Weekly Update
Worship this Week
Sermon: “The Holy Spirit: the Hebrew Bible”
Brass Wave Bell Choir at 9
Pastor Todd’s sermon series on the Holy Spirit is guided by the book The Holy Spirit: God’s Presence and Power at Work In Us by Rev. Adam Hamilton. The book and sermon series comprehensively explores how the Holy Spirit works in believers’ lives through scripture, from the Hebrew Bible to the New Testament, offering insights on divine guidance and transformation. Hamilton is the pastor of United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City and has authored many books. He is also a candidate for the U.S. Senate from Kansas.
Announcements
Welcome To Our New Traditional Service Pianist/Organist – Minah Ehlen
Minah Ehlen is from South Korea and was a doctoral candidate in Piano Performance at UIUC. She is married to Timothy Ehlen, Prof of Piano at UIUC. She has one daughter, Maia, who just began her studies as a Business Management major at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. Welcome to Mattoon First United Methodist, Minah!
Charge Conference October 18th
The annual charge conference will be at 5:30 pm Sunday, October 18th at Effingham Centenary United Methodist Church (203 E. Grove). Please let Pastor Todd know if you would like to carpool. A charge conference is the basic legal and governing body of a local United Methodist church, required to meet at least once a year to conduct official business, set leadership, and connect the local congregation to the wider denomination.
Shawnee Wine Trail Retreat at Little Grassy October 23-25
The Illinois Great River Conference is hosting a weekend retreat combining camp, community, and the beauty of Southern Illinois. This retreat includes a visit to all 11 local wineries along the Shawnee Wine Trail, with transportation, lodging, and breakfast and dinner each day. Led by Rev. Curtis Brown, Director of Connectional Ministries, it costs $100-260 based on room choice and occupancy at Little Grassy UMC Camp, 1 Methodist Camp Rd, Makanda, IL 62958. For information, call 618-457-6030 or email littlegrassy@igrc.org. Or for more on the wine trail itself: www.shawneewinetrail.com. To view the flier and registers, follow this link: https://www.
Endowment Committee Seeking Benevolence Fund Requests
The Endowment Committee is accepting requests for contributions from the Benevolence Funds for faith and community groups building God’s kingdom locally and abroad. Please email your request to Pastor Todd at mattoonfumc@gmail.com by October 23rd with your name, the name and contact information of the organization you’re nominating, how much money you’re requesting, and a statement about the impact they are having on people’s lives. Previous organizations that have received funds include New Life Car Care, the Mattoon Community Food Bank, Mattoon Police Department’s Safe Passage Program, Salvation Army, Camp New Hope, Rotary Club Access Ramps Ministry, and the Mattoon Schools Children’s Assistance Program. The committee members are Chrissy Leitch, Steve Ferguson, Don Hance, Christina Krost, Joyce Lefever, and Donna Meaker.
Pulpit Swap October 25th
Pastor Todd will swap pulpits with Rev. John Taliwaga from Effingham Centenary United Methodist Church on Sunday, October 25th. In addition to being a wonderfully delightful person, Rev. Taliwaga grew up and served United Methodist churches in the Philippines for several years before coming to serve in Effingham. His time with us is an opportunity to recognize our church’s $5,000 gift to the Miracle Sunday in May that raised funds for theological education for United Methodist pastors outside of the United States.Annual Bazaar Saturday, November 7
LET’S TALK BAZAAR!
September is here, which means the countdown to our annual United Women in Faith Fall Bazaar on Saturday, November 7 has begun! This year UWF is hoping for 100% participation of members in this, the biggest fundraiser for missions all year. That means 100% of all members of the congregation. Here’s how we can do it:
FILL the tables with your creations–
Can you sew, crochet, knit, weave?
Are you handy with a paintbrush, a hammer and saw, a chisel, a glue gun, a sketchpad?
Do you make creations out of wood, fabric, metal, stained glass, leather?
Do you have a talent for making floral arrangements, wreaths, signs, greeting cards?
What are the specialties from your kitchen–muffins, cookies, cupcakes, pies, breads, jellies and jams?
What about candies–divinity, fudge, brittles, caramels, pralines, toffee, bark, truffles, bonbons, chocolate covered cherries, buckeyes?
DONATE
Vintage and contemporary jewelry
ORDER
Our famous chicken casseroles (sign-up soon)
VOLUNTEER
For many, many positions before, during and after the bazaar (stay tuned for further information on these).
The United Women in Faith under take the challenge of hosting the Fall Bazaar to give everyone in the congregation an opportunity to experience the joy in giving, sharing and living the love of Jesus. Every penny of profit goes to support the many missions whose goal is the same. Thank you for joining in this year!
Jewelry Donations for Bazaar
Ladies (and gentlemen?), it’s time to clean out drawers, boxes and armoires to locate those jewelry items you no longer need—watches, rings, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, even tie tacks and cufflinks that might appeal to vintage collectors.
Leave them in the church office or give directly to Jan Allison or Jerie Brown. If you feel you might have jewelry of some value, be sure to speak directly to Jan or Jerie. Thank you!
Spirit of the Holidays Bazaar @ Arthur UMC, November 13-14
Come enjoy the bazaar that even Santa’s talking about! Arthur UMC (128 E. Illinois St.) will host its annual bazaar in its fellowship hall 9 am to 3 pm on Friday and Saturday, November 13-14. There will be crafts, baked items, a cookie walk, and more.
Thursday Morning Bible Study
We have begun a new book for the fall, entitled You Can Trust God to Write Your Story by Nancy and Robert Wolgemuth. The authors “write personally and beautifully, infusing readers with a Christ-centered vision, hope, and trust for the future.” From the inside cover: “Learn why you really can trust God to write your story–no matter what plot twists you may encounter along the way.” New and used books are available on Amazon. (We have found used books to be in almost perfect condition.) Please join us whenever you can–with or without a book–at 8:00 A.M. in downstairs Room 102. This study will continue until the first week of November.
One Stop Community Christmas
For the past 15 years, over 200 area organizations have joined hands to bring joy, hope, and essential items to more than 1,000 vulnerable families across Coles, Clark, Cumberland, Edgar, Shelby, Moultrie, and Douglas counties. This incredible project provides families the opportunity to “shop” at Lakeland College for Christmas necessities such as stocking stuffers, books, scarves, hats, blankets, and—thanks to your generosity—much-needed paper products.
■ Sign-Up for Families – Registration will take place in November and December. For exact dates, visit: OneStopCommunityChristmas.com
■ Our Local Partners – We are grateful to Mattoon First Presbyterian Church, Mattoon First United Methodist, Salem United Methodist (Toledo), United Christian Church (Mattoon), Lake Ridge Christian Church (Paris), Marshall First UMC, Wesley Methodist (Charleston), Greenup IGA, and Lorenz Wholesale (Mattoon) for helping provide both paper products and volunteers.
■ Mattoon First United Methodist’s Role for 2026 – A donation collection box will be placed in the Fellowship Cafe for collections through December 2.
■ This year’s total project paper products goal: 1,480 four-packs of toilet paper
■ First United Methodist Church individual goal: 199 four-packs Together, we can reach this milestone and bless families in a very practical way!
■ Volunteer Opportunities – Would you like to be part of the joy? We have openings for:
– Set-up day (date to be announced)
– Shifts to hand out paper products (date to be announced)
Thank You! If you need more details send an email to the church at mattoonfumc@gmail.com. Your generosity—whether through donations or your time—truly makes a difference. Each pack of toilet paper, each blanket, each smile shared is a reminder of God’s love in action.
