This is the season of Easter. It is a time to be reminded that we are not only Lectionary people. We are also Resurrection people. The Christian movement began in a city called Jerusalem but now extends to the four corners of the world. One of the reasons for this expansion (from four people huddled at a cross to billions of followers) is because Resurrection people are people who include. Whatever continent you can name, whatever country holds your heritage, Christians included people who may have been your distant relatives.

One great form of love and hospitality is to include. We invite a friend to a famous St. Paul's Fish Fry. We include them. Someone in high school wants their friend to join their club or sport. They have enjoyed the activity so much, and now they want their pal to also benefit. One aspect of the resurrection is that new life is now unleashed, because of the broke-open tomb. Christians have always wanted their friends and neighbors to be included in the good things of God.

An aspect of the call of the resurrection upon our lives is to be a people that include. We avoid beating people over the head and being obnoxious. Rather, we always hold out gracious hands and hearts to any who may be interested or seeking God. So, a la David Letterman, I put forth to you a "Top Ten List." 10 things St. Paul's could do or is doing, as a resurrection people, to include as many as may be interested in a deeper spiritual life.

10. Signs on 25th. Avenue that say "St. Paul's United Church of Christ Two Blocks." (This helps to include someone new to the community or unfamiliar with church locations.)

9. Open House Sunday. We advertise a particular Sunday and personally invite colleagues and neighbors to the specially put together service and activities for this Sunday.

8. Open House Sunday School. We make plans to invite the children of our neighborhood to a special Sunday School event, and see where this may take us.

7. Continue our partnership with the church (Santa Maria de Guadalupe) that shares space with us. Resurrection people include each other as well!

6. Continue our excellent ministries of Share Wear, Food Pantry, supporting Night Ministry, etc. In this way we include people in God's love, some of whom we may never meet.

5. Develop a church mind set: "No visitor goes ungreeted!" If we see someone on a Sunday morning whom we do not know, we will make it our business to greet them.

4. Welcome Wagon. Work with the local government(s) to get a list of people who move in to our community. Then, show up with some cookies and God's grace!

3. Invite a special speaker to speak to one of the needs facing our community. This could be anything from financial planning to funeral planning. We include people when we speak to their needs.

2. Continue the excellent events such as Fish Frys and Barbeques. Everyone needs a good time and good friendships.

1. Develop an "Adult Confirmation" program that helps people new to the faith or wanting to brush up on their faith. This helps to include those wanting to go deeper in their faith, and those wishing a greater understanding of the Christian life.

Ten things seems intimidating. But the point of a "Top Ten List" is not to create busy work for us. Rather, as resurrection people, we are a people who include. So often pastors are accused of not being practical, but as being too "pie in the sky. " Well, the list above is very practical. God died to include you in His love. The Christian way has always been to extend a welcome and to include others. Which of the above ten things could you help to make happen? After all, it’s the season of Easter. We are resurrection people. We are those whose joy it is to include others.

Rev. Brad Thompson

I think spring has finally arrived! It is warm outside and the flowers are beginning to poke their heads out of the ground. I don’t know about you, but I thought winter was long this year and spring would never arrive. It seems as Easter approaches, our minds go to the idea of new life. This idea comes to us as I see the new flowers and trees blooming and as we listen to the Easter message. New life continues to sprout at St. Paul's too. One major sign of this was our Good Friday bi-lingual service with Santa Maria Guadalupe. There is definitely a renewed spirit at St. Paul's!

Our next mission project for the Night Ministry is the collection of hygiene kits that will be collected for distribution to the homeless and less fortunate people who live on our streets. Please read the items that are needed in The Visitor (page #5 ) and donate whatever you can. Remember… they should be the small travel size because the recipients do not have a place to store items.

The Council would also like to thank Pastor Nyquist for giving us so much of his time and talents as our visitation pastor. He does this as a volunteer and our shut-ins have said how important his visits are to them. Please remember, if you would like a visit, you must call the church office so we can let Pastor Nyquist know of your request.

We have many exciting events planned in the months ahead. Please check The Visitor for all upcoming events so you won’t miss any. Remember our backyard BBQ is May 30th at 3:00 pm and the yard sale is coming in July, so start sorting out your "treasures" and get them ready for the big sale!

Have a happy and warm May. May the peace of God be with you,

Debbie Wisowaty
Council President

Save the Date - Saturday, May 16, 2009
9:00 a.m. until Noon
Child Identification Program

Boy Scout Troop 152, led by Scout Master Martin Markiewicz, in conjunction with the Masons of Illinois, will be holding an identification workshop at St. Paul's in the Fellowship Hall on Saturday, May 16, 2009 from 9:00 a.m. until Noon. The program is called the Illinois Child Identification Program (IL CHIP) and is sponsored and paid for by the Freemasons of Illinois. It is entirely FREE OF CHARGE TO PARENTS.

Here is what the parent will receive at this IL CHIP EVENT for each child:

COLOR PHOTO - that records image and height and is digitized on a CD.
DNA SAMPLE - taken through a saliva cheek swab. (This is the latest tool in the scientific arsenal to make positive ID's of lost children.)
FINGERPRINTS - will be taken - the oldest form of positive identification since they are unique to every person.
RECORDED INTERVIEW - captured on the same CD as the picture, the appearance, speech patterns, personal characteristics and mannerisms for easy media distribution.

The entire process takes only 10 minutes and will supply parents with a complete child identification package that can be taken home or carried with the family on vacation. The information, most of which is contained on a CD, is compact AND TOTALLY PRIVATE. The IL CHIP Program keeps only the parental permission form on file.

Thank you to everyone who supported and/or attended our Annual Spring Tea! Thanks to the Super St. Paul's cooks and bakers, the set-up and clean-up crew and for the donations of items for our basket raffles. As usual, it was an afternoon of great food, good fellowship and splendid entertainment from "Not the Three Tenors...but the Two Olga's" -- soloist Olga Saad and our own pianist Olga Sklyanskaya! Bravo!