All parish communicators are invited to attend the kickoff meeting for a new district-wide Parish Communicators Network on Thursday, November 10, 10 a.m. at St. Peter Lutheran Church, 202 E. Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg. The goal is to discuss needs as church communicators, set goals for a network group, and provide resources down the road. RSVP by November 7 to Mary Bahn. Lunch is provided FREE by LCEF for the kickoff meeting. To receive group emails, subscribe at office@ni.lcms.org with your name, congregation name and city, and email. Join the Facebook Group at NID LCMS Communicators Network. 

New Starts...New Believers Benefit Dinner
"they will do even greater things" John 14:12 (GW)
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 13, at the Marriott Hotel, Burr Ridge, 5:00 p.m. cash bar, 5:30 p.m. dinner. The dinner is free thanks to a generous donor who believes strongly in the emphasis of New Starts...New Believers. Adults only. Please respond now to the NID president's office, ronda.wilmot@ni.lcms.org. Guests will be invited to make a gift toward the work of local missions as we work together in the NID. 

Service of Remembrance
You are invited to a Service of Remembrance to remember in prayer, song, and readings, our loved ones who have passed away. This special service for those who find the Christmas season difficult due to loss of a loved one will be held on Saturday, December 10, 7:15 p.m., at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1101 Kimberly Way, Lisle. Refreshments will be served following the service. Questions? Call Chad Leonard at 630-708-8004. Print Flyer

Candidate Guides
In preparing for your personal voting in November, if you are looking for some last-minute reminders on how Christianity intersects with the public sphere, or information on specific candidates or party platforms, here are a couple items of interest:
 
LCMS President Matthew Harrison on Lutheran view of Church and State:
www.blogs.lcms.org/2016/president-harrison-provides-a-lutheran-view-of-church-and-state
 
Illinois Family Institute voting resources:
www.illinoisfamily.org/ifi_news/ifi-voting-resources/
 
Christian Voter Guide, one for each state, with platform descriptions for both major parties: www.christianvoterguide.com/states/midwest-region/illinois
 
This is not to endorse any views, but point you in several different directions for information that may (or may not) be useful to you.

#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving, set aside to harness the power of social media for good. It is celebrated the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, which in 2016 is November 29. This is the third year New Starts...New Believers followers are partnering to aid one congregation's efforts to make a difference in their community.

It's a project you will be excited to share with your friends on social media to invite their donations as well -- people outside Lutheranism and even outside the church. This year's #GivingTuesday project is Crosspoint Lutheran Church in Lakewood, Illinois, a five-year-old new start connected with Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Palatine. Visit www.nidlcms.org for more information.

Concordia Publishing House Warehouse Sale
Big savings on children's books, Bible studies, music, worship resources, and more! Also, freebies that you don't want to miss! Check it out November 1 through 8 at cph.org.

Network!
What is important to remember in networking, is that it is two-way. Here's how to do that through online professional networks:

• Post information that you feel could be helpful to other church workers. You have your special gifts and talents for your profession and it would be a waste not to share them with others. They will appreciate it!
• Check your connections' postings daily. You can congratulate your connections on their new jobs and accomplishments as well as find helpful information on topics you are interested in. We all seem to have time to check socially, so would not your professional network be just as important?

Networking has been called the single most powerful tactic to accelerate and sustain success for an individual or organization. So church workers, let's do this!