Hello Edgebrook! It's "Deacon Marty" checking in again.

I am writing to express my gratitude to everyone who attended any of our recent prayer week gatherings. I would also like to thank those folks who hosted the gatherings at their homes. My thanks to our hosts Linda, Steve, and Peter Fusek; Barbara Swanstrom; Pastor Greg, Charlotte, and Charlie Mesimore; Ginny Ware; the Women's Bible Study group; and Extreme for hosting these important forums of prayer time. I also thank Pastor Bunny for her encouragement and support. I ask everyone to please pray Psalm 91 everyday for our men and women serving in our military... Please also pray for our new leaders, President Obama and his family, and Vice President Joe Biden and his family. They have a monumental task in getting things back on track.

Thank you and God bless you all,
Marty Chagdes

Cemetery Lots — An Unlikely Topic in this Month of Love

February, the month of love, seems to bring with it happy thoughts and warm feelings about those we love. Then why have I brought up the topic of cemetery lots, the final resting places of our dearly departed family members and friends? There are several reasons: first, death is inevitable and you, or someone in your family, will probably sooner or later deal with the subject of cemetery lots. Second, a family that has made plans ahead of the illness/death of a loved one will find it much easier to make the final arrangements. Third, there is a way that members and friends of our church can make it very easy for themselves—ask about buying the cemetery lots that we own!

What? We—Edgebrook Covenant Church—own cemetery lots? How did that happen? Here’s the story: several years ago the sons of an elderly member who died, who no longer live in Chicago, gave our church a plot of cemetery lots, unused of course, to do with as we wish. We’re a church, so we don’t necessarily have dying family members to plan for. Wait—think about it a minute—our church is made up of families, and families have needs, so the chance to buy a final resting place for family members might appeal to someone in our church community.

In preparing this article, I checked my files and discovered that I had prepared a similar article about the church-owned cemetery lots for the April 2006 Messenger. (That’s why this information may seem familiar to some of us.) To refresh your memory, in 2005 I tried to sell the lots on the open market through classified newspaper ads in the communities near the cemetery. No takers, not even a nibble. The lots were offered to our church community in the 2006 article and again, no nibbles in our smaller pond. Here we go again—if you’re interested, now is the time to take action! If someone in our own church community were to purchase the lots, the advantages would be many: first, a private purchase will always cost a lot less than purchasing lots from the cemetery; second, the purchaser would have peace of mind that some final needs have been met; third, our church would turn a liability into an asset—no matter what price is negotiated, the dollars paid would be there to use in our church ministry.

Are you interested? Here are the details:
    Elm Lawn Cemetery,
    401 East Lake Street
    Elmhurst, Illinois
Four lots in Section 14, area 178. The lots may be divided, i.e. two parties may purchase two lots each. The asking price in the 2005 ad was $800 each; the price is negotiable. Feel free to ask me about this!

-- Ann-Helen Anderson

Women Ministries of Edgebrook Update

The following thank you was received: "To the families and the Women Ministries at Edgebrook Covenant -Warmest holiday wishes for a year of happiness. Thank you for all you do for the families here at Leland House. (Women with disabilities/homeless with children). Thank you for giving the women birthday gifts throughout the year and for the Christmas gifts for the children. It has all been so appreciated! God Bless you and your families! Love in Jesus, the Leland staff -Carol, Pegge and Maggie"

Women Ministries Midwinter Breakfast will be Tuesday, February 3 at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare, Rosemont at 7:00 a.m. The guest speaker is Dr. Steven David from the Hindustani Covenant Church of India. There is a reservation sheet at church. For more information, check your weekly bulletin.

Women Ministries Sunday is February 15th -- the national project is Break the Chains. An offering will be received for the project.

La Posada—Update from the Clausons

Here in Mexico, a posada is a Christmas party that almost any group or community celebrates. At the Family Foundation, we've had a posada for Project Down, one for the families from the Dos Cerros community ministry, and the youth from this same community came to our house for their posada. On the last day before Christmas vacation, Matías will have his classroom posada. There will be a posada for the church we attend as well as for our small group Bible study.

There are certain things you are almost always find at a posada: lots of tamales and hot chocolate, a piñata filled with candy for the kids, loud Christmas music, presents and often even a Santa Claus. (Nils was asked to be Santa at the Project Down posada and did such a good job – tricking even his own kids – that we asked him to be Santa for the Dos Cerros posada!)

However, beyond all the activity, the tradition of la posada, (which means inn, as in "there is no room at the inn") is rich in significance. Everything from swinging blindfolded at the piñata (battling against temptation in faith) to the traditional songs which recount Mary and Joseph looking for a place to stay in Bethlehem, celebrate how Christ came, humble and homeless, to be Emmanuel, God with us.

May God truly be with us all this Christmas season. And with His help, may the diverse and rich traditions of our cultural celebrations bring us closer to Him.

Celebrating 5 Years in Mexico!

The first of January, we will celebrate 5 years of living in Mexico! A lot has changed for us since we first drove from Chicago to Mexicali as we now live in a new city and our family has doubled in size.

We thank God for the privilege of being able to serve in this exciting setting. It is a blessing to raise our kids to be bilingual, bicultural and loved by so many adopted family: friends, neighbors, fellow missionaries, and teachers.

Matías is 3 1/2 and loves going to his school and especially enjoys his English class, music class and playing on the playground. We've had fun this Christmas making paper snowflakes together!

Lucas just turned 2 and is growing so fast! He almost weighs as much as his brother. He loves cars, dancing and wrestling.

As we reflect on these five years, we thank God for your faithfulness to love and care for our family, and to advancing God's kingdom of love, peace and justice through our partnership together. May God continue to bless you as you serve Him at home and around the world.

Youth Club

Ever since God put on our hearts to expand the youth club from just English to include sessions in Spanish that would allow them to connect more deeply to each other and develop their values, God has truly amazed us! A handful of the group of 15 adolescents (ages 1215) were a part of the very first English classes that we started over two years ago. In the last update we sent out, Erika shared a story highlighting how God is at work in their lives. She shared that, "once a totally disconnected, uncommitted group of adolescents with a low self esteem, has become a group that cares for each other, is learning how to express themselves and is open to new ways of thinking and dreaming." (To read the whole story, go to our website and click on past updates.)

Here are some of the activities that have helped bring out these positive changes (even though we know it is the Holy Spirit who is ultimately responsible):

Please PRAY for God's love to continue to transform this unconventional youth group and that they would ultimately come to know Him as their Lord and Savior.

Christmas Since September

They say Christmas keeps coming earlier each year, and this year it has certainly felt like it in the Foundation.

For several months the women from the Dos Cerros project have filled the building with holiday spirit as they worked on creating unique and creative Christmas crafts. The last few weeks, they have focused their energies on selling the items through a Christmas bazaar out in front of the Foundation building. In this process they learned not only how to make the crafts, but also the valuable skills of how to plan a sale, set prices and market the items.

PRAY with us that these new set of skills would play a part in transforming their families and communities. We praise God that almost all the women are now also coming to a Bible study at the Foundation!

We have also seen God's grace at work in the lives of the 10 women who participated in a parenting adolescents 8 week course. Making change in the way we educate, discipline and ultimately raise our kids is difficult, so we would ask you to PRAY for them as they take what they have learned and apply it in their homes.

Project Down

Project Down, the Family Foundation's community for families with children with Down Syndrome, continues to grow, providing a much needed place of comfort and support for many.

Even as this group experiences some growing pains, it is exiting to see how it is evolving to better and better meet the needs of their own community. The past few months have been full of activity, keeping the volunteer planning committee quite busy with events such as:

And, of course, a very special Christmas Posada

Update from the Groots in Thailand

Celebrate Jesus, Celebrate!

On December, 20, 2008, the Abundant Life Center opened its doors wide and invited our family, friends and the neighborhood to our Christmas party. We have lived in our community for a year now, living and interacting with our neighbors --as well as getting to know the children and their families through our October children’s program, which brought many to join us.

The focus was that the birth of our Christ has transformed your children to be people of joy and hope. We have a great desire for others to know You as we do. We commit our time, our offerings and our energy to provide a way for others to come into Your Kingdom. At the center of all we do, we want JESUS to be known.

Kul taught the boys to play the drums for the program. Rote was in charge of food preparation, and ALC women and neighborhood kids performed Thai dances, which everyone enjoyed. Children came out of the woodwork when the cry “free food” went out at the beginning of the party. We realize that many who came to our Christmas party have no idea who Christ is. They heard there was food, and they knew we were Christians and wanted to know what a Christian Christmas party looked like. The kids were excited to be joined with us in song and dance and the parents were grateful that we loved their children.

We rejoice in the fact that last hear Nang, who played Mary in the Christmas drama, has come to know You and that this year, she wrote the script to be acted out. We are thankful that Prit, who has played Joseph, has such a humble, servant heart and a willingness to help out in any way she can.

We are thankful that Dad Groot could join us for Christmas and enter into our ALC life, along with our daughter, Bethany, who remains a huge encouragement to us through her words and actions.

And we pray for Khun Oi, our neighbor, who shut down her food stand for a half-day in order to help us prepare food for the party. We know You are moving and we want to move with Your Spirit as we enter 2009! In Jesus’ blessed name, AMEN!

– Carl and Karen Groot in Bangkok, Thailand

Update from Nick Bruckner in Alaska

In the past year and a half, it has not been easy to ask for financial support, but the Lord has taught me many things through this process. I have learned to trust God in facing a surprisingly difficulty and humbling task, and have learned much from the process. Some of these lessons may be relevant to those experiencing financial hardship or loss.

I have learned that everything comes from the Lord – my living stipend comes through the body of Christ, this is clear, but God provides for those who provide for me as well. He created the world with resources and opportunities for work, and gives us proficiencies to capitalize on those opportunities and resources.

Gifts. I have learned that because all gifts are from God, worrying is a waste of time – all I can do is to be faithful to God’s call to serve. I am tempted to work hard to control my life, hoard wealth and hedge my risks – but too much focus on these things can distract from my real purpose, to serve the Lord.

I have learned to give. Seeing others who don’t have much give extravagantly has convicted me to give more intentionally and to simply give more. I am learning to be faithful with what I have. I have learned that I don’t have to earn more than the poverty line to feel rich.

I have learned that I cannot choose how or when God will bless me. At first, I only wanted to ask those I suspected were able and willing to support me financially because I felt bad asking anyone else. Provision from unexpected places has taught me to not feel ashamed or guilty about sharing my needs and inviting others to support this ministry-whether through a note of encouragement or financial support.

God enables trees to survive the cold. God grants us the same grace, but we need to trust Him and remain faithful. This is not easy, because we feel we are not in control, which is right on.

With the steam house steaming, we are pressing forward to our next hands-on project. The Maqii steam house/sauna will be used throughout the year by the Job Corps ministry and other CYAK people passing through the Mat-Su Valley for years to come. We are thrilled that it is complete.

We have already begun working on the next project to build – a basket sled for the new pastor in the small village of White Mountain. The sled is essential for transporting people, gear and caribou in the winter. James Barefoot, who did ministry in northwest Alaska for over 17 years, now attends our church. He had the idea and is spearheading the project. These projects are ideal for the work we are trying to achieve. They provide a great forum to build Christ-centered relationships, which bear fruit. We are building things that will be used for ministry for years to come. We are serving together while working on things that are cultural anchors for the students who miss village life. And they are a lot of fun!

Deep Freeze Update

There were 130 junior/senior high students that attended the Deep Freeze weekend (January 16 thru January 18) at Covenant Harbor Bible Camp. Nine of our own Christian Baer, Mady Baer, Julia Bakken, Tommy Bakken, Mikey Doucette, Ana Hohenstein, Bonnie Nelson, Katie Patterson and Tony Ranieri along with their counselors—our youth intern Sarah and her husband Brad—braved the elements. The temperatures were sub-zero, but the fun and fellowship in the new Jackson Activity Center were warm and welcoming. The majority of the activities were inside but there was Broomball on the ice. There were brave ones that did the "Polar Dip" into Lake Geneva, but no one from Edgebrook took the plunge! Here are a few thoughts from some who attended:

Thank you to the Bakkens and Doucettes for helping with the transportation to and from the weekend.

Summer registration is in full swing (despite the temperatures outside). Everyone that attended Covenant Harbor or Covenant Point last summer will receive information in the mail to register for this summer. If you Thank Yous are a new camper -registration brochures are on the literature table outside the church office. If you need assistance contact Mary Doucette at: edgebrookmichael@comcast.net or 630-800-1888.

Thank Yous

Dear Edgebrook family,
What a blessing you have been to me over the years. I learned much of who God is through Sunday School and Confirmation on Spokane Ave. Even as time and distance have separated me from regular attendance, I have continued to see God's hand of blessing come through so many of you. The Christmas Card Fund Gift was a substantial step in reaching the goal of raising support for the year. This past weekend, I had many conversations of the heart with students, over moose pasta for lunch at my house after church on Sunday, and as a group of us served the homeless of Anchorage. Four of the six students who served from our group had relatives eating at the soup kitchen we served. God has blessed me through knowing and serving these students. Thank you for your continued prayers and support of Kingdom work in Alaska! Grace and Peace Nick Bruckner Thank you for your generous gift at Christmas and the many kind expressions of love and care you shared with us in the Advent and Christmas seasons. May God bless you richly as He has blessed us richly through you!
– Pastor Greg, Charlotte, and Charlie Mesimore PS – It’s great to be back!

Dear Edgebrook Covenant Church and Deacon Board,
Thank you so much for the package of goodies! It was very nice and so thoughtful of you. Looking forward to being with all of you during the holidays.
Love, Jennifer Hughes

To My Edgebrook Family,
Thank you so much for the lovely Poinsettia plant I received for Christmas. It is so nice to be remembered and I am giving it TLC. May God continue to richly bless you.
Love, Marjorie M. Carlson

Dear Members of the Diaconate,
What a wonderful surprise for my Dad to receive the lovely poinsettia plant that Candi delivered to Brandel. The plant was just the right size so it could be place don his table in the dining room so that he and others could enjoy it. Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness in remembering him. Thank you also for letting “God’s spirit shine through each of you” in your ministry to the members and friends of Edgebrook Covenant Church.
Carolyn Pitezel

Dear Crafty Angels,
On behalf of the Obstetrics Department at Swedish Covenant Hospital, I would like once again to thank you for your generosity and knitting artistry. I also wanted to share with you all how much your gifts and kindness mean to our mothers and infants. We are a culturally diverse patient population, but your gifts transcend language. The smiles and joyful appreciation is evident from each family. Please know you indeed are “serving our world one stitch at a time.” I wish you all a blessed holiday season.
Sincerely, JoAnn Meigs, RN