In this issue September's theme: Labor and work - Illinois Great ...

Photo courtesy of Pattie Hamlin
Photo courtesy of Jeff Campbell
Photo courtesy of Sherry Lodge
Page 12 Illinois Great Rivers Conference — The Current September 2010
Local Church News
The youth groups from the Nokomis, South Fork and Fairview UMC’s traveled to
Tahlequah, Okla., for its mission trip June 27-July 3. There were a total of 22 youths
and 10 adults. While there, the group spent the week working on two houses. They
painted, installed new windows and a door, made general repairs, cut brush, and did
some major cleaning. The youth and adults on the trip as well as the families served
grew in their faith.
Trenton First UMC awarded the first J.A.M.Scholarships June 6. Three $500 scholarship
were awarded to students that were musically active within their churches and
respective schools. Recipients were Josh Benitone of Pawnee, a student at McKendree
University and a member of Fairview Heights Christ UMC (not pictured); Jessica
Brink of Shiloh, a student at Southeastern Missouri State University and a member of
Shiloh UMC; and Lucas Winkler of Highland, who will be a student at Southwestern
Illinois College and a member of Highland Hope UMC. The J.A.M. Scholarship - A
Celebration of the Music and Life of Justin Melzer was established with the following
mission “to honor the memory of Justin Melzer and his ministry through music and to
encourage participation in church music ministries. Rev. Deborah Melzer presented the
awards to this group of scholarship recipients.
Percy and Steeleville UMC’s held a joint Vacation Bible School July 16-20. In all, 27
children and 20 volunteers took part. The church was decorated with the theme of
Saddle Ridge Ranch that included horse and buggy rides. In all, more than $232 was
collected to purchase phone cards for service men and women stationed abroad.
VBS spotlight giving with love
The Williamsfield UMC’s
Vacation Bible School, held
June 28-July 2 used the theme
To Give With Love, based
upon the book Let the Children
Give.
The entire week was
about serving others, from
the stories to songs to mission
projects to art projects.
Each day, a mission project
was introduced to the children during
the opening. On Monday, Heifer Project
International was discussed and the children
went home with pledge sheets after
they hoofed it for a heifer during recreation.
In all, 3,722 steps were taken by
the children present. On Tuesday, Gloria
Wilson, a former teacher at Williamsfield
and currently a teacher’s aide at Galva,
introduced the group to an organization
that she has traveled with to Guatemala to
distribute shoes. On Wednesday, during a
day at the park, Rev. Randy Douglass told
the group about his past trip to Liberia, his
return trip there this fall and the need for
seeds for Liberia. On Thursday, the children
learned about Coats of Caring and on
Friday, about Toys of Treasure.
During the week, more than 90 people
visited the Retirement Home and Senior
Citizens to perform music they learned at
VBS. On Tuesday, Larry Mattson shared
his Mini Train during recreation and on
Thursday, Fleick Belgium Horses gave
wagon rides during music and story.
A tree planting ceremony was held in
the year Friday morning, in memory of
Carol Moore and Chelsea Battye. A weeping,
flowering crab tree was planted in
front of the church. Several family members
were in attendance for this special
event. During story time that day, the chil-
dren experienced a foot washing
ceremony, based upon the
New Testament story where
Christ became the servant and
washed his disciples’ feet in
the Upper Room just before
the crucifixion.
On Saturday, more than
40 children, their friends
and family joined together at
Doubet-Benjamin Park for a
program. Here are the reported numbers:
n Attendance: 144 different people
were involved in VBS either by attending,
volunteering, setting up or cleaning up.
n Suncatchers: 90 were given out to
the Retirement Home and Senior Citizens.
n Letters and pictures: 90 letters and
pictures were sent to wounded veterans.
n Seeds of Salvation: 46 packages of
seeds and 1 1/2 pounds of sweet corn were
collected for Rev. Douglass to take to Liberia
n Soles for Souls: 57 pairs of shoes
were collected for Gloria Wilson to take to
Guatemalan children.
n Coats of Caring: 40 coats were collected
for distribution next fall.
n Toys of Treasure: 120 toys were collected
for Safe Harbor Women’s Shelter.
n Food of Friendship: During a community-wide
food drive, 200 non-perishable
food items were collected for the
Knoxville Food Pantry which serves the
Williamsfield and Dahinda area.
n Hoofin’ It for a Heifer: $500 was
raised for the purchase of a dairy heifer
that will be sent to a needy family in a foreign
country through Heifer Project International.
n A $100 gift was given to Rev. Douglass
for his Liberia trip.
A group from of youth and adults from RiversEdge UMC in Spring Bay made a mission
trip to the Midwest Mission Distribution Center July 23-25. While there, the group
assisted with preparing materials for flood buckets, finishing wood on school desks
that were being readied for shipment, wrapping health kits as well as assembling love
packages with Bibles and Sunday School materials for shipment. The group also assisted
with a mass mailing for the ministry. Those that participated on the trip were
Barb and Stephanie Christopher; Barb, Emily and Rachel Pleasant; Holly, Jacob and
Jason Lynn; Johnathan and Jeremy Doty; Stephen Arnold, Joe Helms, and Rev. Joe
and Branden Richard.
Photo courtesy of Joe Richard