Thou Shalt Not Covet...

Saw this Harley at our local airport earlier this year...

Thanksgiving with the Family

Karen and I took the kids downstate for Thanksgiving last week. We spent three days at my Dad's in Effingham, IL. My sister and her family spent the day on Thursday, and my brother came down from Chicago and stayed until Saturday.

We had a great time with the family - despite the normal family oddities. One cool thing was watching Ethan run around for hours with his two cousins, Isaac and Tera. Unfortunately, they will be moving to Grand Junction, Colorado next year where my brother-in-law got a job with the National Weather Service. He will be working there for two years and then hopefully moving back to Illinois to work as a forecaster (not the guy on television but the guy who feeds info to that guy). Guess who's going to Colorado to visit and climb some fourteeners?!?

The biggest news of the trip was my brother's impending marriage. He recently went to Thailand for two weeks of vacation. He spent most of his time there with a woman named Nok (pronounced like "Coke") and her family. He had been connected with her through a co-worker's wife who is from Thailand. By the end of the vacation, he had asked her to marry him and move to the United States. They are beginning the eight month process now. The plan is for him to return to Thailand next year for a Buddhist wedding ceremony and a three-day wedding festival and then travel back to Chicago with his new bride.

The picture is of the cousins at my sister's house in Villa Grove, IL. We went there on Saturday on our way home to hang out some more since they had only been able to spend time with us on Thursday.

All in all, it was a great trip to spend time with the family. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

Director of Family Service Needed:

Fox Valley Christian Church is a growing non-denominational church located in the far-west suburbs of Chicago. We have recently completed construction of a new 23,000sq/ft facility located on 17 acres of land. We are looking for a new staff member to oversee the development and production of a weekly worship service for parents and kids. The ideal candidate will be an extrovert with high-energy and will be a blend of administrator and performer.

This individual should possess the ability to oversee ministry details, create volunteer teams in conjunction with the needs of the service, relate to both children and parents, and be comfortable both on-stage and behind-the-scenes. A passion for helping parents in their role as primary spiritual educators of their children is a must for this position.

Fox Valley Christian Church believes and operates on a team model of ministry. You will be joining a staff of twelve men and women who serve in full-time, part-time and unpaid positions. A solid, proven relationship with Jesus Christ is essential as we strive to encourage your personal walk with Christ along with your ministry performance.

Past experience working within a church is more important than education. Production and/or theater experience is required. Salary is negotiable and will be based on multiple factors. A detailed job description can be downloaded at www.fvcc.com/careers.pdf.

Contact Information:
Fox Valley Christian Church Chris Genders
40W150 Main Street
Batavia, IL 60510
Phone: (630) 208-8484
Fax: (630) 482-9539
Email: chris@fvcc.com
Website: www.fvcc.com

This Is My Church

The following is an anonmyous poem I found for the sermon I delivered today. It resonated with me, so I thought I would share it with you...

This is my church.
It is composed of people like me.
We make it what it is.

I want it to be a church
that is a light on the path of pilgrims,
leading them to Goodness, Truth and Beauty.

It will be, if I am,
It will be friendly, if I am.
Its pews will be filled, if I help to fill them.

It will do a great work, if I work.
It will bring other people into it,
To worship and fellowship, if I bring them.

It will be a church of loyalty and love,
or fearlessness and faith,
if I, who make it what it is, am filled with these.

Therefore, I dedicate myself to the task
of being what I want my church to be.