CSI CHRIST CHURCH OF CHICAGO
5857 W. GIDDINGS ST, CHICAGO, IL 60630
773-234-1034 ● www.csichristchurch.us
https://www.facebook.com/chicago.csi.malayalam
PARISH MESSENGER
August 2016
“Let Us Arise and Build” (Nehemiah 2:18)
Vicar / President:
Rev. John Mathai
Phone: (224) 386-4830
Vice President:
Nityan Joy
Phone: (847) 971-2000
Secretary:
Premjit William
Phone: (847) 962-1893
FROMTHEPRESBYTERSDESK
DearlyBelovedBrothersandSistersinChrist
GreetingstoyouinthepreciousnameofourLordandSaviorJesusChrist
TheChristiancallistolivealifeworthyofourcalling.Lifeisaverypowerfulexpression.Peopleworkhardeithertopromotelifeornegatelife.Thusweseebothlifepromotingforcesand
lifenegatingforces.InPsalm1,thereisacleardistinctionbetweenlifepromotingandlifenegatingforces.The
righteousonewatchedoverbyGodislikeatreeplantedbystreamsofwater.Suchatreedoesnotspringupby
merechancefromawindcarriedseed.Itisatransplantedtreetakenupfromitsplaneoforiginanddeliberatelysetatasourceofwaterwhereitsleafdoesnotwitherandfruitshallspringforthinseason.Incontrast
theunrighteousonealwaysnegateslife,whoselifeislikechaff.Chaffisverylightandiscarriedawayeventhe
slightestwind.Itisasymbolofalifethatdriftsalongwithoutdirection.
ThelifeandtestimonyofDanielandhisthreefriendsnarratedinthebookofDanielareamovingexampleof
courageandconviction.Theychoosenottobowdowntoking’simageevenunderpenaltyofdeath.Theydid
notgiveintopressuresfromanungodlysocietyanddeterminedtoserveGodregardlessoftheconsequences.
Theyhadaclearpurposeinlife.Thesemenareinspiringustolivealifeworthyofitscalling.
Inthe1inalanalysisweneedtochooselifepromotingforcethatisthelifeoftherighteousoneexplaininginthe
1stpsalm.Wealsoneedtopraythat,GodgrantusthesamecourageofDanielandhisfriendstoremainfaithfulunderanycircumstances.LetmeconcludewiththeprayerofJohnMilton,
Whatinmeisdark,illumine.
Whatarelow,raiseandsupport.
Thattotheheightofthisgreatargument
Imayasserteternalprovidence
And justify the ways of God to men.
30th CSI North American
Family & Youth Conference,
Itasca, IL
Yours in Christ
John Mathai Achen
AUGUST
BIRTHDAYS & WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES
Jerin M. Koshy
1
Joash Ampalloor
8
Sania Jissin
22
Vijayakumar Benjamin
3
Mary Christudas
10
Sheela Joseph
23
Rachel Pati
3
Thankamma Karottu
12
Johns T. Mathew
23
Andrew Meresh
4
Leena Oommen
12
Sheela Isaac
25
Benjamin Lukose
5
Jessy Alexander
13
Kristin John
26
Christy George
6
George Cherian
14
Annie Mathew
27
Shibu Mathew Philip
6
John Mathew
15
Meljo Varghese
30
Jonathan Ampalloor
7
Manoj V. Thomas
16
Richard David
30
Renee & Jason Joseph
2
Latha & Shibu Kurian
22
Lini & Jijo Varghese
8
Reena & Sam C. James
25
Sachu & Shaji Kurian
22
Leela & Mammen John
28
30th CSI North American Family & Youth Conference, Itasca, IL
Events
Friday
Saturday
8:45 AM
9:15 AM
10:00 AM
1:00 PM
6:30 PM
Aug 6
Aug 7
Saturday
Sunday
6:30 pm
10 am
Aug 7
Sunday
6 pm
Aug 28
Aug 14
Aug 14, 21
Sunday
Sunday
Sunday
9 am
10 am
Sep 4
Sunday
Sunday
Malayalam Class
Sunday School / Youth Group / Bible Study for Adults
Praise & Worship, Holy Communion
Fas4ng Prayer ending with Tele-Prayer
Prayer Mee4ng at Church or Members’ Residence
Co=age Prayer at the residence of Nibu Phillips
Mission Sunday
Ethan Karo=u—bap4sm
Ordina4on of Tony Thomas in the Presbyterian Church of America
In Champaign, IL
Harvest Fes4val
First Day of Sunday school
Back-to-school prayer
The offertory received will be donated to ‘Feed My Starving Children’ .
Sunday school and youth group will organize a volunteer trip.
Details will be announced as they become available.
Women’s Sunday
August 12 Friday, 7 pm— Heart Beats Concert
CSI Congrega4on, Chicago, Elmhurst is welcoming all for a musical evening and conven4on hos4ng ‘Campus Crusade for
Christ’, a world wide interdenomina4onal Chris4an ministry commi=ed to taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all na4ons.
The members of their music team, Heart Beats, will present an evening of Gospel music. Please join and make this a
blessed occasion.
Accounts for the past month (July)
A. Income
Offertory
Subscrip4on
Sunday school / VBS
Thanks Offering
917.00
4,420.00
625.00
1,050.00
Special Dona4on
450.00
Tithe
Mission
Picnic
Men’s Group
225.00
5,550.00
375.00
25.00
Women’s Fellowship
CSI Council
Ecumenical Council
100.00
50.00
290.00
Total Income
14,077.00
C. Balance from last month
10,113.65
D. Balance (A+C-B)
4,835.76
YTD
5,680.00
22,290.00
*Subjecttoapprovalbythecommittee
YTD
975.22
8,716.33
6,950.00
B. Expenditure
Sunday school / VBS
Church Mortgage
Church Maintenance
Insurance
833.05
1,245.19
154.00
856.00
950.00
Cleaning / Landscaping
160.00
1,205.00
ComEd
Peoples Energy
Water
Car Loan / Maint.
61.99
197.42
22.88
564.53
Hospitality
Mission
Presbyter Honorarium
Parsonage Allowance
Prin4ng/Sta4onary
Picnic
Youth Group
CSI Council
126.42
10,750.00
1,000.00
2,102.43
45.98
155.00
100.00
50.00
1,098.26
12,400.00
Ecumenical Council
930.00
1,330.00
Total Expenditure
19,354.89
682.69
12,750.00
375.00
285.00
1,560.00
50.00
930.00
657.18
3,410.00
440.00
368.86
1,481.42
106.78
1,690.68
3,000.00
4,406.72
169.10
240.00
100.00
970.00
DistributionofAlmanac&KissofPeace
August07,2016,12thSundayafterPentecost:MissionSunday
Mission:FromEverywheretoEveryone
OT
Kings17.7:1-16
:PremjitWilliam
Psalm 107:1-15
:RoshniJacob
EpistleGala.2:1-10 :BinduThomas
GospelMatthew13:47-52
:Presbyter
KissofPeace :Susan&ShibuPhilip
August14,2016,13thSundayafterPentecost
SacramentofHolyCommunion
OT
Ex.12:1-14 :TonyPhilip
Psalm 42
:StevenThomas
Epistle1Cor.10:14-22 :SijoeMathew
GospelLuke22:7-20 :Presbyter
KissofPeace :Lini&JijoVarghese
August21,2016,14thSundayafterPentecost
GodandPeopleofAllfaiths
OT
Amos.9:1-12 :JohnMathew
Psalm 66
:LiliaWilliams
EpistleRomans2:17-29
:ManojThomas
GospelJohn10:14-18 :Presbyter
KissofPeace :Molley&BabuGeorge
August28,2016,15thSundayafterPentecost
HarvestFestival
OT
1Sam.24:1-12 :JohnsT.Mathew
Psalm 52
:RakeshJacob
EpistleRomans12:14-21
:SheelaIsaac
GospelMatthew5:38-48
:Presbyter
KissofPeace :Sachu&ShajiKurian
Chapara Mission, Madhya Pradesh, India
Chapara Mission is a new mission field in Madhya Pradesh. Rev. Prasad Das and Bindu kochamma are currently serving there. Rev. Prasad Das is the first ordained minister in this mission.
They have very limited accommoda4ons. Just a one-room building without kitchen and bathroom inside. Achen has ministry in seven villages in the area. There are no churches now. They
have started a fas4ng prayer now and are planning to conduct fas4ng prayers every Friday in
different villages. Missionary workers have in the past cooked food, taken it to the fields and
given to the workers at their lunch 4me in order to start a dialog and get to know the people. There are very strict
government rules restric4ng church ac4vi4es. Bap4sm is banned in Madhya Pradesh. Among the converted people
there are several people ready to accept bap4sm and they are planning to travel to Nagpur, Maharashtra to conduct
bap4sm.
Prasad Das achen has two children. The children have to be away from the parents since the area near the mission
does not have adequate educa4on facili4es. The son, Prabin Das is studying for B.D. at the New Theological College in
Dehradun. Daughter Prabitha Das is studying for Plus 1 at 'Santhosha Vidyalaya', a boarding school near Tirunelveli
that cares for the children of missionaries. Achen and family are receiving only limited support from the diocese and
have requested our help. The Church commi=ee has made a commitment to help this mission this year. Please join in
suppor4ng this mission and the missionary family.
Fas4ng Prayer gathering at the Beradula Village
Missionary, Ramakrishna, in front of the worship place