At the start of June, two churches join together in partnership in the Gospel. St. Paul Chenoa and St. Paul Lexington will formally be joined into a multi-point parish—a church partnership in which they will share one pastor and, hopefully, work more closely with one another. Taking such a step can be scary, it can be uncomfortable, it can feel like one or both churches are losing their identity and purpose. But that is looking at things from an earthly point of view.
On the night Christ was betrayed, He said a prayer. It started as a prayer for His disciples and then grew into a prayer for all who would believe because of what His disciples taught. He prayed, “[I ask] that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:21) That was Jesus’ hope, that all believers in Christ would work together as one. We have one faith, one body, one Lord. Christians are not meant to be on their own. Churches are not meant to be on their own. We are all meant to be one in Christ, working together for the common goal of doing God’s Will, spreading His Word, and awaiting His Kingdom.
| Date | Attendance | Offering | Mission |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05-05 | 88 | 3904.00 | |
| 05-12 | 63 | 2456.00 | 40.00 |
| 05-19 | 69 | 3090.31 | |
| 05-26 | 68 | 2286.00 | 10.00 |
| Seminary Student | 5250.00 | ||
| Car Portal | 100.00 | ||
| Woman’s Bible Study | 300.00 |
Please notify Joy if anyone could be removed from the Prayer List.
Installation Service - The service installing Pastor Ronchetto will be held today at 3:30 at St. Paul, Lexington where we will celebrate a rite establishing the multi-point parish. From there, we will process to St. Paul, Chenoa, where the service will continue with a rite of installation. A meal will follow at St. Paul, Chenoa. There is sign-up sheet by the podium for bringing food.
Pastor’s Bible Study – Beginning June 9, Pastor will lead a Bible Study following the Service. We will be exploring the book of Micah together. I hope to see you there!
Please note Pastor’s new email – rev.ronchetto@gmail.com
The Ladies Bible study group will be meeting during the summer months. We will be reading Pew Sisters by Katie Schuermann. From the cover: “Every woman in the pew has a story of God’s faithfulness, and women love nothing better than to revel in one another’s experiences and celebrate the sisterhood of believers. … We are all one in the Body of Christ, so these beautiful women are your pew sisters.”
Please note: the date for our study is not weekly. We will be reviewing 2 sessions each week. We will still be meeting on Wednesdays at 2 p.m. (with one date exception).
Books are available at the church. Please feel free to take one, even if you will be working on this study at home. If you are not able to attend all the sessions, it’s ok! Join when you can. The current plan is to restart in the fall on September 11th and complete the next study before Thanksgiving. We will be studying Perseverance: Praying Through Life’s Challenges: A Nehemiah Battle Plan by Donna Pyle. Study books will be available closer to the starting date. Please let Tom or Pam Norris know if you have any questions about this Ladies Bible study. A special thanks to - Randy, Logan and Marvin Miller as well as Austin and Todd Rhoda for the removal of the old mower shed and setting the new shed.
Looking for volunteers to help with bush trimming.
Please join Hope Pregnancy Center’s Baby Bottle Project from Mother’s Day to Father’s Day. Baby bottles are available at the church. Drop your spare change, dollars or a check into the bottle and watch it fill to the top! Then bring the bottle back to church on Father’s Day. The spare change collected will be used to help babies and mothers across the entire area. Will you partner with us in this simple way to give hope and save lives?
In celebration of June Dairy Month, Kilgus Farmstead hosts the annual Breakfast on the Farm on Saturday, June 8, 7 AM – 10 AM.. The event is sponsored by the Livingston County Farm Bureau Young Leaders and all proceeds go to Livingston County food pantries. The young leaders work hard to serve up a delicious breakfast of biscuits and gravy, eggs, milk, juice or coffee –all for just $1 per plate! In addition to a tasty breakfast, the event includes free farm tours, games, and activities for the kids. Rain or shine, we’ll be set up and ready to share our country’s goodness with the local community. We hope that you can join us! Kilgus Farm is 1 ½ miles south of Fairbury [only traffic light on Route 24] on 1st Street.
**The Chenoa Food Pantry—-**is in need of the following: unscented toilet paper & unscented feminine products. If you find a good deal on the larger packs, they will break those larger packs down into 4 packs so more people can be served.
First Lutheran Church, (NALC), Pontiac will be hosting a men’s steak fry the evening of 13 June beginning at 5:30, at Del Robinson’s quarry pond, 2.25 miles west of Rt 23 on 2100 N Rd., Livingston County. 2100 North Road goes through Rowe, Ill. on the way to Humiston Woods. Entry is on the south side of 2100 N. Cost is $20 per person for meal with sides and beverages. Contact Roger Wahls (815) 848-1415 or Roger Henkel, First Lutheran, (815) 822-8248 for details. The men of St. Paul are invited.
LUTHERAN SOFTBALL: The 2024 Pontiac Church League Softball season has begun and will end with a tournament in early Aug. All games will be played Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6:15, 7:30, or 8:45 pm. Teams will play only one of these games per evening. All games will be played at Pontiac Rec Plex, south of Pontiac Correctional Center. The league is co-ed and players should be at least 16 years old. If interested, contact Roger Wahls (815) 848-1415 or Stacy Eilts, First Lutheran, (815) 822-1377, as a point of contact.
As per Tom’s request the balances of the church’s account are as follows:
