Christmas memories are often precious to us. One of my memories is the family gathering to decorate the tree. It was a live tree decorated just a week or so before Christmas Day. It was the only part of the preparations that all five of us did together. We had…
In our world, nation, state, communities and churches we have been talking about how people are angry, sad, depressed, and despairing. The conversations take place in person, on social media, in the news. It can bring us all to places of sadness and depression. OR we can choose to develop…
Consecration Sunday Is Coming! Congregations that approach financial stewardship from a biblical perspective do not view the money Christians give to their church merely as a way to pay its bills. Rather, such congregations see financial contributions as a way to help people grow spiritually in their relationship with…
I have recently been reading materials from the A Way Forward Commission of The United Methodist Church. This group knew it was purposely comprised of persons with very different points of view and convictions about issues, especially with regards to issues of human sexuality. They started their work by creating…
We have some special things coming up in worship. On Sunday, August 5 we will hear from Matt Schahrer as he shares his experiences on a mission trip to Cambodia this past May. He traveled with Encounter campus ministry to work with persons who have been rescued from human trafficking.…
One of the joys of vacation is the opportunity to worship in places that are new and unfamiliar to me while being very aware that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. Lee Ann and I always look around at the churches close to the places where we stay. …
It was one of THOSE days. You know—you start out with great intentions and somehow it goes all off track. I had a meeting in a town I don’t normally go to. I got my directions nailed down and made it to the meeting, arriving a few minutes early. That…
In June 2017 the Illinois Great Rivers Annual Conference took up the challenge to raise $2.5 million to endow the spiritual life programs at each of the conference’s five child welfare agencies. It has been named the Our Conference, Our Kids campaign. This effort is critical as payment delays from…
UMCOR Sunday is March 11, 2018 On March 11 we will be taking a special offering during worship. Envelopes will be provided. This offering goes to support the ongoing work of UMCOR—for training (for example, Early Response Team training), for warehousing supplies to be ready when disaster strikes, to have…
Opening to God this Lenten Season The season of Lent, the forty day (plus 6 Sundays) season of preparation for Easter, is upon us. It always begins with Ash Wednesday which falls this year on February 14. This season has been set aside by Christians for centuries but has…