| April 7, 2011 |
Please send emails about e-news or the Reporter to Anne Marie Gerhardt, Dir. of Communications at communications@umcnic.org. All submissions for e-news must be received, in writing no later than 4:00 PM on Tuesday each week.
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Bishop Jung: Community with Our Muslim Neighbors
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Bishop Hee-Soo Jung
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We are deeply saddened by this past weekend's deadly riots in Afghanistan where U.N. aid workers and many others were killed. The protests were reportedly incited by the recent burning of the Qur'an outside a church in Florida which also disheartens us. As United Methodists, we are called to bring God's vision of a different kind of community.
As United Methodists, we express that our God calls us to work together with all people to overcome injustice. In our Book of Resolutions, we affirm that our Muslim neighbors are our co-workers in making "God's justice a reality for all people" (6061, pg. 800). As people of many faiths, we all have sacred traditions. The Qur'an embodies that tradition for our Muslim neighbors. This book is as sacred as communion elements, an embodiment of scripture and tradition for hundreds of millions of people.
In our Annual Conference, we have encouraged serious interfaith encounters and exploration between Christians and adherents of other religions of the world. Over the past few  years, I have led interfaith bus trips taking visitors to many different houses of worship where we engage in that kind of encounter. On Saturday, April 16, we will again lead two bus loads of youth to interface with people of other faiths, including Islam. As our Book of Resolutions underscores, (see sidebar below) the hope is that by developing friendships with those from whom and with whom we have much to learn, we can increase our respect for Islam as a way of life that calls its followers to the highest ideals. Read full story>> |
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Christian-Muslim Story Telling
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Shahab Razfar from Irshad shared stories from the Quran
credit: Melissa Tussing/Woodridge Patch
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Christians and Muslims shared some of their scriptures' sacred stories with one another at an interfaith storytelling and potluck event at Woodridge United Methodist Church on March 29. "It was a real spiritual high for both groups," said one of the organizers, Deacon Beth Galbreath. Muslims from the Irshad Learning Group, a Shia community which meets at the Woodridge church, and Christians, mostly members of Woodridge UMC., enjoyed the storytelling and then shared a potluck of Iranian and American dishes as they got to know one another around the tables. Read the full story>>
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New Immigration Clinic
Welcomes First Clients
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JFON Clinic at
Fourth United Methodist Church
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After three years of careful planning and coordinating volunteers, the Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON) clinic opened its doors Saturday, April 2 to immigrants seeking legal guidance. The clinic, which provides free, high-quality attorney services, will operate the first Saturday of each month at Fourth Street United Methodist Church in Aurora. Clients are seen by appointment only.  | |
Rev. David Lago-Fonseca, Cary UMC, and Roger Curless, Site Director, at the opening of the JFON clinic
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Volunteer clinic coordinator, Roger Curless, member of Wesley UMC in Aurora, said the clinic is a real justice ministry. "We are responding to the biblical mandate of radical hospitality to our neighbors," said Curless. "And the neighbors who we're helping here are some of the least, some of the most marginalized people in our communities." Read the full story>> |
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NIC-VIM Mission Fair at Woodridge UMC
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Bishop Daniel Arichea from the UMC Manila Episcopate in the Philippines will celebrate VIM Mission at a worship service at Woodridge UMC at 3:30 pm on Saturday, May 7. There will be a general Mission Fair from 2pm-5:30 pm to which all are invited.
Anyone who has been involved in an NIC Mission here in the US or overseas is invited to provide a display for the Fair. If you would be interested in promoting your mission at this event, please contact VIM Mission Chair Carol Meynen at cmeynen@gmail.com by April 30 to register.
Admission is free and a collection at worship will benefit the Central Conference Pension Initiative for overseas UMC pastors and deacons.
For more information contact:
Carol Meynen cmeynen@gmail.com
Wally Calaway wcalaway@sbcglobal.net
Rev. Noah Panlilio pstrnoah@comcast.net
Rev. Michael Mann NIC Associate Director of Mission and Advocacy 847-931-0710 ext 20
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Annual Conference is coming: June 8-11, 2011
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Northern Illinois Conference will gather at Pheasant Run Resort on June 8-11, 2011. During these days, we will serve together, united by love. Delegates to the 2012 General Conference will be elected; legislative actions will be passed; and new pastors will be ordained. Come join us. Details about on-line conference registration coming soon. Hotel reservations can be made NOW! Due to another event at the same venue, rooms at Pheasant Run will likely sell out. Call (630) 584-6300 and mention Northern Illinois Conference. All information will be available on our website.
Go the the Annual Conference 2011 pages.
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United Methodist Leadership Summit
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Clergy and lay leaders watch the UMC Leadership Summit webcast
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On April 6, more than a hundred clergy and lay leaders across the Northern Illinois Conference joined United Methodist from around the globe in a simultaneous, interactive conversation about the role of the annual conference and its leaders in driving adaptive change for the UMC. The three hour webcast featured presentations by the Council of Bishops and Representatives of the 'Call to Action Steering Team', an email question and answers period, and closing prayer and worship.  | |
Bishop Jung watches the webcast
at Cornerstone UMC
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NIC hosted three site locations including Rockford: Christ UMC, Elgin: Cornerstone UMC and Park Ridge: First UMC.
If you missed the webinar, visit umcleadershipsummit.org and click on 'watch video'. |
General Conference Petition Submissions Welcome
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 From April 1 to Sept. 27, United Methodists can submit petitions for consideration by the 2012 General Conference, the denomination's top legislative body.
According to church law, "Any organization, clergy member, or lay member of The United Methodist Church may petition the General Conference ... ." Petitions must be typed and may be submitted via email to petitions@umpublishing.org, through the website, by mail or by fax. The deadline for petitions submitted only by regular mail or fax is July 1, to allow time for transcription and translation. Petitions should indicate whether they have general church budget considerations. The mailing addresses for petitions (hard copy accompanied, if possible, by digital version on diskette, CD or USB drive) are: Gary Graves, Petitions Secretary, United Methodist General Conference, P.O. Box 140, Rockfield, KY 42274, or, for delivery purposes, to 2511 Richpond - Rockfield Road, Bowling Green, KY 42101.
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Local Church Events
| News about local church events has been posted on the web.
Read about April Events
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