The Edgebrook Messenger
Edgebrook Evangelical Covenant Church
6355 N. Spokane Avenue
Chicago, IL  60646
Phone:  773-763-4230
Fax:  763-2306
Website:  www.edgebrookcovenantchurch.org
November, 2007

Opening Our Hearts to the Messiah
Sunday, December 2, 10 AM – 1st Sunday in Advent
We will dedicate the Crafty Angel offerings during worship and celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion.  During coffee hour you will have the opportunity to purchase Crafty Angel items.  All proceeds of this special sale will benefit the senior citizens ministered to in Friendly Towers by Jesus People USA Covenant Church.  (Sunday School classes for all ages is at 11:20 AM)

Sunday, December 9, 10 AM – 2nd Sunday in Advent
Tony Senatore will share a testimony during our worship this morning.  

Sunday, December 9, 5:00 PM - The Chancel Choir of Edgebrook Covenant Church presents the Annual Christmas Concert:  Handel’s Messiah

Our Chancel Choir, along with special guest vocalists and accompanied by a fifteen piece orchestra, will perform Handel’s Messiah in our beautifully decorated sanctuary.  Please invite others to attend this free outreach concert!  Seating is unreserved and doors will open at 4:30 PM.  There will be childcare for infants through four years of age and a freewill offering will be received.  Light refreshments will follow in the Chapel.  

Sunday, December 16,10 AM – 3rd Sunday in Advent
Our Praise Ensemble will lead us in worship and Daniela Shepherd will be dedicated!

11:30 AM to 4 PM – Advent Open House - Charlotte, Charlie and Pastor Greg invite you to the Fourteenth Annual Advent Open House at the Parsonage, 6379 N. Nokomis Avenue (1 block east and ½ block north of our church building).  All you need to bring is yourself!

Sunday, December 23rd, 10 AM Sunday School Christmas Program
The last Sunday of Advent will feature our children and youth (AND YOU!) sharing in our Special Christmas Sunday School program entitled ‘Voices of Bethlehem”!  Around 1 PM, we’re off to go Christmas Caroling at Covenant Village, Northbrook.

Monday, December 24th, 11:00 PM   Candlelight Christmas Eve Service
Christ the Savior is born and we will celebrate his coming into the world by sharing in the traditional Christmas Eve worship of Lessons and Carols.  (Childcare will be provided.)

Sunday, Dec. 30th, 10 AM - 1st Sunday of Christmas Worship
Our worship this morning will feature a time of singing favorite Christmas hymns.  

Monday, December 31st, 7:00 PM -  New Year’s Eve Taize Worship - Sanctuary
Bunny Hughes will lead this worship and several musicians from our congregation will assist in our congregational singing.  A wonderful way to end 2007 and welcome in the New Year!

Capital Fund Matching Gift Campaign
Would you like to improve your 2007 tax situation while helping Edgebrook Covenant Church?   Please consider making a year-end contribution to the Capital Fund Matching Gift Campaign.  A generous donor has provided Edgebrook Covenant with a challenge fund of $20,000 which matches dollar for dollar gifts received for the capital campaign fund through February 28, 2008.  

Through the end of October 2007, only $2,000 in matching gifts have been received - only 10% of the match that’s available.  All contributions are tax deductible, so now is the perfect time to contribute!      

Updates on Capital Campaign giving can be found in your   Sunday bulletin.  Also, if you have misplaced the Matching Gift pledge card you received in the mail, extras are available on the literature table in the foyer outside the office.  Questions related to the campaign may be directed to Anita Hohenstein at 773-763-6888.

CE Board December Highlights
Youth Ministry
Praise God for answer to prayer… Sarah Cochran a senior at North Park University, majoring in Youth Ministry, has agreed to lead our Extreme youth group beginning in December and continuing through May of 2008. A “meet the intern” time will take place in early December, more details to follow. Please continue to pray for our youth and those who work with them in Sunday school and Youth Ministry programs.

Board News
Please pray for God’s leading as the nominating committee begins their work. The CE Board has been blessed to have wonderful members, some of whom have terms that have come to an end leaving a void that needs to be filled.  They will be missed!  Pray that the Lord will work in the hearts of those He wants to do the work of His church.

A Heartfelt Thank You!
A big thanks and kudos to all who turned out for our fall all-church work day on October 27th.  We started the day in usual style – doughnuts, bagels, and coffee in the Anderson Room.  Then work got underway and we got a lot accomplished.  

Many thanks to Mike and Mary Doucette and Pastor Greg for taking on organizing/cleaning out of the attic; to Mary Coleman - who is a maniac with a scraper; to Vivian Nelson for  polishing the wood in the sanctuary; and to Mikey Doucette, Matt Harper, and Ana Hohenstein for the various projects they completed.  Last, but not least, if you’ve been admiring the gleaming courtyard doors, thank Bill Harper for his handiwork.  Thanks to Bill, too, for treating the crew to Super Dawg for lunch.  It was a very good day!

Thank You!
Dear friends at Edgebrook,
Greetings from Monterrey!  We arrived back here on October 29th after a wonderful three months in the US.  One highlight was, of course, being able to visit with you, Edgebrook    Covenant.  Please know that we are very grateful for such a    caring and supportive home church.  Thank you for how you have been faithfully committed to lifting us up in prayer and   financial support.  In addition, thank you for also supporting the ministry of the Family Foundation and our effort to complete the purchase of our building.  With your help we are now more than half way to our goal!  

Thank you…we miss you all.  And thanks for the s’mores!
Nils and Erika
Matías and Lucas

Thanking Those Who Serve
We are very grateful for those who will be helping make worship possible for us during December:

2— Greeters: Lisa Kowar and Jeff Carlson
Nursery: open
Coffee Hour:  The Crafty Angels
Audio-Visual: Jason and  Bonnie Nelson

9—Greeters: John and Debbie Ranieri and family
Nursery: The Lind Family
Coffee hour: Chris and Leah Edquist
Audio-Visual: Jason and  Bonnie Nelson

16—Greeters:  Hi-League Youth Group
Nursery:  The Snodgrass family
Coffee Hour:  Parsonage Open House
Audio-Visual: Jason and  Bonnie Nelson

23—Greeters:  Dan and Ann Booker
Nursery:  open
Coffee Hour:  open
Audio-Visual: Jason and  Bonnie Nelson

30 — Greeters: Charlotte and  Charlie Mesimore
Nursery:  The Bruckner family
Coffee Hour:  open
Audio/Visual:  Jason and Bonnie Nelson

December Church Anniversaries
1 – Mary and Michael Doucette
17 – Kathy and David Lofland
19 – Su and Max Lee

December Church Birthdays
1 – Barbara Swanstrom
2 – Kristina Nystrom, Kristin Durianski, Zachary Lee
5 – Lenora Powell
7 – Lukas Liljegren
9 – Jill Lind, Joan Rudd, Ryan Santrella
10 – Marty Chagdes
11 – Peter Arroyo
14 – Lisa Hans
15 – Jessica Jarosz, Victoria Suastegui
20 – Mary Coleman, Kris Fuhr, Bruce Powell
22 – Andrea Baer, Lucas Clauson
25 – Owen van de Klashorst
26 – Debbie Dreusch
28 – Klyne Snodgrass
30 – Carolyn Pitezel
31 – Ginny Ware