South Park UMC

04/10/2025

South Park UMC will hold Palm Sunday service at their regular service time of 11:00 am on April 13, 2025, and will hold Easter Sunday service at their regular service time of 11:00 am on April 20, 2025.

09/04/2024

GOSSIP was overheard at a restaurant recently in Canton regarding our church. I don't know who talks away without checking for facts, BUT South Park United Methodist is alive & well!! There are NO plans to close our church!! Doors are open every Sunday for 11am services. Come & check for yourself. AND GOSSIPERS--STOP SPREADING FALSE RUMORS PLEASE!

03/22/2024

There is a false rumor going around that South Park United Methodist Church in Canton is closing. This is only a RUMOR. Come join us any Sunday at 11:am for worship.

04/07/2023

Good Friday services at South Park United Methodist Church this evening at 7pm. Plan to Join us at 600 S. First Ave in Canton.

06/16/2021

Our beautiful flowers at the church!

05/06/2021

Dear Church Family,
When I was appointed as your pastor in 2017, you welcomed my wife and me with open arms, and made us feel at home. Over the past four years, we have grown to love both churches, and all of God’s people here. Thus, it is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that Bishop Frank Beard, in consultation with the Cabinet of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference of the United Methodist Church, has discerned a “missional move” for me and my wife. Effective July 1, 2021, I will serve as pastor of Colona UMC in Colona, Illinois. My time as your pastor will end in June, and my final Sunday has yet to be determined.
We have loved every minute we’ve spent doing life with our Shields Chapel & South Park family, yet we felt a calling to move closer to our family. Currently we are 3 hours away from them and this move will make it a 2-hour drive instead.
While Kandice and I are excited to see what God has in store for us in Colona, it is very hard for us to have to say goodbye to you all. You will always hold a special place in our hearts, and we will be forever grateful for your patience and grace in letting us learn the ropes of what it means to be a clergy family. Over the past four years we have had the privilege of sharing life and ministry together with you, and whoever follows us will be blessed to experience that same privilege.
Based on the information the Bishop and Cabinet have about your church’s needs, they have discerned a new pastor who they believe will be a good fit. That means the PPRC will be meeting with your District Superintendent, Rev. Mary Kathryn Pearce, and the new pastor. If everyone agrees that the new pastor and your church is a good fit, information about the new pastor will be shared publicly.
Your PPRC will be available to help answer any questions, but please respect the fact that they are bound by confidentiality as part of this process.
As for me, I will be doing everything in my power over the next several weeks to ensure a smooth transition for your church. The fact that I am leaving does not change the fact that God is doing amazing things here! God has a hope and a future for Shields Chapel & South Park, and I implore you to keep pursuing that future with all your heart. Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” As long as you continue to seek God together, God will take care of the rest.
My one request of you for the time being is to pray. Pray for me and my wife, pray for this church, and pray for your new pastor. Pray that God would bless this entire process, and that the resolve to seek his kingdom at Shields Chapel & South Park UMC would be strengthened through it.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor David Meader

01/13/2021

As a result, based upon today’s metrics in these four areas, Regions 2, 3 and 7 will move from Tier 3 mitigations to Tier 2 effective immediately. Regions 4, 5 and 6 remain in Tier 3 mitigations until the metrics meet guidelines outlined in the IGRC Pressing On document found at: https://www.igrc.org/coronavirus

For those moving to Tier 2:
For regular worship gatherings, churches are strongly recommended but not required to limit their gatherings to 25 people or 25% of the room capacity, whichever is smaller
For all other gatherings, including funerals and weddings, gatherings should be limited to 10 people or less
Church buildings can open with staff working the offices
In all situations, masks are required without a doctor’s certification that the person is exempt and social distancing of 6 feet or more should be observed.

Information on the four metrics per region may be obtained by visiting: https://dph.illinois.gov/regionmetrics Because the metrics are fluid, it is possible that a region that moves from one level of mitigation, may return to that stricter mitigations if regions begin showing figures that no longer meet the metrics. These metrics are updated daily and it is advised to check them regularly for the latest information.

Bishop Beard announced Nov. 17 the suspension of all in-person worship through Dec. 13, in an effort to mitigate a pandemic surge. On Dec. 9, Bishop Beard extended the suspension indefinitely.

Current metrics by region as of Tuesday, Jan. 12 are as follows:

Region 2 – Moves to Tier 2 mitigation
11 consecutive days of positivity rates below 12 percent – MEETS GUIDELINE
11 consecutive days of ICU beds availability of greater than 20 percent – MEETS GUIDELINE
11 consecutive days of medical/surgical bed availability of greater than 20 percent – MEETS GUILDELINE
9 days of Covid-19 patient decreases – MEETS GUIDELINE

Region 3 – Moves to Tier 2 mitigation
11 consecutive days of positivity rates below 12 percent – MEETS GUIDELINE
4 consecutive days of ICU beds availability of greater than 20 percent – MEETS GUIDELINE
11 consecutive days of medical/surgical bed availability of greater than 20 percent – MEETS GUIDELINE
9 days of Covid-19 patient decreases – MEETS GUIDELINE

Region 4 – Remains in Tier 3 mitigation
1 days of positivity rates below 12 percent – DOES NOT MEET GUIDELINE
5 consecutive days of ICU bed availability under 20 percent – DOES NOT MEET GUIDELINE
11 consecutive days of medical/surgical bed availability under 20 percent – DOES NOT MEET GUIDELINE
4 days of Covid-19 patient decreases – DOES NOT MEET GUIDELINE

Region 5 – Remains in Tier 3 mitigation
8 consecutive days of positivity rates below 12 percent – MEETS GUIDELINE
1 day of ICU bed availability under 20 percent – DOES NOT MEET GUIDELINE
11 consecutive days of medical/surgical bed availability greater than 20 percent – MEETS GUIDELINE
6 days of Covid-19 patient decreases – DOES NOT MEET GUIDELINE

Region 6 – Remains in Tier 3 mitigation
11 consecutive days of positivity rates below 12 percent – MEETS GUIDELINE
11 consecutive days of ICU bed availability greater than 20 percent – MEETS GUIDELINE
1 day of medical/surgical bed availability greater than 20 percent – DOES NOT MEET GUIDELINE
7 days of Covid-19 patient increases – DOES NOT MEET GUIDELINE

Region 7 – Moves to Tier 2 mitigation
11 consecutive days of positivity rates below 12 percent – MEETS GUIDELINE
11 consecutive days of ICU bed availability greater than 20 percent – MEETS GUIDELINE
11 consecutive days of medical/surgical bed availability greater than 20 percent – MEETS GUIDELINE
8 consecutive days of Covid-19 patience decreases – MEETS GUIDELINE

IDPH is monitoring key indicators to identify early but significant increases of COVID-19 transmission in Illinois, potentially signifying resurgence. These indicators are calculated for the 11 Illinois COVID-19 regions. IDPH will monitor if these indicators show an increase in the COVID-19 disease....