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Important Information
Music Director Job Opening
The Staff Parish Committee has updated the job
description for Music Director and will be posting the
opening in various locations. Please share that we are
looking for people who are interested in the position. The
committee prays for guidance as we work to fill this very
important role in our church.
Ministry Opportunities
Fellowship Time with Bagels
Join us this Sunday after service in the Bonfal Hall for
bagels and cream cheese, jelly, honey, etc.! You can
even toast your bagel! More importantly spend some time
in fellowship!
Bible
Study
Our Bible study groups are studying Acts. The
study will be offered on Tuesday mornings via Zoom
(10:30
a.m. to Noon) and Wednesday evenings
in person (6:00
p.m. to 7:30 p.m.). We will read one
chapter together each week and go deeper with questions and
discussions. Please plan to join us!
Restaurant
Fundraisers Scheduled to Benefit CROP Walk
This year there are four chances to eat out and donate to
CROP Walk at the same time! Yum! None of the
restaurants are far away, but Baker’s Square is just down the
street from Woodridge UMC. Please pay attention to the
times. Most locations require that the flyer be
presented when you order.
Portillos
Thursday,
September 24th 5:00 to 8:00 pm at 1500
Butterfield Road Downers Grove, IL
Donating back 20% Bring the flyer
in the narthex or on your phone when you visit the restaurant
in person.
Home Run Inn
up between
Monday, October 5th and Wednesday, October 7th
where you select Active Fundraisers in the menu on the left
to get to CROP Walk. See the flyer here.
Culver’s
Wednesday,
October 14th 2500 Ogden Ave Downers Grove, IL
Bring the flyer or on your
phone to let the cashier know that you are with
the fundraiser.
Cub
Scout Car Wash
Help support the local Cub Scout pack that meets at this
church! Get your car washed! Sunday, September 27th from 11:00 am
to 1:00 pm. Stop by after worship
service!
Second Saturday Diners Suggestions
Our Second Saturday Diners have enjoyed some wonderful church
dinners together, and now Gwen and I would like to hear from
you! Whether you’ve joined us before or have been thinking
about coming along, we’d love your suggestions for places to
try.
Do you know of a restaurant you think our group would enjoy?
Maybe it’s a favorite of yours, or someplace you’ve been
wanting to try. We’re looking for restaurants that can
accommodate a group of up to about 18 people, preferably
seated together at one table, and would be willing to provide
separate checks. If you have a suggestion, just
send me the name of the restaurant. I’ll do the investigating
from there—group seating, separate checks, reservations, and
all those little details. So put on your thinking
caps—or perhaps your Sunday dinner bibs—and send us your
ideas! After all, fellowship is good for the soul, good food
is good for the stomach, and somehow our church group seems
quite talented at combining the two. Together we’ll find our
next place to gather around the table! Send your emails to
Elisa at:applei8122000@yahoo.com
Sunday School
Sunday
School will return on September 13th. Most
Sundays, Children begin the worship service in the sanctuary
with their family. Following the “Praying” segment, the
children will be invited up to the chancel steps for
conversation with the pastors. Then, the Sunday School
teacher will meet the children in the Narthex (the big room
outside the sanctuary) & walk them to their classroom.
They will be in the Trinity Room in the main hallway.
Activity Bags are available in the Narthex every Sunday.
Cub Scout Recycling Fundraiser
Cub Scout Pack 104 is doing a fundraiser with Savers. They
are looking for donations (things you would typically give to
Salvation Army or Good Will or the like). The pack will earn
a certain amount per pound donated. The items will then be
re-sold in the stores or recycled. They are looking for:
- Clothes: men’s, women's
& children's, coats, shoes, scarves, handbags,
wallets, fashion accessories, belts, backpacks,
etc.
- Household Textiles:
bedding, comforters, blankets, sheets, towels, linen
tablecloths, curtains, pillows, etc.
- Small Household Goods:
kitchen items (such as pots/ pans, dishes, silverware,
glasses, serving pieces and hand-held appliances), home
decorative items, knickknacks, toys, games, and small
electronics.
- Books & Media:
paperback, hard cover – all genres
*media needs to
be boxed separately *no encyclopedias
or textbooks
The items will be collected
at WUMC on October 3rd or if you would prefer
to have them picked up, please schedule a pickup with the
pack by emailing Pack104Woodridge@gmail.com.
Thank you for your support!
Commitment
Sunday - October 18th
We love reminding you just how grateful we are for your
consistent, faithful financial gifts to Woodridge UMC! Your
ongoing generosity makes it possible for us to be a safe
place of welcome for all kinds of groups throughout the week
and for you and all our neighbors on Sunday mornings.
Our annual Commitment Sunday will take place a little earlier
this year to allow for time to submit and approve the
budget. A letter and financial commitment forms for
2026 will be available soon. Please begin to pray about your
support of the mission and ministry of our church while
Pastor Dave presents sermons on how to better manage are
resources leading up to Financial Commitment Sunday, October
18th.
Church
Conference
Our church conference is scheduled for Wednesday, October
28th at 7:00 pm with the Staff Parish Meeting
scheduled for 6:30 pm. Please save the date and plan to
attend.
Woodridge
UMC Craft & Vendor Fair @ Bake Sale
Woodridge UMC is having a craft and vendor fair on Saturday, November
15th from 9 am to 2 pm. Last year’s
sale was a success. Let’s see if we can make it a
bigger success this year! We are currently looking for
crafters/vendors, donations for the bake sale table from our
members and volunteers to man the bake sale or raffle table
and help price the items. Share the news, so we can get
more people shopping this year! Contact the church
office if you can help in any way or if you have any
questions. Find the Vendor form online or
here if
you prefer a printed version.
Share
Your Talents!
Do you play an instrument? Love to sing? Are you looking for
a concrete way to help? Want to become more involved at WUMC?
Join in our church's practice of radical hospitality? Let us
know! Fill out a Volunteer Opportunity form in the narthex (or here)
to let us know what you are interested in.
The
Monarch Walk: Championing People with Disabilities
The Monarch Walk and Fall Fest are coming back to Ray Grahams
flagship property in Burr Ridge, and we'd love for you to
walk alongside us.
HERE'S
HOW IT WORKS: Folks like you rally
family and friends around our mission by way of generous
support of all different sizes through online fundraising now
through September 20th. After the online fundraiser,
join us for a fun-filled, family-friendly morning at our
signature property in Burr Ridge on Sunday, September
20th from 9:00 am to noon. You're
invited to a serene half mile walk along our newly-installed
sensory path, and a Fall Festival featuring a DJ dance party,
yard games, face painting, pony rides, petting zoo, and
healthy snacks for all. Lace up your shoes, connect with your
community, and champion people with disabilities. See here for more
information and to donate.
Sharing Our Gifts with Ray Graham
Our Ray Graham day program is looking for volunteers to spend
an hour or two sharing their gifts with their clients. Can
you bake (above the cupcake level), teach simple carpentry
(fastening two boards together), talk about your culture,
etc.? You are welcome to share your hobbies and knowledge!
Please let the church office know, and we will share the list
of volunteers with Ray Graham, so they can work out a
schedule.
Altar
Flower Donations
If you would like to donate an arrangement of flowers for the
altar, you are welcome to bring one in. Please let the
church office know by noon the Wednesday before, especially
if the flowers are in memory/honor of someone, so that they
may be acknowledged in the bulletin and announcements.
Prayer
Ministry
Our Prayer Chain is a group of caring people who believe in
the power of prayer. We are dedicated to praying for your
concerns and joys. Prayer requests will be shared with the
church’s prayer chain, honoring your confidentiality. If you are
interested in being a part of the church’s prayer chain
ministry, please contact the church office.
If you
would like to submit prayers to the Prayer Chain of Joys and
Concerns, please contact the church office, text Pastor
Dave with your prayer requests or give him a note
before worship service.
Toastmasters
Would you like to speak with more confidence in any setting?
Toastmasters can help! The Woodridge Toastmasters club meets
on the 2nd
and 4th Thursday of the month at Woodridge United Methodist
Church. Come visit us and see for yourself!
For more information contact John.
Northern
Illinois Conference
NIC/GCORR
CRCC Cohort
Cross-Racial/Cross-Cultural Cohort Sponsored by the Northern
Illinois Conference and the General Commission on Religion
and Race
The cohort exists to strengthen adaptive leadership of
Cross-Racial/Cross-cultural (CRCC) clergy in the Northern
Illinois Conference by affirming belonging, creating space
for theological reflection and navigating cultural awareness
and healing. Through a trauma-informed and formational
learning environment, the cohort supports CRCC clergy in
integrating their lived experience, cultural identity, and
theological vocation, fostering both personal healing and
sustained leadership in CRCC ministry settings.
A few of the 2026-2027 events church leaders. Please
let Pastor Dave or the church office know if you are
interested in any of them:
World
Celebrations of Christmas
Sat.
12/5/2026, 10 a.m. to 1 pm at Journey of Hope
UMC in Elgin: Explore global expressions of Christmas and how
they enrich the church’s incarnational ministry
Closing
Retreat - Lessons for the journey ahead
Sat.
5/22/2027, 9 a.m. to 3:30 pm at Our Saviour’s
UMC in Schaumburg:
Disability
Education Summit
The Northern Illinois Conference Committee on
Accessibility is hosting a summit on Saturday,
September 26th from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at Bethany of Fox
Valley UMC in Aurora. This free event
features accessible worship, four workshop sessions, lunch
with a panel discussion (optional $10 lunch fee), and
practical tools to help churches become more welcoming and
accessible to people of all abilities. Workshop topics
include disability awareness, accessible worship,
neurodiversity, advocacy, technology, and creating inclusive
ministries on any budget. See the e-News
for more information and to register for the event.
Outreach Opportunities
September Outreach Offering - CWS Crop Hunger
Walk, South DuPage Walk
CROP Hunger Walks help to provide tools of
hope that empower people to meet their own needs. From seeds
and tools, to wells and water systems, to nutrition-enhancing
Moringa trees, to technical training and micro-enterprise
loans, the key is people working together to identify their
own development priorities--something CWS has learned through
80 years of working in partnership around the world. For more
information go to https://southdupagecrop.org/.
When CROP began in 1947 it was an acronym for the Christian
Rural Overseas Program to help Midwest farm families share
their grain with hungry neighbors in post- World War II
Europe. The first CROP Hunger Walk was held in Bismarck,
North Dakota in 1969. Each year, some 2,000 communities
across the U.S. sponsor CROP Hunger Walks. Nationally,
upwards of 200 corporations match employee gifts and/or
volunteer hours to the CROP Hunger Walk. Locally, thousands
of businesses and media outlets support their community's
CROP Hunger Walk.
Ways
to donate to the September Outreach Offering:
- Check or cash in an
Outreach Offering envelope placed in the offering plate
in the Narthex (the room outside the sanctuary) or in
the gold-plated mail slot at the church’s east door.
- Online via our website.
Select “Current Month Outreach” in the drop-down menu.
- Text the amount you want
to give to 630-449-7121 and select “Current Month
Outreach” in the drop-down menu.
Ongoing Opportunities
"Goin' Green" Shoes & Clothes
Recycling Box
Located in the northeast corner of our parking lot,
this receptacle is a convenient place to recycle any shoes
and your clothes that are at or near the end of their
usefulness.
West Suburban Food Pantry
There is a shopping cart that is waiting
for donations. It sits in the narthex, usually near the
sanctuary doors. The food pantry serves many
households and always welcomes donations!!!
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