SERVICES & ACTIVITIES

Christian Education and Spiritual Growth

The United Church of Byron provides Christian nurture to guide and support children and adults as they grow in their commitment to being disciples of Jesus Christ. There are education classes for all ages.

One adult education class on Sunday morning provides a variety of perspectives. A more traditional study during the week (Wednesday night) will offer adults an opportunity to go through a particular book of the Bible, and begin to understand it in depth. A second class during the day will address various issues and topics related to the Christian life. We will be studying in the up coming weeks such varied topics as:  What the Bible says about Alcohol; Christian parenting; Surviving Loneliness, Grief, Resentment, Etc.;  as well as that we learn about angels in the Bible

In addition, we offer opportunities for Bible study, and special occasions for growth during holiday seasons. We invite you to learn and grow in your Christian understanding and commitment to our Lord!

Worship

WORSHIP is the heart of the church's life and mission. In worship we return to the  well-springs of the faith and are engaged in communion with God who calls us. We discover new relationships of love and peace with each other and are sent to minister in the world in the name of Christ. Worship is of primary importance to our life as the people of God. It is the principal means by which faith is formed within us and the most visible way our faith is expressed. Everything the church is and does flow from its worship.

Sunday Worship

9:00 a.m. AND 10:30 a.m. (9:30 a.m. in summer)
Education Classes for All Ages (nursery)

(nursery care available at second service)

Baptism/Communion/Weddings

Baptism has its roots in the New Testament, when Jesus went to John to be baptized in the Jordan River. The water of baptism symbolizes many things to us, one of which is the cleansing which we experience through the Holy Spirit. As the United Church of Christ, we understand that this is not a saving ordinance, believing that each one must make that decision on his or her own. Yet, we baptize infants as an outward sign of what we believe the Holy Sprit has already begun in the life of the child. Baptism is a reminder to us that it is not we who come to God, but it is God who seeks us out.

Communion, or the Lord's Supper, is also a sacrament of the church that conveys God's grace. We obey the words of Jesus to "Do this in remembrance of me."  Jesus invites all those who trust in him to come and share in the feast that he has prepared. As we share this meal, we are reminded of all that Christ has done, and we are drawn together as the body of Christ.

A wedding ceremony is a worship service, where two individuals (a man and woman) gather with their friends in the presence of God, to profess publicly their love and commitment to each other. A decision for a church wedding implies a desire for more than a civil ceremony. A church wedding is an affirmation that God is present and will be involved in the marriage, and that Jesus Christ is Lord. If you are interested in scheduling a wedding at United Church of Byron, please call the church office at (815)234-8777 or speak to the pastor.

Ministry of Music

Each Sunday morning, September through mid-May, the Senior Choir leads our worship services in the ministry of music. Choir music and congregational hymns are purposefully selected and carefully prepared to focus the attention of the worshipping community on the glory of God.

Approximately once each month the Children's Choir provides special music for the worship service, that serves to remind the congregation that ALL God's children have a part in worship! A worship team is also being formed. That group will sing one Sunday a month.

Senior Choir
Rehearsal: Thursday 7:15 p.m.