MENDOTA ZION UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Come, Share, Grow!

Thanks to your extreme generosity, we collected $705.05 in "loose change" during Lent for the Illinois Valley Public Action to Deliver Shelter facility Building Project in Peru, Illinois, which will provide new dorms and family rooms for families with small children!  God is Good!

This month’s Rainbow Covenant Mission Focus is the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund (UMGAF). Bishop Sally Dyck has chosen this organization as the 2017 recipient. The World Health Organization reports that 36.7 million people are infected with HIV. Nearly half of those who are infected are women. The AIDS Foundation of Chicago says that over 43,000 people in Illinois are living with HIV/AIDS. The majority of those persons live within the boundaries of our Northern Illinois Conference. The UMGAF assists 287 projects in 44 countries. The goals of the UMGAF are: the prevention of mother-to child transmission of HIV; the prevention of HIV in young people and high-risk populations; increased access to HIV counseling, testing, and treatment services; stigma reduction and psychosocial support to people living with HIV. By giving to the Bishop’s Appeal for the 2017 annual conference, it will help both those who are far away and those who are close to home. Offerings collected this month will be taken to the Annual Conference in June.  

This month’s Rainbow Covenant Mission Focus is the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund (UMGAF). Bishop Sally Dyck has chosen this organization as the 2017 recipient. The World Health Organization reports that 36.7 million people are infected with HIV. Nearly half of those who are infected are women. The AIDS Foundation of Chicago says that over 43,000 people in Illinois are living with HIV/AIDS. The majority of those persons live within the boundaries of our Northern Illinois Conference. The UMGAF assists 287 projects in 44 countries. The goals of the UMGAF are: the prevention of mother-to child transmission of HIV; the prevention of HIV in young people and high-risk populations; increased access to HIV counseling, testing, and treatment services; stigma reduction and psychosocial support to people living with HIV. By giving to the Bishop’s Appeal for the 2017 annual conference, it will help both those who are far away and those who are close to home. Offerings collected this month will be taken to the Annual Conference in June.

Come to Zion UMC and worship with us!  Our Children's Worship Dance team will be sharing their performance of "God is So Big!" on Easter Sunday at the 9 a.m. worship service.  Is your child interested in creative movement?  Bring them to Zion on Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m. for practices and a snack.  We welcome all children of the community to dance with us!  Our Praise Team shares their gifts of playing the guitar, ukulele, and cajon with us once a month!  Check us out!

Have some loose change sitting around?  Bring it to worship with you on Sunday mornings to add to our "Lent Loot" collection jar!  Do you need a jar at home?  Pick one up this Sunday in the sanctuary!  Monies collected wlll help pay for new dormitories and several family rooms where families with children can stay together in privacy at our local IVPADS homeless shelter in Peru, IL.  You may also donate to this worthy cause with paper money and checks!  Check out the hallway bulletin board to see our progress!  

This Rainbow Covenent Mission Focus group was founded in 1976 and is a grassroots movement within the United Methodist Church designed to provide an official channel whereby Christians, both lay and clergy, may offer their skills and talents for Christian service at home and around the World on short-term assignments at their own expense.  This group's work includes construction and renewing of mission facilities, teaching, witnessing, conducting medical clinics, conducting Bible studies or Bible schools for children, and serving in disaster relief efforts around the World.  The UMVIM network offers guidance, organization and training for more than 125,000 volunteers serving with the poor, building churches, and assisting in disaster response, Emergency Response Training, commuinity health, and leadership training each year.  

There will be several opportunities for you to worship with us during Holy Week (April 9-16). We hope to see you soon! 

• Palm Sunday Worship & Children's Sunday School here at Zion UMC at 9 a.m.
• Maundy Thursday (4/13) Ecumenical Worship at First United Methodist, Mendota at 7 p.m.
• Good Friday (4/14) Ecumenical Worship at St. John's Lutheran Church, Mendota at 7 p.m. (Zion UMC Pastor Hogun Kim will be giving the message)
• Easter Sunday (4/16) Communion Worship & Children's Sunday School/Easter Egg Hunt at 9 a.m. here at Zion UMC

We welcome you to join us this coming Sunday at 9 a.m. for Palm Sunday worship and Children's Sunday School.  Our Youth Group and Sunday School children will be leading the palm leaves processional, sharing readings, and singing a special song during worship time.  Coffee & Conversation follows worship at 10 a.m.  

Join us this 5th Sunday in Lent as we celebrate Holy Communion.  Pastor Kim has chosen the lesson readings of Genesis 25:21-34 and Joshua 24:1-7 (NIV).  His sermon is entitled, "Seeing Life from God's View."  

This week's lessons are:  2 Samuel 9:1-13 and Galatians 5:13-26 (NIV).  Pastor Kim will be highlighting the Fruit of the Spirit, "Kindness," in his sermon message.  Fellowship always follows worship at 10 a.m.!  Join us!