The United Methodist Church
Northern Illinois Conference

e-News for August 6
Greetings!

Welcome to the NIC e-News. This newsletter is published every Thursday morning.

Can we do anything to help you? If you or your church have any communication needs, please contact Matt at [email protected].

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In This Issue
Get on the Bus!
Communications Update
Kingswood Mission Trip
Pension and Benefit Funding Update
Plano UMC Farmers Market and Sunday School
Free Choir Robes
Hub Cluster at Work
Coverage of SCD
Upcoming Events
PBotW
Quick Links
In Step With the Bishop


Bishop Hee-Soo Jung addresses the Saturday plenary at the 2009 School of Congregational Development


Bishop's Schedule - August, 2009

August 4-7: General Board of Discipleship - Board Meeting in Nashville

August 8-15: CRLN Ecumenical Trip to Bolivia (Chicago Religious Leadership Network)

August 17-20: Spiritual Leadership Conference "Ministry in a Nutshell" Detroit Area

August 21-23: MARCHA (Hispanic Caucus) Hosted in Chicago

August 24-25: NIC Cabinet

August 26: Cortland New Faith Community - Prayer Service

August 29: United Methodist Foundation - Stewardship Event
August 29: South Asian Fellowship National Meeting

August 31: Cluster Visit:  DeKalb District - Blackhawk Cluster, 7:00 p.m. at Polo: First UMC

Get on the Bus! October 9-11

Bishop's Mission and Harvest 2020 Bus Tour - October 9-11

For 25 years, the Northern Illinois Conference has offered Mission Bus Tours to visit key mission sites in the conference, places where ecumenical work is being done and areas where local congregations are performing significant ministry. If you are ready to see the vitality of our connection and want to experience how God is working through us here in Northern Illinois, please register and join us!

The tour will take place from October 9-11, 2009. There will be opportunities for worship and fellowship with Bishop Jung and other participants, as we see first-hand how our connection as United Methodists is making ministry happen and how we are in ministry together all around our Conference.

Please see our website for more details and registration information.

Communications Update

By Matt Kuzma

Thank you for your continued feedback about our print and electronic communications. There is now a permanent link to the .pdf copies of the Reporter in the Quick Links at the top of each eNews. You may also subscribe to or unsubscribe from the Reporter.

The August 7 edition of the Reporter is now available for download on our website.

Finally, because many of you asked, the current annual expenses for conference media are:

Print newspaper: $60,000 (about 3,000 subscriptions)
New website development (one-time): $16,000
Website upkeep: $2,000 (will increase to $5,000 per year with new site)
Email newsletter: $600 (about 3,000 subscribers)

If you have any questions or feedback about our communications, please email me at [email protected] or Communications Commission chair Judy Pohlman at [email protected].
Kingswood UMC Mission


Anne Marie Gerhardt, Kingswood UMC/Dir. of Communications

Kingswood recently sent an adult mission team to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to take part in flood relief efforts. The group of seven young adults and six adults had a very successful trip. They left last Thursday 7/23 and returned on Sunday 7/26. They worked for two days on two different houses hanging drywall, mudding and sanding. The devastation in the area was overwhelming. Many houses are still are still vacant gutted to the studs. The team is asking to please keep the flood victims in your prayers as they still have a long struggle ahead.

 
Pension and Benefit Funding

By George Gill, Chair of NIC Pension and Benefits Committee

Attached is the article regarding our pension and benefit status. Our funding status is a major issue that, in my opinion, is going to greatly affect the work we do as a conference.
 
Pension and Benefit Funding Update

Plano Methodist Farmers Market

Pictured is vendor Mark Flodstrom with Christmas ornaments and bean bag games and Gene and Jan Meier with their garden produce of vegetables. 

By Linda Oleson


The Plano Methodist Farmers Market is underway offering many home-grown vegetables, produce, craft items, ornaments, homemade soaps, ornaments, jewelry, flower arrangements, plants, bean bag games, stamping, bags, yummy baked items, and much more.

Farm produce such as tomatoes, vegetables, and corn have been scarce due to this year's weather but farmers and gardeners have indicated they will be participating in this farmers market in the next couple of months.  Community shoppers need to mark this farmers market on their calendars to check out the variety of goods available to them.  Vendors, individuals, and non profit organizations are invited to share their items, skills, and services at the Plano Methodist Farmers Market.

There is no set-up fee but the donation back to the church is 10% of your sales (with a $25 cap).  A vendor, individual, or organization may set up every Saturday or may pick and choose their Saturdays with times from 8 a.m. to noon.

For more information or to pick up an application please call the church office on (630) 552-3700 or Linda on (630) 552-3828.  Applications are also available on the church website at www.umcplano.org


Also at Plano UMC:
 
Sunday School "Camp E.D.G.E."

Children are enjoying the many treks of "Camp E.D.G.E." during the summer at United Methodist Church of Plano.  Camp E.D.G.E. treks will coordinate through August 16. For more information call the church office on (630) 552-3700 or Linda on (630) 552-3828.
 
 Adult Choir Robes Available

By Pastor Karen Hundrieser, UMC of Worth


Our church has 26 deep red adult choir robes available to anyone who could use them - with various colored and patterned stoles.  If interested, please contact UMC of Worth at 708-448-6682 to let us know of your interest.  Thanks so much.

Cluster Camp and Work Weekend at Reynoldswood





By Linda Graber


The Hub Cluster of the DeKalb District recently had a camp/work week-end at Reynoldswood.  On Saturday and Sunday the group worked on two of the campers' cabins: emptying them, painting the floors, walls and ceilings inside, washing windows, then washing and painting the exterior.  Additionally, the volunteers cleared brush and mowed and cleaned up the outdoor chapel. Sunday worship, led by Pastor Rogula of Esmond UMC, was held at the outdoor chapel where the cluster was joined by other campers and travelers from a local hotel.

Coverage - School of Congregational Development

Upcoming Important Events

Pancake Breakfast of the Week

Five PBotWs?  Pancakapalooza!

1. Agape House Christian Ministry, UIC
 
Join us for delicious gelato at Agape House Christian Ministry-your UM Campus Ministry at the University of Illinois at Chicago.   Come and see Agape House's vibrant welcoming space, learn about our ministry with today's college students and find out how you can support our campus ministry.

Agape in August
Annual Open House
Sunday, August 16th  3-5 p.m.
809 W Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL

Gelato! Benissimo!


2. St. Andrew UMC

Fall Family "We Care" Breakfast Fundraiser
Sunday September 20th 2009

Come one - come all
Before Service:  8:00 am til 9:30 am
After Service:  10:45 am til 12:00 noon
$6.00 per person CHILDREN - UNDER 6 Years FREE  /  7 Years TO 13Years  $3.00
 
All you can eat Pancake Breakfast! Includes 3 pork sausage links, butter, and syrup. Each original plate of pancakes also includes a glass of  juice, milk  or coffee! The proceeds will be donated to the St. Andrews "Family We Care" ministry. Your generous donations enable us to continue bringing flower baskets to the comfort or  joy of our church families. 250 North Gary Avenue, Carol Stream, 630-653-7116


3. Malden UMC

Malden UMC's annual Ice Cream Social is August 9, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. Brats, pork chop sandwiches, veggies etc., topped off with homemade ice cream and homemade pies make it a dinner to remember!
Malden Church is on Main St. (County Road 5) east of U.S. 34, northeast of Princeton.



4. UMC Princeton

First UMC of Princeton's annual Corn Boil and Silent and Live Auction is August 16, 4:00 p.m. Sweet corn, brats, some things on silent auction, lots of fun with the live auction, and a special kids' auction too. The church members donate not just things, but services for the auction, making the event not just about raising money for the replacement air conditioning for the nursery and preschool rooms, but also about connections in the congregation. Princeton First is at the corner of Peru St. (U.S. 6) and Church St.


5. Fourth St. UMC Aurora

Give Blood, Get Ice Cream Aug. 8

That's the theme of a blood drive Saturday, Aug, 8, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Fourth Street United Methodist Church, 551 S. Fourth St. in Aurora. Each donor will receive a certificate for a quart of Oberweis Dairy ice cream.

The public is invited. A photo identification is required. Prospectve donors should eat a healthy meal and drink fluids in advance.

The church's Outreach Committee will partner with Heartland Blood Centers for the event. The goal is to help supply blood to 33 area medical centers, including Provena Mercy and Rush Copley hospitals in Aurora, during the summer when blood supplies run low. Church volunteers will help host the event.
Reservations are requested, walk-ins are welcome. For information or reservations, call 630) 897-5257 or visit Heartlandbc.org.


Please submit your pancake breakfast or other community meal to [email protected], subject "Pancakes."