Ministries and Programs

Children's Ministry
United Methodist Women
Technical Arts Ministry
After School Program
Livingston County Community Food Pantry
Randy Spires Memorial Children's Fund
Cub Scouts

Boy Scouts

UNITED METHODIST WOMEN

The United Methodist Women of Pontiac First meet the first Wednesday of each month at various locations throughout the community.  The UMW is divided into separate groups called circles, at present there are three circles.  Although the meeting place changes from month to month the groups meet at the same time.

9:00 AM ▪ Faith Circle
1:30 PM ▪ Hope Circle
7:00 PM ▪ Love Circle

For exact meeting place contact the church office (815.842.1157 ▪ info@ pontiacfumc.org).

TECHNICAL ARTS MINISTRY

The Technical Arts Ministry provides a very important service at the church, particularly on Sunday mornings.  Both sound and projection falls under the Technical Arts heading.  Faithful volunteers run sound at all three of our worship services and at special events throughout the year.  Projection is also an important part of the Technical Arts Ministry.  It is used at our 8:15 AM Blended service and our 10:45 AM Contemporary service and for other special events.  Currently we use Microsoft PowerPoint for all our projection needs.  For more information about the Technical Arts Ministry contact the church office (815.842.1157 ▪ info@pontiacfumc.org).

Livingston County Community Pantry

The Rev. Gordon Peabody Memorial Food Pantry was so successful it expanded to the Livingston County Community Pantry now located at 420 N. Plum St. in Pontiac, IL. Our church is still very involved in this pantry. It is open every Mon. from 6-7 pm, Wed. from 4-6 pm and Saturday from 10am to noon. No one is turned away; it is open for anyone who asks. Each family that comes receives a variety of food items to help sustain their needs. People may come to the pantry once a month.
Donations come to the pantry in the form of food and monetary donations. The church sponsors the "First Sunday Food Drive" each month and members routinely donate time, money, and food. Assistance also comes from outside of our walls. The Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts, Post Office employees, Pontiac High School and Jr. High students, Grace Episcopal Church, St. Paul Lutheran Church, McDowell United Methodist Church, the Pontiac VFW and numerous others help to sustain this ministry in the community. For more information about the Livingston County Community Pantry contact Ruth Schlosser (844-6394 schloss4@verizon.net), Food Pantry Co-Chairman or the church office.

RANDY SPIRES MEMORIAL CHILDREN'S FUND

The Randy Spires Memorial Children's Fund was established after the unfortunate death of Judge Randy Spires, a longtime member of First United Methodist Church and friend to the entire community of Pontiac.  Randy's kindness and warm heart touched countless people while he was with us. The fund established in his name continues to touch people today.  The Fund is financially supported through the donations of members of the congregation and community.

With the financial donations the Randy Spires Memorial Children's Fund receives, teachers and staff in Pontiac School District 429 can provide for the needs of children throughout the community.  Assistance provided includes personal items (deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc.), clothing, and shoes.  The Fund also provides school supplies for students in grades kindergarten through eighth when a need arises.  In past years school supplies were provided to nearly seventy different families.  For more information on donating to, or making use of the Randy Spires Memorial Children's Fund contact Ruth Schlosser (844.6394 ▪ schloss4@verizon.net), Fund Director or the church office.

CUB SCOUTS

Cub Scout Pack 76 is chartered by the First United Methodist Church, Pontiac, IL. It is in the W.D. Boyce Council, Crossroads District. The main programming occurs September 1st through June 1st, with one activity each month during the months of June, July and August. The Cub Scout level is for boys in 1st through 5th grade. Scouting recruitment night is held in early September and is the main sign up time, but a boy may join cub scouts at anytime during the year. Each boy is part of a Den that includes other boys in the same grade. Each Den is part of the Pack. The Dens meet twice a month with their leaders to learn new things, do crafts and other projects, earn badges and go on local tours. The Pack meets once a month for the giving of awards and recognition, playing games, and discussing a monthly theme. The council provides us with opportunities to go to other events as a group, such as, The Peoria Riverman hockey game, The BU Braves basketball, a Rodeo, and The Harlem Globetrotters. We have also gone to Schaumburg, IL to Medieval Times to watch a Joust!
In October, we have a Halloween party, decorate pumpkins, play games and enjoy treats. In December, we have a Christmas party. The month of February is a time to celebrate the birthday anniversary of scouting. We celebrate by having a "Scout Sunday" at our chartering church, First United Methodist, Pontiac, serving as ushers and greeters, and making a special scout presentation of the flag. The other way we celebrate is to have a big birthday party called the Blue and Gold dinner. The pinewood derby takes place in March or April. This is an opportunity for parent and son to build a wooden car together. In late May, we have a pizza party to celebrate all of the hard work the boys have done to earn their badges. The Council brings summer day camp to Humiston Woods in early June. It is a week packed with fishing, swimming, hiking, crafts and a whole lot of fun! Activities for July and August include picnics, hiking, swimming, and camping for the whole scout family. For more information on joining the pack please contact Dave Holman (815-842-1838)

Cub Scout Photos

BOY SCOUTS

Boy Scout Troop 76 has been chartered to the First United Methodist Church since 1949. Troop 76 is in the Crossroads District of the W.D. Boyce Council of the BSA. William Dickson Boyce was the Ottawa, IL newspaper publisher who brought the Scouting program to America from England 97 years ago. Boy scouting is a year round program with monthly themes for the Troops to follow.

A Troop is made up of boys from 10 ½ to 17 years old. Most boys join a Scout Troop by crossing over from the Cub Scouts when they earn their Arrow of Light as 2nd year Webelos. The Troop is divided up into Patrols. The Troop is boy led; the Scouts elect their Senior Patrol Leader who runs the Troop meetings and leads the Troop Patrol Leader Council for planning activates. Each Patrol also elects their Patrol Leader. Other Scout leadership positions include, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Assistant Patrol Leader, Scribe, Quartermaster, and Librarian. Adult leaders are present to provide guidance and to train the boy leaders.

Scouts work on rank advancement at Troop meetings and weekend activities. The Scouts start with earning their Tenderfoot, and move on to Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and finally the Eagle rank. The scout has until his 18th birthday to complete all the requirements for Eagle and successfully complete his Eagle Board of Review. The rank requirements include scout skills, first aid, nature, physical fitness, and leadership. Tenderfoot to First Class teaches the scout the skills needed to live in the outdoors. Starting at the Star rank the scout needs to start earning merit badges, which are based on over 100 subjects in a wide variety of art, craft, hobby, sport, trade, profession, agribusiness, service, or self-improvement areas. The scout works with a registered merit badge counselor to earn the merit badges. For the Eagle rank the scout has to earn a total of 21 merit badges which includes 12 required ones.

Year round activities include; Cabin Camping in Jan. or Feb. Merit Badge days in spring held at Holy Cross Parish, Champaign, IL and at IL. State University, Bloomington and in the fall at the Clinton Power Station, Clinton Lake. Weekend campouts and hikes, a fishing derby at the Pontiac Sportsman's Club, a week long summer camp at Ingersoll Scout Reservation, London Mills, IL, and every two years a week at our Council's Cache Lake Camp in Ontario, Canada. District events include a winter Klondike Derby campout, and a Fall Camporee.

Locally the Troop participates with the Cub and Girl Scouts Scouting for Food drive in November. The troop marches in the Memorial Day and Veteran's Day parades, before Memorial Day the Troop helps the VFW place flags on the graves of veteran's in the south side cemetery, and twice a year performs roadside clean up on Route 116 west of town and the May Postal Workers Stamp out Hunger food drive. In February which is the anniversary month for scouting the Troop attends Scout Sunday at First United and holds one of our three yearly Courts of Honor.

For more information about Boy Scouting, membership application, or merit badge counseling, contact Doug Swift, Scoutmaster, at 815-842-3397 or jamesdougbob@cs.com

Troop 76 Eagle Scout Roll Call

Jerry Hilleman 1952
Richard Cottrell 1960
Mike Toon 1960
James Nanninga 1962
Roger Vertrees 1963
Joe Arthur Jr. 1963
Richard Kennedy 1965
Mark DuChesne 1966
Karl Larson 1966
Paul Ryerson 1970
John Larson 1972
Mike Dietz 1972
James Rhode 1972
Dan Fry 1973
Mark Hurt 1973
John Hurt 1973
Brian Dietz 1973
John Clutts 1973
Tom Dix 1973
Mike DuChesne 1973
Mark Larson 1973
Charles Larson 1973

Greg Landrus 1975
Robert Wilson 1977
Tim Peck 1978
Paul Peck 1980
Mike Wilson 1981
Eric J. Gualandi 1994
Mark Schindlbeck 1994
Charles Schoenherr 1994
Joe T. Ledford 1995
Aaron R. Winters 1996
Tim Kennedy 1997
Alejandro J. Estrada 1997
Kevin Folk 1997
Eric Fatka 1999
Danny Leach 2001
Nick Gualandi 2001
David Swift 2002
Kory Fatka 2003
Mike Swift 2003
Bryan Swift 2004
Sam Robinson 2006