Getting to Know Our Church Family…  Matt Peters

– By Karen Knight

At age 23, most of us could not say we were homeowners.  At 23, Matt Peters has already been a homeowner for a year of a house he shares with two cats.

Matt grew up in Urbana.  As an infant, he was baptized at Grace where his grandparents, John and Carol Troeger, attended.  After having lived away, the family moved back to Urbana.  Matt attended Yankee Ridge School along with some other Grace children including Mandy Wood.  Mandy and Barb invited him to visit Grace.  He started attending Sunday school and went through confirmation and become a member of Grace.

Through blended families, three young boys are lucky to call Matt ‘big brother’, Jordan, Christian, and Alec.  Being the oldest brother is a job he seems to enjoy.  As a child, Matt liked playing with Matchbox cars and now, with the help of his grandparents in Florida, he collects models of Hess Oil Company vehicles.  He is currently attending Parkland part-time and hopes to complete a degree in business administration through Eastern Illinois University.  

Having an out-going, friendly personality and a love of cars have served Matt well.  He has worked in sales at the Worden-Martin Nissan Subaru store for over 4 years.  He is also truck manager and orders and prices trucks for the dealership.

As everyone has no doubt heard by now, Rev. Mike was absent from the Sunday worship service on October 30 due to the fact that he had just gotten married! Many members of the congregation attended an Open House at the parsonage on Saturday afternoon to meet his new wife, Jane. Our prayers are with them for a long and happy life together, and for the strength and faith to cope with complications due to immigration issues.   (By Linda Entwistle, from the Weekly Update) 

Birthdays

November                             December

 2 – Adam Burns                                                  1 – Martha Rose Weller

 3 – George Woods                                              3 – Christine Apperson

 4 – Daniel Meador                                              6 – Shirley Judy

 5 – Wanda Adams                                              9 – Lowell Dickey

 6 – Carolyn Dickey                                             9 – Rhoda Willard

15 – Emily Wiedenmann                                    11 – Helen Barcroft

20 – Genelle Ingram                                          14 – Todd Searing

22 – Jeannie Barnett                                          14 – Ina Wooldridge

24 – Benjamin King                                           16 – Laura Christman

26 – Betty Clark                                                19 – Danielle Routh

29 – Madison Routh                                          22 – Walter Crackel

29 – Mary Anne Hudson                                    24 – Byron Willard

30 – Lucille Exton                                             24 – Jay Hoeflinger

                                                                        26 – Bob Sostheim

                                                                        27 – Marcia Burns

                                                                        27 – Barbara Carrington

                                                                        28 – Adam Christman

                                                                        29 – Ron Hudson

                                                                        29 – Rosemary Woods

                                                                        30 – Janice Roy

                                                                        30 – Susan Ferguson

Anniversaries

November                                                      December

13 – Fred & Joan Newmann                               20 – Vic & Laura Christman

16 – Orval & Phylis Jarrett                                 23 – Ed & Pauline Durbin

 22 – Jim & Judy Wright                                     24 – Ray & Bee Allen

Thank You

June & I wish to thank all of you in the Food Ministry who have made Friday evenings so enjoyable for us.

                                                 Bob and June Sostheim

I am so grateful for the cards, visits, food, phone calls and, most especially, the prayers received from the Grace congregation following my recent mastectomy.  I ask for your continued prayers as I enter into a chemotherapy regimen beginning Oct. 21. Thank you!  Thank you!

                                                                   Norma Ripkey

Thank you for your donation.  You act of kindness is appreciated.

                                          Sincerely,

                                          Staff & Residents of the Times Center

To all the great people at Grace:

Thank you for the cards you have sent to me.  It is nice to be remembered.

We really appreciate the church service here at Parkview.

                                                    Love to all,

                                                    Sally Ormiston

Sunday School at Grace                           -   by Karilyn Newnam

“Tell Me the Stories of Jesus…” the song goes, and telling these stories at Grace is a group of dedicated volunteers in the Sunday School program.

The history of Grace Church began with concern for the ability of children in East Urbana to attend Sunday School.  Today, for those children who do not experience Christian education in the home, Sunday school may be the only time they will have to experience Christ and be introduced to Christ’s teaching.

Below is a brief description of Sunday School activities for the Fall:

“Journey Bags” line the walls of the 1^st and 2^nd Grade Sunday School classroom.

The children are studying Abraham and following his journeys on a map, using their journey bags and contents to represent items of the period.  The children have made sandals to go in the journey bags. Stories of Isaac, Esau and Jacob are shared, and crafts and music activities take place during the Sunday School time for this group.

The class is led by Karen Knight, Marilyn Wright, Danielle Routh and Rose McCarthy.

Richard King leads the 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th Grade Sunday School class in a lesson each Sunday along with a Bible story and an activity that relates to the lesson. The current study focuses on the life of the apostle Peter. The youth are given “homework” with questions of how the lesson relates to their lives. If the completed paper is returned the next week, the youth are rewarded with a candy bar.

The Bible story of one activity was from Matthew 7: 24-27, The Wise and Foolish Builders. The youth built two towers, one of wood blocks and the other made with jello squares.  The wood blocks stood firm, while the jello squares collapsed and were eaten.

The Middle and High School girls are led by Joan O’Connell and the curriculum is called “Being Clothed in Christ”.  The lessons are based on Colossians 3: 12 “…clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

The activities involve discussion of the characteristics of Christ’s followers. Scenarios are presented with several choices to be made in different situations. Class discussion is centered around which choice best represents the characteristics of followers of Christ.

The Middle and High School boys are led by Luann Wiedenmann in the study of “The Haves and the Have Nots”. Social, economic and political implications are discussed and how we, as Christians, start thinking about the people who don’t have enough resources to live. The study moves to the theological implications of the responsibilities we have as followers of Christ.

Adult Sunday school Classes

One adult class is just finishing their second book “Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time” by Richard Borg. The class shares the leadership role and spends seven to eight weeks on each book. The class participates in discussion of the book and sharing. The studies are not long term and people are welcome to come to the class at any time. This class meets in the church parlor.

Seekers Sunday school class will be starting a new study, “Surrendering Your Life for God’s Pleasure (Worship) on Nov. 6, at 8:15 am. A surrendered heart is what pleases God most. Each small group session gives you a chance to surrender your heart to God and one another in prayer. In addition, several forms of small group worship will be introduced, including listening to worship CDs, singing together, reading psalms, and participating in Communion. This portion of your meeting will transform your life in ways you never thought possible. An invitation is extended to join the Seekers on Sunday morning.

Beth Morgan is in charge of the Nursery for children four years and under. They recently moved into the new nursery and especially appreciate the convenience of the adjoining bathroom and sink. The new room provides a safe and welcoming environment for the little ones. Beth includes a snack time as part of the children’s time in the nursery. If you haven’t looked in the new nursery, please take time to do so.

“…Stories of Jesus, tell them to me” and the stories continue to be told in Sunday school at Grace.  Please join us on Sunday mornings.