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 of our differences.
Our New Facebook Page
Stay Connected!
We have a new Facebook page that will be used by the staff to provide the most up-to-date news from the church. You don't have to be a Facebook member to view it, but we encourage all those who are to click the 
button so that they can contribute to the online community. Please note that this is not the "group" that was set up a few months ago. The group will no longer be maintained so, if you belonged to it, please take a moment to join ("like") the new page.
For those who prefer tweets, we also have a new Twitter page. News posts to the Facebook page are automatically posted there as well.
Vacation Bible School
At the Galactic Blast Vacation Bible School, your children will gain a new perspective on our planet Earth, and learn easy "green" earth tips they can practice at home. Children will continue to build their faith while having fun!
Children entering Kindergarten through 6th grade
Cost: $10/child or $25/family with 3 or more children
Please consider volunteering to help; it's fun and the children love having their parents there.
| Registration Form (PDF) |
Welcome the New Pastors!
Rev. Jim & Greta McDonald
The Reverends Jim and Greta McDonald have been married since 1977, and each of them has 34 years of pastoral experience. Jim grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He received his BA with a double major in Sociology and History from the University of Manitoba. Greta grew up in northern Illinois, graduated from Dixon High School, received a BS in Communications-Journalism from the University of Illinois at Champaign, and served in 1974-75 as a part-time Senior High youth minister at Downers Grove First UMC.
Greta and Jim met at Iliff School of Theology, a United Methodist seminary in Denver, Colorado, where they both received Masters of Divinity degrees. Following seminary, Jim served the Hanover, Illinois UMC 8 years while Greta served the Elizabeth, Illinois UMC. They were both appointed as associate pastors to Libertyville UMC, where they served for 13½ years. For the past 11 years, they have served as co-pastors of the New Lenox UMC.
They have two adult children. Their daughter, Danica, is a pediatric intensive care nurse at Hope Children's Hospital in Oak Lawn. Her husband, Dave Johnson, is a middle school teacher at Hinsdale, and they are parents of a 20-month old son, Kellen. Danica and her family live in New Lenox (guess what Greta's and Jim's favorite hobby is these days!). Their son, Colin, is completing his Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing degree, at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota.
A New Pictorial Directory
One More Opportunity
If you did not get a chance to get your picture taken when LifeTouch was at our church last, you can still be a part of the directory. There are two ways to get your picture taken:
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1. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel: July 6—July 24.
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They are at 8404 S. Cass Ave. You can go on their website to make a reservation or phone 630.852.3303. You will need our church ID (319028) with you to make sure your picture goes into the correct directory.
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2. DGFUMC: Monday, August 2, 2:30—8:30pm.
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There will be one make-up day at our church. Register on-line using the link below or call the church office at 630.968.7120.
| Schedule an Appointment |
Wacky Wednesdays
The Children & Family Work Area is excited to announce a new summer program for children going into 1st grade through 6th grade called Wacky Wednesdays! The mission of this program is to bring children together for a lot of fun and a good message. Every child is welcome. Invite your children, grandchildren, children in your neighborhood, and children of friends---ALL CHILDREN ARE WELCOME! The program will meet from 6:30 to 8:00 and there is NO cost!
Schedule
- June 9: School is out…let's party!
- A Hawaiian Dance! Coach Josh from the park district will be our DJ for the evening. Wear your fun Hawaiian clothes and come ready to party.
- June 16: The 2010 Downers Grove Summer Olympics
- Come play some fun games, get some exercise and maybe win a gold medal!
- June 23: Family Night at the Fire House
- Kids of all ages along with their parents/grandparents/guardians are invited to go on a trip to the new firehouse on Main Street. We will meet at the church and walk to the firehouse together.
- July 7: Magic Show and Carnival
- Magic Matt will be doing a magic show and then making balloons animals for us. There will also be many carnival type games with prizes and yummy treats!
- July 14: Mystery Night!
- Come to be surprised with a fun evening!
- July 21: Family Night and Water Fun
- Kids of all ages along with their parents/grandparents/guardians are invited to the church for an evening of fellowship and some fun with water. There will be a dunk tank with Pastor John in it along with other fun water games.
- August 4: A Roundup
- Every child attending is invited to wear a hat—any kind of hat (if you have a cheese hat – wear it). JD Allen from Minnesota, a cowboy singing guitar player, will be leading our program called "Hats On – Hats Off." The evening will conclude with a campfire and smores!
- August 11: An Evening of Storytelling with Oba William King
- Mr. King has been a storyteller on the Polar Express event through the park district. All kids will enjoy his great stories!
- August 18: Family Night and Picnic
- We will have the grill cooking hotdogs and hamburgers. All you have to do is bring a salad or dessert to share. There will be picnic games. Kids of all ages along with their parents/ grandparents/guardians are invited to an end-of-summer picnic!
There is no registration necessary! Come to one Wednesday OR come to them all — Whatever fits your schedule! For more information, contact John Smoke (630-968-7120).
| Download Brochure (PDF)|
On Your Behalf
- What is it?
- How does it work?
- How can I serve others with prayer?
On Your Behalf is a group of church members who lift others up in prayer. There are no meetings! All praying is done at your convenience. Requests for prayer are provided to us each week and are kept confidential.
If you would be interested in joining us or need more information about serving others with prayer please call the church office at 968-7120.
When your reaction to yours or another's misfortune is "Oh, my God!", turn it into a gentle prayer.
Daily Update
RSS News Feeds
RSS news feeds provide a way of keeping track of the rapidly-changing content available on the internet. At First United, we are using this relatively new web technology in two ways:
- As a way of identifying newly added web content concerning the programs and events in the church life.
- As a way of alerting the congregation to late-breaking news, such as weather cancellations or urgent appeals for help.
The news feed is now maintained by the church office and will be updated as soon as the information is available. Although it is meant to be read by special news readers, the feed is also published on the web as the Daily Update page. Add this page to your favorites to keep abreast of the latest news as it breaks.
Find out how you can use RSS to keep up to date with the latest news and events in the life of First United Methodist Church.
|RSS News Feeds|
