CHURCH MINISTRIES

• Sunday School: Sunday school for Pre-K through 5th grade is from 10:15am to 11:45 to accommodate Youth Choir rehearsals. Jr. High through Adults meets from 10:30 through 11:30 am. See the Sunday School page for more information.
Vacation Bible School: Held one week during the summer months in the evenings, where children pre-school age thru 5th grade closely explores a particular event in Christ Jesus’ life. Next VBS is July 25th—July 29th, 2010.

• Children’s Church: Each Sunday during 9:00 am worship there is a message for the children. This is about 15 minutes into the worship service.

• Youth Programs: Every Sunday beginning September until May, our Youth Directors schedules some type of fun youth function for the Junior and Senior High; The youth meet once a month in the summer for family events. See the Youth Ministry page for more information and updated events. Rob Culp and Meghan Saccaro are leading the youth group.
Confirmation Class: A class for eighth graders who wish to be confirmed in the Methodist Church. Comfirmands meet every Wednesday 3-4 pm in the annex. Confirmation Sunday is Pentecost Sunday.

• Explorer Class: Held monthly to learning more about United Methodism and about Minooka United Methodist Church. Contact Pastor Mary or the church office if you are interested in joining our church.

• MUM Preschool: Minooka United Methodist Preschool, for 3 and 4 year olds during the school year, is open to the community. This is a licensed preschool for preparation in entering kindergarten level.


RELATING MINISTRY

• Sunday Fellowship: Following the conclusion of the 9:00 am Worship Service, adults are invited to gather in the Crook Fellowship Hall for a time of fellowship, coffee, and refreshments.

• Men’s Prayer Breakfast: The second Saturday of the month we meet in the church annex at 7:30 am. We enjoy a time of fellowship and have breakfast made by those attending. Tom McCoy has Bible questions to teases your brain. Also, discuss certain projects that we can participate in.


CARING MINISTRY

• Lay Hospital Visitation: When asked by the pastor, visit those in the hospital. Visitors are required to attend a training session to do this ministry.

• Stephen Ministry: A caring ministry by trained lay people. Stephen Ministers are not counselors or therapists. Instead, they are caring Christian friends who can offer a listening ear to help others through a tough time of life. Stephen Ministers are trained and supervised in their ministry. Confidentiality is the cornerstone of this ministry.

• Food Pantry: Each Wednesday, our food pantry is open to service people of our area. Several local Boy’s Scouts, St. Mary’s Church as well as our congregation keep the pantry supplied with non-perishable foods, baby items and paper products.

• College Basket: This ministry was initiated to remind our church members who attend college are not forgotten and supported with a variety of items that makes college life more bearable. This is done each fall and spring. The church congregation supports this ministry by donating these useful items. The Spirit Committee heads this program.

• Baby Basket: It is always a wonderful time to greet a brand new baby to the church family. This ministry supports the new Moms and Dads by supplying them with a “WELCOME” baby basket of useful items donated by the church congregation. The Spirit Committee heads this program.


SERVING MINISTRY

• Choir: During the first, second and third and some fourth Sundays, the Chancel Choir sings praises to God from September through May. The choir practices on Sunday mornings before Worship from 8:00-8:45 am, everyone is welcome to join. On the fourth Sunday of the month, the children sing. In addition, individuals and groups are encouraged to minister in worship services sharing their special musical talents, especially on the fifth Sunday and summer months.

• Daybreak Shelter: In response to Jesus’ call in Matthew 25 to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless, our church in conjunction with Channahon UMC, and other community churches, prepare and serve the evening meals at the shelter on E. Cass St., Joliet. We serve on the fourth Monday evenings, in April, July, September and December. Each month, members of our church prepare and serve breakfast on the Tuesday following the fourth Monday. Currently, the shelter is serving around 65-70 participants.

• Back to School Fair: This outreach, coordinated by Catholic Charities, provides a one-stop event of health and human services for low-income families in Will County as they prepare for the beginning of the school year. Included in the services are the provisions of school supplies, immunizations, physicals, vision screening, and information on family services. 2010 will be the 18th annual Fair serving nearly 800 families.

• Cropwalk: Each fall, the churches in the Channahon-Minooka area join together and walk to collect money to fight hunger both locally and globally. Of the monies raised, 75% goes for the international relief and development effort of Church World Service; 25% stays in the area for the support of our local food pantries. 2009 will be our 26th CROPWALK.

• Lay Reader Ministry: The word liturgy means “the work of the people.” To help the worshipping community, it is necessary to involve lay people in as many aspects of the service as possible. Lay Reading, one of these aspects, consists of leading the congregation in praising God, prayer, scripture reading, and occasionally assisting with communion. Helps are provided to the readers on a monthly basis and a training session on the how to’s and why’s will be provided in the coming months for current readers and any others who are interested in this ministry.

• Greeters: This program consists of one or more people to be stationed at each entrance of the church. They greet the people coming to worship on Sunday morning, with a big smile and a warm handshake, and inform new people of Sunday school and nursery care.

• Ushers: Hand out bulletins and seat worshipers. Receive the collection and straighten the pews after service.

• Office Assistance: On Thursdays, approximately 11 am, please come and help with the bulletins---folding and stuffing. Sharpen pew pencils and fill pews with offering envelopes. Around the 15th-16th of each month, the Mustard Seed is ready to collate, fold, staple, label, count and be taken to the post office. Help Karen Crawshaw prepare the quarterly statements for mailing.

• ASP (Appalachia Service Project): High School youth mission project participated for ONE week each summer to an assigned area of Appalachia. The youths help with carpentry work in all aspects of home repairs/construction for the less fortunate.


PRAYING MINISTRY

• Prayer Chain: We pray for others in their time of need. You will receive deep spiritual growth as you prayer for others. The pastor or the administrative assistant will begin the prayer chain when we have requests for prayers.


SUPPORT GROUPS

Divorce Recovery Group

Grief Support Group

Other support groups as needed