CONGREGATIONAL/LOCAL NEWS
Yellow Creek Church of the Brethren (Pearl City) is celebrating its 175th anniversary in 2023! The congregation will hold a celebration on Sunday, June 11, with worship beginning at 10 a.m., followed by a catered meal at noon and a celebration service at 1:30. All are welcome.
After about a quarter-century of service, the Illinois “Way of Christ” movement has decided to bring the movement to a close, as attendance numbers have declined in recent years. The Illinois/Wisconsin District along with the Illinois Mennonite Conference provided seed money for the startup of this Anabaptist effort, which equipped and inspired about 1,000 people in Illinois over the course of its ministry through three-day retreats. This movement was a spiritual growth tool for equipping believers in their personal response to Christ and leadership in their congregations and community. We are grateful to Dan Rusmisel (Lanark) and Judd Peter (Neighborhood) for their leadership in this program, and for all the others who have assisted and participated in its ministry over the years.
With no handy storage spot for its large Christmas tree, West Branch (near Polo, Ill.) came up with a creative solution: Rather than hauling the conifer into the hard-to-access nooks and crannies of the historic church, it now just leaves the tree up all year, decorating it for each season as a part of the worship center. So this spring, for example, it became a spring-themed Easter tree. Members of the congregation transform it regularly for other occasions through the calendar.
Cherry Grove (Lanark, Ill.) has several special events coming up, including an outdoor worship in its shelter with breakfast on June 11 and again on Aug. 13, starting at 9:30 a.m., and a potluck with homemade ice cream following worship on July 16. A wiener roast with homemade ice cream will take place Sept. 16 at 5:30 p.m. The congregation has also been gathering supplies for several area service organizations.
The Champaign congregation is taking the denomination’s “Jesus in the Neighborhood” emphasis seriously, devoting a large amount of its resources to reach its surrounding area. Though the church is small in numbers, its in-town location allows it to connect readily with numerous people in need. Ministry team member Dawn Blackman has taken the lead in the community outreach, which includes activities for children and youth, a large donation space in the church’s basement, skills training classes, a nearby community garden, and other services for the area. Champaign has been in its current building on Neil St. for 70 years, but its history in the city goes back to about 1900.
Terry Link, former chaplain at Pleasant Hill Village in Girard, is planning to hold a reunion event in June for family members of residents who were at the Church of the Brethren-founded retirement community before the nursing care portion of the facility closed in 2018. The remaining assisted living portion was sold in 2021.
On May 7, architect Marvin Holt led a presentation on the stained glass windows in the Chicago First church. Holt designed the windows, which replaced the originals that were present when the congregation purchased the building in 1925. The current windows were installed in 1975, celebrating 50 years of ministry at the current location. The event included conversation about the process of designing the windows, choice of material, significance of each panel, importance of the windows for the neighborhood, and the ministry of the windows. “First Church gives thanks to the many people who supported our need for new windows, which brings much joy to those who enter the sanctuary,” said member Joyce Cassel. “Each time one enters there is a different frame of light on the windows and thus a new understanding of Christ’s mission here at 425 S. Central Park, Chicago.”
Do you have congregational news: celebrations, milestones, “Jesus in the Neighborhood” stories or other things to share with our district family? Please send those to the district office: andreag.iwdcob@gmail.com.
After about a quarter-century of service, the Illinois “Way of Christ” movement has decided to bring the movement to a close, as attendance numbers have declined in recent years. The Illinois/Wisconsin District along with the Illinois Mennonite Conference provided seed money for the startup of this Anabaptist effort, which equipped and inspired about 1,000 people in Illinois over the course of its ministry through three-day retreats. This movement was a spiritual growth tool for equipping believers in their personal response to Christ and leadership in their congregations and community. We are grateful to Dan Rusmisel (Lanark) and Judd Peter (Neighborhood) for their leadership in this program, and for all the others who have assisted and participated in its ministry over the years.
With no handy storage spot for its large Christmas tree, West Branch (near Polo, Ill.) came up with a creative solution: Rather than hauling the conifer into the hard-to-access nooks and crannies of the historic church, it now just leaves the tree up all year, decorating it for each season as a part of the worship center. So this spring, for example, it became a spring-themed Easter tree. Members of the congregation transform it regularly for other occasions through the calendar.
Cherry Grove (Lanark, Ill.) has several special events coming up, including an outdoor worship in its shelter with breakfast on June 11 and again on Aug. 13, starting at 9:30 a.m., and a potluck with homemade ice cream following worship on July 16. A wiener roast with homemade ice cream will take place Sept. 16 at 5:30 p.m. The congregation has also been gathering supplies for several area service organizations.
The Champaign congregation is taking the denomination’s “Jesus in the Neighborhood” emphasis seriously, devoting a large amount of its resources to reach its surrounding area. Though the church is small in numbers, its in-town location allows it to connect readily with numerous people in need. Ministry team member Dawn Blackman has taken the lead in the community outreach, which includes activities for children and youth, a large donation space in the church’s basement, skills training classes, a nearby community garden, and other services for the area. Champaign has been in its current building on Neil St. for 70 years, but its history in the city goes back to about 1900.
Terry Link, former chaplain at Pleasant Hill Village in Girard, is planning to hold a reunion event in June for family members of residents who were at the Church of the Brethren-founded retirement community before the nursing care portion of the facility closed in 2018. The remaining assisted living portion was sold in 2021.
On May 7, architect Marvin Holt led a presentation on the stained glass windows in the Chicago First church. Holt designed the windows, which replaced the originals that were present when the congregation purchased the building in 1925. The current windows were installed in 1975, celebrating 50 years of ministry at the current location. The event included conversation about the process of designing the windows, choice of material, significance of each panel, importance of the windows for the neighborhood, and the ministry of the windows. “First Church gives thanks to the many people who supported our need for new windows, which brings much joy to those who enter the sanctuary,” said member Joyce Cassel. “Each time one enters there is a different frame of light on the windows and thus a new understanding of Christ’s mission here at 425 S. Central Park, Chicago.”
Do you have congregational news: celebrations, milestones, “Jesus in the Neighborhood” stories or other things to share with our district family? Please send those to the district office: andreag.iwdcob@gmail.com.
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