Calling all children ages 3 through 5th grades.....a summer event called Babylon will be hosted at Marengo United Methodist Church from August 6^th to August 10^th, with families being invited to worship on Sunday, August 12^th for the children to present the songs they learned in Babylon.  Children step back in time at Babylon, exploring Daniel’s adventures as a captive in a foreign land. Kids and adults participate in a memorable Bible-times Marketplace, sing catchy songs, play teamwork-building games, dig into Bible-times snacks, visit Daniel, and collect Bible Memory Makers to remind them of God’s Word. Plus, everyone learns to look for evidence of God all around them through something called God Sightings. Each day concludes at Celebration—a time of upbeat worship that gets everyone involved.

Kids at Babylon will join more than a million participants reaching out to needy kids through a hands-on mission project called Operation Kid-to-Kid, in which families will raise money for mosquito nets to combat malaria.

Babylon will run from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm each day, August 6-10^th..

Registration is open now and runs through June 3^rd.  ($5 per child)

For more information, call (815) 568-7162

You can print your registration form here: VBS Registration Form  and drop off at the church office or by mail to 119 E Washington Street, Marengo, IL…

Everything from politics to prayer will be featured at a new weekly experience called Lifetree Café.

This “conversation café”—located at Flatlander Market, 125 S. State Street, Marengo, IL —is part of a national network of locations that offer participatory events related to life and faith.

The Lifetree Café experience is a scheduled hour of “stories and conversations to feed the soul,” according to local director Rev. Keck Mowry. The hour typically includes a short original film and guided conversation. A local host directs the hour. “It’s sort of like a live, local talk show—with an inspirational twist,” Rev. Mowry said.

Topics, which change weekly, focus on popular life issues. Topics may include such things as loneliness, immigration, health, angels, guilt, prayer, and life after death. The exclusive documentary-style films feature everyday people with unusual stories, as well as nationally known figures.

National Lifetree Café founder Thom Schultz said, “We engage people of all ages in a national conversation through local Lifetree Cafés as well as a robust online presence.” The organization’s website, LifetreeCafe.com, invites visitors to participate online in the same topical conversations that occur each week at the live venues.

“Lifetree serves as a comfortable place to meet other people who are interested in the same issues.” Schultz said, “The atmosphere is a warm, neighborhood coffee shop. The experience gives people practical help and insight on life issues, and provides a hopeful spiritual connection.”

Schultz said, “We’ve found that people today want to participate in the conversation. It’s not enough to simply hear someone lecture on an important topic. People want to…