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205 S Highway Ave • Downs IL 61736
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Building Update 7/20/20
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Members of the building committee visited the site this morning to take a look at siding and windows, and while we were there we took some great new shots of the exterior.
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Phase 4 on-site Worship Services
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Are you considering joining us for on-site worship during phase 4 of Illinois re-opening plan? This post is designed to give you a clear picture of what worship at the church on Sunday morning will look like, so that you can make your own best decision about whether to join us or to wait.…
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Building Update 6/28/2020
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You’ve been watching the new structure as it quickly takes shape, and let’s have some fun with this update and go inside! These pictures were provided to show the work being done and they showcase the framing, but more pictures are on the way to show the stage, the entryway, chapel, and more! Please…
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Building Update 6/20/20
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This week’s progress on the site is nothing short of amazing! Most of the walls and beams and have been put up now, and you can really get a picture of the size and scope of the project! In the picture above you can see that the roof-framing for the multipurpose space is complete…
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New Building Update 6/15/20
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The first section of wall is standing on the site and many more are getting ready to be raised! We thought we’d share some of the good news in pictures and ask you to continue to pray for the safety of the workers, and for the joy of creating a new space for our…
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Building Update 6/8/2020
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last week the concrete slab was poured at the site! There’s a solid floor down now and it won’t be too long before you can begin to see the frame of the building as it is put together. We have a great new place to look forward to! Please continue to be in prayer…
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Building update 5/28/20
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The pieces of the building are beginning to arrive! Depending on the rain and moisture on the site, you should expect to see concrete being poured sometime next week. Once that has dried and set you’ll start to see the bones of the building going up. We’ll go from 2d to 3d! If you…
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Building Update 5/22/20
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The last pieces of the underground work are being finished. This is everything from the plumbing, to the conduit for important speaker/microphone cables and even the grease trap in the kitchen. As each of these are finished we get closer and closer to being ready to pour the concrete that will be the floor…
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The Making of a Downs UMC Digital Worship Service
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A huge thanks to all the volunteers and everyone who works to bring the service together! You are a blessing to work with, and a blessing to others.
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New Building Update 5/16/20
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Water water everywhere! The rains may slow us down a bit, but it’s neat to see some of the draining and grading work on the sight doing what it’s supposed to do. Water has been a big theme for the week as the work has moved underground to get the plumbing into the building.…
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New Building Update 5/6/2020
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Some really exciting pictures showing the excellent work that has been going on yesterday and today at the worksite!
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Setting Up for Communion
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As a part of our May 3rd worship service we will sharing a modified communion service. Following instructions from the Bishop we will be offering a very unique chance for each of us to take communion together (even though we are apart) by using the online worship service on Sunday morning. In some ways…
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New Building Update 4/27/20
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You’re looking at the places where the concrete footings of the building will be poured (possibly even today!). The wind has been a blessing to the work because it helps dry the ground quite quickly, which allows a lot more to be accomplished today. What a blessing to see the footprint beginning to take…
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New Building Update 4/22/20
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Setup for the site continues today. The mobile office has been set up for several days now to provide a place to coordinate construction from. Today we saw the instillation of a new power pole. This one is temporary for the purposes of construction, but it is exciting to see each step as it…
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New Building Update 4/14/20
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The project is on the move again! On 150 you can see our excavators beginning to work on what will become the concrete foundation of the new church. We’ll continue to keep you posted week by week as new improvements to the site begin. As we take a look at the physical foundation of…
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Confirmation Class At-Home Lessons
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Please find a couple of pdf downloads for your first at home assignment. Email pastor@downsumc.org or youth@downsumc.org if you have questions.
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Youth & Children’s Ministry
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We need feedback about NextGen Ministries (formerly referred to as Family Night). Please take a moment to fill out this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VH5FJWT Youth Group 6-12 Grade is changing it up this summer! In order to stick with following Social Distancing guidelines, we are trying to encourage students to help form small groups that are…
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Online Worship Services
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The link for the worship service is below, as is a chance for you to download the church bulletin. We put the song lyrics in the bulletin in the hopes that you’d sing along. Thanks so much for joining us for worship this morning. Our church is praying for you and we look forward…
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How the Church is Staying Connected During Phase 3
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Updated 5/30/2020 Worship Services: Because we are a congregation of over 100 on average, we are at this time planning to continue offering our main worship service online. The service is prerecorded, loaded on to the website on Saturday afternoon/evening and available for you view at your convenience (though we recommend keeping your Sunday…
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List of Downs UMC Program Updates 4/1/2020
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All church programming is postponed until further notice. Adult Sunday School: Will return when we begin to have worship in the building again. We pray that will be soon. Confirmation Class: Is going to offer an at-home lesson as a trial, watch your email in the upcoming week. Coffee with the Pastor: Is postponed…
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Faith at Home Downloadable Material
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Church Bulletins Church bulletins (which serve as our newsletters) are available for download on the Sermons page. Family Devotions This first family devotion was written by Pastor Ken using information from The Confession of Saint Patrick (actual 5th century letters) translated by John Skinner. Historical information and Bible Study are put in story for…
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Notes on Creating a Worship Experience at Home
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Worship is an attitude of the heart first and foremost. It is when we turn our hearts toward God in thankfulness, awe, wonder, and adoration. While it may be easier to worship in a church building, with our brothers and sisters in Christ, with the right music, and at a particular time on Sunday… …
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Faith at Home
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Home sick, or staying away from crowds during flu season? We’ve got you covered. Please know that your church misses you, and looks forward to seeing you when you’re feeling better. In the meantime we’ve got some great resources for you to explore in the links below. Notes on Creating a Worship Experience at…
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A Healthy Church
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With the large amounts of fear and worry surrounding the rough flu season, and the reports of corona virus this year, we thought we would take a few moments to let you know what Downs UMC is doing in response. Short Version: We are still having church on Sunday, but absolutely understand and respect…
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Building Update 3_5_2020
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As we await dryer weather and the arrival of the electric utility to the worksite, it’s a great time to update you on the fantastic work of our Legacy team. They have been busy at work gathering pictures from the congregation, histories from local archives, lists of pastors who have served, and much more. …
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Building Update 2/24/2020
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While we continue to wait for better weather, this Sunday we heard an update from the Trustees. The three center panels of the largest stained glass windows of the church will soon be removed (in late-mid March or early April). They are being removed now to give enough time for them to be prepared…
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Building Update 2_16_20
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All that moisture and weather that is slowing the project down came together on Sunday to make an absolutely beautiful picture: a blank canvas upon which will be written the next chapter of a church that has served in this town since 1833. A place that we pray God can use to bless our…
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New Building Update 2/7/20
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While we continue to wait for better temps and less water in the ground, our church is quite busy preparing for the move. Our Legacy team is collecting photographs of our history, and looking into the village and county archives to best tell the story of our church (which began in 1833!). Our Publicity…
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New Ministry: Grief Share
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UPDATE: The start date for this ministry has been moved back one week, it is now Sunday March 1st, at the same time (4:00 PM) Downs United Methodist is adding a new dimension to pastoral care for those experiencing grief and loss. Beginning on Sunday March 1st we will be offering a grief recovery…