News of the Church
worship and children’s/youth ministry
We gather for worship on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary. Recordings of the services can be found at www.fpclg.org/sermons for those who are unable to attend. You can also subscribe to "FPCLG Sermons" as podcasts through iTunes or your favorite content distributor.
Cross Trainers for grades 5-8, Faith Forest for grades K-4 and Noah’s Ark Preschool for ages 2-5 meet during the 10:00 a.m. service. Nursery care is also available for infants and toddlers.
Our TUXIS High School Youth Group meets on Sunday evenings during the school year from 7:00-8:15 p.m. in the third floor youth room.
Visit our Children’s Ministry and Youth Ministry pages for more information.
COFFEETIME AFTER COMMUNION
On the first Sunday of each month, we share in Communion during worship and coffeetime and fellowship after the service in the Narthex. Regular and decaf coffee are provided.
Volunteers are invited to sign up to host and provide a treat, such as doughnut holes, for one of the coffeetimes. If desired, you could also provide an additional beverage option (juice, pop, fun creamer flavors, etc.). Sign up on your own, as a family or with a group.
Contact the Church Office or use the SignUp Genius to pick a date to host. Thank you!
Thanksgiving Service
First Baptist Church of La Grange, 20 N. Ashland Ave., will be hosting an ecumenical Thanksgiving service on Sunday, November 24, at 3:00 p.m., followed by a congregant meal at 5:00 p.m. All are invited.
Order Your Christmas Poinsettia
Each $22 poinsettia plant purchase will provide a beautiful 6" red poinsettia to be enjoyed in our Sanctuary during Christmas Eve Worship. You may take your plant home following the 8:00 p.m. Christmas Eve service or choose to have it delivered to an area low-income housing facility. Contact the Church Office, order through our Online Giving page or turn in the bulletin insert order form by December 10.
Christmas Hams for Gift Baskets
For the fifteenth year, our Board of Deacons and Mission and Outreach Committee are planning to provide gift baskets for local, low-income grandparents who are raising one or more of their grandchildren. We need spiral hams in the original packaging, to be brought in on or before Sunday, December 8, and placed in an FPCLG refrigerator. Please be sure that the expiration date of the ham is after 12/25/2024. Please contact the Church Office at 708.354.0771 or admin@fpclg.org to let us know if you are able to provide a ham.
Christmas Giving Trees
Our Christmas Giving Tree table is up in the Narthex, and we invite you to stop by and pick up a tag or two to donate a gift card for either low-income grandparents raising their grandchildren or for local low-income seniors. For the Grandparent project, we are in need of $25 gift cards for Target, Walmart or Aldi by Tuesday, December 10. For the senior project, we need $10 gift cards for Target or Walmart by Sunday, December 15. Unwrapped gift cards may be placed in the drop box at the Giving Tree table, mailed or dropped off at the Church Office, or placed in the offering plate. Please label whether your gift cards are for $25 or $10. You can also contribute to both the Grandparent Project and the Senior Project through our Online Giving page. Thank you!
After worship on Sunday, December 15, we will gather in Westminster Hall to assemble the Christmas gift bags for area seniors. This is open to ALL membership. We will be assembling about 60-70 bags, so extra hands are appreciated!
Women’s Ministry Christmas Program/December Commuter Concert
On Thursday, December 12, at 12:30 p.m. in our Sanctuary, Women’s Ministry will be hosting a wonderful music program by siblings and FPCLG members Connor and Greta Sandman. This will be followed by a luncheon in Westminster Hall. It will be a delightful way to start the Christmas holidays! All are welcome, and we hope you will consider bringing a guest or two. The cost is $20 per person. Please contact the Church Office with questions or to RSVP.
There will be an encore performance on Tuesday, December 17, at 6:00 p.m. as part of our Commuter Concert Series, followed by Christmas cookies and snacks in the Narthex. A free-will offering for this evening is appreciated.
Commuter Concert series
Stop by on the third Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m., and you'll be in for a treat. Free-will donations go entirely to participating musicians. Invite a friend or neighbor, and meet us in the Sanctuary. You can also support our Commuter Concert Series through our Online Giving page.
CLIMATE ISSUES Study GROUP
A new group is meeting on the first Thursday of each month at 7:45 p.m. in Westminster Hall to discuss climate issues. We are using a curriculum prepared by the Presbyterian Women of the PC(USA). Books cost $15 each. Please contact Betty McGinnis or the Church Office to sign up.
Provide a Ride
We are looking for additional volunteers to join our ‘Driving Team’ ministry to provide rides for a church member on Sunday mornings for worship and on weekdays to and from work. Rides are local and are needed on Sunday at 9:30/11:15 a.m. and Monday through Friday at 6:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Pick-up is near Gilbert and Cossitt Aves. in La Grange, and the weekday drop-off is near the Quarry Cinemas in Hodgkins. Please contact the Church Office if you are interested in signing up for an occasional day in the driving rotation
Provide a Dinner for Neighbors in Need
Constance Morris House is part of Pillars Community Health and serves those affected by domestic violence. After extensive renovations this past year, the residents returned to the facility this summer. Constance Morris is in need of dinners for their 20 residents, and FPCLG has the opportunity to help meet this need on the first and third Thursday of each month. This is a great activity to do as a family or with friends, and you are welcome to use the church kitchen for preparation and fellowship if signing up as a group. A main dish and side plus dessert (fruit is great) to feed 20 people can be dropped off anytime before 5:00 p.m. There is no need to worry about food allergies or restrictions. When asked what meals are preferred, the response was, “Prepare something you'd bring to your own family gathering.” You can view the schedule here to see available dates. Please contact the Church Office at admin@fpclg.org for more information or to sign up!
Magazine Collection
Our Board of Deacons is collecting magazines with lots of pictures (not technical info) for use at an area nursing home's memory care unit. Examples are People, National Geographic, Better Homes & Gardens, etc. Please place donations in the blue bin in the Ashland Ave. vestibule.
"Buy a Part, Be a Part"
Our “Buy a Part, Be a Part” fundraising campaign for our Living Waters mission in El Salvador provides the opportunity to fund a specific piece of the water filtration system that will be installed for our next partner community in El Salvador. Click here to visit our Living Waters Webstore and sponsor a piece of the system!
Reminder to Save Pop Tabs
Pop tabs from cans are collected in a labeled drawer in our 'recycling center' in the east cloister and delivered to Ronald McDonald House, which receives the market value of the recycled metal plus a charitable match from United Scrap Metal to support their mission of providing a home away from home for families who have a child in the hospital. Little things like pop tabs can make a big difference!
Drop Off Your Food Pantry Donations
Food donations (of both non-perishable items AND fresh produce!) for the local food pantry may be placed in the bin in the Ashland Ave. vestibule of the church. In addition to food, the pantry gratefully accepts donations of toiletries and other non-food items. We feature an "item of the month" to highlight some of these needed supplies. November’s item of the month is single-roll paper towels.
“YOU ARE LOVED” COMFORT CARE TOTES
Many thanks to our generous congregation for supporting the “You Are Loved” Comfort Care Totes project for people going through cancer treatment. If you are aware or become aware of anyone of any age to whom you would like to give one of these totes, please let your deacon know or contact the Church Office.
2024 “PER CAPITA” AMOUNT IS $36.50
Each year, PC(USA) churches pay to support the work of their Presbytery, Regional Synod and National General Assembly based on each church’s total membership. You help us to cover this cost by paying the $36.50 per capita amount for each member of our church in your household. Per capita contributions may be made through our website or sent in to the Church Office. Contact Rick Foulke at 708.354.0771 or rfoulke@fpclg.org with questions.
CLICK TO GIVE
Online giving on our website allows you to make one-time donations or set up recurring payments by charging your checking account, savings account or credit card through one of the industry leading vendors for secure payment processing. A confirmation e-mail is sent to you for each gift, and a record of your gifts is also visible to you. It is very quick and easy. To make an online gift, click this link. There is no need to set up an account, but taking a few minutes to do so will make it easier to track your giving history as well as make subsequent or recurring gifts. You can also complete our direct debit authorization form to set up recurring payments directly from your account.