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Annual Conference News                                           June 14, 2012
Please send emails for the e-news or the Reporter to Anne Marie Gerhardt, Dir. of Communications at [email protected]. All submissions for e-news must be received, in writing no later than 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday each week.
In This Issue
Annual Conference News
Seeds to Succeed
DS Farewell Celebration
Become a Foster Parent

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Communicator's Corner
Order AC DVDs

DVDs will be produced for all worship services, Bible Study, The Bishop's Celebration, and Ordination & Commissioning. If you wish to purchase a copy of any of these, please e-mail your selections to
in the Media Resource Center.

Include your name, address, and phone number. Cost of DVDs is usually $5 per DVD, with a $5 shipping charge ($5 for up to 10 DVDs to one address, and $10 for more that 10). Most services fit on one DVD. The Ordination and Commissioning will be on 2 DVDs. All those Ordained or Commissioned will receive a free copy of the Ordination & Commissioning Service.

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Evaluations
All those who registered for Annual Conference on-line should soon be receiving an evaluation form in their email inbox.
 
We want you to know that the results from previous evaluations have been very valuable for making changes to how we do conference and making conference more helpful and useful to conference attendees.  

We ask that you provide your honest and specific feedback to us.  It will only take a few minutes. Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete the survey.
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Music Offer

Multiple copies (50 or greater) of about 8 anthems (SATB) donated to any church that wants to pick them up or pay for postage.
Contact Jim Skomer at [email protected].     

Upcoming Events -Click on event for more details
 
June Local Church Events

 

Bridges to Community: June 15-16 

 

National HIV Testing Day- June 20

50th Anniversary Celebration Dinner for Rockford Urban Ministries - June 22

V.I.M. Leadership Training- July 14 

   

North Central Jurisdictional Conference - July 18-20

 

UMW School of Christian Mission- July 19- 23   

 

College of Christian Life - Aug. 6-8 Peoria

 

   

Leadership Institute 2012

 

Are you going to the "Leadership Institute 2012" put on by the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Kansas October 3-5?  

 

Register early for the best prices. Super Early Bird Deadline - July 6, 2012
Early Bird Deadline - September 7, 2012
Standard Rate - September 8 - October 3, 2012
Young Adult Discount Available

 

Get a group discount by contacting Judy Siaba at [email protected] or 312-346-9766 x 124? Register now at www.cor.org/li2012.

 

Tune in
The Greater Chicago Broadcast Ministries proudly presents a special broadcast edition of Sanctuary featuring an Ethics Summit on the recent NATO and G-8 meetings.

Sunday, June 17 at 11:30 a.m. - noon
ABC, TV, Channel 7


Beyond the NATO and G-8 summits, the parades and protests, the conversation continues, and the tough issues are still on the table: poverty, the economy, and the war.  

 

In this special edition of Sanctuary, you will hear how your own life is touched by the global economy, and what ethics and a just response have to do with it.

 

173rd Annual Conference Highlights
state of the church address
Bishop Hee-Soo Jung

Members of the Northern Illinois Annual Conference  came together to "Celebrate God's Amazing Work" at the 173rd session held June 6-9, 2012 in St. Charles, IL.

In his State of the Church Address, presiding Bishop Hee-Soo Jung spoke of the bold steps the NIC has made since the Harvest 2020 movement was announced five years ago. In that time, 30 new faith communities have been launched attracting more than 2,000 new worshipers. The Bishop also celebrated the commissioning of 20 new church planters on June 9.

"At the five year mark we assess, continue to perfect and push forward to become a people of God's vision for the church in the 21st century," said Bishop Jung. "We can allow our changing society to shape the future for a dying church or we can embrace change and adapt the work of making disciples to address the present and future age." Read the full text>>

Ordination
ordination 2012Congratulations to the  Commissioning, Recognition of Orders and Ordination Class of 2012. The Service of Commissioning and Ordination was held on Saturday, June 9. Bishop Jung ordained eight elders, recognized to orders of full membership as an elder, commissioned three provisional deacons and 12 provisional elders. In his message, guest preacher Bishop Warner Brown of the California-Nevada Annual Conference spoke to the 2012 class, "We are called to bring this movement of Jesus forward in our time. We have received the baton."

Legislative Action
The 2012 Northern Illinois Annual Conference approved more than a dozen legislative items which included; a call to end mass incarceration and the building of private prisons, support for raising the minimum wage in Illinois, re-authorization of the Hyatt boycott and continuing a partnership with Bolivia. Read the full story>>

Special Offerings
Four special offerings were received for the following: Ministerial Education Fund (M.E.F.), which supports United Methodist seminaries, local seminary scholarships, continuing education grants, and developing continuing education events, $2,361; the Moscow UM Theological Seminary, $3321; the Youth Worship Service, $1,579; and in honor of Bishop Jung and wife Im, an offering of $7,280 will be divided among Harvest 2020 and the Academy for Spiritual Formation.


Kit Challenge Nets More than a Thousand Donations
As delegates to Annual Conference arrived many came bearing bags, boxes, or buckets of kits for Church World Service.

56 congregations brought...
Emergency Clean-up Buckets: 52
Baby Care Kits: 38
School Kits: 286
Hygiene Kits: 889

...for a grand total of 1265 Kits!  In addition, just over $1500 was received to cover the costs of processing and shipping the Kits to those in need. Read the full story>>


Peace with Justice Award  


The Northern Illinois Annual Conference welcomed back Bishop C. Joseph Sprague on June 7 to receive the Peace With Justice Award. The award is given by the NIC Board of Church and Society in memory and honor of Rev. Todd M. Singley. 

While many know Bishop Sprague as the Episcopal Leader of the Northern Illinois Conference from 1996 through 2004, he has also been a pastor, an organizer for social justice and a mentor to many. Read the full story>>

Seeds to Succeed - August 11, 2012

Thank you to the 60+ churches who signed up at Annual Conference to get involved in Seeds to Succeed!

Nearly 20 backpacks were also donated which will go to students in need this fall.

Volunteers are now needed for the growing number of service projects scheduled on August 11, 2012. Project details are being added every day to the website www.seedstosucceed.org. Visit the site and volunteer for a project of your choice.

We will also be collecting backpacks and school supplies over the summer. Donations can be brought to the program office at 217 Division St., Elgin, IL, St. Mark UMC at 8441 S. St. Lawrence Ave, Chicago IL  or the Hilltop Ministry Center at 8301 Mitchell Rd, Machesney Park, IL. To make arrangements for drop-off at Hilltop call 815-985-3626 or email [email protected]

Questions contact Anne Marie Gerhardt at 847-931-0710 ext. 14 or [email protected].

 

Farewell Celebration for Chicago Northwestern District Supt.
James Preston
Rev. James Presto

More than 200 people gathered at
First UMC Evanston last Sunday to celebrate the ministry of Chicago Northwestern District Superintendent James Preston.

Those gathered were privleged to hear Rev. Preston preach and give thanks for his ministry.

Many gathered for a reception following the worship service. Rev. Preston has been appointed to Kingswood UMC in Buffalo Grove, IL
starting July 1. 

Save the Date:
Welcome New D.S.

Welcome Celebration For Rev. Zaki Zaki and Family.
Join us as we welcome our new Chicago: Northwestern District Superintendent!

Sunday, July 22 at 4 p.m.

Ravenswood Fellowship UMC
4511 N Hermitage
Chicago

Worship Service with reception afterwards

Churches are invited to bring an appetizer to share...


Hosted by the District Superintendency Committee and Ravenswood Fellowship Church.


ChildServ- Foster Parent Orientation Session
ChildServ invites caring adults in Chicago and its suburbs to learn more about how they can change the lives of children through fostering.

The agency hosts Foster Parent Recruitment and Orientation Sessions on the 3rd Tuesday of each month in Chicago. There are no fees or obligations to attend, and parents are particularly needed for Spanish-speaking children, teen moms and specialty foster care situations. The next session is Tuesday, June 19.

Cook County Location:
Harold Washington Professional Building
5401 S. Wentworth
Time: 5:30-7:30 pm
Call 773-867-7323 for more information or to RSVP.

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