The United Methodist Church
Northern Illinois Conference
e-News
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Greetings!
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Welcome to the NIC e-News. This newsletter is published every Thursday morning at 10 a.m.
Can we do anything to help you? If you or your church have any communication needs, please contact Matt at mkuzma@umcnic.org.
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In Step With the Bishop
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I had asked our District Superintendents and conference staff to share stories about our connection and about the Bishop's travels through our conference. This is one that was shared by DeKalb District Superintendent Larry Hilkemann:
Last spring when Bishop Hee Soo was meeting with the River cluster of the DeKalb District on one of his many cluster visits, he visited one of the congregations, Wedron. Wedron is a small membership congregation and eight people were present to welcome the bishop and district superintendent for their 40 minute visit.
The bishop asked the people present to tell their story. An older gentleman, Don, told his story that included his military service in Korea in the early 1950's. When time for the visit concluded, according to Don, the bishop took Don aside and thanked Don and other Americans for their sacrifice in liberating the people of Korea. According to Don's pastor, Seymour Halford, Don said he " came home from that war and after more then 50 years, the first person to thank him for his service, was his own United Methodist Bishop, Hee Soo Jung.
Upcoming events:
March 21 - Clergy Summit: Sycamore UMC 9-3 PM
March 22 - Carol Stream: St. Andrew Preaching - Worship @ 9:30 and Sunday School Dialogue @ 11:00 AM
March 23 - DeKalb District Cluster Visit - Mendota Cluster All Day - Evening Gathering @ Earlville UMC 7 PM
March 24 - Rockford District Cluster Visit - East Winnebago Boone Cluster - Evening Gathering @ TBA 7 PM
March 25 - Elgin District Cluster Visit - Elgin Cluster - Evening Gathering @ TBA 7 PM
March 28 - Conference UMM
Lenten Breakfast and Worship - Hosted at Villa Park: Calvary Breakfast
@ 8:00 AM and Worship @ 9:00 AM
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Clergy Summit
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Do you have plans Saturday? If you are a clergy person in Northern Illinois, the answer is "you betcha!" We'll see you at the Clergy Summit in Sycamore this Saturday starting at 8:30 a.m.
Rev. Gil Rendle
will be leading the program for this event. Rev. Rendle is an author
of several books on the changing dynamics of leadership and ministry
and has served as a staff consultant at the Alban Institute. See you Saturday!
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Communication Volunteers Needed! |
Hello, friends! Our communications and media team is working on the following projects. If you or someone you know would like to volunteer with any of these projects, please drop Matt a line: mkuzma@umcnic.org - 1. Video and audio interviews of all of the Harvest 2020 church planters, mixed with photos of the new communities and neighborhoods we are reaching with these new launches. The individual video clips for each new faith community will be featured on the Harvest 2020 website and form a 30- to 45-minute video for Annual Conference. 2. Content update for our website, which will undergo a complete rebuild this spring and summer. The 2008 Annual Conference budget accounted for a competitively-bid new website. Our communications team and conference leadership are in the process of reviewing bids for this project. Regardless of the design, we need more content from all of our committees, groups, teams, commissions, work areas and play areas. Stay tuned for more info as we begin the design process, but in the meantime, find your team on our current website: http://www.umcnic.org. Do you have more to add? 3. More creative work and more video! We have video and audio equipment here at the conference office, but if you know youth or other volunteers who would like to help record video, edit video or edit audio interviews, we could definitely put them to work! |
Faith Community Conference on Addictions
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From Robert Wulf:
Would you please include notice of this
important conference on addiction in the next issue of the eNews? I
am an ordained Elder in the NIC (on honorable location) and Director of
Philanthropy for Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities in Chicago.
The information from this Conference to be
held April 23 will be vital to clergy and laity and families within our
NIC churches.
It Takes a Village- Working Together to Help Families Heal and Recover from the Impact of Addiction
Why You Should Attend
Alcohol and drug problems interfere with the
capacity of addicted individuals and their family members to develop and
sustain a meaningful spiritual life. Clergy and other pastoral ministers
have a wide array of opportunities to address these problems and lead hurting
families to recovery support and healing.
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Women's History Month
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March is Women's History Month. We welcome any essays, stories, or other creative work about the important women in the life and history of your churches. The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women offers bulletin
covers, inserts, and resources to be used during the month of March,
2009. Women: Taking the Lead to Save Our Planet |
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UMW Lobby Day in Springfield April 2
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Join women from the Northern Illinois Conference, the
Illinois Great Rivers Conference and the Illinois Church
Action on Alcohol & Addiction Problems (ILCAAAP) for a Legislative Day on Thursday, April 2, at the State Capitol in Springfield.
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Annual Conference - Constitutional Amendments
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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!
This year, we will be voting on several amendments to our Constitution. Check out the Annual Conference Page for more information about these important amendments!
Constitutional Amendments must be ratified by two-thirds of the Annual Conferences in order to take effect. They must be voted up or down by the Annual Conferences; they may not be amended.
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We are Easter People!
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Easter is almost upon us! How is your church planning ahead?
Some ideas for planning for Easter from Dist. Superintendent Rev. James Preston:
1. Make sure all special Lenten services and offerings can be found WITH TIMES AND DATES on your website and newsletter. Consider highlighting one event on your voicemail. Always have worship times on your voicemail.
2. Consider a clean up of entrances and foyers so that guests encounter clean and welcoming spaces as they enter. Add flowers or plants...possibly purple cloth and a cross on a table. All of these efforts make guests feel more welcome.
3. Consider an online email each week to guests and members with scripture, devotion, and prayer ideas. It is an easy way to help people grow in Christ during this season. Guests appreciate the connection.
4. Start announcing your EASTER services now! Place a banner with times outside or on your sign. Make sure those times are on your web site and other places.
5. Consider a Lenten insert in your bulletin that highlights all of your activities and features scripture readings for the week.
UM Communications also has 50 ideas for under $500 that local churches can use to attract people so new folks will breeze through our open doors on Easter Sunday.
If you have tips or tricks for worship planning as we approach Lent and Easter, please share them: mkuzma@umcnic.org.
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Share your photos and stories!
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The month of March is Heifer Project month at Antioch UMC. Each Sunday
an animal visitor has helped tell the story at Children's time. Here
Toto is representing the first Heifer, Faith, to be shipped to Puerto Rico.
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 (very important!!), 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.
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Pancake Breakfast of the Week
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 I prefer maple gravy, so I guess this still qualifies... Roscoe United Methodist Men Biscuits & Gravy Breakfast
Saturday, March 21 from 7:00 a.m. -10:00 a.m. Roscoe United Methodist Church
10816 Main Street
Roscoe, Il 61073
(815)-623-2292
Entertainment by the Roscoe UMC Youth
Fundraiser benifits:
Crow Creek Mission Trip
Carpenter's Place
Goldie Floberg Center
Rockton Food Pantry
Children's Home & Aid Society
PS - This week is the One Great Hour of Sharing. Give now! |
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