View as Webpage

We illuminate our community with God’s grace as we lovingly accept, listen to, and serve all in the Spirit of Jesus.

SUNDAY SERVICES TAKE PLACE IN-PERSON & ONLINE AT 9:00 AM

Worship Service airs live on our Website , YouTube  and  Facebook at 9 am.

Go to the Worship Page on our Website to find more information about future services.

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY, JANUARY 28, 2024

 Judaism - Mark 12:28-31

 In this sermon we will learn about the religious tradition of Jesus, where Christians draw their beliefs from Judaism, the different sects of Judaism, and where we find points of connection and divergence. Join us as Pastor Rob Hamilton also guides us in how to we can learn from each other faithfully.

Submit information each week for the Messenger and Bulletin Announcements by WEDNESDAY AT 12 pm for inclusion in these communications. Please use above button or click here for the COMMUNICATIONS submission form -- all requests for communicating an event should be made here, including getting items on the calendar and reserving rooms for your event. This form can also be found on the sign-ups page on our website. If you cannot use the submission form please send them to communications@genevaumc.org. Information sent to this email goes to Carolyn, Lorie and Kimberley, as does the submission form. 

EXPERIENCE THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF OUTSTANDING

INSTRUCTION THIS LENTEN SEASON!

Join us for great lectures from some of northern Illinois' Methodist ministers: Rev. Jeffry Bross, Rev. Norval Brown, Rev. Becky Nicol and more.

2024 Prairie Central Lay Academy,

5 Sundays: February 18 & 25, March 3, 10 & 17: 2-5 pm

Plainfield UMC, 15114 Illinois St.

Click here to register!

ASP IS HOLDING A BAKE SALE FUNDRAISER, FEBRUARY 11!

On Sunday, February 11 in Fellowship Hall after worship, stop by and buy some sweet treats to go with your Super Bowl sub sandwich!

All proceeds support our summer mission trip in 2024.

The Men's Club is hosting its popular Sub Sandwich Sale for Superbowl Sunday, February 11! Sandwiches are $8 each. If you don't want one for yourself you can order some for Lazarus House.



Click here for the order form!

We need help prepping the ingredients on Saturday, February 10 from 1:30 -3:30 pm and assembling the sandwiches on Sunday, February 11 from 6:30 am-9 am. Click here to sign up to help.

Order forms will be at a table in Fellowship Hall and also be in the Bulletin this Sunday -- please order by February 4!

NEW NAME TAGS ARE COMING

We are in the process of creating new name tags for the entire congregation. You do not need to request a new name tag. Expect to see the new tags in a new location in the next few weeks.

Any questions should be directed to Carolyn Burnham - carolyn@genevaumc.org

OUR ONLINE DIRECTORY AND

YOUR PRIVACY

Many of you have accessed our online directory on Elexio, our church management app. It is a great resource to be able to contact our church friends and committees. At the same time, we understand that some of you may not want some of your information to be shared with others.

Please note that your Elexio information can't be accessed by people outside of our church. If you would like to restrict access to any of your profile information please contact Carolyn or Lorie in the church office.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A COMMUNION STEWARD ONCE A MONTH?

Our church is looking for a volunteer or volunteers who can prayerfully prepare and clean up communion elements on the first Sunday of each month. This is such an important behind-the-scene role and takes roughly 45 minutes each month.

Click here to learn more or contact Pastor Rob for a no-strings attached conversation about what it means to be a communion steward.

HESED HOUSE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

Since the 1980’s UMCG members have volunteered to serve meals at Hesed House once monthly. Many of us have participated in this ministry, but we are always in need of new volunteers, especially for the morning breakfast shift.



If you are an early riser, you’re definitely cut out for this 3 hour per month opportunity to serve God and neighbor and enjoy some great company at the same time!

To find out the details, please contact Rolland Lang, Jim Manos, Howie Pribble, or Carolyn Sprawka.

THE FOOD PANTRY NEEDS FOR JANUARY ARE:

• boxed meals (Hamburger Helper type)
• boxed Rice-A-Roni
• pasta sauce
• canned fruit (except peaches)
• paper towels
• tooth paste

The Committees on Missions/Church in Society would like to thank the congregation for $11,421 raised in December in support of our budgets. Monies reflected collections from the three Christmas service offerings as well as envelope proceeds from the entire month. Committee members are deeply grateful for the ongoing generosity of our members, and the outreach commitment this generosity maintains.

At our recent January meeting we voted to release funds, ($48,500), to 21 local, national, and international missions. But we have just begun! To continue being Jesus’s hands and feet in the world, while operating in lieu of a yearly tithe, our committees will be exploring some exciting new funding initiatives.

We will also make sure that everyone stays informed about the missions we support by having regular updates from our mission partners. So stay tuned for updates in the next few weeks, and accept our thanks for helping this church, in John Wesley’s words, to…”Do all the good you can…in all the places you can…to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”

UMCG Memorial Giving



Memorial gifts, given in remembrance of a loved one or in honor of someone living, come in two types. Designated gifts are directed to a specific church fund, program, or special project as requested by the donor or family. Undesignated gifts are allocated for items not covered in the church budget. These are requested by staff or committee members to enhance the ministries of the church.

In recent years, your Undesignated gifts have enabled UMCG to acquire a range of items, including a conference table and chairs, handicap parking signs, reusable welcome bags, a sofa, reupholstered chairs, baptism books, and melamine dishes, along with items used in worship.

The UMCG Memorial Committee would like to thank all those who have generously given in memory and in honor of loved ones. Your contributions, welcome at any time, truly make a difference in the life of our church! For further information or if you have an idea or project that might benefit from memorial funds, please contact Suzanne Zefron.

Learn How and Why You Should Decarbonize Your Home

The Creation Care team is inviting everyone to attend this program: Home Decarbonization 101: Smart Home Energy Improvements

Thursday, February 1 @ 7 pm

Join Citizens Utility Board (CUB) for a presentation on decarbonizing your home! CUB will dive into ways renters and homeowners can access energy efficiency and cost saving programs.

During this presentation, you will receive information on:

✔Building Decarbonization

✔The benefits of building electrification

✔New tax credits and rebates for home energy improvements available through the Inflation Reduction Act

✔Heat Pumps and Induction Stoves

✔Free programs designed to save you energy and money

Registration required for this FREE program at https://bataviapubliclibrary.org/

My mom (Beulah Drees) would like to thank all who sent her a card for her 102nd birthday on January 18th.

A huge packet of cards was delivered to the house that day from folks at church. It made her day & it helped to make it an extra special birthday.

Much appreciated!

--Delores Drees

Prairie Central eNews is here.

The NIC weekly eNews is here.

Download the NIC Reporter here.