In the church and our surrounding community, we strive to be Christ's hands and feet to those in need. To help us further this vision, we support a variety of local community organizations and programs.
Monthly Mission Project - each month our church family works together to collect items and funds for a specific mission project, chosen by the Mission Committee & Church Staff. Please contact the church office for more details or with questions - [email protected], or 708-352-1250.
SEPTEMBER MONTHLY MISSION - Refugee Resettlement
This month, we’re joining the established work of two Riverside churches (Ascencion Lutheran & Riverside Presbyterian) to help welcome a refugee family locally. The commitment to a family is to fundraise the first three months of rent/utilities, and half of the second three months, as well as gather all the items to furnish a home. A sign-up genius will be available soon to donate specific items, but financial donations can be made to the church, designating “Monthly Mission” on the envelope or online drop down menu. The settlement team is also looking for additional mentors – a mentor commits to offer weekly support for 6 months, visiting the family each week to help with all things as the family transitions to life in the greater Chicagoland area. You would join a team of 4 mentors for this one family. Please email Hattie ([email protected]) if you would like to volunteer for this role or have any questions.
SEPTEMBER MONTHLY MISSION - Refugee Resettlement
This month, we’re joining the established work of two Riverside churches (Ascencion Lutheran & Riverside Presbyterian) to help welcome a refugee family locally. The commitment to a family is to fundraise the first three months of rent/utilities, and half of the second three months, as well as gather all the items to furnish a home. A sign-up genius will be available soon to donate specific items, but financial donations can be made to the church, designating “Monthly Mission” on the envelope or online drop down menu. The settlement team is also looking for additional mentors – a mentor commits to offer weekly support for 6 months, visiting the family each week to help with all things as the family transitions to life in the greater Chicagoland area. You would join a team of 4 mentors for this one family. Please email Hattie ([email protected]) if you would like to volunteer for this role or have any questions.
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Apportionments - As United Methodists, our local church is connected to all other United Methodist churches in the world. Apportionments (a portion meant for others) are the way that local churches combine their financial resources to enable our vision for mission and ministry at every level of the United Methodist Church.
BEDS Plus - Building Ecumenical Discipleship through Sheltering (BEDS) seeks to help vulnerable individuals stabilize their lives through housing and supportive services. Part of their work is to provide overnight shelter, meals and access to community resources. FUMC LaGrange is the Thursday evening BEDS shelter location.
Cradles to Crayons - We are newly the LaGrange-area drop-off site for this Chicago-based organization that collects new & nearly new children's items to be processed by volunteers in "The Giving Factory", and then distributed to disadvantaged children in Chicago through a diverse network of service partners. A list of needed items can be found on the outside of the donation box located in the Cossitt entrance lobby.
End 68 Hours of Hunger - A list of food items for this school-year collection is available on orange wallet-sized cards in the Gathering Space or outside the End 68 store-room (upstairs by staff offices). Food donations can be left in the shopping carts located by the church library or church office, or outside the End 68 store room.
Feed My Starving Children - FMSC is a non-profit Christian organization committed to feeding God's hungry in body and spirit. The approach is simple: children, youth & adults hand-pack meals specifically formulated for malnourished children, and ship these meals to nearly 70 countries around the world. Our church sends several teams of all ages each year to pack meals.
LeaderShop - This is a local youth-empowerment organization that we support through occasional facility use as well as an annual back-to-school supply drive.
Pillars/Community Nurse - This is the largest nonprofit provider of mental health and social services in the western and southwestern suburbs of Chicago, serving 10,000 people each year through direct client services. Our church supports this organization financially and in a number of other ways throughout the year.
Salt Creek Clean-up - Members of our church volunteer once a year with the Salt Creek Watershed Network on their annual clean-up day to remove debris along and in the Salt Creek.
St. Barbara's Food Pantry - we have an ongoing collection for non-expired boxed and canned goods to take over to St. Barbara's Food Pantry. Please leave donations in the shopping carts located by the church library or in the church office.
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Community Diversity and Anti Racism - In conjunction with the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church, we formed a task force in 2020 to study the church's role in racism and what we as Christians should be doing about it. Click here for more information, and let us know if you would like to be part of this mission.
We also partner with the local CommUNITY Diversity Group of La Grange. Boy Scout Troop 14 - Troop 14 is a very active scout troop for boys and girls ages 11-18. Our scouts go on outings every month and high adventures each summer. They meet Tuesday evenings at our church.
Cub Scout Pack 14 - Pack 14 is a very active cub scout pack for boys and girls ages 6 to 10. These younger kids go on outings with their parents and have summer camp experiences as well.
CROP Hunger Walk - Crop Hunger Walk is an annual fall community event that promotes hunger education and fundraising for local hunger relief, sponsored by Church World Service.
Environmental Stewardship - Our church has an Environmental Justice Committee that works to raise awareness of environmental issues and provide opportunities for the congregation to participate in the healing and reconciling of all creation.
Interfaith Community Partners - This organization helps older adults maintain their independence. Volunteer opportunities include transportation, telephone calls, and visitation.
Kids Above All - Our congregation annually supports this Chicago-land organization that believes in placing the safety, well-being and education of kids above all else. In November, we provide Christmas gifts for children & youth for the annual Holiday Gift-Giving Program, and in summer we do a school supplies drive.
Methodist Attic Rummage Sale - Members from our church organize a massive rummage sale each fall. Whether helping publicize the event in the community, dropping off donations, sorting and pricing donations, volunteering during the sale, showing up to shop, or helping clean-up after, this event is truly a church-wide effort. Proceeds go to support the various missions & ministries of our church. The Book Room from the sale is open year-round - head in to purchase a book or leave your donations. All proceeds go toward next year's sale.
Saturday Meals - This is the weekly meal program at the First Congregational Church of LaGrange. Our youth volunteer during the lunch shift once a month throughout the year, helping set-up, serve & clean-up.
Suits for Success - Suits and other dressier items of clothing that might be worn for job interviews can be left on the clothing rack in the lower level hallway at the bottom of the Cossitt entrance stairs. These are periodically picked up by a Prison Ministry organized by United Methodist Men in western suburbs.
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