Target employees' Community Work Day

Special thanks to Target employees for their recent work day. Employees from the Niles, HIP, and Brickyard stores spent several hours helping the New Hope Community Food Pantry with cleaning, organizing, and stocking shelves. Many thanks for their assistance, what a difference it made!

Summer Arts Ministry is coming in July!

Join us for Summer Arts Ministry (SAM I Am) on July 25-28, 6-8 p.m. For children ages 3 through 12, we will have dinner followed by art activities, games, singing, and FUN! Mark your calendars now and registration forms will be available after June 2.

Thanks to area post offices and community donations

Special thanks to the Norwood Park, Jefferson Park, and Edgebrook post offices for their "Stamp Out Hunger" donations to the New Hope Community Food Pantry. We received thousands of items! Thank you to everyone in these communities who donated to their letter carriers.

Souper Supper is Coming Soon!

Third Annual Souper Supper

Saturday, February 26 at 6:00 p.m.

By the end of February, we'll all have Cabin Fever - so plan on a night out! Treat your family and invite your friends and neighbors. Due to the popularity of our past Souper Suppers and their overflow of diners, we are limiting our seating this year to those who have purchased tickets. This means you must have a ticket to enjoy this year's array of stupendous soups!

The price is $12 for adults, $6 for children 12 and under.

For this small amount, you will enjoy homemade soups, salad, bread and desserts. There will be musical entertainment in the sanctuary following our supper. This will include the vibraphone, some rhythm & blues, and rock--upbeat favorites are promised!

There will be door prizes awarded to lucky ticket holders.

We could use a few more worker bees to set up the day before, pick up donated foods the day of, or clean up after. If you have new items to donate for door prizes, please see Helene. Please check out our signup sheet and see where you can fill in a blank to do your part or contact Liz Okayama.

Whatever you do, don't miss this year's Souper Supper! Mark your calendars and buy your tickets!

Volunteer at the Greater Chicago Food Depository

The Food Depository is an interesting and well-run operation. . . the perfect place to spend a Saturday morning!

Future dates for volunteer groups are March 12, April 16 and May 21.

Volunteers meet at New Hope at 8:00 a.m. and return around 1:00 p.m. Bring along one or two food items for the Depository.

Contact Bob Burkhart, 847-583-1088, to reserve your spot.

Prayer Shawl Ministry

Shawls and scarves are now available for anyone who can benefit from a token of love and support from the New Hope community. This ministry has many facets: you do not have to knit or crochet to be a part of its warm intentions. If you know of someone who needs to receive a prayer shawl, please let Pastor Wendy know of this need. Also, if you could help to deliver prayer shawls or scarves this would be much appreciated.

The third Sunday of each month all are invited to bring their knitting or crochet projects to show off or to ask for help. Come with your tools and join our circle.

Worship with us in February

Paul's letter to the early church in Corinth offers inspiration for February:

Feb. 6 - I Corinthians 2:1-12; The Power is ON (us)!

Feb. 13 - I Corinthians 3:1-9; It's not about you (or me)

Feb. 20 - I Corinthians 3:10-11; Laying the Foundation

Feb. 27 - I Corinthians 4:1-5, Psalm 131, & Isaiah 49; God Does Not Forget

March 22 - Sarah's Key

The New Hope UMC Book Group will meet on Tuesday, March 22 at 7 p.m. to discuss Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay.

This story of the Holocaust, as it occurre in France, is a lesser known story. This one is told through the experience of a 10 year old girl in Paris. It is striking to come to understand that the detainment of Jewish families "was carried out, not by the Gestapo, but by ordinary French policemen, enabled by a citizenry that for the most part looked the other way." This is a novel based on historical occurrences and was published in 2007.

March's book group discussion will be hosted by Bob and Shirley Burkhart, 6034 Grove Court, Morton Grove.

February 22 - Journey to the Common Good

The New Hope UMC Book Group will meet on February 22 at 7 p.m. to discuss Walter Brueggemann's Journey to the Common Good.

Can the simple concept of neighborliness show us the way to a greater common good? Brueggemann's work is for churches who dare to resist the constant temptations of wealth, might, and worldly wisdom, and who seek God's transformation of their specific neighborhoods. He offers scriptural stories that illustrate God's call for our churches to move in this direction, and his words come as sweet encouragement to churches who are starting to take baby steps in this direction. Although sometimes a bit challenging in its form as well as its content, Journey to the Common Good is one book that is worth the effort! This book was published in 2010 and is available at Cokesbury.com.

February's book group discussion will be hosted by Liz Okayama, 4340 N. Marmora, Chicago.

Lay Academy for Chicago Northwestern District, Feb. 19 & 26

Are you a teacher, committee member or officer in your church? Do you share God's Good News and the Love of Jesus with others? We are looking for you! We each "speak" for God through our daily lives and the use of our unique gifts and talents.

Lay Academy: a district-wide annual event

Saturdays, February 19 & 26

8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

First UMC, Park Ridge

All laity and clergy are welcome. These courses will help you better serve your local church. Registration is $35 for both days, including all materials, breakfast and lunch. Flyers with more information are available at the church office. Contact Vivian Matthews for more information.

School spirit!

Thank you to the parents and staff of Norwood Park School for generously donating 162 pumpkin pies for our holiday meal distribution. We were able to provide a full Thanksgiving meal for almost 200 families on Saturday, November 20 and the pies were a big hit! Your support and generosity is appreciated.

Special Thank you

A special thank you to Lisa Kon and all the agents at Baird Warner's Edgebrook Office for holding a coat and food drive for the pantry. They delivered a van of food (and reusable bags!) and a truckload of winter coats to distribute to our clients. The community support is much appreciated!

Scrip Sunday is Coming!

Scrip orders due October 10th and 17th!

As most of you know, this is an ongoing fundraiser for New Hope. When you buy Scrip, you get gift cards to use for shopping, gifts for birthdays or other special occasions, dining out, or whatever you want. New Hope receives a percentage of your purchase, so this is a great way to help New Hope and you don't spend anything extra!

Scrip Sunday order dates: October 10 & 17
Scrip Sunday delivery date: October 24

New order and vendor lists are available in the Sanctuary and the Fellowship Hall on the information tables. Make checks payable to New Hope UMC and give orders and checks to Trudi Enea or Helen Murphy.

Communion Study for Adults and Children

Adults and kids are invited to participate in a special study on the meaning of Holy Communion during the month of October. Rev. Darryl Stephens, our resident deacon, will lead our adult study and it will take place October 10, 17, 24 and 31 following worship. Grab a bite to eat in fellowship hall and adults will gather in the "Brown Room" (next door) for the study. Our children (all ages) will take part in a fun learning experience focusing on communion and worship, while also preparing to lead worship on October 31. A light lunch will be provided for children as well. Led by Pastor Wendy and Deaconess Myka, our kids will meet in the church office and sanctuary. Hope you will plan to join us for this opportunity for education and spiritual growth!

Worship with us in October

Our worship theme for October is "Living the Christian Life: Qualities to Cultivate."

October 3 - "Faith," Luke 17:5-10
October 10 - "Gratitude," Luke 17:11-19
October 17 - "Perseverance," Luke 18:1-8
October 24 - "Humility," Luke 18:9-14
October 31 - "Generosity," Luke 19:1-10

Charge Conference is November 17!

Our annual meeting with our District Superintendent will be Wednesday, November 17 at 7 p.m. Staff-Parish Relations Committee will meet beforehand with Rev. Preston at 6:30. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend!

Church Office staffing update

Helen Murphy continues to recover at home following her back surgery in July. Meanwhile, we give thanks to Norma Miller, who pitched in SO much over the summer and early fall. Norma will return to Florida on October 11. If you can help on Wednesdays or Thursdays in the church office with answering phones, preparing mailings, etc., contact Pastor Wendy at 773-775-1215.

Nurture Volunteer Opportunities

Each of you is invited to consider participating in the special nurture roles that we have available each week.

Greeters arrive 15-20 minutes ahead of worship and welcome members, friends and guests to worship on Sunday mornings with warm smiles and friendly greetings. They hand out worship bulletins and children's bulletins and encourage us to wear our name tags. We are in need of greeters each week for the next few months. Please contact Julie Bruno if you are interested in learning more about serving as a greeter. Training can be provided.

Lectionary readers welcome us to worship at the beginning of each Sunday service and read the Bible lesson(s) for that week. This is an opportunity to actively participate in worship as you come forward to the microphone and speak. Readers are provided with the information they will read by Thursday to allow time for preparation to read on Sunday. You are asked to prayerfully consider participating in worship in this way.

Each week, we gather as a community after worship for fellowship and snacks. We take turns as a community to host the fellowship hour. We are in need of hosts each week that we don't have potluck. Hosting involves bringing snacks to share like breads, crackers, cheese, fruit, veggies, or cookies. The church provides dishes, utensils and drinks. There is a sign-up sheet on the bench as you enter the fellowship room. Set up and clean up assistance is always available.

Girl Scout troop is beginning here at New Hope!

Beginning this fall, New Hope will be hosting a newly formed Girl Scout Troop! The group will meet on Thursday evenings and will be open to girls in Kindergarten through 5th grade. Watch for more news and the faces of smiling girls around the church.
If you would like more information for a child, please contact Patty Johnson.

October topic for Evening Bible Study group

“Beginnings” is an “Intro to Christianity” class and discussion group, led by Pastor Wendy. This will be helpful for those new to our church as well as those who have been followers of Jesus for a long time! The class will include individual study during the week, a video segment and time for discussion. This is a great chance to brush up on the basics for all of us on the spiritual journey. Advance Registration is necessary. E-mail Pastor Wendy or sign up on Sunday morning. The class will begin on October 13 and end the week before Thanksgiving.