Calvin Synod Herald, 2004 (105. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2004-09-01 / 9-10. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD 11 Building the Gateway The great towns in the United States, the ones that are acting as Hungarian immigrants’ gateways, first landing places, are significant for those churches that welcome the new arrivals of our ethnic group. The spiritual care given by our churches helps the new immigrants as they settle in and contend with the culture shock of becoming incorporated in our new world. This ministry to the first-generation immigrants is a challenging one, as often times the newly arriving people wish to transplant their customs and ways of living from their old homeland to the new. The important role of our congregations is to ease the transition and to teach what is the norm here in America. In Chicago the steady influx of Hungarian immigrants permanently maintains the opportunity of Hungarian language ministry of our Reformed tradition. The Norridge United Church of Christ celebrates the 90th anniversary this year. This congregation relocated to its present location over 40 years ago with a dream to erect a new building near the Chicago O’Hare airport. Up to this time several attempts were made to realize this brave dream but without real results. Last year we reported that the latest project became overbudgeted. Two Congregational Meetings terminated the chapel’s fully detailed plans for financial reasons. Since last summer we have been seeking alternative design options, featuring a Church building that would both meet the needs of the local congregation and be affordable, within the limited resources available to us. This January our new Building Committee Co-chair, Dr. Adam Makkai, introduced to the congregation Dr. Erdmann Schmucker, a former Professorate ITT in Chicago, who was ready to work with us to design a worship center within the guidelines defined by our Church. His work was presented to our congregation at its Annual Meeting, and was unanimously approved. Once again we contacted the Norridge Review Board and received approval to proceed with the new project. Presently, the blueprints are nearly complete and are awaiting the static and structural engineering evaluation. We are still awaiting the Heating-Air-conditioning and Electric plans. Upon receiving approval for these plans, we will start to hire the contractors. If the pricing fits the budget we hope to start construction in September. In June, we began our new fundraising efforts. We appeal to our entire sister churches to help in realizing this long pending dream to build a church for Chicago area Hungarians. Presently, the Norridge congregation has 51 voting members, but at major celebrations we cannot accommodate all the people in our small basement chapel. Our weekly attendance averages between 30 and 40 worshippers. Because we work, in large part, with recent immigrants, we still are training each other, along with our new members, to work together as a community of believers. The Norridge congregation seeks compassionate encouragement as we proceed with the project. This is why we ask for support, not only financial, but also in the area of technical advice and ideas. As we advance with our plans we will send mailings, Emails, newspaper ads and articles to keep our brothers and sisters informed about the progress. About the plans: On our one acre site in Norridge, next to the existing parsonage, we will build a 100 person capacity sanctuary with a parking lot as required by the local codes. We hope to transform the existing basement chapel into a social hall for about 50 persons that may serve the needs of those who come to worship with us, or to participate in our cultural activities. The church will be a mixed use building, furnished with portable chairs and tables, so that the building may be used for a variety of purposes. Our goal is to raise $150,000.00 for this project. We ask all those who are interested in helping us, to forward their support to the church office with a “Building Fund” note attached. Most of all, we ask you to remember us in your prayers. May God strengthen this important Gateway to America ministry. Rev. Peter Toth Norridge UCC Bethlen Home Strategic Planning Meeting Report As the representative of the Calvin Synod, I attended the July 16 meeting of the Strategic Planning Committee (STP) of the Bethlen Home held in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. The following is a report of that meeting. The meeting was chaired by Rev. Leslie Martin and Rev. Ilona Komjáthy. Rev. Imre Bertalan from The Bethlen Home, Rev. Ferenc Varga from the Hungarian Reformed Church in America, Mr. George Dózsa from the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America, Rev. Dr. Joseph Posta, Rev. Levente Molnár chaplain of the Bethlen Home, Mr. Robert Fiok from Ligonier Township, Mr. Bill Szucs, Mrs. Dr. George Grof-Tisza were also present. We also enjoyed the company of several residents and employees of Bethlen Home. This meeting was the first one in this phase of planning for the future of the Bethlen Home Complex. The tasks of this committee are: 1) To review the history of the Bethlen Home - to fully appreciate its long tradition of service. 2) To objectively assess the current physical, financial, spiritual and sociological circumstances of the Bethlen Home - to fully understand the present needs and possibilities. 3) To create a feasible plan for the future of the Bethlen Home. This plan needs to follow in the tradition of the Home, address its present needs, and utilize its present possibilities. It must also project a vision for the future that will satisfy the healthcare needs of the residents and additional services to the larger American Hungarian Reformed church community. During this initial meeting it has become clear that there are some aspects of planning that are of immediate urgency, and others that are less urgent, but equally important. As the new nursing home is being built, the most urgent need is for a plan of utilization of the space that will be freed up in the old building. This is important because spaces left unoccupied for an extensive period of time will deteriorate. It is also important because the maintenance costs will continue even after the residents will be moved to the new building.
