Our Daily Show Interview! Alton Grace United Methodist Church Open House on 12-8
ALTON - Alton Grace United Methodist Church invites the community to their annual holiday open house.
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From 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, the church will offer refreshments, pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus, music, craft vendors and a display of nativity scenes. Pastor Alan Abert explained that the open house is an opportunity for the church to connect with the community.
“We’re excited about just having the opportunity to show off the building and the people,” Abert said. “This event is really designed to invite the community in to say, ‘Hello, here we are.’”
Located at 702 Henry Street, Alton Grace United Methodist Church has been in Alton since the 1800s. The building was designed by Lucas Pfeiffenberger and recently underwent a two-year renovation. Abert noted that the church is part of historic Middletown and is often included in Alton history tours.
While he is excited to showcase the church itself, which he describes as “beautiful,” Abert is equally eager to share the congregation with the community. He said the congregation is incredibly kind and welcoming, and newcomers never have to worry about feeling out of place.
“The group has always been the hands and feet of Jesus, always willing to be of help when they can,” he explained. “In my time at this church — it’s been six and a half years — the first day I walked in, you get a sense of being welcomed and being friendly. A lot of churches today will give a lot of lip service to that and they work really hard at getting there, but this church is there.”
On Abert’s first day as the pastor, his wife recited Psalms 46:10 — “Be still, and know that I am God” — as they entered the building. He believes that God’s presence can be felt throughout the church.
“In this building, with the history of it, you get a sense that God still exists here. Folks who come in, visitors who come in, will tell us that they’re welcomed,” he shared. “We have traditional gospel preaching. We sing traditional hymns, which is a big thing for the folks, and the fact that you are basically loved. What’s interesting here is that through all the expressions that the Methodist church has had in Alton since 1880, that we still keep the main focus, and that’s on our relationship with Jesus Christ and each other. It’s always a special feeling.”
This feeling is what Abert hopes to share during the open house on Dec. 8, 2024. In addition to the refreshments, music, craft vendors, and photos with Santa, there will be several nativity scenes from around the world on display, which Abert is especially excited about.
He hopes the open house encourages people to stick around and check out the church, whether they decide to return for a service or not. He promises a “safe, family-friendly” event at the open house, and he hopes to see many people there.
“The reality is that we don’t measure our ministry based on the numbers. We just don’t. The ministry is, how are people being cared for?” Abert explained. “I do have a sense that in our community, there are people like us, our group, who are not connected, who are lonely, who are divorced, who are widowed. And what we’re saying is that we’re here, so just come. Come and sit, come and have coffee on Sunday morning, just come. That’s why our doors are always open.”
For more information about Alton Grace United Methodist Church and their upcoming open house, visit the official website at ElsahUMC.org or the official Facebook page.
