During VBS this year our students will assemble Personal Dignity Kits for our Outreach partner, Midwest Mission. You can be part of this by helping to supply the items that we need. The needed items are very specific so please follow the sizes listed. Please drop off items on Sundays behind the Welcome Center or throughout the week on the black table in the main entryway. We would like to have items by July 7. Thank you so much for your help!
Items needed--pleases note, ALL items must be new:
Hand towels (no kitchen towels)
Washcloths (no dishcloths)
Adult toothbrushes (must be wrapped individually, no multipacks)
Bar soap (3-4 oz)
Shampoo (12-19 oz)
Deodorant (2-3 oz - stick, roll on, or pump)
Lotion (8-10 oz)
$2 donation to cover the carrying bag and toothpaste

Be part of one of the most exciting weeks of the year--Calvary's VBS! People of all ages are encouraged to engage in the fun of Vacation Bible School July 21-24 from 6-8 p.m. Adults of all ages and older students are needed as leaders. We'd love to help you find a place to serve! Children age 4 by Sept 1 through 5th grade this past school year are eligible as students. Register by June 22 so you don't miss out on the excitement and fun! Child and volunteer registration links are available at www.connectwithcalvary.org/vbs . Contact Lori Short with any questions.

Calvary food pantry is available to anyone who is in need. While not monitored, we do know it is used regularly. Sometimes it's hard to remember to bring in an item. During the summer, let’s create a new habit and challenge ourselves to pick up at least 1 extra item each week to set aside for blessing others.
Our June food focus is Breakfast Staples; there will be a table in the atrium ready for your donations every Sunday. Examples include cereal, pancake mix, shelf stable milk, instant oatmeal, and protein or granola bars.
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 meet for our last weaving session this spring on Sunday, June 1. We’ll 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.

Do you have a green thumb? It's not necessary! Come visit with our neighbors at Evergreen (1701 Evergreen Boulevard in Normal) on Tuesday, June 24 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. We will help them pot some lovely indoor mini gardens, while sharing some snacks and good conversation. If you are interested or have questions, please contact Erin Scott. All ages and abilities are welcome! 

Calvary is hosting a Community Block Party on Saturday, June 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. We will have many vendors, inflatables, and activities. To make this a welcoming and successful event, we need your help! If you are interested in sharing your talents with our church family and community, please consider signing up.
Our volunteer needs include:

• Welcoming people to the event

• Set up

• Tear down

• Monitoring children using the inflatables

Gretchen Church is stepping down from her role as one of Calvary's part-time pianists at our 9 a.m. worship experience. We are grateful for Gretchen's service to Calvary as our former choir director and as one of our pianists.

Calvary is now looking for a capable pianist to play for worship and accompany hymns roughly 26 weeks per year. This is a part-time paid position, and anyone interested in the position should contact Pastor Vince Rohn at 309-452-5413 or vince.rohn@connectwithcalvary.org.

Please join us to work at Midwest Food Bank on June 10 from 9-11 a.m.! You can register and complete the waiver here. We will learn about our repackaging or sorting project when we arrive, but have requested at least half of the roles to be sedentary! Closed toe shoes required. If you have questions, please contact Susan Sopek or LeAnn Fujimoto.

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.

Jacob Kersh, our Director of Contemporary Worship at Calvary, will be leaving the church staff in late June. As a candidate for ministry in the United Methodist Church, Jacob can receive an appointment to serve as a pastor if he completes our Conference’s School for a License as a Local Pastor. Bishop David Bard has appointed Jacob to serve two smaller churches near the Quad Cities, Reynolds and Talor Ridge United Methodist churches, pending the completion of Licensing School. We encourage all of the Calvary UMC community to wish Jacob well; and to pray for Jacob, Ronnie, Penelope, and Allie as their family prepares for the next phase of their lives together. 
As Jacob departs, Leah Megli, currently our Chor Director, will be adding the position of Director of Contemporary Worship, to her responsibilities here at Calvary. This will be in addition to continuing as our Choir Director at the 9AM worship service. Leah brings strong musical talents and a long history with Calvary UMC and the Bloomington-Normal community to this new role. We are excited to see where God will lead Calvary’s worship in the future, and invite you to help us welcome Leah into this new role. 

Mark your calendar now for a Community Block Party on Saturday, June 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be live music, inflatables, a petting zoo, face painting, art projects, food trucks, family activities with the Children's Discovery Museum, and perhaps even more! There is no charge for this event, except food at the food trucks if you'd like to eat. Lawn chairs are encouraged. Make plans to come, bring your family, and invite some friends!
Calvary UMC 1700 N. Towanda Ave. in Normal

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.

Workcamp for students currently in 8th through 12th grade (and adults as leaders) will be July 5-July 11 this year in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Registration is now open! Check out the registration form for more information. Scholarships are available. More information about this experience can be found on Group Mission Trips website. We’ll have a more specific informational session as the week gets closer. Experience this transformational week, serving and growing closer to God and others.

Our Calvary family is committed to serving meals on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month at Safe Harbor. This is a great way to serve your community with your friends and family. Preparing and serving doesn't take long and isn't difficult, but it is a great need you can help with. We have 22 spots open for 2025. When could you serve?
If you have never served or would like more information, please contact Tammy Carlson at 309-533-6663 to help you get started or connect you with a group. We do need more groups on our mailing list.

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.