HIDDEN BOuLDERS
Our church’s ministry to love boldly so that a better world is possible wouldn’t be possible without the many people who serve behind the scenes. We call them “Hidden Boulders.” Hidden, because their bold love isn’t often in the spotlight. Boulders, because they are bold in their love and we see them connected to Jesus, the foundation of our faith. Every Sunday in worship, we will announce a Hidden Boulder.
Do you know someone who should be recognized as a FUMCAH Hidden Boulder? You may submit their name here.
During this season of ongoing pandemic, our Sunday School teachers have to show up ready to serve, not knowing how many children they will have in their class. We are so grateful for their commitment, their flexibility and that they love boldly. Nursery • Sara Reich and Matt Kaempfe Room 100 • Diane Mier and Giuliana Berruti (Kathy Lange in the fall) • Penny Quade and Janet Sprague • Joyce Bieritz and Carolyn McCarty Room 200 • Sarah Foutch • Tim Dowling and Michelle Kritselis • Robin Paul and Pam Wiedmann Downstairs (Elementary) • Lisa Kelsey • Jennifer Kaempfe • Oula Pattie • Beth Williams • Maureen Ault • Alicia Smith • Linda Riddle • Andrew Namowicz • Lori Reich
Sam Williams was the first to answer the call to volunteer for the Worship Tech Team. Sam has been assisting with the streaming service cameras and sound as well as the media within the Sanctuary. Thank you, Sam, for being a Hidden Boulder.
The Art Ministry Team has enhanced our worship and outreach ministries by painting murals, creating banners for parades and events, leading the 1000 Card Initiative, and participating in our Winter Wonderland Walk in Hope display. The adult members of the Art Ministry Team are Lisa Kelsey, Alice Jenks, Becky Johnson, Sue Mika, Allison Anderson, Linda and Mark Riddle, Lynn Mikels, Terri Passolt, Dorota Blaszkiewicz, Margaret Frerk, Em Riddle and Thom Frerk. Youth members are Shane Sutton, Alice Kelsey, and Nora Montgomery. Ad hoc members are Bob Lee, Mike Schellinger, Jim Abdnor, Jim Donahue, and Karen Garst.
July 11: Laura Jerbi and Elena Jones are responsible for the banners we'll be enjoying throughout the worship series on Paul, "On the Road Again." Laura raided her fabric stash for us and scoured through children's Bibles for ideas. Elena helped with the construction of the banners. Thanks, Laura and Elena.
June 27: Gail Becker and Judy Standefer are our greeter coordinators. Every week they ensure that people coming to church are greeted with a warm and welcoming smile. Greeters help us welcome newcomers and longtime members. Greeters set the tone for worship and are a concrete way we live into our value of including everyone. Thanks, Judy and Gail!
June 27: Judy Standefer and Gail Becker are our greeter coordinators. Every week they ensure that people coming to church are greeted with a warm and welcoming smile. Greeters help us welcome newcomers and longtime members. Greeters set the tone for worship and are a concrete way we live into our value of including everyone. Thanks, Judy and Gail!
June 20: Suzanne Nice has been working behind the scenes to help our church be as inclusive and welcoming as possible. She is a faithful member of the Reconciling Ministries committee. She made the connection to the house we used for the Pinta Pride Parade in Buffalo Grove. She has made valuable contributions to our work of interrupting racism. Suzanne has also been on the Renovation Team, the group of people helping us restructure our student ministry.
June 6: Kate Leipprandt is the current chair of our investment committee. The investment committee oversees our church’s long term investments from the sale of what is now Methodist park. What has always been an important role, became more complicated this year, with the loan for the building for all project, the upcoming sale of our parsonage, and the shifts in the stock market. Thank you, Kate, for helping our church manage our resources well.
May 30: You will find Mike Schellinger at the church a lot taking on project after project. He gets quotes for parking lots, fixes lights, and meets with real estate agents. Thanks, Mike, for being a hidden boulder.
May 23: A key part of our confirmation process is to assign an adult mentor to walk alongside each confirmand. Our hope is that the mentor and confirmand develop a relationship of mutual trust and respect and that they grow together in faith. Our current confirmation mentors are: Richard Baldino, Jonathan Nii, Stuart Jones, Larry Johnson, Karen Kimi Erfort, Ryan Kelsey, Dan Merz, Patrick Bornhorst, Jenny Bornhorst, and Jacqueline Raitano.
May 16: Now that the weather is getting better, we will be enjoying our church’s gardens. Ron Reed and Bob Jones oversee the maintenance of all of our landscaping. Thank you for the hours and hours you give in being sure that our gardens and landscaped areas are well maintained, beautiful and welcoming. Our gardens, bushes, trees, and other landscaped areas are well maintained!
May 16: Now that the weather is getting better, we will be enjoying our church’s gardens. Ron Reed and Bob Jones oversee the maintenance of all of our landscaping. Thank you for the hours and hours you give in being sure that our gardens and landscaped areas are well maintained, beautiful and welcoming. Our gardens, bushes, trees, and other landscaped areas are well maintained!
May 9: Six months into the pandemic, our preschool found itself without a director. Maureen Edmondson, who had retired from the position in 2017, stepped in. As soon as it was safe to do so, she re-opened our preschool, providing much needed support to parents and a place for children to get together for fun and for learning. She and the teachers instituted safe practices to keep teachers and students as safe as possible. Maureen, thanks for helping us serve our community with this needed option for parents.
May 2: Since the pandemic began, our Health and Safety Team has been researching best practices, and advising the staff on how to do ministry safely. Thank you, Carolyn McCarty, Jim Petrusek, Julie Boggess, and Amy Johnstone, for being hidden boulders!
April 25: Julie Boggess, Partners in Caring. Our Partners in Caring ministry helps our church care for each other. Partners in Caring regularly visit and check on members of our church who live in assisted living centers and nursing homes, or live at home and don’t get out as much as they might like. During the pandemic, our Partners in Caring have been calling people and writing notes. Julie, thanks for being a hidden boulder.
April 18: Russ Guilford has been the driving force behind our church’s involvement with Meals on Wheels since at least 2014 when he became our church’s coordinator, with the able assistance of his wife, Marlys. They have been active volunteers with this important ministry since 2005. I reached out to Lynndah Easterwood Lahey from Wheeling Township to get some details about their involvement and she said, “I can’t say enough good things about them and their dedication to the program. Earlier this year I reached out to Russ, as we’d had a another church drop out of volunteering for their route in April, … he and Marlys filled FUMCAH’s regular route AND that other route – which is amazing. Hidden Boulders is a very accurate way of describing the Guilfords.”
Kathy Pollard and Karen Labbe have been helping with our weekly FAB children’s program. FAB stands for Friends, Art, and Bells. The program began last fall, closed for a while due to COVID restrictions, and then re-opened. Kathy and Karen have been enthusiastic supporters all year as they have both helped with art, Kathy with chimes, and Karen with puppetry. Kids know that they have friends at FUMCAH and are friends with Jesus because of the care of people like Kathy and Karen.
Karen Labbe and Kathy Pollard have been helping with our weekly FAB children’s program. FAB stands for Friends, Art, and Bells. The program began last fall, closed for a while due to COVID restrictions, and then re-opened. Kathy and Karen have been enthusiastic supporters all year as they have both helped with art, Kathy with chimes, and Karen with puppetry. Kids know that they have friends at FUMCAH and are friends with Jesus because of the care of people like Kathy and Karen.
March 28: Pat Nudo and Jonathan Nii – when our former PADS director decided that she needed to step out of leadership, Pat stepped in, offering to lead PADS and Jonathan Nii stepped in to help him.
Jonathan Nii and Pat Nudo – when our former PADS director decided that she needed to step out of leadership, Pat stepped in, offering to lead PADS and Jonathan Nii stepped in to help him.
March 21: Sara Reich and Alex Namowicz have started a new fellowship group for parents of small humans, called POSH. They’ve been meeting on Zoom and staying connected via Facebook. They’ve welcomed people new to our church who have wee ones and are figuring out how to provide a valuable connection in the midst of a pandemic.
March 21: Alex Namowicz and Sara Reich have started a new fellowship group for parents of small humans, called POSH. They’ve been meeting on Zoom and staying connected via Facebook. They’ve welcomed people new to our church who have wee ones and are figuring out how to provide a valuable connection in the midst of a pandemic.
March 14: Sue Wotal has spent much of the pandemic knitting baby hats, blankets, and mittens and sewing masks for Kids Above All, one of our partners in ministry. Sue, thanks for loving boldly!
March 7: Luis Montgomery helped create the delivery routes for our Mardi Gras bags. Luis took Mt. Prospect and Arlington Heights – the communities where the most people from our church live – and put together routes that made as much sense as possible. Thank you, Luis, for making a big endeavor possible.
February 28: Sheryl Anderson is the treasurer for our United Methodist Women. She keeps track of the money received from fundraisers and giving and reports it to the denomination. It’s not a glamorous job, but a necessary one. PLUS, Sheryl is making hand made cards and sending them to people in our church as a word of encouragement. Thanks, Sheryl, for helping the United Methodist Women of our church in their generosity to missions and for caring for members of our church.
February 21: Our church works with JOURNEYS | The Road Home to provide meals for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless as part of JOURNEYS’ PADS program. People give food, money, and time to make a hot meal and sack lunches. Every week, Jim and Linda Wyatt deliver these meals to a local hotel where JOURNEYS is housing clients during the pandemic. Thanks, Jim and Linda, for helping our church serve others. Thanks for loving boldly.
February 14: Kim Buck has been working behind the scenes to produce the amazing music videos we have from our choir. She’s given herself a crash course in video production and she ups her game every time the choir sings. Thanks, Kim, for providing ways for our choir to add great music to our online worship services.
February 7: Jennifer Kaempfe and Stephanie Sutton are running our Confirmation program this year. Jennifer has volunteered with the program for several years, as either the lead teacher or assisting the youth pastor. Stephanie joined in to help this year. They set up the classes on Google Meet, found curriculum that incorporated justice themes with scripture, and are figuring out how to make the program engaging during a pandemic. Stephanie and Jennifer, thank you for leading Confirmation and being Hidden Boulders!
February 7: Stephanie Sutton and Jennifer Kaempfe are running our Confirmation program this year. Jennifer has volunteered with the program for several years, as either the lead teacher or assisting the youth pastor. Stephanie joined in to help this year. They set up the classes on Google Meet, found curriculum that incorporated justice themes with scripture, and are figuring out how to make the program engaging during a pandemic. Stephanie and Jennifer, thank you for leading Confirmation and being Hidden Boulders!
January 31: Becky Johnson is our Memorial Service coordinator, one of our Wedding coordinators, and an all-around behind the scenes worship organizer. She unlocks doors, sets up the flowers, lights candles, and handles unexpected requests. At the drive-in Christmas Eve Service, she figured out traffic flow, and at the recent peace vigil she handed out candles. She’s the person we/I call and say, “Okay, what am I not thinking of?” Becky, thanks for seeing all of the details, offering radical hospitality to those who are grieving and those who are celebrating.
January 24: Jim Donahue is the guy we call when something breaks, when there is a banner to install, or new flag to put up. He responds quickly, works efficiently, and gets the job done. Jim can fix just about anything!
January 17: Every week, Karen Garst delivers the order of service, Sunday sermon, and an audio recording of our service to the people in our church who don’t have access to the internet. Her ministry helps our church connect to people who otherwise would be cut off from Sunday worship.
January 10: Thom Frerk, Mike Schellinger, and Jim Abdnor for the Hope Sign that adorned our front lawn during Christmas. Thom designed and painted the sign. Mike and Jim cut it out and installed it.
January 10: Jim Abdnor, Thom Frerk,and Mike Schellinger, for the Hope Sign that adorned our front lawn during Christmas. Thom designed and painted the sign. Mike and Jim cut it out and installed it.