August, 2014 Christ United Methodist Church

The Flame

A ‘grand’ gesture By Mark McGowan

August 17 services to celebrate

grandparents, grandchildren

Pastor Jane Eesley remembers fondly each Sun-day morning’s glance at the pew where the late Marilyn Cox worshipped as the matriarch over four generations. Sitting with Cox in the Alpine Center sanctu-ary were her daughter, Lynne Collins; her grandson, Bill Collins; and her great-grandson, Liam Collins. “It’s so important to see how we pass down the faith generationally, and how much we are enriched by intergen-erational faith,” Eesley says. “One of the real gifts of church is not only how gen-erations can sit together on Sundays but how we also have ‘non-blood grandpar-ents.’ Our kids belong to all of us. I don’t have any children of my own, so I get to love all of the church’s kids.” Christ United Methodist Church will celebrate grandparents and grandchildren Sunday, August 17, during all services at both worship centers. Children are encouraged to invite their grandparents to attend; grandparents are asked to invite their grandchildren.

(Continued on page 3)

We’ll Miss You, Becky By Beth A. Palm

Becky Keith is retiring and going back home to her Southern roots. Yet Becky has called Christ United Methodist Church her home as well during two time periods from 1979-1985 and 1997-2014. But this time, Becky is leaving us to go home to Sanford, North Car-olina. We want to thank her for her contributions to many ministries over the years. Most recently Becky has been the Director of the Chancel Choir at Our

During the children’s message, the congregation will watch a video created by Erika Coffer that features interviews of young ones about their grandparents. Among the questions: What does Grandma/Grandpa do that makes you happy? What do you do that makes Grandma/Grandpa happy? If Grandma/Grandpa was a super hero, what would her/his super hero name be? Why do you think God made grandparents? The children then will present flowers not only to their own grandparents in attendance but to those grandparents whose descendants were unable to come. Finally, their Sunday School lessons that morn-

ing will reinforce the intergenerational theme of learning from – and teaching – their grandparents. Children also will study Psalm 145:4: “One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.” Coffer, director of children’s ministry at CUMC, found the grand-parent-grandchild concept while sur-veying other churches for ideas on how

to make families more connected. She’s doing her part by inviting her grandfather, Bill, who lives in Clinton, Wisconsin. “I think he will come and be part of this special day” she says. For more information, contact Coffer at (815) 399-5910 or ecoffer@christumc.cc.

Master’s Center. Her last Sunday at Our Master’s will be August 24th. Music is certainly a passion of Becky’s as she has directed and sung in various choirs over her time at CUMC. Another passion Becky has is for the youth. Becky served in the 1980’s with Jim McKay as a youth leader and later in various capacities as well. She was always willing to lend a hand at fundraiser dinners for the youth. Becky has a tremendous gift for cooking and feed-ing the community. She volunteered as coordinator for the Wednesday night dinners when Frank and Betty Dyke retired, serving that ministry for nine years. She

Page 2

Memorial Gifts

“What shall I return to the LORD for all his bounty to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones” (Psalm 116:12-15, NRSV).

In late June, I received a phone call from a woman whose name I didn’t recognize. She is a staff member at a school in Lakewood, OH, the city where my father had lived dur-ing his high school years. This woman explained that one of the elementary schools was about to be torn down, and they were distributing memorial items that had been left in the school. My father had lost his sister Jane (my namesake) when she was 12 (she had died after being thrown off her bicycle in an accident); apparently his mother had given some artwork to a school in Lakewood in Jane’s memory. The woman is going to be in western Ohio when my family goes for vacation at Lakeside (near Sandusky), so it looks like we’ll be able to meet and to receive these small paintings.

It amazes me that this woman tracked me down—then again, I am the only “Jane Eesley” in the nation, and she probably found me via Google (our family name is ex-tremely rare; if you ever meet an Eesley [spelled with two e’s], I’m related to them). I’m surprised not so much by her computer skill as by her dedication to disposing of memorial items carefully. Her thoroughness is an act of great kindness.

Experiencing this kindness in my own family made me want to share with you how we handle memorial gifts. When the church office receives funds in memory of a loved one, we track those gifts carefully. Crystal Lake, our Office Support Assistant for Finance, writes the fami-ly contact person, letting that person know that we have received funds. A brochure of options is sent to the be-reaved, and the family also learns the names and contact information of donors. (These donors will also receive statements from the church, showing their tax-deductible contribution, when quarterly statements are sent out).

A Word from the Senior Pastor

Journey with Jane

Our Memorial Gifts committee, chaired by Jill Porter and staffed by Crystal and me, meets every other month. When we meet, we learn about any new memorials estab-lished, and we check in about the status of memorials not yet designated. A member of the committee volunteers to phone the family contact person to ask if that person has an idea of how s/he would like funds to be spent. Often the family contact person asks for some suggestions, and the Memorial Gifts member will suggest a current pro-ject. For example, when Jerry Tomlinson died, we knew that he had been a woodworker, and we knew that the Preschool needed some new countertops. Donna Tomlin-son was contacted (this was easy, as Jill Porter is her daughter!), and Donna designated Jerry’s funds for those countertops. Several families who have lost good cooks have designated the kitchen remodeling project or the new stove for the memorial funds. Every year at All Saints’ Sunday, we include information about memorial funds established in the previous 12 months and the ways memorial funds had been used dur-ing that time. It’s a wonderful celebration of the generos-ity of family and friends, in gratitude for our loved ones who have died in the past year. We give thanks for the people whom we loved so dearly, and we also thank God for the generosity that has made possible the purchase of items needed by the congregation and its ministries.

As we have worked on establishing policies for many are-as of the church’s ministry, we have also established a policy for the Memorial Gifts committee. I had heard about the policy passed by Northbrook UMC, and I ob-tained a sample policy through our United Methodist Foundation of the Northern Illinois Conference of The United Methodist Church. The policy details the process we follow to receive and distribute the gifts. The sample policy suggested that memorial funds be designated with-in six months of receipt; we extended that to nine months, to allow more time for the bereaved to consider options. This policy was passed by Memorial Gifts on April 2, 2014 and by Leadership Team on April 22, 2014. If you would like a copy of the policy, just ask the church office. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact Jill Porter (chair) or me.

(Continued on Page 5)

Alpine Center (MAILING ADDRESS FOR

BOTH CENTERS): 4509 Highcrest Road Rockford, Il 61107

Phone: 815-399-5910 Office Hours: Monday—Friday

8:30 a.m.—5:00 p.m.

Sunday Worship Services Blended Worship Services:

8:00 and 9:30 a.m. Celebration Service:

11:00 a.m.

Our Master’s Center 5973 Darlene Drive Rockford, Il 61109

Phone: (815)399-5910

Sunday Worship Service 9:30 a.m. Child care is available

Rev. Jane Eesley, Sr. Pastor jeesley@christumc.cc

Rev. Min Chea,. Assoc. Pastor mchea@christumc.cc

Rev. Scott Himel, Assoc. Pastor

shimel@christumc.cc

Welcome to Christ United Methodist Church!

Page 3

Christ UMC Mission Statement We will live out God’s vision as we

Gather: introduce people to Jesus Christ, Grow: move from believer to follower, and Go: make a Gospel impact beyond the church

The Flame is a monthly publication of Christ United Methodist Church, available by mail or online at www.christumc.cc. Editor—Linda Kuntz Features Editor—Linda Kuntz Features Writers—Don Black, Mark McGowan, Beth A. Palm Contributing Photographer— Joe Whinnery Director of Worship Arts and Communications—Jody Warren

An Announcement from the Staff Parish Relations Committee

Becky Keith, the director of the Chancel Choir at Our

Master’s Center—and the volunteer cook for many years of Wednesday Night Dinners, Thanksgiving dinners and more— will be moving to the east coast in September to be closer to her family. We wish her well and want to celebrate the many ways she has contributed to Christ UMC, as a volunteer, staff member, and friend.

To help Becky in her move and to thank her for the

many ways she has enriched our church, we will take a love offering for her. You will have an opportunity to participate by mailing checks to the church, placing them in the offering plate on Sundays, or bringing checks or cash to the church of-fice. Mark them ”Love Gift-Becky Keith.” You may make the non-tax deductible checks out to Christ UMC. The deadline for your love offering is Thursday, August 21. We will pre-sent the check to her on Sunday, August 24, Becky’s last Sun-day at Our Master’s Center.

also organized and prepared Thanksgiving din-ner at church so people would have a place to come who might like to share the day with others. Becky has shared her gifts and her ser-vice freely with her church home in other ways throughout the years, but certainly music, youth, and cooking are highlights of the way God’s love flows through Becky’s ministries. Thank you, Becky, for your countless dinners, your heart to serve, and the many lives you have touched. May your journey be blessed!

Becky (continued from page 1)

Page 4 Fellowship News; General News

WOWS Widows Or Widowers and Singles

Open to all single women age 65 and over

In August: The WOWS will be going to the White Pines on Wednesday, August 13 to see “Sunshine on My Shoul-der” celebrating the life and times of John Denver. If you have not already signed up and are interested in going, please contact Carol Letsinger soon at 815-399-1291. The cost is $28 and must be paid to Carol. We will be carpooling and will leave the Alpine parking lot no later than 10:30 am. Please bring travel size disposable razors for your donation this month.

In September: On Wednesday, September 17, the WOWS will have lunch at Thunder Bay. We will meet there at 12:30 pm. The personal care donation for this month is deodorant. To make a reservation or if you have questions, please call Sandi at 815-963-7634.

CUMC Senior Fellowship Group No meeting in August

This group is for those who are age 65 or better. We will not meet in August due to Jr. High Workcamp at our church. Our next meeting will be Friday, Septem-ber 19, at noon in the Alpine Dining Room. Watch for more details.

Scrapbooking/Stamping Group Saturday, August 16

9am-4 pm, Alpine Trinity Building Scrapbooking/Stamping is scheduled for Satur-day, August 16 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Trinity Building - across the parking lot from the southwest en-trance. Stay for all day or just a half day - whatever fits your schedule. Not everyone in our group scrap-books. Some are stamping so join us for a fun day of crafting! Childcare will be provided from 9 a.m. to noon only, but you must request it. If children will be joining us, it's requested they be at least middle school age. Please bring money for a sandwich plus snack to share and your own beverage. RSVP to Mary Hicks at 815-742-1136 if you need child care. Hope to see you there.

Movie Night

Chariots of Fire

Friday, August 22, 6:15 pm. Alpine Coffee House

Join us on Friday, August 22, at 6:15 p.m., in the Alpine Center's Sacred Grounds Coffee House to watch and discuss the 1981 move Chariots of Fire. This inspir-ing film is about two athletes from Great Britain who are runners in the 1924 Olympics. Although it's about being a runner, it's even more about being a human being. We start gathering at 6:15 for conversation and munchies. The movie starts at 6:30, and the discussion is over by 9:30. There's no charge for the evening. If you would like free child care for your young children in the church nursery, please call the office (815 399-5910) at least a week before the movie to make reservations.

Adoption Information Meeting Sunday, August 17, 1:00-3:00 pm

At OSF St. Anthony Hospital This is a free opportunity to learn more and have your questions about adoption answered. Topics to be cov-ered include: Domestic infant adoption

International adoption

Adoption from foster care. Call 815-962-1043 or 888-248-4335 to guarantee a seat; however, walk-ins are welcome. Presented by Children’s Home + Aid.

Needed! Men’s Winter Clothing During the winter months, there is a great need at Christ the Carpenter Church for warm clothing. Many men in the area come to Pastor Putney for help. We need coats, hats, gloves and sweaters in men’s sizes. These can be placed on the far end of the coat rack, in the hall on the same wall as the restrooms at Alpine Center near the Sanctuary. There will be a bin for smaller items, and the rack will be labeled. We will collect through September at both Centers. If you have questions, please call Marion Kern at 815-227-0711 Note: This is not part of Tender Loving Crafts

Page 5 General Church News; Youth Snapshot

A Quick Take… Youth Snapshot

Coins in July Our coins for Rainbow Covenant mis-sion giving each Sunday in August will go to Northern Illinois Justice For Our Neighbors (JFON). There are three clinic sites in Northern Illinois: Auro-ra, Chicago and Rockford.

The JFON mission:

welcome immigrants into our churches and

communities

provide free, high quality immigration legal ser-

vices

provide education and advocacy

It is a pleasure to see a strong match between the inter-ests of the person who died and the purchase of needed items. Sometimes when the family has no strong prefer-ence, the Memorial Gifts committee member will lift up several items for consideration. We are committed to work with the families so that the designated items feel appropriate to both the bereaved family and to the church.

Yours in grateful memory,

Jane

Journey with Jane (Continued from Page 2)

It was been a wonderful and exciting week at

WorkCamp! This year, we took 23 kids and 17 adults to

Jackson, Michigan. This was my first WorkCamp ever, so

it was quite the experience (all positive, of course). The

Saturday outing was at the Indiana Dunes, and that was

an adventure. Sand dune “mountains” were hiked up unin-

tentionally. The map they gave us didn’t have topography,

so we were unaware that a simple half mile hike to the lake

would turn into an extreme sand dune mountain climbing

excursion…But it turned out to be fun (after we were able

to catch our breath from climbing the hills ).

We stayed the night that Saturday at a great little

YMCA by the Dunes, and then went to a very welcoming

UMC church in Valparaiso on Sunday morning. We final-

ly arrived in Spring Arbor on Sunday afternoon, where we

stayed in a huge church with both air conditioning and

showers. Monday was a little hectic, but everything

evened out by the afternoon. The kids and leaders bonded

well with their residents and each other, and it ended up

being a fantastic week. It has been an amazing week for

me especially, getting to work with Laura Widstrom and

learning from all her years of experience.

I think that the WorkCamp ministry is so very

important not only in the lives of our students but in the

lives of the people that we touch and interact with during

the camp. It is an intergenerational ministry, with the

opportunity for our adults to serve, as well as the kids. It

is very intimate, because everybody pretty much knows

everybody and in some cases, have been involved in

WorkCamp for years.

What a lucky person I am that my job is to be a

part of such a wonderful piece of CUMC tradition. We

are doing big things in this ministry, and it will only

grow. Thank you for all of your support, donations, time,

and investment in this program. It takes the entire con-

gregation to pull off something of this magnitude, and

without the generosity of all of you, this couldn’t happen.

Thank you!!!!

By Jenny Thomas, Director of Youth Development

United Methodist Women Page 6

UMW Circle Schedule The United Methodist Women invite all women of the church to their circle meetings. Visitors are welcome and encouraged! To learn more about each circle, contact Carla White-Carpenter at 815-885-3425 Some circles do not meet in the summer.

Out to Lunch Bunch Thursday, August 28, 12:30 pm

At Amici Italian Grill 5506 Clayton Circle, Roscoe (IL 251 & Elevator Rd.)

For reservations, please call Rickie Andersen at 815-885-5373 or email r.andersen@comcast.net. For personal care donations this month please bring batteries (AAA, AA, D)

Harmony Circle The September 9th meeting will be held at the home of Betty Nelson at 9:30 am. We begin our study of Chapter 8--”The Perfect In-Laws” (Naomi and Ruth). Scripture is Ruth 1:1-18. Each chapter is not continuous on the oth-ers. If you are interested in joining in September please call Jo Hellmich for information at 815-639-3074.

United Methodist Women News

Tender Loving Crafts

The TLC craft sale will be on Saturday, October 18, 2014

We are in need of handmade craft items for our UMW booth. All who are “crafty” should start making items to help us have a successful sale! If you would like to rent a booth, contact Di-ane Kirkland at 815-885-1757. Remember, all pro-ceeds go to support our missions!

UMW Study at Our Master’s Center Tuesdays, September 9—October 14

9:30-11:00 am Our Master’s UMW will have a spiritual growth study. Lasting six weeks, “A Faithful Heart” by Bishop Sally Dyck will be discussed. Price of the book is $12. Checks can be made out to OM UMW. Contact Judi Thorn at 815-398-4261 or dennisthorn@hotmail.com. Please contact by August 27.

UMW Fall Kick-Off Program Monday, September 22 at 7:00 pm

Alpine Fellowship Hall All are invited to come hear Mr. David Carson, Executive Director of College and Career Readi-ness for the Rockford Public Schools. Mr. Carson will address the changes in curricu-lum and procedures that readies our youth for col-lege or gives them career training in high school. Come hear the current trends for leading our youth in career training and/or college success. Babysitting is available if requested in advance by calling 815-639-9358.

Tender Loving Crafts Upscale Resale Booth

We are having the “Upscale Resale Booth” at TLC again this year. All proceeds go to the church. We will begin to collect clothes in September. Remem-ber as you change out your summer wardrobe that we are looking for fall and winter clothing and ac-cessories for women. We have had great success with this booth and can use clothing in all women’s sizes.

Card Creations Greeting cards will be on sale on August 10

and August 24 in Alpine Fellowship Hall We are looking for others who would like to join us in creating cards. We meet on the third Tuesday of each month in the Alpine Trinity build-ing. It is a great time of fellowship and you are helping to support missions. No special talent is needed! Please call Margot Kelley at 815-877-1016 if you have questions.

Page 7 General Church News

Returning Citizens Ministry Opportunity Thursday, August 21, 6:00 pm

In the Alpine Dining Room

The Returning Citizens Ministry is a mentoring program for persons who have recently been released from prison/jail. It is a ministry provided through Lutheran So-cial Services of Illinois (LSSI) and is one part of a more com-prehensive program of Prisoner and Family Ministries of LSSI. The mentor volunteers in the program do not require special qualifications, except the ability to listen and care, and the desire to help people who have been incarcerated with their reentry into the community. A few hours of training (usually one evening and the following morning) are required. The training would be given in Rockford. Mike Davis, who is the director of the LSSI minis-try, will be here to present an information meeting about this ministry opportunity on Thursday, August 21, at 6:00 pm in the Alpine Dining Room. Please plan to come and hear about this ministry and see if it would be a good fit for your gifts and skills. For more information, contact Nancy Vogel at 815-633-6894.

Team Leaders and Volunteers Needed for the Emmanuel Lutheran Church

Soup Kitchen There is a need for team leaders and volunteers for the Em-manuel Lutheran Church Soup Kitchen for the second Sun-day in the months of September, October and December. More information as to what duties entail can be obtained from Ken Walker at (815) 540-3423.

Rockford Educator To Speak Monday, September 22, 7:00 p.m.

Alpine Fellowship Hall Everyone is invited to come hear Mr. David Carson, Executive Director of College and Career Readiness of the Rockford Public Schools. Come learn the current trends for leading our youth in career training or college degree careers. Hear what's happening! Babysitting is available by calling 815 –639-9358. Sponsored by the United Methodist Women.

Provide and Protect Planned Giving Seminar

Wednesday, August 27, 6:00-8:00 pm Alpine Dining Room

What would happen to YOURS, if the unspeak-able happened to YOU? Would your children become wards of the state? Would the state take half of your “stuff” through the courts? Would a committee of ad-ministrators make your health care decisions? Is there a way for you to determine what happens during a serious illness or after your death? You can find out the answers to these questions and more by attending our upcoming seminar “Provide and Protect”. This will be presented by Janet Boryk, Director of Planned Giving, of the United Methodist Foundation on Wednesday, August 27th from 6-8pm. Assisting in the presentation will be Marcia Mueller, an estate planning attorney and member of Court Street United Methodist Church. Learn how to provide and protect your family, and plan for your future. The Provide section of this seminar shows you how to make good decisions to help your family in the future. With a good plan you can avoid an accidental disinheritance and leave you family the gift of peace. The Protect section explains how you or a family mem-ber can make important medical decisions. If you are very ill or have a major medical problem, there are ways to protect you and your property. Who should attend this seminar? Young fami-lies who need to select a guardian for children. Baby Boomers who can update their estate plan during a time of many life changes. Seniors who need to have a trust-ed advocate if they suffer a major illness. In other words, just about everybody! Join us on August 27th for this important semi-nar. Child care will be available. Please contact Linda Kuntz (815) 399-5910 at the church office or lindakuntz@christumc.cc to register. There will be handouts and a free Wills Planning Guide for all at-tendees, so we would like to know how many will be attending. Thanks.

Page 8

“They” includes Tom, who refinishes and paints in a workshop at her shop, which is across East State Street from The Sweden House motel. Tom’s law office is across the hall from her shop. Pam’s other company is Meyer & Laughlin, LLC, home renovations. Her son Noah is the project manager. They “flip” houses. Pam was born and raised in Rockford. Her parents and sister came here from Canada. Her mother was a seam-stress and her father was a purchasing agent and musi-cian. Her sister still lives in Rockford. She was baptized at and attended Court Street United Methodist Church. Pam earned a bachelor’s degree at Illinois State Uni-versity in special education. Later she earned master’s degrees from Saint Xavier University, in leadership and curriculum, and from National Louis University, in edu-cational administration. Both are based in Chicago. She taught special education and was an elementary school principal in the Rockford School District, retiring in 2009 as Assistant Superintendent of Schools for Hu-man Resources. One of her many volunteer efforts is Gigi’s Playhouse, a Down Syndrome Achievement Center. She’s vice presi-dent of its board. “I really enjoy helping people suc-ceed,” Pam said.

The Laughlins (continued from back page)

Tom is from Freeport, where he attended high school, and followed in the footsteps of his lawyer father. He has an older sister and younger brother. He played trombone during high school and through college. He was graduated from the University of Iowa in 1969, with a bachelor’s degree and a teaching certificate for sec-ondary schools. “There were no jobs then,” Tom said, “so I went to law school.” He received his juris doctorate from the University of Illinois. Tom has been on the board of nearly a dozen non-profit organizations. He’s been on the board of Rosecrance or-ganizations for almost 14 years. Pam and Tom lived in the same neighborhood before they were married. She invited him to a Christmas party. Also she was coaching soccer and her son and his daugh-ter were on the same team. Pam played softball in high school and Tom has coached youth softball. Tom practices general law. “I usually deal with the un-happy stuff,” he said, like business issues, etc. They enjoy checking garage sales, estate sales, antique shops, etc., for items they might use in her shop. Tom said he learned how to paint and finish furniture when he first got out of law school and jobs were scarce. Their hobby might be travel, since they have been to Australia, Italy, Ireland, and, of course, Canada.

August 14-16—Jr. High Workcamp August 17—Grandparents Day celebrated at all services August 24—Blessing of the Backpacks August 27—Planned Giving Seminar September 7—Rally Day September 8—UMW Fall Kickoff September 20—Blessing of the Animals 9:30 am—at Our Master’s Center 11:00 am—at Alpine Center September 21—Presentation of Third Grade Bibles

For more information, see the latest issue of The Flame or call the church office at 815-399-5910.

Page 9

Roger and Tricia Corrigan joined the church in 2004. They attended for about a year before joining. Tricia recalls one of the very first Sundays they came being introduced to Tom and Sherri Crawford. They couldn’t have known then that initial meeting would turn into not just a church family relationship but something that has developed into a true family con-nection—one of mutual support and joy over the years. When asked what inspired her faith, Tricia said her relationship with Tom and Sherri Crawford. They have served as role models and influence in both Rog-er’s and Tricia’s lives, and the lives of their children. Tricia believes relationships in the church family are key to faith. Participation in small groups that she and Roger have been part of have also been important to them. Tricia also said watching the children of the church grow up over these last 10 years inspires her. As a parent, she wants the same experiences she has seen in the youth grow through the church for her children. Brooke, age 7, and Brianna, age 9, recently lived out their faith before the congregation in running their lemonade stand to earn money for the Imagine No Malaria Campaign. (See picture below this article) Tricia explained that a couple of years ago Roger decid-ed to build the girls a lemonade stand to sell lemonade at their garage sale. Diane Robinson saw pictures of that stand and approached the family about using the stand as a fundraiser at church for Imagine No Malaria. The girls were thrilled and wanted to be sure they could include Roger’s special fruit puree to make it spe-cial. Tricia, Roger and Diane talked to the girls about

The Corrigan Family

how malaria affects children and families. The girls understood they were helping other children and that drove their sales pitch. Tricia said that Brianna in particular is very sensi-tive to people, she feels the situation, and is not afraid to share it. When the girls saw the jar filling with donations they were shocked and excited. We raised $661.01 that day. In August, the Lemonade Stand will travel to the Our Master’s Center and then who knows where else to raise money for what is needed. Roger explained that he has learned “the church is the people.” Pastors will come and go, but the one constant is the people. It is inspiring to see how the people of the congregation show their faith by coming to church and being in relationship together. Roger said, “My faith is an ever evolving challenge to grow with it.” He believes we need to keep an open mind to the questions. We will find our answers in those mo-ments when we allow it to happen.

By Beth A. Palm

Brianna and Brooke Corrigan, pictured with Diane Robinson The lemonade stand raised money for Imagine No Malaria on June 29 at Alpine Center

There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy Frederick William Faber

(1814-1863)

There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, Like the wideness of the sea; There’s a kindness in His justice, Which is more than liberty. There is welcome for the sinner, And more graces for the good; There is mercy with the Savior; There is healing in His blood. For the love of God is broader Than the measure of man’s mind; And the heart of the Eternal Is most wonderfully kind. If our love were but more simple, We should take Him at His word; And our lives would be all sunshine In the sweetness of our Lord.

Brought up as a Calvinistic Anglican, Frederick Faber was ordained in the Church of England. But at the age of thirty-one, he converted to Roman Catholicism, following his friend John Henry Newman. Rebaptized as Father Wilfred, he founded a community known as “Brothers of the Will of God.” In 1849 Newman asked Faber to open an oratory—a place of prayer. When Faber opened his oratory, it soon became a place of both prayer and music, much like the famous Oratory in Rome. Faber was concerned that British Roman Catholics did not have a heritage of hymn writers like Watts, Wesley, and Newton. He began writing hymns so that Catholics, too, could be a hymn-singing people. Jus as there is “a wideness in God’s mercy,” so was there a breadth to Faber’s hymns, which soon became more familiar to Protestants than to Catholics.

Taken with permission from The One Year Great Songs of Faith,

Tyndale House Publishers, 1995

Page 10 Getting to Know Hymn; Wednesday Night Dinners

Wednesday Night Dinners Will Not Continue in the Fall

I write with news regarding a recent decision Leadership Team passed on June 24th regarding the future of Wednes-day Night Dinners. Leadership Team voted unanimously that Wednesday Night Dinners should not continue this fall. This difficult decision was made for the below five reasons: Toy Collins resigned from her position as Volunteer

Coordinator a few weeks ago. Wednesday Night Dinners incurred a loss of approxi-

mately $1,500 this past year. In previous years, it made around $300-400 per week in profit.

According to a survey conducted a year ago, the vast majority of persons whom attend Wednesday Night Dinners are persons from other churches. These per-sons are committed to their congregations, and have no intention of transferring their membership to our church. We have a very limited number of Christ UMC church members who attend Wednesday Night Din-ners.

Several volunteers have expressed concern regarding the dwindling number of volunteers, and the increasing age of those volunteers whom are still committed to this ministry.

There are very few families who attend Wednes-day Night Dinners. During previous years, the downstairs serving area used to be filled with young families.

Leadership Team’s hope is that, by stopping Wednes-day Night Dinners, it will create space for a new min-istry to take shape focused on reaching younger fami-lies in our congregation, and throughout the Rockford community. I wish to express a word of sincere thanks to all vol-unteers for their faithful service to this ministry. In addition, I would like to name that this past year of running Wednesday Night Dinners was particularly challenging for everyone involved. I am grateful for the many hours volunteers poured into this ministry in order to ensure that it ran smoothly and offered loving hospitality to our church’s guests. Please contact me if you have any questions or con-cerns via e-mail (shimel@christumc.cc) or phone (815-399-5910; x42). Grace & peace, Scott S. Himel, Associate Pastor

Children’s Ministry News

August, 2014

Page 11 Children’s Ministry News

Alpine Center, Summer Schedule

8:00am Worship Hour Nursery care is available for all infants and children 9:30am Worship Hour Infants – Toddlers: Nursery

Preschool—6th grade: Begin in Sanc-tuary, dismissed downstairs to Sunday School Room 1 following the children’s sermon

11:00am Worship Hour Infants –Toddlers: Nursery

Preschool—6th grade: Begin in Sanc-tuary, dismissed downstairs to Sunday School Room 1 following the children’s sermon

Our Master’s Center, Summer Schedule

9:30am Worship Hour Infants—Kindergarten: Nursery 1st—6th Grade: Begin in sanctuary, dismissed to Sunday School following the children’s sermon.

Summer Sunday School During the summer, we change things up a little in Children’s Ministry in regard to Sunday School. At the Our Master’s Center, nursery care remains available for infants-Kindergarteners at the 9:30 worship service. Older children are encouraged to join us down-stairs for Sunday school following the children’s sermon. At the Alpine Center, classes are combined and modified for a more flexible summer schedule that allows more opportunity for families to worship together. See the column to the right for details. Children are asked to remain in the class they have been attending during the previous school year, and we will graduate together to our new classes in September. August 13th: Last summer Awana This will be our last Summer Awana night until we start back up in the fall. We invite all parents and children involved to join us for a pizza dinner starting at 6:00 pm. Please contact Erika Coffer to RSVP. August 17th : Grandparents Day Join us as we celebrate grandparents at both the Alpine center and Our Masters center. Invite your grand-parents and grandchildren to come worship and celebrate this special day. August 30th : Happy Labor Day weekend!

There is no Sunday School as we observe the holi-day weekend. Nursery care is available for infants-pre-schoolers. Looking Ahead:

September 7th: Fall Sunday School Begins Fall Sunday School begins with regular clas-ses for children of all ages at both the Al-pine and Our Masters Centers.

September 21st : Third Grade Bible Sunday October 26th : Trunk or Treat

August 9 Jessica Bennehoff Keith Carr Bob Carr Karlen Crane Colleen Hepfer Kay Leeson August 10 Amanda Armstrong Ian Gustafson Steve Hudgin Sarah Varland Joan Wallem August 11 Elizabeth Hicks Jack Rabito Dawn Truitt Rachael Williams August 12 Helen Englehart Elizabeth Freethy Bev Johannes Virginia O’Brien Debbi Thurston August 13 Jaci Riggins Eric Riha Scott Springer August 14 Grace Jewell Martin Lurvey Donna Simmons August 15 Beckie Dzik Ralph Erickson Jane Gottlick Ken Harper Maurice Lin Morgan McGowan Ed Rounds Angie White

August 16 Vince Jardine Lawrence Kisseih Natalie Magnus Kevin McGowan August 17 Jaime Arreguin Stacy Binkowski Brent Card Jeff Watts Carol Wehmeyer August 18 Jenny Hunter Lee Johnson Betty Mumma Madilyn Taylor August 19 Greg Deppe Karen Hornsby Matt Maggio Rebecca Mann Tom Schwalbach Randy Volz August 20 Colleen Antonovich Dean Dion Deb Laskey Michael Stone Lori Umenhofer Marla Wainwright August 21 Marla Raffety August 22 Emma Harper Joyce Reeves Will Rodgers Linda Wyatt August 23 Lenore Lund Sue Pedersen Kim Roberts Jack Schroeder

Page 12 Birthdays

August 24 Doris Conley Michelle Hult Lindsay Melling Elton Miller Jeriann Mullen Betty Nelson Dennis Rinaldi Virg Wilson August 25 Jillian Eilders Debbie Gustafson Mary Padgett John Truitt August 26 Pat Farnsworth Sheryl Masters Ashley Schwabero Nancy Watson August 27 Sandy Aarvig Risë’ Barker Jenna Card Priscilla Carr Teri Reynolds Paul Sackley Rich Schultz August 28 Chad Atkinson Lisa Mair Vivian McKelvey Gretchen Poffinbarger Jeanne Steinmetz Brian Vass August 29 Tim Budden Rich Fisher Jeff Nevel Karen Weedman DJ Williams

August 30 Sarah Johnson Jordan Kurth Carol Parker Susan Pomatto Dawn Russell Jason Woodard August 31 Becky Vitale September 1 Tim Copeland Renee Johnson Jamie Thayer September 2 Rita Beard Janelle Calow Vivian Knapp Emily Rogers September 3 Ted Frericks Joshua Roberson September 4 John Armstrong Linda Bjur Peg Giannangeli Ron Janecek Ann Mathers Mary Murata Diane Norman Keane Tuschen September 5 Barbara Beard Christopher Hosmann Vicki Lynn Lynn Moczynski Patrice Rinaldi Sue Sarauer

Anniversaries; The Church is People Page 13

The Church is People

Sympathy to: Dennis and Judi Thorn on the death of Judi’s brother-in-law, Harlan Koberstein. Phoebe and Gedeon Trias and family on the death of Phoebe’s niece, Nicole, in the Philippines. Lisa and Geoffrey Kruse-Safford, on the death of Geoffrey’s uncle, David Johnston Margaret Powell, on the death of her brother, Dennis Robinson, in Florida Doris Jones, on the death of her husband, Herbert Jim and Lynn Wood and family on the death of Jim’s father, Mervel Wood Jacki Gommel and Will Rodgers and Kaye Dinsmore, on the death of Jacki and Kaye’s mother, Martha Gommel Carolyn and Bud Knodle on the death of Carolyn’s mother, Genevieve McNames Peggy Hacker and family on the death of her father, Bob Carr

Wedding: Marriage of Stephanie Wood and Brad Eller on July 19

Baptism: Luke Andrew Miner, son of Andy and Amy Truitt Miner, grandson of John and Dawn Truitt and Bill and Pam Miner, great-grandson of Dave and Karen Cox, on July 13

August 9 Jeff and Susan Baldwin Mark and Angela Kneller Nancy and Doug Otwell August 10 Brian and Jessica Crombie Lenore Lund and John DeWaters August 11 Bill and Chelsea Collins Jerilyn Halpin and Don Schauer Kendal and Matthew Knudson Jon and Donna Zwanzig August 12 Peter and Jane Gottlick Bob and Jan Noble Paul and Joan Wallem August 13 Morrie and Carol Earnest Phil and Sally Plath August 14 Michael and Sherrill Muller Cliff and Jan Stoner August 15 Art and Fran Kneller Bill and Beth Lipton August 16 Bill and Penny Cacciatore Phil and Karen Grover Bonnie and Tom McLeod August 17 Kevin and Marie McGowan Ken and Sue McMillin Barry and Caroline Mikels Paul and Michelle Myers Craig and Debbie Rogers Ed and Mary Anne Rounds Daniels and Lisa Sargent August 18 Jack and Connie Croffoot Ryan and Kari Cullen Sully and Lee Sullivan August 20 Dave and Cheri Carlson Norm and Pat Hagman Ray and Wilma Porter

August 21 John and Ann Daniels Jack and Barb Hansen August 22 Jeff and Donna Kirk Jim and Sandy Welte August 23 Amy and Patrick Craig Steve and Jane Kiley Bob and Deb Laskey Jerry and Meredith Nagles August 24 David and Sandy Aarvig Jeff and Jennifer Bockhop Jeff and Jean Kearney Dana and Brenda Kiley Rex and Carol Parker Tom and Britta Peterson August 25 Tom and Pam Laughlin August 26 Roger and Jackie Dawson Fred and Judy Raffety Tammy and John Schmitt James and Linda Wyatt August 27 Todd and Denise Eilers Roger and Margaret Newell Michal and Darcy Wilson Brad and Julia Zimmerman August 28 Don and Suzy Black Greg and Courtney Klein Bruce and Gloria Lauher August 29 Brian and Debbie Istad Mike and Amy Nelson Jim and Pat Vandiver August 30 Mike and Lynda Moser August 31 Terry and Gretchen Poffinbarger Erik and Charisse Stram September 1 Don and Beth Hajek John and Sue Murray Beth and Jon Mutton

September 2 Leonard and Laurie Pink Dennis and Mary Ann Priewe John and Sue Spitzer September 3 Dale and Nancy DeHart Ken and Marion Kern Dave and Jane Picken September 4 Steve and Barb Kaiser Ashley and Matt Schwabero

Page 14 Thank You Notes

From Martha Ritter Ted and I want to thank you for all the cards, phone calls and prayers that he's received since his stroke on May 13. And a special thank you to Pastor Jane and Pastor Min for their visits. I can't express how much this has meant to us. We are so fortunate and thankful to have such a wonderful church family. Ted is now in Van Matre for rehab and we are praying that he can improve enough to be able to come home. All of your prayers mean so much to us.

From Jan and Russ Leopold I appreciated the card you sent to me and was pleased to remember lots of the names. The pastor and a parish nurse came to visit. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

From Betty Nelson Thank you to my church family for your cards, phone calls, prayers and good wishes during the healing of my broken shoulder. It is indeed comforting to be a part of such a car-ing ministry here at Christ UMC. I am grateful for your concern. Many thanks!

From the Outreach Committee Thank you to those of you who again made Bag It Sunday a success. Approximately 500 pounds of food was donated on Bag It Sunday, equaling $845 in value. The pantries and those served are very appreciative.

From Maryann Leonard Thanks for the prayers and cards as I grow into my new hip. They're such a nice reminder of the shared experiences in Stephen Ministry, the craft show, and work on funeral lunches. Special thanks for the prayers and visits from Pas-tors Jane and Min that bolstered my courage and helped me center in faith.

From Rev. John L. McCullough, President and CEO, Church World Service

Your generous donation to the Church World Service Blankets+ program tells people in crisis, “You’re not alone someone cares.” On behalf of all the people who feel more hopeful and less alone because of your gener-osity, we thank you. Visit www.blanketsplus.org to find out more information about this program.

From Linda Kuntz Many thanks to Ted and Carol Plum who agreed to let a youth group from Wyoming, Michigan, into the Alpine Trinity Building. The group was heading back from a workcamp in Red Lake, Minnesota, and asked if we could host them for the night. They arrived late in the evening and not only did Ted come to unlock for them, but Carol provided generous hospitality in bringing them cookies, snacks and soft drinks. Your kindness is greatly appreciated!

Our pastors Jane Eesley, Min Chee, and Scott Himel, and our elected lay members, Morry Harms, Angie Harms, Jan Klimek, Kay Cull, Judy Schultz, George Eng-lish, and Mary English, spent June 8-10 at the 175th ses-sion of the Northern Illinois Annual Conference. The annual conference is a continuing administra-tive unit of our connectional United Methodist Church. It is overseen by Bishop Sally Dyck with a cabinet of six dis-trict superintendents, professional clergy and lay staff. There is an annual conference assembly which meets year-ly in June. Most clergy are permanent members. Lay members are elected for four year terms by the local charge or church conference. Only part of the annual conference is legislation. This includes rule changes, setting the budget, resolutions and the election of conference officers. This year and eve-ry fourth year we elect delegates to the general conference and jurisdictional conference. The jurisdictional confer-ence elects and assigns bishops. The general conference, meeting every four years , makes laws for the governance of the world-wide church. These laws are pub-lished in The Book of Discipline. Another part of the confer-ence is ritual, ceremony and celebra-tion such as commissioning and ordi-nation of pastors, celebration of re-tirements, and remembrance of members of the annual conference who have died during the past year. There is worship and an ad-dress by the bishop and another by the conference lay leader. The bishop emphasized the diversity of the church and her passion for Imagine No Malaria. Diana Butler Bass, the keynote speaker, examined church growth and the openness of youth to diversity. Arnold Rivera, the conference lay leader, addressed "who is my neighbor" and reviewed lay activities during the year. A bishop and district superintendents from the South Korean Methodist Church presented Bishop Dyck with $10000 for Imagine No Malaria. As of the annual conference, pledges and do-nations put us close to the $1,000,000 goal. There are awards given or announced in plenary and at special meals and side meetings. Christ UMC re-ceived recognition for support of the Rainbow Covenant. This is second mile giving after apportionments have been paid. Our church also received a certificate for the largest amount of money given in the Rockford District for Unit-ed Voices for Children. The Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry gives several scholarships each year. Sara Eilers, a CUMC student, received one.

Legislation The conference approved a total spending plan of $7,821,293. The line item budget and a brochure outlin-ing where the money goes is available. Either of these can be produced if requested. The cost of this funding is apportioned to churches based on their budgets. The basic formula is 16% of the pastor compensation, 14% of non-clergy compensation, and 1% of the church budget, not count-ing capital improvements and their mortgage payments, apportionments, or gifts. This year the definition of pastoral compensa-tion was changed. Health insurance and pension contri-bution was moved from the 16% line to the 1% line. High and low years are removed from the running aver-age and a break was approved for declining churches. These changes will reduce conference income by about 2%. The conference approved special Sundays, ad-

vanced specials, and Rainbow Cove-nant programs. These programs are supported by gifts and not apportion-ments. The pastors' health insur-ance program was changed for one year giving the pastors more choices. The change was temporary because there is still uncertainty about the Affordable Care Act. The conference standing rules were rewritten and updated. This had not been done in many years. In addition to financial and organiza-

tional matters there are always resolutions. These are statements of the Northern Illinois Conference sense of an issue. They are not positions of the church. Only general conference can make statements for the United Methodist Church. These are printed in The Social Principles . Only one of these resolutions was contro-versial. It asks for conference support for pastors who perform same sex marriages. Such marriages are cur-rently forbidden by The Discipline. Only the general conference can change the church law. This is an issue about which committed Christians disagree. It is likely to be painful for a long time. Theme of the Conference Diana Butler Bass was the keynote speaker. She said the walkers to Emmaus could not see Jesus because they

Report of Annual Conference 2014

(Continued on next page)

Page 15

were focusing on nostalgia and foreboding. Church-es need new glasses to focus on the present. The old fundamentalist vs. modernist argument was revised to explain church decline. The theory: Liberal churches were declining. Conservative churches were growing. In fact, both theologically liberal and theologically conservative churches are declining. Churches which are growing, however they stand theologically, are churches which are intentional rather than conventional. By intentional and con-ventional she meant deliberate planning rather than the way we always did it. The way we used to do church does not work anymore. Political and theo-logical positions are not important. There may even be a third dimension--a modernist world view vs. a post-modern world view. The modernist world view is the idea that there is one truth discoverable by science. The other idea is there are several truths or the truth is understood in different ways. It's about experience and relation-ships. Mystical and supernatural experiences may be acceptable. Demographic changes are huge and the church cannot afford to ignore them. Authority and top-down management are not respected. Worship and Celebration All worship services at annual conference are dra-matic, but two are always memorable. The memori-al service appeared more upbeat and celebratory this year. At the ordination and commissioning service Megan Smick and Laura Wilson were commissioned and entered into provisional conference membership status. This is a step all candidates for ordination must serve. Fixing of Appointments Appointments are technically fixed at the conclusion of annual conference. Actually they were done and published on the internet and may be read there. None of the CUMC pastors were moved. Prepared by:

George English

Don’t Miss Out! Come Check Us Out!

Our Music Styles are really neat,

Many songs that have a beat! Gospel, Jazz and a bit of Swing, Classics, Hymns and everything!

Make no mistake, the lyrics, great!

The message loud and clear. We worship God and God alone!

For everyone to hear!

The folks are great, We love to eat, So, many times

We all bring treats!

The groups are great! The folks so sweet!

We’re crazy too, It can’t be beat!

So take a chance,

And don’t miss out! Give us a try,

Come check us out!

Has God blessed you with a musical gift or talent to share?

What a wonderful opportunity to give back to the Lord and

be a special blessing to others by sharing those gifts and talents leading God’s people in worship to Him!

First Rehearsal: Thursday, Sept. 4

Wesley Ringers: 1 Sunday per month (Rehearsals: Thursday Nights from 6:00 p.m. - 7:15) (Meet in the Balcony) (Plus 1 or 2 Saturday mornings per semester) (9 a.m. - Noon) Sanctuary Choir: 2 Sundays per month (Rehearsals: Thursdays, 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.) (Meet in the Choir Room) (Plus 1 or 2 Saturday mornings per semester) (9 a.m. - Noon) Contact: Vicki Peterson vpmusic55@comcast.net 815/985-3766

Report of Annual Conference (Continued from Page 15 )

Page 16

Disciple Bible Study I Orientation Session: Monday, September 8th from 6:00 to 7:30 PM in the Coffee House

Class Begins: Monday, September 15th from 6:00 to 8:30 PM in the Adult Dining Room for 34 weeks Co-Taught by Rev. Scott S. Himel and Mr. Don Black

Have you ever wanted to learn more about Scripture? Do you want to be equipped to serve in new leadership roles in the church? Do you want to build lasting relationships with other church members? If any of these three questions piqued your interest, then Disciple Bible Study (DBS) is just for you! It should be stressed up-front that a commitment is required to participate in this course. It is expected that you will be able to attend at least 30 of the 34 sessions, and that you can commit 2 and-a-half hours of devo-tional time to your Bible and the DBS materials in-between each class session. Before you decide if DBS is right for you, I encourage you to consider attending the orientation session dur-ing the evening of Monday, September 8th. During this time, Don Black and I will outline all that DBS in-volves, and why it is such a transformative experience for many attendees! While a commitment to DBS can seem daunting, I encourage you to consider the following three testimoni-als and how DBS significantly impacted their lives:

Nancy Vogel – “One of the things it did was force me to study ... I had to, to keep up. It got me into reading Scripture and various devotions regularly ... I also learned where the books of the Bible were and why they were arranged that way ... I had done so little Bible study before that it gave me a fantastic start.” Dean and Doris Dion had taken the Disciple class several times before ... “But with (the late Pastor Patty Anderson) we got a lot more out of it ... It’s an incentive to get you to study more ... We enjoyed the people in the class and made a lot of good friends.” Sandy and Leland Cottrell – Sandy : “I miss Disciple class ... because it was so very interesting ... learning more and more and more about the Bible.” Leland: “You always learn something new (about the Bible), that’s for sure” in Disciple class.

To sign-up for DBS, please contact Linda Kuntz (lindakuntz@christumc.cc / 815-399-5910). Spots are filling-up quickly! If you have any questions about the course, please contact me (shimel@christumc.cc / 815-399-5910; x42) or Don Black (black8618@sbcglobal.net / 815-633-0365). Blessings to you while you discern if DBS is right for you!

Page 17 Adult Education Opportunity

Tuesday Book Group Begins September 9, 6:30-8:00 pm

Alpine Trinity Building Facilitator: Mary English

Meets weekly, excluding December. This is in book club format. Your opinions and personal experiences relating to the books are welcomed. Contact Mary (815-397-4883 or georgz@aol.com) if you have questions or want to order a used book (cost plus shipping). The group will start with The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller for seven weeks and continue with Traveling Light by Max Lucado. The Grand Weaver (Zacharias), Prayer (Foster), The Way (Hamilton) and The Problem of Pain (Lewis).

Moms Connection Begins September 12, 9:30 am

Meets on the Second and Fourth Fridays

Alpine Coffee House Facilitators: Megan Abbott &

Alicia Arthur

Moms Connection is a place to relax and connect with other moms. Some weeks we have a program or speak-er. Other weeks are just for fellowship. Child care is always available.

Who Were These Men? Begins October 7, 1:30-3:00 pm

Meets for six weeks

Alpine Conference Room Facilitator: Jim Hellmich

They were not saints, scholars, not even religious sages. If Christ can accomplish his purpose through the lives of common men like these, imagine what he has in store for you.

Tuesday Bible Study Ongoing, 9:30-11:00 am Our Master’s Coffee House Facilitator: Don Stark

All are welcome to join this group study of the Bible. No homework, just come. The group reads the chapter in class then discusses your questions or thoughts. The various opinions and questions make this a very valuable study for all. We will break for the UMW’s study of A Faithful Heart by Bishop Sally Dyck for six weeks, be-ginning in September.

Thursday Our Master’s Group Ongoing, 9:30-11:00 am Our Master’s Coffee House Facilitator: Don Stark

Presently studying the book of Matthew using the Holy Club format. No homework, just group reading and discussion. Usually reading/discussing various books, such as those by Adam Hamilton, Max Luca-do, etc. Good fellowship with learning attached!

Men’s Holy Club Bible Study Class Ongoing, 9:30-11:00 am on Wednesdays

Alpine Center Conference Room Facilitator: Don Stark

Group study of the Bible. No homework, just come. The group reads the chapter in class and then dis-cusses your questions or thoughts. The various opinions and questions make this a great learning opportunity.

Page 18 Adult Education and Small Group Opportunities

In addition to the Disciple I Bible Study class listed on page 17 of this issue of The Flame, here are some opportunities to grow in faith and understanding, find fellowship, and spend some time in study and prayer. Look for the adult education brochure coming soon with the Enews and it will also be available at the Connection Center.

Page 19

Car Hop, 2014 Held on June 22, this annual fund raising event for Senior High WorkCamp

was a big success. Everyone enjoyed good food, fun and fellowship.

Photos by Joe Whinnery

Christ United Methodist Church 4509 Highcrest Road

Rockford, Il 61107

Address Service Requested

Next Flame Deadline: August 21

Non-Profit Org. U.S Postage

PAID Permit #3336

ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS

Articles may be e-mailed to lindakuntz@christumc.cc or mailed/brought to the church office by the deadline date.

Getting to Know You: The Laughlins by Don Black

Check out our website:

www.christumc.cc

If you recall the theme song from the old TV show “The Brady Bunch,” you already know something about Pam and Tom Laughlin’s family. However, instead of “the lady” in the lyrics having girls, Pam has three boys and Tom has the girls – four of them. Now since the children from that blended family have grown up, the Laughlins have 11 grandchildren. Pam and Tom will be among those recognized August 17 at Christ United Methodist Church, on Grandparents Day. “I’m ahead right now,” Pam said during an interview, regarding the numbers. She has six grandchildren. He has five. In October they will be even. Pam’s sons are Nathan (Nate), Nick and Noah, who all live in Rockford. Tom’s daughters are Shannon, who lives in New Jersey; Allyson, who lives in California; Amanda, who lives in Rockford, and Darcy, who lives in Australia. It’s Darcy who’s expecting. When they got married more than 20 years ago, their youngest child was 9 years old. When the family gets together at Christmas, there’ll be almost 30 people. “I make time for grandkids,” Pam said. “We have grand-kids every weekend.”

(continued on page 8)

And when they attend the 9:30 a.m. worship, “We usually have a grandkid with us.” Tom and Pam are long-time members of the church. He joined back in the 1970s. “I think I’ve had every position of the church ... several times,” Tom said.” At present he’s on the Staff-Parish Committee. He also has served as the church’s lawyer. Pam probably is known best for her singing at church. He also used to be in the choir. Now that she’s retired, Pam has opened “For the Love of Chic,” a unique upscale gift shop, with many of the items created by Pam. She explained that they find items and “embellish them.” She also does some interior decorating, helping people find particular items and embellishing them for their homes. They don’t restore items or reupholster furniture, she explained.