Hula on over to Evergreen Senior Living (1701 Evergreen Village Blvd, Normal) on Tuesday, August 26. Meet up in the dining room for some colorful and tasty fun. Be sure to wear your leis and Hawaiian shirts!
This volunteer opportunity is open to all ages and abilities! If you have any questions, please reach out to Erin Scott. 

The next GriefShare session begins August 19 and finishes on November 11. We will meet from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday evenings in Room 111. 
On November 18, plan to join a special one night event called, “Surviving the Holidays.” This is a 2 hour event on Tuesday night from 6-8 p.m. also in room 111. 
For any questions, please reach out to Sharyl Jennings. 

Join us for the next season of The Chosen and follow along with a book you can purchase from The Chosen or on Amazon. The study will take place on Wednesday mornings from 10:00 a.m. to noon in room 111 from August 13 to October 1. For any questions, please contact Sharyl Jennings.
The Chosen Season 5 focuses on the events leading up to Jesus's final week, culminating in the Last Supper. It portrays the growing tension between Jesus and the religious and political powers, highlighting the increasing stakes as the religious leaders plot to silence him. The season also delves into the internal struggles of the disciples, particularly Judas, as they grapple with Jesus's unconventional path and the impending betrayal. 

FIA is adding care receivers again. Those that need help with dialysis and cancer care are considered a priority. We are still working to add volunteers! If you can be a volunteer, please go to www.bnfia.org or see Jan Kibler.

Activities coming up - please support FIA!

- Fall Bus Trip to Montreal, Ottawa, and Quebec City – from Sep 27th to Oct 04, 2025. For more information, call Mary (309.827.7780) or visit https://bnfia.org/event/new-orleans-bus-trip/.

-Transitions by Go Green Commercial Cleaning Fundraiser – (continues all 2025!)
When you book their service and mention Faith in Action in 2025, Transitions will donate a portion of the proceeds! Visit https://bnfia.org/event/transitions-by-go-green-commercial-cleaning-fundraiser/ or call 309.585.0423.

-Dine and Donate at Rob Dob's - Tuesday, July 22nd - all day. A percentage of all profits will be donated to FIA.

-Take Action FIA luncheon is scheduled for Thursday, August 28th at Doubletree. This is a FIA fundraiser. Jan Kibler will be hosting a table. Let Jan (jckibler11@me.com) know if you are interested in attending.

-FIA Mum Sale pickup is scheduled for September 11th. These mums are gorgeous! You can order online or take a check to the FIA office.

Safe Harbor 
The following dates are available for you to serve at Safe Harbor: 

• August 15

• September 19

• October 5 & 24

• November 21

• December 5 and 19

If you are interested in serving, please contact Tammy Carlson. If you are new or have questions, please feel free to reach out! 

Our food pantry focus for August is Meal Starters. These are items that can be out together to make simple meals such as Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper, canned chicken, canned tuna, peanut butter and jelly, crackers, tamales, spaghetti and spaghetti sauce, and pizza-making kits.
Thank you for the tremendous response to the donation requests! The pantry has obviously been a blessing to our community as evidenced by its use!
Questions? Contact Susan Sopek.
If you are hoping to receive items from the pantry, it is located in our entryway and available at any time of the day to anyone.

Heaven. Who goes there? Where is it? What will we do there? In this seven – session video based study, Jennifer Rothschild explores the subject of heaven from a biblical perspective. As you walk through the study, you’ll not only gain a deeper understanding of what God has prepared for His children, but also learn how to live with confidence today as you look forward to the glorious unending that awaits. We will meet in room 111/Adult Education starting June 11 from 10 a.m. to noon. Purchase the study book on Lifeway or Amazon. 

Dream Weavers (previously known as The Loom Project) will take the summer off and resume on Sunday, September 7, with a “regroup, refresh and review” meeting in room 111. At that time, we’ll resume regularly scheduled weaving sessions.
In the meantime, be on the lookout for BRIGHTLY COLORED plastic bags that we can use.

For more information, contact Sandy Dickson or Lurinda & Larry Venezia.

We had so much fun working at the Midwest Mission on May 9! After carpooling to Pawnee, IL, we spent the day learning how to sew and put snaps on hygiene pads, quality checking hundreds and hundreds of personal hygiene bags, and working in the wood shops making parts for the school desks that will be assembled soon. We worked hard (not really) and were very productive (really). If you are interested in joining us next time or have questions, please reach out to Susan Sopek.

We meet weekly on Tuesday evenings from 6-8 p.m. starting April 8. This session consists of 13 consecutive weeks which you may attend every week or as many weeks that you are able to attend.
The first week includes registration, introductions, orientation and the first week DVD followed by discussion. We provide desserts each class. Books will be available to purchase in the class for $20.00.
Anyone who has had a recent or past loss of an individual are welcome.
We look forward to meeting you. Please register here. 

The Prayer Shawl Ministry will begin meeting Tuesday, February 11. We will be working on shawls as well as hats, scarves, and mittens of all sizes. Join us as we work and pray every 2nd and 4th Tuesday from 9:30-11am in L7.  No experience is required. All materials are provided, including yarn, patterns, and needles/hooks. We also have shawls available to be given to individuals in need of warmth and comfort. For more information, contact Linda Ferrence.

Faith in Action is a community service that helps people 60 and older live independently. There are many flexible volunteer opportunities including medical transportation to doctors, physical therapy, etc., grocery shopping, friendly visiting, and special projects. See www.bnfia.org for more information.

Faith in Action has added about 65 new clients this year. This is a lot and we need more volunteers. Please consider signing up to help those over 60 years of age live independently.
Here are some upcoming events and fundraisers:

• Transitions by Go Green Fundraiser - help those that are moving or needing to get organized. Mention FIA and we get a donation!

• Dine to Donate at RobDobs - Tuesday, July 22 all day long. Includes bar and gift cards.

• Take Action Luncheon - Thursday August 28, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel. Let Jan Kibler know if you would like to join our table! jckibler11@me.com

• Fall Bus trip to Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec City September 27-October 4.

• Faith in Action Mum Sale - Order and pick up on September 11th at St. John's Lutheran church.

We will be building from October to April on the third Saturday of the month from 8 a.m. to noon. No experience necessary. Must be at least 16 years old. We are building the Faith House for Dionne Anding and her two grandsons. Contact Jon-Eric Fujmoto for more information. 

Greetings, all. We have once again heard that an email has gone out alleging to be from staff members of our church. If you receive an email claiming to be from Pastor Vince or any other staff member that is not from an official church email, it should be treated with great suspicion if not completely disregarded. Please be safe and vigilant to protect yourself from scammers.

Pastor Vince spoke about the General Conference, what it means for our church, and answered questions on Sunday, August 18.

Do you have college students in your household?  Let Calvary College Care send your students encouraging inspirations and blessings by mail, email or text.  It will be a reminder that their Calvary family will continue to pray for them and continue to be an important part of their faith journey. Click here to sign up. In order for us to have the current information, the form needs to be completed each year. 

See what you missed at the informational meeting regarding the UMC General Conference.

Are you a caregiver, family member, or friend of someone with dementia? If so, you are invited – and encouraged – to attend the Alzheimer’s support group. The mission of this group is to provide education and support to caregivers and loved ones. Please note that it is not designed for those with dementia. Meetings are held in Calvary’s conference room on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

Facilitators are Mary Sanko and Lurinda Venezia.

Prayer is a fundamental part of the Christian faith and is a strength of Calvary. Calvary’s prayer team invites you to join us in the chapel between services for a focused time of prayer for:

• Our church

• Our staff

• Specific prayer requests that have been submitted to Calvary

• Any other needs.

You may come for the full 30 minutes or join us for just a few minutes.  You can come every week or just when you are moved to do so.  Also, if you feel called to join the Prayer Team on a regular basis, please contact Nancy Behrens nbehrens7@gmail.com, as we would like to grow this ministry.

Calvary’s Prayer Team

In his sermon "Living Beyond: Beyond Me," Pastor Vince spoke of the importance of knowing our Spiritual Gifts so we can be the person God created us to be. God desires us to live as a part of something bigger than us and beyond ourselves, equipping us for ministry and service to the church and the world. 
If you haven't completed one before (or it's been a while), a Spiritual Gifts Inventory is a great place to start.