| Giving statements for 2023 were mailed to homes on January 29. Contact Wade Meranda if you have any questions regarding your statement. |
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| Funeral Meals Policy Dear Friends and Members of Wesley United Methodist Church: Providing funeral meals is a comforting ministry offered to families at Wesley. Wesley United Women of Faith need your help to provide these meals. Volunteers are needed, on a rotating basis, to provide a salad or a dessert of their choice, help serve and clean up after the meal.
If you want to participate in this ministry, contact Mary Ann Knudson: [email protected] |
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Start cleaning out your closets and basements, the RUMMAGE SALE will be here before you know it! Mark your calendars for Saturday April 20th at the Interstate Center. If you are interested in volunteering this year, please contact Brenna Martin at [email protected] or sign up on our website. |
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Mission Trip assists in rebuilding Philippines Church |
| Join the Volunteers in Mission May 16-31, 2024, a team of IGRC missioners is going to be in joint-mission with Lakeview United Methodist Church in the province of Batangas in the Philippines.
Lakeview’s building needs immediate repair. The roof is old and has extensive damage. The glass windows are already broken and need replacement too. IGRC’s Volunteers in mission will not only assist in the repair of the building but also to strengthen its many ministries, such as, a sewing ministry, a medical and optical mission, a music ministry, and ministry with the youth. Cost for the trip is $3,500 which already includes airfare, insurance, food, lodging, and in-country transportation. Up to 50 percent scholarships available.
Fill in the included Registration Form (link here!) and return it in by (or close to) Jan. 15, 2024, to Volunteers in Mission International (711 W Austin; Tolono IL 61880.) |
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| The February 2023 edition of the NOW magazine will be available at the Welcome Desk this Sunday. Please feel free to stop by and pick up your copy.
The NOW is a monthly issue of events and other newsworthy information at Wesley Church. To request space in the March NOW, contact us at [email protected] by February 17th.
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We have fantastic Sunday School opportunities for all ages! |
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(NOTE: The ONLINE Tuesdays class won't begin meeting until February 20th!) |
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| When Christians Get it Wrong More and more young adults have opted out of Christianity and the church. The reason? Christians. When young adults talk about the problems they have with Christianity and the church, they often name certain attitudes and behaviors they believe are practiced too often by Christians: judging others, condemning people of other faiths, rejecting science, injecting politics into faith, and being anti-homosexual. With his familiar style, Adam Hamilton tackles these issues and addresses the how’s and why’s of Christians getting it right when it comes to being Christ in the world.
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Creation Care Committee is delighted to share with everyone that recyclable cups are now available for your beverage of choice in the Garden Room on Sunday mornings. One of the committee goals is to reduce waste by using recyclable items whenever possible. Be sure to empty and dispose of the new cups in the blue tubs provided for their collection.
We are no longer collecting detergent jugs in the Donation Drop Zone. Used detergent bottles are no longer being accepted at Midwest Food Bank as they are not being provided detergent to be distributed to their clients. You are encouraged to recycle your bottles. When recycling you first wash out the bottle, replace the lid and place in your recycling bin. Thank you for the past donations of your detergent containers. |
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| We continue to serve large numbers of families and individuals at our monthly distribution. On January 20th and 27th we served a total of 531 families and 1835 individuals. There were 36 volunteers who helped distribute nearly all the products we had on hand. By far, the greatest request was for diapers, diaper wipes and feminine hygiene products.
If you want to purchase products, we need the following for our February 17th distribution: • Diapers: all sizes except size 1 • Diaper Wipes • Feminine Hygiene items: Tampons and pads of all sizes • Paper Towels • Kleenex • Depends: Men's and Women's sizes L, XL and XXL • Bed Pads • Personal items: Body Wash, Shampoo, bar soap, body lotion • Monetary donations that allow us to buy in bulk
Thank you Wesley for your continued support of this vital ministry!
Contact Karen Daudelin at [email protected] to sign up. |
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Wesley UMC is seeking a part-time Outreach Coordinator to support local mission projects. The Community Outreach Coordinator is responsible for facilitating the implementation of ministries and projects related to serving the needs of our community while supporting church members in leadership roles related to outreach/missions.
Working together with the Church & Society Committee and volunteers, this person will invest 20 hours/week in keeping our Wesley Distribution Ministry and other missions running smoothly.
For more information or a job description, talk to Cara Rabe-Hemp (EMAIL HERE) or any member of the Staff-Parish Relations Committee. |
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| Spiritual Gifts! If you saw Pastor Sara L. Isbell's "Spiritual Gifts" Sermon (watch here!) and took the UMC Spiritual Gifts survey (take survey here!), you may be curious about what ways you can offer your gifts to God and the church. If so, we encourage you to to take a look at the guide we've created to help inform you about what parts of Wesley may need your assistance and specialties. |
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| Our stewardship drive for 2024 is still going! This is the time when our members and friends can fill out a stewardship card and provide their intention of financial support for our General Operating Fund for 2024. Stewardship cards have been mailed to member homes. Additional copies are available at the welcome desk. Members and friends can still fill out a stewardship card and indicate their support of time, talent and treasure in 2024 – including financial support for our General Operating Fund. We can mail or email additional cards if you need one!
Please take time to consider what support you hope to provide next year: your spiritual gifts, abilities and financial gifts. The commitment total enables us to determine a General Fund Budget with a degree of confidence. We seek to set budgets that are realistic and faithful to the commitments that our members make, so returning commitment cards is a very important part of the process.
Thanks to our members and friends who have already returned a commitment card for 2024. As of Dec. 11 we've received 179 cards totaling $920,272. All commitment cards remain in Wade Meranda's office and the information is kept confidential of course.
Please pray for the spirit of generosity to be upon our congregation. Please pray that all our members and friends remember to provide a pledge card for 2024! |
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There are many ways to give from the safety and comfort of your home. The easiest way is to click below to give online with our secure and SSL-encrypted donation site. |
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| You may also submit an online offering by texting. To do this, simply text: "${your donation amount}OFFERING" to:(309) 822-4442 |
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| For mail-in offerings, please mail a check to: Wesley United Methodist Church - 502 East Front Street, Bloomington, IL 61701
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Respiratory Illness Policy: |
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| The Wesley COVID Re-Entry Team has updated the recommended protocols in light of the recent increase in rates of infections, transmissions, and hospitalizations in Central Illinois. The adjusted policy is as follows: As of December 21, 2023, wearing masks in Wesley’s buildings will be optional but encouraged. Persons with immune deficiencies or other comorbidities, vulnerable family members, as well as unvaccinated persons, are encouraged to mask, but will not be required. Mask mandates for choir members, musicians, instrumentalists, etc., will not be required. All persons are welcome to wear masks out of concern and care for the most vulnerable among us, and all are asked to show respect with regard to physical distance between persons. Persons serving Communion elements and food should wear a mask during times of high incidence of respiratory illness (COVID, flu, and RSV.) Other precautions:
- Persons testing positive for COVID should follow current CDC guidelines of isolating for 5 days. After 5 days, symptom-free persons may return to church activities. Please mask while at church during the first 5 days of return.
- Persons experiencing any of the symptoms of COVID should avoid entering the building and obtain a negative COVID test before returning to the church. According to the CDC, the most common current symptoms include: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, aches and pains, sore throat, headache. The full list of possible symptoms can be found on the CDC website (listed below.)
- For additional information see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
If McLean County experiences a reversal in COVID improvement (e.g. high rates of hospitalization, transmission, positivity) mask mandates may be reinstituted. For more information, contact Pastor Sara at [email protected]. |
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| Wesley Emergency Number after Office Hours: Rev. Sara L. Isbell 217.299.4870
Wesley United Methodist Church: 502 E. Front Street Bloomington, IL 61701 Office 309.827.8046 Visit www.WesleyUMCBloomington.org for more information about our news and events. You can also visit us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
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