E-News January 15, 2026

Worship

Join us in worship on the second Sunday after the Epiphany. Our Lay Speaker, Alexis Alm, will speak this week as we observe Human Relations Sunday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day. You will be invited to write heartfelt messages for Valentine's Day cards for our local seniors. Please stop by the lobby tables before and after the service. You can watch the live-streamed service at home as well via the church website or Youtube channel.


Click here to sign in your attendance on the website. If you have joys or concerns to share, please submit them with your attendance record. It's important for us to know you were with us and stay connected in prayer. 

Grace Sightings

Welcome to our new pianist,

Jesse Jefferis!

Jesse graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies.

 

During the week, Jesse teaches piano at McKinley Park Music School and at 2 Chicago Public Schools. He maintains a private studio teaching a  select roster of private students focused on jazz piano and improvisation.

 

Jesse is an active performer across Chicago, appearing at notable venues such as Jazz Showcase, Andy’s Jazz Club, and Fulton Street Collective, leading ensembles and performing as a soloist since 2015. He has also composed an original catalog of works spanning jazz, classical, and pop influences, and is currently working on a solo piano album titled Lost in Thought.

 

Outside of music, Jesse enjoys basketball, soccer, and even used to compete in ping pong tournaments. This year, his goal is to master rock climbing!

 

Jesse was born in New Jersey and later lived in Michigan and Ohio before moving to Illinois. His parents live in Lincolnshire, and he has two brothers—one in Detroit and the other in Nashville.

 

We are thrilled to have Jesse join our music ministry. 

Youth Group

Sunday, Jan 4 Service

Upcoming Events

Chicagoland Voices will present a Winter Concert on Sunday, January 18, 2026 at 3:00 pm in Cary that will feature a wide variety of choral music including contemporary choral, spirituals, vocal jazz and many more styles. Some composers featured include Eric Whitacre, David Dickau, Kim Andre Arneson, Billy Joel, Pavel Chesnokov and many more. The concert is free to all and a free-will donation will be collected.

Valentines for Seniors

Card Drive

Share the love this Valentine’s Day by bringing cheer to local Seniors. We will have cards available to sign on Sunday, Jan 18 & 25 before and after service.

Pizza & Games

Sunday, Jan 25

Following Service


Join us for a Sunday afternoon of pizza and board games. You bring the games and we will supply the pizza.

A Leadership Event For Prairie Central District Clergy and Laity. Open to all in the Northern Illinois Conference on Sat., Jan. 31, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Naperville: Grace UMC, 300 E. Gartner Road, Naperville. Culture, not programs, budgets, or buildings, determines whether a church thrives or merely survives. When culture shifts, everything shifts: worship, generosity, mission, and morale. This workshop, with Rev. Jim Ozier, is a one-day experience focused on helping pastors and lay leaders assess, shift, and shape their church culture toward vitality and growth. Please let Pastor Mi-Sook know if you would like to attend.

M&M Mid Winter Party

Sunday, Feb 1 at 4 p.m.


We invite anyone over 50 to attend the M&M Mid Winter Party at Janet Graf's house on Sunday, Feb 1, 4-9 p.m. Please bring hors d'oeuvres and snacks to share. RSVP with Janet Graf.

Summoned to Serve 2026
Sunday, Feb 15
9 - 11:45 a.m.
McHenry Community College

Come be part of the fun at the annual meal-packing event with Kids Around The World! Together, we’ll pack an incredible 80,000 meals to send to children in need. Grab a spot at a packing table for you and your family by clicking the link below! Please be sure to scroll to the bottom to sign up on tables 21-23, which have been designated to our church. Childcare will be available. Click here to sign up.

Monthly Newsletter

The January Newsletter is available for pick up. You can pick up the newsletter when you are at church. You also have the option to read the newsletter on our website or down below in our "Conference E-news and Newsletters" section. If this does not work for you, we will mail out your newsletter. Please let us know if you would like for us to take you off the mailing list. Click here to read the January newsletter.

Please talk to the Sound Team if you have difficulty hearing during the worship service. We have hearing devices available for you, and if you're already using a hearing aid with a Bluetooth function, we can make adjustments for you as well. 

Stop by the sound booth to get assistance!

Are you ready for a clean out?

We have a new addition in our parking lot - at the Northeast corner across from the bank. You can drop off gently used soft items. Please see list below. If it is full, do not leave your items outside but donate them at another time. So far we have received $712.45. All donations will go to the mission fund. Thank you!




Ryan's Case for Smiles is a national volunteer organization that provides handmade whimsical pillowcases for children to help them cope with the stress of their illnesses and injuries. Cindy Kerr began making pillowcases for her son Ryan to brighten up his hospital room and put a smile on his face. Although Ryan is no longer with us physically, his legacy lives on in Ryan's Case for Smiles. There are over 100 chapters in the United States & Canada and over two million pillowcases have been delivered.


A new Western Suburbs chapter (Kane Co & McHenry Co, IL) has recently been established. We will be delivering bright, fun pillowcases to Ascension St. Alexius Women & Children's Hospital in Hoffman Estates, Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, and Lurie Children's at Northwestern Medicine Hospital in Huntley. The Ryan's pillowcase pattern is available at:  caseforsmiles.org 

If you would like to volunteer to sew a pillowcase, your pillowcases can be given to Jean J. at church on Sundays.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Jean Jaderborg, RCFS Western Suburbs Chapter Coordinator. Thank you!

815-508-0497   rcfswesternsuburbschapter@gmail.com 

Connect

Join the small group meetings and stay connected.

Contact these leaders to participate. 


...Wednesday Spirituality Group at 9 a.m.

...Linda Mullen

...mullen520@comcast.net

..

...Thursday Bible Study at 10 a.m.

...Lisa Greenwood 

...lisajoegreenwood@yahoo.com


...Amy Doyle
...amybryandoyle@aim.com 

..

...Saturday Men’s Group at 7:30 a.m. 

...Bryan Doyle

...amybryandoyle@aim.com 


...Praise Team & Bell Choir 

...Becky Kock

...bkock@yahoo.com

Missions

In the month of January we will be collecting for

Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Interfaith Food Pantry.



Items that the Food Pantry is currently in need of due to short supply from the Food Bank and other vendors:


Food Items:

Cereal

Canned Pineapple

Mandarin Oranges

Pork & Beans

Canned Chicken

Flavored Rice

Instant Potatoes - Au Gratin Potatoes

Tomato Paste

Canned Pasta

Salad Dressing

Condiments

Fruit Juice

Crackers

Granola Bars - Cereal Bars

Cooking Oil - Baking Mixes

Toilet Paper - Toiletries


ANYTHING IS GREATLY APPRECIATED

 

Alternate to shopping: If you prefer to give a monetary donation, please make the check payable to Christ United Methodist Church. It is very important that you write on the memo line “Food Pantry.”

Drop off pantry items any time during office hours, Tues - Fri, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Give

You can now make all your donations online. Click here or scan the QR Code. You can also mail the donation to church or use EFT (Electronic Fund Transfer). The Stewardship letter and pledge cards have been mailed out. We ask that you prayerfully consider supporting the ministry of CUMC in the following year. Please bring or mail the filled out pledge card before the end of the year. Thank you! For any assistance, contact Joe Greenwood at josephgreenwood@yahoo.com .

 

Thank You

On behalf of Grafton Food Pantry and the individuals we serve, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for your participation in the 2025 Holiday of Hope. Your gifts helped make the holidays brighter for local families and gave hope to those in need, especially as the demand increases. Thank you for thinking of us.


Hunger knows no season. Grafton Food Pantry serves over 400 local families on a regular basis. Our clients include many children and seniors who are facing food insecurities on a daily basis.

Harriet Ford

Grafton Food Pantry

In Other News...

Please sign up on the calendar (inside the kitchen cupboard door) on a Sunday you would like to furnish a light treat and serve coffee & juice. All supplies except "treats" are at the church.

Thank you, Janet Kleckner

January

February

January 4 - Daisy Santoso

February 1 - Bev & Dennis Vander Vorste

January 11 - Bonnie Dodge

February 8

January 18 - Linda Riggs

February 15

January 25 - Joe & Eleanor Kilberger

February 22 - Mindy Zeppo



Prayers of the People

Prayers of Intercession

For Harold Steen who is under hospice care

For Janet Kleckner who is recovering at home

For the Kilberger's friend, Gary, who is suffering with a slow growing blood cancer

For Judy Lantinen's husband, Keith, who had basal cell carcinoma on his leg and prostate cancer

For Linda Mullen's friend's, daughter-in-law, who was taken by ICE

For Lisa Greenwood mother, Patricia English, who is receiving chemo

For Elantine Brighten’s father, Devasigamony, who is home recovering

For Larry Huber who is continuing his healing and recovery at home

For Sherry Mark, who is coping with side effects from her cholesterol medication

For those who are affected by natural disasters throughout the world

For those who struggle with mental health and their families

For our local communities, our nation and our world

For peace and resolution in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict

For people in Ukraine and those who left Ukraine fleeing from war

For the grieving families and communities of gun violence


“Merciful God, hear our prayers!”

Praying without Ceasing

We never pray alone but together as a community. We have a prayer chain, a small group of those who pray for submitted requests throughout the week. Let us pray for our church family, friends, neighbors, and our nation. Let’s draw the circle wider. Contact the pastor to join.


If you would like to keep your prayer request in beyond 2 weeks, we would appreciate if you contact the office with an update.

Weekly Meetings

GA Meeting

Thursday, January 15 at 7 p.m.


Worship Design Zoom Meeting

Thursday, January 15 at 7 p.m.


AA Meeting

Saturday, January 17 at 7:30 a.m.


Praise Team

Sunday, January 18 at 8:45 a.m.


Mission Team Meeting

Sunday, January 18 following service


Praise Team Practice

Sunday, January 18 following service


GA Meeting

Tuesday, January 20 at 7 p.m.

Conference E-News & Newsletters

NIC E-News


Prairie Central District News


CUMC Monthly Newsletter


January/February Reporter


UM News

Welcoming the Full Inclusion 

oAlPeople


Website: www.gocumc.org

christumcalgonquin@gmail.com

(847) 669-9009

Office Hours: Tuesday - Friday 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

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