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Important Information
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
Food
Pantry Car Wash
Rescheduled do to rain. Help support the West Suburban
Community Pantry! Get your car washed by the Junior Board! Sunday August
9th from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. Donate
what you wish! All proceeds go to the pantry.
Name
Tags in Narthex
Our newer members have a lot of names to learn. They
would really appreciate it if we could wear name tags for a
few weeks. There are markers and name tags in the
narthex!
Children's Time
Due to travel schedules and medical procedures, we are
seeking additional volunteers to help with Children’s Time
during worship service. Please let Pastor Dave or the
church office know if you are interested.
First
Friday Lunch
Please join us on Friday,
August 7th 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!
Second
Saturday Diners
Everyone
is welcome to come and join us for the SSD, (Second Saturday
Diners).
Join us on Saturday,
August 8, at 5:00 p.m. for an evening of good
food, great fellowship, and a dessert worth saving room
for! We'll meet at LIMA FRESCA Taco and Tequila Bar,
6320 Illinois Route 53, Woodridge. After dinner, dessert is
just around the corner! Charlotte Ashworth's has
extended an invitation for us to have dessert at her place,
at 6420 Double Eagle Drive, Unit 312, Woodridge. This is
where we will continue the evening with conversation,
laughter and desserts, weather permitting—a relaxing evening
on the deck. Whether you're a regular or it's your
first dinner with us, we'd love to have you join us. Come
hungry, bring your smile, and we'll see you there! Please
RSVP to :Elisa Caligiuri (applei8122000@yahoo.com.
Summer
Book Study
The PRAYING FOR MANDALAS class was cancelled this past Monday
due to the storms. We will move that class to Monday,
August 3rd, and complete our study on Monday, August
10th -- 6:30 pm in the Standing Rock
room. Feel free to join us for our last 2 sessions. We
are using the book Praying with Mandalas by Sharon
Seyfarth Garner. For further information, please contact
Glenn Ashworth at bacatx@gmail.com.
Men's
Group Meeting - Everyone Welcome
The next meeting of the Men’s Group will be on August 15th at
9:00 am. We will have a brief time of
fellowship and prayer before working on some projects.
Everyone is welcome to join us for the projects!
Blessing the Backpacks
On Sunday,
August 16th we will be having a blessing of
the backpacks during worship service for everyone
returning to school. Please RSVP to the church office
if your student (child or grandchild or yourself) will be
attending that day, so we might have a backpack tag for them.
End of
Life Advance Planning
Sunday,
August 16th after worship service - Many
people are overwhelmed or underprepared when it comes to
their final wishes, so Modell Funeral Home has put together a
seminar to share about funeral preplanning. It may not be
something we talk about all the time, but it is so important!
The presentation is designed to be a helpful, educational
experience focused on planning for end-of-life services,
answering questions, and allowing individuals to explore
their options in a comfortable, no-pressure setting on.
Youth
Group Planning & Pizza
The Youth Group is having a pizza and planning event Sunday 8/16 11:30
- 1pm
Time to start thinking and planning for our youth group
2026/2027 year. And since we always think better on a full
stomach, there will be pizza. Bring your calendar and
thoughts on what we want to do. Please let Karen know who
will be there so she can have enough za.
Potential plans to think about:
- fundraisers
- Sleep Out Sat
- CROP walk
- Skiing/tubing
- Wonder Museum/MHQ tour
- Feed my Starving Children
- Lock In
Church
Picnic
We will have our Church Picnic on Sunday, September
13th after worship service. Invite your
whole family (parents, kids, cousins)! Invite your
neighbors! Games, food and fun! Chicken tenders
will be provided. Bring a dish (or dishes) to share.
Directory
Update
It’s been a few years since we updated our printed directory
so it’s time for a refresh! But in order to perfectly produce
a printed Directory, we presently need perfect information.
So please proceed to the Narthex, put pen to paper, and
perform an update to your information. Check one of the
samples in the narthex for your entry and its accuracy and
either initial the entry as it being fine OR fill out a
yellow Directory Information form in the narthex (or here).
DO NOT make corrections in the samples. Thank You!!
Share
Your Talents!
Do you play an instrument? Love to sing? Are you looking for
a concrete way to help? Want to become more involved at WUMC?
Join in our church's practice of radical hospitality? Let us
know! Fill out a Volunteer Opportunity form in the narthex (or here)
to let us know what you are interested in.
Summer
Outreach Opportunities
The Outreach Committee is happy to be able to offer multiple
opportunities for us to share out time, talents and treasure
this summer. Please check out the opportunities below!
Sign up sheets will be available in the Narthex starting this
week.
Serving at the West Suburban Community Pantry
(involves tasks such as stocking shelves, sorting produce)
Saturday
August 22nd – 10:00 am- Noon 6
slots available
Backpack Drive to Support Woodridge School Students
During the month of July we will be collecting school
supplies and free will cash donations. More information
will follow soon
August
7th (tentative)
– set up for backpack filling at St. Scholastica
August
8th –
9:00 am-Noon filling
backpacks at St. Scholastica
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 Returns September 13th
Sunday
School will return on September 13th. 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.
Free
Square Dancing
Downers Grove Square Thrus is hosting a FREE Square Dance on Monday September
14th 7:00pm - 9:00 pm at our church. No
experience needed. No partner required. Couples, singles and
families are all welcome! Wear casual attire and
comfortable shoes. Lessons start Monday, September 21st. For more information go to www.SquareThrus.com or
call 630.881-4467.
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
August
Birthdays
1 Mikki Kostov
Diane Meeker
18 Kyle Ofalsa
Ethan Novak
20 Virginia Arvanis
22 Penny Boyd
24 Blake Lietz
26 Veronica Edman
28 Christina Lucas
30 Julie Grosch
31 Robyn Bonaguro
Northern
Illinois Conference
NIC/GCORR
CRCC Cohort
Cross-Racial/Cross-Cultural Cohort Sponsored by the Northern
Illinois Conference and the General Commission on Religion
and Race
The cohort exists to strengthen adaptive leadership of
Cross-Racial/Cross-cultural (CRCC) clergy in the Northern
Illinois Conference by affirming belonging, creating space
for theological reflection and navigating cultural awareness
and healing. Through a trauma-informed and formational
learning environment, the cohort supports CRCC clergy in
integrating their lived experience, cultural identity, and
theological vocation, fostering both personal healing and
sustained leadership in CRCC ministry settings.
A few of the 2026-2027 events church leaders. Please
let Pastor Dave or the church office know if you are
interested in any of them:
Opening
Retreat: Identity, Self-Care and the Art of Theological
Reflection
Sat.
8/8/2026, 9 a.m. to 3:30 pm at Our Saviour’s
UMC in Schaumburg: Strengthen awareness of personal and
cultural identity as CRCC clergy and practice theological
reflection as a tool for belonging and resilience in CRCC
ministry.
World
Celebrations of Christmas
Sat.
12/5/2026, 10 a.m. to 1 pm at Journey of Hope
UMC in Elgin: Explore global expressions of Christmas and how
they enrich the church’s incarnational ministry
Closing
Retreat - Lessons for the journey ahead
Sat.
5/22/2027, 9 a.m. to 3:30 pm at Our Saviour’s
UMC in Schaumburg:
My
Omaha Film Screened Sept. 14-20
The Northern Illinois Conference’s Collective
Action to Build Community (CA2BC) will host showings and
discussions about the film
My Omaha during the fall of 2026. My Omaha is
essentially a film about the search for truth and common
ground between a son and his father. But it also traces
the search for truth and common ground that has been playing
out for decades between Omaha’s African American community
and the larger, dominant white community. It is an 85-minute
documentary released in February 2025, directed, written and
produced by 31-year-old Nick Beaulieu. It premiered in Omaha
in October last year. See the e-News for more
information and to register.
Disability Education Summit
The Northern Illinois Conference Committee on
Accessibility is hosting a summit on Saturday,
September 26th from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at Bethany of Fox
Valley UMC in Aurora. This free event
features accessible worship, four workshop sessions, lunch
with a panel discussion (optional $10 lunch fee), and
practical tools to help churches become more welcoming and
accessible to people of all abilities. Workshop topics
include disability awareness, accessible worship,
neurodiversity, advocacy, technology, and creating inclusive
ministries on any budget. See the e-News
for more information and to register for the event.
Outreach Opportunities
August Outreach Offering - Missionaries Dan
and Kim
We are collecting for the missionaries that
came and visited our church. For the past 16 years, the
family has lived overseas, primarily within Muslim countries.
Their ministry involves Scripture translation, clinical
counseling, and team ministries. Throughout their journey,
they have walked in faith, trusting in God’s guidance.
Their calling is to serve the Muslim community with love and
respect; however, they often share that they receive far more
than they give through these relationships. Though they have
faced significant challenges—including war, loss, and
trauma—they testify that God has remained faithful and kind.
Ways
to donate to the August 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
"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.
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!!!
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