On August 16, Salem Korean UMC in Schaumburg celebrated the groundbreaking for its
new educational building.  The ceremony was attended by Bishop Jung,who gave a sermon and a benediction for the worship, Rev. J. Martin Lee, director of Congregational Development and Re-development and many other pastors and the members of the church. 

The new 4,000 square-foot building will host a new youth chapel, five classrooms and a new office for the church and senior pastor.  The building is expected to be finished in the
spring of 2010.

A massive cleanup effort is underway in two Springfield area communities in which separate tornados struck August 19, damaging 25 homes in Williamsville and numerous farms and the center of Loami, a village that experienced its third tornado in three years and second in six months.

 

The IGRC Disaster Response Team was dispatched to both sites and assessments were made for cleanup and relief efforts. The Midwest Mission Distribution Center in nearby Chatham was placed on standby status and delivered two electric generators and 75 flood buckets to assist with cleanup efforts.

 

Ken Miner of Springfield is coordinating the conference response effort and can be contacted by email or by calling 217-725-5870.

At Southlawn UMC, on Chicago's South Side, we are taking the John Wesley quote, "The world is my parish" to heart. With God's help, we are trying to regain our relevance in our neighborhood by reconnecting with neighbors through a number of community-based projects. These projects invite schools, businesses, government and the ecumenical community to participate in the process of meeting the social and spiritual needs of residents of the Calumet Heights area.
 
On August 1, the Calumet Heights Community Coalition, in conjunction with Southlawn UMC, held the most recent in a series of Community Festivals with the goal of building unity and helping neighbors get to know one another. Those in attendance (who braved the rain that day) included representatives from ten block clubs (approximately 250 neighbors), business, city and state government officials, the Chicago Police Department and area churches.  All enjoyed a day of food, fun and family.

Jürgen Moltmann, widely considered one of the world's most prominent theologians, will be the keynote speaker at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary's convocation and the featured guest in an hour-long public conversation with three seminary theologians.  

On September 9, he will deliver the convocation address, "A Theology for Life -- A Life for Theology," at 11 a.m. in the seminary's Chapel of the Unnamed Faithful. "Conversation with Jürgen Moltmann" will follow at 1:30 p.m. in the chapel. 

We expect a large turnout, so while both events are open to the public they can also be seen live via Web cast at www.garrett.edu/convocation.

Join men in ministry, outreach and service.  Spend time in learning and pondering just how God comes to you and your family.  Share stories and experiences with other men seeking to know Christ. Join a ministry that can transform our church.  

The UM Men's Spiritual Congress is September 18-20, at Conference Point Center, Williams Bay, WI. Our theme this year will be "Walking into the Light". All men in the conference are invited.

In his book, "Why Men Hate Church," author David Murrow writes that when a father comes to faith in Christ, the rest of his family follows 93 % of the time. Join us at this special event.

See the UM Men website for registration information. Thank you!

By Francis Cardinal George O.M.I., Archbishop of Chicago
Bishop Wayne N. Miller, Metro. Chicago Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, Northern Illinois Conference, UMC

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ, whose grace both abounds and sustains us in faith! This October, an important milestone in ecumenical relations will take place: the tenth anniversary of the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification by the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation in Augsburg, Germany. In 2006, the World Methodist Council, comprised of a number of Methodist churches throughout the United States and the world, affirmed this Joint Declaration.

A joint national celebration of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will mark this historic anniversary in Chicago.

Recognizing the significance of this declaration, we invite Catholic, Lutheran and Methodist

faithful to the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Joint Declaration on the

Almost 300,000 people a month visit umc.org to learn more about local churches just like yours. And even more visitors are on the way. Find-a-Church is a key component of the Rethink Church initiative- the next evolution of The United Methodist Church's Open Hearts national advertising and welcoming campaign.  People will be coming. The question is: Are you ready? 

Roll Out Your Online Welcome Mat!
The ad campaign sends visitors to your church profile.   When they get there, they'll discover many "doors" they can walk through to search for a church that matches their own interests and preferences. But if your information isn't updated on Find-a-Church, they won't learn much about you, or the "doors" that can lead them into your church. And they could be missing out on the opportunity of alifetime.  

Update Your Listing Today
Help newcomers find you. Your church may be exactly what they are looking for when they "click" on your door!   We'll help you update.  Simply complete the online short form at www.rethinkchurch.org/churchupdate.