The United Methodist Church
Northern Illinois Conference
eNews for October 29
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Welcome to the NIC eNews, which is published Thursdays. This week's edition is the final in our "eNews Lite" series, as we prepare for the unveiling of our new website next week. If you are in the mood for a double portion of United Methodist Church news, please visit:
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NIC organizing to oppose video poker expansion
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By Nancy Duel
OPERATION LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE
STOP VIDEO POKER NOW
The Illinois General Assembly is in Veto Session this week on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. They will not meet again until January. Please contact Governor Quinn (phone 800-642-3112) and your Illinois Senator and Representative immediately, and ask them to support the bill to repeal video poker (HB 4629). We need to protect vulnerable people from the crack cocaine of gambling.
You can protect your own community from this predatory product by
contacting your Mayor or Village President to request a ban on video
gambing.
Please contact me at 847-259-3793 or nduel@aol.com for printed materials, on-line information, or to schedule a speaker for a community information meeting.
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Last chance! Mark Miller to lead music workshop
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From Mark Bowman, United Church of Rogers Park
Mark A. Miller will lead a workshop, "Creating
Community Through Music: Ancient/Future Resources for a Singing Church,"
on November 7 and 8, 2009. Many believe that Miller is the preeminent
United Methodist musician of our day. He was Director of Music for the
2008 General Conference, served on the editorial committee of Zion Still
Sings and his songs appear in The Faith We Sing and numerous other
songbooks. He serves on the faculty at Drew University and Yale University. He
is in great demand as a composer, worship leader, teach and performer.
This workshop is part of the Worship
Alive! series co-sponsored by the Northern Illinois Conference. You can
attend either the Saturday workshop, November 7th, at the Presbyterian Church of
Western Springs or the Sunday workshop, November 8th, at the United Church of
Rogers Park. Workshop is from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. both days. You can find
more details at http://www.ucrogerspark.org/WorshipAlive/Miller.htm or
by calling me at 773-728-8274. Registration is $35 paid in
advance; $45 at the door. Discount of 20% for group of three or more persons
from a congregation. |
Small Group Institute begins November 7 - sign up now!
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If you've ever been a part of a successful choir that rehearses every week, you know the power of small groups. Meeting regularly outside of Sunday worship service brings people together and helps them practice living in Christian community. Whether big or small, churches can use small group ministries to build relationships among church attendees and introduce newcomers into the fold in a comfortable setting. Small groups were used by John Wesley to great effect, and they are still crucial components for effective church growth. As part of our Harvest 2020 program of Healthy Discipleship, the Northern Illinois Conference offers an annual training institute on planning, implementing and evaluating small group ministries. The course is six sessions, and we encourage participants to attend all six, if possible. Many sessions are repeated throughout the year to give people more schedule flexibility. Session 1 of the six-session course is titled "Theology of Class
Meetings in the Mode of John Wesley." Session 1 will be repeated on
December 12 at Bethany UMC in Itasca. All are welcome, especially those who may be starting small group ministries in the coming year. Only $10 fee per session, which covers our costs for materials, guest speakers and lunch. To register or more information,
please contact Natarsha Gardner in the NIC Program Office,
ngardner@umcnic.org.
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NIC Deacon blogs from Zimbabwe
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Follow along as Rev. Gregory Gross, Clinical Manager of the HIV
Testing & Prevention Program at Center on Halsted, travels from Chicago to Zimbabwe to learn
from and work with persons living with HIV/AIDS thru Project Tariro. Rev. Gross returns October 31. |
Full scholarship to seminary and $10,000 stipend up for grabs
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Methodist Theological School in Ohio has opened its competition
for the Harding Scholarship, offering full tuition plus a $10,000
annual stipend to a student entering in the fall of 2010. The Harding
Scholarship is one of more than 40 full-tuition scholarships offered by
MTSO.
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Press Hit of the Week
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http://www.vfpnews.com/articles/2009/10/19/07939340/index.xml
LELAND (Valley Free Press) - They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Perhaps the same could be said about an entire town.
At least the ladies of Suydam United Methodist Church think so and are
working their way into the hearts of everyone in Leland and the
surrounding areas with their harvest lunches, served every Wednesday
between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. now through Nov. 11.
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Moms in Touch Women's Prayer Event
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By Jody Mitchell, Peotone UMC
My name is Jody Mitchell and I am a member of
Peotone UMC in Peotone, IL. Some may remember that
I had a Moms In Touch table at the Northern IL Annual Conference. Moms
In Touch (MIT) is an international organization of women who join
together locally each week to pray specifically and scripturally for
their children and schools.
MIT is celebrating its 25th year of prayer and is
holding a women's prayer event that is taking place on November 14,
2009. It is called "Arise! Cry Out!" You can find more information at http://www.MomsInTouch.orgThis event is
unprecedented in that it actually took place "live" in San Diego on Oct
10. Because it was cost prohibitive for all women to get to San Diego,
MIT decided to record the live event and send the recordings to host
sites across the country and world to be shown, simultaneously, on
November 14. There are many host sites in IL (one of them being my
church in Peotone, IL) that are in the Northern Illinois area and we
would like to promote this event in the best possible way.
Our children are in desperate need of
prayer and intercession. We especially want to get the word out to
women in cities and towns where families are reeling
from the violence in their schools and neighborhoods. |
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Pancake Breakfast of the Week
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1. New Hope UMC, Chicago
Souper
Supper
7115 West
Hood Ave., Chicago,
Illinois 60631
Saturday, November 8th, Serving
6:00 - 7:00 p.m., entertainment following
Cost: Soup will be $10/adults, $5/children 10 and
under, for all you can eat. If you want a special bowl to take home, add another $10.
To
purchase tickets
or for further
info: Call Helen @ (773)775-1215
2. Ravenswood Fellowship, Chicago
ANNUAL PANCAKE BREAKFAST
4511 N. Hermitage, Chicago, IL 60640, (773) 561-2610
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2009, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Come enjoy, all you can eat, fluffy,
hot, freshly grilled pancakes and sausages accompanied by hot coffee and good
fellowship.
Also featured:
Fresh home baked pastries, Grandma's
Attic (collectibles) and
unique, attractive, hand crafted
holiday items.
Donation: adults $6.00, children under 10, $3.00
3. Hanover UMC
Soup Day
Tuesday, November 3, 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Chicken Noodle, Vegetable Beef, Chili and More!
Please send your pancake breakfast or other meal to communications@umcnic.org with the subject line "Pancakes."
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