Women@Fourth Connect . . . with You
June 2008
Welcome to the June edition of the Women@Fourth Connect newsletter! The weather has finally turned warm—so it’s time to head outside!
I’d like to announce a new leadership team: Debbie Johnson and Helena Flickinger have stepped down as moderator and co-moderator, respectively, and we welcome Kathryn Burkhardt and Meredith Fleming in their stead! Be sure to welcome them when you see them at Coffee Hour or at a Women@Fourth Connect event.
And we are sorry to announce the passing of Marie Carstensen, a longtime member of Fourth Presbyterian Church and of the Benevolent Guild. A memorial service was held on Tuesday, May 27 at 1:00 p.m. in the sanctuary.
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Recent Events
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Thank you to all who attended and helped with the Annual Mission Tea on Saturday, May 10. It was a lovely occasion with wonderful cookies, scones, and tea sandwiches (provided by a host of volunteers), tea donated from Tea Gschwender, and marvelous entertainment by Libby Harrison and Daniel Henry. Also present were milliners from the Chicago Millinery Arts Alliance, who brought beautiful hats to enjoy and buy, and gift items from Original T-Bag Designs, a South African arts collective that makes art out of recycled tea bags. Money raised from the Mission Tea will go to a number of local, national, and international organizations supporting women and children.
If you have been to one of our Steering Team meetings or attended the Benevolent Guild, you may have seen (and probably wondered about!) a tradition we have at the end of these meetings called Fellowship of the Least Coin, where we collect participants’ loose change. In 1956, Shanti Solomon traveled through Asia as part of an ecumenical team seeking reconciliation among women from war-torn countries. Refused entry into Korea, Shanti waited and prayed for inspiration, seeking guidance for healing relationships among women of different cultures and countries. She envisioned women praying for each other, setting aside a coin as a symbol of their sincerity. From Shanti’s vision, the Fellowship of the Least Coin was born. Individuals or groups commit to pray for peace, justice, and reconciliation among families and communities and worldwide. Women’s groups collect the coins and send them to the central fund, where the prayers and coins support projects for women and children around the world. For more information, go to http://www.pcusa.org/pw/leastcoin/index.htm. Women@Fourth Connect is proud to be part of this long-standing ecumenical prayer effort.
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Upcoming Events
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Our Annual School Supply Drive starts July 6! Many students delay their return to school until they can get the necessary supplies, putting them at a disadvantage for the whole year. Our goals are to provide 125 filled backpacks to children connected with the Chicago Avenue Community Garden and homeless students at Lincoln Park High School, to supply our 400 Tutoring students with paper, pens, etc., at their weekly one-to-one tutoring sessions, and to provide supplies for programs at Casa Central, Erie Charter School, and the Chicago Christian Industrial League. You can help by donating supplies (lists available at Coffee Hour starting July 6), assisting at our backpack assembly on Thursday, August 21, or assisting with Coffee Hour (soliciting, receiving, or inventorying donations) during the months of July and August. For more information, contact Anne Ellis (312.573.3369; aellis@fourthchurch.org).
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In the Chicago Area
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This Saturday, June 14 is the 23rd Annual Hunger Walk of the Greater Chicago Food Depository. The event is a wonderful opportunity to support the programs of the Chicago Lights Elam Davies Social Service Center (EDSSC). The Hunger Walk is a noncompetitive, 2.5 mile walk along the lakefront, beginning at Montrose Harbor. The walk heads north to the Foster Beach turnaround and then heads back to Montrose Harbor. Following the walk there will be family entertainment, music, games, and refreshments until noon. To meet up with other Fourth Church walkers, please meet in front of the Bait Shop (a small wooden building in the park at the corner of W. Montrose Avenue and W. Montrose Harbor Drive) by 9:10 a.m. This is just a few steps away from the registration and main gathering area of the walk. For pledge sheets, more information, and, importantly, a map showing the Bait Shack meeting spot and the entire route, contact Kathryn Burkhardt at kathrynburkhardt@earthlink.net (312.925.3584).
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Classes and Opportunities at Fourth Church
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A New Nia Series
Nia is a body-mind-spirit fitness and lifestyle practice fusing dance, yoga, and martial arts from ancient East-West philosophy. Nia, which is adaptable to every fitness level and every age, explores moving your body the way it was meant to move—with balance, ease, and precision!.
Beginning Wednesday, July 9, an eleven-week series of Nia classes will begin at Fourth Church. Each week’s sessions meet twice: on Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. The cost of twice-a-week classes is $180; to register for Wednesday-only or Friday-only classes is $130; drop-ins are welcome at $15 per individual session. Registration is required.
For further information or to register, visit www.niachicago.com or call the Nia Class Infoline at Fourth Church at 312.787.2729, ext. 371. This class is sponsored by the Chicago Lights Center for Whole Health.
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Volunteer Opportunities at Fourth Church
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There is always a need for supplies for the Activity Table at Monday Night Supper. They could use the following: greeting cards, note cards, postcards or other stationery, stamps in any denomination, word search puzzles, and general interest magazines such as Jet, Ebony, Parade, Reader’s Digest, People, Entertainment Weekly, and Sports Illustrated. Donations can be dropped off at the Volunteer Table at Sunday coffee hours.
Books by Women is looking for a new book discussion leader. The group meets thefirst Tuesdays of the month from 6:00 to 7:15 p.m., September through June, to discuss classic and contemporary works by women authors. If you are interested or need more information, please contact Anne Ellis at aellis@fourthchurch.org (312.573.3369).
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Opportunities beyond Chicago
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The annual Women’s Connection Retreat at the Montreat Conference Center in Montreat, North Carolina, is August 3–7. This year’s keynote speaker will be Katharine Rhodes Henderson, author of God’s Troublemakers: How Women of Faith Are Changing the World. Ms. Henderson is also Executive Vice President of Auburn Theological Seminary and cofounder of Face to Face / Faith to Faith, a multifaith youth leadership program. Scholarships for this conference at Montreat, one of three national conference centers affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), are available. For more information or to register, visit www.montreat.org or call 800.572.2257, ext. 339.
The National Network of Presbyterian College Women Annual Event, which will be in San Francisco, is August 7-10. The theme for this year is “The Power of Poverty.” The Reverend Dr. Katie G. Cannon, the first African American woman to be ordained in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and a leader in womanist theology and ethics will be the keynote speaker. Scholarships are available; for more information or to register, visit www.pcusa.org/nnpcw or call 502.569.5848. Space is limited, so you are encouraged to register as soon as possible.
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Our Ongoing Groups
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For more information about any of these groups, please contact Anne Ellis at aellis@fourthchurch.org (312.573.3369).
New Moms’ Groups
If you are expecting a child or have had a child within the last year, you are invited to join a New Moms’ Group. The purpose of these groups is to make new friends and explore how faith can be a strong resource during these exciting and challenging times. Groups typically meet for eight weeks in a member’s home. Babysitters are provided, so moms are free to participate in discussions, or babies can stay with their moms.
Other activities include
- Monthly Moms’ Night Out: The first Friday of each month we gather at a restaurant for dinner.
- Biannual Service Project: Twice a year we cook a meal for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House.
- Great Expectations Shower: Twice a year we host a shower for expectant moms at Fourth Church.
To join a New Moms’ Group or for more information, e-mail newmomsgroup@fourthchurch.org.
Books by Women
First Tuesdays from 6:00 to 7:15 p.m., September through June
Large Conference Room
This book group has met faithfully for well over a decade to discuss classic and contemporary works by women authors.
Benevolent Guild
Wednesdays (except for the third Wednesday of the month) at 9:30 a.m.,
September–December, March–June
Page Smith Room
Do you have some time to share on Wednesday mornings? The Benevolent Guild invites you to join in the fun of creating handmade toys and treats for children in hospitals and shelters. You are also encouraged to bring a brown bag lunch and stay for a time of fellowship following the work session.
Sewing and Knitting Workshop
Fourth Tuesdays from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Large Conference Room
Join the active group of women who sew and knit items for those in need (such as hats and scarves for adults and children, children’s pajamas and clothes, baby booties and crib caps, lap robes, and more). The group is designed to accommodate working women as well as those who stay at home, allowing participants to produce their wares on their own time.
The group meets at Fourth Church on the fourth Tuesday evening of each month for a time of fellowship, to drop off items they have completed, and to pick up yarn and material for new projects. Items are then donated to children and families in shelters, hospitals, and nursing homes.
Women’s Bible Study
Women’s Bible Study is on hiatus for the summer.
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How Can I Participate in Women@Fourth Connect?
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Come to one of our monthly W@FC Steering Team meetings/potlucks, or just sign up for those events that interest you. For more information, you can contact Anne Ellis, Staff Liaison, at aellis@fourthchurch.org (312.573.3369)
Happy June, Everyone!
Kathryn Burkhardt, Moderator
Meredith Fleming, Co-moderator
Anne Ellis, Staff Liaison
If you would like to receive these updates by e-mail, please send your e-mail address to women@fourthchurch.org
