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Events and Resources for LCMS Churches and Church Workers in Northern Illinois - November 1, 2015
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Please share in your bulletin, newsletter or on your social media
#GivingTuesdayOne day a year, December 1, #GivingTuesday inspires the nation to give for a charitable cause. As their promotion points out: There is Black Friday and Cyber Monday; then there is GivingTuesday. It's a time to focus less on ourselves and wholely on ways to help the many people and causes that serve others in our communities.
This GivingTuesday, New Starts...New Believers is partnering to support Sanctuary Manhattan Lutheran Mission's efforts at Laraway School. Your gift will provide the money needed for a special Christmas-time outreach to families in this Preston Heights School where there is a high percentage of at-risk kids. The first $2,000 in gifts will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, by New Starts...New Believers, doubling your gift's impact. Be certain to follow us and share our updates on Facebook.com/newstartsnewbelievers. Visit our webpage at ni.lcms.org/GivingTuesday for more information or to make your gift there.
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Please use in your church bulletin
Walther Open House and Placement TestingWalther Christian Academy, 900 Chicago Avenue, Melrose Park, invites you for a Placement Test or open house: - Open House: Sunday, December 6, 2015, 3 p.m.
- Incoming High School Student Placement Test: Saturday, January 9, 2016, 8 a.m.; Saturday, February 27, 2016 8 a.m.; Saturday March 19, 2016, 8 a.m.
- Visitation Day & Placement Test: Friday, January 23, 8 a.m.
Walther offers a 25% tuition discount to students who match the standards of Walther's Scholars Program based on scores from the first two placement test dates. The discount is renewable based on academic performance. For more information call 708-344-0404 or visit Walther.com.
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 Concordia Plan Services "Be Well" Sneak PreviewA Concordia Plans Services representative will be at the Northern Illinois District Office, 2301 S. Wolf Road, Hillside, Tuesday, November 18, at 6:30 p.m. to talk about enhancements to the Be Well ... Serve Well program and the new Vitality platform. This presentation is for both workers and employers. Spots are limited so make sure to sign-up today. Email Ronda Wilmot or call 708-223-3101. Print flyer Concordia Health Care Plan Changes for Retired WorkersChanges in the health care plan for retired LCMS workers in CPS Medicare take effect January 1. With the changes, retirees will now have three cost options instead of one. Health plan election for retirees is due November 3, but a limited safety-net is being provided for those who need help and miss that deadline. People are encouraged to call the Concordia Plan Services office in St. Louis with questions, 888-927-7526. Employers: Name a Wellness Champion and Cap Your CHP Rates!Concordia Plan Services is offering a rate increase cap of 4.9% on the 2017 Concordia Health Plan for all employers who commit to supporting wellness by submitting the name and contact information of a wellness champion for their organization. Employers need to submit their champion information on the Be Engaged! letter by December 31, 2015, to secure their rate cap for 2017. Having a wellness champion will be essential to supporting health and wellness at a local level. Print Being A Wellness Champion. For more information contact Concordia Plan Services at 888-927-7526.
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Please use in your church bulletin
Artist Series
St. John's Lutheran Church, 215 S. Lincoln, Lombard, is hosting Cowboy Rick Pickren, singer/songwriter of traditional and original fold songs, and his ensemble Sunday, November 15, at 3 p.m. An informal reception with refreshments will follow. Admission is free; a free-will offering will be received and the public is invited. For more information, call 630-629-2515.
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Immanuel Lutheran School, Palatine
Classroom & Program AideSubstitute TeacherImmanuel Lutheran School, 200 N. Plum Grove Road, Palatine, seeks substitute teachers, and classroom and program aides to work part-time during the school year in the Early Childhood, Elementary, and After-School programs. Please visit immanuelpalatine.org/hr to review the position descriptions and complete an online application.
St. Peter Lutheran Church & School, Schaumburg
St. Peter Lutheran Church and School, Schaumburg is looking for a customer service driven individual to join our church and school team. This person must be willing to work full time with occasional Sunday morning and special event availability. Computer skills, clerical skills, organizational skills, flexibility and proper phone etiquette are required. For a full job description please contact Heather Collier - hcollier@stpeterlcms.org or call 847-885-3350.
Northern Illinois District Position Available
NID and LCEF together are seeking applicants for the full-time position of District Vice President for Lutheran Church Extension Fund. The position is based at the district office in Hillside, Illinois, with home office accommodation and frequent travel around the district and to national LCEF events. Please share this job description with any qualified members in your congregation who may be interested. Submit resumes to President's Office, 2301 S. Wolf Road, Hillside, IL 60162 or email to Ronda.Wilmot@ni.lcms.org.
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Please use in your church bulletin
New Starts...New Believers Benefit Dinner
"In His season . . . seizing any opportunity to bless" Galatians 6:9-10. The annual New Starts...New Believers Benefit Dinner for our work together in local missions through the LCMS Northern Illinois District will be held Sunday, November 15, at the Marriott Hotel, Burr Ridge, 5:00 p.m. cash bar, 5:30 p.m. dinner. All interested mission supporters are invited; adults only, please. Respond by November 9 to the NID president's office, ronda.wilmot@ni.lcms.org.
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RESOURCES* - In Touch with a Changing World
*The following resources are for information and not intended to endorse any idea or practice. Hopefully they will help us understand more of what is going on around us. NID Rostered Church Workers are invited to submit articles or resources for consideration.
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Parish Paper
Navigating the Currents of Endowments and Reserve Funds - Because people give to many worthwhile causes, including the church, leaders must make a case for how congregation's mission advances God's will. Print flyer
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 Top 5 Most Effective Guest Follow-Up Tools of 2015
- Call 'em: It's so simple and so effective. Simply pick up the phone and make a personal phone call.
- Email 'em: Send a series of follow-up emails. We recommend sending a personal email each week for the first 6 weeks.
- Text 'em: Send a friendly text message right away. Then, we recommend, following up via text message once per week for the first 3 weeks.
- Mug 'em: Deliver a coffee mug (with your logo) within 72 hours. Yes, it's a lot of work! BUT... it's worth it.
- Mail 'em: Drop a postcard or, better yet, a handwritten note in the mail on Monday morning. It's a small gesture with BIG IMPACT.
If you begin utilizing all five of these powerful follow-up tools you will undoubtedly retain more guests. No, the newest gadget has not, nor ever will, replace the power of human interaction. But, we can leverage the technologies that exist today to better connect with our first time guests and the larger faith community. Source: ChurchTechToday.com
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 Emotional Wellbeing and Genesis 50"Are you quick to forgive and committed to love in all of your relationships?" Ouch. I called it the grudge question, and I'm convinced that being asked that question on a regular basis helped me avoid the kind of emotional anxiety that can gnaw on church workers and destroy the harmony in a church. Read more from Grace Place Lutheran Wellness Ministries.
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Church Workers:
All rostered and non-rostered church workers are asked to please update their NID contact information when there is a change of email, address, phone, etc., or if new in the district.
Rostered workers need to do contact updates in three places:
1. District Office
2. Online on your SET or LEIF profile
3. Online on your LCMS Rosters and Statistics profile
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LCMS Northern Illinois District, 2301 S. Wolf Road, Hillside, IL 60162
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