FROM THE RECTOR

Alleluia! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed!

Well, Lent ended the way it began...in a snow storm. This has been quite a winter for snow. I’m sure that you are as happy as I am that winter is over and spring has begun. I feel sorry for the green sprouts that are pushing up in my garden. As I write this yet another snow storm is bearing down on us. Ahhh, Springtime in Chicago, 50 degrees one day, 20 degrees the next.

In the church we are entering the Great Fifty Days of Easter, the non-stop celebration that runs from Easter day to the day of Pentecost. (Also early this year on May 11th). During the Great Fifty Days (GFD) we will not be using the Confession (or the Prayer of Humble Access at the 7:30 service) as we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and his victory over death. You are also encouraged to stand during those places where you normally kneel during the service (as you were encouraged to kneel, during the season of Lent, in those places where you normally stood). Pardon me as I use a baseball analogy (forgive me, it is spring after all!) Have you ever been at a baseball game when somebody on the home team hits a home run? People stand and cheer as he rounds the bases. They keep standing and cheering all through the next batter, and sometimes the next two batters. Well, that’s what we are doing during the GFD; the extravagant celebration of Easter overwhelms even the normal celebration of the Eucharist.

I encourage you to let the extravagance of Easter joy infect your whole life. During the GFD be a little more forgiving, no, be a lot more forgiving. Root out those places in your life where hurt or anger or a grudge has made it difficult for you to love as you know you should. Look at those dark places in the light of the passion and resurrection and see how small they really are, in comparison to how big you make them out to be. Turn them over to God and let the white hot light of the resurrection burn them out of your life. Let them go and hang on instead, to the joy of Easter. Find a way to make Easter joy the center of your life. You really will find it an amazing way to live.

I want to take a moment to thank all those who helped make this Holy Week another rich, powerful, and moving experience. Truly, we couldn’t have done it without you. Weather and Spring Break conspired to keep our numbers down again this year, but those who did participate were profoundly moved and their faiths were strengthened. Do not miss it next year.

In the Warden’s report inside, Bo will tell you about the success of our supplementary pledge drive. I only want to say, that as important as the pledge increases are, far more important to me is the community that has grown out of the special gatherings. We have grown closer across all three services and that makes us a better place. Many, many people have spoken to me about how nice it was to get together with folks from other services and we are going to find a way to build on the growing sense of community and fellowship. Keep your eyes open for new opportunities to get together in different groups and different ways.

See you in Church!

The stewardship gatherings were a success thanks to you!

Great news! Our informational stewardship gatherings have gone very well. Dozens of you have taken the time to come and learn more about our church, and give us your ideas. There were a number of good suggestions and these were noted and will be compiled for study and potential action. We sincerely thank you for taking the time. And we also want to thank anyone who has been involved in putting on these gatherings.

Stewardship is about using our time, talent and treasure in service to the Lord. St. Charles' Episcopal Church has always done a good job with stewardship, and this year will be no exception. At the meetings, a number of you offered to get involved in some of our ministries, and we sincerely thank you. Our church makes a difference in the community, and the world. And we want to do more.

As for our treasure, you may know at the annual meeting in January we reported that our pledges were about $28,000 behind what we needed to present a balanced budget for the year. A motion was passed authorizing us to go forward for the first quarter, while we implemented a supplemental pledge drive to try to reach our final goal. And we want to let you know that thanks to your generosity we will be able to present a balanced budget for the year.

The goal for the pledge portion of our stewardship drive was $290,000. With the conclusion of the gatherings, we are now up to 106 pledges for a total of $287,361. This is reason to celebrate! Despite the challenging economy, we learned at the gatherings to overcome our fears.

There are a few members who said they would attend the gatherings and then were sick or had other things come up. It's not too late to help us with your ideas, ministries and financial help. We haven't quite reached our pledge goal, and you could get us over the top. If you are interested, contact the wardens or the office at (630) 584-2596 or scecoffice@sbcglobal.net.

Regardless, your vestry is committed to providing the church with a balanced budget, and we will do that at our next vestry meeting April 10 at 7 p.m. at the church. As always, all are welcome. Vestry regularly meets the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m.

On a separate note, we are reminded of something one of the Bishop candidates said during the selection process that struck a chord. She remarked about how special the Episcopal Church is. Many of us feel this way, of course, but seldom talk about it. But we at St. Charles' Church have something special that the Lord wants us to share. It's not meant to be kept to ourselves. So share the word. Share the word about your faith, and about St. Charles' Episcopal Church. It's what we're here to do. This will be a theme we'll revisit throughout the year.

You'll have the opportunity to share the word April 27 when we again celebrate Bring a Friend to Church Sunday. Dick Hattan and the Evangelism Committee have fun things planned, but they need your help to identify potential new members. Please contact Dick at (630) 208-1978 or RHattan@lutheranlifecommunities.org. And remember to share the word!

God's peace,

Bo Smith (Senior Warden)
Colin Campbell (Junior Warden)

VNA Hospice is offering a national teleconference on Living with Grief: Children & Adolescents in Bodie Hall, Waubonsee Community College on Wednesday April 16 from 12pm to 3:30pm. Registration is $10 which includes a light lunch. There is a companion book offered for $15. If you want more info, call Judy Walter at 630.978.2532, jwalter@vnafoxvalley.com.

The Good Search Fundraiser. Check out www.goodsearch.com Just use this yahoo powered search engine every time you are looking on the internet. Every click earns a penny. And, if you purchase items or even hotel rooms, more money is donated by the businesses to our church. Wow!

The Gift Card fundraiser continues to be successful. Thank you to all of you who have bought cards. Now, we also keep several cards in stock, so you don't have to always wait for your oder to come in. We hope that you will consider making some purchases for yourself using a gift card every month. Whether it is groceries, gas, books, a favorite restaurant, a hardware store, or I-tunes, your use of a gift card to make those purchases puts a percentage of the money spent into the church treasury.

The Prayer Shawl Ministry meets on Thursday, April 3 at 7.00 pm and Tuesday, April 15 at 10.00 am. We would love for you to join us!

Our Annual Craft Show is Saturday, Oct.25th. Now that may seem far off to some of you, but the crafters in our midst know that it will come all too soon and that now is the time to start working on the fabulous goods they hope to sell! We’re already selling tables and we don’t want anyone to be left out. If you create hand made crafts, and would like to participate in our Show, call Fay Viverito at 630-497-8799 or go to our website for a downloadable application. Sorry, our quota of jewelry tables has already been filled, all other crafts welcome. You can find our website at www.stcharlesepiscopal.org

If Christians really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer,
we might be speechless. Did you know that during W.W.II there was an adviser to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every day at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace?

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America.

If you would like to participate:
Every evening at 9:00 pm Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central) (7:00 PM Mountain) (6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, and for a return to a Godly nation. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have.

The Order of St. Luke the Physician is an ecumenical organization dedicated to the Christian healing ministry. We are in the process of becoming a local chapter and invite your participation. We meet on the first and fourth Thursdays of each month at 6:00 pm in the church parlor. Meetings involve the study of healing miracles in Scripture, review of books on healing, healing prayer and the practice of healing involving the laying on of hands. If you have any questions, please contact Fr. Bill Kruse or Dick Hattan (630) 208-1978.

Here’s a chance to be an evangelist without the pain of personally asking your family, friends and neighbors to join you at church. Simply give us the name and address of someone you’d like to invite to one of our worship services on April 27, and we’ll do the rest. We will send a formal invitation to your guest to attend the service you suggest. We will provide the hospitality that we do so well and then let God do the rest. Forms will be available in the pews over the next few weeks. Just fill out the form and drop it in the collection plate or email the information to me at richardhattan@sbcglobal.net.

New Ministry to Refugees and Immigrants - Information & Awareness Meeting May 10th , 10:00 to 12:00 am

World Relief is an organization dedicated to helping refugees and immigrants and is one of the largest national organizations involved in this work. There are many such people in the Fox Valley in need of our help. World Relief offers our community opportunities for ministry, including provision of home goods, ESL volunteers, friendship partners, hosting the newly arrived, transportation, family counseling and many others.

In order to introduce the organization and its work, and to tell us about the opportunities for ministry, we are hosting an information and awareness meeting at our church on May 10th, 10:00 - 12:00 am . The meeting will include members of other churches in the Fox Valley who are also interested in working with World Relief.

Those interested in attending please contact Barry Cottrell at 630 232 0108 or cottrellb@sbcglobal.net

World Relief Benefit 2008 May 2nd 6:30 - 9:00 p.m., Community Fellowship Church, 28W240 North Avenue,West Chicago

Join World Relief for a celebration of hope and healing as former Ethiopian refugee Mawi Asgedom shares about his remarkable journey from a refugee camp in Sudan to Harvard University. The evening will also include performances from ethnic communities, dessert, a silent auction and an opportunity to donate to WR Du Page / Aurora

To RSVP or to learn more please contact Barry Cottrell at 630 232 0108 or cottrellb@sbcglobal.net

May will be a very busy month for our scouts. In addition to our annual pancake breakfast on Saturday May 10^th, we will be celebrating our 50th anniversary with a pig roast on the church lawn. We’re attempting to contact all former scouts to make this a grand reunion! On Monday May 26^th sleepy scouts will get up at 6am to participate in the Memorial Day observance at the Community Center and the local cemeteries.

For nearly 50 years our scouts have been able to rely on the pancake breakfast as our sole fundraiser. Very shortly Nate Nesbit, Douglas Johnson, Ian Rhead and James Wolff will be happy to sell you tickets. About 1/3 of the cost of the ticket will be credited to the salesman’s camping account.

The April camping trip is scheduled for Cantigny. The “old” scouts will be teaching the new scouts how to set up tents and dining flies as well as other camping skills.

Over two-thirds of the total waste produced in the United States is compostable, yet we still send 30 million tons of leaves and grass clippings to landfills each year. When cleaning out gardens this Spring, why not start a compost pile? Composting occurs when microorganisms break down organic material such as grass, leaves, or food “ turning it into rich soil. This is nature's way of recycling. Organic materials crushed deep in landfills release methane, the most potent greenhouse gas (23 times more potent then carbon dioxide!). Once composted you don't need to buy much fertilizer or mulch for your lawn or garden. Check out: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/homecompost/building.html on how to build a compost pile.

Would you like to be a part of one of our parish’s longest running ministries? For 22 years we have prepared and served a lunch to the needy at Trinity Church in Aurora on the fourth Thursday of the month.

We serve a hearty lunch: a substantial casserole; meat, cheese and bread for sandwiches; a tossed green salad with fresh vegetables; fresh fruit; cookies and desserts; and milk, juice and coffee. Several guests tell us this is their only meal of the day.

We can use your help preparing the main dish in our kitchen on the Wednesday night beforehand and transporting it down to Aurora Thursday morning. If you can’t participate Wednesday or Thursday, you can help by contributing food for the meal.

We are also looking for someone to be in charge of a meal for a month. That person chooses the main dish from a selection of large-quantity recipes we have on hand, sees that the ingredients are available for cooking Wednesday night, and are transported to Aurora with the accompanying food on Thursday.

This ministry continues year round. This means that someone with a lighter summer schedule can participate in June, July or August.

The Soup Kitchen sign up sheet is out in Ludtke Hall. Please look at it and see where you can contribute. You will find this experience an eye-opener. There is much need in the Fox Valley. Serving at the Soup Kitchen is one way you can make a difference. For more information contact Liz Ryan at 630-584-2596 or Barbara Ross.

'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?’

'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

Life down in the classrooms is pretty much back to normal. Classes are in full swing and the noise level is up to “cheerful”.

The children in the Green Atrium are learning about the Sacraments of the church.

The children in the Blue Atrium are learning more about our Book of Common Prayer.

April 27^th is “Bring a Friend to Church” Sunday. Kids are encouraged to bring their friends as well!

Also April 27^th is Bibletimes Marketplace registration. Look for forms on the Youth Formation Bulletin Board.

June 2^nd through 7^th the Sr. High will be on their Mission in the Mountains in Prestonsburg, KY.

The ever popular Bibletimes Marketplace (a week of vacation bible school run jointly by volunteers from St. Charles’ Episcopal Church and Bethlehem Lutheran Church) will return this year for the week of August 4^th through August 8^th. Enrollment for children (preschool - 5^th grade) begins April 27, 2008. Registration forms will be available on the Youth Formation bulletin board or from Liz Ryan beginning April 20^th. Please fill out one registration form for each child and return to Liz Ryan (by hand or put in her mail slot by the Library.) The registrations are accepted “first come, first served”. There is a registration fee of $5.00 per child to defray the cost of snacks. The Marketplace is “open” from 9 am to 11:45 am and is truly an enjoyable time for everyone involved.

We are also looking for adult and older teenaged volunteers who are interested in helping out for the week. Have you got a talent to share or patience to spare? You may be the one we are waiting to hear from! You can even be trained in a “trade.” Rope making, leather working, basket making or pottery to name a few. Look for volunteer forms in Ludtke Hall starting Sunday April 13^th or speak to Liz Ryan.

The Sr. High class wants to thank all those who donated blood during the Annual Holy Week Blood Drive! While our numbers weren’t as high as we would have liked. Our impact was mighty!

And remember, if you donate blood on a regular basis you can still designate your donation for St. Charles’ Episcopal Church. Blood is needed all year round.

Formation Class Clean-Up Day is Saturday April 26^th and your help would be greatly appreciated! Let’s spiff up the classrooms before “Bring a Friend to Church” Sunday! Call or contact Liz Ryan to volunteer your time! 630-584-2596 or scecyouth@sbcglobal.net

For the next several weeks, our parish has a tangible way to support our troops serving overseas. A donations drive is underway to collect items that will be packed and shipped to the troops, and your help is needed. Working with Operation: Support Our Troops, Illinois , a Naperville based group, we will be collecting designated items that will give the troops not only some basic supplies, but also some much needed affirmation that we on the homefront love and support them! The list below represents those things that are specifically needed at this time.

6. Crackers (standard 14.4 oz. box, Triscuit, Ritz, Club, Graham Crackers on which to spread peanut butter or tuna)

It is very important to choose items following the above guidelines, as it makes delivery much easier, according to OSOTil. All donations may be placed in the marked receptacles in Ludtke Hall. Please visit www.osotil.org if you wish to make a monetary donation instead, or if you wish to learn more about the work of this organization. Questions? Please contact Katie Thomson.

Please join Lazarus House “on the diamond,” at 6 PM on Saturday, April 19 at the annual dinner/raffle/auction and discover what it is like to take part in helping people build their “Field of Dreams.”

RSVP: 630-587-2144 by April 4 for reserved tables/seating preferences, by April 11 for general seating.

Numerous raffle prizes given away each half-hour throughout the evening and a grand finale raffle prize to close the night!

Test your pitching speed at the fast pitch area and bid on silent and live auction items such as: exciting stays in Lake Tahoe, Waikiki and Disney World; a wine tasting tour; sports tickets; landscaping services and much more….

Lazarus House is a community home at 214 Walnut Street, St. Charles, offering safe shelter, food, and support services to men, women and children connected to St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia and western rural Kane County who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless.

You are invited to the 3^rd Annual Dream Builders Soirée Saturday April 5, 2008, at 5:30 P.M. featuring food tasting from many of the premier restaurants along the Fox and a plated dinner prepared by the Chef at the Baker Hotel. Seating is limited, the food outstanding, and the venue spectacular! So reserve early.

The event will be held at the Historic Baker Hotel in St. Charles Illinois, a venue steeped in history and listed on the National Register of Historic places, the Hotel Baker offers magnificent views of the Fox River as the setting for the third Dream Builder’s Soirée. Built in 1928, recently restored to it’s formal splendor, and featuring the colorful rainbow room; this elegant resort setting was chosen to continue our tradition of hosting events in spectacular settings. Consider extending your evening with a stay at the Baker.

Restaurants: Our list includes Niche, ZaZa's, Fahrenheit, Dimitri's, St. Charles Place, Szechwan, Graham's, Cocoa Bean, Cocoa Cabana, and there will be four hours of open bar included.

You’ll also have the opportunity to bid on a variety of silent and live auction items - including trips, dining, sports and entertainment packages.

For ticket information or to donate an auction item, contact the Habitat for Humanity office at 847-836-1432.

Barbara and Jim Bachman in memory of William & Ruth Lehnert, Josephine & James Bachman, and Elmer & Verna Elliott

Carolyn & Jennifer Blatt in loving memory of husband/father Dick Blatt and father/grandfather Denux LeBlanc.

Glorianne & Colin Campbell in thanksgiving for all the men and women who serve this nation in the armed forces. May they return home safely.

Janet Craft in thanksgiving for friends and family, especially the safe return of Brice Schoener from Iraq.

Liz & Larry Engel in memory of J. Burton Richards, John, Vera and Dorothy Engel and Otha Gray.

Bill and Liz Johnson in memory of Roy & Mildred Johnson and George & Carrie Kane.

Mary and Jack Kerr in memory of Ellis & Ruth, James & Ellen, and Norman and Jan.

Gib and Michelle Moore in memory of Warren & Lorraine Moore; Roy, Betty & Almond; and Karl Piessens, Sr.; and in thanksgiving for the safe return of Justin Piessens from Iraq .

Maria Owen in memory of Renny, Ivor and Florence Owen and Guadalupe Celio. And in thanksgiving for her granddaughters Madelyn Owen and Lola Garcia.

Lisa & Ross Parse in memory of Peter & Verna Parse, Zenon & Lydia Sarva, Charles & Florence Cook and James Marsh.

A heartfelt thank you to all those who offered or came into the church to help during Holy Week. As you know, these past four months have been a time of learning the intricacies of the Episcopal faith and the way in which it is practiced here at St. Charles' Episcopal Church. Holy Week was especially challenging and I would like to thank you for your patience and understanding. I'd especially like to thank the church staff: Fr. Bill for his guidance and enduring patience, Deacon Liz for her many offers to help in any way she could, Liz Ryan for her constant support and for picking up some of the regular duties I simply didn't have time to perform, and Dan Williams for having all the music for all the services available well before the bulletins were being prepared. I'm also especially grateful to Jim Bachman and Sheryl Vitel for coming in several days to fold all the bulletins. Thank you, too, to those who were willing to wait until after Holy Week for their specific requests to be addressed. Holy Week was a special journey for me this year, and the wonderful people of St. Charles' Episcopal Church made it a very meaningful journey as well.