From:                                         Woodridge United Methodist Church Communications <noreply@elexiochms.com>

Sent:                                           Wednesday, May 6, 2020 3:07 PM

To:                                               office@woodridgeumc.org

Subject:                                     "Divisions and Tribes and Acronyms, Oh My!" - Woodridge United Methodist Church Newsletter

 

            Woodridge United Methodist Church

Join us on ONLINE Sunday for worship services
at  10:00 am.

Instructions can be found below.
All are Welcome!

 

 

 

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

 

 

"Divisions and Tribes and Acronyms, Oh My!"

UMC

AME

UCC

ABC

DOC

ELCA

PCUSA

 

We Christians do love our acronyms. Almost as much, it seems, as we Christians love splitting the church which creates those acronyms.

 

Why is that? We who are alive today have greater access to history and knowledge than any humans who have ever lived. So how is it we are still so divided? Why haven’t we figured out a way to be more like that those first followers of Jesus back in the first century?

 

As often happens when we pine for some long-passed golden age, it turns out the truth is much more complicated than that. At the very least that is true if the book of The Acts of the Apostles is a reliable guide.

 

Last week we looked at Paul’s experience in Thessalonica through the eyes of both Luke and Paul. Similarly, this week we hear a bit from both Luke and Paul about Paul’s experience in Corinth (Acts 18 & 1 Corinthians 1).

 

So if the origin story of Christianity is rife with conflict, is there any hope for a peaceful future?

Are we doomed to continually repeat the same pattern and forever be a cult of personality?

What might our ancient ancestors in the faith have to teach us today?

Which path forward will we choose?

 

Pastor Dave with consider those questions and more this Sunday, May 10th in his sermon, “Divisions and Tribes and Acronyms, Oh My!”

 

Join us on our Woodridge UMC YouTube channel as we live stream our worship at 10:00 AM on Sunday.

 

Woodridge UMC is an open and loving United Methodist community striving to:       

Welcoming to all;
Uniting in service toward greater social justice for all;
Moving forward with understanding and acceptance of all peoples;
Creating disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.       

Our purpose is to offer a safe place and community to all races, cultures, religions, genders, sexual identities, ethnicities, age groups and other beliefs.      

 

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

 

Sunday, May 10th

  • ONLINE  Worship Service at 10:00 am
  • Youth Group Zoom at 5:00 pm

Tuesday, May 12th

  • Remote Bible Study at 10:30 am

Wednesday, May 13th

  • Remote Bible Study at 6:00 pm

Thursday, May 14th

  • Open Conference Call at 1:00 pm

Sunday, May 17th

  • ONLINE Worship Service at 10:00 am
  • Youth Group Zoom at 5:00 pm

The spread of the COVID-19 virus requires our attention and immediate response to how we gather as a community of faith.  While serious, please know that we must refrain from becoming panicked.  Please be cautious and mindful of your own health and the safety of others.  Our Bishop and Annual Conference are regularly updating their website with information and resources for our church.  Please take a look at it for details:  www.umcnic.org.

 

 

 

Worship

LIVE STREAMING WORSHIP SERVICES

Where to find the YouTube Live Stream
From the YouTube app or on the YouTube web page, search for: Woodridge UMC or follow this
link.  Join us early (starting at 9:30 am) for services at 10:00 am.  If you have questions or problems, please contact media@woodridgeumc.onmicrosoft.com.  Full assistance will be available prior to 10:00 am on Sunday morning.  After 10:00 am, assistance becomes more limited. If you are not available at 10:00 am or cannot get the live streaming to work, a recording of the video will be posted to the Woodridge UMC YouTube page.
 

OFFERING OPTIONS

There are different options for getting your offering to the church while worship services are online.

  • Go to the website & click on the Giving tab at the top of the page or go straight there with this link.
  • Text 630.449.7121 with the amount
  • Drop off in the gold mail slot next to the east door of the church.
  • Mail your offering to the church.


WORSHIP ATTENDANCE

If you watch the Live Stream, please email the church office at office@woodridgeumc.org and let us know that you joined us for worship, so that we might record your attendance.
 

PRAYER REQUESTS FOR ONLINE WORSHIP

If you want a prayer request shared during online worship, please email the Pastor Danita at pastordanita@woodridgeumc.org by 9:00 am Sunday, May 10th.
 

 

 

 

Bible Study - Via Zoom

THE BIBLE FOR CURIOUS PEOPLE  -  ON ZOOM

Our weekly gathering is currently reading the prophet Hosea from the section of the Hebrew Testament known as “the 12” or “the minor prophets.”

 

Reading Assignment for Tuesday, May 12th:

Hosea, chapters 4-6, including any introduction and notes your bible provides. 

 

Questions to consider:

·  Hosea begins preaching in chapter 4. Do you think anyone was listening?

·  If you were Hosea, to whom would you try to speak this message from God?

·  One note declares, “God punishes in order to inspire repentance.” In your experience in family life, work life, or church life, how effective is that approach?

 

In repose to the COVID-19 outbreak this class is meeting online through Zoom on Tuesday mornings at 10:30AM. Please contact Pastor Dave (pastordave@woodridgeumc.org) to join the conversation. It is a great way to stay connected and all are welcome.

 

No prior bible reading or knowledge or expertise needed. No question is dumb and no one is forced to read the bible in one particular way. We will all learn as we go along exploring what the text says, what it leaves unsaid, what history and tradition tell us about the text, and how our own experience influences our reading.


Wednesday Bible Study On ZOOM
The Wednesday Bible study class on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. on ZOOM. We will be studying the book HOPE FOR HARD TIMES by Magrey deVega.   Each person should order the book on your own.  If you are having trouble ordering and/or want to be a part of the Wednesday class, please contact Pastor Danita.


Connection Opportunity 
Open Conference Call
Pastor Danita hosts an open conference call Thursday afternoons at 1:00 p.m..  This conference call will be held each week at the same time using the same number.  This will be an opportunity for ALL PERSONS to call in to chat, check in, share prayer concerns, etc..  Please call (515) 604-9099 and follow the prompts. You will be asked to enter a PIN followed by the “#” symbol.  The PIN is 387147144#.


Office Hours 
The church office is ONLY OPEN on Wednesdays.  Please contact the pastors directly in case of an emergency.

We will be adjusting office hours from week to week for the time being.  For the next 7 days, the office hours are:
Friday, May 11th- Office CLOSED
Monday, May 12th - Office CLOSED
Tuesday, May 13th - Office CLOSED
Wednesday, May 14th - 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Thursday, May 15th - Office CLOSED

Friday, May 16th - Office CLOSED


Don't Miss Our Next Call

In our ever changing situation, reminders and changes will also come to you as recorded phone messages from Pastor Dave.  Calling Post is one of the tools we use to keep you informed about, and connected to, Woodridge UMC. Please take a moment to add the Calling Post phone number to your Contacts, so you recognize it the next time one of the pastors calls to update you about events in the life of our congregation: 405-308-4474.


Other Opportunities/Events 
Upper Room Devotionals
The May-June Upper Room devotionals are in.  Contact the office (via email is best) here and we will make arrangements to get one to you.

Youth Group Zoom
The Youth Group is meeting on Sundays at 5:00 pm via Zoom.  Join other youth and youth leaders in this fun way to connect.  Contact Pastor Dave for an invitation.

Job Opportunity 
Villa St. Benedict
Do you enjoy working with the senior population?  Do you want a job that’s meaningful and rewarding? Do you want to end your workday feeling like you’ve truly made a difference in the lives of others? If so, then we want YOU to join our team of healthcare heroes at Villa St. Benedict!!! We are now hiring dedicated and caring individuals to join our team in Lisle, IL!  See the flyer here.
Check out our latest openings and how to apply at:
https://www.villastben.org/contact/join-our-team.php 


Online Learning Opportunities 
Learning with the Northern Illinois Conference 

The Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) staff, with the assistance of the NIC Communications team and the NIC Office of Congregational Development and Redevelopment, are producing online learning sessions via Zoom on Thursdays at either 10 am or 1 pm with practical information on how to do a variety of ministries during the COVID-19 outbreak. There are also archived training sessions available for viewing such as Intentional Discipleship, How is Your Soul and financial helps.  All of this can be found here: https://www.umcnic.org/online-learning



Outreach Opportunities

Outreach Committee presents Hands On Lent and Beyond! 
When we first suggested this project would include "surprises along the way,” this is not what we had in mind! Yet, here we are. And we are still extending our worship through our outreach…just in adjusted ways.
On March 15th we blessed the first batch of our Offering of Letters. This Sunday we will bless the next batch. We have over 50 letters so far — thank you! And it is not too late to write more. 

While we don’t know what May will bring, we intend to still collect items for Bucket Brigade and Snack Attack. But if we cannot serve in those ways, we are confident we will find way other methods for sharing the love of Jesus with our neighbors



West Suburban Community Pantry Donation Promotions
The West Suburban Community Pantry offers food for the hungry and resources to empower persons to improve their quality of life.  Our vision is a community without hunger. The Pantry operates year-round with a goal that each eligible family in DuPage County as well as Bolingbrook & Romeoville receive nutritionally balanced food, including meats, dairy, and fresh produce monthly. We are also registered as an emergency food pantry for Illinois. With the help of volunteers and sponsors, our vision is to eradicate hunger within the families and individuals in the DuPage County area. We are dedicated to providing food for the hungry, educating the donor community about existing needs, and supporting advocacy efforts for the hungry. We also work hard to encourage volunteerism and the sharing of resources.


Looking Ahead

2020 Meeting Dates

Ad Council (9:00 am)               Finance (7:00 pm)         Trustees (7:00 pm)
May 30th                                    May 19th                         June 23rd
August 8th                                 July 21st                          August 25th 
October 10th (depending on      September 15th              October 27th
church conference date)            November 17th               November 24th
December 12th                          December 15th


Amazon Smile 
Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchases to Woodridge United Methodist Church whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.       

AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service.  Support WUMC by starting your shopping
here.  


Ways to Connect

Aurora District News

To subscribe to the biweekly newsletter for our district (the Aurora District of the Northern Illinois Conference), please click here.   

Northern Illinois Conference
Find out about upcoming events in the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church by clicking this link  

      
May 8th, 2020, Volume 11, Edition 19

 

 

 

Facebook

Twitter

Link

Website

 

 

 

Copyright © 2018 Woodridge United Methodist Church, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website.
If you unsubscibe, you unsubscribe from all emails using the database.

Our mailing address is:
2700 75th Street
Woodridge, Illinois 60517


Add us to your bookmarks.

If you would like to not receive any more emails from Woodridge United Methodist Church, then click here to unsubscribe.