Recent News

Tents, Tables, and Chairs

Youth In TentFor the past ten tears, our Youth InTent program has served our church and community by renting out tents, tables and chairs for graduation, birthday, anniversary and other summer celebrations, as well as neighborhood block parties, weddings and wedding receptions.

DGFUMC youth take care of delivery, set-up and take-down. In return they receive credit toward mission and choir trips.

Our prices are competitive with commercial vendors and benefit a wonderful program. Without revenue from Heritage Fest parking, our Youth InTent program is the largest fundraiser for our youth program. New York City will be the destination for the 2012 Chapel Choir Tour, so we need to generate as many funds as possible.

For prices and information please see the Youth InTent Reservation Contract at the link below.  Feel free to contact Don Dunham with any questions.

Housing Needed For Visiting Youth Choir

The saying is that everything is bigger in Texas and the Custer Road UMC Revelation Choir is a great example. The 125-member high school choir will present a concert in our sanctuary on Tuesday, June 14 and we are soliciting housing for as many of the youth and their chaperones as possible. While they are prepared to roll out sleeping bags on the gym floor and use our showers if necessary, we would like to provide homes for as many of their group as possible. Home stays have always been a memorable part of our Chapel Choir tours. Host families will need to provide breakfast on the 15th. Please check your calendar and contact Don Dunham or 630.968.7120, ext. 210 regarding how many youth you are willing to host, if you have pets and whether you have a gender or age preference.

Long Time Members Sought

The 175th Anniversary Committee is compiling a list of everyone who has been a member of DGFUMC for at least 50 years. If you or someone you know joined the church before 1962, please contact Don Dunham.

Environmental Stewardship Corner

Environmental StewardshipWe’ve all seen wind turbines as we drive through the Midwest. Yet renewable energy comprises only about 3% of the electricity generated in our country. A 2008 study by the American Council on Renewable Energy indicates that using currently available renewable technologies such as wind, solar, geothermal and biomass that we could readily achieve 25% renewable generation by 2025. Other studies indicate that investments in renewable energy technologies create about 4 times as many jobs per dollar invested than expanding coal, oil or gas investments. Clean renewable energy technologies not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also replace acid gas and toxic air emissions from coal-fired generation, saving lives and reducing health care costs. As our elected officials debate legislation for economic recovery and future energy policies for our country, please take the time to share your views on the direction we should proceed, keeping in mind God’s call to protect and preserve all of God’s creation.

An Opportunity to End “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

On Thundering WingsRecently 36 retired United Methodist bishops released a statement calling on The United Methodist Church to remove its ban on homosexual clergy. “Once upon a time, it wasn’t there, and it doesn’t have to be there,” said Bishop Don Ott.

The church will have a chance to remove the restriction at our 2012 General Conference. The Methodist Federation for Social Action and the Reconciling Congregation Movement are proposing that all offensive language about homosexuals be removed from our Book of Discipline.

Judy Koptik has a plan to help those efforts. She initiated a GENERAL CONFERENCE BOOK FUND, with the goal of sending one copy of Ermalou Roller’s book: On Thundering Wings: Homosexuality, Love and the Church on Trial to every delegate of our 2012 General Conference. She believes that this book might convince delegates to insist that church law recognize and respect that we are all created in the image of God.

Please decide now to be part of this important effort by contributing generously to the fund. (So far 102 books have been purchased; we’ll need 898 more.) Each book costs $16.95.

Write checks to First United Methodist with the notation: GCBFund. Your gift will be tax-deductible.

Thanks for caring and thanks for helping.

Lenten Devotional Thanks

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Lenten Devotional. It is an inspiring piece. If you did not receive your devotional last Sunday during church services, please come to the church office to pick one up.

Love on Trial: A Video Message

For more information concerning the upcoming trial of Amy DeLong and to view other videos supporting her, please visit the Love on Trial website.

Guatemala Mission 2011

Guatamala 2008We are excited to announce that we plan to send a delegation from our church to visit the women of UPAVIM in Guatemala City this summer. The visit will take place from July 6th through the 14th. Ray and Ina Osborn, who participated in the 2008 delegation, will be leading the group and we hope to encourage anyone who is interested in developing our relationship with these remarkable women to join us. Under-18s need to be accompanied by a parent and we already have a family considering this; you do not need to know Spanish as a translator is provided. Most of the cost of the trip is covered by fundraising that we’ve already done, but participants will be asked to fund their own airfare and some expenses, which will amount to around $550.

This is a different kind of mission trip where we offer ourselves and our friendship rather than our building skills and material wealth. During our time in Guatemala, we will spend a few days living in the homes of some of the women, discovering the delights of their culture and the hardships of living on the margins of society. We will witness their courage, strength and faith in God and we will be changed! In the past few years, we have begun to share how we can work together to build a better world and we are working on a joint project to help the women reopen their medical laboratory at the clinic within UPAVIM.

Please give prayerful consideration to the idea of joining us in July. A meeting to share further information for those who are even a little interested will be held on Sunday, March 6th at noon in room 213. Or contact Ina or Ray for more information.

UPAVIM's First Newsletter

UPAVIM Newsletter

The women of UPAVIM in Guatemala City have given us a great new way to keep in touch with them! You can read their first newsletter online with details of their current projects, including the construction of a new floor that will help them set up a new program for the elderly, exciting news of their first college graduate, and new photos.

Lenten Bible Studies

Holy BibleEven if you haven’t taken part in the evening Bible studies so far, you’re invited to try them out just during Lent!

The Wednesday evening study will be taking a look at Jesus’ life, teachings, miracles, death and resurrection, and what it means to follow him today. The Lenten focus will begin March 16, and continue on March 23, 30, April 6 and 13, from 6:30-7:30 each evening.

The Thursday evening study will share the Lenten Study, “The Jesus I Never Knew” by Phillip Yancey, beginning March 10 from 6:30-7:30, and continuing each Thursday night through April 14. Pastor Greta will be guiding both of the studies.

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