GE COV Weekly Newsletter

Join us Each week in person or online
Sundays at 10am.

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QUICK LINKS

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THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE

SERMON SERIES week 2

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FEATURED UPDATES

CONGRGATIONAL MEETING

The next congregation meeting is Monday, June 7th on Zoom at 6:00pm. The main item on the agenda will be to hear an update from the Search Committee for the Director of Children’s Ministry, and to seek approval for making the role a full-time position. A Zoom link and password will be sent out prior to the meeting. We hope you will be able to join us!

GRADUATES

If you have a graduate in your family make sure you give their name to the office so we can pray over them!

WORSHIP AND HOSPITALITY

“Good morning!  We are so glad you are here today, “ the usher said with a smile 😊.

Doesn’t it feel wonderful when someone greets you as you enter a space – a friend’s home, a store, a restaurant, a doctor’s office, and a church building?  It does! 

As we are moving out of the pandemic’s restrictions, we are also inviting many others to be part of the ministry of ushering.  This is a very important part of our worship ministry and is the first act of hospitality that someone will experience in our church.  Welcoming people, making sure they know where they can sit, perhaps directing someone to the nursery, etc.  Other responsibilities include lighting the candles, unlocking/locking the front doors, and putting the offering in a secure location following worship. 

WE NEED MANY of you to sign up to be part of this ministry!  Here’s who qualifies:

·         Entire Families

·         Single Persons

·         Married Persons

·         Young Persons

·         Older Persons

Do you like to greet people?  Do you love this church?  Are you a welcoming person? Are you looking for a place to serve that requires no prior experience or prep time?  Can you commit to 1 – 4 Sundays per quarter (or year)?  Can you arrive at church at 9:30 on a Sunday morning?  If the answer is a resounding YES!, then please contact Leslie at church and she can get you started on one of the most important and joyful roles in the church – that of an USHER!

All Church Picnic

It’s time to kick off our 75th Anniversary year of celebration. Sunday, June 27th right after worship we will gather in the open field for an all church picnic to celebrate 3 ordinations in our extended church family: Pastor Jeff Root, Dawn Holt Lauber, and Sam Gyorfi. We are asking that you bring a dishes based of your last name.

• A-H - Main Dish

• I-P - Side Dish

• Q-Z - Dessert

Drinks and paper products will be provided.

So dig out you favorite recipes and while you’re at it submit them to the office for the new church cookbook!

75th Anniversary of GEECC

Our church is creating a custom cookbook, to commemorate 75 years, featuring favorite recipes from our members! Please submit your favorite recipes so you can be represented in our cookbook. You can submit online or bring hardcopies into the office. Please submit by June 30th! Find all info about the church cook book HERE.

We are also asking you to upload pictures and stories that you have from over the years at GEECC. You may upload these things HERE or bring them into the office.

We are excited to start celebrating with you!

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GE COV Weekly Newsletter

Join us Each week in person or online
Sundays at 10am.

---

QUICK LINKS

---

THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE

SERMON SERIES starting may 30th

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FEATURED UPDATES

CONGRGATIONAL MEETING

The next congregation meeting is Monday, June 7th on Zoom at 6:00pm. The main item on the agenda will be to hear an update from the Search Committee for the Director of Children’s Ministry, and to seek approval for making the role a full-time position. A Zoom link and password will be sent out prior to the meeting. We hope you will be able to join us!

GRADUATES

If you have a graduate in your family make sure you give their name to the office so we can pray over them!

STORIES OF TESTIMONY TO GOD’S  . . .

How would you finish the above statement?   . . . provision, goodness, love, forgiveness, faithfulness, care . . . you can see the ‘words’ of response are endless because God is abundant in giving to his children!

During the summer months we want to hear your stories of testimony to God.  Testimonies are little and big – and all of them matter.  For example, I (Leslie)could tell you that during the entire pandemic, my husband and I did a weekly Zoom call with our friends from college.  We celebrated our friendship last week by being able to meet in person!  Walking with these dear friends during a time of isolation brought us laughter, and a deeper awareness of one another’s daily living, which included deaths and births of family members.  We created and became community for one another; being able to become God’s instruments of compassion, care, celebration, and encouragement.  Thanks be to God for Zoom!

What is your story?  Let Leslie or Pastor Jeff know if you have a story to share in worship.  We want to hear from you!

WORSHIP AND HOSPITALITY

“Good morning!  We are so glad you are here today, “ the usher said with a smile 😊.

Doesn’t it feel wonderful when someone greets you as you enter a space – a friend’s home, a store, a restaurant, a doctor’s office, and a church building?  It does! 

As we are moving out of the pandemic’s restrictions, we are also inviting many others to be part of the ministry of ushering.  This is a very important part of our worship ministry and is the first act of hospitality that someone will experience in our church.  Welcoming people, making sure they know where they can sit, perhaps directing someone to the nursery, etc.  Other responsibilities include lighting the candles, unlocking/locking the front doors, and putting the offering in a secure location following worship. 

WE NEED MANY of you to sign up to be part of this ministry!  Here’s who qualifies:

·         Entire Families

·         Single Persons

·         Married Persons

·         Young Persons

·         Older Persons

Do you like to greet people?  Do you love this church?  Are you a welcoming person? Are you looking for a place to serve that requires no prior experience or prep time?  Can you commit to 1 – 4 Sundays per quarter (or year)?  Can you arrive at church at 9:30 on a Sunday morning?  If the answer is a resounding YES!, then please contact Leslie at church and she can get you started on one of the most important and joyful roles in the church – that of an USHER!

Weeders needed!

Did you notice how tidy the church gardens looked after our ALL Church Work Day in April? It was a showcase! But as you know, weeds grow a pace and ours are no exception. They are rearing their ugly heads again. What we need is a few willing souls to adopt a small section of the grounds and keep it weed free this summer. No experience or tools necessary. Contact Diane Brown if you are interested (630)-334-1087 or email at dgraceb05@gmail.com

75th Anniversary of GEECC

Our church is creating a custom cookbook, to commemorate 75 years, featuring favorite recipes from our members! Please submit your favorite recipes so you can be represented in our cookbook. You can submit online or bring hardcopies into the office. Please submit by June 30th! Find all info about the church cook book HERE.

We are also asking you to upload pictures and stories that you have from over the years at GEECC. You may upload these things HERE or bring them into the office.

We are excited to start celebrating with you!

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GE COV Weekly Newsletter

Join us Each week in person or online
Sundays at 10am.

---

QUICK LINKS

---

THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE

From Pastor Jeff’s Desk…

BIRDS OF A “FETTER”

When I was young and we would sing “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” in church, I never knew what the word “fetter” meant. Maybe you know the song, “Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee.” If you are like I was, I just sang the song and glossed over that part because I had no idea what I was singing. I remember one day, my youth pastor stopped in the middle of singing the song and asked us high school kids, “Do you all know what a fetter is?”

I sheepishly looked around to see if I was the only one shaking my head but found comfort as a saw many others doing the same. That day I learned that a fetter is a chain. I also learned an entirely new concept of God and his goodness. I finally realized what I was asking God as I sang this wonderful hymn: that he would let his goodness chain my heart to him.

As I reflect on what this means, I am so thankful for Jesus. It is the goodness of God, displayed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus that binds my heart to Him. He is the anchor and the chain that keeps me secure.

There are also two other major implications of this. First, the goodness of God chains me to everyone else who belongs to Christ. So, in a sense, we are “birds of a fetter!” We are connected to one another in a way that cannot be broken. Second, being chained to God in Christ means that my life is given up to him in all things. I am no longer a slave to the world and it’s values, but I am chained to Christ and his.

Hang in there, my beloved!

This Week’s text

Ezekiel 37:1-14

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FEATURED UPDATES

STORIES OF TESTIMONY TO GOD’S  . . .

How would you finish the above statement?   . . . provision, goodness, love, forgiveness, faithfulness, care . . . you can see the ‘words’ of response are endless because God is abundant in giving to his children!

During the summer months we want to hear your stories of testimony to God.  Testimonies are little and big – and all of them matter.  For example, I (Leslie)could tell you that during the entire pandemic, my husband and I did a weekly Zoom call with our friends from college.  We celebrated our friendship last week by being able to meet in person!  Walking with these dear friends during a time of isolation brought us laughter, and a deeper awareness of one another’s daily living, which included deaths and births of family members.  We created and became community for one another; being able to become God’s instruments of compassion, care, celebration, and encouragement.  Thanks be to God for Zoom!

What is your story?  Let Leslie or Pastor Jeff know if you have a story to share in worship.  We want to hear from you!

WORSHIP AND HOSPITALITY

“Good morning!  We are so glad you are here today, “ the usher said with a smile 😊.

Doesn’t it feel wonderful when someone greets you as you enter a space – a friend’s home, a store, a restaurant, a doctor’s office, and a church building?  It does! 

As we are moving out of the pandemic’s restrictions, we are also inviting many others to be part of the ministry of ushering.  This is a very important part of our worship ministry and is the first act of hospitality that someone will experience in our church.  Welcoming people, making sure they know where they can sit, perhaps directing someone to the nursery, etc.  Other responsibilities include lighting the candles, unlocking/locking the front doors, and putting the offering in a secure location following worship. 

WE NEED MANY of you to sign up to be part of this ministry!  Here’s who qualifies:

·         Entire Families

·         Single Persons

·         Married Persons

·         Young Persons

·         Older Persons

Do you like to greet people?  Do you love this church?  Are you a welcoming person? Are you looking for a place to serve that requires no prior experience or prep time?  Can you commit to 1 – 4 Sundays per quarter (or year)?  Can you arrive at church at 9:30 on a Sunday morning?  If the answer is a resounding YES!, then please contact Leslie at church and she can get you started on one of the most important and joyful roles in the church – that of an USHER!

Weeders needed!

Did you notice how tidy the church gardens looked after our ALL Church Work Day in April? It was a showcase! But as you know, weeds grow a pace and ours are no exception. They are rearing their ugly heads again. What we need is a few willing souls to adopt a small section of the grounds and keep it weed free this summer. No experience or tools necessary. Contact Diane Brown if you are interested (630)-334-1087 or email at dgraceb05@gmail.com

75th Anniversary of GEECC

Our church is creating a custom cookbook, to commemorate 75 years, featuring favorite recipes from our members! Please submit your favorite recipes so you can be represented in our cookbook. You can submit online or bring hardcopies into the office. Please submit by June 30th! Find all info about the church cook book HERE.

We are also asking you to upload pictures and stories that you have from over the years at GEECC. You may upload these things HERE or bring them into the office.

We are excited to start celebrating with you!

SUPPORT FOR MADISON FEDDELER

A few people have recently asked how they can financially support Madison Feddeler's short term mission project.  Madison is a Wheaton College student who is a regular attender of GEECC and faithful volunteer in our youth ministry.  Many of you heard Madison share about her upcoming opportunity with Mission to the World in Monterey, Mexico this summer. We are excited about her desire to answer God's call and GO! 

To support Madison financially, you can visit https://mtw.org/missionaries/feddeler-madison or you can contact the church office and we will give you the correct information for sending something in the mail. 

ART CONNECTS

This January, a group of us were part of a book club study initiated by one of our own, Claudia Root.  We read and discussed the book Culture Care by Makoto Fujimura.  At the same time, The Maker's Space was doing book/art workshops on the same book Culture Care.  That is why I decided to join in on the book club discussions.  As it turns out, this book is a call to action, to use our creativity in order to bridge the different cultures in which we find ourselves.  What came out of our discussions, was an online art gallery, where artists could have a platform to share what they have created in order to help all of us as a community interpret and live in the culture around us.  We wanted this to be accessible and diverse and to be a place where all artists, emerging and professional would have a voice and an estuary to be who they were created to be to help all of us grow and be all we were intended to be.

The gallery opening is May 20 and will run through June 20. It is free to all and open to all. Please enjoy the art and tell your family and friends about this unique opportunity to view art that speaks to us all in these present times. Go to www.ArtsConnect.net to view the art and to sign up for the opening, May 20, 7pm.

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MINISTRY AND PROGRAM UPDATES

Staff Opening

We ask our Glen Ellyn Covenant Church Members for your prayers as we begin the search for a Fours Afternoon Teacher for the 2021-2022 school year.  This class is Tuesday through Friday from 12:30-3:00 p.m.  If you or anyone you may know have an interest in this ministry and would like to find out more about this part-time position, please contact Holly Pelsor at 630-858-7755 or by email: holly.pelsor@gecovenant.org by June 15th.  Thank you for your prayers and continued support of The Ark Preschool.

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Sunday Morning Children’s Ministries

We offer three age-appropriate children’s ministries programs each Sunday during the worship service: Nursery for infants & toddlers; Preschool for 2’s through prekindergarten; and Elementary for grades K-5. Our check in desk opens at 9:45 am on Sundays and we are usually ready to accept children in classrooms beginning at 9:50; that gives parents extra time to get settled in the sanctuary and be ready to worship! If you have any questions about our children’s ministries, please contact pam.powell@gecovenant.org. NOTE: Until vaccines for children and students are readily available or we have achieved reasonable herd immunity, we are asking our volunteers to wear masks while serving with the children, regardless of vaccine status.

What’s in the Box?

“What’s in the Box?” is our special weekly children’s message. This has been online on Facebook and/or YouTube since the pandemic crisis began in March 2020! Our current series will end on June 27. Then, we’ll launch a short five-week series of devotions on the Names of God. Then, we will take a short break for the rest of the summer. If you’re interested in recording one of these stories or messages for our children, please contact Pam Powell.

Being Young Doesn’t Prevent You From Going God’s Way

This week our preschoolers are learning that they can tell others about God. We will hear the story of a young king named Josiah. Not only did he believe God’s way is perfect and choose to go God’s way, he told others about God’s way, too! We want our preschoolers to know that, even though they are young, they can tell others that “God’s way is perfect” (2 Samuel 22:31 NIrV). You can read this story with your child from 2 Chronicles 34 or watch the Bible story video together, available on the church website.

Practice Talking About God

This month we have focused on growing in faith as being something we have to work toward, just like preparing to run a 5K race. We have learned that we need to HEAR from God (by studying His Word, the Bible); we need to TALK to God with an active prayer life; we need to TALK about God to others (Jesus commanded it with the Great Commission!); and we need to LIVE for God. This week, we head to Matthew 16:13-20. Jesus asked his disciples who people thought He is. Then Jesus turned the question on them: after everything they’d see Jesus do and heard Jesus say, who did they think He was? This gave Peter the perfect moment to declare what he believed about Jesus – that He truly is the Son of God. The bottom line is: Practice talking about God. We can know God better be talking about Him with others. As kids process their growing faith, they will have questions and doubts. We walk kids to practice talking about God and learn how to talk through their questions about God with others who believe in Jesus. This leads to the key question: Who can you talk to God about? Talking about what God is doing in your life is a significant part of growing in faith. This can feel overwhelming to kids who may have never really chatted about their faith with anyone before. We want to be a trustworthy sounding board to help them process their questions and listen to their faith stories.

Summer’s Coming! Join the Fun in our Children’s Classes

As Memorial Day weekend approaches, we will see a shift to summer attendance patterns. Families will be able to take vacations and our faithful volunteers will be taking breaks as well. Can you help us out during this season? We are now scheduling volunteers for Nursery, Preschool, and Elementary, from now through Labor Day weekend). Several of you have already scheduled your monthly service and we are so grateful for you! If you are available to help once a month over the summer in any age group, please contact pam.powell@gecovenant.org.

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Movie in the field

(7-9pm)

Open to all 6th-12th graders. We will be watching The Greatest Showman (rated PG). Bring your blankets and pillows, pick a spot in the field, and settle in for a movie night.

Confirmation Sunday—May 23

Mark your calendars to Hannah and John Martin who are being confirmed! We will have Nothing Bundt Cake mini bundt cakes afterward in the parking lot to celebrate.

Parent gathering—May 24 7pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89117305889?pwd=empSZ01jaElvMWVCYUUrSXBER0YwZz09

Meeting ID: 891 1730 5889
Passcode: geecc

On the agenda: summer plans, vision for the fall and some proposed changes, and UNITE 2022 (summer 2022 plans).

Last small groups

May 26th will be our final night of small groups and May 27th will be our final night of Club 5/6.

End of the Year Party (7-9pm)

Join us on June 2nd for our Student Ministries End of the Year Party! Open to all 6th-12th graders. We are dreaming up a fun night of water games out in the field, pizza, and a campfire. Come prepared to get wet (and don’t forget a towel and something warm to change into for the campfire.)

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GE COV Weekly Newsletter

Join us Each week in person or online
Sundays at 10am.

This Week’s text

Acts 4:32-5:11

32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. 36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet. 1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. 3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. 7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” 9 Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” 10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

75th Anniversary of GEECC

Our church is creating a custom cookbook, to commemorate 75 years, featuring favorite recipes from our members! Please submit your favorite recipes so you can be represented in our cookbook. You can submit online or bring hardcopies into the office. Please submit by June 30th! Find all info about the church cook book HERE.

We are also asking you to upload pictures and stories that you have from over the years at GEECC. You may upload these things HERE or bring them into the office.

We are excited to start celebrating with you!

Fundraiser for The Ark Preschool

Where: Barone’s

75 Pennsylvania Ave, Glen Ellyn    

(630) 858-0555     

bpizza.com

When: Tuesday, May 18, 2021

11am-9pm - lunch or dinner!

Carry Out, Delivery, and Dine-in

***Be sure to mention The Ark Preschool fundraiser when you order. The preschool will receive 20% of the cost of your meal! For online orders, type “Ark” in the comments.

THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!!

Sunday Morning Children’s Ministries

We look forward to welcoming you and spending part of your Sunday morning with your children! Our children’s check-in desk opens at 9:45 am and we currently offer three different classes: Nursery (birth to young 2s), Preschool (2s through preK); and Elementary (Grades K-5). For visitors or those who have not yet returned to in-person attendance, please consider pre-registering at https://rsvp.church/r/PVqdCJjl. (This helps us with supply planning and speeds up the check in process.)

Going God’s Way is the Best Way – Even When it’s Hard

Our preschoolers started the month in Genesis with the Creation Story and that first really bad choice made by people in the garden. They are learning that every day we have choices to make and that “God’s way is perfect!” (2 Samuel 22:31 NIrV). For this third Sunday in May, they will explore 2 Kings 5:1-14 and the story of Naaman. They will be learning that “I can go God’s way even when it’s hard.” To find out more about this week’s story, visit the children’s media hub on the church website.

What’s the Connection Between Commitment and God’s Character?

Our elementary and preteen students are exploring the connection between commitment and God’s character, as shown through God’s big story, the Bible. So far, we’ve learned we should Keep practicing what matters most, and that we begin when we Practice hearing from God. That’s right, we need to spend time with God’s Word, the Bible, to hear from God because we can’t do what God says until we know what God says. This Sunday, we’re adding a third guideline: Practice praying to God. We can pray anytime, anywhere because God is always listening. We hope kids will understand more about this important faith skill, PRAY, and find that talking to God is an essential part of growing in their faith. But we start out with a key question: How do you pray to God? Kids are just starting to discover that they can pray more than before meals and at bedtime. We hope the kids in your life learn that they can pray to God whenever they feel like praying with whatever words come to mind because God is always there to listen. We also hope that you will help them learn to pray as Jesus taught us. We will be exploring The Lord’s Prayer this Sunday and you can also learn how to pray this prayer in sign language by visiting The Good Shepherd series on the children’s media hub on our church website.

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Movie in the field

(7-9pm)

We will be watching The Greatest Showman! Bring your blankets and pillows, pick a spot in the field, and settle in for a movie night.

Hi League & Jr League: May 21

Confirmation Sunday—May 23

Mark your calendars to Hannah and John Martin who are being confirmed! We will have Nothing Bundt Cake mini bundt cakes afterward in the parking lot to celebrate.

UNITE 2022

Dear Church Family,

Thank you for your continued support and care for the students in our church. After I announced that we would be beginning to plan and fundraise for UNITE (formally CHIC), I was excited to hear from so many of you about your memories of attending in the past and your enthusiasm to help our current students have the same wonderful experience in the future. I know that this is a life-changing experience for the young people in our denomination. 

Because of this, I am saddened to tell you that the next UNITE event scheduled to be held in the summer of 2022 has been cancelled. The organizers prayerfully decided that they could not responsibility plan a gathering like this at this time. I have attached the official letter with the decision from Tim Ciccone, the Director of Youth Ministry for the ECC. To be clear, this is solely a decision about the 2022 event, and there is hope to return to the 3-year cycle of UNITE gatherings.

Please be praying with me, as I begin to consider other ways we can provide an equally enriching and transformative experience for our students.

Peace & hope,

Eliza

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GE COV Weekly Newsletter

Join us Each week in person or online
Sundays at 10am.

From Eliza’s Desk

This week I pulled out an old t-shirt that has images of a saltshaker and a lightbulb and says, “be these.” It’s a reference to Matthew 5:13-16 where Jesus says to those he’s teaching, “You are the salt of the earth… you are the light of the world.”

Salt is one of the oldest, most universal spices. We can always tell when something has too much or little salt. It requires the right balance to add the best flavor to particular dish it is being mixed into. Salt is a distinct flavor that has impact wherever it is mixed in.

Jesus says, “if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?” (v 13). As followers of Jesus, we are meant to be distinct, to have a unique flavor, in whatever context we live so that we can have an impact on those around us. If we lose our distinct flavor, we are like salt that is no longer salty.

We are the salt, but we are also the light. Salt is mixed in to have impact while light stands out to have impact. Light illuminates everything around it. It clears away the darkness. Like salt that loses its flavor or is never mixed into the food, a light has no impact if it is covered up.

Jesus says, “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (v 16). Our light—our distinct way of living in the world—should not draw attention to ourselves. Instead, by the impact of our light, we can point others to God.

So how do we be these?

We can be these by being like Jesus. Spend time with Jesus learning how Jesus lived and calls us to live so that we can have an impact in the world like salt and light.

This Week’s text

Acts 4:23-31

23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one. 27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

75th Anniversary of GEECC

Our church is creating a custom cookbook, to commemorate 75 years, featuring favorite recipes from our members! Please submit your favorite recipes so you can be represented in our cookbook. You can submit online or bring hardcopies into the office. Please submit by June 30th! Find all info about the church cook book HERE.

We are also asking you to upload pictures and stories that you have from over the years at GEECC. You may upload these things HERE or bring them into the office.

We are excited to start celebrating with you!

Fundraiser for The Ark Preschool

Where: Barone’s

75 Pennsylvania Ave, Glen Ellyn    

(630) 858-0555     

bpizza.com

When: Tuesday, May 18, 2021

11am-9pm - lunch or dinner!

Carry Out, Delivery, and Dine-in

***Be sure to mention The Ark Preschool fundraiser when you order. The preschool will receive 20% of the cost of your meal! For online orders, type “Ark” in the comments.

THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!!

Sunday Morning Children’s Ministries

We look forward to welcoming you and spending part of your Sunday morning with your children! Our children’s check-in desk opens at 9:45 am and we currently offer three different classes: Nursery (birth to young 2s), Preschool (2s through preK); and Elementary (Grades K-5). For visitors or those who have not yet returned to in-person attendance, please consider pre-registering at https://rsvp.church/r/PVqdCJjl. (This helps us with supply planning and speeds up the check in process.)

Preschoolers Jump for Excitement Because God’s Way Is Perfect!

Have you ever thought about how many decisions you make in a day? According to some reports, the average adult makes up to 35,000 choices per day. Wow! Just imagine how challenging that must be for a preschooler who is having trouble deciding between the red shirt or the blue shirt! For the second Sunday of May, the story focus is “I should go God’s way.” We will hear the story of Jonah (Jonah 1:1-3:10) and some of the choices he made. Preschoolers will learn about what happened to Jonah when he decided to go his way instead of going God’s way. They will hear how Jonah eventually decided, that God’s way is perfect so that was the way he should go. Encourage your child to memorize this month’s verse: “God’s way is perfect” (2 Samuel 22:31 NIrV).

K5 Sunday and Club 5/6 Students Focus on Running with Commitment

Last week learned that we need a plan to succeed and that to succeed in living God’s way we need to 1. Hear God’s Word; 2. Pray to God; Talk about God to others; and Live God’s way. In week two, we head to Matthew 7:24-29, where we can read a parable Jesus told at the end of the Sermon on the Mount. Two builders took two different approaches to build their homes. One house was built on a solid foundation, the other on shifting sand. The message is clear: a solid foundation in life starts with hearing and doing what Jesus says. Bottom Line: Practice hearing from God. We can’t do what God says until we know what God says. Discovering more about that starts with listening to God. We pray that kids will learn the faith skill HEAR and find how they can navigate and personalize God’s Word. Key Question: How can you hear from God? When kids first hear that they should learn to hear from God, they might have some questions. Especially when God doesn’t speak audibly, how can they hear from God? We hope kids wrestle with this idea and learn that hearing from God might not be as tricky as they might have thought. This month’s memory verse is: “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8 NIV. Commit to practicing faith by reading God’s Word, praying to Him consistently, talking about Him with friends, and living out that faith every day.

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Movie in the field

(7-9pm)

Bring your blankets and pillows, pick a spot in the field, and settle in for a movie night.

Hi League: May 14

Jr League: May 21

Confirmation Sunday—May 23

Mark your calendars to support our students who are being confirmed!

Parent gathering—May 24 | 7pm

We will meet to discuss some exciting things coming up that you won’t want to miss. We will be talking about summer plans, a vision for the fall and some proposed changes, and UNITE 2022. UNITE is the Covenant’s huge summer youth conference that happens every 3 years (formally known as CHIC). Getting our students there takes lots of planning and fundraising ahead of time that requires the participation of all students who plan on going as well as their parents.

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GE COV Weekly Newsletter

Join us Each week in person or online
Sundays at 10am.

From Pastor Jeff’s Desk

YET THIS I CALL TO MIND…

I looked at my calendar today and was shocked to realize that we are just one day away from May 2021! I could not believe how fast things seem to be going these days, and I was taken by a sense of feeling consumed…

Consumed by the calendar….
Consumed by the tasks…
Consumed by the hurry, the news, the phone, the texts, the plans, the sorrow, the fear, the unknown…

And then, by God’s providence, the words of Lamentations 3:21-24 came across my desk yet again (this chapter has been continuously popping up lately).

“Yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is enough for me; therefore I will wait for him.’”

Most days when I wake up, I put my feet on the floor and place my palms face up on my knees. I say, “Thank you, Lord, for this new day. Thank you for restoring me while I slept, and thank you, that you go before me today.”

In this way, I feel I “call to mind” our God’s enduring faithfulness. Prayer is a foundational aspect of our life together as a church, and as individuals. In its most basic form, prayer is about "calling to mind" the presence of the Lord.  I want to encourage you to find ways to call his faithfulness to mind each day. 

In this way, we are not consumed by the demands on our time and life, but instead, centered on He who is “enough.”

Hang in there, my beloved!

This Week’s text

Acts 4:5-14

5 The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” 13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.

75th Anniversary of GEECC

Our church is creating a custom cookbook, to commemorate 75 years, featuring favorite recipes from our members! Please submit your favorite recipes so you can be represented in our cookbook. You can submit online or bring hardcopies into the office. Please submit by June 30th! Find all info about the church cook book HERE.

We are also asking you to upload pictures and stories that you have from over the years at GEECC. You may upload these things HERE or bring them into the office.

We are excited to start celebrating with you!

Sunday Morning Children’s Ministries

We look forward to welcoming you and spending part of your Sunday morning with your children! Our children’s check-in desk opens at 9:45 am and we currently offer three different classes: Nursery (birth to young 2s), Preschool (2s through preK); and Elementary (Grades K-5). For visitors or those who have not yet returned to in-person attendance, please consider pre-registering at https://rsvp.church/r/PVqdCJjl. (This helps us with supply planning and speeds up the check in process.)

Preschoolers Jump for Excitement Because God’s Way Is Perfect!

Have you ever thought about how many decisions you make in a day? According to some reports, the average adult makes up to 35,000 choices per day. Wow! Some choices are easy – wearing the red shirt or eating the apple instead of the banana. Then, there are the not so easy decisions. What do we do when the decision is hard, and we are struggling to know which way to go? We believe the first step to making wise choices is trusting that God’s way is perfect. Our prayer is that we can help make many of the 35,000 choices a day our preschoolers will b making one day a whole lot easier. They will know to jump, jump, and go God’s way, because God’s way is perfect! This month’s stories begin with “In the Garden” and the Creation Story from Genesis 1:31, 2:8-3:24. Our toddlers will spend the whole month in the garden while our preschoolers will have a new story each week. All month, we will be encouraging the little ones to memorize “God’s way is perfect,” from 2 Samuel 22 :31 NIrV. What a great truth: God’s way is perfect. We will begin in the Garden of Eden. This is when God introduces us to Himself and His perfect plan. We will explore how perfect everything was from the flowers and the food that grew to the amazing animals that Adam was tasked to name. God has a way of doing things, and it works out best for us when we choose to trust that God’s way is perfect.

K5 Sunday and Club 5/6 Students Focus on Running with Commitment

We spend this month with a 5K: Run the Race theme. What that really means is we are getting the kids to think about commitment, which we are defining as making a plan and putting it into practice. Growing in faith is not something that happen by merely cramming more information about the Bible into a child’s brain. All of that knowledge in their head means nothing if we don’t help kids experience what that knowledge can do in their hearts. To fully experience faith, we want kids to practice their faith. And that takes commitment. God keeps all His promises and puts His plans into action.  Because God has followed through on those plans, we get the chance to be with God forever. We reflect god’s commitment to us when we can make a plan and stick to it. This month, we’ll help kids discover that one of the best plans they can make is to commit to an ongoing relationship with Jesus Christ. This month’s memory verse is: “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8 NIV. Commit to practicing faith by reading God’s Word, praying to Him consistently, talking about Him with friends, and living out that faith every day. We will kick off the month with something Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25: So run in a way that will get you the prize. All who take part in the games train hard, (NIrV). Paul used running in a race as a way to talk about our relationship with God. A growing relationship with God isn’t something that happens overnight; we need to practice it. The verse sets up the rest of the month for how we can practice our faith. The Bottom Line for this week: Keep practicing what matters most. What matters most? We think it’s a growing relationship with Jesus. When it comes to getting things done, more often than not, you need a plan. The same is true in your relationship with Jesus. We hope kids learn some practical steps to make a plan to prioritize growing an everyday faith in Jesus. We will be asking the kids How does practice help you? Share with your child(ren) how you practice for your job, your sport, your hobby, and especially let them know how you practice and develop your faith in Jesus Christ in your everyday experiences.

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Movie in the field (7-9pm)

Bring your blankets and pillows, pick a spot in the field, and settle in for a movie night.

Hi League: May 14

Jr League: May 21

Confirmation Sunday—May 23

Mark your calendars to support our students who are being confirmed!

Parent gathering—May 24 | 7pm

We will meet to discuss some exciting things coming up that you won’t want to miss. We will be talking about summer plans, a vision for the fall and some proposed changes, and UNITE 2022. UNITE is the Covenant’s huge summer youth conference that happens every 3 years (formally known as CHIC). Getting our students there takes lots of planning and fundraising ahead of time that requires the participation of all students who plan on going as well as their parents.

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