The Seekers adult class will start a new seven week series on January 4 entitled “The Way.” We will view & discuss videos with Rev. Don Long, Jr. (Larry & Carroll Bross’ son-in-law) reflecting on his 500 mile pilgrimage on Spain’s Camino de Santiago three years ago. Anyone is welcome to join us. We meet in the parlor or on Zoom Sundays at 10:30 a.m.

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. 

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.

Men’s Faith and Fellowship will begin our new season of study, fellowship, and support of each other on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. We will study “A Disciple’s Path.” This invitation is to review the patterns of spiritual disciplines of Methodism as developed by John Wesley and authored by James Harnish and Justin Larosa. This is a six week study that will guide us to take our next step in discipleship.
We meet at 6:30 am 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.

47% of area students qualify for free and reduced lunch through their school. With grocery prices on the rise it is getting harder for families to afford food for meals.  Midwest Food Bank tries to fill that gap for families by providing food for students that qualify for free and reduced lunch over their weekends when students are at home and not in school. Calvary has been a partner with Parkside Elementary School for many years now and this year we will be partnering with them again to provide bags of food for the children to take home for the weekend. Each month we receive a pallet of food from Midwest Food Bank and we meet as a group and unload the truck, organize the food and pack grocery bags that are delivered to Parkside Elementary School and given to the students on Friday to take home for the weekend. We are in need of volunteers to help once a month to unload the truck, organize the food and pack the bags. We meet at 10:45 a.m. in the lower level classrooms on January 14, February 11, March 11, April 15, and May 13.
All ages and abilities are welcome to help. If you have any questions please contact Brenda Leopard.Brenda Leopard.

Do you love to hold babies and play with toddlers? A new KidVenture Nursery will be opening in October during our 9 a.m. service and those babies and toddlers need you! You can choose to serve once or twice a month (or more) but don't have to serve every week. We're also looking for volunteers for our Preschool/Kindergarten room (both worship hours) or people who are willing to be on call or a sub in any of the rooms. If interested, please contact Miranda Lanza or Lori Short.

At Calvary, we invite youth in eighth grade (or older if they have not previously completed Confirmation) to participate in Confirmation. We will be starting a Confirmation Class in January, to conclude with a Confirmation Sunday in May. Please complete this form to confirm your participation in Confirmation. We will also be having an informational meeting about Confirmation 2025-26 on Sunday, September 28 at 10:05 in room 113. 

It’s Habitat for Humanity Season! 
Calvary is proud to announce our sponsorship of the Faith House for the 2025–2026 building season — Habitat for Humanity of McLean County's 201st house!
Build Dates: Third Saturday of each month
Location: 701 West Market Street, Bloomington
Time: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Who Can Volunteer: No experience required! Volunteers must be 16 years or older
Snacks Needed: Calvary is also looking for people to provide snacks for volunteers
If you're looking for a meaningful way to give back, Habitat for Humanity volunteering is a great place to be. Let’s make this another incredible season of service and community!

In Matthew 25:35, Jesus says, “For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger, and you invited me in.” This verse captures the heart of our mission. Through the distribution of food and drinks, Midwest Food Bank supplies partner agencies with the resources they need to reach the lost, lonely, and hungry in our community. 
As food insecurity continues to rise, so does the need for dedicated volunteers to help distribute these vital supplies. We’re reaching out to local churches to come together in faith and service—living out Matthew 25:35 in a tangible, impactful way. 
Our greatest volunteer need is during our Distribution days, when partner agencies pick up food to share with their clients. Volunteers help load cases of food onto carts and into vehicles. If you can lift 30 pounds, you can be a part of this important work! 
To support this effort, we’re forming a Servant Squad—a group of volunteers willing to step in when extra hands are needed. Servant Squad members will receive an email with a sign-up link and can choose the dates and times that work best for them. It’s simple, flexible, and incredibly meaningful. 
Anyone interested in joining the Servant Squad just needs to fill out the sign-up form to get started. 

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 on this link to sign up. In order for us to have the current information, the form needs to be completed each year.

Dream Weavers uses plastic grocery bags to weave mats for those in situations where a simple sleeping mat is needed. We meet in Room 4 on the lower level on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays (10 a.m.- noon), and the 2nd and 4th Sundays (2-4 p.m.) of each month. Come join us - no experience necessary! For more information, contact Larry or Lurinda Venezia or Sandy Dickson.

Our Calvary Garden Team with the help of Larry Gamblin has donated 1409 pounds of fresh produce to Midwest Food Bank, and various other food pantries in Bloomington Normal during this 2025 growing season. We have a great team, but never turn away anyone who would like to help. We usually pick and wash vegetables on Saturday mornings, and then deliver later that morning. If you would like to get involved please reach out to the church office and we will add you to our text group. 

Thanks to the generosity of the people of Calvary UMC, and the leading and blessing of God, we have already exceeded our goal of $8,000 for classroom furnishings, school supplies, restrooms, and a septic system at the school we have helped to build in Fev, Haiti! We will be in conversation with our friends in Fev to make sure that 100% of the money we receive through this appeal will go to the school and church in Fev, used for cost overruns on construction, additional supplies, or other needs at the school and church. Thank you to everyone who has given to allow the children of Fev to receive the gift of an education and all of the people of Fev the gift of hope.

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

• 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 is a great lifeline for those in our community who need food assistance. Your contributions are welcome at any time. Here is a list of suggested items to bring in:

Protein Sources 

• Canned: tuna, chicken, salmon, or other meat

• Dried: or canned beans (black beans, chickpeas, pinto beans)

• Peanut butter: or other nut butters

Grains 

• Pasta

• Rice: and rice mixes

• Oatmeal: and other hot cereals

• Whole-grain: bread, crackers, and cereal

Fruits & Vegetables 

• Canned: or dried fruits (peaches, pears, raisins), canned or dried vegetables (corn, tomatoes, peas), fruit in juice or water (not syrup)

• Low-sodium: canned vegetables

Soups, Sauces & Condiments 

• Canned: soups and chili

• Spaghetti: and tomato sauces

• Salsa

• Oils: (vegetable, olive, canola)

• Condiments: like ketchup, mustard, and spices

Other 

• Nuts: and seeds

• Shelf-stable: milk

• Baking staples: such as flour, sugar, and corn starch

• Personal care items: and cleaning supplies

  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.

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.

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.