First United Methodist Church of Evanston, IL

Canceled for Feb. 26th-Lunch Break with Mr. Colin!
2025-02-12 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago)
Lunch Break with Mr. Colin is canceled for February 26th.
This February, Children’s Ministry invites you to get out and warm up with stories and songs on Wednesdays at noon beginning February 12. Bring a lunch and settle in for live guitar, action songs and sing-alongs, and resonant stories of wonder, followed by a take-home activity and devotion. Open to all but especially suited for families with children ages 0-6. No registration required.

3R's Rehearsal
2025-02-12 18:00 - 19:15 | Great Hall

Stare at the Sun Choral Rehearsal
2025-02-12 19:00 - 22:00 | Sanctuary

Rainbows, Resistance and Reconciliation (R3)
2025-02-15 - 2025-02-16 | Sanctuary, Chapel, Glenna, Dining Room, Third Floor rooms, basement rooms, Great Hall
A Celebration of our Intersectional Pride
In the month of our 11th Anniversary as a
Reconciling Ministry Network (RMN) Congregation
Black History Month
First United Methodist Church of Evanston
REGISTER HERE

Saturday/Sunday, February 15-16th, 2025
First United Methodist Church in Evanston (FUMCE) is celebrating it’s eleventh anniversary as a reconciling congregation that seeks justice and dignity for all LGBTQIA+ persons. The event for February 15-16th is a time to revisit our commitment and move into the future in these difficult times.
Our focus is on Intersectional pride and justice. FUMCE is a welcoming Christian community of the United Methodist Church (UMC) that offers hospitality, congregational care, and fellowship to all. We embrace individuals and families of all gender identities, sexual orientations, ethnicities, races, and economic backgrounds. We are a community of faith seeking the transformation of the world through Jesus’ courageous love.
On the 11th anniversary of joining the RMN fellowship, we are celebrating this milestone with an event called “Rainbows, Resistance and Reconciliation (R3)”. Our desire is to bring the Reconciling community and prospective congregations in Evanston, our district area and Conference together in the spirit of love and fellowship.
These types of events in Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church have not happened since before the beginning of the COVID epidemic.
On Saturday, February 15th at the Anniversary Celebration we will welcome a national speaker. There will be local clergy and lay leaders participating in a panel on “What Next post UM General Conference and post Election 2024”, Rev. Dr. Pamela Lightsey is the preacher for the Anniversary Worship Service on Sunday, February 16, and will lead us in reflections on what is to come as we move forward together. There will be workshops focusing on various topics, including intersectional justice, queer and trans issues, being allies and biblical interpretation that heals not harms.
In this event we seek to:

Provide opportunities for healing and hope: Build Community
Vision faithful movement forward. Strategize about what people and churches need for this work.
Identify ambassadors for LGBTQIA+ justice and advocacy (as RMN names them)
Address issues facing us now like ongoing prejudice and the many hateful laws restricting gender affirming care.
Strategize to take action against violence inflicted on members of the community,, especially transgender folk
Address issues of mental health as relates to homophobic Christian teachings and societal attitudes and seek to reduce high suicide rates (ie mental health )
Embrace Queer folk who because of cultural structural context (color) may still feel a need to be closeted

Please visit the event site for more details.

Styrofoam Collection
2025-02-16 09:30 - 12:00
Bring your Styrofoam to Church to be Recycled!
Every 3rd Saturday of the month, 10 am to 12 noon, at the Church Street entrance.
And now every the 3rd Sunday of the month, near the front office.

Focus Group
2025-02-16 11:30 - 12:30 | Dining Room
Members of the 2024 Winter Inquirers Class are invited to participate in a focus group after worship on February 16 to provide input to the Membership Committee about how to more effectively connect and engage newer members. Questions? Please contact David Smith or Mary Taylor-Johnson.

Stare at the Sun Choral Concert
2025-02-16 14:30 - 17:30 | Sanctuary

Adult Christian Education Monthly Meeting
2025-02-17 19:00 - 20:30
The meeting content is discussing and planning adult education events. Meetings are monthly Format is in-person and Zoom participation. Contact: Dennis Barbour at dennisbarbour@sbcglobal.net. This event is confined to committee members, though guests are welcome.

Canceled for February 26th-Lunch Break with Mr. Colin!
2025-02-19 12:00 - 13:00
Canceled for February 26th.
This February, Children’s Ministry invites you to get out and warm up with stories and songs on Wednesdays at noon beginning February 12. Bring a lunch and settle in for live guitar, action songs and sing-alongs, and resonant stories of wonder, followed by a take-home activity and devotion. Open to all but especially suited for families with children ages 0-6. No registration required.

Youth Retreat
2025-02-21 - 2025-02-23 | Wesley Woods
Our youth are heading back to Wesley Woods for an exciting weekend retreat! This is a weekend full of self-reflection, bonding, and plenty of memories. This is open to all youth (7th-12th grade), so reach out to Sydney for more information!

Couples Salon Sips, Dips and Dessert
2025-02-22 18:00 - 22:00
Celebrate Mardi Gras with Couples Salon on February 22 from 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm at the Clemens’ home in Evanston. Come any time between 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm to enjoy sips, dips and desserts at this fun gathering co-hosted by Tom & Marion Clemens and Daniel & Catharina Maerklin.
RSVP to Marion at redmarion77@comcast.net to let her know you are coming and whether you are bringing a Sip, Dip or Dessert to share.

Distribution of One Church/One Book copies
2025-02-23 09:00 - 12:00 | Fountain Foyer
One Church/One Book Distribution, Sunday mornings, 2/23 and 3/2 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Two distribution tables will be staffed by ACE members who will distribute the books and collect the $10 fee. All church members and guests. Dennis Barbour, ACE Chair–dennisbarbour@sbcglobal.net, 815-806-9434.

Children's Choir Rehearsal
2025-02-23 10:00 - 10:15 | Sanctuary
Children’s Choir prepares to sing in worship. Please meet on the front steps in the Sanctuary for our brief rehearsal. Participation in Wednesday rehearsals is required to participate.

Children in Action: Fill in the (SNAP)Gap!
2025-02-23 12:00 - 13:30 | Dining Room
Children in Action is teaming up with Mission & Outreach to help prepare items for Interfaith Action’s SNAPGap collection. Toothbrushes and toothpaste will be distributed at Interfaith Action Evanston’s March 11 Producemobile, located at the Robert Crown Community Center. Each month the Producemobile and SNAPGap serve 225-300 households with as many as 1,260 people.
Children in grades 1-6 are invited and encouraged to step into service of our greater community on Sunday, February 23 from 12:00-1:30 p.m., with lunch provided! See details and register here.

CANCELED- Lunch Break with Mr. Colin!
2025-02-26 12:00 - 13:00

Inquirers Morning of Service and Lunch
2025-03-01 10:00 - 13:00 | Dining Room
Our 2025 Winter Inquirers Class along with others in their households are invited to a Morning of Service on Saturday, March 1, 10-1:00pm. In the morning we will pack hundreds of diapers for Bundled Blessings diaper bank’s monthly distribution to families in and around Evanston through a dozen local social service agencies. At noon we’ll enjoy a casual lunch together in the dining room. Depending on our numbers and needs we may also make sack lunches that day for the Good News Shelter in Rogers Park. Good News provides transitional housing for women and children.

Bundled Blessings Diaper Packing groups
2025-03-01 10:30 - 14:30 | Room M

Music Ministry Recording
2025-03-01 12:00 - 15:00 | Sanctuary

Memorial Service
2025-03-01 14:00 - 16:00 | Glenna Hall and Tittle Chapel

Join the Sandbox Revolution!
2025-03-02 09:15 - 10:15 | Dining Room
After gathering in the Dining Room for First Church’s first Sunday of the month time of “celebration,” keep the intergenerational party going with Children’s Ministry and Social Justice Intersections! In dialogue with older youth and adults, children of First Church will share what contributing to various mission and outreach activities means to them before leading us down the hall to Messy Church where all ages are invited to help make sack lunches with children as our guide.

Messy Lent!
2025-03-02 09:30 - 10:30 | Great Hall

Learn A New Prayer Practice For Lent
2025-03-02 12:00 - 13:00 | Dining Room
Learn a New Prayer Practice for Lent
John Wesley encourages us to pray without ceasing. In our busy lives, with so many distractions, it can be difficult to keep to a regular prayer practice. Beads have been used by many faiths over the centuries as a meditative way to focus attention on prayers. Join us on Sunday March 2 to create a set of beads and learn about this ancient prayer practice just in time for Lent. We will meet in the dining room at noon. There will be a fee of $12.00 to cover materials costs. Contact Mari Leonard with questions and to register for the class. mari.leonard@comcast.net

Bundled Blessings Diaper Packing with Woman's Club of Evanston
2025-03-04 19:00 - 20:30 | Room M

Ash Wednesday Morning Service
2025-03-05 06:30 - 08:30 | Tittle Chapel

Bundled Blessings Diaper Packing with First Bank Chicago and Kellogg group
2025-03-05 10:30 - 12:00 | Room M

Ash Wednesday Noon Service
2025-03-05 12:00 - 13:00 | Tittle Chapel

Children's Choir Rehearsal
2025-03-05 17:30 - 18:00 | Choir Room
Children in grades 1-6 rehearse weekly and sing in worship monthly. No audition is required and new singers are welcome throughout the year. For more information, email Dr. Brian Schoettler.

Ash Wednesday Potluck
2025-03-05 18:00 - 19:00 | Dining Room
The 40 days of Lent are a time to extend ourselves inside and out in rhythm with the lengthening days and life of Christ. Embrace and observe this holy season as we bake pretzels, create prayer journals, and join together for good food and conversation before Ash Wednesday service at 7:00 p.m.
Please help us to plan food and materials by registering here.

Chancel Choir Rehearsal
2025-03-05 18:30 - 19:00 | Sanctuary
Adults and high school youth rehearse music for worship in the Chancel at the front of the Sanctuary. No audition required. Email Dr. Brian Schoettler for more information.

Ash Wednesday Service
2025-03-05 19:00 - 20:00 | Tittle Chapel
