When the Leaves Fall
Nathan Perrin
I have always loved autumn. Even now, as an adult, I feel a sense of childlike glee when I see the leaves beginning to turn and the weather growing cooler. I love grey skies in the morning and the fresh smell of apple cider. In fact, I chose to take my sabbatical in 2024 during the fall for that very reason. We often associate renewal with spring, but I tend to view autumn as a season of spiritually letting go so new growth can take place.
I’ve realized this year that what I need to let go of entirely are my expectations of how God should act. It turns out, rather unfortunately, that I would make a terrible creator of all known life and the universe. Because all the hardships that hit me this year turned out to be blessings in the end—and it’s only in hindsight that I can see that.
A common recovery-ism is “Rejection is God’s protection.” At the time, I could only see the leaves falling, not knowing that new life would eventually grow in their place. Perhaps that’s how God uses the seasons to teach us: with patience, we can see how God is shaping us over time. And most of all, with time, we see that we are dearly held and deeply loved.
In This Issue
Supporting God’s Kingdom Work at LMC
Eric Nelessen
It’s fall once again, the time of year for drinking apple cider, eating apple donuts and apple pie, and preparing the church budget for 2027! I’m only here to ask for your help with the budget—though if you need assistance with any of the others, I live to serve.
Lombard’s commissions have begun preparing their 2027 budgets. To plan as accurately as possible, it is extremely helpful to have a clearer picture of the financial resources we will have available in 2027. This is where you come in.
Would you please prayerfully consider submitting a pledge for what you are able to give during 2027? The total amount pledged by LMC members is the primary factor in how we plan our spending to support our mission, Christian formation, worship, and facility upkeep in the coming year.
Your contributions enable our congregation to continue living out our mission: to be A worshipping community rooted in God’s love, following Jesus, seeking peace and justice, and serving others.
Pledges are due by October 11 and there are several ways to submit one.
- With this handy button.
- By turning in a pledge form to Katharine Richert’s mailbox. Forms are in your mailboxes, with extra copies available in the narthex. Or drop me a note and I can email you one.
- By mailing your pledge form to the church office, attn: Katharine.
- By sending a confidential email to Katharine at [email protected]
Thank you to everyone who has given to the General Fund, or pledged to for 2027. Your donations enable us to continue to serve God and our community!
Make a Joyful Noise
Pam Eiten
The choir will resume rehearsals on Sunday, October 18, at 8:30am in the sanctuary. If you are a veteran of choral singing, used to sing in the choir, or have never sung in a choir but would like to try, you are welcome! We could use new singers in every voice part.
We rehearse twice a month, usually—but not always—on the second and third Sundays. The ability to read music is helpful but not necessary. We sing a variety of music by various composers, ranging from John Rutter to Keith Getty.
Please talk to Pam Eiten, the director, if you’d like more information or if you’d like a folder to be ready and waiting for you at our first rehearsal. Singing is a wonderful way both to be a blessing and to be blessed in worship!
Update on Radical Hospitality Ministries
James Baugh
James and Katrina, on behalf of Radical Hospitality Ministries (RHM), are immensely grateful for LMC’s continued support through a 2026 mission matching grant! Thank you to everyone who contributed. After wrapping up our Pretrial Success efforts, RHM is now making great progress in the establishment of a reentry home in Wheaton. We are hopeful to be providing direct housing support by early 2027.
Unfortunately, in the wake of funding decisions regarding Pretrial Success and delays in administering grant awards, RHM has learned that DuPage County is still months away from seeing a return of the services we worked hard to deliver during the pilot program. The grant administration has been painfully slow to get things moving, and because RHM is not receiving funding, other organizations are having to reinvent the wheel rather than build on and collaborate with existing programs. While RHM is working to establish reentry housing, we are also continuing to work closely with community advocates and local elected officials to advance the cause of Pretrial Success. We know how great the need is, and we have seen firsthand the incredible impact these services had on our clients.
It is only with your support—taking many more forms than just financial—that we have been able to continue the fight to help justice-impacted individuals in our community. Thank you so much, LMC.
Renew. Restore. Rejoice! One Year Later
Katharine Richert
The scene was community—with a capital C. One year ago, we invited you to financially support our Phase 4 renovation project. Our Renew. Restore. Rejoice! capital campaign goal was $320,000. You said no…and instead returned a pledge total of $416,950. Praise God!
We’ve just marked the first anniversary of this two-year capital campaign (on September 30), and your giving has been incredibly faithful. To date, we’ve received donations of almost $335,000, 80% of the campaign total. Of the 50 individuals and families who submitted a pledge, 26 have completely fulfilled their commitment, and another 17 are regularly contributing towards their pledged amounts.
As a reminder, the Phase 4 project has three prongs: a parking lot overhaul, Christian Formation wing renovation, and energy-efficiency improvements. At its heart, the work is about creating spaces that reflect the love, welcome, and hospitality of Christ. We are faithfully preparing for the future by reducing our environmental impact and making a lasting investment in our children, our community, and all who walk through our doors seeking God.
We’re currently living with the dust of construction—the education wing renovations are firmly underway—but all the growing pains will be worth it. Soon, our children will have spaces that are bright, safe, and thoughtfully designed for their unique needs. We need to receive the final $82,146 of our Renew. Restore. Rejoice! campaign to cross the finish line.
If you have questions about how much of your pledge remains, or if you need to adjust your pledge amount or gift schedule, please contact Katharine. If you are a newcomer, like what you see happening, and want to take part, we invite you to give towards the campaign.
Gifts can be made through Church Center (select Give, then in the dropdown menu under Fund, select Phase 4), via Zelle, or by check. For the latter two methods, please type or write “Phase 4” in the memo section. You can place checks in the offering box or in Katharine’s mailbox. Thank you!
Bethlehem Institute for Peace & Justice
Jamie Huff
As an expression of LMC’s commitment to partner with the church around the world in strengthening the courageous efforts of peacemakers, one of our matching grants in 2026 went to the Bethlehem Institute for Peace and Justice (BIPJ). BIPJ, which is based in Bethlehem, builds on the historic work of Palestinian Christians to walk alongside the global church in the pursuit of justice and peace in a broken world. Ben Norquist, who serves as BIPJ’s Director of Communications and Development, shared the following about LMC’s matching grant:
“We are deeply grateful for Lombard Mennonite Church and for the friendships we share with many of you. Your congregation has not only supported BIPJ financially, but has shown up—sending people to our gatherings, engaging our work, and journeying with us as we seek to serve the global church from Bethlehem.
This is an especially exciting season for BIPJ. In November and December, we will gather Christians in Atlanta and Belfast for Church at the Crossroads and in Bethlehem for Christ at the Checkpoint. (We hope to see many of you at one of these gatherings.) These events will create spaces for Palestinian Christian voices to be heard and for Christians from different contexts to ask together what it means to follow Jesus faithfully amid the realities of the Holy Land. We are also in the middle of launching our new BIPJ Fellows Program, walking with emerging and senior Palestinian Christian scholars and leaders and helping amplify their voices for the wider church.
Your amazing gift comes at a meaningful moment. It will help us bring people together, create opportunities for encounter and relationship, and invest in the Palestinian Christian leaders who will shape this work for years to come. Thank you for continuing to believe in this work—and for being part of the BIPJ family. We love you.”
Bonus Pic from Our Church Retreat
Just one more…
