| October 1, 2025 |
| We invite you to listen to Pastor Chrissy’s message about Promise Sunday. https://youtu.be/iAaOyXYU6jw |
| WORSHIP SERVICES October 5, 2025 |
| PROMISE SUNDAY Worship at 8:45 AM and 10 AM: One of the most famous prayers in our tradition is the Jesus prayer (aka the Lord’s Prayer) which is found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Though the wording is different in each iteration, and the context surrounding the prayer varies from one Gospel to the next, there is one commonality that should not go unnoticed: each petition begins with “Our.” This week as we consider our promises to the church in the 2026 calendar year, we center ourselves around the prayer of Jesus and the way he used the word “our” to remind us of our commitment to one another. So please don’t forget to bring your 2026 Pledge Form and an Adult Grow.Serve. Form for each adult in your household. Encourage your children to complete their own Grow.Serve. Form as well, since all Stewardship forms will be blessed during worship. Sunday School, childcare and Holy Grounds will be offered at both services! View Livestream Here! |
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| Introducing Congo Confirmation Café Just for Our Confirmands |
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  Faith & Flow Yoga takes place every Sunday at 6PM in the Chapel. All levels are welcome. $10 donation per class is appreciated.  Scott Williams, our Facilities Manager, will be retiring in early 2026. We are currently seeking candidates for our next Facilities Manager. The Facilities Manager will manage all aspects of the facilities and grounds operation, maintenance, repair, and housekeeping, including the supervision of our full-time custodian, management of maintenance contracts, event set-up and take-down, programmed door and camera security, life safety systems/components, and capital projects. The Facilities Manager reports directly to the Director of Operations, but functions as part of our diverse, dedicated staff and works collaboratively with both the Properties Committee and Green Team. The ideal candidate will possess a sensitivity to the unique aspects of working within the context of a faith-based organization, with the goal of maintaining an environment that supports the ethics, culture and mission of the congregation and staff. The work commitment will be 20 to 40 hours per week, depending on the candidate’s skill set and other factors. Full Job DescriptionDo you have an interest in this position, or know someone who might be a good candidate? Please direct questions or potential candidates to Nancy O’Brien at nancy@wscongo.org or Mark Miklosz at mmiklosz@usg.com. |
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| For anyone who missed this Sunday’s W&M event, Lost & Found, the podcasts are now available for you to listen to! |
 Prayer WallNext time you’re on campus, visit the west side of the playground along Central Avenue to see our Prayer Wall. Christian Ventures invites you to offer a prayer and tie a ribbon—let’s see all the ribbons flying! The world needs our prayers, and we need one another’s prayers too. |
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| COAT DRIVE FOR REFUGEE ONE ! |
 Please drop off new or gently used winter coats, boots, hats, scarves, mittens & gloves in the light court. We’re collecting winter items of all sizes for current refugees of Refugee One. Babies, children, teens, & adults – all sizes!Only winter coats, etc please. Light jackets and general clothing aren’t being collected right now. Our winter coat drive will begin Sunday 10-5 and end Sunday 10-19. Thank you! Refugee Resettlement Team |
 Artist SpotlightAs you may have heard, instead of hosting a rummage sale in October, Woman’s Society is hosting an Artist Exhibition & Benefit on Oct 17 & 18. Just like with Rummage, all profits raised from the event will be donated to charities Woman’s Society has long supported; and our support is needed now more than ever! We hope you’ll join us and “rummage” through some incredible artwork. Details and registration links are provided here and on our website. In the meantime, meet two of our 15 participating artists, Lori Harris and Jim Mikkelsen. (See the full list of artists and more at wscongo.org/events/art-show.) Register for the October 17 Reception And don’t forget to register for the Children’s Workshop lead by Jess Root. Register for the October 18 Children’s Workshop  Let Us Know You Are Coming   Help with Holy Grounds   Learn More Here  Donate Altar Flowers Deliver Altar Flowers Write a Google Review for Church! Leaving a quick Google review helps others discover us, supports our community, and lets us know how we’re doing. Thank you for sharing the love—it really makes a difference! Add Your Review   Thank you to all who donated to Project Linus. The High School Youth Group made 12 blankets! Additional money raised will go to our other service projects!! Liz Murphy, adult leader, is bringing blankets to Loyola to give to kids. She is a third year pediatric resident.   |
| Let us weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. Concerns – Please Hold in Prayer We pray for Portland, as requested by Kathy Fauth, asking God to give courage and wisdom as Oregon prepares for the deployment of the National Guard. We lift up the family and friends of Joanne Everett, giving thanks for her life and asking for comfort following her celebration of life service this past Saturday. We pray for Zada Clarke, asking for healing and relief as she recovers from foot surgery. We pray for Mary Elizabeth Kennedy, who is hospitalized with complications from Parkinson’s disease, asking for peace and strength. We lift up Morgan, the goddaughter of Colleen Whittingham, praying for endurance and healing as she undergoes treatment for Stage 3 ovarian cancer. We pray for the buyer of Mary Brown’s Western Springs home, who was recently diagnosed with brain cancer, asking for comfort and hope. We pray for Dave, a friend of Bob’s, who has just recovered from open-heart surgery and is now facing Stage 4 cancer, asking for courage and God’s sustaining presence. Joys – We Give Thanks and Celebrate We give thanks for the 25 confirmation students and the 40–45 high school youth who participated in our Youth Programs this past week. We celebrate the 10th birthday of Lukas Martinez, giving thanks for his life and the joy he brings. We rejoice with Leah Hilding, grateful that her son is doing so well in college. We give thanks with Janet Mensen-Reynolds, who is singing the High Holy Days and experiencing the richness of another religious tradition. May God’s Love Abound… |
| If you have Joys & Concerns that you would like to share with the congregation in this weekly email, please email them to Meredith by Tuesday at 12PM. We try to include the joys and concerns of every church member. If we’ve somehow missed yours, please email Meredith so we can include it in next week’s edition.EMAIL YOUR JOYS AND CONCERNS |
