Mission

Mission Trip Planning Meeting

All Parents are invited to come and hear about our Mission Trip Opportunities for the Youth this upcoming summer!

There is no commitment required, feel free to come even if you're unsure if your youth can make it this summer.

Location: 
Chapel Hall
Date: 
Wednesday, December 4, 2013 - 7:00pm

Guatemala Connection: Thank You!

October 19, 2013 - 3:48pm

The Guatemala Connection would like to thank everyone who helped welcome our visitors from UPAVIM in Guatemala and made their visit such a success. To those of us who opened our homes, provided transportation, accompanied trips, made donations, purchased crafts, attended the barbecue, translated, and for the overall sharing of our lives our heartfelt thanks goes out to you all.

Special thanks to Kay Mundy, Ann & Bill Ault, Sharon Harman, Bruce Ritter, Jim Mizener, Don & Caryl Safford, Julie Stone, Dana Murphy, Kim Steele, Mark Pitstick, and Kay Miller.

PADS: A Great Big Thank You!!

October 19, 2013 - 3:46pm

Thank you to everyone who is helping out with PADS this year on both our Fishes and Loaves teams! We are just 3 positions away from being complete! We still need a female for the 11P-3A shift and one person to fill in just for November. We also need someone to help with 3A-7A for November only. Your continued support of this important mission is so appreciated by the less fortunate in our community!

Faith In Action - Helping Our Neighbors

You may be surprised to know that approximately 70,000 people right here in DuPage County have incomes under the federal poverty level. That’s only $23,050 for a family for four. And nearly another 178,000 of our neighbors are considered lower income, living with less than $46,100 for a family of the same size. [source: DuPage Federation]

It’s a startling figure. Historically, the suburbs have had far less need and little public support for crucial human services to help people living in poverty. However, demographic changes have brought on an unprecedented level of need here in DuPage County. And the human services being offered simply cannot handle the overload.

Learn how you can make a difference!  Join us on Sunday, September 15, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at a missions fair entitled “Faith in Action - Helping our Neighbors.” The fair will offer an array of informational and volunteer exhibits from local social services organizations and our own DGFUMC initiatives. This is an opportunity for individuals and families to get involved. Come to the gym anytime between 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

The Missions Work Area in cooperation with other church work areas has launched an effort to educate our congregation on this distressing situation. From delivering gift cards to school social workers to provide healthy snacks for hungry kids, growing fresh produce for clients of the PRC food pantry, to increasing our volunteer support and vocalizing our views to policymakers – we are the voice and helping hands of our neighbors!

See the Faith in Action - Helping our Neighbors missions fair brochure for information about the organizations exhibiting on September 15 below.

Location: 
DGFUMC - Gym
Date: 
Sunday, September 15, 2013 - 10:00am

Reminder to Share Your Extra Vegetables on Sundays!

August 5, 2013 - 1:31pm

VegetablesIf you are growing tomatoes and/or peppers from the plant giveaway or if you have any extra produce in your home garden, please remember to bring the vegetables to church on Sunday and leave them in the big basket in the parlor.  The Missions Work Area will drop them off at the PRC food pantry in Westmont so that our neighbors in need can enjoy fresh garden produce.

It's Good to Be Church

May 24, 2013 - 2:21pm

"Are we doing something in Oklahoma?" one of our members asked me at a meeting this week. She was pretty sure the answer would be "yes," and it was. The "we" she was referring to, of course, wasn't either one of us - she wanted to make sure "we" were at the site of the devastating tornado in Moore, in the form of relief workers from the United Methodist Committee on Relief.

Prayers for Oklahoma

May 21, 2013 - 7:50am

Prayers for Oklahoma

Please hold the people of Oklahoma in prayer. Support relief efforts with a gift to UMCOR disaster response. 100% of your donation will go directly to help the victims. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Oklahoma, as well as others affected by tornadoes.

If you feel that you want to give financially to help those in Oklahoma, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, better known as UMCOR, is a great vehicle to do that. They are able to send 100% of your donation directly to disaster response because the United Methodist Church takes on the responsibility of paying all overhead, administrative, and fundraising costs for UMCOR, with the help of separate fundraising such as the One Great Hour of Sharing.

| UMCOR Disaster Response |

How Does Your Garden Share?

April 30, 2013 - 1:43pm

Don’t let any extra produce from your home garden go to waste this summer. The 2013 DGFUMC Sharing Garden program will collect extra vegetables and donate them to folks in need. All summer long, just bring veggies to church on Sunday and leave them in the big basket in the parlor. The Missions Work Area will deliver them to the PRC food pantry in Westmont.

Watch for the program launch in the parlor on May 19. Free tomato and pepper plants to anyone who will grow a few extra for the food pantry. Or perhaps add an extra row of any veggie to your home garden. Contact Jean Krusinski with questions.

Note: There will NOT be any church plots at Mar-Duke farms this year. We are asking church members to plant and share from their home garden.

Crafting A Relationship

The Reality Behind the Craft Sales

Nicole at UPAVIMOn April 28, after the 11am service, we will hear a presentation by Nicole Hertel Meirose describing the history of the UPAVIM cooperative in Guatemala City and the value of our connection to their community. Until 2012, Nicole was the regional coordinator in Guatemala for Sister Parish, an organization that fosters links between churches in the United States and communities in Central America. She can therefore provide a unique insight into the Mezquital community, in which UPAVIM is located, the challenges they have faced and overcome in building a school, clinic, and other services to the surrounding community, and the purpose behind our relationship - how it enriches both communities.

Later this year, a delegation of women from the UPAVIM will be visiting us in Downers Grove and there will be many opportunities for the congregation to meet them and share our stories. To help us prepare for this visit, we invite all church members to hear first-hand what life in Guatemala City is like, who these remarkable women are, and how our bond with them impacts all of us.

Lunch will be provided. It is not necessary to register in advance - you are welcome to just show up if you are interested - but please fill in the sign-up form below if you know that you will be coming. 

Location: 
Chapel Hall
Date: 
Sunday, April 28, 2013 - 12:15pm

UPAVIM Spring Craft Sale

April 11, 2013 - 10:09am

On April 28, we will be welcoming Nicole Hertel Meirose, who as the Guatemala coordinator for Sister Parish, helped to arrange our last visit to the UPAVIM cooperative in 2011. This will be a wonderful opportunity to learn about what the women of UPAVIM have achieved and what life is like in Guatemala City. Read more about it here:

| Crafting a Relationship - The Reality Behind the Craft Sales |

In the weeks surrounding her visit, we are once again selling some of the beautiful crafts that they produce -  colorful bags of all sizes, scarves, kitchen accessories, jewelry, and more - just in time for Mother's Day and the season of graduations. You can find gifts for these occasions and at the same time support community improvement projects in Guatemala through the spring craft sales.

Please come visit us in the Parlor between services on April 21, April 28, and May 5.

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Welcome

God, as known to us in Jesus Christ, welcomes all.

We welcome people of any race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, social or economic status, employment status, or life situation; including people with physical or mental illness or disability.

We practice loving acceptance of each person and respectful discussion
Reconciling Ministries Network of our differences.

Affiliated to Reconciling Ministries Network

First United Methodist Church 1032 Maple Avenue, Downers Grove, IL 60515 - Phone: 630.968.7120 - E-mail: dgfumc@dgfumc.org

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