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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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“Who Is
This?”
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WE'RE GETTING
CLOSER! We are just a week away from that grand
Resurrection celebration! Out of the darkness of
the tomb to the glorious light of a brand new
beginning! Hopefully during these past 40 days
you have taken some time to pause and reconnect with
God.
As we travel these
final days that Jesus spent walking the dusty streets of
Jerusalem, may we remember the grace and sacrifice we
have experienced. Walking with Jesus has been no
joke and especially during this coming week!!!. We
start our week with the triumphal entry into the
city. As the momentum of the parade builds with
shouts of Hosanna, others stand on the sidelines
wondering "WHO
IS THIS?" Those who thought
they knew, were busy planning and scheming his capture
and demise. But doesn't everybody love a
parade? Evidently not!
So, by Thursday the
parade will be over and the faithful will have
scattered. But we will gather around the table with
Jesus and celebrate that Last Supper He shared with His
friends, remembering and reflecting on what the Passover
meal is all about. Usually referred to as Maundy
Thursday, our worship begins at 7:00
p.m.. You may want to come early to
share in a soup
supper (that includes cinnamon rolls!) at 6:00 p.m..
Then on Friday, we
remember the ultimate betrayal and the road that leads to
the cross at Calvary. Even though it is referred to
as Good
Friday, it is hard to see what is
"good" in the darkness of the day. Join
us again at 7:00
p.m. as we hear yet more of the story, "IT IS
FINISHED, BUT IT IS NOT OVER!".
Don't miss out this
Holy Week!! Join us:
Palm Sunday at 10:00 a.m.
Maundy Thursday-- soup at 6:00
p.m. and worship with communion at 7:00 p.m.
Good Friday at 7:00 p.m.
All services will be livestreamed on our Woodridge UMC
YouTube Channel.
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Saturday, March 23rd
Sunday, March 24th
- 10:00 am Palm Sunday Worship Service
- 11:20
am Bell Choir
- Noon
Communion (online)
- 4:00
pm Filipino Baptist
- 7:00
pm CSA Committee
Monday, March 25th
Tuesday, March 26th
Wednesday, March 27th
Thursday, March 28th
- 6:00
pm Soup Supper
- 7:00
pm Maundy Thursday Worship Service
Friday, March 29th
- 7:00
pm Good Friday Worship Service
Sunday, March 31st
- 8:30
am Bell Choir
- 10:00 am Easter 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
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 study began 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
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 our
final day 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
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.
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.
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 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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11:20AM-12:30PM
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Preschool Yellow Room
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Service
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Easter: March 31
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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.
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.
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. 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.
March 21th, 2024, Volume 14, Edition 12
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