PASTOR’S LETTER

October 18th was the second occasion when

our church provided a meal to the veterans and their

families at Hines VA. The hospitality center is

called Fisher House, which is a kind of Ronald

McDonald hospitality center for families visiting

VA patients. Many of the veteran-patients have

sustained damage to their eyes and vision. The

hospital unit is often referred to as “the blind unit,”

for indeed many are legally blind.

We had a strong line up of volunteers from

Grace to prepare and serve the food. Also

volunteers assisted in helping manage the sight

limitations while patients navigated the kitchen and

dining room of Fisher House. I happened to sit at a

table with two women, both of whom were from the

blind unit and were war veterans. The younger

woman was a Viet Nam Veteran who spoke at

length about Viet Nam, conscientious objection

policies of that time and now. Naturally she had

complaints about how the controversial nature of

the war was handled and the consequences for

herself and her comrades in arms. The other

woman said she was ninety-two years old and that

she served in WWII. She wanted to talk about how

she was going to manage the winter months. She

identified a town in north central Wisconsin as her

home, but indicated that she could choose to stay in

Florida with family also. Her treatment program, a

refresher training program in managing without

sight, was soon to be ended and she was

apprehensive about leaving the support of unit staff.

The menu was the special recipe of our

men’s group for chili and the hot ingredients for

meat and vegetarian tacos prepared by Lynn Peters

and other women of the church. The response to

the menu was gratifying. So many people reported

that the hospital menu rarely, if ever, has chili and

tacos. So people ate more than one serving and still

had room for the dessert--ice cream, pies and

brownies. After the event, Grace Volunteers

remarked how satisfying it is to do something good

for those who have sacrificed so much for our

nation. Many volunteers had similar stories to tell

about conversations they had over chili and tacos

with patients and family members.

Doing something for others is a way of life

in the church. Jesus clearly directs the attention of

his followers outward when he says, “For the Son of

Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give

his life a ransom for many,” Mark 10:45. Then, to

his disciples, Jesus says that if they are to be his

followers they should set their sights on being

servants of all people. As a result, when we hear of

good deeds done in Jesus’ name, it inspires us to do

more. Yesterday was such an occasion. Grace

Church and Divine Providence cosponsored a fall

retreat at The Center of Palos Park. The guest

speaker was Chela Angelates, a native of Peru, and

the wife of a plastic surgeon on staff at Loyola

University and Medical Center. She told of how the

two of them return to Peru every year, bringing

other physicians and medical personnel to provide

free medical care in the mountains and jungles of

Peru. It wasn’t until she told of the lifesaving

plastic surgeries for burn victims that our group was

able to appreciate the gift of service she and her

husband provide annually. Apparently, open fires

are common for cooking in rural areas and a great

hazard for children. Treatment frees the child to

live normally.

Thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas

seasons are soon to be upon us. The Altar Guild,

people who come each week to set the altar and

sanctuary in preparation for Holy Communion and

festival days, will be busy bringing the church

beauty to its fullest. These are the seasons when

church music is most memorable and meaningful.

These are the seasons people remember most when

their minds drift back to childhood Christmas

pageants, distributing food baskets to people in

need, or memories of lights, colors and candles

burning brightly.

As a young boy, sitting in the pew next to

my mother and other family members, I would pass

the service time squinting at the candles on the altar

to see if I could squint streaks of dancing lights in

time with the music. My home church has a very

similar design to that of Grace Church’s. Like

Grace, the stained glass windows are beautiful and

tell the story of new life, joy and faith in a God who

wills only good things for all. The coming festival

days give rhythm and meaning to our life together

as people of faith

Naturally the rhythms of the church

calendar offer you many things to look forward to.

There is everything from the second Saturday of

November Pancake Breakfast to the Service on the

Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving Day,

where we gather in the chapel to give thanks, sing

songs and share our personal thoughts of gratitude.

You can be a part of these things in big ways or

small. So too with Advent and Christmas; the

Children’s Christmas Program will be on Sunday,

December 20th. They will need help with costumes

and a guiding hand before and during the service;

you can create some new memories by jumping in

with both feet.

Most important of all, turn your attention to

the things that are of God: worship, service and

celebration of the gifts of life.

PANCAKE BREAKFAST

That time of year is here again! That time of year when, for the cost of $5.00 a ticket, you can have “all you

can eat” pancakes, along with sausage, orange juice, coffee or milk. It just doesn’t get any better than that!

Children 7 years old and under are free.

Tickets have been placed in your mailbox at church. Bring yourself, your relatives, your neighbors…grab

people off the street (only if they want to come!) and show everybody what Grace has to offer.

Plus, the Grace Women will be conducting a bake sale so that after you are done eating, you will be able to

choose from many delicious home baked items to take home and enjoy later on!

Plus, it is a day that is filled with good times, good conversation, good memories and good fellowship!

We will be serving from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. There is a sign-up sheet posted in the Narthex at Grace asking for

volunteers to help with setting up on Friday, November 13th, 6:30 – 9:00, and to help out with serving and

clean up on Saturday, November 14th. Thank you for always supporting us in our fundraising efforts. Your

help and support mean a lot and is truly appreciated!

A raffle/silent auction will be held. Tickets will be available at the breakfast.

SPECIAL SERVICES

For your convenience, here is a list of times and

dates for upcoming special or holiday services:

Thanksgiving Service - 7:00 pm - Wednesday, November 25th

Christmas Program – 10:00 am – Sunday, December 20th

Christmas Eve Services – 4:00 pm and 11:00 pm – December 24th

Christmas Day Service – 10:00 am – December 25th

New Year’s Eve Service – 7:00 pm – December 31st

GRACE NEWS

CHRISTMAS PROGRAM

This year’s Christmas Program and Potluck is

scheduled for December 20th. The committee for the

progam will consist of Beth Signore, Joy Wieska,

Marianne Steiner and Amy Burokas. A meeting for

discussing the program is scheduled for November

11th at 7:00 p.m., at church. Two rehearsals for

children and adults are scheduled for December 12th

and 19th. Please let the church office know if you

would like to have your child or children be a part of

the Christmas program. There are always enough

parts to go around!

The Christmas program will be conducted during the

10:00 a.m. Worship Service and the Potluck will be

served almost immediately afterwards. We usually

get the meal underway around 11:45 am. Our menu

is broasted chicken (provided by the GLCW); a ham

is provided along with a variety of homemade dishes

and desserts that our members bring to round out the

rest of the meal. Punch, milk and coffee are the

beverage choices. After enjoying a delicious meal

and dessert, Santa will be making his yearly

appearance to deliver gifts to the boys and girls in

attendance.

A sign-up sheet will be posted for your convenience,

requesting the number of adults and children that will

be attending. Having more or less an exact number

makes it easier to have enough food on hand, making

sure nobody goes away hungry! Having the number

of boys and girls attending helps Santa make sure he

has enough toys in his bag to go around!

The Christmas program is a beautiful service to

attend. Seeing the angelic faces of our youth and

listening to their voices reminds us that it is a

beautiful and special time of year that never gets old.

This time of year tends to make us focus on the many

blessings we have in our lives. It is a time to be

thankful for family and friends, a time to be thankful

for a beautiful church to worship in and a pastor who

lovingly tends to his flock; a time to give thanks for

the privilege of hearing the story of Christ’s birth

being proclaimed throughout our nation.

Most of all, it is a time to be thankful for the birth of

our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Grace Social Gathering

On Wednesday, December 2nd, members of Grace are

invited to dinner at the Westchester Inn at 5:30 p.m.

The Westchester Inn is located in the Village

Commons (31st and Wolf Road), on the east side of

the mall. It is a Czech Restaurant and serves hearty

meals. If you have never been to the Westchester Inn

before, make sure to bring an appetite! We have

checked with the restaurant and they will be glad to

give us individual receipts.

If you could use a ride to the restaurant, please let the

church office, Pastor or Lynn Peters know and one

will be provided for you. As the time approaches,

there will be a sign-up sheet posted on the kiosk in

the Narthex for all interested members to sign up or

you may call the church office at 708-345-1375 and

let the secretary know you are interested in attending.

It will be necessary to give the restaurant a definite

number of people attending so that arrangements can

be made ahead of time.

Copies of the menu are available on the table in the

Narthex in case you would like to look one over.

Hope to see you there!

NEWS from a Former Pastor…

We received an email from Jory Feustel, daughter of

Harvey Feustel, a former pastor at Grace. She

wanted to pass along some information concerning

her parents, Harvey and Gladys. She told us that her

parents just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary

on October 23rd and that they had also recently

moved to Ohio. Their new address is:

Rev. Harvey and Gladys Feustel

c/o Birchaven Heights

15100 Birchaven Lane

APT #117

Findlay, OH 45840

Jory also noted that her father continues his battle

with Parkinson’s disease but that both her dad and

mom are doing well at this time. She said that they

would love to stay in touch with all of the folks they

grew to love during their ministry at Grace Lutheran.

Please send them a note or card at their new address.

They would love to hear from former friends and

members of Grace.

Jory’s email address is jfeustel2802@gmail.com –

Phone number 847-651-6562.

November

11/1 – In Memory of

Bob Smunt by Vivian

Smunt

11/1 - In Honor of

Pastor Crum’s Birthday by the Grace Congregation

11/8 – In Memory of Florence Galatte by Larry &

Nikki Vaillancourt

There are still open dates for altar flowers for

November and the beginning of December.

Poinsettias will again be ordered in

December to beautify our worship

area. More information on

ordering will be forthcoming in our

Sunday bulletins.

QUILTERS NEEDED

Our group of quilters,

Lois Dama, Ruth Dugo

and Ruth Lorenzen will be

meeting on Wednesday

mornings for quilting

instead of Thursday mornings. The time will be the

same, 9:30 am to 12:00 noon.

If anyone is interested in learning the fine art of

quilting and has time available on Wednesday

mornings, please contact one of the three ladies

mentioned above.

Concerts

The West Towns Chorus invites you to come in and find

“The Heart of Christmas.” This concert will be performed

on Saturday, December 12th, at 2:00 p.m., and 7:30 p.m.,

and on Sunday, December 13th, at 2:00 p.m., at the Tivoli

Theater, 5021 Highland Avenue, Downers Grove, IL

60515. All seats are reserved. You may order on-line at

www.WestTowns.org/christmas or call (630) 201-5544.

There are various ticket prices ranging from $27 on down

with a discount of $2 off each full price ticket for ten or

more tickets on one order. A shuttle from the Curtiss

Street parking deck to the Tivoli will be available before

and after each show.

Join us on December 6th, to attend the “Service of

Lessons and Carols” at Concordia University Chicago

located in River Forest. The University Choir and

Orchestra will be performing and those in attendance will

be invited to participate. We will car pool. Meet at Grace

at 2:30 pm. Let the office know if you can provide a car

and driver. There is no charge, but there is an

opportunity for a free will offering. The service starts at

4:00 p.m.; doors open at 3:30 pm.

WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES?? If you have a wedding anniversary in November or December, please let the Church Office know so that we can add that information to our future Towers.

November Wedding Anniversaries

David Goetz and Marcella Wozniak Elizabeth and Steven Gorr

December Wedding Anniversaries

Al and Joy Wieska, Todd and Tanya Svoboda, Thomas and Diane Lesak

NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS

4 – Pastor Roger Crum 7 – Kevin Creed 7 - Mack Svoboda 13 – Matthew Svejcar 17 – Lindsey Bruness 19 – Joan Goodman 22 – Jeffrey Voyda 27 – Cheryl Schweikert 29 – Casey Creed

DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS

1 - Bill Creed 2 -Thomas Lesak 4 - Bill Reynertson 7 - Dorothy Smith 9 - Carol Flannigan 10 -Joy Wieska 12 -Kathleen Hennessy 13 -Katherine Palucci 14 - Amy Burokas &Steven Gorr 16 - Kristopher Otto 18 - Elizabeth Wiersema 21 - Al Wieska 28 - Andrea Janka & Nicolette Vaillancourt 30 - Leona Steiner 31 - Priya Roberts Jeff Janka, Ryan Kohs, Laila Levy, Vince Palucci, Aiden Kryczka Please help us update our birthdays by sending the missing dates into the church office.

The People of Grace In Our Prayers

Please notify the Church Office of Updates

For Grace Members: Dottie Cmunt, Lois Dama, Ruth Dugo, Don Emerson, Joan Goodman, Peggy Janka, Virginia Justus, Janice Lord, Lorraine Mestek, Beverly Rimpila, Bill Reynertson, Rudy and Ingrid Wesa, Al Wieska, Elaine Zapfel, Ruth Lorenzen, Leona Steiner.

For Family and Friends: Dick Jacobson (husband Kris Jacobson), Cathy Dello, Emily Lovendahl (great grand- daughter of Lorraine Mestek’s sister), Robert Dahlen, (brother of Beverly Rimpila), Kathleen Dama (daughter- in-law of Lois Dama), Michael Dragoon (grandson of Ingrid Wesa), Cindy Hauck (sister of Kathy Hennessy), Eden Jones (daughter in law of Marilyn Jones), Charlotte Rzeminski (former member), Claire Smunt, daughter-in-law of Vivian Smunt and Scott Brooks (brother of Dianne Brooks), Jane Novak.

For Those In the Military: Jason Rose (friend of Mark Holmes), Shawn Saviola (member of the Wisconsin National Guard), Sean Szatkowski (in the Marines – home).

Remembering the Saints… On All Saints Sunday we remembered our loved ones who have passed including three of our members who passed this year:

Roberta Morgano Donald Green Ken Sperlik

We thank God for their lives, their service and friendship to our church and congregation. We ask for God’s grace to comfort their families and may the precious memories of their loved ones help sustain them through this difficult time.

Chili Fundraiser – October 3, 2015

Dedication of Trees for Sandy Voyda and Retired GLOW Staff – October 4, 2015

7 GLOW TEACHERS

Blessing Jan’s Redbud

Blessing Laura’s Magnolia

Fisher House Pot-Luck Dinner – October 18, 2015

Blessing Martha’s Magnolia

Blessing Sandy’s Service Berry

CELEBRATING THE PAST LEADERSHIP GLOW PRESCHOOL

Only a few short years after Grace Church members built the new

facility in 1965, church women saw an opportunity to use the original social

hall and kitchen for preschool age children. The year was 1971. Sandy Voyda

wrote one of the first Annual Reports to the Congregation about GLOW

Preschool for the January 1980 Annual Meeting of the Congregation. Sandy

wrote the following history dated 1979:

"In January 1971 GLOW (Grace Lutheran of Westchester) Preschool

had one morning and one afternoon session. Our morning session of four year

olds met on Mon., Wed., Fri., from 9-11:30AM. There were 14 children in that

session. Our afternoon session of three year olds met Mon. & Wed., from 1-

3PM. There were 13 children in that session."

Sandy went on to note that after six years of teaching and assisting,

beginning 1973, she became the Director of GLOW Preschool in 1979. As one

of our senior members of Grace said this week, “Well, Sandy built GLOW!”

Even after retiring as director in 1994, Sandy returned in times of transition to see to it that the mission

of GLOW’s care of children and families would seamlessly continue.

Sandy enjoys golf and travel. She has had many memorable rounds of golf with family and

friends at Hilton Head South Carolina. She has made numerous trips to a cottage in Wisconsin and to

Hawaii. Sandy continues to be an active member of Grace Church singing in the choir. The tree which

is dedicated in her name is a Service Berry (clump) Tree which has beautiful flowers in the spring and

berries for birds in late summer.

The team of Martha Hoekstra, Jan Jawor, and Laura Leibundguth (left to right) provided a

spiritual as well as educational powerhouse of leadership for the children and families of GLOW. When

Jan announced that she was retiring in 2012. Both Laura and Martha decided that they too would move

on with their lives. But their coming together was indeed spirit led. Each came to this team with their

own outstanding history in early childhood education. By 2012 Laura had been teaching at GLOW for

19 years. Since leaving GLOW, Laura has been employed as a patient coordinator for Girling Home

Health in North Riverside. Laura and her husband Bill spend many weekends at their family's lake

home in Wisconsin relaxing and remodeling. They also have a new family member, Willie, a

Newfoundlander puppy.

Martha had directed her own Preschool for a full career. Her husband's illness and passing

caused Martha to move out of retirement to volunteer her expertise to the already forceful leadership of

Jan and Laura. Soon Martha was offered a small salary to make it official. Martha joined the team in

2005. In her retirement Martha enjoys spending time with family and friends, especially her six

grandchildren. Four of them are now teenagers, which is a new kind of fun. Martha is active in her

church Bible Study Fellowship and has become a Stephens Minister--special training to walk alongside

individuals who are going through difficult times. Martha also enjoys travelling. She is only a few days

from having returned from the Netherlands.

Jan became the Director of GLOW in 1995. She came to the church a few days ago and spoke

about the memories that make her smile. Just thinking about working with Laura and Martha, makes Jan

smile, and their collective sense of being blessed to be in a workplace where they could live out their

dreams of teaching and nurturing the development of these young children. And how in tune they each

were with one another. Jan said, "sometimes the expressions on the faces of children as they mastered

things comes flashing in my memory." The memory of the Westchester Flood made her laugh as she

recalled it. "Where did all the helping people come from," she mused. What makes her smile and even

laugh in awe is, of course, not the hardship of it, but the amazing outpouring of help from so many

unexpected places.

Jan's favorite thing in her retirement is spending time with her two grandchildren ages five and

two. Every week she drives to their home in LaSalle, Illinois for a day or two. Retirement also allows

Jan time for exploring her interest in improving her health, diet, and exercise. Since leaving GLOW,

both of her parents have passed away. Being retired gave her more time to spend with them and help

them with their needs.

The very first Psalm speaks of people whose hearts are filled with God's grace and joy. "They are

trees planted by streams of water. In all they do, they prosper." Today we dedicate four trees, a Redbud

tree, two Magnolia trees and a Service Berry tree in honor of their commitment and service of children

and families of GLOW Preschool. Thank you Sandy, Jan, Laura and Martha. May God continue to

bless each of you.

◄ Oct 2015 ~ November 2015 ~ Dec 2015 ►

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 9:00 – 9:45 AM – Adult Bible Study 10:00 AM Worship Sunday School 10:15 – 10:50

2

3

4

5 9:30 – 12:00 Noon Quilters 7:00 – 8:00 PM – Choir Practice

6

7 8:00 PM – AA Meeting

8

9:00 – 9:45 AM – Adult Bible Study 10:00 AM Worship Sunday School 10:15 – 10:50

9

10

11

7:00 PM – Council Meeting 6:30 pm – Christmas Program Committee Meeting

12 9:30 – 12:00 Noon Quilters 7:00 – 8:00 PM – Choir Practice

13 6:30 – 9:00 PM – Set Up for Pancake Breakfast

14 8:00 – 1:00 PM

PANCAKE BREAKFAST

8:00 PM – AA Meeting

15 9:00 – 9:45 AM – Adult Bible Study 10:00 AM Worship Sunday School 10:15 – 10:50

16

17

18

19 9:30 – 12:00 Noon Quilters 6:30 – 9:30 PM – Ham Radio Club Meeting 7:00 – 8:00 PM – Choir Practice

20 9:00 AM – Set Up for NIROC Bird Fair

21 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM NIROC Bird Fair 8:00 PM – AA Meeting

22

9:00 – 9:45 AM – Adult Bible Study 10:00 AM Worship Sunday School 10:15 – 10:50

23

24

25 7:00 PM – Thanksgiving Eve Service

26 HAPPY THANKSGIVING

27

28 8:00 PM – AA Meeting

29 9:00 – 9:45 AM – Adult Bible Study 10:00 AM Worship Sunday School 10:15 – 10:50

30

◄ Nov 2015 ~ December 2015 ~ Jan 2016 ►

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2 5:30 PM – Grace Social Gathering at Westchester Inn

3 9:30 – 12:00 Noon Quilters 7:00 – 8:00 PM – Choir Practice

4

5 8:00 PM – AA Meeting

6

9:00 – 9:45 AM – Adult Bible Study 10:00 AM Worship Sunday School

10:15 – 10:50 Service of Lessons & Carols at Concordia - Meet at Grace at 2:30 PM

7

8

9 7:00 PM – Council Meeting

10 9:30 – 12:00 Noon Quilters 7:00 – 8:00 PM – Choir Practice

11

12 10:00 AM – Christmas Program Rehearsal 8:00 PM – AA Meeting

13

9:00 – 9:45 AM – Adult Bible Study 10:00 AM Worship

Sunday School 10:15 – 10:50

14

15

16

17 9:30 – 12:00 Noon Quilters 6:30 – 9:30 PM – Ham Radio Club Meeting 7:00 – 8:00 PM – Choir Practice

18

19 10:00 AM – Christmas Program Rehearsal

8:00 PM – AA Meeting

20

9:00 – 9:45 AM – Adult Bible Study 10:00 AM Worship CHRISTMAS PROGRAM WITH POT-LUCK TO FOLLOW

21

22

23

24 4:00 – Christmas Eve Service 11:00 – Christmas Eve Service

25 10:00 – Christmas Day Service MERRY CHRISTMAS

26

8:00 PM – AA Meeting

27 9:00 – 9:45 AM – Adult Bible Study 10:00 AM Worship Healing Service Sunday School

10:15 – 10:50

28

29

30

31 7:00 – New Year’s Eve Service

Note

Grace Lutheran Church

1101 Manchester Avenue

Westchester, IL 60154

(708) 345-1375

Postage

THE GRACE TOWER – Nov.-Dec.