and Endowment Committee. The plans care for the church’s current ministries, as well as planning for its future. Sangamon River District churches hold join Lenten services The Athens, Cantrall, Rochester, Sherman and Williamsville United Methodist churches gathered on Sunday evenings during Lent to worship and fellowship together. And the churches took an offering. Together, the congregations combined to raise $1,154 for the Midwest Mission Distribution Center. The appointed pastors shared the preaching responsibilities along with District Superintendent Dr. Terry Harter. This is the third year of sharing in Lenten worship by the five congregations.
Milestones IGRC lay leader inducted into the High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame 5 THE CURRENT BY DICK GOSS Joliet Herald-News COAL CITY – The Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame most often rewards head coaches who enjoyed stellar careers from a record standpoint. Not as frequent is the inclusion of assistant coaches among the elite. Longtime Coal City assistant Ken Miller was surprised, to say the least. “I got a phone call in December,” said Miller, a familiar figure these days as the director of community relations for the Joliet Slammers. “The gentleman said, ‘Congratulations, you have been elected to our Hall of Fame.’ “Tears came to my eyes. It’s one thing to be recognized by people, but another to be recognized by your peers, to have your name linked to the great coaches. It’s a great honor.” The 70-year-old Miller – Ken P. Miller – was nominated for the Hall of Fame by longtime Coal City head coach Ken W. Miller. He was inducted April 2 at the annual Hall of Fame banquet in Champaign. After three years of coaching football at Cornell High School, Miller was hired at Coal City as a baseball and basketball coach. He coached Coalers’ varsity baseball for 17 years and varsity basketball for 10 years. “I didn’t get into coaching football right away; we had fall baseball back then,” Miller said. “Coal City started a football program with freshmen and sophomores in 1976.” Miller began helping with the football program in 1980 and spent 35 years on the gridiron, largely on the staffs of Ken W. Miller and current coach Lenny Onsen. He coached linebackers, receivers, quarterbacks and the offensive line at various times. “I spent most of my time with the line,” he said. The current president of the Coal City School Board, Miller’s final season on the football staff was in the fall of 2014. He spent 17 years teaching U.S. history, civics and physical education at Coal City, and then 17 years as the guidance counselor, a position he entered in 1985. Despite a busy schedule, he said he stayed with football for three main reasons. “First, it’s not as long a season as basketball,” he said. “Second, the (often poor) baseball weather in the spring. Third, football starts the school year. It was always fun to be part of that. Plus, it helped that we were successful. We had a great run, made the playoffs something like 18 years in a row and I got to work with some great coaches.” It also was in 1985 when Miller’s first wife, Barbara, the mother of their two children, was killed. “She was hit on her bicycle,” Miller said. Patricia, who now is a stay-at-home mom in Coal City and tutors students in her home, was 12 at the time. Scott, who works for Caterpillar in Peoria, was 9. “That was a really difficult time for our family,” Miller said. “But we made it through. We had to. Life goes on.” Miller married his current wife, Colleen, in 1998. “She is a part-time math teacher at the high school,” he said. “She’s very good at it. They brought her back after she retired.” For nearly 20 years, Miller has been a member of the Chicago Pitch & Hit Club, which orchestrates an annual banquet that honors baseball figures from the Chicago area on all levels, the major leagues on down. He has been on the board for most of that time and is a past president. “An old scout named Charlie Hum was a friend of mine,” he said. “He asked me if I would like to be a member. That’s how I got involved. I’ve really enjoyed my association with the Pitch & Hit Club and also with the Old Timers (Baseball Association of Will County, of which he also is a member).” The Joliet Slammers’ first general manager, beginning in 2011, was John Dietrich, who was a Pitch & Hit club member. “We had tickets to a Dodgers game, and John asked me if he did become the Slammers’ general manager, would I like to go to work in Joliet,” Miller said. “I said sure. “A lot of my responsibility is in sales. I sell season tickets once in a while. I represent the club at different organizations. I have really tried to get community nights together. I handle all donation requests. “It’s busy, and I enjoy it. How could anything be better than working at the ballpark?” In a sort of retirement, yet still the president the Coal City School Board and director of community relations for the Slammers. That’s the Ken Miller who wears so many hats. “That’s what has kept me going, doing a lot,” he said. He is a new inductee to the IHSFCA Hall of Fame, yet his life has been and is so much more than coaching football – which he did for 38 years in all. (Ken Miller is the IGRC Conference lay leader and a member of Coal City UMC, Vermilion River District. Reprinted with permission from the April 24 issue of the Joliet Herald-News, www.theherald-news.com) IGRC Communications wins three Awards of Excellence, including two of the entries judged Best of Class in the 50th Annual DeRose-Hinkhouse Awards banquet at the Interchurch Center in New York City, which currently houses the General Board of Global Ministries. IGRC Communications Director Paul Black and Assistant Editor and Designer Kim Halusan won an Award of Excellence and a Best of Class among all newspaper entries for the June 2015 Pre-Annual Conference issue of The Current. The July post-Annual Conference issue also won an Award of Excellence. Halusan, Black and Bruce Weiman garnered an Award of Excellence and a Best of Class Award for the integrated marketing campaign for The Journey of 10 x 10, a collaborative effort with the IGRC Office of Congregational Development. Black is pictured at left with the two Best of Class awards. Founded in 1929, the Religion Communicators Council, the sponsor of the awards, is the oldest communications organization in America honoring religious communications in the public arena. The interfaith organization includes members of diverse faiths, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Baha'i, Sikh and Hinduism. Photo by George Conklin, RCC
Page 1 and 2: MAY 2016 • VOL. 20 NO. 11 Reports
Page 3 and 4: News From The Episcopal Office 1 Ap
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