By Bishop Hee-Soo Jung

Last week I offered an invocation at the Asian-American Town Hall Meeting held at the Salvation Army's Mayfair Community Church in Chicago, IL. The purpose of the Town Hall was to ensure that the Asian-American community's voice on the topics of immigration reform, education, health care and economy were heard. U.S. Sen. Roland Burris and Rep. Jan Schakowsky and other elected officials participated at the event, along with the Coalition for A Better Chinese-American Community, Asian American Institute, and Korean American Resource and Cultural Center.

 

Host Church: Barrington United Methodist Church
98 Algonquin Rd., Barrington
Time:  8:30 am- 3:30 pm
Register for Stewardship Conference

By Rev. Ron Greene

You are invited to an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America - United Methodist Church Eucharist on August 30 at 2:00 p.m. in Winthrop Harbor, IL. Last week, the ELCA voted to join in full communion with the United Methodist Church.

A gathering of ELCA and UMC clergy and laity from southeastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois will offer a Service of Holy Communion at the Winthrop Harbor Community Center building, 1500 7th Street, one block east of Sheridan Road.

 
More information is available by calling Rev. Ron Greene at 847-872-8513 or emailing ronogreene@gmail.com.

By Deacon Beth Galbreath

You are invited to a two-week online workshop in Biblical Storytelling from Sept. 21-Oct. 3. The workshop will be an in-depth introduction to the art and spiritual discipline of learning Scripture stories and sharing them with others in a form that brings the text to life and becomes a sacred event. The workshop is an opportunity for anyone who wants to explore the art or to start a "Scripture By Heart" team in the congregation.
 
Yes, you can do it too! If I could learn starting at the advanced age of 55, I'm confident virtually anyone can. The Network of Biblical Storytellers' methods make a joyful art of learning by heart, not by memorization.
 
Registration information is at http://www.beadisciple.com/workshops.html#story

By Debbie Rogers, United Voices for Children

United Voices for Children encourages congregations to advocate for children by supporting ministries that assist at-risk children and their families. They also promote the United Voices for Children Sunday, also known as the 5th Sunday Appeal, that provides critical financial resources to the four United Methodist-related child-serving agencies in the Northern Illinois Conference: ChildServ, Marcy-Newberry Association, Methodist Youth Services, and Rosecrance.

The current need is critical. All of these agencies are experiencing deep cuts in their public funding precisely at a time when the number & needs of the most vulnerable in our communities are growing. By participating enthusiastically, creatively and purposefully in the United Voices for Children Sunday on August 30th, you and your congregation can provide much-needed help and hope to children and families in struggling communities throughout northern Illinois.       
           
To support the United Voices for Children Sunday, write your check to your church with a note in the memo "United Voices for Children," and place it in the Sunday offering plate or the Church Office. Thank you!
 
Thanks again for your continued partnership!
 
Debbie Rogers, (630) 355-1834, vm ext. 10, umvoices4kids@yahoo.com

 

By Rev. Margaret Gramley, Kingswood UMC, Buffalo Grove

Those interested in learning about the UMC's work in Africa are welcomed to join us for worship on August 30 when our special guest speaker will be Karen Johnson Ujereh, Mission Interpreter of the North Central Jurisdiction. Karen is a missionary with the Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church and was most recently assigned to Dakar, Senegal where she served as GBGM's Area Financial Executive. She was also the VIM (Volunteers in Mission) Coordinator for Senegal. Karen will be at both services 9:00 and 10:30 a.m. Kingswood is located at 401 W. Dundee Rd. in Buffalo Grove, phone 847-398-0770.

The August 28 edition of the Reporter is now available for free download.

If you would like to submit stories or events for possible publication in the Reporter, eNews or website, please see our submission guidelines. We try our best to publish a sample of local church events, but with 400 churches we apologize that we can't run them all. Instead, our communications office strives to help you reach your community and hopefully bring unchurched newcomers to your door. If you need help finding contact information for local media outlets, please let us know.

Finally, we are still on track to launch our new website this October. All committees, boards, work areas, teams, individuals, task forces, groups - anywhere 2 or 3 are gathered in the name of Christ  and are taking minutes!- please be thinking of how you can contribute to the collective knowledge and effectiveness of the churches of the Northern Illinois Conference using the tool of a modern, functional website. We need:

• stories
• training materials
• documents
• guides
• testimonials
• how-tos
• great pictures
• prayers
• liturgies
• lyrics
• best practices
• graphics

If you are interested in contributing, please contact me by email. Thank you!