At Irving Park United Methodist Church, "missions" has always meant the congregation's work for God beyond its own walls. From its earliest days, this has been a community that looks outward — convinced that faith is made complete in service, and that the love it receives is meant to be shared with the neighborhood and the world.
Our Portion for Others
A distinctive feature of United Methodist life is apportionment giving — a congregation's shared portion for the work of the wider church. At Irving Park UMC, apportionment giving has been understood as mission giving in its truest sense. These funds travel far beyond Chicago, helping to provide schools, clean water, and training to people with fewer privileges than many of us enjoy. Through the connectional structure of the United Methodist Church, a single congregation's generosity reaches around the world.
Global Outreach and Relief
The congregation's mission heritage has long included partnership with the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), which responds to disasters and human need across the globe. Outreach has ranged from local service partnerships to international relief, reflecting a conviction that the body of Christ is one family spanning every nation. Mission giving, as members have often said, opens doors to the whole world.
Investing in the Next Generation
Missions have also included scholarships that allow the congregation's own young people to take part in life-changing service and learning experiences. Sending youth out to serve — and helping them encounter the wider world through the lens of faith — has been one of the most cherished forms of mission giving, planting seeds that bear fruit for decades.
Many Ways to Give
Generosity has taken many forms in this congregation's life. Faithful members have supported the church's mission through:
- Regular giving — ongoing support that sustains the church's ministries and outreach
- Gifts of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds — often arranged through the United Methodist Foundation, which helps such gifts reach the church efficiently; gifts of appreciated stock can offer tax advantages while giving more
- Planned and legacy gifts — remembering the church in a will, naming it as a life-insurance beneficiary, or establishing a trust
- Other thoughtful arrangements — the many creative ways people have chosen to leave a lasting mark on a community they love
However it is offered, generosity has always been understood here as an act of faith and gratitude rather than mere obligation.
Stewardship as Worship
For this congregation, stewardship and worship have never been separate. To give is to participate in God's ongoing work of mending and blessing the world. The mission heritage of Irving Park UMC — global in reach, generous in spirit, and grounded in the conviction that we are blessed in order to be a blessing — remains one of the clearest expressions of its faith. To see how that spirit has shaped congregational life, explore our church community and learn what we believe.