PASTOR'S CORNER

Dear EPC Members and Friends -

Many churches slow down during the summer as people go on vacation and change their schedules. Don’t be fooled! EPC has a lot going on this summer, and if you’re in town, I hope you’ll be here! Here are some things I hope you’ll take note of:

THE LONG SHADOW: Come to a screening of the movie The Long Shadow, hosted by Elmhurst College. “Of all the divisions in America, none is as insidious and destructive as racism. In this powerful documentary, the filmmakers, both privileged daughters of the South, who were haunted by their families slave owning pasts, passionately seek the hidden truth and the untold stories of how America—guided by the South’s powerful political influence—steadily, deliberately and at times secretly, established white privilege in our institutions, laws, culture and economy.” The Long Shadow will be shown at Elmhurst College’s Irion Hall at 7:00 p.m. on June 10th. Doors open at 6:30.

VBS: Our Vacation Bible School is June 18-21 from 5pm to 8pm.  The youth of our congregation are leading VBS this year. The theme is SUPERHEROES! Please tell your family members and neighbors about our Vacation Bible School!

PRIDE!: This will be the second year our congregation is hosting a family pride festival, complete with a bouncy castle, music entertainment, food, and booths. Fun for all ages. The date of the Pride festival is June 22.

PSALM SERMON SERIES: For much of the summer, (June 16 - July 21) our sermon series will be focused on the Psalms. The Psalms are a deep well of many different genres and emotions, and we’ll dig in to what they mean to us. Most weeks we’ll be in Calvin Hall for summer worship.   

JONAH SERMON SERIES: From July 28 - August 18 we’ll be studying the book of Jonah. Maybe you’ve read Jonah several times, or maybe it’s a new book of the Bible to you. Wherever you find yourself, you’ll learn something new.

BLESSING OF THE BACKPACKS: On August 11, the week before school starts, all children, youth, teachers and school administrators will be invited to a very special “Blessing of the Backpacks.” We’ll bless students for the year ahead with a special liturgy and token of our love and care. Bring any special students in your life. (The Blessing of the Backpacks will be during our regular worship service, and it’ll be in the sanctuary.)

YOUTH ROOM AND CHILDREN’S CHURCH ROOM REDO: This summer is a perfect time for us to get our children’s church room and youth room ready for the school year! We’ll be painting, moving furniture, and setting up space for our children and youth! We’ll be moving furniture into the correct rooms and painting the space. If you’d like to help, please contact Pastor Traci. Work days are TBA!

Phew! That’s a summer! Looking forward to a fruitful summer at EPC.

With Gratitude,
Pastor Traci

More Light Presbyterians  
This Spring the Session voted, unanimously, to become a “Presbyterian More Light” Congregation. What is a “More Light” Congregation? Well, the mission statement of More Light is “Following the risen Christ, and seeking to make the Church a true community of hospitality, the mission of More Light Presbyterians is to work for the full participation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) people in the life, ministry and witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and in society.”  By voting to become “More Light,” our session has formalized our welcoming position so that those who are seeking a church home will know ours is a safe and open congregation. Learn more about More Light Presbyterians by visiting www.mlp.org. If you have any questions about More Light Presbyterians, please talk to any of our session members, or Pastor Traci, and be on the lookout for future articles in the announcement bulletin and on our website.