Mission

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

May 17, 2021 - 12:51pm

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. While Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders should be celebrated and treated with dignity and respect every month and every day, we have painful experiences throughout history and this past year that remind us that racism and anti-Asian and Pacific Islander biases are still an issue.

In the United States, these biases have more recently come front and center again as blame for COVID-19 has been placed wrongfully on those who are Asian and an increase in hateful and violent attacks has taken place with “more than 122 incidents of anti-Asian American hate crimes . . . committed in 16 of the country’s most populous cities since 2020, an increase of almost 150% over the previous year,” according to the United Methodist Church website. We note, too, the wide discrepancy in access to vaccinations and how this inequity has led to a huge loss of life in India.

The United Methodist Church asks that all United Methodists read again and live out our own Charter for Racial Justice which states that all persons are of equal value in the sight of God and that racism is a rejection of the teachings of Jesus Christ. The Charter also states that our struggle for justice must be based on new attitudes, new understandings, and new relationships and must be reflected in the laws, policies, structures, and practices of both church and state.

Downers Grove Garden Walk 2021

Saturday, July 10, 2021 9:30am to 3pm

The 15th Annual Downers Grove Garden Walk gives you an opportunity to view some of the most beautiful gardens in the area. All proceeds benefit the DGFUMC Bridge Board in providing transitional housing and mentoring for homeless families.

Tickets are now available online or at the following locations: 

  • Anderson's Bookshop, 5112 Main St., Downers Grove
  • Community Bank of Downers Grove, 1111 Warren Ave.
  • The Growing Place, 25W471 Plank Rd, Naperville
  • Phillip's Flowers and Gifts, 528 N. Cass Ave., Westmont

Tickts are $20 in advance. Tickets also are available on Saturday, July 10 at each of the gardens, and at Downers Grove First United Methodist Church from 9:30 a.m. to noon in our parking lot for $25.

Community Hour - Bridge Mentors

Please join us in the Parlor after the 10am service on Sunday, February 23, to hear a brief presentation by Dan Johnson and his fellow mentors about how our church support Bridge families transition to independence. We currently support three families, helping them develop the skills they need to support themselves in our community. Two or three mentors from our church make a two-year commitment to meet with their Bridge families every week, guiding them through the process and helping them meet the challenges they face in becoming self-sufficent. Come and hear directly from the mentors about their experiences and how it has changed them. There will be time for questions.

Pastor John Smoke is leading children's activities during the presentation and there will be baby-sitting in the nursery so that those with young families can attend.

This is the first of a series of informal presentations about the different mission activities of our church members in the weeks before Easter. We hope you will stay behind after the service to discover the ways DGFUMC is making a difference in people's lives. You can also help support the work of the Bridge Board by coming back at 4pm for the Encore concert.

Location: 
Parlor
Date: 
Sunday, February 23, 2020 - 11:20am

Christmas Carol Singing

Love to carol? Love putting a smile on people's faces! Join us  for our annual Christmas caroling on Sunday, December 22 at 2:00 p.m. We will  meet in the parlor and then go visit some of our homebound members and bring them some Christmas cheer as we sing.

Afterwards, we'll gather back at the church for cocoa and cookies. Please RSVP to Pastor Anna so we know how many will be joining us. The more people that come, the more people we can visit!

Date: 
Sunday, December 22, 2019 - 2:00pm

Spring Habitat for Humanity Trip

November 26, 2019 - 4:29pm

This spring, DGFUMC will return to Tutwiler, Mississippi to  serve with Habitat for Humanity! Join us on a mission trip March 28 - April 4 as we build a home alongside the community. This trip is multi-generational and all those who are 10 years old and older are welcome to come. Those who are between the ages of 10 and 12 must have an adult serving with them.

Register for the trip here by January 31 and make a $50 deposit to hold your spot. Have questions that need to be answered before you can sign up? Email Pastor Anna at anna@dgfumc.org. We hope you can join us!

| Register Online |

Alternative Gift Fair

November 26, 2019 - 4:20pm

Get ahead of the shopping rush by stopping in the parlor after all services on Sundays, Dec. 8, 15, and 22 to see the beautiful handmade crafts from the women of UPAVIM who live on the outskirts of Guatemala City. There will be Christmas ornaments, jewelry, kitchen accessories, and much more. The sale of these crafts helps UPAVIM members build better lives for themselves and their community by funding a school, library, clinic, bakery, and soy milk production.

There will also be a table for Heifer gifts. Heifer International works with farming communities around the world to find sustainable solutions to end hunger and poverty. You can pick up a daily calendar and giving box to make it a family giving project for Advent or make a one-time contribution. 

The Giving Tree

November 26, 2019 - 4:18pm

This holiday season we are again partnering with several organizations to provide gifts for those in need! Stop by the parlor when you are at church and choose a "giving ornament" from the tree!

You can choose to:

  • purchase gifts for PADS families who stay at DGFUMC. These gifts will be collected throughout December.
  • pick up a "giving ornament" for a $25 Jewel gift card for those served by United Church of Rogers Park this year. You can visit the Purchase with a Purpose table in the parlor on Sundays to buy Jewel gift cards (due by December 15).

Thank you for giving generously!

Mission Sunday

Learn how DGFUMC members put faith into action on Sunday, November 17 as soon as the 11:00 a.m. service ends. A brief video will be shown and we'll here from participants of the All Church Mission Trip to Wesley Woods, the UPAVIM trip to Guatemala, the senior high mission trip to work with D.O.O.R. Atlanta, the Habitat for Humanity trip to Mississippi, and the youth service trip to Rogers Park.

Location: 
Sanctuary
Date: 
Sunday, November 17, 2019 - 11:00am

The DGFUMC Pumpkin Patch

October 11, 2019 - 9:55pm

Wes and Anna at the Pumpkin PatchThis year, purchase your pumpkins from the Downers Grove First United Methodist Church Pumpkin Patch from October 13 to October 31. In addition to many pumpkins of all sizes to choose from, we'll have apple cider, a photo booth, and good fellowship to share!

All of the proceeds will go to Habitat for Humanity. First, proceeds will cover construction costs for our church's delegation that will serve with the Tutwiler, Mississippi chapter of Habitat when they go on a Mission Trip this spring. Any additional proceeds will be given for the chapter to use as they need. Halloween cookies will also be on sale to support Habitat for Humanity in the pumpkin patch.

The Pumpkin Patch will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and during special hours on the weekends.  Volunteer help is needed. You can sign up online below!

Celebrate the fall season while supporting a good cause when you purchase your pumpkins from DGFUMC!

|Volunteer SIgnup|

African Children's Choir Live in Concert

We are delighted to announce that the world famous African Children’s Choir will be performing at DGFUMC on Wednesday September 25 at 7:00 p.m. This family friendly, immersive experience will leave you inspired as the Choir performs your favorite hymns with African cultural sounds in their new program.

The children melt the hearts of audiences with their charming smiles, beautiful voices and lively African songs and dances. The program features well-loved songs, Gospel spirituals and contemporary favorites. In spite of the tragedy that has marred their young lives, the children are radiant with hope, musically gifted and wonderfully entertaining.

The primary goal of the African Children’s Choir is to raise awareness of the need of destitute children in Africa and to raise funds for continued development and support of the African Children’s Choir programs. The Choir’s international educational endeavor provides unique training for the children. With a focus on education as a means for change, the Choir is currently caring for underprivileged and destitute children throughout Africa. These are children who could have lost all hope, but have overcome their circumstances and now are making a positive impact on society. Once Choir members have completed a concert tour, they
will return back to Uganda with the tools necessary for bettering their future.

Location: 
Sanctuary
Date: 
Wednesday, September 25, 2019 - 7:00pm

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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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