SHINE: Share, inspire, engage
SHINE is Our Saviour's monthly, stories-focused publication, where we highlight the work of OSLC's many ministries and mission teams and shine a spotlight on how members of the Our Saviour's family are working to Know Jesus and Make Jesus Known.
Printed copies of SHINE are available at both campuses, and a digital version can be downloaded from our News & Events page or by clicking the image at left.
Below, browse a selection of stories recently featured in SHINE. Happy reading!
mission spotlight: feed the need
There aren’t many volunteer opportunities where 6-year-olds, 16-year-olds and 60-year-olds all can get in on the action, but Feed the Need—happening at Benedictine University in Lisle March 8-9—is a notable, fun and energetic exception.
“We’ve definitely danced and sang” at the annual event, where volunteers of all ages work together to pack specially formulated meals for Feed My Starving Children, says OSLC member BJ Okel. BJ and his wife, Kelly, have participated for several years along with their children Allison, 9, and Elijah, 15.
“We have a lot of difficulty finding an activity for our whole family, and really it has been one of those things that we can do,” says Kelly. “It's something that no matter what your ability level is, you still can help and support—you’re making a difference.”
Feed the Need welcomes volunteers ages 5+ to participate in a two-hour packing shift. Younger participants can help scoop vitamins, vegetables, soy or rice into FMSC’s MannaPack meal bags; older volunteers can heat-seal the bags or go from packing station to packing station refilling ingredients and removing boxes once they’re filled.
Feed the Need’s goal this year, as in 2024, is to pack more than 800,000 meals for children facing hunger all over the world and to raise donations to cover the costs of the meals. Each meal costs less than $0.30 to produce, and despite challenges that FMSC partners face in the countries they serve (including, sometimes, armed conflicts as well as logistical hurdles), 99% of meals shipped make it to their intended recipients.
Did you know? Our Saviour’s co-founded Feed the Need Illinois in 2012 with other area churches and has consistently provided more than 200 volunteers each year for the event. OSLC’s Feed the Need team, headed by Les May, Ken Votava and Mike Etter, invite families and individuals of all ages to sign up to be part of this whole-community effort to feed kids around the world! Advance registration is required; sign up at oursaviours.com/missions/feed-my-starving-children.
ministry spotlight: senior lunch
If you’re fortunate enough to be at the Our Saviour’s office after about 10 a.m. on the first Monday of the month, you’ll be treated to amazing smells wafting through the halls, and you’ll know: Ah, it’s Senior Lunch day.
From its start more than a dozen years ago, when around 15 seniors from the congregation would gather monthly in Fellowship Center for a homecooked lunch, to today, when a team of 15 volunteers serves three to five dozen attendees each month, Senior Lunch has evolved into a beloved OSLC tradition that builds community for volunteers and lunch guests alike.
“I tell our team every month how grateful I am to begin my month with them,” says Lisa Hamman, a Senior Lunch coordinator who has been serving with the ministry for more than a decade. “Seeing that team come together and put an amazing lunch on the table and giving the seniors of OSLC an opportunity to gather in community and have time and space to be together—that’s what I enjoy most.”
Volunteer Paula Felbein echoes Lisa’s sentiments, saying that it’s a delight to be able to interact with senior members of the congregation one on one through this monthly ministry. “As the seniors make their way in, I take the opportunity to chat with them,” she says. “We seem to pick up right where we left off last month.”
Adds Lisa: “Every month several of the seniors stop and tell us how grateful they are for the ministry. They enjoy coming together and just socializing.” The themed monthly menus and decorations—celebrating everything from Derby Day to a Scandinavian Christmas smorgasbord—lend added fun for all.
“I am so grateful for the women and men make this ministry happen each month,” Lisa says. Interested in volunteering with Senior Lunch? Contact the church office at info@oursaviours.com or 630-355-2522!
staff spotlight: celebration children's center team
This month: Meet the Celebration Children’s Center team! This wonderful team is led by CCC director Kelly Gilligan, who leads a staff of 25: 22 classroom teachers and three office administrators.
In addition to Kelly, who serves as a link between home and school, connecting with parents, the administrative staff includes Mary Beth Satvedi, a lead pre-K teacher who assists with staff training, and Kathy Frieh, lead teacher for the Parents’ Day Out program for 2-year-olds.
“My preschool time at Celebration started 18 years ago, but there have been so many things that have set my heart on fire working here. Being Christ’s light in children’s lives in even a small way has brought great joy to me! Currently, as the preschool director, one of the things I am grateful for is the connections that I make with the parents. Getting to know both the children and their families paints the complete picture of who God has created them to be. Encouraging them and supporting them as they walk through both trials and celebrations in their children’s lives sets my heart on fire!” -Kelly Gilligan, preschool director
“Having the opportunity to greet my students exactly where they are and meeting their needs is a true gift. Each child has their own unique talents and personality. I know that God has placed me in their lives and them in mine. I am beyond blessed to be a part of this community and have the opportunity to work with young people during such a tender time in their lives. Sharing the work that I do in my classroom with the staff has stretched my heart and mind. This is what sets my heart on fire! ”
-Mary Beth Satvedi, pre-K teacher and office administrator
“I have loved working with 2-year-olds as their first step between home and preschool. Seeing their growth from tears in September to giggles in May is amazing and brings great joy! Watching as they find their voice, gain independence and enjoy friendships sets my heart on fire. Teaching them how much God loves them through and planting seeds of faith in their hearts has brought me joy through 18 years here!”
-Kathy Frieh, lead Parents’ Day Out teacher
Youth ministries
In June, OSLC Youth Ministries will travel to Anchorage, Alaska, for the annual youth mission trip. Youth Ministries is fortunate this year to have 39 OSLC high school students, college students and adults making the trip; many current college students missed the chance to go on a mission trip during the COVID pandemic. We will experience four days of mission work led by Praying Pelicans Missions in Anchorage and three days getting to explore the Alaskan frontier. We have the added benefit of having Pastor Ben’s sister, Pastor Anna Silco, based at Christ Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Anchorage as our local guide and expert. It promises to be an amazing experience.
The main goal of every mission trip is to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus in a part of the world different from our own. Praying Pelicans sets up various projects for us to work on while in our host community. In years past, we have worked in food pantries; helped with building projects at churches, schools and seniors’ homes; and participated in Vacation Bible School weeks.
While our goal is to serve others, students most often will tell you that they receive much more than they give, by doing things they don’t normally do, seeing things they don’t normally see, and living in community—even if it means sharing a bathroom with 15 other people and sleeping on an air mattress for a week. And they walk away having been inspired by the people they’ve met and developing stronger relationships with those in their own group. They also find a newfound appreciation for what they have and what they have to give. They recognize the Holy Spirit working within themselves and around them, and they come back forever changed in big and small ways.
You can support our youths by participating in our Talent/No-Talent Show: Under the Northern Lights on Sunday, March 16, at Celebration Campus. All OSLC families are invited to perform and/or attend! Keep an eye out for more information soon!
-Kiki Lindflott, Youth Ministries Administrative Assistant
