As Home Sweet Home Ministries expands its work with people in need in Bloomington-Normal (including their new shelter village), Calvary UMC is blessing Home Sweet Home with a gift of $50,000! Calvary has an endowment fund that was established to help fund our Good Samaritan Fund, and the requests that we receive for assistance through that fund have not kept up with the income in that endowment fund. These funds can only be used to care for those experiencing temporary hardship and not for any of the church’s ongoing expenses, and so continue to grow beyond our ability to effectively use them for direct grants. The decision has been made then to give this gift of $50,000 to Home Sweet Home as their work also cares for people experiencing a variety of temporary hardships. More information will be shared in the near future concerning how this gift was used to care for others in the name of Jesus. Please know that in this winter season, Calvary is going above and beyond to help care for those in need in our community.

At our three Christmas Eve services (6:30 p.m. on December 23, 4 and 6 on December 24), Calvary will be receiving a special offering this year. Half of those offerings will be used to support the continuing and ongoing ministries of this church as the last several Christmas Eve offerings have done. The other half of the Christmas Eve offerings will be donated to The Bridge at Home Sweet Home Ministries, their new shelter village.
To give you an idea of what this can mean for our neighbors in need: $40 can buy a bedside table for one of the shelters, $80 a microwave, $175 all of the bedding and pillows, and $565 a bedframe and mattress. $235 can buy 50 hygiene kits for the new bathhouse in the village, and $300 can purchase 50 towel sets for the bathhouse.
In this season of giving, please consider making a special offering at our Christmas Eve services to bless Calvary’s ministries and to help us care for our neighbors in need through Home Sweet Home. 

The Staff Parish Relations Committee invites the congregation to show our appreciation for Calvary’s staff for all of the work they have done this year! 
A collection will be taken up between now and Christmas for the staff so please show them how much you care! There are a variety of ways to contribute including: give through the Calvary app, website, or write a check with ‘staff love offering’ on the memo line.
Thank you for loving on Calvary’s staff this Christmas Season!

Faith in Action is seeking volunteer drivers to transport seniors to needed medical appointments. Get behind your Community by getting behind the Wheel for Faith in Action
FIA provides access to medical care/grocery shopping for our aging neighbors without transportation. Volunteering with FIA is flexible and fulfilling. To get started, email stacey@bnfia.org or call (309) 827-7780.

Volunteer Orientations:
January 6, 2026: 1:00 - 2:30 PM
February 3, 2026: 1:00 - 2:30 PM
All orientations are held at the ARC on the 2nd floor across from the FIA Office.

Support FIA:

• Looking for ways to give back to the community this holiday season? Give Presents for Residents a try! We are a gift drive organized to fulfill the holiday gift wishes of individuals living in local senior residence facilities. 

• Crossroads Fair Trade Goods and Gifts - Shop to Donate. Mention Faith in Action at check out and FIA will receive15% of your purchase price. Crossroads is located at 428 N Main St in Bloomington.

• Mardi Gras Bingo Bonanza save the date: Thursday, February 12, 2026, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. at Destihl Brew Hall. Tickets coming soon.

Women of Calvary & guests, we invite you to join Heart and Soul for our annual Pause Before Christmas on December 11! KB Smith will guide us through making a Christmas craft to take home with us. Sweet refreshments will be provided.
We'll be meeting in Calvary's gym Thursday, Dec 11 at 6:30 p.m. Feel free to invite a friend who does not attend Calvary. Cost to attend is $5. We hope you'll join us for this hands-on event with great fellowship! Please sign up here. 

Join us December 9 at 6:30 p.m. as we spread holiday cheer with our neighbors at Evergreen (1700 Evergreen Boulevard, Normal). Together, we will sing Christmas songs and decorate cookies. Wear your favorite festive gear.
All ages are welcome! Please reach out to Erin Scott if you are interested or have any questions. 

Bring your family and friends of all ages and have fun at the Calvary Christmas Party! Come to the Calvary gym on December 7 between 3-5 p.m. Take part in a Mission project packaging gifts for Safe Harbor residents, play Christmas Bingo, create a Christmas ornament, take a photo at the Photo Booth, play Christmas games and enjoy a Hot Cocoa Bar.

Men’s Faith and Fellowship will begin a new study, “Voices of Advent” by Matthew Skinner, on November 19.  In addition to the study, we enjoy fellowship, prayer and support of each other.  This is a four week study (with the week of Thanksgiving off), and so is a great time to jump in and join us.

We meet at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday mornings in Room 111, and begin with refreshments and coffee, share joys and concerns, have a video study, and discussion among the group.  There is plenty of room for any man that would like to seek to follow Christ more fully by engaging in this study together.

If you would like to participate, please contact Gil Dorsey or Jim Brown for us to make certain we have enough study books available.

Join us for Junior and Senior High Midweek Programming on Tuesday nights! Junior High meets at from 6 to 7 p.m. and Senior High meets at 7:30 p.m. in the Hub. All are always welcome!
Students don't have to come every week to be part of the fun and fellowship. Reach out to kb.smith@connectwithcalvary.org with any questions or for more information.