FACTS AND FIGURES: 2015 Weekly Budget - $ 9,119. 00 2015 YTD Budget - $145,903.00 2015 YTD Actual - $145,741.00 3/22 3/29 4/5 4/12 4/19 Offering $ 9,321. $9,682. $14,101. $7,768. $10,806. S.S 98 NA 127 116 113 Worship 219 280 327+ 259+ 261

THANK YOU Thank you for all the prayers during Mike’s illness. All the expressions of sympathy are much appreciated. The lovely lunch was enjoyed by all. I’m so thankful to be a member of such a great congregation. Love, Loretta Steil and families.

Dear College Park Family, We want to say a huge thank you to all of you who sent your love, kind words, cards and most importantly prayers for our family when our sweet mother and grandma passed away. Your prayers were sustaining us through a very difficult time and still continue to, as we mourn the loss of an especially sweet woman. Our church family is so important to us and your care and love reminded us of the comfort we have through Christ. Thank you so much.

Raylene & Rich Wiersbe Rachel & Josh Bland & Family

OUR SYMPATHY - to the John Morton family [Jon Otto’s great

grandfather died March 21st]

-to the Joe Pedigo family [Connie Branson’s Dad died

March 23rd]

- to the Dallas Branson family [Walt’s brother died

March 27th]

- to the Daveyne Pugh family [Raylene Wiersbe’s

Mom & Rachel Bland’s Grandma died March 28th]

– to the Jerry Sampson family [Deb Bork’s Dad died

April 6th]

- to the families of those who perished in the plane

crash on April 7th

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DINNER Homemade Soups: Chili, Chicken Noodle &

Vegetable

Gondola Sandwiches

Vegetable Tray

Assorted Dessert

Beverages

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

FUNDRAISER COOK-OUT Sunday, May 17

th

The youth ministry will be serving burgers from the grill from 10am till noon(ish).

All proceeds will help students attend summer events (CIY, camp, etc...).

Please mark your calendar for this event!

AWANA FAMILY PICNIC May 20

th at 5:45 p.m.

at the White Oak Shelter For ages 3 thru 5th grade & parents

RETIREMENT RECEPTION FOR GREG BAUMAN Sunday, May 31

st between services

A good bye, best wishes and Thank You for Greg Bauman will be given in his honor Sunday, May 31st between services.

1 Upcoming Events

Spring Work Day Saturday April 25

th beginning at 8 a.m.

Rain Date – Saturday May 9th

2 Messages from Brent & Bob

3 Message from Thadd

4 Other Information

Glorifying God and Making Disciples who are becoming more like Jesus.

ESSENGER M A Publication of College Park Christian Church

116 N. Cottage Ave. Normal, IL 61761 | 309.452.1598 | www.collegeparkcc.net

NONPROFIT ORG.

r U.S. POSTAGE PAID

Bloomington, IL

Permit No. 181

r

College Park Church

116 North Cottage Avenue Normal, Illinois, 61761 309-452-1598 www.collegeparkcc.net

Sunday Schedule: Traditional Worship……………….9:00 a.m. Bible School All Ages…………… 9:00 a.m. Contemporary Worship………….10:30 a.m. Early Childhood Children’s Church - Elementary Children’s Church & Adult Classes……………………….10:30 a.m.

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MESSENGER DATE: Notice: Our next Messenger will be published May 27th which will include the June, 2015 calendar. If you have any announcements that need to be published prior to that time they will be printed in the Sunday bulletin. Items for the bulletin need to be in the office by Wednesday afternoon.

SAVE THE DATE

ROOTS - Men’s Ministry Breakfast May 16th ~ 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

TNT - May 21st ~ 6:30 p.m.

Women’s Thursday Night Talk [every 3rd Thursday of each month]

Childcare Worker Needed: For Wednesday Morning Ladies’

This group needs someone to provide

childcare for 3-5 children, 8:45-11:15

a.m. beginning in the fall. Please

contact Martha Gerdes (452-3053) or

Pam Woelfel (532-4861).

Change Service Requested

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F r o m B r e n t LISTENING VS HEARING: As I sit in my office this morning I am filling out my weekly To Do List. Sometimes the list can get a little overwhelming… people to contact, meetings to attend, tasks to be finished. We all get there at one time or another. Life can get busy. The message this past Sunday was a message on listening. I shared that there is a vast difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is simply the act of perceiving sound by the ear. Listening, however, is something you consciously choose to do. Listening requires concentration so that your brain processes meaning from the words and sentences it receives. We looked at a handful of people in the book of 1 Samuel. Some listened well to God’s Word and responded in obedience. Others only heard God’s Word and chose instead to do their own thing. I don’t know about you but for me to listen well I usually need for things to be quiet. I need the “rush” of life to slow down for a bit so that I can focus, concentrate, and even meditate on the message I am trying to listen to. I am reminded of the Psalmist who writes, “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10). When is the last time you had some good quality time to sit down and listen to what God is saying to your heart? You have to fight for this time. It doesn’t just fall into your lap. Everyone and everything around you screams for your time and attention. God instead whispers for you to come and join Him. I hope you will create the time in your life for a visit with God. He has a word for you and He wants to help you live life to the fullest. I hope you will pray the simple prayer a young boy did so many years ago, a boy named Samuel. “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” FIFTH SUNDAY FAMILY WORSHIP/FAMILY SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS: We want to remind you that we will have another Fifth Sunday Family Worship Services on May 31. Families will worship together in an intergenerational service designed for both adults and youth. You are welcome to come either hour bringing your whole family with you. There will also be a Family Sunday School Class that Thadd will be teaching during the first hour. This class is designed for the whole family (children 3 years old through High School). The class will meet in the Youth Addition and will begin at 9:15 am. There will be childcare for nursery and toddler aged children both hours if you would prefer not to have them in service with you.

NEW CLASS - QUESTIONS: I want to invite you to attend a new class that will begin Sunday, May 3 during our first hour (9-10am).

Nolan Thomas, one of our elders at College Park and a professor at Lincoln Christian University will be starting a class entitled

QUESTIONS.

♫ N o t e s f r o m B o b My sister Cindy, who lives in Haiti with her family, recently shared the following post on their blog (teamshoaff.com). It’s worth the read. A few weeks ago, we were offering free vaccinations at school for our students. We sent home a note telling parents which day the medicine would be available and asked them to return the slip of paper signed if they wanted the vaccine administered to their child. Simple enough. The next day, several of my first graders brought back their little pink slip signed and ready. However, two of my little girls came back with the paper unsigned and told me this: “My mommy wants me to have the medicine, but we don’t have pens at my house so she couldn’t sign the paper.” Now, for my teacher friends in the States, this would have been unacceptable. If you take home a permission slip, it needs to be signed. Not having something to write with is not a valid excuse. I mean, it just doesn’t even make sense. It’s not even believable...right? Think about it for a minute. How many pens do you have in your purse? If I gave you 60 seconds to run through your house and gather up as many writing utensils as you could find—pens, pencils, markers, even crayons—what would your grand total be? And would you even have time to get them all? Those were the thoughts running through my head that day. Not because I didn’t believe them when they said they don’t have anything to write with at their house. I do believe them. I’ve been to some of their houses, and to some of my neighbor’s houses. I’m sure it’s true. It just struck me on that day in a weird way. This kind of thing happens to me a lot living here. I kind of get into a groove where this place and its ways start to feel normal and things don’t shock or surprise me anymore. The things about life and culture that are so different from our American ways don’t stick out to me like they did in the beginning. But then, sometimes, something happens, and it’s like everything freezes for a second and I am hit hard with the realization that in some of the most very basic ways my life experience and the life experiences of my friends, students and neighbors here are so different that I can’t really understand their reality. That leaves me with re-occurring questions of “Is that okay?” and “What should I do about that?” and “How does God want me to respond this this?” This time it was just a pen. But at the heart of it was the undeniable truth that they don’t have ANY pens and I have WAY TOO MANY. You can take the word “pen” out of that sentence and replace it with a number of other things and it will still be true. And it will be more troublesome as well. When it’s just a pen I can move on. But when it’s something like band-aids, shoes, soap, underwear, a bed or food—suddenly I’m losing sleep. I’m wres-tling with our vastly different realities and wondering what to do about it. On this day, I am right in the middle of that struggle. Every day I am trying to figure out how and when and who to help. I don’t really have any great answers to share. And if you watch me for more than a day, you will probably see me contradict myself a number of times. Sometimes I probably give too much and sometimes not enough. Sometimes I try to fix things that don’t need fixed. Sometimes I miss the heart of the problem because I’m treating the symptoms, and sometimes I jump to the end goal without taking the time to walk the road that gets there eventually. One thing I do know is this: I should love people. And I am growing to a place in my faith where I am finally realizing that God is amazing enough on His own to do great things and help and heal and save people in spit of any mistakes I might make when I just focus on loving people in the middle of whatever moment I find myself in. So on the pink permission slip day, love looked like a few new pencils in two little girls’ backpacks. Having pencils won’t change their lives or make life better, but I know that LOVE will.

From Thadd

“You have good form!” said a voice from behind me. I had just got done working out, and to say the least, I was a little surprised by this compliment.

“Excuse me?” I said. I just wanted to make sure my ears were hearing correctly. “You have good form,” the person repeated. ““Are you a member or have you done this before?”

they also asked. I need to pause and explain something. Back in January I decided to give the whole ‘working out’

thing another try. In the past I would join a gym but rarely go or just not go enough to really see any physical changes. But this time around I decided to commit as much as possible and see if I could get back in shape. The workout program I am a part of includes a cardio-kickboxing element along with resistance band training. And I typically work out 6 days a week. Hang with me, I am driving to a point here. But let me continue with the conversation.

“No, I’ve just watched a lot of kung-fu and karate movies.” I said jokingly. “Oh, well, you have good form for a first timer,” they said. So there it was. I have good form. I guess

this means I can punch and kick a bag well. But you know it got me thinking about something else. It got me thinking about my “form” when it comes to my relationship with Christ. Here was a person who was, for whatever reason, impressed with my form. But I wonder if people see my “form” when it comes to my faith. I have a desire to work out and get in shape. But I have a greater desire to work out my faith and have a developing relationship with Jesus Christ. Is my form, my faith, seen by others? And is it seen well? Is it seen genuinely?

How about you? How is your form? I’m reminded of what our Savior said in Matthew 5:15, 16 “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds (your form) and glorify your Father in heaven.” (words in parenthesis mine)

May we be a people striving to have good form. Not in working out, but in living lives that bring glory and praise to our Heavenly Father. May our children see our faith and the way we live it and then want to live it as well. May our employers see our good works and wonder why we are the best employees they have. May our neighbors experience of us be filled with peace, graciousness, and refreshment. Church, let’s always be striving to have good form so that we are bring praise to our Heavenly Father!

Grace and Peace, Thadd

Register now for LGCC. Camp brochures and registration cards are available in the Welcome Center.

College Park commits to paying half the tuition (for one week) for regularly attending youth at College Park.

The 411 on Vacation Bible School! Theme: Blast to the Bible Past – Discover God’s Everlasting Love! When: July 12 – 16 Who: Children aged 3 through 5th grade! Where: College Park Christian Church Why: To Bring Glory to God and Reach Children for Christ! VBS Volunteer Signups will start May 10th

Health—The Kingdom Treasure

"Kerchoo – God bless you" is one of life's briefest conversations between two

people with a wish for good health and often times related to seasonal allergies.

What can you do to wisely manage nature superimposed seasonal allergies

that may be gently or severely taxiing your health treasure?

Allergies change with the seasons and currently with all that we see emerging in

our beautiful God-given spring what may help almost is understanding the causes, symptoms, and

treatments that may help you to minimize the effects of this sensitivity of your immune system from an

allergen that is ordinarily harmless. That is, if something that affects over 40 million Americans at more

than $1 billion in annual treatment costs is harmless!

Allergies that change with the seasons are due to the pollens of certain trees, grasses, and weeds. The

level of these outdoor plants vary from day to day with the plants pollination seasons, as do the severity of

symptoms. And, allergies that occur year-round are due to indoor substances such as dust mites, mold

spores, cockroaches, and pet dander. Any time pollen or spores, or other allergens enter your body from

the nose, mouth or throat your body's defense mechanism is triggered. Within 5 to 10 minutes

a microbiological battle is activated with a front-line cascade of chemical defense such as histamine and

other compounds. The localized warfare (inflammatory process) results in irritation and discomfort. The

medical term for allergy symptoms is "allergic rhinitis" derived from the Greek word "rhino" for nose and

"itis" for inflammation. Symptoms include sneezing, headache, swollen sinuses, itchy watery eyes, a runny

stuffy nose, and an impaired sense of taste or smell. The symptoms may subside within an hour, or may

return up to four hours later. Allergic rhinitis is not usually dangerous as a condition but may be very

uncomfortable for some people and disruptive to daily activities.

Importantly, a physical examination can help your healthcare practitioner to rule out physical or mechanical

problems that may be causing your symptoms. Clear nasal drainage and other characteristics of the back

of your throat suggest allergic rhinitis. However, other system abnormalities in obstructions can cause

symptoms that mimic allergies such as a sinus infection with accompanying fever, pain, and yellow or

green nasal discharge. Practice healthy allergy management techniques that

include seeking refuge in climate controlled environments (indoors, or commut-

ing to work with windows rolled up) when pollen counts peak (between 5:00 AM

and 10:00 AM); wear sunglasses to keep pollen out of your eyes; and ask your

healthcare practitioner about over-the-counter (OCT) antihistamines that block

the action of histamine. Also, your best friend area pharmacist is a great person

to consult! See the following website for more information. God bless you and

may you enjoy one of the greatest seasons of the year as we see the splendor

of our great God and all he has created for us to enjoy!

http://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/seasonal-allergies-4-routes-to-relief

Pam DiVito-Thomas, Ph.D., RN, CNE is a Professor of Nursing at Methodist College Unity Point Health in Peoria, Illinois. She is also the

team leader of the CPCC Congregational Health and Safety Team.