New member profiles

Katie Anderson, a sophomore at Libertyville High School and daughter of Chris and Bill, moved to Libertyville a year ago last summer with her parents and brother, Tim. Katie grew up in Chicago and was confirmed at North Park Covenant Church. Katie has been friends with Andra Hjelm since she was born, and Andra helped her make the transition to Libertyville Covenant.

Currently she is active in our senior-high group; in her spare time she likes to talk on the phone, hang out with friends including Kelsey and Andra, and go to movies. Her favorite vacation spot is Florida. As to spiritual influences in her life, Katie said that last summer at Cornerstone Annie Lindahl was a big help to her in working through some issues.

Matt Brown was confirmed last spring and recently joined church. He grew up in Green Oaks and lives there with his parents, Diane and Greg, and brother, Kris. Matt was invited to attend our church by a friend, and the friendly atmosphere has kept him coming ever since. He is a freshman at Vernon Hills High School and takes part in church projects when he has the time. Pastor Kirk and John Wegner have been important spiritual influences.

Matt likes to play basketball and football, and enjoys talking and doing things with friends. Wakathaka, Minnesota, is his favorite vacation spot "because I get to see my godparents, whom I see only once a year. We go to their log cabin on Lake Wabano, where we water-ski and do lots of other fun things for one week."

Becky Ferguson-Haebler, a freshman at Lake Forest High School, grew up in Lake Bluff. Her parents are Roberta and Philip Haebler, and her brothers and sister are David, 20, Annie, 16, and Mike, 14. The Gullberg family has influenced her spiritually, inviting her to attend Libertyville Covenant. Becky says, "It seemed like such a welcoming church and I didn't really go to church, so I decided to go to LCC." The closeness she experienced among the people at church and the friendly, spirited people made her want to keep coming.

Becky was confirmed last spring and is active in youth group, where she has taken part in church and community projects. Spare-time activities she enjoys are tennis, hanging out with friends, and shopping. Her favorite vacation spot is Sanibel Island, Florida.

Krista Gullberg, a freshman at Lake Forest High School, grew up in Lake Bluff and has always been coming to our church with her parents, Nancy and Jim, and sisters and brothers, Sarah, Brett, Elsa, Anders, and Hannah. Her parents have exerted a strong spiritual influence on her, in one important way by taking her and her family to church regularly throughout their lives.

Krista, who was confirmed last spring, takes part in youth group, helps in the nursery, and has gone on mission trips. Favorite recreational activities include golf, swimming, soccer, tennis, and skiing. Her favorite vacation spot is Sanibel Island, Florida.

October, 1999

Bonita and Duane Westerberg have been part of our fellowship for some time now and formally joined a few months ago. They attend Young at Heart gatherings, and Bonita recently started working on the deacon committee. We already know their son David and his family (Lisa, Jenna, and John). They also have a son Eric, who lives in Bloomington, Indiana, and Daniel, who lives in the Boston area.

Duane grew up in Pepin, Wisconsin, a small town in the western part of the state. Today he is mainly retired from his work at Viskase Corporation of Chicago, where he had responsibilities in regulatory affairs and packaging technology. He still consults with them in regulatory affairs. Bonita, who grew up in southern Ohio (Gallipolis), worked for Chemical Abstracts, a technical journal, after graduating from Ohio State University. Ohio State is where she and Duane met. When she raised her family, she was a stay-at-home mom. Her service involvement is evident by her delivering meals to seniors for sixteen years when she lived in Park Forest.

Libertyville Covenant was recommended to the Westerbergs by Caren Vollrath, who took care to let them know which of our members lived in Saddlebrook Farms where they live. They met George Heintzelman golfing and then began attending here. They felt welcomed by the friendliness of the congregation and the pastors, and the worship service was similar to what they had experienced in their previous church.

For recreation the Westerbergs tow their travel trailer to various warm locations in the South during the winter months. Bonita also does needlework and sewing, and Duane likes to play golf. And of course they both enjoy their grandchildren. Just as Bonita's grandmother and mother shared their faith with her, she undoubtedly is leaving an impression on her grandchildren in turn.

August, 1999

Erik Karlson, a civil engineer for the Navy for the past four years, moved to our community last year and bought a fixer-upper in Libertyville in December. Previous ties with the Covenant denomination, including the Easton Covenant Church in Connecticut, led him to take a look at Libertyville Covenant. He found that the friendliness and openness of the people as well as the worship services drew him in.

June, 1999

Lisa and David Westerberg live in Grayslake with their daughter, Jenna (5), and their son, John (soon to be 3). Jenna will go to kindergarten in the fall and John to preschool. David is project manager and senior scientist in assay development, diagnostics division, Abbott Laboratories. Lisa works part-time as human resources director for Pathogenesis, a pharmaceutical company that makes an inhaled antibiotic for cystic fibrosis.

The Westerbergs really couldn't help finding out about Libertyville Covenant. First, their neighbors are the Vollrath family. Second, David's parents are Bonita and Duane Westerberg, who recently joined the church. Third, Kay Johnson hung wallpaper at their home. We are delighted they were directed our way, and they say that they have appreciated the open, friendly people they've met. In addition, their children enjoy coming to church.

Lisa, who grew up in Oak Lawn, will be an assistant teacher at vacation Bible school this month, and she looks forward to additional involvement around church in the future. David, who grew up in Park Forest, tells of Rev. Ed Tavierne, the minister at his home church when he was in college, as being a spiritual influence in his life.

Lisa and David share an interest in playing golf. Lisa also likes reading and music, but most important, they both enjoy spending time with Jenna and John. David likes to vacation in Florida, either Disney World or the Tampa area. For Lisa, "anywhere with a pool, golf course, and being away from the everyday busy-ness of life" is the ideal vacation.

May, 1999

Deb and Jim Clouser live in Waukegan with their daughter, Samantha, who was born September 18, 1998, and baptized in December. Both Deb and Jim grew up locally, Deb in Buffalo Grove and Jim in Lake Bluff.

Jim is a ship captain, and perhaps not surprisingly enjoys sailing and boating in his spare time, as well as cross-country skiing. San Diego is a favorite vacation spot, perhaps also related to some of his spare-time pursuits. Deb is a communications manager for Allstate Insurance Company, and she likes to vacation on Long Boat Key, Florida. She enjoys reading and boating.

Some Swedish ties of Deb's helped bring them in the direction of Libertyville Covenant; both she and Jim find that the friendliness of the people, the accessibility of the pastor, and the worship services have drawn them in. Deb says that her baby daughter is the biggest spiritual influence in her life since she is "our gift from God." Jim agrees, calling Samantha a living miracle.

Amy and Aydin Sekili live in Green Oaks and heard about Libertyville Covenant when Kay Johnson was hanging wallpaper at their home. Aydin notes that a very reliable source told them that the pastor was excellent and the people exceptionally nice, so naturally they had to check it out!

And in fact they have felt a genuine caring and friendliness here, and people who take an interest in visitors. The Sekilis look forward to getting to know others within the church and have an interest in becoming involved, perhaps in community work with those in need or in work with children. Amy says that her mother has provided the most important spiritual model in her life.

Amy is a communications officer for Chicago Title and Trust Company, and Aydin (pronounced "Idin") is a corporate accounting manager with Futorian Furnishings. These two also grew up in the Chicago area, Amy in West Chicago and Aydin in Northbrook. Amy enjoys outdoor activities, especially gardening, camping, and hiking. Aydin likes to read, exercise, camp, and hike. He would choose any place warm, quiet, and relaxing for a vacation spot, with Amy homing in on St. Lucia.

April, 1999

Chris and Bill Anderson moved to Libertyville with their family last summer from the North Park area of Chicago. Their daughter, Katie, is a freshman at Libertyville High School, and their son, Tim, is a seventh-grader at Highland Middle School. Both Chris and Bill grew up in Jamestown, New York, and their longtime involvement in the Covenant denomination played an important role in their move to Libertyville. "When we decided to move from Chicago," said Bill, "we still wanted to attend a Covenant church. We knew many people at Libertyville Covenant and have friends who are members. We were also looking for a church with a good youth program."

Chris teaches math and science to grades 6 through 8 at North Park Elementary School in Chicago. Bill has a carpentry contracting business, W. E. Anderson Carpentry. Both were extensively involved on committees at North Park Covenant Church, Bill on trustees and youth ministries, and Chris on various committees as well as teaching Sunday school and VBS.

They both say they like to travel, with Florida an annual destination to visit family, and Jamestown occasionally as well. Chris also enjoys spending time with family and friends and eating out. Bill likes boating, skiing, fishing, and golfing.

When asked about the spiritual influences in their lives, Chris said that there really was no one person. "Many people--from Sunday school teachers, to youth leaders, family members, and fellow church members--all modeled the Christian life for me." Bill notes the influence of his grandparents, with strong commitments to their local churches and demonstrating their Christian faith by their words and actions.

Kelly and Bob Borgeson live in Libertyville and are the parents of Robin, 6, a kindergartner at Oak Grove; Bobby, 4; and Ryan, 3. Native Illinoisans, Bob grew up in Deerfield and Kelly in Orland Park.

Kelly is a national account manager with the Gillette Company, and Bob is a district sales manager for Thyssen Specialty Steels.

February, 1999

Deana Dawson, a student at College of Lake County, likes the warmth and friendliness of LCC, as well as its nearness to her home. She lives with the Dohertys in Grayslake.

Deana grew up in Rock Island County, Illinois, in the quad cities, and currently is active in working with Boy Scouts. Her favorite vacation destination is Colorado Springs, Colorado, and for recreation she likes square dancing, reading, swimming, and surfing the Internet. She says that a youth pastor has had the greatest spiritual influence on her life.

Debbie and Dan Doherty, who live in Grayslake, came to our church after having been members at Glenview Covenant for many years. Dan's passion for music has led him to singing in the choir. Both Dohertys say they found friendliness at LCC, and a feeling of belonging in a short time.

Debbie grew up in Northbrook, and Dan in Ingleside. They are the parents of Daniel, 19, Robert, 16, and Jenny, 14. Debbie works as a lifeguard and swim instructor at Hastings Lake YMCA, and lists swimming as one of her hobbies. Dan is a material handler for Chicago Metallic, working with things that end up becoming the foil containers we use in Sara Lee, Entenmann's, and Baker's Square products.

Debbie works with the Boy Scouts, and enjoys square dancing and computers as well as swimming. A favorite vacation spot is Treasure Island, Florida. Dan had his "trip of a lifetime" out west in 1993, with Rapid City, South Dakota, a highlight. He also likes square dancing, swimming, and camping. Debbie gives tribute to youth group leaders as key influences in her life.

Ken Greenfield, a mechanical engineer with Eisenmann Corporation, grew up in Broadview in the western suburbs. Recently engaged to Larissa (see below), he came to Libertyville Covenant through her Covenant background. He appreciates the focus on Bible teaching, the worship style, the relatively small size, and the friendliness of the congregation, and hopes to increase his involvement.

For recreation Ken likes running, playing basketball, eating out, and going to movies. So far the favorite vacation destination he has discovered is Cancún. Ken's father has had the biggest influence on him spiritually.

Residents of Grayslake, Ann and Wayne Johnson are the parents of Laura, 11, Kyle, 10, and Ryan, who is grown and lives in Columbus, Ohio. Wayne is an operations director for Discover Card, and Ann grows vegetables and fruit for the community at the Prairie Crossing organic farm in the summer and concentrates on being a homemaker in the winter.

They were attracted to Libertyville Covenant by the homey feeling and the youth group. In addition, Wayne grew up in a Covenant family in Braham, Minnesota. The music, sermons, and youth group have been the things that have kept them coming.

Ann grew up in Anderson, Indiana, and clearly enjoys gardening as a hobby. Wayne likes woodworking and camping, as well as vacationing in northern Minnesota. The person who had the biggest influence on him spiritually is Pastor Kenneth Englund, and for Ann that person is her mother.

Larissa Kemp is a Spanish teacher at West Oak Middle School in Mundelein and graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids. She has lived in Libertyville since second grade, and currently resides with her parents and younger sister, Heidi. Another sister, Kristy, attends Ashland University in Ohio. Recently she became engaged to Ken (see above).

Larissa's mother grew up in the Covenant and her father attended North Park. After moving to Libertyville the family attended Libertyville Covenant before the current facility was built. She cites the traditional worship style, size of the congregation, preaching, and friendliness as factors that drew her to LCC now. Currently she is involved with Pioneer Girls for second- and third-graders at the Libertyville Free Church, the church in which she grew up.

For fun Larissa likes to run, go to the beach, travel, eat out, and spend time with friends and family. Vacation highlights are the week in the summer when her family and another family rent a houseboat on Lake Cumberland in Kentucky. Larissa cites her parents and grandmother as her strongest spiritual influences.

You may have noticed Janet and Owen Marks involved in the music ministry at the early service, where Owen is in the piano rotation and Janet occasionally provides special music. Janet also has helped with Adventure Club, which their two children, Steven, age 7, and Katherine, age 6, attend. Both children go to Adler School in Libertyville.

Mary Tackbary invited Janet to our church, when Janet told her that the church she and her family had been attending for four years still felt impersonal after all that time. The Markses have found friendly people at LCC "who went out of their way to make us feel welcome."

Janet, a native of North Bergen, New Jersey, is self-employed. Her recreation consists in taking care of the family's three dogs and two cats, as well as grooming animals in general. She also is active in the Adler Family Association. Owen grew up in Skokie and in Stamford, Connecticut, and is employed by the Systems House in Des Plaines, where he works on special technical projects as a member of the special projects and services group.

Owen's recreation includes reading and listening to his record collection. He likes to vacation in Las Vegas, and Janet enjoys Arizona. Owen says that Janet is the most influential person spiritually in his life, and Janet cites a minister who led her youth group when she was in high school.

Pauline Raia grew up in Chicago, Des Plaines, and Deerfield, and recently joined LCC after a co-worker recommended the Covenant to her. After doing some research, it sounded like a good place to try so she and her daughter, Angela Kocinski, age 11, attended. She appreciated the welcome she found and says, "After our first visit, we felt like this was the place we belonged to worship."

Pauline works as a bookkeeper at Northwest Electrical Supply, and Angela attends Ivy Hall Middle School in Buffalo Grove. Most of her spare time is spent with Angela, and they like to do such things as go to Great America, shop, ride bikes, swim, and play games.

"Since I took my daughter to the Florida Keys last summer to make her dream come true and swim with the dolphins," says Pauline, "I would say this would have to be our favorite vacation spot." Very understandable!