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Ministry Opportunities
UMCOR SUNDAY
UMCOR (United Methodist Committee On Relief) Sunday is THIS Sunday, March
10th. See the March Outreach for more
information.
Upper
Rooms
Upper Rooms for March
- April are available in the narthex with a
limited number in the mailbox.
Lenten
Study
For this Lenten season, we will be looking at God's covenants
and the cross through a study entitled REMEMBER by Susan
Robb. All are invited and welcome to be a part of this
time of reflection and remembrance. The studybegan on Wednesday,
February 28, 2024. We meet from 6:00 p.m. until
7:30 p.m. in person and via ZOOM.
If you are interested in joining us, please contact the
church office so that we can order a book for you and forward
the ZOOM link. All are welcome!
Lenten
Luncheon
You are invited to bring your favorite potluck dish to share THIS Sunday, March 10th
after worship service. There will be Filipino Egg Rolls!!
If you have any questions, contact the church office or Karen
Miller. Casseroles, fruit, sides, mains and dessert are all
welcome!
Second Saturday Diners
Second Saturday Diners is mixing it up this
week and helping support our very own Reid Spears Billy Elton
concert. This month we will meet on Friday, March 15th
for dinner at
5:00 pm at Traverso's 2523 Palinfield,
Naperville and will head over to Nequa Valley High
School Auditorium afterwards for the concert starting at 7:30
pm. (If you wish to attend the concert, please purchase your
own tickets either in advance online or at the door $15). RSVP to
Gwenn Edman for dinner by Wednesday, March 13th
at 630.624.3227 or gwennedman@gmail.com.
Lenten Outreach - Stuff the Shopping Cart
We will be collecting baby food and formula for the West
Suburban Community Pantry. Outreach will match each
stuffed shopping cart with a donation from the Burke Estate
fund that will be used to purchase diapers. We are choosing
to focus on these items as the pantry has told us that they
rely solely upon donations from the community for these.
All
Church Workdays
Green thumb?! Black thumb?! Any kind of thumb!!
All levels of skill are welcome! It’s time to get our
gardens shining again for Spring and Easter! Come and
help Angelique Edman on Saturday, March 9th from 8:00 am to
noon, Saturday, March 16th from 9:00 am to noon and/or
Saturday March 23rd from noon to 3:00 pm.
Please bring any gardening tools that you may have including
gloves and buckets. Angelique will show you everything
that you need to know, and you can come and go as you
need. Please contact Angelique at 630.267.4591 or rangelfish@hotmail.com
with questions or for further information.
60th
Anniversary Celebration
Join us in commemorating this 60th year of our church and
continuing our mission by purchasing a canvas tote bag ($25),
reusable grocery bags ($5) and/or stickers that allow you to
use an app to get credit for every time you refill your
grocery bag or water bottle and support important initiatives
like clean water through the Fill It Forward organization (https://fillitforward.com).
More information and sale of the bags and stickers are coming
to the narthex soon!!
Maundy
Thursday Soup Supper
You are invited to a Soup Supper in the Narthex on Thursday, March
28th at 6:00 pm followed by Maundy Thursday
service at 7:00 pm. There will be a
vegetarian option available AND CINNAMON ROLLS.
If you have any questions, contact the church office or Karen
Miller.
Billy
Elton Concert
Our very own Reid Spears and his band Billy Elton is
returning to the Neuqua Valley Auditorium on Friday, March 15
at 7:30pm in another concert to benefit the
memorial funds of three former Neuqua teachers, Tom Schlegel,
Dave Scheidecker, and Leslie Baumann. The band
celebrates the music of Billy Joel and Elton John and is led
by our own Reid Spears. Over the course of previous
concerts, the band has raised nearly $24,000 to support those
funds. Come join us for a great night of music and fun
and help support a great cause! Tickets are available
through the band's website at Billy-Elton.com and For those
unable or preferring not to use their phone for tickets,
there will be tickets available at the door. See you then!
Blood
Drive - Save the Date
The Knights of Columbus are sponsoring a blood drive at St.
Scholastica on
Saturday, March 23rd from 7:30 am to 12:30 pm.
To schedule your donation go to www.versiti.org/IL
or call Camille from Versiti at 847-305-9998. Appointments
are encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome! Photo ID is
required. Flyers are in the narthex and here.
Limited
Calling Posts
For more than a year now you have received a
weekly calling post on Sunday mornings to remind you to join
us in person or on YouTube for our worship services.
For some, it was a welcomed reminder of being a part of the
gathered community. For others, it was a nuisance that
either got deleted or ignored. Whatever the case, the
fourth Sunday in January was the last of the weekly calling
post calls that you will receive. You will receive them
on special occasions when there is something going on and/or
an emergency. Please feel free to let us know how you
feel about the change, but more importantly....when the call
comes, please answer!!
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.
Handbell Choir. RSVP
was due by February 25th.
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Rehearsal
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March 3
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11:20AM-12:30PM
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Preschool Yellow Room
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Rehearsal
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March 10
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11:20AM-12:30PM
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Preschool Yellow Room
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Rehearsal
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March 17
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11:20AM-12:30PM
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Preschool Yellow Room
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NO Rehearsal
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March 24
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Spring Break
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Service
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We will vote again! Easter: March 31 or
April 7
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10AM
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Rehearse in the sanctuary at 8:30AM
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Youth
Ministry 2024
Happy 2024! We are going to have a few things happening this
semester and are totally open to other thoughts.
March
TBD - Feed My Starving Children
April
TBD - Forest Preserve Clean Up
May
TBD - End of Year Party (ice cream/mini
golf/something fun)
Let Karen know your thoughts.
Sunday
School
Activity Bags are available in the Narthex.
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.
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.
Northern
Illinois Conference
Bishop Announces New Assistant to the Bishop
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Greetings in the grace we share in
Christ on this Lenten eve.
I write this evening to announce changes in the
conference staff and to seek your prayers as we celebrate
the ministry of Rev. Arlene Christopherson
as Rev. Christopherson transitions to retirement,
effective Sept. 1, 2024.
With the retirement of Rev. Christopherson, I am also
pleased to announce the appointment of Rev. Danita Anderson as the
assistant to the bishop, effective July 1, 2024.
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I give thanks for the leadership and
dedication Rev. Christopherson has given to the life of
the Northern Illinois Conference as the assistant to the
bishop (2007-2024) and the director of connectional
ministries (2016-2023) during the past 16 years.
Rev. Christopherson brought a rare mix of administrative
skills, theological grounding, and pastoral heart to her
work in the episcopal office. During this season, Arlene
worked with four bishops through an era of increased
awareness of clergy boundary violations, an economic
downturn, the tumult of the denomination’s struggle with
LGBTQ inclusion, a global pandemic, disaffiliation, and
the changing landscape of the role of faith in society.
Through these seasons Arlene brought stability, sound
leadership, and grounded support to the bishops with whom
she has served. She has given us the benefit of her
administrative skills, bringing more organization and
continuity to the cabinet, districts, and conference. I
consider her among the very best of those few who have
filled this role of assistant to the bishop across the
denomination.
Arlene will continue to serve until September to overlap
and provide orientation and training for her successor,
Rev. Anderson. We look forward to the ways in which Rev.
Christopherson will also take on special projects for the
office of the bishop in the months and years ahead as we
continue to utilize her gifts and talents.
Ordained a probationary member in 1985 and a full member
in 1988, Arlene previously served Polo: First; Downers
Grove: First (associate); Sycamore (co-pastor); and as
Elgin District Superintendent.
I know we will find ways of celebrating Arlene’s service
this coming fall.
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Today I also am pleased to announce
the appointment of Rev. Danita Anderson as the new
assistant to the bishop, beginning July 1, 2024. Rev.
Anderson currently serves at Woodridge United Methodist
Church in Woodridge, Illinois.
In my prayer time and conversations around the annual
conference, I heard the need for an assistant to the
bishop with strong administrative skills and cabinet
experience. Danita also has extensive background from
serving on and as chair of the Board of Ordained Ministry
and as chair of our conference Council on Finance and
Administration. In addition, I want to continue to live
out the conference’s commitment to anti-racism and will
turn to Rev. Anderson to give leadership in diversity,
equity, and inclusion.
Rev. Anderson is a product of the Northern Illinois
Annual Conference. She was raised in Chicago as a
lifelong Methodist. Her grandfather and three uncles
have/are serving as elders in the African Methodist
Episcopal Church.
Rev. Anderson graduated from Chicago State University
with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, with
a concentration in money and banking and a minor in
accounting. She attended Gammon Theological Seminary,
where she earned her master of divinity, focusing on
preaching, worship, and the arts. Danita was ordained a
deacon in 1983 and full member in 1985.
Her passion for ministry has been racial inclusion to
build and strengthen God’s beloved community, worship
experiences that relate to the current realities of life,
as well as a love for children and young people. Her
focus on hospitality seeks to encourage others to do the
same, crossing boundaries of race, ethnicity,
experiences, and education.
During her ministry she served at Chicago: St. Mark
(associate); Maywood: Neighborhood; Ingleside: Whitfield;
Aurora: Bethany of Fox Valley; Aurora District
Superintendent; Glen Ellyn: St. Thomas; Homewood: St.
Andrew; and Woodridge.
Rev. Anderson states that “it is an honor to be invited
to serve as the assistant to the bishop at this point in
history. This will be a milestone for both the Northern
Illinois and Wisconsin Conferences in sharing an
episcopal leader. The promises, possibilities, and
opportunities that this configuration can bring into
being are endless. It will be a privilege to walk beside
our Bishop Schwerin for such a time as this!”
Please hold Rev. Anderson, Rev. Christopherson, and the
entire annual conference in your prayers during this time
of transition.
Thank you.
Peace,
Dan Schwerin, Bishop
Northern
Illinois Conference UMC
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Bishop Announces New Prairie Central District
Superintendent
Bishop Dan Schwerin has announced the
appointment of Rev.
Wendy Hardin Hermann as Prairie Central
District superintendent, effective July 1, 2024. Rev.
Hardin Hermann currently serves at Mt. Prospect: Trinity and
will follow Rev. Jeffry Bross, who has been appointed as lead
pastor at Libertyville United Methodist Church effective July
1, 2024.
"In my time of prayer and discernment
with the Northern Illinois Conference Cabinet, while also
listening to the Prairie Central Superintendency Committee, I
heard the need to continue with a superintendent who
demonstrates a hospitable and supportive heart; someone who
can love the laity and clergy we are called to be in ministry
with," Bishop Schwerin said. "I believe that person
is Rev. Wendy Hardin Hermann.
"I am excited to work with Rev. Hermann’s
gifts as a grounded, contemplative spiritual leader who
brings a collaborative spirit. Rev. Hardin Hermann is a
person of integrity, a quality needed as superintendents will
be given even more responsibility in 2024 as we share
episcopal leadership with another conference and build teams
that can share our span of care."
Rev. Hardin Hermann was born in Alburn,
Alabama, and is a lifelong United Methodist and a
second-generation United Methodist clergyperson, following in
the footsteps of her mother, an elder who served in Alabama
and Georgia. Wendy has a deep love of God, God’s people, and
the church. Her passions for ministry include planning and
leading meaningful and relevant worship, building Christian
community among people of diverse backgrounds, empowering and
challenging individuals and congregations to practice intentional
discipleship, strategizing with churches to plan for their
future, and being an ally in creating a boldly inclusive
United Methodist Church.
She graduated from Birmingham-Southern College
with a Bachelor of Arts in English and from
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary with a Master of
Divinity. She was ordained and elder in the Northern Illinois
Conference in 1999 and has served churches in Hinsdale,
Rogers Park, Norwood Park, and Glenview prior to her
appointment at Mt. Prospect in 2017.
“I am humbled by Bishop Schwerin’s invitation
to sit at the table with the rest of the Northern Illinois
Cabinet," Rev. Hardin Hermann said. "I have great
respect for Bishop Schwerin and his spiritual leadership. I
look forward to getting to know the good people of the
Prairie Central District, coming alongside you as we seek
God’s leading for the future.
"I give thanks for the fruitful and
dynamic leadership of outgoing District Superintendent Rev.
Jeffry Bross, and I look forward to learning from Rev. Bross
in this time of transition.”
Rev. Hardin Hermann's call to ministry was
shaped by her early experiences of faith formation in the
home and local church. In college, she served on the staff of
Appalachia Service Project, a home-repair ministry. Those
summers in West Virginia changed her life and led her to seek
more opportunities to be in ministry with the most
vulnerable. Her guiding scripture is from the fourth Chapter
of Luke: “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me . . . to bring
good news to the poor . . . to proclaim release to the
captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free
those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s
favor.”
Bishop Schwerin asks Northern Illinois United
Methodists to hold in prayer Rev. Hardin Hermann, her
family, and everyone in an appointment transition.
Repair the Harm to Children
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Dec. 13, 2023
Dear Servants in ministry,
Greetings in this holy time of anticipation and promise.
At this time of year, we celebrate the coming of a child.
Christmas, Epiphany, the boy Jesus in the temple—all center
on a child.
Indeed, children should always
be in our hearts and minds. And now, people
who were abused as children need our Christian compassion
and generosity.
Repair the Harm to Children,
the Northern Illinois Conference campaign to address the
needs of people who suffered abuse in a Boy Scout troop as
children, needs our support.
Many churches, including United Methodists, have chartered
Boy Scouts of America troops or packs over the years. As
part of the settlement of a lawsuit brought by these
survivors, the United Methodist Church has agreed to
contribute $30 million to a survivors’ fund over a
three-year period. Northern Illinois Conference’s share is
$754,348.
Your church can be part of the
healing for these survivors by committing an amount equal
to 1 percent of its budget to this fund.
This amount is payable over three years. Your church will
still have 99 percent for local and church-wide ministries.
We don't invite people to pledge because they participated
in the harm. We invite you to give because you care about
the welfare of children and want to help those who were
hurt as children to experience healing.
The Repair the Harm to Children
campaign is not only about financial compensation for the
survivors. We also commit to listening to
survivors, if they request it, with compassion. We will
also redouble our efforts to keep our churches safe for
children and vulnerable adults.
Our conference has received, as of this date, donations and
pledges from 28 churches and several individuals. We have
received commitments for $136,770, 18 percent of our goal.
So far, pledging churches have contributed $54,036.69. We look ahead with confidence that we Northern
Illinois United Methodists will achieve our goal.
Steps Toward Participation
- Your church identifies the amount
of its pledge.
- Visit umcnic.org/RepairtheHarm
and complete the Pledge Form linked from that page.
- When your church is ready to
begin fulfilling its pledge, visit the Make a Payment
link on that page. Remember, your church can fulfill
its pledge over three years.
This site also contains many resources
to help interpret the importance of this commitment. People
in your church who have participated in Scouts as young
people or leaders and those who care deeply about
children’s wellbeing can serve as ambassadors for this
opportunity to help others.
Please remember that Boy
Scouts, Girl Scouts, and other youth organizations support
children’s faith formation and are worth hosting in our
churches. The BSA commits itself to
strengthened protections for participants. Adding your
church’s vigilant observations of Safe Sanctuaries
practices, Scout troops and packs can be a safe and
enriching experience.
Knowing about NIC churches’ and individuals’ generosity, I
look forward to our receiving your pledges and gifts.
It is good to be in ministry with you.
Peace
Dan Schwerin, Bishop
Northern Illinois Conference
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If you would like more information, you can
visit the FAQ page here.
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
March Outreach Offering
UMCOR
As the humanitarian relief and development arm
of The United Methodist Church, the United
Methodist Committee on Relief – UMCOR – assists
United Methodists and churches to become involved globally in
direct ministry to persons in need. UMCOR comes alongside
those who suffer from natural or human-caused disasters –
famine, hurricane, war, flood, fire, or other events—to
alleviate suffering and serve as a source of help and hope
for the vulnerable. UMCOR provides relief, response, and
long-term recovery grants when events overwhelm a community’s
ability to recover on their own. UMCOR also provides
technical support and training. Your gifts to Global
Ministries and UMCOR make a significant impact in the lives
of individuals and communities around the world. We will be
supporting the “where most needed” fund this year that allows
UMCOR to respond to needs around the world, be it for immediate
disaster response or for long-term recovery. Your gift to
these priority funds allows us to participate in missio
Dei—God’s mission—whenever and wherever the need arises;
partners to address emerging and ongoing issues related to
disaster relief, recovery, and long-term health and
development.
Source UMCOR - Global Ministries
(umcmission.org)
Ways to donate to the February 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.
More
Information on The Black College Fund
Did You Know?
"The UM-related HBCUs are responsible for educating some
of the world’s most effective and recognized leaders. That
impressive cadre includes preachers, district
superintendents, bishops, college professors and presidents,
general agency staff, legislators and community leaders.
Among the well-known graduates of the eleven United Methodist
HBCUs are Dr. Joycelyn Elders, a 1952 graduate of Philander
Smith College and the first African American
and the second woman to serve as the U.S. surgeon general,
and James L. Farmer Jr., a 1938 Wiley College graduate and
civil rights leader who helped found the Congress of Racial
Equality (CORE).
These schools and their graduates have a rich legacy of
service and are a source of great pride in their
communities."
Source: www.umc.org
Ongoing
Opportunities
Suits for Success
Please be aware that after many years, Suits for Success has
closed its doors and is no longer accepting clothing
donations.
"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.
West Suburban Food Pantry
There is a shopping cart that is waiting
for donations. It sits in the narthex, usually near the
sanctuary doors. The food pantry serves many
households and always welcomes
donations!!! We are all one bad month, week, or day
away from needing emergency food services. The
pantry strives to provide their customers with
nutritious meals like we would our own families.
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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