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

Sent:                                           Thursday, June 11, 2020 3:08 PM

To:                                               office@woodridgeumc.org

Subject:                                     "The Past is Prologue" - 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

 

 

"The Past is Prologue"

William Faulkner famously wrote, “The past is never dead. It isn’t even past.” That was about 350 years after a different William — Shakespeare, that is — wrote, “What’s past is prologue.”

 

Those quotes should ring a bell of recognition for we here in the United Methodist Church. Both of those famous Williams seem to be expressing an idea that we United Methodists have named (through the shorthand of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral) “Tradition.” In other words, we might say, all that we have learned from those that came before us combines with our own histories and affects us still today. We cannot separate ourselves from our past, for it is part of us.

 

Exodus 19 and Matthew 10 are our textual guides this week and they could be seen to suggestion something similar. Both passages reference earlier writings. Both passages present the people of God at a crossroads. All that they have seen and heard and learned before this brings them to this pivot point in their lives. Before them sits a choice: either hear God calling them and respond accordingly…or not. They can choose to do nothing. They can choose to continue on as they have been, living life unchanged.

 

Which way will they decide to go?

Which way will we go, we who strive to be disciples in 2020?

 

(Perhaps we can try to remember another, though much less famous quote by Geddy Lee, who sang, “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.”)

 

Pastor Dave will explore those ideas and more this Sunday, June 14th, in his sermon, “The Past is Prologue.”

 

Join us on our Woodridge UMC YouTube channel as we live stream our worship at 10:00AM 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, June 14th

  • ONLINE Worship Service at 10:00 am

Tuesday, June 16th

  • Remote Bible Study at 10:30 am

Wednesday, June 17th

  • Remote Bible Study at 6:00 pm

Thursday, June 18th

  • Open Conference Call at 1:00 pm

Sunday, June 21st

  • ONLINE Worship Service at 10:00 am

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, June 14th.
 

Pastor Dave's Blog

NEXT STEPS

Last week I asked you to consider how words matter leads us to unequivocally shouting: Black lives matter!

Of course, while words matter they are not the end all and be all. We must take actions to bring those words to life.

Here are some resources for doing just that (there are of course many, many other resources available to us). You’ve likely seen a few of these already as these kinds of lists are flooding social media. Don’t be overwhelmed, just pick a place to start and get going. Together we will continue to listen and learn and grow.

Follow this link to continue reading.

 

 

 

Bible Study - Via Zoom

THE BIBLE FOR CURIOUS PEOPLE  -  ON ZOOM

Join us Tuesday mornings in June at 10:30am on Zoom as we explore the book of Exodus.

Reading Assignment for Tuesday, June 16th:

Hosea, Chapters 4-7, plus any introduction and notes your bible provides. 

Questions to consider:

-What excuses does Moses give for not wanting to be sent by God? What would you have said if you were Moses?

-When Moses asks who God is, why do you think God identifies Godself so enigmatically?

-What is the significance of Aaron’s role? How would you feel if you were Aaron?

-What questions does this text raise for you?
 

In response 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 
Our Summer Office hours begin on Monday, June 15th. The church office will be open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.. However, because our building is not ready for full activity, we ask that you call before visiting. 


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 
United Methodist Women

  If you have any questions about the overall event, please email
 auroradistrictumw@gmail.com.


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

June Outreach Offering:
Northern Illinois Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON)

The ministry of Justice For Our Neighbors (JFON), initiated by the General Board of Global Ministries in 1999, has served thousands of immigrants across the United States. The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) sponsors this program, working in 27 “clinics” in several regions of the United States.
JFON was created to respond to complicated immigration regulations arising from the Immigration Reform Act of 1996. The events of September 11, 2001 and the Patriot Act have worsened the situation, causing many delays in existing and new applications and increasing the number of deportation orders.
The JFON network effectively provides services to the community and a strong forum for advocacy.
This organization, which has visited our congregation, fills a critical role by aiding our neighbors who have immigration status issues. In these times especially, they are most deserving of our support.


Rosecrance - Kinley Charity Care Fund
Founded in 1916 as an orphanage by Methodists, Rosecrance now provides addiction and mental health treatment services to thou-sands of individuals and families each year…many of whom do not have the means to pay for services. The inability of State government today to provide an adequate safety net to meet the growing needs of those neediest families is at a crisis level. Rosecrance is committed to serving these families by redoubling our efforts to increase charity care funded by the generosity of individuals, churches and others.
Website: rosecrance.org


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)
--------------                                   ------------                         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  

      
June 12th, 2020, Volume 11, Edition 24

 

 

 

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