Winter Warming 2015
Saturday, January 17
2:00 p.m.
First United Methodist Church, Elmhurst
On Saturday, January 17, the annual Winter Warming event will be held at First United Methodist Church, Elmhurst. The Winter Warming is an annual event featuring workshops, fellowship and networking for Reconciling Churches. This year Bishop Sally Dyck will be the preacher.
The winter/spring Wednesday dinners are just around the corner. This is a great time to have a meal and connect with others in the church. The other benefits include not planning a meal and not cooking it!
Open Registration for the Preschool year 2015-16 will be held January 6, 2015 from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
in the church parlor. A $100.00 registration fee is required to hold a spot.
DGFUMC Preschool meets three days a week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Classes are offered mornings and afternoons.
Kevin Zehme joined Downers Grove First United Methodist Church in the fall of 2014. Kevin has played professionally for 32 years. He held his first church organist position at the age of 16. Kevin studied at Concordia University in River Forest, where he earned a Bachelor of Music Performance degree. Since then, Kevin has performed in many venues and churches.
The People's Resource Center currently has an open volunteer teaching opportunity. Co-teach basic computer skills and beginner level Windows to adults. Classes are held at Downers Grove First United Methodist Church starting March 2015. Teachers are needed for both the Saturday (9:00 a.m.) class and the Wednesday (7:00 p.m.) class.
Below please find the December 2014 edition of the UMW newsletter, The Inner Circle.
Savor the sights and sounds of our Christmas festivities:
The Hanging of the Handbell Greens
Featuring sparkling, dancing handbells
preparing our hearts for Christmas
Help us to brighten the sanctuary this Christmas by purchasing a beautiful poinsettia!
Orders are now being taken in the church office or use the envelope found in the pews each Sunday and place your order in the offering plate. If you would like to purchase a plant for $15, please fill out the envelope and enclose a check. You may indicate on the envelope if you would like it in memory of someone or in honor of someone.
Orders are due by Sunday, December 14.
Trustees, Environmental Stewardship Work Area and S.O.S. continue to join together to change to LED lighting in key high usage areas of our church’s building. You may have noticed that some of the rooms and hallways are a little brighter.
Chapel Hall was the first room to have all the fluorescent tubes replaced with LED light tubes. A team of S.O.S. workers washed and retrofit all the fixtures and put in LED tubes in Chapel Hall and its kitchen this past September. Those of you who attended Sunday early services in that room, due to the elevator repair challenge, immediately saw the difference.
Next, during the October S.O.S., a number of staff offices on the second floor, the PAD’s entrance hall by the gym and the main hallways on the west half of the second floor were changed to LED lighting. Additional LED tubes have been purchased to retrofit key difficult or dangerous fixtures in stairways throughout the church. These installations will happen during future S.O.S. work Saturdays.
Church members (those who have taken the Membership Class and joined First United Methodist Church) can take advantage of early registration for next year's Preschool on November 30 and December 2. Children must be either three or four years old by September 1 of 2015, with the classes beginning in early September and ending in the mid-May.
We are excited to report that after a long three and a half months, the elevator is once again open for business! The elevator passed its final inspection and was given the all clear to be put back into service. As a result our 8:15 a.m Sunday worship service will once again be held in the Chapel.
We would like to thank everyone for your patience, generosity and understanding while the elevator was being repaired.
Happy Thanksgiving!
As we enter this season of harvest and gratitude, we are reminded of the importance and power of giving thanks every day of the year. Christians are called to "give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:18), and so experience the gifts of God that we might otherwise overlook. Thankfulness is a choice we can make that opens our lives toward greater contentment and joy, and opens our eyes to see our neighbors with God's love.
One of the ways we as a church show God's love to our neighbors is through our Thanksgiving offering. The Thanksgiving offering goes specifically to ministries of local outreach and social justice through our congregation's Church and Society work area. This offering is the sole source of funding that the Church and Society work area receives. Through your special gift, our church is able to reach out to lives, speak out about needs and work to bring improved circumstances to others through the organizations that they support (see the list below).
If you haven't received a Thanksgiving offering envelope, they will be available at all the Thanksgiving Sunday services at 8:15, 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. on November 23.
May your Thanksgiving be blessed with God's abundant love.
Thankful together,
Pastors Jim and Greta McDonald
Church and Society Work Area