Looking for a way to become more involved in the life of the church?  There are many ways that you can use your gifts and talents in the First Pres. ministry.  If you would like to find out more about the opportunities to connect with other people and projects, contact our Connections Ministry Coordinator, Paul Burgess, by phone at 630-668-5147 x 33, or by email at either pnburgess@mindspring.com or pburgess@firstpreswheaton.org.  A small sampling of opportunities is shown below.  We look forward to hearing from you!

Expanding the Audio / Video Ministry Team:  The A/V Ministry Team is broadening its scope and would welcome new members who are comfortable with (or want to learn about) audio or video recording and projection equipment or computers or media content tools.  It is a ministry to our church and its organizations and members, and it is a chance to learn and grow with the team.  Meetings are currently Saturday mornings twice a month.  Contact John Herndon (630-653-1338 or by email at johnherndon@comcast.net) for more information.

Can You Help Improve the Church Website?  It can take as little as a few minutes once in a while or as much time as you have available.  We can use additional team members and can also use occasional part-time proofreaders, photographers, and writers, along with audio, video, and photo editors.   If you're just looking at the website and see updates or corrections that are needed or have suggestions, send an email to Susan Miller at GGM81@aol.com.  Do you have a camera?  Take a few pictures at any church event, activity, or program and provide them to Susan Miller with information about the occasion.  Do you have a working computer and email?  That, plus a little free time is all you need to join the web team - training on how to prepare and update web pages is available.  Contact Ed Ballard at 630-668-8741 or by email at edballard2@comcast.net for more information.

Caritas Meal Team:  This church is filled with excellent cooks, and we need your gifts.  Caritas Ministry is starting a new Meal Team and is looking for people who enjoy cooking to sign up for a month (or months if you choose) to be on call when a church member needs a meal.  Are you a “snowbird” and want to be involved in a church ministry?  Great, select a month when you will be in town.  Do you live alone and miss cooking for the family?  Super, join us; and we will pick up the meal and deliver it to a church family for you.  Interested in helping to coordinate a meal team or delivering meals for one month?  Get on board for this new ministry!  Join us on Sunday, August 24, in Stewart Hall right after the 8:40 a.m. service to get more information.  Please call the church office at 630-668-5147 to sign up or contact Ann Flansburg at 630-665-3857, annflans@aol.com, or Jeanne Kovanda at 630-665-4568, jwkovanda@aol.com, for more information.  The need for sharing meals is immediate, so let us know if you can help.

Our Caritas Team Ministry is seeking additional participants.  Your time commitment is only a couple of hours monthly, and the rewards are great!  A Caritas Care Team is a small group of trained folks who do what they love - when they can do it.  Here are a few things that Caritas Care Team Ministry at First Pres is doing now:  Helping folks who have had changes in their lives and need a little extra help with going out for lunch, preparing a meal, holding an infant, taking a walk, reading a book out loud, making a phone call, tending a garden, or having a nice chat.   No, these don’t sound like much – but they mean a lot to the Caritas Team friends and their families.  Join us on Sunday, August 24, from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. for Caritas Team Training. For training contact Maryanne Kyle at 630-213-8590, mkdp@jjkd.com, or contact Ann Flansburg at 630-665-3857, annflans@aol.com, for more information.

Help Needed - Celebration Service Audio / Visual Team:  The Celebration Service Audio Visual Team is looking for some additional help with the monthly Celebration Service.  We are looking for some electronic “Gurus" who would be willing to help set-up, execute, and tear-down our Audio and Visual Equipment.  This includes computers, projectors, screens, and all sound equipment.  The monthly commitment is 90 minutes minimum.  Please help support the monthly Celebration Service by sharing your gifts.  Please contact David Lincoln at 630-668-5147 x 22 if you would like to join the team.  Thanks and God Bless!

Do You Have ½ Hour that You Can Give to the Church?  If you do, the ranks of the First Presbyterian Church of Wheaton Volunteer Usher Corps needs you! Ten teams, made up of a crew of seven, are needed to staff the 8:40 and 11:00 a.m. services each month. All that we need from you is one service on one Sunday per month, to come 15 minutes early and to stay 15 minutes after the service to clean up. This volunteer opportunity comes with on-the-job training by your crew’s head usher and usher captain so there are no meetings to attend!  Women, youth, men, and families are welcome.  Please give Paul Luhrsen, our usher coordinator, a call at 630-588-9369; and he will assign you to one of the 10 teams.  Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression!  You can make that first impression by presenting your smile and a weekly bulletin to both old and new members one Sunday a month.  Being an usher is a great way to meet and greet your fellow Christians.  If you can’t join one of the teams, we can make you an assistant usher.  All you have to do is return your hymn book and Bible to the pew racks, take your bulletin home, or throw it into the recycle bin at the end of the service.  Help us prepare the Sanctuary for the next service.

Calling All Retired and Active Elders and Deacons:  Have you ever thought about serving your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ through Communion?  The list of available Communion Servers is getting old and out of date.  The only requirements are that you be either an active or retired, ordained elder or deacon and your willingness to be a servant of God.  If you are interested in becoming an instrument of God through this service, please contact Cerena Fischer at 630-289-4942 or by email at cmfischer2@aol.com.  If you previously volunteered to serve Communion but have not been called recently, please contact Cerena so we can be sure our lists are updated.  Thank you for you prayerful consideration of this important service in the life of our church.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Cerena Fischer.

The Celebration Ringers are looking for more Bell Ringers!  Rehearsals are on Thursdays from 6:30 - 7:25 p.m.  Adults and high school students are welcome!  The group is open to all capable music readers; no previous bell experience is required. Come and join us!  For more information contact David Lincoln by phone at 630-668-5147 x 22 or by .

Westminster Choir needs tenor singers.  The Westminster Choir, the primary choir for many services at First Presbyterian Church, consists of mostly adults; but high school age singers are encouraged to attend.  We welcome all singers at any time but are especially in need of additional tenor singers to balance the choir.  Rehearsals are held on Thursdays from 7:30 – 9:00 p.m.  Please contact David Lincoln for more information. 

The Celebration Service Planning Team is continually seeking participants of all ages who are gifted in the areas of music, dance (including interpretive movement and American sign language), art, and drama of any kind.  IDEAS TO SHARE?    Please call Jo Albert at 630-681-8175 or email  jo.albert@comcast.net for more information.

Are you creative and love to write? Would you like to give just a little bit of your time to help? We have openings available on the Communications Committee to help us create and write advertising, press releases, and web content. If you are interested or have questions about what is involved, please call Ron Hands at 630-670-6710.

Do you or would you like to run PowerPoint presentations for church functions? Are you sure how to use the church laptop and projector to make your presentation come alive? The Audio/Visual team members are available to help you learn how to use this equipment properly.  We would like any member that would like to use the laptop and/or projector to have a good experience.  This will also help extend the usable life of our equipment.  To arrange for training or ask questions, please contact John Herndon at 630-653-1338.

Library Volunteers - this group meets on Mondays and Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m. in the church libraries. If you love books and have some time to help, please join us. Help is especially needed in the Children's Library.  Contact: Helen White (630-668-5092 or email hiwhite@juno.com).

Ladies and Gentlemen - Do you enjoy reading the Newsletter? - Join us the last Thursday of every month for some CCC (cookies, coffee and collating)  in the dining room of the parish house at 9:00 a.m. Take this opportunity to help the church communicate while enjoying fellowship with other members.  The schedule for the rest of 2008 is as follows:   July 31 - August newsletter, August 28 - September newsletter, September 25 - October newsletter, October 30 - November newsletter.  New volunteers are always welcome, so please join us!

Additional volunteer opportunities are available in the many Mission Outreach activities that help those beyond our church. Check them out!