August

August2020
2022

First Chronicles

The Newsletter of the First Congregational Church of Evanston UCC

Rev.
FromCoulter’s
the Minister’sCornerDesk Upcoming Events(whose children’s messages are so elegantly
Sarah Petersen
The calendar has turned to August, and we are
The month of July has certainly flown by. I’ve been busy Friday, putting done),August
and 12,
Miko 6:30–9 p.m. (who weaves all the video
Fentanes
the last log on the summer fire! (See pages 4–5 for a Dinner and Paper Flower Making, And
Church House
meeting with committees and individual members on pieces together so beautifully). to all the volunteers
report on the awesome Beachside Worship and Bonfire Sunday, August 21, 10 a.m.
Zoom or by phone. It’s been great to meet folks and who have stepped in to read scripture, share announce-
Sing-along.) August is the month to take those final Blessing
learn about many aspects of First Congregational
vacations and squeeze in a last trip to the beach before Church. ments,ofand thesing
Backpacks and first
for us. You may service
know that withliturgy means
I’mrealities
impressed by all the work Music Director Matthew Hogan, Sanctuary
“the work of the people.” What is true during normal
the of September set in.that’s being done by so
manyFordedicated
my family,people August to means
furtheronlythe one of the church timesSeptember
workthing— Sunday, 11, 10ina.m.–1
is even truer these p.m.
times of pandemic. If you
and care for one another in these difficult
Road Trip! The Devine-Coulter Six are piling into our times. I have Rally
haveDay, First
ideas or Day of
feedback Sunday
you School,like
would Block Party please
to share,
a strong Town
Chrysler sense that we are pulling
and Country minivantogether
to headaswest.a church.
Our Sunday, September
feel free to do 18,
so. 3Wep.m.
are all learning as we go forward.
Elsewhere in this newsletter you will find informa-
mission? To deliver our oldest child, Lucy, to school at Pastor Jason’s Installation,
I would like to extend Sanctuary
an invitation to everyone to
Reed Collegesome
tion about in Portland, Oregon.
of the things we Along the way weas a Friday–Sunday,
are undertaking join me in aSeptember
“Coffee 30–October
Klatch” on2Thursday, August 6, at
are goingI’m
church. to visit some
excited old friends,
about the newtake in a few national
Anti-Racism Task Church
2 p.m.Retreat, Tower
This will be anHill Camp and
informal timeRetreat
to checkCenter,
in with
parks, and enjoy this final time together
Force that will be working to help us better understand as a family. Sawyer, Michigan
one another and engage is casual conversation. Join
I will
issues of be
racewith you time,
in this in worship this Sunday,
to identify ways we August
as a 7, the Zoom gathering at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
but gone for the next two Sundays. Leading worship on
church can address systemic racism, and to take action Looking Ahead to the
82227173405; September—Save
meeting ID is 822 the 2717
Dates!3405.
August 14 will be my good friend the Rev. Samuel Paul. This September is full of exciting
that will join with others to seek justice in our world. Everyone will need to bring their own coffee! Sorry
And on August 21, one of our own clergy, Rev. David events for our whole church
Another task
Wywialowski fromforce is looking
the Night ahead
Ministry, planthefor us to I can’t provide that.
willtolead
re-gather
service. as abe
I will church
back fromcommunity.
our tripTheto beterm
withre-gathering,
you again I am always eagerfamily as we grow
to connect with together.
folks. If you
rather thanAugust
reopening, are in need of pastoralGather
care with
or us
just on Rally
someone Day,
to talk to,
on Sunday, 28. has been chosen deliberately, September 11, from 10 a.m.–
because
WhileFirst I amCongregational
gone, the church hasstaff
never PetersenThis please feel free to email
been closed.
of Sarah me or call. I’m happy to speak
1 p.m. for celebratory worship
group
and is looking
Mahdia at policies
Lynn-Greene willand procedures
be available that will
to assist with by phone or to set up a Zoom
with chat.of our choir, the
the return
allow us and our guest organizations to make use of the
any church business that needs attention. If you have a Blessings and Peace, first day of Sunday School, and
pastoral
buildings carein issue,
a wayIthatwould ask you to contact
is responsible and safe. a deacon
We are Tim lunch with activities on the
or
allemail
looking the forward
chair of the to aBoard
day whenof Deacons, Chris Krei,
we can resume in- street. The installation service
at chris.krei@yahoo.com.
person worship. The taskThe Rev.
force Wayne MacPherson
is looking at a myriad of of Pastor Jason Coulter as
isconcerns
on call for thatany pastoral
will go intoemergencies
a sensible andthat well-thought-
require the senior minister of First Congre-
presence of a clergy person. I pray that all is quiet, and
out plan. The foremost concern is our responsibility to gational Church of Evanston will
that all of you stay well, while I am gone. take place on September 18 at
carePlease
for one another, especially those
enjoy the rest of your summer, and say a
among us who are
most vulnerable. 3 p.m. At the end of the month,
prayer for this pastor and his family as we embark on join your church family at an
Under
our epic trip.the leadership of the Fellowship Committee,
a group all-ages retreat September 30–
Grace and isPeace,
looking ahead to Rally Day on Sunday,
October 2 at Tower Hill Camp
September
Pastor Jason 13. We are looking for creative ideas for this and Retreat Center in Sawyer,
opportunity to celebrate our life together as a church Michigan. Together we’ll enjoy a
and kick off the new church year. Rally Sunday can weekend of reconnecting and
offer us a time to renew our commitments and perhaps recharging in the woods and on
become involved in new ways. the shores of Lake Michigan.
It looks like online worship will continue for the What a lot of great reasons to
foreseeable future. I am very grateful to everyone who gather and celebrate next month!
works so hard to make our virtual worship a meaningful
and inspiring experience. It’s surprising how much extra
effort is required to put together a weekly streaming
broadcast. Many thanks to David Lornson (for provid- 1
ing and coordinating the music that is so uplifting), Our new church sign!

Fellowship, Food, Fun, and Flowers on Friday
Summer’s foxgloves fade and are forgotten, but fellow-
ship flowers. Come and be a part of a fun, ongoing class
exploring the art of paper flower making. Join us for the
entire evening, starting at 6:30 with a light supper, or
come at 7 p.m. to explore the craft of paper flowers.
This workshop will heighten our skills of interpretation,
imagination, and observation as we learn to work with
crepe paper and other materials to create paper flowers.
We will focus on specific flowers to develop
technique, allowing you to expand your skills in working
with this beautiful medium. Arrangements or vignettes
will be put together as your collection grows. The cul-
mination of this class is the creation of a garden in the
Narthex Gallery.
The first class meets on Friday, August 12, 6:30–
9 p.m., in the Church House Small Dining Room.
6:30–7 Light summer supper
7–9 Paper flower-making workshop
So that we can prepare materials and supper for
you, please RSVP to Rhonda Storm, 224-999-2988,
rhondastorm1331@gmail.com.
Welcome Matthew Hogan
Our new music director, Matthew Hogan, will join our
staff on August 15. Join us in welcoming Matthew as he
leads his first worship with us on August 21 at 10 a.m.
2
Searching for Teachers
This is the time of year we gather a team of teachers
who will help provide a warm, creative, welcoming
classroom where our young people can learn and grow
in Sunday School this year. If you would like to get to
know the young people in our church family better,
enjoy conversations or crafting, or want to help guide
and learn from the next generation of seekers, consider
becoming a Sunday School teacher this year! The bigger
our team of teachers is, the fewer times per month
each person teaches and the broader our connection
becomes across our community of faith.
We teach using a co-teaching model, so you’re never
alone in the classroom and we divide up the simple prep
work each week. We’re excited to begin using the new
“Shine” curriculum this year. The Board of Christian
Education chose this curriculum for its progressive
approach to teaching Bible stories with connections
to modern life, ease of use and adaptability to a range
of ages for our one-room schoolhouse model, and
engaging creative activities that help to deepen learning
and foster fun. Curious? Contact Sarah Petersen to learn
more about becoming an occasional or regular Sunday
School teacher this year.
Celebrating the Legacy of Corene McCollum this handwritten statement: “My life was devoted to my
Corene Mae Woodworth McCollum made an un- husband and son, with Love. I enjoyed being with and helping
forgettable impression on all who knew her. Now, all my friends and my church. Their love and kindness to me
through her bequest to First Congregational Church enriched my life.”
of Evanston, she is making a deep and lasting impact. During her life and now in the eternal, Corene has
Born in Creighton, Nebraska, certainly enriched our lives and the future of First
in April 1925, Corene eventually Congregational. We are blessed to have known her.
moved to Evanston, where she We invite you to read Corene’s full obituary here.
lived for many years with her
beloved husband, Ralph, in their
lovely home. Their son, Richard
(“Sandy”), died in 1983. She was
a longtime member of the P.E.O.
Sisterhood and First Congregational Church of
Evanston. In 2006 Corene moved to Evanston’s
Presbyterian Homes, where she lived for 15 years
until her passing in January 2021.
At the Presbyterian Homes, Corene’s caregivers
referred to her as “Angel” because of her pleasant
demeanor and beautiful face. She was truly an angel to
all of us, her First Congregational family, by generously
remembering the church in her estate plans. Corene’s
final and ultimate gift of $2.3 million will be used
to make improvements in the church buildings and
to strengthen the endowment so that future First
Congregational Church generations will have the
resources to be a strong and bold congregation.
During her robust life, Corene traveled inter-
nationally with Ralph; they thoroughly enjoyed each
other’s companionship and love. Even though she was
the reason many people got together, she was a private
person. In addition to her generosity and kindness, she Blessing of the Backpacks on August 21
has also been described as quirky, an introvert, and As we delight in the last days of summer, we begin to
perhaps misunderstood. She was a proponent of health look ahead to the transitions back to school and shifts
foods and supplements long before they were main- in our schedules that come with fall. Join us for our
stream, eating raw vegetables and fish and taking daily special Blessing of the Backpacks during the Children’s
vitamins and minerals to enhance her well-being. Since Message in worship on Sunday, August 21. Bring your
she lived to age 96, she must have done something right! backpack, briefcase, or duffle bag to worship and
Other First Congregational members remember receive an encouraging blessing to carry with you,
Corene as a friendly woman with a quiet presence, a wherever you may be headed this fall. Friends are wel-
servant’s heart, and an unusual cleverness and curiosity. come, and attendees of all ages will receive a small gift.
In many ways, her beliefs and interests were far beyond
her contemporaries, yet she could always be trusted to Volunteers Needed: Meals for Family Promise Guests
make a darned good casserole. Ralph and Corene were First Congregational Church of Evanston is hosting
devoted members of the First Congregational faith Family Promise guests for the first two weeks of the
family, with Ralph serving as a deacon and Corene school year, August 21–September 3. Currently one
quietly working in the annual rummage sale and family is in the program, including a mother with her
attending women’s luncheons with other congregations. four children. If you would like to bring a home-cooked
Rev. Ann Rosewell, former First Congregational meal or support one of our local restaurants by buying
pastor and a trusted companion and caregiver during a meal for the family one or more days during their
the final chapter of Corene’s life, recalled that on at least stay, please sign up on SignUp Genius. Thanks for
one occasion the McCollums hosted a Lenten happy your help in getting these kids off to a great start to
hour for cocktails prior to the Lenten services at church! the school year!
Rev. Ann also shares that in Corene’s papers she found 3
Beautiful Bonfire at the Beach
Our gathering of 35 outdoor worshipers felt the
strength of the Spirit as we sang, prayed, told stories,
and participated in interactive worship stations around
the bonfire the last Sunday in July. Later that evening, a
group of 25 new and familiar faces returned to the circle
to roast hot dogs and marshmallows over the fire.
Campfire singing with guitar accompaniment by Lucy
Coulter and Chris Petersen gave a soulful finish to a
lovely Spirit-filled day at the beach.

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 August Birthdays • Joel Bauer • Andrei Bradean • Laima
Day • Phyllis Donnan • Phoebe Metz • Isabella Ogbolumani
• Janet Raciti • James Robertson • Emma Schmahl • Rhonda
Storm • Danny Todd • John Todd • Larissa Tripp
5