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We have reached the end of our Galapagos adventures.  I hope you’ve enjoyed this summer’s journey with Brian McLaren and his book The Galapagos Islands: A Spiritual Journey. 

One of the things I most appreciate about his writing is the reminder to be fully present in our days and in this glorious, beautiful, life-giving world.  But we don’t have to go all the way to the Galapagos; we can experience that right here, right now.  Brian McLaren:

Really, the destination is far less important than the loving attention, the mindful openness, and the playful pace you bring with you next time you walk out your own front door right where you live…

You live in a remarkable place…Outside your window, just down the street, just outside of town, amazing creatures wait to astound you right now.  Believe me, the local song sparrow, mockingbird, American robin, and house wren that you’ve been hurrying past your whole life have songs that will make your heart sing, if you pause to really listen.  Believe me, honeybees and lightning bugs and spring peepers and common newts live not far from you, and they will amaze you, really amaze you, if you take time to notice (McLaren, The Galapagos Islands, p. 277-278).

I know it might seem odd to take these little jaunts in church—for two summers, we “traveled” to the national parks and now this year we’ve gone to the Galapagos Islands—but I think it’s a great way to spend our summers. 

Summer is a set-aside time anyway—a time for getaways and stepping outside of our regular lives, a time for a different pace in our living and moving and being.  So why not do something different in our worship life too?! 

Besides, it’s fun!  Which just happens to be our topic this week:  play! (Whoever said church isn’t fun?!)

I’ll see you Sunday.

Jennie

Worship at 8:15 and 10:30 a.m.
On-site at 302 South Main Street       Eureka, Illinois
Online at eurekachristian.org/worship-online or facebook.com/eurekacc/live

An Open & Affirming Congregation

We want to express our gratitude to the congregation for your consideration throughout the discernment process about calling ourselves an open and affirming congregation. The leaders of our congregation have done their best to be fair and transparent throughout the process. We want to thank those who participated in the discussion groups and those who responded to the survey, and we owe our gratitude to the Core Team for leading us through the discernment process.

We strive to welcome all people at Eureka Christian Church. The word “welcome” means not only invited into the church family but means loved and honored. The word “all” means all regardless of race, ability, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identification, or any other way in which people identify themselves. We also acknowledge that while we are united into the one body of Christ, unity does not mean uniformity.

The recent congregational survey showed that a substantial majority of the respondents favor being an open and affirming congregation. To reiterate what is meant by “open and affirming”:

• We welcome persons of all gender expressions and sexual orientations. We commit to including persons regardless of their gender expression or sexual orientation, welcoming all as Christ welcomes us.

• We do not use these attributes as a barrier to communion, membership, service, marriage in the Church, baptism, leadership, ordination, or employment in our ministry, nor as a barrier among those served. No one must pretend to be someone they are not.

• We commit to communicating our welcome publicly.

• We commit to preaching and teaching a gospel which understands that God does not reject or condemn people solely for their gender expression or sexual orientation.

Based on the results of the survey and the comments that were submitted, the elders have recommended to the board that Eureka Christian Church should be an open and affirming congregation. The board voted on the matter and agreed with the elders’ recommendation. The decision is effective immediately.

Some members have asked what will look different because of this decision, and the answer is probably very little. Our worship bulletins and our website will include a statement that we are an open and affirming congregation, but we don’t foresee any radical changes in the day-to-day life of the congregation because of the decision.

Once again, our sincere thanks to all for your diligence throughout the discernment process.

In Christ,

Rev. Jennie Churchman, Senior Minister
 Carolyn Kroll, Board Moderator
 Ron Crawford, Elder Team Leader

Disciples Women in the Christian Church in Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) invite the women of Eureka Christian Church to participate in the CCIW Women’s Fall Retreat.  The retreat will be held September 30-October 1 at Camp Walter Scott. 

The event begins on Saturday with a hot breakfast, registration and welcome at 9:00 a.m.  Throughout the day, we will explore the theme “Seasons of Life:  Living in Love” with keynote speaker Rev. Melissa Ebken.  The retreat also includes time for Bible study, fellowship, prayer, and crafts.  An offering will be received during closing worship on Sunday morning to be used for artwork at Camp Walter Scott that features women of the Bible.

Cost for the overnight and 4 meals is $75.  If you would like to arrive Friday evening to enjoy the beauty and serenity of Camp Walter Scott, there is an additional $20 fee for Friday night lodging.   (Dinner Friday would be on your own.)  Register by September 22.

On Sunday, we will return to the Galapagos Islands.

We have spent the summer with our guide Brian McLaren and his book The Galapagos Islands: A Spiritual Journey.  Together we have explored the sights and sounds of the islands—and the spiritual lessons they have to teach us. 

Lessons like: the joys of companionship, the blessings of a life-giving rhythm to our days, the contrasts between the way the world is and the way God desires for the world to be, and how we can better cultivate eyes to see both the wonders and the deeper meaning all around us. 

We have just two weeks left in this series. 

On Sunday, we’ll step back a bit and take the 35,000-foot theological view—how can we incorporate the lessons learned from the Galapagos into an overall understanding of God and how we are to relate to God’s good earth? 

I’ll see you Sunday!

Jennie

Worship at 8:15 and 10:30 a.m.
On-site at 302 South Main Street       Eureka, Illinois
Online at eurekachristian.org/worship-online or facebook.com/eurekacc/live

Come celebrate “Christmas in July” with us this Sunday, July 30!  We will gather as one worshipping community at a special 10:00 a.m. combined Festival Service!  Our resident Christmas aficionado Abby Reel will share the message, “The Secret to Sustainable Christmas Spirit.” 

As part of our Christmas in July celebration, we will take up a special offering for the Heart House “Tree of Hearts” Christmas gifts for teens and tweens. 

After worship, make plans to stay for a potluck fellowship meal in the Parish Hall.  Please bring a dish to share and your own table service; beverages will be provided.  It’s a day of worship, service, fellowship and fun!  See you there!

We will have a congregational meeting this Sunday, June 25 at 9:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary.

The purpose of this meeting is to approve our 2023-2024 Leadership Team and to approve revisions to the Eureka Christian Church Constitution and Bylaws. 

If you are not able to come to join us on-site, we will livestream the meeting. Links below. You can vote online here.

We hope you will join us for this important meeting, whether it is onsite or online.  See you Sunday!

Join the meeting online at eurekachristian.org/worship-online or facebook.com/eurekacc/live

Our journey to the Galapagos Islands continues this Sunday as we encounter the famous Galapagos giant tortoises. Here’s a preview. (Photo by Dusan veverkolog on Unsplash)

They are massive creatures! I knew they were big, but I never dreamed just how BIG! According to galapagosconservation.org.uk, “Males can weigh more than 500 pounds, and females average about 250 pounds…The largest recorded Galapagos Tortoise was nearly 6 feet long and weighed 919 pounds.” 

The arrival of the conquistadors in the sixteenth century was devastating to the giant tortoises. Conquistador is a Spanish word that means “one who conquers.” And, boy, did they ever conquer.

There is no doubt they were incredibly brave and curious as they set sail from the Old World and set out to explore the New. Unfortunately, they didn’t just bring their courage and curiosity with them; they also brought a mindset that said, “All the earth is ours to conquer and control.” 

But the earth wasn’t theirs. And the earth isn’t ours. “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,” as Psalm 24 proclaims. The earth is the Lord’s. 

In his book The Galapagos Islands, Brian McLaren is very right when he says, “The conquistador spirit lives on today” (p. 48). I see it everywhere. Including in the Church, which begs the question: Will we embody a conquistador spirit or will we share the Spirit of Christ out in the world? 

What is the Spirit of Christ? How is it different from the conquistador spirit? Because we certainly use the word “conqueror” in relation to the power of God. 

God conquers the shroud of sin; God conquers the sting of death. 

But note one crucial difference between God’s kind of conquering and the conquistadors’ kind of conquering: God’s kind of conquering leads to liberation and life; the conquistador kind of conquering leads to destruction and death.

This is the lens by which we should examine everything we do and say: Does it bring liberation and life, or does it bring destruction and death?  What’s it going to be–the conquistador spirit or the Spirit of Christ?

I’ll see you Sunday.

Jennie

Worship at 8:15 and 10:30 a.m.
On-site at 302 South Main Street       Eureka, Illinois
Online at eurekachristian.org/worship-online or facebook.com/eurekacc/live

Meet 2023 DPF Peace Intern Grace Dearhamer!

Of course we already know Grace at Eureka Christian Church! But what you may not know is that she is serving as a Disciples Peace Fellowship (DPF) Intern this summer. As part of this role, she will be sharing regular updates on her blog . Here is her first post! You can follow all three DPF interns as they blog about their experiences this summer.

Good luck Grace! You are in our prayers as you serve on our behalf this summer.