Calvary UMC's annual Charge Conference will be held at 1:30PM on Sunday, October 25 at Morningstar United Methodist Church (3714 Fort Jesse Rd in Normal). In our denomination, Charge Conference is an annual meeting where budgets are approved for the next year, committee members and other leaders are formally elected, and reports are received. Anyone who wants to attend is welcome, and any full member of Calvary is allowed to vote on the business at hand. This year's charge conference will again be a cluster meeting where a number of other area United Methodist churches will be present, allowing for some relationship building as well as business matters...hence the meeting be held at Morningstar UMC.

Calvary’s Fall Festival was a big hit! We enjoyed blowing bubbles, painting pumpkins, eating s’mores, taking a hayrack ride and going ga-ga for Gaga Ball! Here are just a few of some of our favorite moments from the event. Thanks to our wonderful volunteers who made this event even better!

Men’s Faith and Fellowship will begin a new season of study, fellowship, and support of each other on Wednesday, October 21 2026. We will study “Jesus Is Lord—Living in the Lordship of Christ.” This is the latest study by Tom Berlin. This is for all men who want their life to conform to the way of life Jesus lived.

We meet at 7:00 am on Wednesday mornings in Room 111, and begin with refreshments and coffee share joys and concerns, have a video study, and discussion among the group. There is plenty of room for any man that would like to seek to follow Christ more fully by engaging in study together. Growth happens in community.

If you would like to participate, please contact Gil Dorsey at dorsey.gil@gmail.com, or (309)830-8316 or Jim Brown at jim.brown2801@comcast.net or (309) 825-1216 for us to make certain we can provide the study materials needed.

Please consider volunteering to help at Faith in Action. There are many folk in our area that need help getting to doctor's appointments, groceries, friendly visitors or callers, etc. Some people need help on Saturdays also.
Upcoming Events:
- Medicare 101 & 2027 Updates presentation will be shared at ARC on October 13 at 10:00 a.m. Call FIA to sign up.
- Leaf raking signup is being scheduled for November 14 & 21. 
- October is Mental Health Awareness month.
- Christmas Card Signing will be held on November 13th at Grace Church.
- Volunteer orientations are the first Tuesday of the month at 2:30pm at the ARC Community Room. Sign up here. FIA is seeking volunteers drivers to transport seniors to needed medical appointments. Get behind your community by getting behind the wheel for Faith in Action!

Your child(ren) from Preschool through High School are invited to be part of a Kids Choir that will sing with Calvary's Adult Choir on October 25 during 9 a.m. Worship. We would love to have your child join the fun and sing in worship.
Rehearsals will be held in the Choir Room between Worship services (approximately 10-10:20 a.m.) on October 4, 11 & 18. It is OK if you can't make it to all of the rehearsals.
You can access the Choir Room by using either the left stage door in the Worship Center or by walking around the Play Area to the Choir Hallway. If your child will be attending rehearsals directly after attending KidVenture, we will walk them to the Choir Room.
If you have any questions, please contact Leslie Gully at Lesliegully@yahoo.com or by text at (605) 228-8639.

Calvary is hosting a fall themed event for our neighbors at Evergreen (1700 Evergreen Boulevard, Normal). As usual, we will have some fun activities, games, and snacks to share with them. All ages and abilities are welcome to participate as volunteers. Join us on Tuesday, October 20 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Evergreen Dining Room. Reach out to Erin Scott with any questions or to confirm your participation. 

Help us provide Thanksgiving meals to our neighbors in need!
Home Sweet Home Ministries (HSHM), Thrivent, and Midwest Food Bank are partnering again this year for The Big Give, a Thanksgiving meal food collection designed to help local families enjoy a special holiday meal.

Collection Dates: Sunday, September 27 – Sunday, October 11
Collection Location: Collection boxes will be available in the atrium.
Items Needed:
• Stuffing mix
• Canned corn
• Canned green beans
• French-fried onions
• Boxes of mashed potatoes
• Canned pumpkin pie mix
• Boxes of pie crust mix
• Turkey certificates from Hy-Vee or other Grocery Stores
(Hy-Vee or other grocery stores will provide the certificate directly to Midwest Food Bank.)

The meal boxes, complete with turkeys, will be distributed by Home Sweet Home Ministries and Midwest Food Bank on Saturday, November 21, at the Normal Midwest Food Bank warehouse.
With your generosity, Home Sweet Home Ministries and Midwest Food Bank hope to provide 2,000 Thanksgiving meal boxes to families in need again this year.
Every donation makes a difference. Thank you for helping make Thanksgiving a little brighter for our neighbors!

Grief is a journey that shouldn’t be traveled alone. This Christ-centered program helps people apply biblical principles as they deal with the emotions and life stresses following the death of a loved one.
Sharyl Jennings will lead a 13 week course every Tuesday evening at Calvary UMC (1700 N Towanda Ave, Normal) from 6-8 p.m. in room 111. 

We'd love to have you join us as we create mats from plastic bags. The mats are donated to local agencies that serve the homeless. We meet in lower level room 8 on the first and third Tuesdays from 10-noon, and the second and fourth Sundays from 2-4 p.m. Anyone interested in joining is welcome; no experience necessary!

Medical supplies collected are then distributed to other countries for those in need.  Please contact Susan Sopek if you have any of the following to donate:

• Walkers

• Crutches

• Canes

• Misc Orthopedic Supplies (walking boots, slings, braces)

Greetings, all. We have once again heard that emails are circulating from people alleging to be staff members of our church. If you receive an email claiming to be from Pastor Vince or any other staff member that is not from an official church email (@connectwithcalvary.org), it should be treated with great suspicion, if not completely disregarded. Please be safe and vigilant to protect yourself from scammers.

Calvary serves meals for those who are food insecure in our community on the first and third Fridays of the month. In the near future, you can sign up to serve on Oct 2, 16, and Nov 6. Please contact Tammy Carlson if interested. 309-533-6663, Tk.carlson@yahoo.com. 

Volunteer to help aging adults get to medical appointments, shop for groceries, and stay engaged. Get behind the wheel for care receivers! You hold the keys to a kinder community. Begin with Faith in Action Volunteer Training. Call Stacey at 309-827-7780.
Volunteer orientations are the first Tuesday of the month at 2:30 p.m. in the ARC Community Room. https://bnfia.org/i-want-to-volunteer/.

The Backpack Ministry next meets on October 14 at 10:45 in the lower level of the preschool wing.  We will unload the truck, unbox the food and pack the bags to be delivered to Parkside Elementary School. All ages and abilities are welcome to come and help.

The Backpack Ministry receives food from Midwest Food Bank and packs it into bags to be taken to Parkside Elementary School. The bags are given out to students that have food insecurities so they have food over the weekends. We need people to join us on Wednesday morning to unload the food from Midwest Food Bank, unbox it and pack it into bags to be taken to Parkside Elementary School. The process takes about an hour and all abilities and ages are welcome.

47% of area students qualify for free and reduced lunch through their school. With grocery prices on the rise it is getting harder for families to afford food for meals.  Midwest Food Bank tries to fill that gap for families by providing food for students that qualify for free and reduced lunch over their weekends when students are at home and not in school. Calvary has been a partner with Parkside Elementary School for many years now and this year we will be partnering with them again to provide bags of food for the children to take home for the weekend. Each month we receive a pallet of food from Midwest Food Bank and we meet as a group and unload the truck, organize the food and pack grocery bags that are delivered to Parkside Elementary School and given to the students on Friday to take home for the weekend.

Come join us as we build the Faith House for the 2026-2027 Habitat for Humanity Season.

Build dates: Third Saturday of the month
Location: 16 Trailside Court, Bloomington 
Time: 8 a.m. to noon
Who Can Volunteer: No experience required! Volunteers must be 16 years or older
Snacks Needed: Calvary is also looking for people to provide snacks for volunteers. Contact Jon Eric Fujimoto if you are interested in participating this way. 

If you're looking for a meaningful way to give back, Habitat for Humanity volunteering is a great place to be. Let’s make this another incredible season of service and community!

Dream Weavers uses plastic grocery bags to weave mats for those in situations where a simple sleeping mat is needed. We meet in Room 4 on the lower level on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays (10 a.m.- noon), and the 2nd and 4th Sundays (2-4 p.m.) of each month. Come join us - no experience necessary! For more information, contact Larry or Lurinda Venezia or Sandy Dickson.

Calvary serves meals at Safe Harbor ever first and third Friday of the month. If you are interested in serving, please contact Tammy Carlson. If you are new or have questions, please feel free to reach out! 

The word must be getting out about our little food pantry - it has been utilized much more in the past few months! Thank you, Calvary Family, for keeping it stocked so well!
Due to current inventory, we'd like to focus on stocking breakfast items for the next few weeks:

• cereal (all kinds, all sizes)

• pancake mix & syrup

• granola bars

• anything else that you might eat in the morning

• soups and single meals are still flying off the shelves, as well

Calvary’s food pantry is a great lifeline for those in our community who need food assistance. If you are hoping to receive items from the pantry, it is located in our entryway and available at any time of the day, any week, to anyone.

Your contributions are welcome at any time. Here is a list of suggested items to bring in any time:

Protein Sources 

• Canned: tuna, chicken, salmon, or other meat

• Dried: or canned beans (black beans, chickpeas, pinto beans)

• Peanut butter: or other nut butters

Grains 

• Pasta

• Rice: and rice mixes

• Oatmeal: and other hot cereals

• Whole-grain: bread, crackers, and cereal

Fruits & Vegetables 

• Canned: or dried fruits (peaches, pears, raisins), canned or dried vegetables (corn, tomatoes, peas), fruit in juice or water (not syrup)

• Low-sodium: canned vegetables

Soups, Sauces & Condiments 

• Canned: soups and chili

• Spaghetti: and tomato sauces

• Salsa

• Oils: (vegetable, olive, canola)

• Condiments: like ketchup, mustard, and spices

Other 

• Nuts: and seeds

• Shelf-stable: milk

• Baking staples: such as flour, sugar, and corn starch

• Personal care items: and cleaning supplies

  Questions? Contact Susan Sopek.

The Prayer Shawl Ministry will begin meeting Tuesday, February 11. We will be working on shawls as well as hats, scarves, and mittens of all sizes. Join us as we work and pray every 2nd and 4th Tuesday from 9:30-11am in L7.  No experience is required. All materials are provided, including yarn, patterns, and needles/hooks. We also have shawls available to be given to individuals in need of warmth and comfort. For more information, contact Linda Ferrence.