Record turnout for Blessing of the Animals!

Thanks to everyone who brought their furry (or shelled) friends to the 11th annual Blessing of the Animals at Ivy Chapel. We had a record turnout this year, despite the weather. And an extra-special thank you to everyone who made donations the Bi-State Pet Food Pantry. The food and funds will go a long way to helping struggling local families keep their pets in these tough economic times.

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“Adopt” a new idea for fall…

Chris Adams, director of volunteers for Emmaus Homes, gave a brief presentation about EH during worship at Ivy Chapel  on Aug. 28.  A concept she’s developed to give more people opportunities to interact with Emmaus clients involves ‘adoption’ of an Emmaus community home.

Chris is looking for families or congregations to serve as pilots for this new idea that partners groups with Emmaus community residences.  Given our existing relationship with Ross House residents, who regularly attend worship (and always enjoy coffee hour and the picnic), this initiative seems like a natural fit with Ivy Chapel.  The goal is to provide diverse voluntary opportunities for Ivy members, depending on interests and comfort level.  Some involvement may be with the house grounds; other engagements may be one-on-one with residents; others may just be simple extensions of activities we already do–like adding Ross House to the sites where youth Christmas carol.

Nancy Litzinger is recruiting members to work with Chris Adams and the Ross House manager to identify needs and set parameters for the project.  If you’re interested in helping lay the groundwork for this pilot partnership, contact Nancy: 314-434-4162; nancywl@sbcglobal.net

Youth Mission Trip this week

Ivy Chapel’s Alpha Omega youth group is headed on a mission trip this week!

Stop by here for updates and photos, or join the Alpha-Omega Facebook group.

We look forward to sharing the week with you!

Unexpected guests invade picnic!

We invited local entertainer Serengeti Steve to our Spring picnic… and he brought along several of his pets, much to the delight of most at the picnic — and to the chagrin of the more skittish among us.

Thanks to Debbie Washburn for organizing the event, and for the whole crew of volunteers who made it a great event.

Check out photos in the album below:

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Youth Challenge: Collection for Joplin

Our youth would like to challenge us with an invitation!  The Spirit of God is moving us to help others.  We are extremely blessed.  Let’s give!  We are gathering items to assist people in their continuing recovery from the devastating tornado in Joplin, Missouri.  Please bring what you can to Ivy Chapel UCC at our Church Picnic on Sunday, June 5^th. Pastor Dan will take our gifts to our MMS UCC Conference Annual Gathering on June 10.

Needed items are listed below:

bottled water

ready to eat food (protein bars, beef jerky, individual portioned foods, etc.)

diabetic friendly food

tarps

rope

lawn and garden bags

diabetic supplies (gauze, syringes, etc.) ;

five-gallon buckets;

scouring pads;

sponges;

scrub brushes;

cleaning towels (reusable, like Easy Wipes®);

dry laundry detergent;

liquid concentrated household cleaner;

liquid disinfectant dish soap;

packages of clothespins

clothesline (two 50 ft. or one 100 ft.)

dust masks;

latex gloves (like Playtex®);

work gloves;

heavy-duty trash bags (30-45 gallon)

You can drop off your items starting immediately.  There are designated boxes in our church entryway.

Youth Sunday Reflections

It’s beyond a cliché to say that our children are our future. But if you were at Ivy Chapel for Youth Sunday, you’d definitely be feeling good about the days and years ahead. The Youth of Ivy Chapel led all aspects of worship on May 22. Their interpretations of the Word of God and their reflections on faith were truly inspirational.

Here are a few photos from the worship:

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News from Instituto El Rey

We received this letter from our friends, Earl and Sharon Washburn, from Instituto El Rey, a school in Honduras. Ivy Chapel is proud to offer support for Instituto El Rey. Several members of our organization are planning to visit the school this summer to support the good work they do.

Greetings to you from the beautiful Cangrejal River Valley of Honduras! We pray that you all are well and in good health, and that the peace of God that passes understanding fills you to overflowing!

During these days, we need the peace of God! It would seem that the world is full of negatives with all the turmoil going on around us in virtually every nation of the world and the uncertainty that that turmoil brings. The very foundations of nations are being shaken.

God brings to mind two scriptures. The first is found in Romans 8:28, “And we know that God works all things together for good to those who love God and to those who are called according to His purpose”.

The second is found in Proverbs 3:5-6 which is the scripture the Lord gave me at 1:00 am on New Year’s Day 2010, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths”.

So God promises , even during difficult times, that if we acknowledge Him in everything and walk in His purposes, He will work all things together for good!

Here at Instituto El Rey, God continues to move with purpose and power in the lives and hearts of the students and teachers! This year we have 169 students from 14 different villages scattered up and down the Cangrejal River Valley. One of our new 7th grade students begins walking over mountain paths at 4 am in order to reach the bus which arrives shortly after 6 am! By the way, two of our other students who have been getting up at 3:30 in the morning for almost 6 years now, will be graduating! For many of our students to attend IER is not without sacrifice!

What happens here is all about God!

We just completed the 1st quarter of classes, and there were 36 who achieved sobresaliente (A average); But just read this astounding statistic! — 147 out of 169 or 87% had perfect attendance, including 40 out of 44 7th graders!

Each year Sharon is required to hand-carry a list of our new students to the capital, Tegucigalpa. Last week she went to Tegucigalpa for that purpose and has an interesting story to share—

“When I travel to the big city I try to take advantage of the bookstores and visiting with our medical students (our IER graduates) when I finish with the government business. This year I found some exciting books for the school library and some good deals on school supplies. I spent time looking for some tables for the outdoor eating and classroom area. There are so many more products available there than we have in La Ceiba. My highlight was visiting with our medical students. They had told me of a classmate who graduated in 2007 who was in the hospital, but I had lost track of the situation. When I met with the kids they reminded me that Dalia was still in the hospital in grave condition. I said we need to go visit her. As 4 and 5th year medical students they have been doing their clinical rounds and have easy entry into the hospital. I had Melvin and Ana with me, then we met with Levi before going into Dalia’s room. To enter the hospital the kids sandwiched me in between their bodies showing their student medical ID’s–even though it was visiting hours I may have had difficulty entering. This particular public hospital is the last stop for people. They either come here to be cured or to die. I am not sure what I was prepared for or if I was prepared at all. When I passed through the gate the Biblical scene that came to my mind was the Pool at Bethesda-with many people crowded around waiting for the waters to move to be healed. Grey-skinned people in hospital beds and stretchers in the parking lot, on the entrance steps and in the lobby with their families. I just kept following the kids. We opted for the stairs, instead of the crowded elevator up to the 6th floor (even the stairs was crowded). Then to Dalia’s room. I could not recognize her, as she had been in bed for four months and had lost a lot of weight. I immediately made my way around the IV tubing and bent down to her ear. After telling her who I was and why I was there I looked at her face for any sign of emotion or recognition. I gave her the little roses we bought and took her hand. Then I looked up to see my kids–the medical students– and I lost it.–just as I am now. Melvin and Ana were talking to her, trying to encourage her and there was Levi in his lab coat looking at her charts. I was so proud of the IER kids doing their job, feeling her atrophied muscles and making their “diagnosis”. I felt for the medical students having to see one of their own age in such ill health and knowing that this was just the beginning of the career that they felt God had let them to. Meanwhile, I kept working with Dalia’s hand and soon felt her squeeze my thumb. Aha! a little beginning. As we continued to chat she began to squeeze my whole hand with more force. I was pleased when Ana told me that she looked improved and her mother said she had begun to eat a little solid food. We all knew that she needed to begin to use her muscles more than the little visit from the physical therapist. We encouraged her to do the leg exercises that she did with the therapist. I found a little stuffed lamb at the top of her bed and suggested that she could squeeze it and move her arm around whenever she could. To make it a little more fun, I suggested that she name the lamb. She decided to call it “Miss Sharon”. Well, with that I tried to keep my emotions together down the 6 floors and out the gate.

I had been to the medical hospital a few years ago (2007) to check on the transfering of classes from the university in La Ceiba to medical school in Tegucigalpa. On that visit I found a tree growing on a retaining wall. It was an older knarled tree and its roots had broken through the wall that was beside the sidewalk. I thought “ok kids, when you think life and studies are difficult just come and look at the tree for your inspiration”. So I found myself with wet eyes passing up the car to find the tree. I did not have to remind them of the tree. They had remembered. I believe Dalia is on the mend and that our visit encouraged her. Please pray for her, for her mental and physical strength and for her spiritual well-being!

Levi, Melvin and Ana are scholarshipped by some of you that will be reading this letter. Be encouraged and proud of your investment! They are IER graduates!!

Without your faithful support and prayers, IER would not exist and none of this would be possible! Thank you so very much!!

Have a most wonderful Easter as you celebrate our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus.

God bless you. We love you all.

Earl and Sharon Washburn

Administrators, IER

washburnier@yahoo.com

www.ierschool.org

Ivy Chapel welcomes new Minister of Music, Anna DiVesta

Ivy Chapel is proud to welcome Anna DiVesta as our new Minister of Music.

We are thrilled she has joined us and so quickly become a part of the Ivy Chapel family. On March 19, she hand her husband, Aaron, celebrated the baptism of their son, Miller, with our congregation.

From a young age, Anna’s parents recognized her musical ability. She played simple melodies on the family piano from a young age, and started lessons at the age of four. By kindergarten, she was playing for her classes, and she was active in her church music program throughout childhood.

“I had a great piano teacher throughout middle school and high school who enrolled me in competitions and gave me my first performance opportunities outside of church and school,” Anna said.

Anna graduated from Western Illinois University in Macomb, where she studied classical piano, jazz piano and organ.  Anna and her husband (also a musician) met in a music store.

“I’m looking forward to becoming part of the Ivy Chapel family and helping others share their musical talent,” Anna said. “I also look forward to growing with the church, with the music ministry and with my own faith.

The UCC on TV

The United Church of Christ is running a television ad during lent, sharing with the world our message of inclusion. Ivy Chapel is proud to support this effort. In case you didn’t catch the ad on the air, here it is. Let us know what you think in the comments below.

March Recycling Drive… Put it in the bin!

The good folks at Abitibi have offered us a challenge. If we recycle more than we did last March — 3.13 tons — we’ll raise twice the money we normally would. We get $5 per ton under 4 tons, and $15 per ton after that. Think you’ve got some old paper lying around that could help us reach our goal? If so, drop it off in the green bin in the lower lot here at Ivy. All money raised goes to support our youth programs.

Here’s a bit more about our recycling program:

RECYCLE YOUR PAPER—AND YOUR MAGAZINES!

WHAT GOES IN THE BIN?
It may surprise you what does and does not go in the recycling bin.
Here’s a quick list.

YES – put me in the bin!

Newspapers & Inserts, Magazines & Catalogs, Office/School Papers & Mail

NO – STOP, I can’t be recycled here!

Cardboard, food boxes, fiberboard or chip board, no textbooks or hard cover books, no phone books.  Plastic, glass, metals or trash.

However – many of these items MAY be recycled in your curb-side recycling.

Also, remember the blue bin is for aluminum recycling only.

E-mail us for more information about recycling at Ivy Chapel.

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