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December 8, 2019:

 

 

Welcome, Friends and Family!

Pastor Billy continued the December Advent series with a message called “Trusting In Peace“. Text was from Isaiah 9:6-7. Linda Delost and Diane McCullough lit the Candle of Peace in the Advent wreath.  Their scripture reading was Isaiah 9:6.  Closing prayer was prayed by Blaine Petersen. You can go to the main menu and click WATCH to view this and other past messages. Today’s sermon should be up by Monday afternoon.

Today’s songs were “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree”, “Eye of the Storm”, “Oh Come All Ye Faithful”, “Glorious Day”, and “Who You Say I Am”. 

Ladies, if you purchased a ticket and signed up, December 13, 6:30 pm is your Women’s Merry Mixer Christmas event here at the church. Enjoy the meal and the party!

Ugly Sweater Sunday is NEXT SUNDAY, so let’s be good sports and come up with something clever and amusing.  You just might win a prize, so bring out the hot glue guns, the tinsel, and the tacky bling-bling!

Seniors, note that there are no activities scheduled for you this month. Bible study will resume January 15th.  White Elephant Lunch is January 8th, so listen for more info about that in weeks to come!

Warm Their Soles outreach to the homeless meets at the church this Saturday at 10 am. Anybody is welcome to come.  No experience necessary. The Sandovals can answer your questions about this ministry outing.

Men, Donuts and Devotional will not happen this Saturday.  Next gathering will be in January.

Invite friends to Christmas Eve service here at the church at 5 pm. It will last about an hour. There will be candles, scriptures, and special music to help us remember that JESUS is the reason for the season. Invitations are found at the Connection Table, so take some to share with your friends.

Round of applause for all who donated and signed cards for every inmate in the prison in Joliet and for each man and woman in our neighboring sober living homes. We wrote enough to also share with folks staying at Morning Star Mission.  The Chaplain was greatly appreciative of the many boxes of blank cards you donated so the men could send greetings to their own loved ones.

Special prayers for J.C. McHargue who is still in the hospital following brain surgery last week. Come home soon, J.C.!  Kay Schmidt, you are also missed. We send you good wishes, too. Come back when you can!

Happy 75th birthday to Harvey Ferguson on Tuesday! Happy Birthday to spunky little greeter, Freda Wolfenden on Monday!

After church this morning there was a sweet, brief memorial service for Justice Petersen’s birth mother, Elissa Hively. Thank you to those who set up, decorated, prepared lunch, assisted with the service, and stayed late to clean. Our sympathies are extended to all who loved Elissa.

We will see everybody back again next week by 10 am. If you come a tad early, you can enjoy a snack and a hot beverage provided by our wonderful hospitality team volunteers! Thank you to every person who serves in any capacity here to help this ministry continue to run smoothly!

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December 1, 2019:

 

 

Welcome, Friends and Family!

From the number of us waddling in wearing our elastic waisted pants and drawstring sweats, it appears we certainly enjoyed the bounty of our Thanksgiving dinners! We hope all of you enjoyed some rest and fellowship.

Doesn’t the sanctuary look festive all decked out for the holidays? Thanks to those who came out after Thanksgiving to make God’s house beautiful! You are welcome to use the Christmas trees and manger for family photo backgrounds if you wish.

Pastor Billy kicked off the December Advent series with a message called “Enduring the In Between Time“. Text was from Mark 1:1-8. The Bullaro Family lit the Candle of Hope in the Advent wreath.  Their scripture reading was Jeremiah 33:14-16.  Closing prayer was prayed by Larry DeSando. You can go to the main menu and click WATCH to view this and other past messages. Today’s sermon should be up by Monday afternoon.

Today’s songs were “Everlasting God”, “Joy Unspeakable Joy”, “Even So Come”, and “Holy Spirit”.  Rashaad Gibbs joined the band with guitar today.

Thank you for your donations of non-perishables for the local food pantry! This month’s items will be particularly appreciated since more people than usual find themselves broke at Christmas time!

We continued taking photos for our updated picture directory today, so if you didn’t get that done,  prepare for it NEXT SUNDAY in the children’s area so you can be included in the booklet. Come EARLY before service or go quickly following church so we can be respectful of the photographer’s time! Dec.8th is your last chance!

December 13, 6:30 pm is the Women’s Merry Mixer Christmas event here at the church. Tickets are $10. Sign-up sheets to attend and/or to decorate a table are found on the Connection Table.  Invitations are found at the bistro table in the beautiful bowl of silver sparkle!  Any men wishing to help set up, clean up or serve this evening need to speak with Pat Wozny for more information.

Ugly Sweater Sunday is December 15th, so let’s be good sports and come up with something clever and amusing.  You just might win a prize!

Invite friends to Christmas Eve service here at the church at 5 pm. It will last about an hour. There will be candles, scriptures, and special music to help us remember that JESUS is the reason for the season.

Special prayers for our J.C. McHargue who has been in the hospital this week.  We are thankful Pastor Julian and Kay Schmidt are both home from the hospital!

At noon, following church on Dec.8, there will be a brief memorial service for Elissa Hively, Justice Petersen’s birth mother.  Everyone is welcome to stay and pay respects.

We hope to see everybody back again next week!

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November 24, 2019:

 

 

Welcome, Friends and Family!

Plus One Sunday was a success today! Look what happens when we simply INVITE!  We welcome our many visitors, and hope to see you worship with us again soon.

Pastor Billy was back in the pulpit and delivered a message about Peter denying Jesus called “Before the Rooster Crows Three Times”. Text was from Matthew 26:31-15 and 69-75. This concluded the “Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys” series.   Closing prayer was prayed by Phil Graniczny. You can go to the main menu and click WATCH to view this and other past messages. Today’s sermon should be up by Monday afternoon.

Today’s songs were “Theme from Friends”, “I Am a Friend of God”, “Doxology”, “The Table”, “Thanksgiving Hallelujah”, and “One Thing Remains” for Communion.

We continued taking photos for our updated picture directory today, so if you didn’t get that done, please prepare for it NEXT SUNDAY before or after service in the children’s area so you can be included in the booklet. Come EARLY! This is your last chance! Thank you, Cynthia Petersen for being photographer.

Today several of our bakers came bearing trays of homemade cookies to bless the Fire Dept., the Police Dept., and the Village of Manhattan for the holidays. Everybody needs to feel appreciated. Thanks for being generous with those who serve us!

A good crowd of men gathered at the DeSando home for a night of football, hot dogs, chili and all the fixin’s last Sunday evening.  Thank you, Eileen and Larry for hosting and providing the meal!  Thanks to all who showed up bearing gifts to bless the Warm Their Soles homeless ministry!

Senior Ministry traditional Thanksgiving lunch was very well attended here on Wednesday. Several visitors joined us, and two of them won very classy door prizes!  Thanks to all who decorated, cooked, set up and cleaned up!

Graybars Project thanks you for your overwhelming number of boxes of Christmas cards to bless the inmates in Joliet and the men and women in local halfway houses who have come out of substance abuse treatment programs! How kind!

We are looking for people to help decorate the church for Christmas on Friday, Nov. 29th at noon and Saturday, Nov.30th at 10 a.m.  We are also needing two SLIM Christmas trees 9-10 feet tall, preferably pre-lit.  Sign up at the Connection Table if you can help.

December 13, 6:30 pm is the Women’s Merry Mixer Christmas event here at the church. Tickets are $10. Sign-up sheets to attend and/or to decorate a table are found on the Connection Table.  Invitations are found at the bistro table in the beautiful bowl of silver sparkle! We need MEN to set up, serve, and clean up, too!  Who wants to help?   Pat Wozny can give more information.

Birthday wishes are going out Diane Neakarse on Monday! Zachary Smith and Kevin Ward both celebrate on Tuesday.  Kevin turns the Big 4-0! Saturday marks our friend, Su Parker’s, first birthday Heaven. Prayers for her family as this is a painful day for them. Su is fondly remembered and forever missed.

Special prayers for our Kay Schmidt who is still in the hospital following surgery. She is loved and missed!  We are proud to announce Mikey Nordsell is home from ICU, and Bob Brown is also home and doing well!

We hope to see everybody back again next week.  Remember to bring your items for the food pantry! 

 

 

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November 17, 2019:

 

 

Welcome, Friends and Family!

Pastor Billy was back in the pulpit and delivered a message about Judas called “Betrayed”. Text was from Luke 22:1-6, Exodus 21:32, and Matthew 26.  Closing prayer was prayed by Pastor Bob Smith. You can go to the main menu and click WATCH to view this and other past messages. Today’s sermon should be up by Monday afternoon.

Today’s songs were “Amazing Love”, “Oh, How I Love Jesus/Thank You, Lord”, “This Is Amazing Grace”, “Revelation Song” and “Friends In Low Places”.

If you are a guy who likes football and snacks, you are invited to Larry DeSando’s home in Frankfort tonight, November 17, 6:45 pm to watch the Bears smash the Rams!  How fun! You don’t need to bring any food, but it would be helpful if you could bring an item to benefit Warm Their Soles homeless recipients since this cold weather is miserable on them.

We began taking photos for our updated picture directory today, so if you didn’t get that done today, please prepare for it next Sunday before or after service in the children’s area.  Thank you, Cynthia Petersen for being photographer.

Senior 55+ are invited to Thanksgiving lunch at the church on November 20th at noon at the church.  There is a prize raffle and an additional raffle for anybody bringing a first-time guest! There is a sign-up sheet for attendance and for contributing a dish to share with the others.

Graybars Project thanks you for your generous donations of Christmas cards for inmates and for residents in our local sober living facilities!  If you wish to help sign cards, contact Tammy Smit first, since there are mandatory facility rules that MUST be followed so cards are not rejected. Also, the Joliet Treatment Center gave permission today to allow blank cards to be donated so inmates can write Christmas greetings to their families! They need the cards ASAP, so if you have any to share, they must be brought to church NEXT WEEK.  Any color envelope works in this situation.

December 13, 6:30 pm is the Women’s Merry Mixer Christmas event here at the church. Tickets are $10. Sign-up sheets to attend and/or to decorate a table are found on the Connection Table.   We need MEN to set up, serve, and clean up, too!  Who wants to help?   Pat Wozny can give more information.

We are looking for people to help decorate the church for Christmas on Friday, Nov. 29th at noon and Saturday, Nov.30th at 10 a.m.  We are also needing two SLIM Christmas trees 9-10 feet tall, preferably pre-lit.  Sign up at the Connection Table if you can help.

Congratulations to “Birthday Girl” Dawn Gonda who was presented a certificate of completion for Foundations class from Pastor Bob! After the first of the year he will begin a new class, so watch for that announcement coming soon!

Deepest condolences to Justice Petersen whose birth mother passed away this weekend. Rest in peace, Elissa Hively. Remember these families in your prayers as this death was unexpected.

Special prayers for our Kay Schmidt who is still in the hospital following surgery. She is loved and missed!

We hope to see everybody back again next week for our PLUS ONE service. We are asking each of you to bring ONE extra person (or two, or two dozen) with you to our morning Thanksgiving worship service. Let’s fill up the building and extend warm welcomes to all who find their courage to walk through these doors.

 

 

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November 10, 2019:

 

 

 

Friends, welcome to church on this Veteran’s Day weekend! While we may not KNOW all of them, we certainly OWE all of them respect and a humongous thank you for their service. Our veterans were asked to stand for acknowledgment today.

Pastor Bob Smith was guest speaker and delivered a message called “What It Means To Be A Christian”. Text was from Ephesians 2:1-3.  Closing prayer was prayed by Diane Neakarse. You can go to the main menu and click WATCH to view this and other past messages. Today’s sermon should be up by Monday afternoon.

Today’s songs were “Big House”, “Glorious One”, “In Christ Alone”, and “We Believe”.

Pastor Bob’s “Foundations” class is finished for the year, and he presented certificates of completion to Brian Fischer and Erin Van Kuiken.  Erin was also given a certificate of baptism.  Clapping and cheering for these two!

Larry DeSando led the devotional for the men’s Donuts and Devotional yesterday at the church. Thanks to the guys who rolled out of bed early to attend this monthly fellowship event.

Warm Their Soles homeless outreach crew enjoyed their outing to Morning Star Mission in Joliet Saturday to share Blessing Bags, singing puppets, and fellowship with the residents there.  Everybody is welcome to go each month. Sandovals can give you more information if you are interested!

If you are a guy who likes football and snacks, you are invited to Larry DeSando’s home in Frankfort on Sunday, November 17, 6:45 pm to watch the Bears smash the Rams!  How fun! You don’t need to bring any food, but it would be helpful if you could bring an item to benefit Warm Their Soles recipients.

We are taking photos for our updated picture directory, so that will begin Nov. 17th before and after church.

Senior 55+ are invited to Thanksgiving lunch at the church on November 20th at noon at the church.  There is a prize raffle and an additional raffle for anybody bringing a first-time guest! There is a sign-up sheet for attendance and for contributing a dish to share with the others.

November 24 is our PLUS ONE service. We are asking each of you to bring ONE extra person with you to morning worship service.

Graybars Project prison outreach is accepting glitter-free Christmas cards with white envelopes if you have extras.  This year we will not only send cards to our inmates, but in support of H.E.R.O., we are also sending an encouraging card to each man and woman in the sober living homes (halfway houses) in our local communities.  If you wish to help sign cards, contact Tammy Smit first, since there are mandatory facility rules that must be followed so cards are not rejected.

December 13, 6:30 pm is the Women’s Merry Mixer Christmas event here at the church. Tickets are $10. Sign-up sheets to attend and/or to decorate a table are found on the Connection Table. Pat Wozny can give more information.

Happy birthday to Dawn Gonda on November 16th!  She always does such an efficient job lining up meals for those in our church family when they are in need of some kindness and a hand up!  If you would like to serve in Dawn’s group, ask her about “Fishes and Loaves” and how you can share your lovin’ from the oven!

Happy 9th Anniversary to the Hippenhammers!

 

Special prayers for our Kay Schmidt who is still in the hospital following surgery. She is loved and missed!

Stay warm in this snow!  We hope to see everybody back again next Sunday when Pastor Billy will be back in the pulpit!

 

 

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November 3, 2019:

 

Welcome, friends!  We appreciate you turning back your clocks and showing up on time for Cinnamon Roll Sunday! Let’s read and find out what’s happening here at Revolution Church!

Pastor Billy delivered a message called “I Am a Friend of God” to kick off his new series “Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys”.  Text was from James 2:21-23, Genesis 15:1-6 and Genesis 12:1-5  Closing prayer was prayed by Judy Fash. You can go to the main menu and click WATCH to view this and other past messages. Today’s sermon should be up by Monday afternoon.

Today’s songs were “Unchanging”, “I Am a Friend of God”, “Draw Me Close”, “Who the Son Sets Free”, and “Standing on the Promises”. 

Thanks so much for all the items you gathered today to bless the local food pantry. We will do it again the first Sunday of December.

November 9th offers two opportunities to those who will get out of bed and come to the church on a Saturday morning.  Donuts and Devotional is at 7am and is free for any man. This should last near an hour.  Warm Their Soles homeless ministry to Joliet begins at 10 am, and everyone is welcomed to help and socialize.  Pastor Julian and Pastor Bob can give you answers if you have questions about these events.

If you are a guy and you like football, you are invited to Larry DeSando’s home in Frankfort on Sunday, November 17, 6:45 pm to watch the Bears smash the Rams! You don’t need to bring anything, just sign up at the Connection Table!

We are taking photos for our updated picture directory, so that will begin Nov. 17th before and after church.

Senior 55+ are invited to Thanksgiving lunch at the church on November 20th at noon at the church.  There is a prize raffle and an additional raffle for anybody bringing a first-time guest! There is a sign-up sheet for attendance and for contributing a dish to share with the others.

November 24 is our PLUS ONE service. We are asking each of you to bring ONE extra person with you to morning worship service.

Graybars Project prison outreach is accepting glitter-free Christmas cards with white envelopes if you have extras.  This year we will not only send cards to our inmates, but in support of H.E.R.O., we are also sending an encouraging card to each man and woman in the sober living homes (halfway houses) in our local communities.  If you wish to help sign cards, contact Tammy Smit ASAP.

Praise to God for blessing our people with improved health! Tom Williamson and George Carroll are now declared cancer free! Kay Schmidt is progressing positively and quickly after her cancer surgery last week! Yay! Thank you, Lord!

Happy birthday to deaconess Michelle Grifford on Saturday!

Stay warm!  We hope to see everybody back again next Sunday!

 

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October 27, 2019:

Welcome, friends!  We appreciate you coming to this page to catch up on our latest news today! 

Pastor Billy delivered a message called “Fear of the Devil” to conclude the series “Fear- What’s Holding You Back?”.  Portions of his text were from Luke 4:1-13 and 2 Corinthians 11:13-15.  Assisting on stage with the fish hook drama was George Carroll.  Closing prayer was prayed by Lakeda Vaughn. You can go to the main menu and click WATCH to view this and other past messages. Today’s sermon should be up by Monday afternoon.

Today’s songs were “Open Up the Heavens”, “Enough”, “Lord I Lift Your Name On High”, “Redeemed”, and “10,000 Reasons”.  Thank you, Justin Graniczny for filling in on the drums.  

Monthly prayer meeting was held after dismissal for those who wished to participate, and special laying on of hands healing prayers were prayed for our Kay Schmidt who has major surgery tomorrow. We wish her nothing but the best!

Today was the final day to vote for your favorite inmate art and poetry in Graybars Project’s 4th annual contest. Thanks to all who took time to participate. Poetry notebooks will remain at the table if you want to browse them out at a later date.

Senior Bible Study began at noon at the church on Wednesday. A rotation of teachers will lead a lesson every week other than the week of the monthly senior fellowship event.  Pastor Julian went first. Speak to Kathy Felchlin for more information if you’d like to participate.

Adult costume party was Friday evening at Gary and Donna’s Elwood home with two dozen attending for food and fellowship. Costume winners were Greg and Judy Fash (rednecks), Jamie Voustros and Joey Meskin (Mickey and Minnie), and Tammy Smit (cereal killer).  There were so many silly outfits, and so much laughter.

November 9th offers two opportunities to those who will get out of bed and come to the church on a Saturday morning.  Donuts and Devotional is at 7am and is free for any man. This should last near an hour.  Warm Their Soles homeless ministry to Joliet begins at 10 am, and everyone is welcomed to help and socialize.  Pastor Julian and Pastor Bob can give you answers if you have questions about these events.

If you are a guy and you like football, you are invited to Larry DeSando’s home in Frankfort on Sunday, November 17, 6:45 pm to watch the Bears smash the Rams! You don’t need to bring anything, just sign up at the Connection Table!

We are taking photos for our updated picture directory, so that will begin Nov. 17th before and after church.

Senior 55+ are invited to Thanksgiving lunch at the church on November 20th at noon at the church.  There is a prize raffle and an additional raffle for anybody bringing a first-time guest! There is a sign-up sheet for attendance and for contributing a dish to share with the others.

November 24 is our PLUS ONE service. We are asking each of you to bring ONE extra person with you to morning worship service.

Happy birthday to Greg Struck on Tuesday!

We want to see you back again next Sunday at 10 a.m. Remember it is time change weekend where you roll the clock BACK and get an extra hour of sleep.  As is our tradition, this is called “Cinnamon Roll Sunday” here, so come a bit early and enjoy one with your coffee.   Remember, also, to bring your non-perishables for the local food pantry.

 

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October 20, 2019:

 

Welcome, friends!  Pull up a seat and let’s catch up on our latest news today! 

Pastor Billy delivered a message called “Demonic Oppression” from his new series “Fear- What’s Holding You Back?””.  Portions of his text were from Ephesians 6:10-12 and Luke 11:14-28. Closing prayer was prayed by Gene O’Brien. You can go to the main menu and click WATCH to view this and other past messages. Today’s sermon should be up by Monday afternoon.

Today’s songs were “Power in the Blood/Are You Washed in the Blood, “Let the Praises Ring”, “God of Angel Armies”, “You Never Let Go”, and “Lord, Prepare Me to Be a Sanctuary”.

Pastor Miriam led in special prayer for a blessing on tiny Whitney Rosendale who joined us for the first time since her birth a month ago.  She is thriving and has topped four pounds on the scale.  Yay! Congratulations to parents, Rebecca and Dan!

Next Sunday is the final day of Graybars Project’s 4th annual creativity contest. Popular vote determines winners, so browse the bulletin board and the two notebooks at the table at the rear of the church and choose your favorite poems and art. The men work hard and do their best to show off their gifts and talents and win a bit of prize money in time for the holidays.

Senior Ministry’s “Pumpkin Patch Luncheon” on Wednesday was attended by nearly two dozen!! Thank you to all who brought dishes to share.  Prize winners were Grant Cromwell and Mary Sandoval! The miniature pumpkins at each place setting were donated by Theresa Page and decorated by Judy Fash.  Judy is the creative genius also responsible for the gorgeous pumpkin floral centerpieces, too!

Senior Bible Study begins at noon at the church on Wednesday, October 23rd. A rotation of teachers will lead a lesson every week other than the week of the monthly senior fellowship event.  Speak to Kathy Felchlin for more information if you’d like to participate.

Adult costume party is Friday, October 25th, 7 pm at Gary and Donna’s Elwood home!  Get creative with your masquerade and let’s have some laughs over good food.  Looking forward to seeing some oddball outfits coming through the door.  18+ required for invitation.  Sorry, no children at this event. No costume required to attend.

November 9th offers two opportunities to those who will get out of bed and come to the church on a Saturday morning.  Donuts and Devotional is at 7am and is free for any man. This should last near an hour.  Warm Their Soles homeless ministry to Joliet begins at 10 am, and everyone is welcomed to help and socialize.  Pastor Julian and Pastor Bob can give you answers if you have questions about these events.

If you are a guy and you like football, you are invited to Larry DeSando’s home in Frankfort on Sunday, November 17, 6:45 pm to watch the Bears play the Rams! Sign up at the Connection Table!

Senior 55+ are invited to Thanksgiving lunch at the church on November 20th at noon at the church.  There is a prize raffle and an additional raffle for anybody bringing a first-time guest! There is a sign-up sheet for attendance and for contributing a dish to share with the others.

Happy Birthday to Charles Printy today!  Maybe the Birthday Fairy will gift him with a humongous sledgehammer good for bustin’ random stuff on camera!

We were relieved and pleased to see Darren Rych walk in the door after this week’s neck surgery.  We hope his recovery will be speedy!

We want to see you back again next Sunday at 10 a.m. Big thanks to the hospitality table volunteers who will have snack and hot coffee ready when you get here.

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October 13, 2019:

 

Welcome, friends!  Pull up a seat and let’s catch up on our latest news today! 

Pastor Billy delivered a message called “Fear of Sharing Your Faith”, the story of the woman at the well, from his new series called “Fear- What’s Holding You Back?””.  Portions of his text were from Colossians 4:2-6 and John 4:1-30. Closing prayer was prayed by Penny Knott. You can go to the main menu and click WATCH to view this and other past messages. Today’s sermon should be up by Monday afternoon.

Today’s songs were “Leaning On the Everlasting Arms”, “Greatness of Our God”, “Your Love Never Fails”, and “Always”. 

For the remainder of the month you are invited to come early or stay late and vote for your favorite art and poetry submitted by our inmates from Graybars Project during their 4th annual creativity contest. Popular vote determines winners, so browse the bulletin board and the two notebooks at the table at the rear of the church and help these guys and gals win some prizes.

Today was the final Foundations class. Pastor Bob says there will be no more classes through the end of the year.  A new class will begin in January, and he would be happy to have new students.

Yesterday several men rolled out of bed early and came to the church for “Donuts and Devotionals”.  Thank you, Pastor Bob, for delivering the devotional!

Warm Their Soles ministry to the homeless once again went to Joliet to share some love and fellowship yesterday.   If you would like to help pack blessing bags or actually go to the shelter next month, speak to the Sandovals for more information to learn how you can get involved.

Next Senior Ministry meal is a “Pumpkin Patch Luncheon” at noon on Wednesday, October 16th for those 55+. Bring a visitor and your name will go in a pot for a prize basket drawing!  Also, everybody will take home a gift from this event! Sign up to attend and to bring a passing dish.

Senior Bible Study begins at noon at the church on Wednesday, October 23rd. A rotation of teachers will lead a lesson every week other than the week of the monthly senior fellowship event.  Speak to Kathy Felchlin for more information if you’d like to participate.

Adult costume party is Friday, October 25th, 7 pm at Gary and Donna’s Elwood home!  This should be a hoot! Get creative with your masquerade and let’s have some laughs over good food.  18+ required for invitation.  Sorry, no children at this event. No costume required to attend.

Happy Belated Birthday to Heather Smith! Everybody wish Debbie Dobais a Happy Birthday on Tuesday!  Ashley Nordsell turned 11 this week! Happy Birthday to Eileen DeSando!  Happy Anniversary to Phil and Michelle Grifford!  Bob and Rita Wisniewski just celebrated their 51st anniversary! WOW!

We want to see you back again next Sunday at 10 a.m. when Pastor Billy will speak about fear of demonic oppression. Big thanks to the hospitality table volunteers who will have snack and hot coffee ready when you get here.

 

 

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October 6, 2019:

 

 

Hello, and thanks for coming to this site to catch up on our latest news today! 

Pastor Billy is back from vacation and delivered a message, ”Fear and Anxiety”,  from his new series called “Fear- What’s Holding You Back?””.  Portions of his text were from Matthew 6:24-34 and Philippians 5:4-7. Closing prayer was prayed by Pat Wozny. You can go to the main menu and click WATCH to view this and other past messages. Today’s sermon should be up by Monday

afternoon.

Today’s songs were “Blessed Be the Name”, “This Is Amazing Grace”, “I Surrender All”, and “Stand In Your Love”.. 

We thank you for your donations of non-perishables to help stock our local food pantry. We collect again the first Sunday of each month.

Ladies, did you take home a sack full of new clothes and accessories from the Sister’s Closet event yesterday?  Armloads of bargains were flying out the door, so we hope you took advantage of the deals!  Thank you to Pat Wozny and the team of helpers who worked for days to set it all up. Thanks to all who donated clothes and also helped pack up unsold items and racks to restore the building for service today. That was a LOT of work!

Next Senior Ministry meal is a “Pumpkin Patch Luncheon” at noon on Wednesday, October 16th for those 55+. Bring a visitor, and your name will go in a pot for a prize basket drawing! Also, everybody will leave with a small gift this time! Sign up to attend and to bring a passing dish.

Saturday, October 12, 7 am, all men and their male friends are invited to the church for “Donuts and Devotionals”.  This is FREE and a time of friendship and encouragement. Pastor Bob is in charge and can give you more info!

Saturday, October 12,10 am, everybody is invited to meet at the church to carpool to Joliet to minister to the homeless with Pastor Julian’s “Warm Their Soles”.  If you want to help pack the give-away bags, be at the church Thursday at 2 pm.

Adult costume party is Friday, October 25th,7 pm at Gary and Donna’s Elwood home!  This should be a hoot! Get creative with your masquerade and let’s have some laughs over good food.  18+ required for invitation.  Sorry, no children at this event. No costume required to attend if dressing up is not your thang.

For the rest of the Sundays in October come early or stay late and vote for your favorite art and poetry submitted by our inmates from Graybars Project during their 4th annual creativity contest. Popular vote determines winners, so browse the bulletin board and the spiral notebooks at the table at the rear of the church and help these guys and gals win some prizes.Thank you to all who shared their veggies this season! It has been a blessing to those who had no garden.

Condolences to the Hajek family.  Their memorial service for Danny Hajek was held Friday.  Rest in peace, Danny.  You were a fighter til the very end.

Have a blessed week!  Thank you for all you do to help this church grow!  You are needed.  You are appreciated!

 

 

 

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October 3, 2019:

 

 

Hello, and thanks for coming to this site to catch up on our latest news!  Friday’s flood waters are receding, so hopefully nobody had to paddle their kayak to make it to church. We hope none of you had serious damage to your home from the rising waters.

The Knotts are on vacation, so Pastor Julian stepped in and delivered a message called “Tune In” about listening for the voice of God.  Portions of his text were from John 10:1-6 and Matthew 16:13-23. Ethan Fosen and Todd Bullaro assisted on stage with the living illustrations. You can go to the main menu and click WATCH to view this and past messages. Today’s sermon should be up by Wednesday afternoon.

All the music for this morning’s worship was played by guest leader, Rashaad Gibbs. Songs were “Your Love Never Fails”, “Beautiful Jesus”, “The Stand”, “I Stand In Awe”, “Overcame” and “Jesus Paid It All” during Communion.  There was a prayer meeting for those who wished to stay after service and participate.

Next Senior Ministry meal is a “Pumpkin Patch Luncheon” at noon on Wednesday, October 16th for those 55+. Bring a visitor and your name will go in a pot for a prize basket drawing! Sign up to attend and to bring a passing dish.

“My Sister’s Closet”, a ladies upscale shopping event open to the community, will be at the church Saturday, October 5th, 11 am-4 pm. After church some stayed to help move out chairs to make space. Tell your friends and neighbors who love bargain shopping to come check out the clothes and accessories!  Donations will be accepted through September 30. See Pat Wozny for more info.

Saturday, October 12, 7 am, all men and their male friends are invited to the church for “Donuts and Devotionals”.  This is FREE and a time of friendship and encouragement. Pastor Bob is in charge and can give you more info!

Saturday, October 12,10 am, everybody is invited to meet at the church to carpool to Joliet to minister to the homeless with Pastor Julian’s monthly  “Warm Their Soles” outreach. No experience is necessary. Show up, and he can show you what to do.  

Adult costume party is Friday, October 25th, 7 pm at Gary and Donna’s Elwood home!  This should be a hoot! Get creative with your masquerade and let’s have some laughs over good food.  18+ required for invitation.  Sorry, no children at this event.

Happy 35th Anniversary to Tom and Pat Wozny.  Happy 13th Anniversary to Julian and Miriam Sandoval! Happy 50th Birthday to Debbie Struck!  Happy Birthday to little Elisabeth Hippenhammer!

Best wishes to Carrie Grafrath who moved to New York yesterday.  She will surely be missed! She plans to return to the area now and again, and we hope she will visit us here at church when she does.

If you are an NBC Today Show watcher, you might want to tune in on Friday, October 4th as Bruce and Tammy Smit will be featured in a story filmed in Frankfort! How fun!

See everybody back next Sunday at 10 am when Pastor Billy will be back in the pulpit, and the music team will be together again to lead us in worship. Remember to bring your non-perishables for the food pantry collection, too!

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September 23, 2019:

 

Hello, and thanks for coming to this site to catch up on our latest news today!

This morning’s songs were “Everlasting God”, “Holy Is the Lord”, “All the People Said Amen”, “We Fall Down”, “How Great Is Our God” and “How Great Thou Art”.

Pastor Billy completed his new series, “I DON’T LIKE YOU” with a message called “Unity in Relationships” dealing with harmony and the beauty of diversity in the body of Christ. Portions of the text were from Ephesians 3:…, Genesis 1:26-27 and Ezekial 3:26-27.  Larry Dedmon and Bob Schuler were the jousters.  You can go to the main menu and click WATCH to view this and other past messages. Today’s sermon should be up by Monday afternoon.

The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce presented us a framed certificate of our First Place win in the 2019 Labor Day Parade!  Woo-Hoo!

Kids’ Harvest Carnival (Hallelujah Hoedown) was yesterday at the church.  There was a puppet show, face painting, tattoos, jump house enjoyed by kids AND adults, carnival games, popcorn, hot dogs, sno-cones, and gazillions of prizes.  The giant parade puppet, Kylie, and an energetic T-Rex stood by the highway waving folks inside. Some of you purchased pumpkins and fall décor at a farm stand manned by local folks. Huge thanks for all who set up, cleaned up, donated, and supported this treat for our community

We had 11 entries in our chili cookoff at the hoedown!  People’s Choice awards netted a four-way TIE for first! Congratulations to Bob Smith, Diane McCollum, Judy Fash, and Jo Ann Preston!!

Senior Ministry’s “Winner Winner Chicken Dinner” was Wednesday at the church with about 30 attending! Thanks to all who brought a dish to enjoy alongside the fried chicken. Prize basket winners were Sonia McHargue, Grant Cromwell, and Brenda Hajek.  Next meal is a “Pumpkin Patch Luncheon” at noon on Wednesday, October 16th. 

“My Sister’s Closet”, a ladies upscale shopping event open to the community, will be at the church Saturday, October 5th,11 am-4 pm. Tell your friends and neighbors who love bargain shopping to come check out the clothes and accessories!  There is a sign-up sheet for those who want to volunteer to set up or work the actual event. Donations will be accepted through September 30. See Pat Wozny for more info.

Thank you to all the families who have shared men’s clothing and household items for the new sober living homes that opened this month in our nearby community. Several of these people transitioning from the local drug treatment programs have been in the Dept. of Corrections, so for these reasons, HERO (Heroin Epidemic Relief Organization) and Graybars Project prison outreach are joining forces for this one September project to gather needed items.  There are needs lists posted on the bulletin board if you have extra items to share.

Saturday, October 12, 7 am, all men and their male friends are invited to the church for “Donuts and Devotionals”.  This is FREE and a time of friendship and encouragement. Pastor Bob is in charge and can give you more info!

Saturday, October 12,10 am, everybody is invited to meet at the church to carpool to Joliet to minister to the homeless with Pastor Julian’s “Warm Their Soles”. 

Adult costume party is Friday, October 25th,7 pm at Gary and Donna’s Elwood home!  This should be a hoot! Get creative with your masquerade and let’s have some laughs over good food.  18+ required for invitation.  Sorry, no children at this event.

Congratulations to Dan and Rebecca Rosendale on the birth of little Whitney!  She surprised us by showing up much earlier than expected, weighing in at near 3 lbs! Prayers that she will grow and thrive and get to leave the hospital in a few weeks.

The Knotts will be on vacation Thursday-Tuesday and have kindly requested us to not call or text with church related matters that other staff can handle in their absence so they can rest. See everybody back next Sunday at 10 am to hear Pastor Julian deliver the message.  Have a blessed week!

 

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September 15, 2019:

 

 

Hello, and thanks for coming to this site to catch up on our latest news today!

This morning’s songs were 1970’s Canned Heat hit, “Let’s Work Together” featuring Phil Graniczny, “Eye of the Storm”, “He Reigns”, “We Believe”, “You Never Let Go” and “Family of God”.

Pastor Billy continued his new series, “I DON’T LIKE YOU” with a message called “Unity in the Church” dealing with harmony and the beauty of diversity in the body of Christ. Text was from 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 and Ephesians 4:1-3.  Children’s church also taught on the same topic with Magic Autumn creating a fantastic and intricate child-sized balloon figure showing the kids how all the parts are needed and fit together.  Miriam Sandoval delivered the closing prayer. You can go to the main menu and click WATCH to view this and other past messages. Today’s sermon should be up by Monday afternoon.

Senior Ministry’s “Winner Winner Chicken Dinner” fellowship meal is at noon, Sept. 18th at the church.  Sign up if you wish to come and bring a dish to pass. There will be special drawings for prizes, so be sure to come and invite a buddy or two.

Kids’ Harvest Carnival (Hallelujah Hoedown) is Saturday, September 21 at 11 am at the church.  There will be a puppet show in the parking lot, jump house, music, and a chili cook off, so bring grandkids and neighbors to share in the fun. If you want to help, speak to the Sandovals about volunteering, and sign up indicating your preference of where you wish to serve. You can also help us advertise by sharing the post on your Face Book. Contestants should bring their chili in a crockpot with a serving ladle.

Thank you to all the families who have shared men’s clothing and household items for the new sober living homes that opened this month in our nearby community. Several of these people transitioning from the local drug treatment programs have been in the Dept. of Corrections, so for these reasons, HERO (Heroin Epidemic Relief Organization) and Graybars Project prison outreach are joining forces for this one project to gather needed items.  There are needs lists posted on the bulletin board if you have extra items to share in September.

“My Sister’s Closet”, a ladies upscale shopping event open to the community, will be at the church Saturday, October 5th. Tell your friends and neighbors who love bargain shopping to come check out the clothes and accessories!  There is a sign-up sheet for those who want to volunteer to set up or work the actual event. Donations will be accepted through September 30. See Pat Wozny for more info..

Saturday, October 12, 7 am, all men and their male friends are invited to the church for “Donuts and Devotionals”.  This is FREE and a time of friendship and encouragement. Pastor Bob is in charge and can give you more info!

Seniors 55+ are invited to a “Pumpkin Patch Luncheon” at noon on Wednesday, October 16th.  Listen for more details and watch for a sign-up sheet coming soon!

Adult costume party is Friday, October 25th,7 pm at Gary and Donna’s Elwood home!  This should be a hoot! Get creative with your masquerade, and let’s have some laughs over good food.  18+ required for invitation.  Sorry, no children at this event.

Prayers for Tom Williamson who has a medical procedure first thing Thursday morning.

Happy Birthday to Chelsey Grafrath!

See everybody back next Sunday at 10 am. Pastor Billy will be speaking on unity in relationships.

 

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September 8, 2019:

Hello, and thanks for coming to this site to catch up on our latest news on this rainy Sunday!  We have Judy Fash to thank for all the autumn decorations in the back of the church! It’s beginning to look a lot like fall around here.

This morning’s songs were “Sweet By and By”, “If We Are the Body”, “Lay ‘Em Down”, “Mighty to Save”, and “Create In Me A Clean Heart”.

Pastor Billy continued his new series, “I DON’T LIKE YOU” with a message called “Unity in Purpose”, the parable of the sheep and the goats. Text was from Matthew 25:31-46 and Matthew 24:42-44. Cynthia Petersen delivered the closing prayer. You can go to the main menu and click WATCH to view this and other past messages. Today’s sermon should be up by Monday afternoon.

Samantha Jasinski’s last Sunday was today as she is preparing to leave for college in England! She and her mom were called to the front for laying on of hands and a prayer of blessing.  She will surely be missed!  We will post an address as soon as we know it.

Guys, we took FIRST PLACE in the non-profit division of Manhattan Labor Day Superheros Parade on Monday! We had colorful puppets, a live music float, walkers passing out candy, and Miriam’s humongous walking puppet that stole the show!  Thanks to those who donated candy and those who loaned us trucks and the trailer.  We appreciate all the time and energy invested by those who created cool costumes, decorated, and got the word out to help us shine in the community!  FUN!  FUN! FUN!

Men’s Quarterly Breakfast was Saturday at the church with nine attending.  Menu was potatoes, bacon, pancakes, and eggs. Pastor Bob gave the devotional. Thanks to all who rolled out of bed to show up!

Warm Their Soles homeless outreach is 10 a.m. the second Saturday of each month.  Just show up at the church, and the Sandovals will put you to work when the group drives to Joliet. They are all the time needing new socks, granola bars, and bottles of water for their Blessing Bags if you’d like to contribute!

Senior Ministry’s “Winner Winner Chicken Dinner” fellowship meal is at noon, Sept. 18th at the church.  Sign up if you wish to come and bring a dish to pass. There will be special drawings for prizes, so be sure to come and invite a buddy or two.

It was brought to our attention there are new sober living homes opening this month in our nearby community, and they are in need of men’s clothing, bedroom furniture, linens, and miscellaneous items to house the folks transitioning out of drug treatment programs.  Several of these people have been in the Dept. of Corrections, so for these reasons, HERO (Heroin Epidemic Relief Organization) and Graybars Project prison outreach are joining forces for this one project to gather needed items.  There are lists posted on the bulletin board if you have extra items to share that you no longer need.

Kids’ Harvest Carnival (Hallelujah Hoedown) is Saturday, September 21 at 11 am at the church.  There will be a puppet show in the parking lot, jump house, music, and a chili cookoff!  If you want to help, speak to the Sandovals about volunteering and sign up indicating your preference of where you wish to serve. You can also help us advertise by sharing the post on your Face Book.

“My Sister’s Closet”, a ladies upscale shopping event open to the community, will be at the church Saturday, October 5th. See Pat Wozny for more info or to donate clothing. There is a sign-up sheet for those who want to volunteer to set up or work the actual event.

Did you get your Revolution Church and Shine.Fm decals yet? Be sure and pick them up from the Connection Table.

Special thanks to the Knotts for sharing a sack of hand-picked Michigan apples with us today. Hope you got yours! Our favorite variety of apple is “free”.

Everybody wish Larry & Debbie a Happy 35th wedding anniversary! Welcome Harvey Ferguson back to Illinois! It’s always good to see him walk through the door!

See everybody back next Sunday at 10 am. Pastor Billy will be speaking on unity in the church. 

 

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