 July 2026 Vol.I, No.7 |
| Welcome to the new format for the this edition of The Ivy Vine, Ivy Chapel’s monthly newsletter-please click at the bottom of the email to view the entire newsletter in this format. The newsletter can be opened in a pdf format by clicking this link. If you would like a pdf format of the Vine emailed, please contact Kara in the office at ivychapelucc@ivychapel.org . |
| July’s Message from our Pastor -Rev. Dr. Carol Trissell |
| Each year after Christmas and before New Year’s Day, it is common for us as human beings to reflect back on the year that is ending. The word “retrospective” is drawn from a Latin word that is translated as “to look back”. According to Merriam Webster, a retrospective is “an analysis, review, or contemplation of past events, experiences, or produced works.” July brings an end to the first 12 months of my ministry with Ivy Chapel as Interim Pastor. I have been contemplating what we have accomplished together. My retrospective on outreach to our community has been presented to the Council and will be shared with the congregation in August. There will be other reports to complete and present in the near future as well. As an internal processor, I have been spent time sitting in the sanctuary, looking through photos, praying, and remembering. To create a shared retrospective, this all has to stir around inside my spirit. Then I add a healthy dose of self-awareness (thank you, clinical pastoral education!). Finally, I listen for the Spirit to speak before sharing with you all. As of this moment, it is still processing. More than any task or plan, I want to express my gratitude to all of you as community members of Ivy Chapel. These 12 months have energized dormant gifts God had given me. They have stretched my spiritual discipline of study and reflection needed for weekly preaching and writing devotionals. They have led me to strive to be a better pastor and a better person than ever before. In summary, I have been richly blessed! This community known as Ivy Chapel deserves the very best any Pastor can offer. Your compassion for others, your genuine joy in being together, and your willingness to open these doors so that “whosoever” may come to know Christ, are fruits of the Spirit evident in this place. Ivy Chapel is not perfect. No gathering of human beings is perfect. Yet, I see in you a hope to grow, to continue, and to expand your reach so that others may experience what you have already discovered in community with God and with one another. May the grace of God our Creator, the love of Jesus Christ our Redeemer, and peace of the Holy Spirit our Sustainer be with you all! |
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| 5 July 2026, Sixth Sunday after Pentecost: Genesis 24:34-38; 42-49; 58-67,Psalm 45:10-17, Romans 7:15-25a, Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 12 July 2026, Seventh Sun after Pentecost: Genesis 25:19-34,Psalm 119:105-112, 11 Romans 8:1-11, Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 19 July 2026, Eighth Sun after Pentecost: Genesis 28:10-19a,Psalm 119:105-112, Romans 8:1-11, Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 26 July 2026, Ninth Sun after Pentecost: Genesis 29:15-28, Psalm 105:1-11, 45bor Psalm 128, Romans 8:26-39, Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 2 August 2026, Tenth Sun after Pentecost: Genesis 32:22-31, Psalm 17:1-7, 15,Romans 9:1-5, Matthew 14:13-21 All of the scripture we use for worship can be found through this link to the Vanderbilt University library’s lectionary collection. |
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 THANK YOU!!! Ivy Chapel and community members continue to show their wonderful spirit and generous nature by FULLY FUNDING the upgrades to our front doors before the work began! The doors are being upgraded June 30th and July 1st and the new security measures finalized on July 2nd.They will be ready and operational for Sunday worship on July 5th- we hope to see you there! |
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| Mark your calendar for Sunday, July 19th at 11:30am to learn all about the safety upgrades and how to use our new electronic door system. You can make a morning of it when you start by joining us for worship at 10am, enjoy Fellowship with coffee and treats following worship, and then stay to be ‘in the know’ on how the new system works–you won’t need a key!!! Please contact Kara in the office with any questions 314-434-4991 or ivychapelucc@ivychapel.org |
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| Each month the Ivy Chapel Council will provide an update to the Ivy community in the monthly newsletter, The Ivy Vine, regarding the search for our new Pastor. If there are special updates those will also be announced in the weekly KYP’s and posted on the website. |
| SEARCH UPDATE:The Settled Pastor Search Committee is finalizing our church profile in order to post the position listing through the UCC Missouri Mid-South Conference. Weexpect to have it ready for approval by Council and then the UCC MissouriMid-South Council by middle of July, after which the profile will be posted. Thank you for your continued support of the committee and Ivy. |
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| –Ivy Chapel Youth, Tara Lowry and Linda Lowry all the work and effort they put forth preparing and providing a meaningful Youth Sunday worship on June 7th. –Ivy Chapel congregation and all who helped make the “Homecoming Sunday” a success and a special time for all. |
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| The Trustees have scheduled the teams to replace the front doorlocking mechanism and upgrade to ADA compliant doors with push buttons to open to start the end of June/beginning of July.Trustees also continue to maintain the property and mow the grass, even with tractor issues! |
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| The Mary and Martha Women’s Group will meet on Tue, July 21st at 1 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room. We will discuss plans for the Salad Luncheon which is the following Sunday, July 26th. The suggested donation is $10.00 and the money will be divided between Ivy Chapel and the Uganda Mission brought to us by Dave Mentzel. |
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| THANK YOU!!!! Ivy’s youth led worship on Sunday, June 7th and we were gifted with a wonderful and timely lesson about what is truly important and how something small can be the biggest of all! (Matthew 13:31-32) The Confirmation Class and YOUTH101 class will be taking a pause for the summer. They will start up again closer to school starting —be on the look out for more information regarding the dates and timing for the classes. Sunday School will still happen on the first and third Sundays of the month after the Children’s Worship portion of the service. |
| Please Let Tara know if you have any questions regarding the Youth by contacting her at tara@ivychapel.org |
| July 5— Sunday School for ALL youth following the Children’s Message* July 12—Grab a worship bag and join us for the service July 19— Sunday School for ALL youth following the Children’s Message* July 26—Grab a worship bag and join us for the service Aug 2— Sunday School for ALL youth following the Children’s Message* *may change, please check with Christian Education as needed |
Media Team Recruitment! Are you interested in helping move Ivy Chapel towards more interaction with the community through our media outreach? Join the media team! The next meeting will be July 5th after Fellowship time. Help us to shape the future of Ivy online! |
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| In order to safeguard the privacy of our community members, Ivy Chapel is changing the information we share in our online publications, including our website. Contact information for our Care Corp volunteers, and “Who to Call for What” is available by contacting the church office. It is also posted in our Narthex. This information and the Ivy Chapel Directory will no longer be available on our website in order to protect members’ privacy. Ongoing changes are also being made to listings for birthdays and prayer requests. If you have questions about the changes, please contact the church office. |
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| The ‘Bag of Blessings’ request for July from Isaiah58 is listed below. Please leave any items on the shelf in the closet designated for them. Food— Oatmeal Canned Fruit Pantry Essentials — Seasoning & Spices Personal Care Items — Toilet Paper Cleaning Supplies — Dish Soap Summer increases the need for families who have food insecurity. Children are home from school and are not having their nutritional needs met. The request from Circle of Concern is for cereal/oatmeal, snacks (8-12 servings), and condiments. All items can be left on the lower left hand shelf in the closet area. Thank you!♥ |
| July Birthdays: Stephen Lowry – Jim Sheahan – Chris Moody – Tyler Ray Elizabeth Schurwan – Jessica Kempa – Bill Pasia – Cole Winship |
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| 5 July– Don Wolf and John Weiland communion preparer Donna Grote 12 July– Earl and Kay Kreder 19 July– Dottie foster and Gail Thoele 26 July– Kathryn Kuntzman and Jack Molyneaux 2 August –Julie McAlister and Dave Mentzel |
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| 5 July– Linda Lowry 12 July– John Weiland 19 July– Jim French 26 July– Audrey Farrell 2 August– Blair Bittick |
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| July- Dottie Foster — Leader Gail Thoele — Co-leader August Debbie Glenn — Leader Evelyn Stecher — Co-leader Please reach out to the office if you need their contact information. |
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| please click here for a downloadable July calendar. –Independence Day, Saturday, July 4 —Sixth Sunday of Epiphany Worship, Sunday, July 5, 10 am –Coffee Fellowship, Sunday, July 5, after worship —Office Closed for Independence holiday, Friday- Tuesday, July 3-7 –Deacons Meeting via Zoom, Tuesday, July 7, 7pm —Seventh Sunday of Epiphany Worship, Sunday, July 12, 10 am –Coffee Fellowship, Sunday, July 12, after worship –Council Meeting via Zoom, Monday, July 13, 7pm –Men’s Luncheon, Wednesday, July 15, Talayna’s Pizzeria, 11:30 am —Eighth Sunday of Epiphany Worship, Sunday, July 19, 10am –Coffee Fellowship, Sunday, July 19, after worship –Mary & Martha Women’s Group Meeting, Tuesday, July 21, 1pm —Ninth Sunday of Epiphany Worship, Sunday, July 26, 10am –Salad Luncheon Fundraiser, Sunday, June 21st after worship —Tenth Sunday of Epiphany Worship, Sunday, Aug. 2, 10am –Coffee Fellowship, Sunday, Aug. 2, after worship |
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