Faith in action stories

For the second year in a row, members of Decatur First UMC joined together in an intergenerational effort to serve the people of Oakville, Iowa. Oakville was one of the many communities damaged by the floods of 2008, leaving an already struggling community in worse shape. In June, 36 members and friends of Decatur First spent a week in Oakville working on five different homes. The homes were in varying stages of re-building. One team was assigned to the “demo crew”, demolishing the floor and rebuilding it. Other crews worked in homes that were close to being ready for the homeowner to move into.

Illiopolis UMC recently celebrated its 40th anniversary of the current church facility. Many songs and readings from the original dedication service held Aug. 30, 1970 were used during the service.

An outdoor ecumenical service on Sept. 19 capped off a weekend of celebration in Williamsville, just 13 months after a devastating tornado leveled several buildings in town, including the Williamsville Christian Church.