U2 Eucharist

The first U2 Eucharist in Western Illinois was a great success! On July 14, 2007 over 200 people joined us in worshiping God using the music and messages of U2. Over $1,000 was donated to www.Nothingbutnets.net a program run by the United Nations Foundation.

U2 Eucharist #2 on Nov. 10, 2007 was also a success. withover 150 in attendance the money was donated to  www.chfinternational.org to purchase fuel-efficient stoves for refugees from the Darfur region of Sudan. Click on the website to read more about this project.

U2 Eucharist #3 on Saturday July 19, 2008 was also a success! This time our love offering of over $1,500 will be going to Olof Palme Orphanage in Tanzania, Africa. This orphanage and secondary educational center houses and educates 120 girls. Our initial contact with Olof Palme was started by a member of FPC, Penny Wagher. We feel Olof Palme addresses 4 different MDG's (#'s 1,2,3, & 6). Please join us as we continue to work with Olof Palme to make the lives of their girls, the communities they are from, Tanzania, and the entire world a better place!

Bono, U2's lead singer,has highlighted his work to relieve world suffering through the UN's Millennium Development Goals. What are the goals?
1) Eradicate extreme poverty & hunger
2) Achieve universal primary education
3) Promote gender equality & empower women
4) Reduce child mortality
5) Improve maternal health
6) Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria & other diseases
7) Ensure environmental sustainability
8) Develop a global partnership for devlopment.
For more info on these goals, check out the link above.

What's this service thing all about?
First, we are gathered to spend time worshipping and experiencing God.
Second, we use the music of the band, U2, to rock out and lead in a different worship experience.
Third, we use the message and theme to raise awareness of extreme poverty and work to fight it.
Fourth, we celebrate communion together as a body.
Last, we take a love offering that is 100% donated outside of the local church to a specified charity that speaks to at least one of the MDG's mentioned above.

Can I take communion in the Presbyterian Church if I am not a member?
In the Presbyterian Church, all baptized Christians, regardless of denomination, are invited and encouraged to receive the elements at the Lord’s Table, for it is God’s table, and not our own.

Who thought up the "U2 Eucharist" idea? Many say that The Rev. Paige Blair, an Episcopal priest in York Harbor, Maine, conducted the first service in July 2005, but this is found to be false evidence. Rev. Blair does conduct regular U2charist services in New England, but the first U2 service was actually put together by Sarah Dylan Breuer in 2003. It was held in 2003 in Baltimore, MD. 
           To date over 10,000 people have attended a U2charist and over $80,000 has been given to causes that apply to the Millennium Development Goals. U2 has been recording for more than 25 years, and the group’s music appeals to several generations of listeners. .

Who's playing the music? Our church's Revelation Band is playing the music for the service as they did in the first U2 Eucharist. We hope you enjoy the energy of the live music led by our bassist, Mike Shumaker!

If you have more questions about our U2 Eucharist or our church, please feel free to contact Rev. David