The Urbana United Methodist Church invites the community to join in worship at 10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 24 at the Gloria Theatre, 216 S. Main St., Urbana.
With the theme “God’s Light Ignites: Using the Gloria Theatre to His glory in our community,” the service will dedicate the theater to God. UUMC bought the theater in 2014 after it closed, to use it to reach, restore and revive the community for God.
The worship service will feature music by the church’s choir and praise team and an inspiring message by former Urbanan, the Rev. Dr. Sherry Bowser Austin, a retired United Methodist pastor who lives in Atlanta. Also in the service, the congregation will recognize and pray for the GrandWorks Foundation Board members, who oversee the theater’s renovation and operation; show appreciation to area businesses; and focus on God’s direction for the church and theater in the community.
Leading up to the Sept. 24 worship service, church members have been involved in a 30-Day Prayers and Possibilities initiative. “We’ve been praying for a clear breakthrough and vision of how God wants us to use the Gloria Theatre to reach our community with the message and love of Jesus,” UUMC Pastor Jim Lillibridge said.
Sept. 17 prayer walk, other events
A week before the service, Sunday, Sept. 17, UUMC will hold an all-church prayer walk from the church, at 238 N. Main St., to the Gloria Theatre, from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m.
Lillibridge said, “During our prayer walk we will pray for God’s blessing on each business we pass on our way to the theater. At the theater we will pray that God blesses the theater in every way for Kingdom impact in our community.”
The Sept. 24 service at the Gloria will combine the church’s two worship services, so no worship services will be at the church that day.
For more information about the Gloria Theatre, the GrandWorks Foundation and upcoming events, visit gloriatheatre.com. Two upcoming faith-based events at the theater include Faith Encounter, a community worship, prayer and praise experience, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Sept. 17, 18 and 19, and six showings of the movie “All Saints,” Sept. 22, 23 and 24.
