April 10, 2025

WORSHIP - April 13, 2025

Palm Sunday

"Why Do the Innocent Suffer?"

and Reception of New Members

Scripture: Isaiah 53:1-5 NRSVUE

Preacher: Reverend Sara L. Isbell

Holy Week is just around the corner! Starting on April 13 with Palm Sunday and ending on April 20 with EASTER, there are a variety of events and celebration happening at Wesley. Use the link below to see our Holy Week Schedule with more details.

This Saturday!

Wesley's Bright Beginnings is Looking for New Board Members!

Wesley’s Bright Beginnings is looking for new board members to help guide this important ministry! Board meetings are once a month on the 3rd Thursday at 6:30 in the lounge. Please reach out to board chair, John Twork, with questions or to get more info! (jdtwork@gmail.com)

2025 Handbell Bake Sale!

The 2025 Annual “Mother’s Day Bake Sale” sponsored by the Handbell Ministry has been rescheduled this year to April 27. Please mark your calendars! Bakers are needed to provide special baked goods, and we also invite you to stop by the Garden Room on April 27 to select your special treats for the day or to give someone as a gift. As always, thank you for your support! - Gail Welk (309-825-4402)

Golden Anniversary Luncheon

Save the Date • June 1, 2025 - Wesley’s United Women in Faith have begun preparations for the Golden Anniversary Luncheon to celebrate all couples who have been married 50 years or more by June 1, 1975. We don’t want to miss inviting anyone. Please call the Church office 309-827-8046 no later than April 14th to make sure we have your correct anniversary date and address. Then mark your calendars to save the date. We are excited to celebrate your 50 years of love!

Easter Memorial Decoration Gifts

Members and friends of the church are invited to make memorial contributions. The donations will be used to provide and refresh Easter decorations for the sanctuary.

Forms will be included in bulletins at Wesley UMC on the Sundays of April 6 and 13. Please include the form when you return your gift. The deadline is April 14th. Easter Memorials will be recognized on Easter Sunday!

Wesley is Making a New Photo Directory!

Wesley is getting ready to create a new digital photo directory that our congregation, staff and lay leaders can use to contact and communicate with each other.

We'll keep everyone informed as the project progresses, but we'll start requesting photos on May 4th. We'll also be setting up dates starting May 4th where congregants can have their photo taken by Wesley staff if needed as well. Stay tuned for more info in the coming weeks!

Men's Group - "The Message of Jesus" by Adam Hamilton

Ponder the themes of justice, poverty, freedom, and love this season.

Wednesdays at noon with the Men’s Group.



The four New Testament Gospels aren’t the same story, but they offer the same Resurrection hope. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John devote most of their story detailing Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem, all highlighting Jesus’ triumphant entry into the city, the suffering and humiliation of the cross, and the empty tomb come Sunday morning, but the stories they tell aren’t quite the same. Each Gospel offers a different lens through which we understand Jesus’ Passion. These different perspectives aren’t a reason to dismiss the Gospels; rather the reveal an abundant, diverse, and complementary picture of God’s work in the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. 

NOTE: We've updated the Zoom Link to join the Adult Sunday School classes online.

If you'd like to join us online on Sundays at 10:15am, use the link below:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83662073266?pwd=dyJfDTV3M74B7yaPvAZDclyEqGbgIE.1

April 13 – “Why Do the Innocent Suffer?”

Contact Kathi Pritts kpritts@wesley-umc.com if you have any questions!

Good Grief - by Granger E. Westberg

Wednesdays at 6-7pm in the Lounge with Kathi Pritts

AND Thursday at noon at Kathi's house at 9600 Walnut Way, Bloomington.

Timeless wisdom for all who grieve.

For more than fifty years, Good Grief has helped millions of readers - including NFL players and a former first lady - find comfort and rediscover hope after loss. This classic text includes a foreword by Dr. Timothy Johnson, a leading communicator of medical health care information. An afterword by the author's daughters tells how the book came to be.

Good Grief identifies ten stages of grief--shock, emotion, depression, physical distress, panic, guilt, anger, resistance, hope, and acceptance--but, recognizing that grief is complex and deeply personal, defines no right way to grieve. Good Grief offers valuable insights on the emotional and physical responses persons may experience during the natural process of grieving. Reflection questions help readers explore their own experience with each stage.

Whether mourning the death of a loved one, the end of a marriage, the loss of a job, or other difficult life changes, Good Grief is a proven steady companion in times of loss. Contact Kathi Pritts at KPritts@Wesley-UMC.com for more info.

The paper distribution is on a roll! The bin at the church as been overflowing, money has come in to enable us to buy wholesale, and Wesley West is filling up each day with more products, all in the name of service to those in need. We'll be packing 500 bags on Thursday, April 17.

We still need the following:

• Diapers sizes 6 and Large/XL Goodnites

• Disinfecting cleaning supplies to help those moving from shelters to apartments: Lysol Spray. Lysol wipes, Spic & Span, Dish soap

• Facial tissue

• Paper towels 

• Large/XL men & women's Depends

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING (Can you help pack bags?), Please contact me.  Thank you for caring and sharing.

~ Karen Daudelin

WDM Coordinator

309-838-5723

The 2025 Lenten Offering at Wesley

We've received $5,806.60 to date for the Lenten Offering! Thank you, Wesley, and keep up the good work!

This year the Lenten Offering supports:

Missionary Guillermo “Willie” Berman and Manos Juntas VIM Mexico

Wesley Church is in covenant relationship with Board of Global ministries missionary Willie Berman. Willie is serving in his home country of Mexico as the Mexican Methodist Border Mission Coordinator at Manos Juntos (Hands Together) in Reynosa.

United Methodist Committee On Relief (UMCOR)  

UMCOR is the global humanitarian aid and development organization of the United Methodist Church, providing relief around the world from war or conflict, hurricanes, famine, earthquakes, floods, and more.

Organization for the Development of the Indigenous Maya (ODIM).

ODIM provides clinical services and proactive community health and education programming in San Juan and San Pablo, Guatemala.

Assistance for Immigrants

In consultation with The Immigration Project (T.I.P.), funding will help provide assistance to immigrants with advocacy and safe transportation for immigration court appointments in Chicago and suburbs.

Contributions may be made using the offering envelopes in the pews and notating “Lenten Offering”or online at WesleyUMCBloomington.org/GIVE/

There are special "Lenten Offering" envelopes in the pews that you can use to make your contribution to the Lenten Offering on Sunday mornings, if you wish!

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.

You may also submit an online offering by texting. To do this, simply text:

"${your donation amount}OFFERING"

to:(309) 822-4442

For mail-in offerings, please mail a check to: Wesley United Methodist Church - 502 East Front Street, Bloomington, IL 61701

Join the Plarn Sleeping Mat Weavers!

Mark your calendars! Throughout the year, Plarn Weavers will meet every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month from 9:00am to noon in the Conference Room. They're always looking for new members!

For questions, contact Sue Deason at (309) 838-8024 or suevk@yahoo.com.   

Check out the Wesley's Bright Beginnings

Monthly Newsblast here!

Every month, the Wesley's Bright Beginnings (WBB) pre-school staff sends out an online newsletter to parents with information on current and upcoming events. If you're interested in learning more about WBB news and events (such as dine-to-donates, open houses, registration information and more), we invite you to click the link below!

You can view the April 2025 issue of News of Wesley online! Click the image to the left to view or download!

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. Email Pastor Sara L. Isbell for prayers and Pastoral concerns.