Safe and stable housing creates the foundation that every person in our community needs to thrive, live a healthy life and reach their goals. As achieving stable housing grows difficult so too does the number of our neighbors forced to spend their energy in survival mode each day trying to figure out where and how […]
Community & Lifestyle
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
In praise of single women
I hope the title of this column makes at least a few people do a double take! It isn’t every day, after all, that you hear words of praise directed at single women. Perhaps you’re one of those who recently viewed that perennial holiday favorite, It’s a Wonderful Life. If so, you’ll recall the scene […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
The power of community: Looking back on 2025 and ahead to what’s next
We’ve spent the past few weeks at United Way of Central Illinois reflecting on what an incredible year 2025 was, and honestly, we’re still a little overwhelmed by the generosity we witnessed. This year’s campaign theme was “The Power of Community,” and we saw that power show up in ways big and small. From the […]
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Who can but prophesy?
In the scriptural portion that was read this past week in Jewish congregations the patriarch Jacob, on his deathbed, speaks to his sons about the future destiny of the tribes that they will found and that will bear their names. “I will tell you what will befall you in days to come.” (Genesis 49:1) The […]
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How does Jesus save?
Have you heard the one about Jesus and Satan, a computing contest and a power outage? I’ll spare you, but the joke came to mind while I was thinking through the question about how Jesus saves in light of a particular text from Matthew’s Gospel. In that scripture Joseph is told to name Mary’s baby […]
Posted inUncategorized
A year of faith and resilience: Faith Coalition’s commitment to justice
As we come to the close of 2025, the Faith Coalition for the Common Good is deeply thankful for the opportunity to share in the work alongside a community of resilient, courageous and powerful leaders. This work is not done in isolation, it is built through relationship, trust and collective commitment to justice. The evolution […]
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A sacred journey
“and she gave birth to her firstborn son …” – Luke 2:7 During my tenure as the pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church, one of the annual highlights each year was anticipating which newborn baby within the congregation would play the esteemed role of baby Jesus in our annual Christmas pageant. A human baby Jesus in […]
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WQNA returning to local airwaves soon
After six long years of fits and starts, community radio station WQNA is nearly ready to begin broadcasting again, this time from the space in the Myers building in downtown Springfield that most recently housed Prairie State Hemp. In 2019, the Capital Area Career Center unceremoniously pulled the plug on the station which, starting in […]
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Just win? At UIS, success runs deeper
Raiders owner Al Davis made “Just win, baby” a famous rallying cry in the NFL. Some people assume that motto applies to college sports, too. And while winning is absolutely part of what we do at the University of Illinois Springfield — and yes, we enjoy it tremendously — it isn’t our only goal. In […]
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Getting ready for the real Christmas
God’s salvation plan for fallen mankind was underway. That plan included and involved Zacharias and Elizabeth. Symbolic of God’s creation proclamation of “Let there Be,” plans for a forerunner of the savior were also underway. Many years had elapsed before the time for the savior to enter the salvation scene arrived. Elizabeth was already expecting […]
Posted inReGen
REGEN – Grownups getting stronger
The articles presented in our special section beginning on page 14 constitute the winter edition of REGEN, for “Grownups getting stronger.” Published quarterly by Illinois Times since 2020 as a standalone magazine, REGEN has highlighted active and energetic seniors (who don’t like being called seniors). The first issue explained, “We reject the notion that older […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
Why personal enrichment matters more than ever
Change has a way of arriving whether we’re prepared for it or not. Careers shift, routines evolve, families grow and move and the pace of daily life can feel both demanding and repetitive. In the middle of all that, it’s easy to lose track of the interests or abilities that once brought us a sense […]
