HOME With Our Community
Alcoholics Anonymous
There is an AA meeting for every night of the week except for Sunday nights and Tuesday nights. For more information on times please contact the local AA organization:
Decatur Intergroup (Decatur, IL)
P O Box 2484
Decatur, ILLINOIS 62524-2484
United States
Phone:(217)422-3766
or visit their website:
http://www.aa.org/?Media=PlayFlash
Dinner Downtown
Dinner Downtown is a midday meal held the last Saturday of each month (the only day that Good Samaritan Inn is closed). Volunteers prepare food and set up prior to Saturday's meal, assemble the food Saturday morning, serve the meals, and clean up. Other are churches and organizations often send volunteers to help on the day of the meal.
Good Samaritan Inn
Our congregation donates their time and food many times throughout the year to helping prepare and then serve at Good Samaritan Inn.
The Good Samaritan Inn's Mission is to maintain a community program to serve nutritious meals to the hungry and economically disadvantaged. We serve nearly 300 people – men, women, and children – every single day. We accomplish our mission with the help of the community: volunteers who donate time, individuals and businesses who donate money, and businesses, organizations, and people who donate food and goods. Without their help, we could not help the people who need it most.
Meals are prepared and served each day by volunteer groups from churches, social organizations, businesses, and individuals who assist a small staff. Without these volunteers the Good Samaritan Inn would be unable to fulfill its mission and 300 people each day would go hungry.
Anyone who is hungry, anyone who needs a meal can come to our table. The meal is served from 11:30a.m.-1:00p.m. daily at 902 North Union Street in Decatur, Illinois.
The foundation of our mission can be found in the following verses:
Matthew 25:31-46
Luke 10:25-37
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink." Matthew 25:35
Mission Trips
Intergenerational Mission Trip to Oakville, Iowa: Pastor Kent's thoughts ...
A few days before leaving for Iowa, I asked Kathy, “Are we sure these houses should be rebuilt? Aren’t they just rebuilding in the flood plain?” After being in Oakville for just a couple of days, it became clear to me that God put us there. The people in Oakville are not the powerful who get in on decisions about where water will be released to prevent flooding upstream. What is also true is that many of them cannot afford to go anywhere else. This is their home. The flood that hit in June of 2008 was not the usual high water, but was the largest flood in recorded history. So we set about the task of rebuilding houses.
It became, clear, however, that we were really about the task of giving hope. I wondered if some of the people in Oakville have ever really had someone go out of their way to show this kind of care or support. My last day there, a few of us helped a lady in her yard. There was junk everywhere and the weeds were pretty high. I could see how it would be easy to feel overwhelmed. After a few hours, we had a truck load of the junk hauled off and the weeds trimmed down. The elderly woman said, “I can’t believe how much different it looks.” She even put in a new flowerbed in the front of the house, and told us about other plans to spruce things up. That is hope.
Some of the people we met talked about how the Christians are leading the way. After years with no church contact, they are thinking about the power of faith. As I watched our group at work, I could not believe how effective we were. Everyone seemed to bring special gifts or talents to the team. We were powerful. I suspect that we have made a profound impact on the town of Oakville, Iowa. I know our time in Oakville has had a profound impact on all of us. - Pastor Kent
Art With Heart
Art With Heart is an art auction held yearly in January/February sponsored by our congregation. All the proceeds are designated to assist others with medical bills. Art With Heart features local artists as well as artists from across the country who donate their works for this cause. Many of the artists are present for a meet and mingle session during the preview.
Please contact Pastor Kent at pastorkent@decaturfirstumc.org or roger Haebich at dovetailsbyrh@comcast.net if you wish to participate as an artist, have an item you wich to donate, or just want some more information.
