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Woodridge United Methodist
Church
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Join
us on Sunday for worship services
at
10:00 am.
Instructions
can be found at the end below.
All are
Welcome!
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“The
Challenge of Freedom”
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We are at the
second part of our Advent journey and our theme this week
is PEACE. The 2nd candle on the Advent wreath
(known as the PEACE CANDLE) will be lit.
Sunday, December 10th is the 75th anniversary of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Here is a
brief description of what and how they came about.
I encourage you to look at them a little closer as time
permits.
"In 1948, representatives from the 50 member states
of the United Nations came together, with Eleanor
Roosevelt chairing the Human Rights Commission, to
devise a list of all the human rights that everybody
across the world should enjoy. The UDHR marked
an important shift by daring to say that all human beings
are free and equal, regardless of colour, creed or
religion. For the first time, a global agreement
put human
beings, not power politics, at the heart of its agenda. Although
it is not legally binding, the protection of the rights
and freedoms set out in the Declaration has been
incorporated into many national constitutions and
domestic legal frameworks. All states have a duty,
regardless of their political, economic and cultural
systems, to promote and protect all human rights for
everyone without
discrimination."
While these rights are still in existence today, one
would think there would be a greater emphasis on
them. However, we know all too well this is
not the case given our world situation.
So what does PEACE look like in our day and time?
How do we become "peace'builders"? What
is the role of the church/our church in upholding the
basic rights of human beings? We will take a look
at some of these questions as we approach the topic THE CHALLENGE
OF FREEDOM. Join us in person on
Sunday at 10:00 a.m. or on our Woodridge UMC YouTube Channel.
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Saturday, December 9th
- 9:00
am Craft & Vendor Fair
- 10:00
am Light Up Church (weather dependent)
Sunday, December 10th
- 8:45
am Adult Choir
- 10:00 am Worship Service
- 11:00
am Writing Cards for Seniors
- 11:00
am Light up the Church (rain date)
- Noon
Communion (in person)
- 4:00
pm Filipino Baptist
Monday, December 11th
- 7:00
pm Staff Parish
- 7:00
pm Den 1
- 7:00
pm Dens 2 & 4
- 7:30
Square Thrus
Tuesday, December 12th
- 8:00
am Life Line Screening
- 9:30
pm Soccer Shots
- 10:30
am Tuesday Bible Study (online)
Wednesday, December 13th
- 6:00
pm Bible Study
- 7:00
pm Square Dancing
Thursday, December 14th
- 7:00
pm Boy Scouts
- 7:30
pm Toastmasters
Friday, December 15th
Saturday, December 16th
Sunday, December 17th
- 8:45
am Adult Choir
- 10:00 am Worship Service
- Noon
Communion (online)
- 4:00
pm Filipino Baptist
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Church Office Hours
Monday & Tuesday: 9:00 am - noon
Wednesday
- Friday: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
We ask that you call before visiting.
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Ministry Opportunities
Craft and Vendor Fair and Bake Sale
Woodridge UMC is having a craft and vendor
fair TOMORROW, Saturday, December
9th from 9 am to 3 pm. We have 20
vendors plus a raffle and bake sale. Come join the
fun!! See the flyer here.
Do You
Love Hanging Christmas Lights?
We
Need Your Help!
In
case of inclement weather on Saturday, outside decorating
will take place immediately after service on Sunday. This
Christmas, our presentation of the message of this season of
love and hope incarnated continues to venture outside our
building. What better way to do that than through some great
looking lights? We’ve tested all the lights, now we need YOU
as part of a team to present them to the world! Ready to
help? Come to church this Saturday, Dec. 9th at 10:00am – 2:00
pm to hang the lights.
Second
Saturday Diners
Please join us to celebrate the Christmas season at the home
of Bud and Gwenn Edman (1615 Golfview Drive, Darien) on TOMORROW, Saturday,
December 9, at 5 pm. Please bring an
appetizer or dessert and your beverage. Please RSVP to gwennedman@gmail.com
or 630-624-3227. Everyone is welcome!
Gift Card Sale!
Our Gift Card Sale is back starting in November. Support WUMC
with gift card orders with two opportunities to
participate. due
Sunday, December 10th and will be available
for pick-up
Sunday, December 17th. Get your December form
here
or in the narthex.
Holiday Cards
for Seniors
Reach out to others this holiday season. Write or draw
holiday notes in cards to give to local nursing home seniors right after service
on Sunday,
December 10th in the narthex.
(Sponsored by the Youth Group).
Interactive Advent Bulletin Board
Our bulletin board is ready for advent. Come take a
star, write on it one of the reasons that you are blessed and
use a push pin to set it in the sky. It will be
awe-inspiring!
New Years Eve Brunch
Join us for a potluck New Years Eve Brunch! On Sunday, December
31st at11:30 am you are invited to bring your
favorite brunch dish to share: breakfast casserole, pastries,
quiche, sliced fruit, skillets, etc. New Year's Eve
brunch will include board games!! People should bring
their favorite!
60th Anniversary Celebration
Did you know that our church is turning 60 years old?
What were you doing when you turned 60? If you haven't
made it there yet, what are your plans for 60? We have
started a year long celebration of 60 years of ministry here
at Woodridge UMC. If you have ideas of events you would
like to see happen this year, or simply want to "be in
the room where it happens", let us know. No idea
is too ______ anything!! Look forward to
celebrating our 60 years together.
WUMC Music Ensembles 2023-2024
Our Music Ministry offers you three ways to get involved: the
Handbell Choir, the Worship Band, and the Adult Choir. This
could be the year you take that “leap of faith” and join a
group! All ensembles are LOW commitment. We ask that you please
attend the rehearsals leading up to the service date. It is
that simple! For a full schedule see the e-News or the
handout in the narthex.
In order to plan music, please RSVP to Carrie by the dates
listed. See the full
schedule here.
Adult
Choir (high school freshmen-seasoned adults)
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Rehearsal
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Oct. 29
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11:20 AM-12:30 PM
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Music Room
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Rehearsal
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Nov. 5
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11:20 AM-12:30 PM
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Music Room (may need to adjust time for
Pastor Danita’s birthday)
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Rehearsal
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Nov. 12
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11:20 AM-12:30 PM
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Music Room
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Rehearsal
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Nov. 19
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11:20 AM-12:30 PM
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Music Room
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Rehearsal
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Nov. 26
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8:30-9:30 AM
(Carrie has an 11 AM call time for a Hawks game)
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Music Room
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Service
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Dec. 3
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10 AM
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Rehearse in the sanctuary at 8:45 AM
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Service
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Dec. 10
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10 AM
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Rehearse in the sanctuary at 8:45 AM
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Service
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Dec. 17
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10 AM
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Rehearse in the sanctuary at 8:45 AM
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Service
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Dec. 24
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10 AM
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Rehearse in the sanctuary at 8:45 AM
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Next up is Worship Band. Please RSVP by
Dec. 17.
Youth
Ministry 2023
December 10th – Holiday Cards for Seniors - Write or draw holiday notes in cards to give
to local nursing home seniors right after service: Whole
church event.
This is our last event for 2023. Enjoy the holidays
with your families and come to 2024 with
ideas for the rest of the year!
Sunday School
We use inspiring stories, creative crafts, and
fun games—all done with guidance of loving, dedicated
teachers—to engage our students.
Here’s our process: Children begin the worship
service in the sanctuary with their family. Following the
“Praying” segment, the children will be invited up to the
chancel steps for conversation with the pastors. (We call
that time “Conversing with Children.”) Following that, the
Sunday School teacher will meet the children in the Narthex
(the big room outside the sanctuary) and walk them to their
classroom. They will be in either the Trinity Room in the
main hallway or the Blue Room in the Preschool wing.
Activity Bags are available in the Narthex every Sunday and
are especially helpful on days when Sunday School is not
available.
Toastmasters
Would you like to speak with more confidence in any setting?
Toastmasters can help! The Woodridge Toastmasters club meets
on the 2nd
and 4th Thursday of the month at Woodridge United Methodist
Church. Come visit us and see for yourself!
For more information contact John.
Radio
Joy Live Streaming from Tanzania
Africs University's Radio Joy has been livestreaming since
March. You may listen to it here: https://zeno.fm/radio/radio-joy-90-5.
The English progamming schedule can be found here
or on the bulletin board in the narthex. (The rest of
the time the programming is in Swalhili).
Advent 2023
Worship with
Wooddridge UMC This Christmas Season
All are invited and welcome to our worship services as we
commemorate God’s ultimate act of love and solidarity:
joining us in our humanity through the babe of Bethlehem. All
but one of these services are both in-person and
live-streamed on our Woodridge UMC YouTube Channel.
Wednesday,
December 20th at 7:00 pm Longest Night
Service (online only)
Sunday,
December 24th: 10:00 am Advent week 4.
Sunday,
December 24th: 5:00 pm Christmas Eve with
carols, children’s time, Choir and candle lighting.
Sunday,
December 24th: 11:00 pm Christmas Eve with
carols, Choir, candle lighting and Communion.
Sunday,
December 31st: 10:00AM New Year’s Eve Worship
and Party
Worldwide Nativity Sets
Remember a few years ago when we were mostly online? We
had different handcrafted nativity sets from all over the
world each week in Advent. We would like to repeat this
joyous experience and beautify our altar once again.
Please contact the church office if you have a nativity set
to loan us that might serve this purpose. We would need a
brief description of the nativity (i.e. where it is from) so
we can share the information with everyone. All
nativities will be treated with loving care and can be picked
up immediately after the worship service they are used in.
Bible Study
Please join us for our Advent Bible study classes.
We’ll read the lectionary texts for the week ahead and see
how that affects our worship experience each Sunday. Classes
are open to anyone who wishes to participate.
Time
and format:
Tuesdays
(ZOOM only), 10:30 a.m. until noon beginning Tuesday, November
28th
Wednesdays
(ZOOM and
in-person), 6:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. beginning Wednesday, November
29th
If you are interested in participating, please contact the
church office, 630/968-6050 or office@woodridgeumc.org
or Pastor Danita (PastorDanita@woodridgeumc.org).
Please let us know if you are interested in attending.
A Very West Towns Christmas
Join the West Towns Chorus (with our own Carrie Marcotte as
director) as they bring in the Christmas season with our
annual Christmas Show 2023! On THIS Saturday,
December 9th at 2:30 pm and Sunday, December 10th at 2:30 pm
at the Huizenga Auditorium at Timothy Christian Schools in
Elmhurst (188 W Butterfield Road). You are sure to
enjoy this afternoon of familiar holiday classics and
Christmas tunes in Barbershop and Choral
styles. Ticket prices are $25-30.
Call 630.201.5544 for tickets or see the flyer in the narthex
for other ways to purchase tickets. Or here.
Holiday Help for Our Neighbors in Need
You, the wonderful people of Woodridge UMC, have a tremendous
track record of providing a heap of holiday help for our
neighbors in need. We hope to continue that tradition—but in
some new ways!
Hat
and Mitten Tree Returns
Once again, we will be collecting children’s mittens, gloves,
and warm hats for the children of Woodridge School District
68. The mitten tree will be available in the Narthex for
you to hang your donations. District 68 gives them out to
children who don’t have appropriate gear for the winter
weather. We will be collecting throughout the Advent season
and into the New Year. Please donate as you can.
Help
Support Area Families This Christmas!
THANK YOU!! Everyone was Adopted for
our Family Outreach!
The Outreach Committee is happy to announce we are partnering
with the West Suburban Community Pantry to provide Christmas
gifts and grocery gift cards for 5 local families this year!
Please stop in the Narthex by our hat and mitten tree to sign
up to bring a gift (gift tags are located on the hat and
mitten tree) or grocery gift card. If you are providing a
gift please return it wrapped and with the tag attached to
the outside. Additional information will be available
at the signup table. All items and gift cards need to
be returned to church by
Friday December 8th.
Choir
Performances
Make a Joyful Noise! The Choir is expanding this year and
will be performing each of the four Sundays of Advent. Come
listen to our Choir sing!
Northern Illinois Conference
As you may know, the Boy Scouts of America
recently settled a lawsuit related to accusations of sexual
abuse of children. Many churches, including United
Methodists, have chartered BSA troops or packs over the
years. As part of the
settlement, the United Methodist Church has agreed
to raise and give $30 million over a three-year period to a
fund to compensate survivors. The church also agreed to work
for the healing of survivors and recommit to work toward
ending sexual abuse of young people.
We have heard the cries and painful stories of
those abused while in the Boy Scout program, some in troops
chartered at local NIC churches. Our Christian faith calls us
to have an obligation to children – past, present, and future
– to do no harm to them and to repair the breach when harm is
done.
The Repair the Harm to Children campaign
was created to address the needs of the survivors in three
ways; listening and providing healing to the survivors,
contributing our fair share to the survivor fund established
by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and working to create
safeguards against harm in the future. It was formed by the
Conference Committee on Finance and Administration and the
Conference Board of Trustees in collaboration with Bishop
Schwerin and the conference staff. We seek pledges from
churches and individuals to fund restorative healing for the
survivors.
We care for the survivors financially by
contributing our fair share to the survivor fund established
by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Of the $30 million committed by
the United Methodist Church, the amount allocated to Northern
Illinois is $754,348. The amount is payable over the next
three years, but no reparations will be paid to survivors
until all United Methodist annual conferences have paid their
fair share.
We intend that every church will contribute
and repair the past harm as quickly as possible. We recommend
that the church administrative council discuss their pledge decision with
input from the finance committee and/or the church’s Scouting
liaisons. All pledges are welcome and
meaningful to the healing of victims of sexual abuse. We are
grateful for whatever you are able to do to meet this
financial challenge.
We ask you to consider your commitment during
April and May prayerfully. Our first goal is to receive
initial pledges by the start of Annual Conference this June.
A church or an individual can make a pledge by using this
form here.
You may complete your pledge over three years. As you
consider your ability and duty, we have provided
resources here.
We are asking for payments towards pledges to
start in the fall of 2023. Payments can be made online here or
via check. Please make payments by checks payable to Northern
Illinois Conference mailed to 303 E. Wacker Drive, Suite
2020, Chicago, IL 60601. Please include a note or indicate on
the check that it is for the BSA or Repair the Harm.
All children in the care of the United
Methodist churches should be safe from any kind of harm.
Unless repairs are made to children who have been hurt, we
are not being honest with the present and future children God
brings us. We are speaking to every United Methodist in the
NIC when we ask for your participation in repairing the
damage done to the children of formerly chartered BSA troops
and creating safe spaces for the future.
To safeguard against any future harm, all
churches in the Northern Illinois Conference of The United
Methodist Church (NIC) have committed to having Safe Sanctuary policies
administered by their church leaders and appointed clergy.
Safe Sanctuaries is an overt expression in making
congregations safe places for all within the community of
faith. More information on Safe Sanctuaries can be
found here.
If you would like more information, you can
visit the FAQ page here.
Thank you for taking the time to prayerfully
respond with a Christian heart to the harm that has been
done.
Rev. Tammy Scott, CCFA President
Prairie
Central Informal Gatherings with the District Superintendent
Informational
gatherings will be held on the second Thursday of the
month.
Zoom Links (The links will stay the same for all meetings,
though clergy links and lay links will be different)
Clergy Gathering 9:00 am link.
Lay Gathering 7:00 pm link.
Lay persons: This is NOT for Lay Leaders only. It
is intended for all lay persons who want to know more about
what is going on and be connected.
Northern
Illinois Conference
Find out
about upcoming events in the Northern Illinois
Conference of the United Methodist Church by clicking
this link
Outreach Opportunities
Don't Forget Our Advent Partnership
Help
Support Area Families This Christmas!
The Outreach Committee is happy to announce we
are partnering with the West Suburban Community Pantry to
provide Christmas gifts and grocery gift cards for 5 local
families this year! Please stop in the Narthex by our hat and
mitten tree to sign up to bring a gift (gift tags are located
on the hat and mitten tree) or grocery gift card. If you are
providing a gift please return it wrapped and with the tag
attached to the outside. Additional information will be
available at the signup table. All items and gift cards
need to be returned to church by Friday December 8th.
December
Outreach Offering
Save Abandoned Babies Foundation
The Save Abandoned Babies Foundation is a
not-for-profit volunteer group dedicated to saving babies
from being abandoned in dumpsters and other unsafe places.
Our grassroots effort began in March of 2000 when our
volunteers drafted a safe haven law and lobbied for its
passage. The resulting Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection
Act unanimously passed both the Illinois House and Senate and
was signed into Illinois law in August of 2001.
The Save Abandoned Babies Foundation is now focused on
spreading awareness of the Safe Haven Law, allowing a parent
to safely relinquish their newborn to a person at a Police
Station (including campus police), Fire Station, Hospital or
Emergency Medical Facility with no questions asked.
Since the enactment of this law 157 newborns have been safely
relinquished.
Ways
to donate to the December Outreach Offering:
- Check or cash in an Outreach
Offering envelope placed in the offering plate in the
- Narthex (the room outside the
sanctuary) or in the gold-plated mail slot at the
church’s east door.
- Online via our website. Select
“Current Month Outreach” in the drop down menu.
- Text the amount you want to give to
630-449-7121 and select “Current Month Outreach” in the
drop down menu.
Ongoing
Opportunities
Suits for Success
Please be aware that after many years, Suits for Success is
closing its doors and we will no longer be accepting clothing
donations for them.
"Goin'
Green" Shoes & Clothes Recycling Box
Located in the northeast corner of our parking lot,
this receptacle is a convenient place to recycle any shoes
and your clothes that are at or near the end of their
usefulness.
Did you know discarded clothes account for more
total landfill space than any other waste item? The “Goin’
Green” Box helps us reduce our waste.
How is this different from our “Suits for
Success” ministry?
The big difference is that “Suits for Success”
cannot accept shoes of any kind, nor can they accept belts,
ties, or underwear. “Goin’ Green” accepts all shoes and
clothes.
In summary: Keep bringing your gently used clothing
donations to the “Suits for Success” collection boxes in the
hallway.
For all shoes and any other clothes, instead of
throwing them in the trash, put them in the “Goin’ Green”
receptacle in the northeast corner of the parking lot.
West Suburban
Food Pantry
We have a basket that we "inherited"
from the Faith, Lisle church that is waiting for
donations. It sits in the narthex, usually near the
sanctuary doors. They did not stop operating during the
pandemic and there is pending legislation in our state and
nation that might cut their corporate donations in large
amounts. Let's replenish our basket!!!
Used Eyeglasses
There is a
basket also in the narthex for collecting
used eyeglasses. Kendra Manderfield Moore makes
sure that they are recycled to the Lions Club and Gift
of Sight groups. (Prescription eyeglasses only).
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Wellness Guidelines
WUMC considers the good health and well-being of not
only our members, but also our community, an act of Christian
stewardship. We continue to seek to avoid harm and do good as we
attend to the practices that help us grow in the love of God. As
a result of guideline changes from the Illinois Department of
Public Health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention,
we have updated our COVID Safety Guidelines:
- We recommend each group consult with each other
on how to do good and avoid harm as a group in consideration
of each other's needs and desires.
- We will continue to practice COVID-19 safety
best practices throughout our building including cleaning
protocols and air circulation.
If you are feeling sick, please stay home and join
us via livestream on YouTube. If community transmission spikes in
our area, we may return to mask requirements for all
activities. We follow the CDC guidelines.
Online Worship
Where to find the YouTube Live Stream
The worship service is live-streamed every Sunday at
10:00 a.m. on our Woodridge UMC YouTube Channel. All available worship service recordings are on
our channel too.
Sacrament of Communion 1st Sundays
We will be celebrating the
Sacrament of Communion in person on the first Sunday of each
month immediately following the livestream of our worship
service. We will need a few moments to set up our ZOOM link for
those who are not able to be with us in person. Please
remain seated following the postlude on the Sundays that we are
serving communion. Please remember that communion is
available every Sunday via ZOOM. Please contact the church
office or Pastor Danita for the ZOOM link.
Worship Attendance
If you watch the online service, 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 Worship
Our joys and concerns are
announced during worship service and printed and placed on the
table in the narthex as you come into the sanctuary. We
will continue to do this going forward. Therefore, all joys
and concerns must be emailed to Pastor Danita (PastorDanita@woodridgeumc.org) no
later than 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. If joys
and concerns are received after that, they will be sent on Monday
to the Prayer Ministry Team. Thank you for your flexibility
as we make updates to our worship services.
(There have been
requests that we include full names and/or more detailed
information for people on our list of Joys & Concerns.
Please remember our services are broadcast on YouTube and are
available to anyone who has internet access. Details are shared
with our Prayer Ministry Team on Monday mornings. You are
invited to join them in prayer and share in this information by
contacting the church office).
Offering
Options
There are different options for getting your
offering to the church.
- 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.
iGive Replaces
AmazonSmile
Amazon announced the closure of AmazonSmile as of
February 20th. Woodridge UMC is working with iGive to
offset this loss of donations. Please go here to
set up your account and
to help simply by continuing shopping.. iGive is offering
an additional $5 bonus with shoppers first purchase if they join
before March 30th and make their first purchase within
30 days. Donations average 3% of the purchase, compared to 0.5%
with Amazon. iGive features over 2,000 fantastic stores
like Walmart, Chewy, and Expedia. See a brochure here.
See a list of stores here.
See technical information on using the system here.
Ways to Use iGive:
- Clicking
on a store link directly from iGive.com or iGive.com/mobile sites.
(You must be logged in)
- Installing
the iGive Button and shopping online as you
normally would (for more info: iGive Button - How It Works)
- Shopping
via the iGive App for
iPhone, iPad or Android (visit the App
Store and search "iGive" - free)
- For
faster shopping, create your own list of favorite
stores on your iGive member home page under My Stores.
Remember follow this link to set up your
account.
December 8th, 2023, Volume 13, Edition 49
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