Woodridge United Methodist Church

Music Director Job Opening

The Staff Parish Committee has updated the job description for Music Director and will be posting the opening in various locations.  Please share that we are looking for people who are interested in the position. The committee prays for guidance as we work to fill this very important role in our church.
 

Ministry Opportunities

Lenten Schedule
March 28th - 10:00 am - Easter Egg Hunt
March 29th - 10:00 am – Palm Sunday Service* & Parade
April 2nd - 6:00 pm Soup Supper
                 - 7:00 pm Maundy Thursday Service*
April 3rd – 7:00 pm Good Friday Service*
April 5th – 10:00 am Easter Sunday Service*
                                      with the Choir
*In Person & YouTube Livestream
 

Easter Egg Hunt Assistance
Last year was a success, so we’re having an EASTER EGG HUNT once again!!!!  YAY!!!  But we need your help.  We need lots of people to set up, help our visitors and clean up. 

Saturday, March 28th

• – Egg Hunt Set Up – at 8:30 am 
  • We need helpers to set out the eggs and set up the narthex for the Egg Hunt (let the office know if you can come)
• - Egg Hunt - at 10:00am
  •  We need helpers to make sure that everyone stays safe, collect the empty eggs, hand out flyers and serve milk, juice and donut holes (let the office know if you can come).

Palm Sunday Parade
Join us on Palm Sunday for a shortened worship service. Afterwards we will come together to make posters in the narthex proclaiming Jesus’ love with slogans like: Love One Another and Jesus Welcomed the Stranger and Jesus is King. Then we will parade like Jesus entering Jerusalem around the outside of the church and spend a short time showing our signs to passing cars on 75^th Street (from the grass).  The church can provide large pieces of paper, but if you can bring your own posterboard or boxes to hold the signs up after we are through that would be greatly appreciated.  There will be a pizza lunch afterwards.

Choir Schedule
The Choir will be rehearsing on Sundays after worship service during the month of March & performing during Easter Sunday  service. 

First Friday Lunch
Please join us on Friday, April 3rd at noon for lunch.  No planning, no reservations, no responsibilities! Bring your sack lunch and a good sense of humor because there are sure to be laughs. Everyone is invited!
 
Decorating the Sanctuary for Easter Sunday
Please come help decorate our sanctuary for Easter Sunday on Saturday, April 4th at 9:00 am.
 
Easter Flower Pick Up
After Easter Sunday service, please see Karen Miller or Becky Jeske to pick up the flowers that you ordered.  If you would like to pick them up at a later time, they will be available during the week starting on Tuesday.  Please call the office first to let Becky know you are coming. The church office is CLOSED Monday, April 6th.
 
New WUMC T-Shirts!
We have a new WUMC t-shirt!!  The order has been placed.  Everyone will be notified when the shirts arrive after Easter.

Gift Card Sale
Do you need gift cards for graduation or Father’s Day or weddings or confirmations?
Or, do you just like to support a great cause during the course of your normal shopping? Then do we have a deal for you! Gift cards will be available for pick up THIS Sunday, March 29th. A percentage of the sales will go back to the church.

Support Our College Students
Outreach is once again planning to support our college students before final exams by sending care packages.  We are asking the congregation to participate by signing up to bring in an item or gift card. All items are due by THIS Sunday, March 29th.  

Lenten Outreach Project - In Support of West Suburban Community Pantry
This year, our Lenten Outreach project is to provide personal hygiene items for the West Suburban Food Pantry. We will collect items through THIS Sunday, March 29th. Also, for every cart that is filled with items, the Outreach Committee will donate $200 from the Burke Estate fund to the Pantry.  A Church World Services article explains the high need for feminine hygiene products.  

General List:
menstrual pads and tampons	deodorant
shampoo and conditioner	razors (for men and women)
toothpaste	soap or body wash
toothbrushes

 

Lenten Book Study
The coming Lenten Study will be a six week study on Tuesday mornings (ZOOM) & Wednesday evenings (In Person) at 6:00 pm on “The Third Day”.  On the third day, he rose again.  The author unpacks the Bible’s Easter stories and helps the reader see their significance in the lives of people today. This is compelling, honest, and hope-filled book.
 

CROP Hunger Trek
Thank you so much for the many donations we have received from Woodridge UMC members.  We are excited about the Palm Sunday parade that you will hold while we are in the Grand Canyon on our trek.  As we are on the first section of our trek Woodridge UMC will be parading around the church.  Collectively I believe you can walk 14 miles in spirit with us.  Together we all are walking to support Jesus’ mandate to feed the hungry, support the homeless, aid in disasters and much more.
 
We will be posting pictures so keep watching our pages:
CROP Hunger Trek - Carlene Smith
CROP Hunger Trek - David Smith

It is not too late to donate, go to either of our pages.  Thanks to everyone from the bottom of our hearts (and our boots).
 

All Church Work Day
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!  Come and help on Saturday, April 18th from 9:00 am to noon.  Please bring any gardening tools that you may have including gloves and buckets.  Someone will show you everything that you need to know, and you can come and go as you need.

Sharing Our Gifts with Ray Graham
Our Ray Graham day program is looking for volunteers to spend an hour or two sharing their gifts with their clients. Can you bake (above the cupcake level), teach simple carpentry (fastening two boards together), talk about your culture, etc.? You are welcome to share your hobbies and knowledge! Please let the church office know, and we will share the list of volunteers with Ray Graham, so they can work out a schedule. 

Altar Flower Donations
If you would like to donate an arrangement of flowers for the altar, you are welcome to bring one in.  Please let the church office know by noon the Wednesday before, especially if the flowers are in memory/honor of someone, so that they may be acknowledged in the bulletin and announcements.
 
Sunday School
Please join us!
Most Sundays, 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. Then, the Sunday School teacher will meet the children in the Narthex (the big room outside the sanctuary) & walk them to their classroom. They will be in the Trinity Room in the main hallway.

Activity Bags are available in the Narthex every Sunday.
 

Prayer Ministry
Our Prayer Chain is a group of caring people who believe in the power of prayer. We are dedicated to praying for your concerns and joys. Prayer requests will be shared with the church’s prayer chain, honoring your confidentiality. If you are interested in being a part of the church’s prayer chain ministry, please contact the church office.

If you would like to submit prayers to the Prayer Chain of Joys and Concerns, please contact the church office, text Pastor Dave  with your prayer requests or give him a note before worship service.

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
April Birthdays
04        Rachel Sprague
11        Sarah Jeske
12        Jiwon Yim
             Kevin Morman
            Joseph Shubert
            Matt Swick
            Jiwon Yim
15        Rachel Grosch
16        Michael Gardner
27        Karl Borgehammar
            Monserrat Buenafe
            Patrick Cash
29        Allison Printz

Northern Illinois Conference
Cultural Shift Leadership Training
The Prairie Central District Shepherding Team is bringing Rev. Jim Ozier back to Northern Illinois for Part Two of Culture Shift: Cultivating Healthy Congregations, a one-day experience that builds on the foundation of the January 31st Zoom gathering viewable here, offering space for reflection, discussion, and shared learning. Participants are encouraged to attend and continue this important work of helping our churches become healthier and more vital together. The event is open to all church leaders. Join us at Barrington UMC, on Sunday, May 3rd, from 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm. Registration will open later.


NIC Annual Conference Will Focus on Hope
Under the theme “Practicing Hope,” clergy and elected lay members will gather for NIC’s 187th Annual Conference session, June 14th – 16th, at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg. The theme invites participants to explore how hope shapes ministry, mission, and the future of the church. “Hope allows for newness. Hope allows that God will call us forward. Hope allows us to say yes to whatever call is placed on our lives,” said Bishop Schwerin.