The United Methodist Church
Northern Illinois Conference

e-News

Greetings!

Welcome to the NIC e-News. This newsletter is published every Thursday at 10AM. If you have story submissions or ideas for the e-News, please send them to Matt Kuzma at [email protected] by 6PM Tuesday. To find upcoming calendar events, please visit the online calendar, linked below in Quick Links. To add calendar items, please contact your district office.

Also, please encourage fellow clergy and members to sign up for the e-News; it's a cheap and easy way for us to highlight our website and share information with people across the conference. To forward to a friend or to subscribe, just click the buttons below. Thank you!

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In This Issue
In Step With the Bishop
NIU Remembers
Update: CASH!
Annual Conference 2009
Called to Serve
Share your Photos and Stories!
Planning ahead
Rainbow Covenant Sign-Up
Pancake Breakfast of the Week
Quick Links
In Step With the Bishop

Upcoming visits:
 
March 3 (Tuesday) - Aurora District Cluster Visit - Joliet Cluster

March 4 (Wednesday) Chicago Northwestern District Cluster Visit - Western Suburb Cluster - West Sub Cluster with gathering at 7 PM Oak Park: Cornerstone

March 11 - DeKalb District Clergy Gathering -  Studying the Scriptures with Bishop Jung,10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Ashton UMC

March 13-14 - Conference Urban Convocation


bishop fellowship Kingwood

From an email from Anne Marie at Kingwood UMC:


Matt here are a few pictures of the Bishop's visit to Kingswood on February 15. He was treated to a presentation of "Circle of Life" from our Glory Fingers Puppet Team. It was a pleasure having the Bishop and his wife in worship with us. He delivered a wonderful message "The World Community: Thy Kingdom Come"  continuing our sermon series on the Social Principles.

Anne Marie Gerhardt
Kingswood UMC Dir. of Communications

NIU Remembers
Hispanic Ministries Logo

February 14 was the anniversary of the deadly shootings at Northern Illinois University. NIC churches made and sent more than 500 prayer shawls for students and families as a sign of compassion and prayer during this time of grief and recovery. If you would like to send support of any kind to the Wesley Foundation at NIU campus, please contact Rev. Kelli Beard, campus minister, at [email protected].
 
Update: CASH!
Harvest 2020
Sessions for the Urban Convocation March 13-14 are coming together. From Rev. David Aslesen:

  • Congregations Impacting Economic Policy for Families and Children
  • Faith and Foreclosures:  The Housing Crisis and the Church's Response
  • Criminal Justice:  Employment Barrier and Opportunities for Ex-Offenders
  • Economic Justice:  Raising Faith Voices for Reform
  • Youth and Young Adult Finances 101
  • How the Church Can Plan for Funding of Future Ministries and Mission
Spanish translation is available for many of the workshop offerings and all of the worship services and keynote. 

Hotel rooms at a reduced rate will only be available until Feb. 20.  Call to make your reservations using "Urban Convocation - Northern Illinois Conference UMC"; to Courtyard Marriott, Elgin; 847-429-0300.

The event will be held at First United Methodist Church, 216 E. Highland Avenue, Elgin, IL. Registration is $30; a block of hotel rooms has been reserved at the Courtyard Marriott in Elgin.

To register, or for more information, please call the Elgin NIC Office at 847-931-0710 or email Natarsha Gardner at [email protected].
Annual Conference deadline!

Special thanks to Judy and Fernando Siaba, who were the only ones that noticed that we got the dates of Annual Conference wrong last week. Are you awake out there? :)

The 170th Northern Illinois Annual Conference is June 7-9 at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, IL. It will be here before we know it!

From the Annual Conference Committee:
Rev. Lora Zink, Conference Secretary, has set the date for submission of documents for the 2009 Annual Conference session as 1 March 2009 not later than 5 p.m. Documents must be submitted electronically as a WORD document.

Documents are to be submitted to Rev. Lora Zink at [email protected], or by USPS at P.O. Box 97 Mount Morris, IL 61054-0097 and to Rev. Daniel Diss at [email protected], or by USPS at 325 South Stott Street Genoa, IL 60135. It is extremely important that both Rev. Zink and Rev. Diss receive your documents in order to complete their work in an efficient and timely manner.

Also, stay tuned to the website next week or two as we start rolling out the fancy Annual Conference 2009 page.
Called to Serve

Last week, we ran two stories about lay people who are making a difference in their community and around the world. Apparently, a lot of you have Green Teams!

You know what would make a good story and resource: How do you start a Green Team? What can you do, what projects get people excited, where do you start? What scripture and music can you use to help call people to environmental stewardship? I tell ya, someone should write that down one day...

This week, we introduce you to Bubba Kasten and his testimony about wanting to become a lay speaker. More stories on the way. Send us your stories!

Bubba Kasten, Capron UMC, Lay Speaking
Share your photos and stories!

shawls
Add photos of your church events or anything else to our Flickr group! When making the Reporter, we often have space for extra pictures. Add a photo with caption, and you could find your work on the website or Reporter.

Please submit tips, stories, sermons, lyrics and testimonials. Anywhere from 50-700 words is great. Longer pieces are fine, but will probably only run on the web. We especially want to hear stories about new faith communities, revitalizing our church, and working together.
40 days and 40 nights...

Forty days from today is March 31. How is your church planning ahead?

March - Women's History Month
March 22 - One Great Hour of Sharing
March 29 - 5th Sunday in Lent
April 5 - Palm Sunday

If you have tips or tricks for worship planning as we approach Lent and Easter, please share them: [email protected].
Rainbow Covenant Sign-Up

Ministries that would like to be included in next year's Rainbow Covenant selection should register with the NIC Global Ministries team by February 25. FInd more info and a handy Google form here.
 
Pancake Breakfast of the Week

Pancakes


Honorable mention goes to United Protestant Church of Grayslake, which is throwing a Mardi Gras Shrimp Boil on Tuesday Feb, 24 at 6:30pm. Creole and King's Cake!

But the Book of Discipline is clear that PBOTW shall go to Pancake Breakfasts. So this week's winner is Earlville UMC.


For a satisfying pancakes and pork sausage supper, come to Earlville UMC on Thursday evening, February 26.  Started years ago by the UM Men, the meal is now an all-church event served with enthusiasm from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. at 313 Stilson St. in Earlville.  Donations at the door are $6 for adults and $2.50 for children under 12.  Advance tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for children.  Carry-outs are available. Bring your friends, see old friends and enjoy the fellowship in our handicapped accessible dining room.
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