Woodridge United Methodist Church

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Worship

Giving 

Human Relations Day

Human Relations Day is this Sunday, January 17, 2021. Prepare to celebrate this important Special Sunday with us. This year when there was unrest in our country, funds from the Human Relations Day offering helped annual conferences support peaceful demonstrations, food, access to medication, and rebuilding efforts for communities impacted by negative acts.

Human Relations Day calls United Methodists to recognize the right of all God’s children to realize their full potential as human beings and in relationship with one another. This special offering benefits neighborhood ministries through Community Developers, community advocacy through United Methodist Voluntary Services and works with at-risk teens through the Youth Offender Rehabilitation Program.

Thank you for your faithful giving to the Human Relations Day offering.

Bible Study - Via Zoom

THE BIBLE FOR CURIOUS PEOPLE

Join us Tuesday mornings at 10:30am on Zoom as we explore the Gospel of Mark.
 
Reading Assignment for Tuesday, January 19th:
Chapters 2-3 of the book of Mark, plus any notes your bible provides.

Questions to consider:

—If you were a Scribe who witnessed Jesus’ healing, how do you think you would feel? Why?

—Who are the “worst among us” (2:16) with whom Jesus would eat today?

—Why do you think Mark puts so much emphasis on Jesus breaking Sabbath rules?

Due to the pandemic, 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 resumes January 13th. Please contact Pastor Danita if you are interested in joining the group.

 

Opportunities/Events 

Youth Ministry Winter/Spring of 2021

Youth Group Zoom meets this Sunday, January 17th at 1:30pm.

All 7th-12th grade students are welcome to join our Youth Group Zoom. Contact Pastor Dave for the link.

Special Event: Winter Shenanigans, January 24th at 1:30pm. Outdoor fun at church for the whole family! With hot chocolate and various activities at silly stations such as Build a Snowman and Snowball Bozo Buckets. Dress for the weather, bring your own accessories for your snowman, and wear a mask.

No Youth Group Zoom Sunday, January 24. We hope you’ll attend Winter Shenanigans instead!

Youth Group zoom returns Sunday, January 31st.

Winter Shenanigans

Next Sunday, January 24th at 1:30, you are invited to Woodridge UMC for outdoor fun for the whole family!  Our Shenanigans include:

• Play at five silly stations with various activities such as Build a Snowman and Snowball Bozo Buckets.
• Enjoy hot chocolate.
• Find a new puzzle to take home from our Puzzle Exchange — or bring a puzzle to swap.
• Purchase Fair Trade items to take home like coffee and chocolate.

 
A few requirements:

• Dress appropriately for the weather — this entire event is outdoors.
• Bring your own accessories for your snowman, if you are able.
• Keep safe distance from those not from your household.
• Wear a mask.

Puzzle Exchange

WUMC has started a PUZZLE EXCHANGE.

Every puzzle deserves a second, third, or even fourth shot. Let’s share the wealth!

There is a bin on the northwest side of the building labelled "Puzzle Exchange" by the north narthex doors for easy exchange anytime you would like.  Bring a puzzle.  Take a puzzle.  Please make sure that the bin is closed properly.
 

Outreach Opportunities

January Outreach Offering: Family Crisis Fund

The Pastors of our church use our Family Crisis Fund to assist persons who come to our doors through the week needing help with food, utilities, prescription medicine(s), gas, emergency rental payments, and similar. The Family Crisis Fund is also available to church members in their time of need for the same types of assistance (food, utilities, etc.) In addition to your monetary donations, we can also utilize gift cards from grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations. These are also very helpful. The Pastors are grateful for your faithful support in helping the church do the work of Christ on a daily basis. Emergency needs have nearly depleted the fund this year, so your generosity is greatly appreciated.


DUPAGE PADS
Due to the continuing pandemic, DuPage Pads will not be using Downers Grove FUMC or any church to house Pads guests until late 2021.  They will continue to hotel guests at the guidance of the DuPage Health Department for both the Pads guests and the volunteers’ safety. 
 
DuPage Pads has enough funds to house 70 hotel rooms through March 31, 2021.  Their goal is 115 hotel rooms (approximately 150 guests) per night.  Each hotel room is approximately $45 a night which requires them to raise approximately $450,000.  Additional federal government funding is uncertain at the moment.
 
Cold weather has arrived, and people are still very much in need. There are several ways you can help:
 

1. Food and Toiletry Donations: Please consider donating essential items using this link using curbside drop off boxes located in the DuPage PADS parking lot of 703 W. Liberty Wheaton, IL 60187. Drop off hours are Monday-Friday 8:00am-8:00pm and Saturday-Sunday 8:00am-4:00pm. Please do not leave donations outside of the scheduled times, especially food items overnight.

2. Monetary Donations: A special fund has been set up for this purpose. PADS is working hard to maintain and add additional housing in hotels for guests, as well as provide them with food. This requires significant financial resources to sustain this long term.  Visit the PADS website here and look at the very top for the link to donate.

3. Bring Food or Monetary Donations to DGFUMC:  First United Methodist in Downers Grove is collecting microwave meals to bring to PADS guests starting November 5^th. Microwave meals may be brought to the church Monday thru Friday 10am-1pm and monetary donations can be made on the church website dgfumc.org using the Giving tab. The church is located at 1032 Maple Avenue in Downers Grove.

Please call or email Larry Cash with questions at 630-808-8713.

 

Northern Illinois Conference 
Get to Know Interim Bishop John Hopkins
With the new year, we welcome retired Bishop John L. Hopkins, who is serving as the interim bishop for the Northern Illinois Conference through 2021.
Typically we would host a meet-and-greet event or a formal welcome, but because COVID-19 prevents us from gathering we are introducing him through a Zoom interview.
Did you know Bishop Hopkins served in campus ministries? NIC Dir. of Communications Anne Marie Gerhardt "sat down" with Bishop Hopkins to ask a few questions about his background and ministry to help all of us get to know him a little better.
Watch and share this video.

New District Boundaries Set
While the boundaries of the new districts for the Northern Illinois Conference are set, churches have until January 15 to submit a request for a change with a rationale to their District Superintendent. Interim Bishop Hopkins and the Cabinet will make a final determination by January 31.
The names of the districts, which go into effect July 2021, are Lake North, Lake South, Prairie Central, Prairie North, and Prairie South. Click here to read the list of churches in each district.


Prayer Booklet For Times Like These from Our Conference
Don’t worry about anything? That’s pretty hard to do these days! Yet it is when we pray that we are able to pour our hearts and minds out to God. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, the NIC Discipleship Task Force asked clergy and laity to submit daily prayers, which were shared on the conference social media sites and website. Those prayers have been assembled into an online booklet, "Times Like These – Prayers of the People," for your reflection and devotion.
 
Click here to view the booklet online
Click here to download

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

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

      
January 15th, 2021, Volume 12, Edition 3