Snapshots - March & April, 2006

Lent is an introspective time of year. The music of the season can speak to our hearts. Several years ago while attending a Good Friday United Methodist combined service, Carl and Carol Erb were impressed by Grace’s musical offering and decided to visit a worship service at Grace.

Both Carl and Carol grew up in the Sidney area. In later years, they lived on the Erb centennial farm in the house where Carl was born. They now live in Sidney.

The Erbs have three grown children: a son in Dixon, another son in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and one daughter, Kristin Williford. Kristin, her husband, Anthony, and their three children, Konnor, Kolton and Kolbi, are now all members of Grace Church. Besides their children and spouses, the family also includes ten grandchildren. This August Carl and Carol will celebrate 45 years of marriage.

Carol is retired from the University of Illinois where she worked for the College of Education. Although Carol enjoys reading, music seems to be her passion. She plays the organ and piano for funerals and in several churches in the area and has filled in for Gordy at Grace, too. Her voice is a welcome addition to our congregational singing. Carol is also a part of an accordion group. She volunteers with the music program at the Champaign County Nursing Home as a member of the Nursing Home Auxiliary.

Carl farms. However, as a young man during training in the National Guard, he went to Food Service School and found he really enjoyed baking. He later worked in an Eisner bakery for a few years and then worked as a baker at the University of Illinois. Carl still enjoys cooking and baking. Our church has benefited from his baking talent with cakes for several special occasions. He also works with carpentry and has dismantled several houses, barns, and corncribs recycling the lumber into the construction of other buildings.

At Grace the Erbs have enjoyed XYZ activities. They appreciate the friendly reception they have experienced at Grace.

Thank You

Words hardly can express our gratitude to our Church Family. Your outpouring of food, cards, visits, prayers, and gifts to the Memorial Fund is awesome. Especially we would like to thank Mike and Gordy for Joy's Celebration of Life Service. We have had so many positive responses. All of these events and happenings have uplifted and eased our aching hearts.

Grace Church is, as always, a Caring and Loving Church.

Thank you in Jesus name,

Bill, Jeff, Diane, and our extended family

Thank You

Dear Grace Family-

I want to thank each and every one of you for 22 years at Grace. You have all made my job there enjoyable, and I will miss being in the office.

I look forward to this new time in my life. So far it has been very busy for me.

Thank you to everyone for coming to my retirement potluck. It was wonderful. Thank you for your generosity in giving me money. It was so unexpected. It will come in useful as I am remodeling my kitchen. Hopefully when it is done I can have everyone here for an Open House.

God bless each and every one of you.

Love,

Janice Roy

Thank You

I grew up in a family that didn't have many financial resources. We were taught to do without unnecessary things, manage and "make do" with what we had. That frugal upbringing has gotten me through some pretty tough times in my life. We were taught to be "givers" and I have been thankful for being given that example.

But that upbringing also makes it difficult to be a receiver. I am so grateful to the people of Grace for your prayers, concern, and support through my battle with cancer. Just to fill you in on our progress, the once-a-week chemo will end March 29th and I will be switching to once every three weeks until December, 2006. Hopefully, I will then be cancer free.

Thank you, and may God bless you as richly as he has me.

Norma Ripkey

Thank You

I wanted to thank you for the news letter, I do appreciate getting it.

I also wanted to let you know that my mother Gladys Skaggs passed away on March 13th and was buried on March 17th at Mt Evergreen in Central City. As Truman and I were members of Grace for many years and Truman even more, my mother was also a member there at Grace while she lived in Urbana, and paid her tithes there, she always gave money at Thanksgiving time to feed one family. She said it was what her mother always did and she wanted to do likewise. When she was laid to rest yesterday, she looked just like she did then when she lived in Urbana.

Mother had been sick for a long time and had never really gotten over breaking her hip two years ago.

I will miss her but I know she is in a better place and I will see her again, she was 93.

Also it took us over a year to find a church with the loving and caring people like the ones we left when we moved to Centralia, the wonderful people of Grace Church are a group of people we will always hold in our hearts.

We have kept in contact with some and have been visited by others, and look forward to more.

I want to than you for the prayers and cards and phone calls that I have received on behalf on my mother.

Thank you and May God bless you all.

In Christian love

Pat & Truman Price

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Birthdays and Anniversaries

Birthdays for March:

1- Audrey Ricketts

Terry Morgan

Irene Millikan

3- Mary Thompson

Eleanor Tudor

5- Jim Ferguson

6- Kody Alexander

11- Bill Fears

13- Kyra Entwistle

Linda Entwistle

14- Bill Carter

15- Darlene White

16- Mandy Wood

18- Shirley Nortrup

19- Pauline Anderson

21- Virginia Bailey

22- Alice Robinett

24- Joan O’Connell

28- Ruth Bryant

29- Harriett Cline

31- Lisa Searing

Birthdays for April:

2- Andy O’Connell

9- Eunice Mayhood

11- Marjorie Clem

15- Alec Morgan

19- Emma Searing

21- Linda Halbach

27- Brenda Carter

Nancy Bible

30- Bob Hackl

Greg Styan

Anniversaries for March:

1- Rudy and Rosemary Taborn

5- Chuck and Alpharetta Preston

(60 years!)

14- James and Ruth Aaron

18- George and Rosemary Woods

20- Richard and Jeannie Barnett

Anniversaries for April:

3- Chuck and Danielle Routh

9- Brenda and Bill Carter

24- Joy and Bill Valentine (Bill specifically requested that this be included)

26- Pam and Jerry Lukemire

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Church Officials 2006

Grace United Methodist Church, Urbana, IL.

Appointed by the bishop:

J. Michael Smith, pastor

Employed Staff:

Linda Ary Entwistle: administrative assistant

Gordy Wilson: music and communication

Appointments:

Nursery director: Beth Morgan

Director of Bell Choirs: Callie McFarland

Elected Officials:

Jim Ferguson: lay leader, lay member of annual conference, and chair of quarterly

conference

Pat Ziebart: lay member of annual conference, chair of pastor-parish

Jim Roush: church treasurer

Brenda Husler: finance secretary

Robin Styan: chair of church council

Todd Searing: chair of finance committee

Walter Crackel: chair of board of trustees

Karilyn Newnam: secretary of church council and charge conference

Church Council:

Wanda Adams (at-large)

Doug Bauling (at-large)

Bob Bentz (at-large)

Bob deJong (staff; non-voting)

Linda Ary Entwistle (staff; non-voting)

Jim Ferguson (lay leader)

Ted Hartke (trustees)

Brenda Husler (finance secretary)

Richard King (at-large)

Bill Merz (at-large)

Karilyn Newnam (UMW)

Jim Roush (church treasurer)

Todd Searing (finance chair)

Mike Smith (pastor; non-voting)

Robin Styan (chair of church council)

Gordy Wilson (staff; non-voting)

Barb Wood (at-large)

Marilyn Wright (at-large)

Pat Ziebart (pastor-parish chair)

Steering Team:

Harriet Cline

Linda Ary Entwistle

Eric Hays

Bill Merz

June Schwartz

Mike Smith

Bill Valentine

Barb Wood

Grace Years Steering Team:

Bob Bentz (chair; Canterbury)

Wanda Adams (Florida House)

Dick and Evelyn Kesler (Parkview)

Darrel King (Sunnycrest)

Board of Trustees:

Class of 06: Connie Wilson, Walter Crackel, Larry Stapleton

Class of 07: Ken Frick, Ted Hartke, Ron Weidner

Class of 08: Art Henris, Beth Morgan, Virginia Sadler

Finance Committee:

Wanda Adams

Walter Crackel

Jim Ferguson

Brenda Husler (finance secretary)

Shirley Nortrup

David Rivier

Jim Roush (church treasurer)

Todd Searing (chair)

Mike Smith (pastor)

Lay Leadership Committee:

Class of 06: Barb Wood, Marcia Burns

Class of 07: Kody Alexander, Gary Ricketts, Brenda Husler

Class of 08: Doug Bauling, Terry Morgan

Pastor: J. Michael Smith, and Lay Leader: Jim Ferguson

Pastor-Parish Relations Committee:

Class of 06: Marilyn Wright, David Rivier, Barb Wood

Class of 07: Pat Ziebart, Jim Ferguson

Class of 08: Steve O’Connell, Harriet Cline

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The Praise Team is a group of dedicated people who lead the congregation during worship service with inspirational music, presenting both contemporary songs and familiar hymns. Led by Steve and Sandy Ater, team members include Karen Henderson, Robin Styan, Vic Christman, Barb Wood and Steve and Sandy.

Sandy selects the songs and accompanies the group on the piano. After the songs are selected, Steve and Sandy pull the songs together with readings and verses from the Bible.

In the future, Steve hopes to include instrumentalists with the team, such as: guitar, percussion, trumpet, sax, etc. If anyone is interested in doing instrumentalist work with the team, please contact Steve. The Praise Team practices on Wednesday evening at 6:15 pm.

The Praise team has begun a monthly praise worship service with a short Bible study presented by Mike. These services will be held on Wednesday evening at 6:30 pm.

A newly-formed choral group at Grace Church is “Growing In Grace”, led by Gordy Wilson. This group includes both boys and girls and serves as a transitional choral group between the Cherub Choir and the Chancel choir.

Members of the group include Logan and Nick Hoskins, Carly Johnson, Anna Potsch and Kolbi Williford.

In addition to their participation in “Growing In Grace”, these students are involved in many other activities.

Logan Hoskins attends Wiley and is involved in Drama Club, Girl Scouts and takes piano lessons. She enjoys listening to country music.

Nick Hoskins attends Urbana Middle School and participates in Lego robotics and swimming. His favorite music is Top 40.

Carly Johnson attends Urbana Middle School and is a certified baby-sitter. She enjoys Top 40 music and participates in Girl Scouts.

Anna Potsch also attends Urbana Middle School and is a certified baby-sitter. Anna participates in ice skating, piano class and soccer. She enjoys listening to Top 40 music.

Kolbi Williford attends Yankee Ridge and enjoys listening to classic rock. Kolby participates in basketball, school chorus and choral ensemble.

One of their favorite songs to sing for worship service is “Shine, Jesus Shine”. We look forward to their singing during a worship service sometime in April (they sounded great at practice)!

Practice is held every Monday evening from 6:30 to 7:15 pm in the sanctuary. All boys and girls are welcome to come and join the fun!