March 7, 2024

Worship Service

"In Dealing with the LGBTQIA+ Community"

Scripture: Isaiah 43:1-7, 18-19

Sermon by Rev. Sara L. Isbell

Stewardship Moment: Reconciling Ministries Network Task Force

Check out the webpage for our RMN Task Force!

You'll also be able to sign up for our RMN Mailing list for upcoming events, book studies and more!

Click here for the RMN Task Force Webpage!

Join us in-between services in the Garden Room for an RMN Task Force Hosted coffee hour! We'll have materials to view and take home, and space for discussion and questions!

Visit the Remembrances Page Here

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."

When and Where!

SUNDAYS

10:15am - Lounge for Adult Sunday School

• Contact Pastor Sara for more info!

TUESDAYS

8am - Lounge with the Women’s Group

• Contact Pastor Sara for more info!

6-8pm - Offsite with “Called Good” Group

• Contact Kelsey Ross for more info!

Noon - Online with Kathi Pritts

• Contact Kathi Pritts for more info!

WEDNESDAYS

Noon - Garden Room with the Men’s Group

• Contact Greg Yount for more info!

Study books are available at the Welcome Desk for $10

Even if you don’t want to be in a small group, you might enjoy doing the study on your own!

Join us for Holy Week and

Easter at Wesley!

A week of very special worship opportunities brings a close to our Lenten season. Mark these services in your calendar and join us in-person or online!

Palm Sunday - Politics and Palms

March 24, worship at 9:00 and 11:30

We don’t often think of Palm Sunday as a political demonstration – but in many ways it was. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was a statement about power, authority, and kingship.

Adult Sunday School: When Christians Get it Wrong About Politics (Adam Hamilton)

Maundy Thursday – Interactive Holy Thursday

March 28, 7:00pm

Join us for a deeply meaningful “room-to-room” experience of Holy Week in which we will have opportunity to write prayers, receive tokens of peace, talk about spiritual matters, wash feet, receive Holy Communion, and more.

Good Friday

March 29 - Note TWO Good Friday worship opportunities:

Ecumenical Good Friday

First Presbyterian Church (2000 E. College Ave, Blm), 12:00pm

Wesley Tenebrae Service

7:00pm – a somber service of scripture and deepening shadows.

Easter Sunday!

March 31

Sunrise Service at East Bay Camp

6:30am (Aldersgate Pavilion) - 24248 Ron Smith Memorial Hwy, Lexington, IL 61753

Traditional Easter Worship Celebration

9:00am - Choir, bells, and more!

Easter Egg Hunt

10:15am – For Children of all ages

Contemporary Celebration of the Resurrection

11:30am - Joy and Jubilation!

Countdown to General Conference 2024

U.M. Update!

2024 is already set to be a very interesting year for the United Methodist Church, especially with the General Conference this Spring. Join us on March 10th at 2:00pm for an update on what to expect with the UMC in the coming months!

Watch video here!

Click here for the UM Update Zoom Link!

If you'd like to learn more about the "Countdown to General Conference" on the IGRC website, click the button below! You can find the schedule of webinars as well as the necessary Zoom links.

Click here for "Countdown to General Conference"

Rummage Sale Jewelry Collection

The jewelry department of the Rummage Sale would like to begin researching and pricing donations if you have some ready to go. We will be collecting jewelry in the Garden Room on March 24th from 8:30 to 11:30 am. Don't forget we also love any random gold or sterling pieces like single earrings and tiny or broken chains. Last year we made $1498 from these meltdown items. Also, if you have a larger amount or many items, we would be glad to pick up from you. Please call Val at 309-319-0565, Karen at 309-826-7493 or Ann at 309-530-7148 for arrangements. Please leave a message if there is no answer. We will still be accepting donations during the week of the sale as usual.

Wesley's Bright Beginnings:

When Christians Get it Wrong

When and Where!

SUNDAYS

10:15am - Lounge for Adult Sunday School

• Contact Pastor Sara for more info!

TUESDAYS

8am - Lounge with the Women’s Group

• Contact Pastor Sara for more info!

6-8pm - Offsite with “Called Good” Group

• Contact Kelsey Ross for more info!

Noon - Online with Kathi Pritts (begins 2-20)

• Contact Kathi Pritts for more info!

WEDNESDAYS

Noon - Garden Room with the Men’s Group

• Contact Greg Yount for more info!

Study books are available at the Welcome Desk for $10

Even if you don’t want to be in a small group, you might enjoy doing the study on your own!

We have fantastic Sunday School opportunities for all ages!

Click here for more information on Christian Education opportunities!

Pets Are Working Saints - P.A.W.S.

In 2023, the PAWS Ministry held two ten-week training classes and added several members to the WUMC PAWS PACK. Without reports from all active PAWS PACK members, we have over 100 visits and over 150 hours at ISU residence halls, WUMC, local nursing homes, The Baby Fold, local libraries, local schools, and a few other sites. In addition, J’s dogs have worked with J and her patients for over 200 hours per dog in 2023.

The most recent PAWS training class started on 2/22, and we hope to add to our PAWS PACK soon!

We were blessed with a truck load of toilet paper from Midwest Food Bank so we are fully stocked in that area. However, we need to secure the following products for our March 16th distribution:

Diaper Wipes
S/M Goodnites or Overnights
Paper Towels
Diapers sizes: Newborn, 2, 3, 5, 6, 2T-3T, 4T-5T, 5T-6T
Body Wash
Facial Tissue

SURGE will be helping with the paper distribution this month. We look forward to working with our youth as they participate in serving people in need in our community.

Contact Karen Daudelin ([email protected]) or Amy Nussbaum ([email protected]), to learn how you can help with this vital ministry.

It’s time to start cleaning out your basements and closets!

Your 2024 Rummage Sale Chairs are pleased to announce that our Annual Rummage Sale is just around the corner! This Wesley tradition has a rich history of providing much needed fellowship and supplies for our community as well as providing necessary funds for our United Women in Faith, Jubilation Youth Choir and Surge Youth Group. Please mark your calendars for Monday April 15th – Saturday April 20th.

Times for dropping off your donations at the Interstate Center are:

• Monday, April 15th from 12-9:00pm.

• Tuesday, April 16th through Thursday April 18th from 9:00am-9:00pm.

• Donations will not be accepted on Friday the 19th.

The sale will take place on Saturday, April 20th from 8:00 am-2:00 pm with a bags and boxes sale starting at 1:00pm. We are looking for help this year from individuals willing to:

• Volunteer to work at the sale

• Volunteer to coordinate an area of the sale

• Volunteer to bake something for the bake sale

• Volunteer to help set up at the Interstate Center on Monday, April 15th at 9:00am

• Volunteer to help clean up at the Interstate Center on Saturday, April 20th at 2:00pm

• Volunteer the use of their truck to help with clean-up on Saturday

As members of the Wesley UMC family, please consider volunteering your time and donations to this special ministry of our beloved church. If you are interested in getting involved in any capacity, please contact Brenna Martin at [email protected], or you can sign up on our website at wesleyumcbloomington.org. We are looking forward to another great year serving the community together!

-The 2024 Rummage Sale Committee Chairs

Brenna Martin, Stephanie Hoy, Diane Yount, Stephanie Peterson, Kelsey Ross, and Jennifer Schottland

Creation Care Update

Creation Care Committee is offering two volunteer opportunities for the congregation.

The first opportunity is to assist at the rummage sale being held Monday, April 15 through Saturday, April 20. Four hour shifts are available to help remove unsellable items from bins in each department. Items not suitable for sale are sorted and dropped off at facilities in the Bloomington/Normal area that are able to REUSE them. Volunteers will assist in breaking down boxes to be RECYCLED. We did an epic job last year of recycling and donating most of our items for reuse keeping them from going the landfill. Please help us keep the high standards again this year. Please call/text Mary Monahan at (309) 824-0110 if you would like to help in this way.

Another volunteer opportunity is joining others from our church to assist in planting vegetables in the vegetable garden at East Bay Camp at Lake Bloomington. The garden is used to teach culinary skills and provide food for the campers. The garden will be planted in May. (date to be announced) If you can help with this project please call/text Mary Monahan at (309) 824-0110.

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.

Take the Survey Here!

Offer your Spiritual Gifts Here!

View the Spiritual Gifts Guide Here!

Support UWF by buying treats at Fannie May this Saturday!

Print the flyer via the link below and bring it to Fannie May Candies (307 Veterans Parkway, Suite 512, Normal IL) to ensure that 30% of your purchase goes to United Women in Faith!

Download/Print Flyer Here!

2024 Lenten Offering Recipients

Every year in January, the Missions Committee of Wesley Church selects global missions for the special Lenten Offering. This year the Lenten Offering supports:

Missionary Cristian Schlick - Wesley Church is in covenant relationship with Board of Global Ministries missionary Cristian Schlick. Cristian is engaged in ministries with migrants from Central America and Mexico.

Midwest Mission Distribution Center - MMDC provides disaster relief supplies and humanitarian aid around the world. Types of supplies and aid are for disaster relief, health, education and micro-business.

UMCOR - UMCOR is the global humanitarian aid and development organization of the United Methodist Church. They help provide relief work for a multitude of scenarios, be they war or conflict, hurricane, famine, earthquake or flood.

Lakeview United Methodist Church, Lipa Batangas, Philippines - Support will help rebuild this United Methodist church that has been ravaged by hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanic activity.

You will hear more opportunities to learn about the impact these organizations make during the Stewardship Story moments in our Sunday services in Lent.

Contributions may be made using the offering envelopes in the pews and notating "Lenten Offering" or online at https://wesleyumcbloomington.org/give/

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. 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. 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. 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!

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.

GIVE HERE