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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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“Forgiveness”
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We extend a warm
WUMC to our guest preacher for Sunday and person
providing emergency pastoral care this weekend, Rev.
Deborah Fisher. Rev. Fisher is a retired elder of
our annual conference. Some may remember her as our
district superintendent several years ago. She
also, before retirement, served as the lead pastor at
First UMC of Downers Grove. Rev. Fisher has been a
part of the Northern Illinois Conference for many years
prior. We welcome her to be with us this weekend and
look forward to her updating us about her cat during the
children's conversation as well as her sermon on "Forgiveness."
Join us on Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. as we join
together and see what we can come up with about
forgiving. If you aren't able to be with us in
person, join us on our Woodridge UMC
YouTube Channel.
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Saturday, April 27th
- 9:00
am All Church Work Day
Sunday, April 28th
- 10:00 am Worship Service
- 11:20
am Adult Choir
- 4:00
pm Filipino Baptist
- 7:00
pm CSA Committee
Monday, April 29th
Tuesday, April 30th
Wednesday, May 1st
Thursday, May 2nd
Friday, May 3rd
Saturday, May 4th
- 8:45
am All Church Work Day
- 2:30
pm Arvanis 50th Anniversary
- 7:00
pm Square Dancing
Sunday, May 5th
- 10:00 am Worship Service
- 11:00
am Communion (In Person)
- 11:20
am Adult Choir
- 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.
Pastor Danita
Is Away
Pastor Danita will be away until May 4th attending the General
Conference of the United Methodist Church in Charlotte, North
Carolina. While there she will be working as a part of the
General Conference's secretarial staff, mainly in the area of verifying
and issuing credentials to persons who serve as delegates to the
Conference. This will be her 5th time serving on the secretarial
staff and her 10th time attending General Conference. Our prayers
are with her as she travels and her work. Our prayers are
also with our delegates and our Bishops as they confer, work,
deliberate and pray for a more humane and inclusive way forward
for our denomination. If there is a pastoral care
emergency: during
office hours, please call the church
office. Becky will contact the emergency pastor on-call and
update Pastor Danita. If it is after office hours, please
contact Patti Cash, chairperson of Staff-Parish or Troy Smith,
our lay leader.
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Ministry Opportunities
All Church Workday - TOMORROW
Come and help Angelique Edman finish beautifying the outside
of the church by spreading mulch on Saturday,
April 27th from 9:00 am to noon.
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.
First Friday Lunch
FFL will be dining in our beautiful kitchen on Friday, May 3rd at
12:00. Bring a sack lunch and be ready for a
delightful time making new connections. No reservations
needed. Everyone is welcome!
Bible
Study Classes
For several years we have had 2 very
distinctive Bible study classes... one during the daytime and
another in the evening. Since COVID, the daytime
class (currently on Tuesdays) has mainly been online via
ZOOM. The evening
class has been a "hybrid" with members meeting in
person and via ZOOM simultaneously. Both classes have
studied a wide range of topics and used a myriad of
resources. Because our church is in the midst of a
transition of pastors, our class schedule has been
interrupted. Here is our plan going forward:
TUESDAY BIBLE STUDY CLASS will meet on Tuesday, May 14th from 10:30 a.m. to
noon. The ZOOM link will be sent to
current members of the class via an email from Pastor
Danita. Additional meetings for the Tuesday class will
be discussed at that time.
WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY CLASS will resume their meeting again on Wednesday, May 8th
at 6:00 p.m. and each Wednesday following in
May. Again, a ZOOM link will be made available for
current class members.
Once Pastor Dave has arrived and gotten
settled (after July 1st), he will determine the continuation
of the classes, their meeting days and times in consultation
with those currently participating. Please be patient as he
learns his way around WUMC.
You're Invited
Join us on Sunday,
June 2nd for a Ministry Celebration for Rev.
Danita Anderson! We will celebrate Pastor Danita’s 10 years
of ministry at Woodridge UMC with worship at 10AM followed by
a potluck celebration for all! The Staff Parish Relations
Committee will provide the main dish and dessert. Please
bring a side dish, vegetable, salad, or fruit to share. Fun
and games for kids will be included. If you would like to
help with the celebration, please contact Patti Cash at
630-258-0533.
A printable invitation is here.
Upper
Rooms
Upper Rooms for May
- June are now available in the narthex with
a limited number in the mailbox.
Cub
Scout Car Wash
Our Cub Scout Pack is having a car wash on Sunday, May 5th
from 11 am to 1 pm on the east side of the
church. Proceeds directly support Cub Scout Pack 104, serving
the youth in Woodridge & Bolingbrook. Suggested donations
are $10 per car.
West Town Chorus Presents Classic Rewind
The West Town Chorus (& our very own
Carrie Marcotte as director) presents
their Spring Show 2024: Classic Rewind – Songs of
the 60s, 70s, & 80s. Come and enjoy their barbershop show
with classic hits from the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s.the Saturday
afternoon before Mother’s Day (Saturday, May 11th
at 3pm) and special guest Stiletto – the 2023
Sweet Adelines International Region 3 Quartet Champions.
Tickets are on sale NOW! Go to http:///tinyurl.com/4umf742s
to purchase tickets: General Admission $23 /
Student Admission $15 (plus fee).The show is at the Benet
Academy Auditorium - St. Daniel Hall; 2200 Maple
Ave. View flyer here.
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
for clean water through the Fill It Forward organization https://fillitforward.com.
Everything is on sale now in the narthex (or stop by the
church office). Follow the link to see Fill It Forward’s
partnerships https://fillitforward.com/giving/
and the clean water causes that are helped by your scans.
WUMC
Music Ensembles 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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April 28
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11:20AM-12:30PM
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Music Room
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Service
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May 5
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10AM
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Rehearse in the sanctuary at 8:45AM
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Up Next: Worship Band (Please RSVP by May 19)
Police Department and Public Works Campus
Community Dedication
 Celebrate our new Village of Woodridge Police
Department and Public Works facilities on Saturday, May 18
from 9:00 am until noon at 7215 Janes Avenue.
The day will feature a wide variety of activities for all
ages such as tours of the new police department,
touch-a-truck, a drone demo, a bounce house, airbrush
tattoos, etc. You can view the event page here with all of the
information, or the Facebook event page here.
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.
Birthdays
May Birthdays
2 Keala Bonaguro
4 Deb Cortez
Michael Munar
6 Karen Smith
9 Mark Munar
10 Amanda Smith
11 Jean Lamorena
12 Marisa McGinty
13 Gianella Augustin
14 Larry Cash
18 Charlotte Ashworth
21 Kathy Manderfield
22 Dione McConnell
23 Velma Getty
23 Robyn Harris White
25 Drew Byczynski
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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...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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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
April Outreach Offering
National Arbor Day Foundation
This month’s Outreach organization was
inspired by our church’s celebration of our 60th anniversary
and our mission to protect and preserve our
environment. Just as we are supporting the group Fill
it Forward and encouraging the use of reuseable bottles and
bags, we choose the National Arbor Day Foundation for
their work to plant 500 million trees around the world to
combat the effects of climate change. As the Foundation
states, forests “capture increasing carbon emissions, protect
biodiversity, nourish our bodies and improve our
health.” We hope to share more information about the
Foundation and ways we can protect the environment throughout
the month! You can learn more at www.arborday.org.
Ways to donate to the April 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 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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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.
- 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 best
practices throughout our building.
If you are feeling sick, please stay home and join
us via livestream on YouTube.
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.
April 26th, 2024, Volume 14, Edition 17
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