We are committed to providing a variety of ways we can connect, grow and renew energy at Gary United Methodist Church in Wheaton, IL. Get connected through a variety of volunteer opportunities. Come find your place in the following study and fellowship opportunities as we walk together in our faith journeys.
Love Your Neighbor
Sunday, April 26, 10:10 a.m., led by Dr. Andrew DeCort
This course will offer an immersive history of 'love your neighbor as yourself' – not as an abstract idea or moral imperative but as a world-shaping movement. We will explore the contemporary implications amid national events that the UMC Council of Bishops have described as causing “deep grief, concern and alarm,” centering the conversation on the embodied ethics of Jesus and the invincibility of love.
Andrew DeCort founded the Institute for Faith and Flourishing and cofounded the Neighbor-Love Movement in Ethiopia, which has reached over 20 million people with the invitation to nonviolent spirituality.
World Labyrinth Day
Saturday, May 2, 1-2 p.m., Courtyard
Join thousands of people around the globe as a meditation for world peace and celebration of the labyrinth experience. Walk the labyrinth at 1 p.m. or whenever your time allows. Invite your friends! Learn more about World Labyrinth Day here.
Caring for Creation
Sundays, May 3 & 10, 10:10 a.m., Anderson Room
A two-week series on caring for all creation, which God has called “good.”
Stewarding Creation with Native Plants
Sunday, May 3, 10:10 a.m.,
Anderson Room
Learn how integrating native plants into your garden can help steward God’s
creation while creating a natural habitat that benefits creatures great and
small — including you! Presentation by Nancy Cinatl from The Conservation
Foundation.
Talking About Climate Change
Sunday, May 10, 10:10
a.m., Anderson Room
No matter your perspective, discover how to have a respectful, productive
dialogue about this important topic. This session will center on a TED Talk by
Katherine Hayhoe, Chief Scientist at The Nature Conservancy, followed by
conversation and reflection.
WALL-E Movie Event (2008, rated G)
Wednesday, May 13, 6:30 p.m., Chapel
The Green Team welcomes all ages to this special event. Bring a blanket, lawn chairs and/or
pillows if you'd like; additional seating will be available. We'll provide the
snacks and a few questions to think about as you watch this unique, memorable
Pixar film, featuring themes of environmental stewardship and mutual care.
Summer Book and Film Fellowship
Sunday, July 26, 10:10 a.m. and
Wednesday, July 29, 6:30 p.m., Anderson Room
All are welcome to join Pastor
Daniel Cochran in reading Claire Keegan’s novella, Small Things Like
These (Grove Press, 2021). Winner of the Orwell Prize for political writing
and shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize, Small Things is a very short
but “deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy” based on the
true story of the infamous Magdalen laundries in Ireland.
Go ahead and pick up a copy and begin reading now! We will meet after worship on July 26 for a guided discussion. Then, on Wednesday evening, July 29, we will gather to watch and discuss the 2024 award-winning film adaptation directed by Tim Mielants starring Cillian Murphy and Emily Watson. Please contact Pastor Daniel Cochran with any questions.
Ongoing studies
Devotional Study Group, Half Truths
Tuesdays,
10 a.m., Commons A, led by Allen Reed
Join Adam Hamilton in this Bible study to
search for the whole truth by comparing common Christian clichés with the
wisdom found in Scripture. The clichés include: Everything happens for a
reason. God helps those who help themselves. God won’t give you more than you
can handle. God said it, I believe it, that settles it. Love the sinner, hate
the sin. Contact Allen Reed through the Church Office for more information.
Men’s Bible Study
Tuesdays, 6:30–8 p.m., Anderson Room, September through May
The Men's Bible Study is open to all men seeking a deeper understanding of the Bible and Christian Faith. Please contact Steve Novy through the Church Office for more information. Check out the next study:
The Third Day: Living the Resurrection
Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m., Anderson Room, led by Steve Novy
In The Third Day: Living the Resurrection, author Tom Berlin connects readers to the experiences of several people around Jesus in his final days, focusing on new life and redemption rather than loss. Please contact Steve Novy through the Church Office for more information.
Women's Bible Study
Wednesdays, 2 p.m., Anderson Room, September through May
The Women's Bible Study is open to all women seeking a deeper understanding of the Bible and Christian faith. Contact Holly Trueblood through the Church Office for more information. Check out the next study:
The Heart of the Psalms
Wednesdays through May 13, 2 p.m., Anderson Room, led by Holly Trueblood
All women are welcome to discuss The Heart of the Psalms by James C.
Howell. This study focuses on six psalms, each
offering a unique glimpse into God’s heart. Contact Holly Trueblood
through the Church Office to let her
know you’d like to participate.
Anti-Racist Book Club
fourth Wednesday of the month, September through May
Each month, we explore a book or film. Read the book on your own and join the conversation. Register here.
Anti-Racist Book Club | The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation by Anna Malaika Tubbs
Wednesdays, March 25 (Parts 1-5) and April 22 (Parts 6-8), 7 p.m., Commons, led by Kim Austin
Berdis Baldwin, Alberta King and Louise Little were all born at the beginning of the 20th century and forced to contend with the prejudices of Jim Crow as Black women. These three extraordinary women passed their knowledge to their children with the hope of helping them to survive in a society that would deny their humanity from the very beginning. These women used their strength and motherhood to push their children toward greatness, all with a conviction that every human being deserves dignity and respect despite the rampant discrimination they faced. Read the book on your own and register here.
Young Adult Lunch
Sundays, April 26 and May 31, 12:15 p.m., meet at Door 5
Our “post-High School/ college/ early on in adulthood/ probably in your 20s or 30s” adults are invited to join Dan Lee for lunch in downtown Wheaton on the last Sunday of the month. Our treat! RSVP to Dan Lee, or just come!
Grief Support Group
Check back in the fall of 2026 for dates/times
Grief is one of those hidden wounds that takes longer to heal than many people,
even our close friends, expect. Years after someone we love has died we may
find ourselves still wondering if we could have done things differently. We may
still shed tears or experience deep sadness. When grief is complicated by
tragic circumstances, or unresolved relationship issues, it can be especially
difficult to return to living joyfully, loving others deeply and trusting God
fully.
This small group is for people who have experienced grief recently or perhaps
years ago. It is a safe place where those who grieve can support each
other, share experiences and work through faith questions. We’ll be using
resources from Dr. Bill Webster, a well-known British grief counselor, as well
as other sources.
Please feel free to invite friends and neighbors who might find this group to be of value.
Special Blend Fellowship
Enjoy coffee, tea, treats and fellowship every Sunday morning at 10 a.m. in Commons E and near the Sanctuary. If you'd like to help with set up, clean up or providing goodies, sign up here.
The Green Team invites you to bring your own reusable dishes and utensils for all your food and fellowship opportunities at church, including when you provide treats.
Fellowship
Fourth Friday of the month, 8:30 a.m., Seven Dwarfs Restaurant, 917 E Roosevelt Rd.
Join Dan and Sandy Fridley for food and fellowship. RSVP here to reserve your place at the table.
United Women in Faith (formerly United Methodist Women)
United Women in Faith Circles are small groups that develop supportive fellowship and expand concepts of mission. All women are invited to participate. Contact the Church Office and we’ll put you in touch with the circle leader for more information on meeting dates and times.
Joy Circle
Knitting/Stitching Circle
Mary Martha
Susanna Wesley
Men's pickleball
Mondays, 7 p.m., Activity Center
Let’s get together for some fellowship, laughs and a little bit of
exercise. We’ll set up courts in the gym and rotate through positions. No
experience necessary. Bring your own pickleball racquet and ball. Sign up here. Contact Mark Mathis through the Church Office for more
information.
Second and third Saturdays of the month, 7:30 a.m., Egg'lectic Cafe, 145 N. Hale Street, Wheaton
All Gary Church men are invited to join. RSVP here to reserve a place at the table.
Walkers & Talkers Fellowship
Thursdays, 9:30 a.m., Commons
Stop in and chat with this welcoming fellowship group.
Game night
Fourth Friday of the month, 6:30–9 p.m., Commons
Join your Gary Church friends for games of bridge, dominoes or anything you like. Contact Fern Evelhoch through the Church Office for more information and to let us know you're coming.
Create cards
Thursdays, 1 p.m., Heritage Room
Anyone is welcome to drop in whenever you can to create cards. The cards go to people celebrating milestone birthdays and anniversaries. They go to people grieving or sick. And, the cards go to people to simply let them know their friends at Gary Church are thinking about them.
Help make Gary gardens gorgeous
Anyone can join the Gary Gardeners team, and in the spring, summer and fall, there’s always something to do. If you can help with weeding, watering, maintaining/updating planters, general landscaping or various short-term projects, please let Barbara Wernicke know through the Church Office.
Monday morning golfers
These golfers love to play together so much, they even meet in Florida in March! Here in Illinois, they try to play most Monday mornings in the spring, summer and fall at a different golf course each week. If you’d like to be a regular golfer or a substitute, contact the Church Office to get on the email list.
Class Meeting
each group decides best day/time
Looking for friendship? Belonging? A closer relationship with Jesus? You could find all that and more at the Class Meeting. Class Meeting is a small group that laughs, prays and encourages each other in Christ. We began our first Class Meeting the year before the pandemic, helping people grow in faith and develop deep friendships with others. For more information, contact Carey Williams Bebar.
