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Why is the Easter Season 50 days long?

Easter for Christians is not just one day, but rather a 50-day period. The season of

Easter, or Eastertide, begins at sunset on the eve of Easter and ends on Pentecost,

the day we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church (see Acts 2).

Easter is also more than just an extended celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. In

the early church, Lent was a season for new converts to learn about the faith and

prepare for baptism on Easter Sunday. The initial purpose of the 50-day Easter

season was to continue the faith formation of new Christians.

Today, this extended season gives us time to rejoice and experience what it means when we say Christ is risen. It’s the season when we remember our baptisms and how through this sacrament we are, according to the liturgy, “incorporated into Christ’s mighty acts of salvation.” As “Easter people,” we also celebrate and ponder

the birth of the Church and gifts of the Spirit (Pentecost), and how we are to live as faithful disciples of Christ.

Our current sermon series, Jesus’ Mission’, will finish at the end of Eastertide, on Pentecost Sunday.

Jesus’ resurrection is the beginning of God’s renewal of the entire creation; Jesus calls his disciples to live in light of this new reality that has come through his death and resurrection, advancing his renewal everywhere.

This series examines what we see about Jesus and his disciples, showing us what it means “to serve a risen Savior.”

Here are the final 4 sermons in the series:

April 29 What Shall We Do? John 21:1-14

May 6 Loving, Leading, Serving John21:15-25

May 13 Ascension Sunday The King’s Witnesses Acts 1:1-11

May 20 Pentecost Empowered by the Spirit Acts 2:22-41

IN THIS ISSUE:

Why Easter Season 50 days long? 1

Potluck & Conversation Review 2

Celebration Dinner 3

National Day of Prayer 4

Celebrate the Graduate

The Holy Aplphabet

A Village Woods Testimonial 5

Mother’s Day 6

Pentecost Mobile

Cubs/Sox History @ the OL Library

Cinco De Mayo 7

How Can We Pray for You?

Ascension Sunday 8

Stewardship & the Tithe Principle

Missionary Prayer Calendar 9

Operation Blessing Newsletter 10

OL Library Fan Fest 11

The Recipe Page 12

Birthdays & Anniversaries 13

Serving God-Serving Others 14

Grace Church Ministry Teams 15

Activity Pages 16-18

Grace Church—Our Values 19

Newsletter Submission Date

2018

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April Potluck and Conversation Review

Thank you to all who attended our Potluck and Conversation on April 15 at noon! The Vital Worship Grant team was overwhelmed by your willingness to share your experiences of times when you have felt alive, motivated or excited about your spiritual life.

Robert Webber once defined worship as “connecting my story with God’s story.” The Grant Team reviewed all of the stories that were shared and noted that this definition of worship was seen in all of your experiences. Worship is more than what happens on Sundays. Sundays are a rehearsal for and reflection of God’s story in our lives all week.

The Grant Team noted how God is working in each one of us at Grace Church to share our gifts, grow in the fruit of the Spirit, and become more like Christ. God uses many experiences, and speaks to each of us where we are in our spiritual life in a way that we need to hear. Since everyone’s experiences were different, the Grant Team focused on common themes seen through the stories. Some of the most common themes were:

» Learning to trust in the Lord

» Cultivating a more vibrant prayer life

» God’s peace penetrating hearts

» The generosity of God’s people

» Hospitality of our church

» Serving as volunteers—inside and outside of worship

» Awareness of God’s presence in nature

» Humility in the presence of God

» Hearing God speak in numerous ways and being reminded of His promises

So what is next? Pentecost Sunday, May 20, 2018, we will have a catered Celebration Dinner at noon. The whole church is invited, whether you have attended a Dinner and Conversation previously or not. We will have some time for reflection around our tables, but also celebrate together our successes in the past year. Conversation starters will be in your mailbox soon. Plan now to attend!

VITAL WORSHIP GRANT TEAM

Diane Ritzema, Michael Kooy, Maria Kialanda, Rob Soucek, Ed Ritzema,

David VanKuiken, Bob Cooper, and Eleanor Lamsma

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Pentecost Sunday May 20, 2018

You are invited to a catered dinner

to reflect on and celebrate the success of

Grace Community Church’s Vital Worship Grant.

—Sign up today!—

Everyone is invited, even if you haven’t attended

any of the previous potluck and conversation dinners!

Conversation starters will be distributed in your mailbox.

This event is made possible through a Vital Worship Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Grand Rapids, Michigan,

with funds provided by Lilly Endowment Inc.

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grad·u·ate NOUN

graduates (plural noun)

—a person who has successfully completed a course of study or training.

Do you have someone in your family that fits this definition? If so, why not submit their name, grade, school name and degree information (if applicable) to the newsletter? And include a picture if you can. Our June newsletter issue will include a tribute page to all the graduates!

(Pictures will be returned)

Join us at Grace Community Church on May 3 @7pm as

we prayer for unity and peace for our nation.

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Mother's Day in the United States is an

annual holiday celebrated on the second Sunday in

May. Mother's Day recognizes mothers, mother-

hood and maternal bonds in general, as well as the

positive contributions that they make to society.

It was established by Anna Jarvis, when the first

official Mother's Day was celebrated at St. Andrew's

Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, on

May 10, 1908.

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Are you on Facebook? You can help us let others know about Grace Community

Church by ‘liking’ us on our facebook page and giving us a good review! This is an

easy way to share with others how much you love our church!

Find us at:

https://www.facebook.com/Grace-Community-Christian-Reformed-Church-232666100126076/

Cinco de Mayo is an annual celebration held on May 5. The date is observed to

commemorate the Mexican Army's unlikely victory over the French Empire at the

Battle of Puebla, on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza.

In the United States, Cinco de Mayo has taken on a significance beyond that in Mexico. In the U.S. the date has become associated with the celebration of Mexican-American culture. In Mexico, the commemoration of the battle continues to be mostly ceremonial, such as through military parades.

In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is sometimes mistaken for Mexico's Independence Day—the most

important national holiday in Mexico—which is celebrated on September 16, commemorating the Cry of

Dolores that initiated the war of Mexican independence from Spain.

According to a paper published by the UCLA Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture about the

origin of the observance of Cinco de Mayo in the United States, the modern American focus on that day first

started in California in 1863 in response to the resistance to French rule in Mexico. "Far up in the gold

country town of Columbia (now Columbia State Park) Mexican miners were so overjoyed at the news that

they spontaneously fired off rifle shots and fireworks, sang patriotic songs and made impromptu

speeches."

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of

the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

HOW CAN WE PRAY FOR YOU?

If you would like our Prayer Team to be prayer warriors for you, for a need in your life, or the life of a loved one or friend, visit our website at: http://www.gccrc.org/ prayers_for_u

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Ascension Sunday—May 13

The Ascension of Jesus is the departure of Christ

from Earth into the presence of God. The narrative in

Acts 1 takes place 40 days after the Resurrection:

Jesus, in the company of the disciples, is taken up in

their sight after warning them to remain in Jerusalem

until the coming of the Holy Spirit; as he ascends a

cloud hides him from their view, and two men in

white appear to tell them that he will return "in the

same way you have seen him go into heaven."

BIBLICAL ACCOUNTS:

There is a broad consensus among scholars that the brief Ascension account in the Gospel of Mark is a

later addition to the original version of that gospel. Luke-Acts, a single work from the same anonymous

author, provides the only detailed account of the Ascension. Luke 24 tells how Jesus leads the eleven

disciples to Bethany, a village on the Mount of Olives not far from Jerusalem, where he instructs them to

remain in Jerusalem until the coming of the Holy Spirit and blesses them. "And it came to pass, while he

blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and

returned to Jerusalem with great joy."

Acts 1 describes a meal on the Mount of Olives, where Jesus commands the disciples to await the

coming of the Holy Spirit, a cloud takes him upward from sight, and two men in white appear to tell

them (the disciples) that he will return "in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." Luke and

Acts appear to describe the same event, but present quite different chronologies, Luke placing it on the

same day as the Resurrection and Acts forty days afterwards; various proposals have been put forward to

resolve the contradiction, but the question remains open.

The Gospel of John has three references to ascension in Jesus' own words: "No one has ascended into

heaven but he who descended from heaven, the son of man" (John 3:13); "What if you (the disciples)

were to see the son of man ascending where he was before?" (John 6:62); and to Mary Magdalene after

his Resurrection, "Do not hold me, for I not yet ascended to my father..." (John20:17). In the first and

second Jesus is claiming to be the apocalyptic "one like a son of man" of Daniel 7; the last has mystified

commentators – why should Mary be prohibited from touching the risen but not yet ascended Christ,

while Thomas is later invited to do so?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascension_of_Jesus; Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike

License; Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

STEWARDSHIP AND THE TITHE PRINCIPLE FROM THE MAST TEAM

The Hebrew Bible teaches that God called his people to give 10%

(a tenth or a “tithe”) of their income to the Lord. The New Testament

affirms proportional giving, that each one should give “in keeping with

your income” (I Corinthians 16:2). The amazing grace is that God gave us

EVERYTHING! What would it mean for you to be giving, say, 10% of your

income on a monthly basis? If you do, what blessing do you see in it? Or,

could you step up your giving one percentage point a year?

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H e r e ’ s a g r e a t r e c i p e t o c e l e b r a t e C i n c o D e M a y o !

Ta c o C a s s e r o l e • Author: Deborah

• Prep Time: 15 minutes

• Cook Time: 25 minutes

• Total Time: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS: 1 16 oz taco sauce

1 12-oz can buttermilk biscuits

4 6 oz shredded Cheddar cheese

4 6 oz shredded Mozzarella cheese

1 lb ground beef

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 8 oz mushrooms (sliced)

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

1 2.25 oz can sliced olives (drained) (optional)

chopped cilantro (optional—for serving) INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Lightly grease a 13×9 inch baking dish. Spread taco sauce evenly over bottom of dish.

2. Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Place biscuit pieces in taco sauce, turn to coat. Sprinkle biscuits with half of the cheese and half of the olives. Bake for 15-18 minutes.

3. In a large skillet, combine ground beef, peppers, mushrooms, cumin and chili powder. Cook until ground beef is cooked through.

4. Sprinkle the ground beef mixture over the baked biscuit mixture. Sprinkle the olives over the top, then top with the remaining cheese. Bake an additional 5-7 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve topped with chopped cilantro, if desired.

Find it online: https://www.tasteandtellblog.com/taco-casserole/

THE RECIPE PAGE

FROM THE EDITOR: If you have a favorite recipe you’d like to share,

please put a copy in the newsletter mailbox and don’t forget to add your name!

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FROM THE EDITOR:

Do you have a story or

memory about how your

ancestors came

to America?

Memories of growing up

in another time with

different clothes, music,

food prices, etc.?

Why not submit a story to

the newsletter and share

your memories with

others who may have

some of the same

memories?

Or maybe you have had a

“God” moment in your

life? When something

happened that can only

be explained as having

come from God.

Why not share your story

with others?

Submit your story for the

newsletter by placing it in

the newsletter box on the

wall outside the office.

2 Dan Brucken

4 Karen Buikema

Alyce DeBoer (Sr.)

5 Stephanie Mulder

6 Larry Kooyenga

David Van Kuiken

7 Pedro Kialanda

10 Jean Kok

12 Gary Schutt

15 Dorothy Brink-Schutt

Laura Soucek

16 Pam Johnson

John Roos

19 Carol DenBesten

21 Catherine Solle

23 Tena VanderMuil

Fred Veen

24 Alyce DeBoer (Jr.)

27 Lin VanderMeulen

29 Evelyn VanDellen

2 Ruth Kuipers

8 Alice Flasman

10 Aiden Soucek

12 Evelyn Jonker

13 Mary Huisenga

Carol DeVries

14 Maria Kialanda

Marilyn Schutt

15 Candice Livingston

21 Elton Ivy

Steve Livingston

Dave Phillips

22 Helen Noort

Chris Van Kuiken

24 Dorothy Beezhold

27 Grace DeRoos

31 Haven Brucken

1 Ken & Carol

Schutt

2 Jim & Barb

Wassenaar

3 Rich & Marilyn VandenBout

9 Warren & Ruth Kuipers

11 Bill & Phyllis Johnson

16 Byron & Carol Breems

19 Ed & Diane Ritzema

20 Dan & Marilyn Brucken

25 John & Laverne Yff

Reminder: Anyone

holding a meeting or

event at the church is

asked to please

remember to monitor

who is entering the building when

doors are left unlocked for

attendees to come in, and to close

and lock all the doors of the church

after everyone has arrived. Please

do not leave the doors propped

open. Also, if you are the last to

leave, please make sure doors are

locked before you go.

If we all do our part,

we can make our church building

a safe environment for everyone

to enjoy.

8 Larry & LeAnn

Kooyenga

9 Stephen &

Nicole Brucken

17 Bernie & Lynne

Wiegers

19 Gary & Joan Schutt

MAY 13

MAY 19

MAY 28

MAY 20

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Accompanists

6 Bob Cooper & Diane Ritzema 13 Pedro Kialanda 20 Bob Cooper & Pedro Kialanda 27 Diane Ritzema & Catherine Solle

Childcare

6 Laura Soucek & Anna Huisenga

13 Barb Wassenaar & Mary Huisenga

20 Ann Sroka & Maria Kialanda

27 Dean Unger & Ruth Kuipers

(substitutes: LeAnn Kooyenga & Joyce Phillips)

Congregational Prayer

6 Tom Huisenga 13 Michael Kooy 20 Bob Cooper 27 Diane Ritzema

Greeters 6 Helen Noort & Clareen Sluis

13 Catherine Solle & Karen Buikema

20 Warren & Ruth Kuipers

27 Tom & Darlene Huisenga

Library Week 1 Evelyn Van Dellen Week 2 Clareen Sluis Week 3 Gloria Kamper Week 4 Evelyn Luchtenburg Week 5 Gloria Kamper

Prayer Room

6 Tom Huisenga & Jestine Ivy

13 Pastor Mike & Rob Soucek

20 Bob Cooper & Larry Kooyenga

27 Ed Mudde & Ruth Kuipers

Ushers

6 Fred Veen - Dan Brucken - Ed Mudde 13 Carol DenBesten - Phyllis Johnson Rich Boersema 20 George Voss - Vince Sommer - Dean Unger 27 Gary Schutt - Hank DeVries - George Voss

Projection Techs

6 Dave Phillips

13 Eleanor Lamsma

20 Sarah Huisenga

27 Ed Ritzema

Sound Techs

6 Jim Kamper 13 Ed Ritzema 20 Chris Van Kuiken 27 Jim Kamper

MAY 2018 Schedules

Thank you for your willingness to serve!

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GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH MINISTRY TEAMS

2017-2018

MINISTRY TEAM MEMBERS (liaison listed first)

EXECUTIVE Bob Cooper (Pres.), Gary Schutt (V.P.), Tom Huisenga (Clerk),

Ed Ritzema (Chair of Deacons), Michael Kooy (Pastor)

ART CONNECT Michael Kooy, Christian Beezhold, Dave Phillips

BUILDING & GROUNDS Ed Mudde, Dan Brucken, Jim Kamper, Karen Buikema, Barb Wassenaar

CARE TEAM Bob Cooper, Eleanor Lamsma, Helen Noort, Catherine Solle, Fred Veen

EDUCATION/OUTREACH Rachel Canfield, Dan Brucken, Christine Ismail, Pam Johnson, Michael Kooy,

Rob Soucek, Dean Unger, Sue Weidenaar

FELLOWSHIP Larry Kooyenga, Gary Schutt, Michael Kooy

FINANCE Tom Huisenga, Karen Buikema, Barb Wassenaar,

Jim Wassenaar (Treasurer)

M.A.S.T. Marilyn Vanden Bout, Darlene Huisenga, Eleanor Lamsma, Michael Kooy

MISSIONS Rachel Canfield, Bob Cooper, Michael Kooy, Sue Weidenaar

NEWSLETTER Ken Schutt, Barb Wassenaar (editor)

PRAYER Tom Huisenga, Marilyn Brucken, Bob Cooper, Michael Kooy, Ruth Kuipers,

Jestine Ivy

REACH YOUTH GROUP Rob Soucek, Karen Buikema, Carol Schutt, Laura Soucek

WORSHIP Ed Ritzema, Bob Cooper, Eleanor Lamsma, Maria Kialanda, Pedro Kialanda,

Michael Kooy, Diane Ritzema, David Van Kuiken

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Please keep these teams and their members in your prayers as they meet together and work to

further God’s kingdom here at Grace Community Church and in our surrounding neighborhoods.

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This Newsletter is a publication of

Grace Community Church.

Contributions to the newsletter are welcome

and will be considered for publication provided you include your name with

the submission.

If you have any questions concerning this

newsletter, please contact Barb Wassenaar

708.636.2848 gracechurch@gccrc.org

10415 S. Kedvale

Avenue

Oak Lawn, IL 60453

Office: 708.636.2848

Fax: 708.636.2847

gracechurch@gccrc.org

www.gccrc.org

Grace

Community

Christian

Reformed

Church

Submissions for the

JUNE 2018 issue are

due no later than

May 20, 2018.

Distribution:

Sun., June 3, 2018.

Newsletter may be

delayed or cancelled

due to unforeseen

circumstances.

Copyrighted works included in this publication have been reproduced

with permission and may not be further reproduced.

The distribution, selling, reproduction in any form, or any use other

than that intended by this publication are prohibited and

constitute an infringement of Copyright laws and are subject to fines.