Faith UMC Hosts 50th Anniversary Celebration

Event is March 3, 2013.

Faith Matters

Puppet Ministry Message Full of Joy

Youth and adults work together to bring a joyful message to the worshipers at Faith United Methodist Church.

The stage was set, literally. A puppet stage sat on the front right of the chancel of Faith United Methodist Church. I have served in churches with puppet stages in Sunday school rooms and recognized the two-tiered frames draped with curtains. There are clergy who use a single character puppet in their ministry to children, especially in the children’s sermon, many churches offer during their worship service. I’d not seen an active puppet ministry in a church setting, and I was curious. The puppet ministry at Faith United Methodist Church (UMC) is called Joy Express and is led by Cheryl Purcell, director of worship arts. Purcell and her troupe of puppeteers provided the offertory during the three worship services Jan. 23.  I attended the …

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Faith Matters

St. Charles Churches Participate in “Souper Bowl of Caring”

Three churches have turned Super Bowl hype into super help for local charities

This Sunday, the Super Bowl will be the center of attention. Many of us will plan our weekend around Super Bowl Sunday, even if we are not fans of either the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Green Bay Packers pro football teams. People host parties and buy new large screen, high-definition televisions that cost hundreds of dollars so that there is a great view of this one football game. But when most of the North American continent is hyperfocused on an overhyped, overrated sporting event, a few churches in St. Charles are helping to keep attention on the needs of the hungry and hurting in this community. Three St. Charles churches call this Sunday the "Souper Bowl of Caring." They base their activities on the vision statement found on the …

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Kemery Baldwin

10:01 am on Saturday, February 5, 2011

Thank you! Have a great time accepting donations. I agree, volunteers are always in a winner's circle.   more ›

Faith Matters

Fulfilling the Dream in St. Charles

Columnist sees signs in the King Community Worship Service that King's "I Have a Dream" speech is becoming real.

The button on my clergy robe stated, “Fulfill the dream.” The black and white metal button is slightly larger than a quarter and has a photo of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on it. It was given to me a few years ago by a man I also admire greatly. Clergy don’t usually wear buttons on their robes, but I did, along with my clergy stole this past Monday night at the community worship service in honor of King. I wanted to participate in the evening with this reminder. King made his dream known on Aug. 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in what is called his “I Have A Dream” speech. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their…

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Faith Matters

Burlap and Butcher Paper Lead to the Babe of Bethlehem

Faith United Methodist Church becomes Bethlehem's Marketplace with a magical transformation. Best part? The baby waits in the manger.

The children's Christmas program.  It's a customary production in churches this time of year. By now there have been rehearsals and costume fittings. Parents know what time to have the children at the church. Invitations have been sent out, and the social committee has arranged for a punch and cake reception afterward.  What if the church leaders decided not to have the children's Christmas program? Would there be mutiny among the faithful? Or sighs of relief with one less stress-maker on the calendar? What if church leaders decided to have a hands-on, interactive learning and faith experience for the children instead of a program where the children performed, acted and sang for others?      A Night in Bethlehem is that decision come to …

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