While most people enjoy the festive spirit of major holidays, for those who have suffered recent loss the pain of isolation, loneliness and grief is underscored. The winter solstice is a natural symbol that reminds us that light eventually overcomes darkness. Even the longest, darkest night gives way to longer and brighter days.

A service of hope for those who are enduring a season of sorrow will be held on Friday, December 20, at 7:30pm in the chapel. Through candlelit song, sharing and prayer, we will honor the journey you’ve been on and set our feet on a brighter path forward. No reservations necessary.

This service will be in-person only.

It's Christmas cookie time! Our annual Missions Cookie Sale will be held on Sunday, December 15th both before and after the service. All proceeds will benefit Sustainable Action International in La Victoire, Haiti.

Come attend our Christmas Show!

Under the direction of John Davis, the Arlingtones will hold its annual barbershop a cappella Christmas show on Saturday, December 14th, at 3pm in the First United Methodist Church of Arlington Heights (FUMCAH).

Enjoy live performances with a mixed repertoire of barbershop Christmas songs sung by the chorus and various quartets!

Please join us in the Sanctuary at 7-8pm on December 8 to hear the compelling stories of victims and survivors of gun violence. FUMCAH has the honor to host this important event for the Northwest Suburban Area. This Vigil is part of the larger national movement sponsored by the Newtown Action Alliance Foundation (NAAF), an organization dedicated to remembering the victims of Sandy Hook disaster and ALL gun violence victims. This Vigil is planned by many local anti-violence groups including Moms Demand Action, NWSOFA--INDIVISBLE, Chicago Survivors, Illinois Alliance to Prevent Gun Violence, AIM-IL, and others.

We stand together with these organizations to say ENOUGH to the scourge of gun violence in our country. Please join us on December 8.

Let us know that you will be attending by clicking here-> https://mobilize.us/s/VKo0Jh

This initial meeting is to gage interest in a support group for people with critical illnesses. The group will be a place to share fear and acceptance of health crises without judgement. Participants can vent and share how they are feeling and coping.

Moving forward the group will set a day and time that is most convenient for all. Nancy Tierney will facilitate and bring donuts. Please bring your own coffee.

In honor of Bryson's 4th Heartiversary, we hope you will join us by donating blood on Saturday, December 7. Appointments are available through the website. Blood donor requirements have been updated to be more inclusive, so those who may have been ineligible before are now welcomed to share the gift of life. There is a critical shortage in our community; if you are willing and able, please join us!

If you are unable to donate or volunteer but want to help, simply spread the word to find more blood donors! Thank you!

DECEMBER 1: Help Provide Comfort to People Who Have Lost Loved Ones to Gun Violence: All Are Welcome:

On December 1, in the loggia after our worship service, members of FUMCAH will be prayerfully packing 100 comfort bags for family members who have lost a loved one to gun violence.
FUMCAH will fill these bags with items we hope can bring some solace to those suffering from the unimaginable trauma and loss due to gun violence.

We will then pass these bags onto the Chicago Survivors' Network. Members of the Chicago Survivors Network will gift these bags when they visit the close relative of the gunshot victim. Our purpose in creating these bags: To remind the suffering mother, father, brother, uncle, auntie, father, cousin, friend that God is with them. And the FUMCAH congregation stands with them in their pain.

Please join us on Dec 1 after worship for this meaningful ministry.

Loneliness is a silent epidemic sweeping across communities, affecting individuals of all ages and backgrounds. It creeps in unnoticed, often masked by the hustle and bustle of daily life. Despite being surrounded by people, many experience a profound sense of isolation, struggling with the disconnect between their inner emotions and the external world.

Our speaker will be Dr. Nicole Reidy, DSW, LCSW, ICDVP. She is a social worker at the U of Chicago, and did her doctoral dissertation on Loneliness.

Then, we have two panelists:

• James Boggess, LCSW

• Daniellah Salario, Owner, Assisting Hands Home Care

There will be time for Q&A.

All Saints Sunday is the day we remember and honor all those who have gone before us.

The Illinois Brass Band and Music Director Stephen Squires will present their opening concert of the season, “All That Brass,” on Friday, November 1st at 7:30 PM in the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church of Arlington Heights, 1903 E. Euclid Ave., Arlington Hts., IL.

Dr. Bruce Briney, recently retired professor of music at Western IL University, will be our guest soloist. He will be performing on trumpet Philip Sparke’s “Manhattan.” Tuba soloists from within the band, Dan Bethel and Chris Miller will join forces as they perform “Radiant Pathways” by Leslie Condon.

The performance will also feature the premier of James Syler’s composition “Gearbox.” Mr. Syler describes the piece in his program notes, “It has many moving parts whirling together in a repetitive groove and frenetic energy and power.” Gearbox was written in memory of his father, Robert Syler who was a lover of cars and all things mechanical.

The ever popular and recognizable “Polovtsian Dances” by Borodin, and Percy Grainger’s “Molly on the Shore” and many other brass band favorites will be featured during this evening of great music.

Tickets are available in advance at illinoisbrassband.org or at the door on the day of the performance.

Adults $15, children 18 and under $5.

The thirty member British style Illinois Brass Band is in its 33rd year of performing and is supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

Trunk or Treat is back! You're invited to wear your Halloween costume to church, invite friends, decorate a trunk, collect candy, play some games, and win prizes! Donuts, Cider/Juice, and Coffee will be outside, too! Let's work together to get 20 awesome and diverse trunks lined up. Look for our table in the Gathering Place on October 6th and 13th.