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February 14, 2013
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Happy Valentine's Day!
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Communicator's Corner
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Laity Resources Available
2013 Laity Convocation workshop presentations... available in PowerPoint and pdf's as wells as a DVD of Bishop Sally Dyck's keynote address are now available. Click here for more information.
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Lenten Resources
Free content for planning Lent worship and activities from Ministry Matters, The United Methodist Publishing House resource site for all church leaders. Click here for details.
Program Calendars on Sale
Official United Methodist 2013 Program Calendar up to 60% off. Click here for details.
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Free Stewardship WebinarGifts That Keep On Giving
Thursday, February 21, 6:30pm.
The Rev. Don Joiner, Director of the Center for Planned Giving joins the webinar and will share how your church can be proactively prepared to give. To save your spot,
click here to register.++++++++++++++++++++++ New UMC Online Training Dates: Feb. 20 - Apr. 3 Registration open thru Feb. 14 for United Methodism 101 and Turning Connectional Living into Connectional Giving.
Click here for more info.
+++++++++++++++++++++ Summer CampOutdoor & Retreat Ministries Summer Camp Calendar is now available online. Click here for dates and costs.++++++++++++++++++++++
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Call to Prayer for victims of gun violence and their families
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On Friday, February 15 through Sunday, February 17, the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago (CRLMC) calls on all faith communities as they gather for worship to join in prayer for the victims of gun violence and their families.
We are asking all religious institutions to offer special prayers during their worship this weekend to remember the many lives lost due to senseless acts of violence and to remember their families whose pain never ends.
A CRLMC press release stated, "As religious leaders we are concerned by the extraordinary gun violence that has permeated our communities, our schools and even our houses of worship. We hope that out of our prayers a common vision may come and empower each of our congregations to become active peacemakers to restore hope and peace in our communities."
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Solemn remembrance on 5th anniversary of NIU shooting
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February 14, 2013 marks the fifth anniversary of the violence and mayhem which took place on an innocuous afternoon on the Northern Illinois University campus. A former student, slipped into a lecture hall and opened fire on 27 students, killing five and injuring 21 before turning the gun on himself.
As memorial wreaths will be placed today at a special garden next to the lecture hall at the school, several Northern Illinois Conference pastors, who helped care for students, victim's families and first responders, are reliving and remembering that fateful day ... one which they will never forget.
Recent school shootings and the NIU anniversary are also opening up old wounds for the grandparents of one of the victims, who are retired pastors from the Illinois Great Rivers Conference. They're calling on churches to play a role in helping to provide places of conversation among the faith community, including dialogues about the violence-obsessed culture in our nation, gun safety, violence prevention.
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Special Session of Annual Conference
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Bishop Sally Dyck has announced a special session of the Northern Illinois Annual Conference on March 16, 2013 at Elgin First United Methodist Church (216 Highland, Elgin, IL 60120), starting with registration at 8:30 am and beginning with opening welcome and worship at 9:30 am. The session is expected to end around noon.
The purpose of this special session is to discuss an important but complex recommendation that comes to us from a joint meeting of the Conference Council on Finance and Administration, the Conference Board of Trustees, and the Cabinet on February 9, 2013.
The proposal is a means to refinance mortgages for qualifying local churches in order to redirect their resources from building indebtedness to ministry within the local church and beyond. Click here for more details...
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Upcoming Turnaround Boot Camp - Changes
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Day one (March 16) of the Boot Camp will be held at First UMC Elgin from 1:00pm to 7:00pm, immediately following the Special Session of Annual Conference.
We will offer a free preview of the bootcamp from 1:00 to 3:00 for all Special Session attendees.
Day 2 (March 17) of the Boot Camp will be held at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Northbrook from 8:00am to 3:00pm.
The price is reduced to $150 earlybird (available through March 1) and $200 regular (after March 1).
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Natural Church Development Training
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Register Today!
NCD Training March 8-9
ChurchSmart Resources Center
3830 Ohio Ave., St. Charles, IL
The Office of Congregational Development and Redevelopment invites you to a unique training opportunity in Natural Church Development.
Registration only costs $50, but you must register by February 23. Registration includes materials and lunch, but participants must make their own hotel arrangements. To register or receive more information, visit www.umcnic.org or call (312) 346-9766, ext. 724. |
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Interfaith Bus Tour registration open
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March 23 & 24
 Get on board and join Bishop Sally Dyck for this year's Interfaith Bus Trip. The Adult trip is March 22 and 23, with the youth portion being on Saturday March 23. Each year, the interfaith bus trip gives adults and youth the opportunity to interact, ask questions, share faith, and experience what it means to live in a multi-religious society. The trip this year will visit many religious sites in the Western suburbs including a Hindu temple, Buddhist meditation hall, and Sikh Gurudwara (among other sites). Space is limited.
Click here for registration details.
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Black History Month Resources
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Young Adult Summer Mission Trip
to Bolivia
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The Northern Illinois Conference Youth and Young Adults [Age 18 and older, Age 17 with a letter of parental permission] are invited to join the Methodist Federation for Social Action sponsored VIM Mission Education Encounter in Bolivia,
July 10-July 20, 2013.
Contact Rev. Dr. Barbara Javore for a detailed itinerary.
bjavore@yahoo.com or 847-828-7700
Youth and Youth Leaders:
Annual Lenten Saturday Meeting
Feb. 16
10am-1pm
NIC Program Office - 217 Division St., Elgin
Contact Rev. Barbara Javore
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UMVIM Training Session
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First UMC, Crystal Lake (Rm. 218)
March 9, 2013 - 8:30 am - 12 Noon
First UMC, Crystal Lake is hosting a UMVIM training session for those interested in learning more about successful mission trips, organization, VIM team guidelines and the do's & don'ts about leading a mission trip.
Training includes organizing and leading a small group of volunteers and also provides spiritual, cultural awareness, leadership training, policies, procedures and process.
Advanced registration required due to space restrictions. Contact John Parmley to register 815.505.3113/john_parmley@yahoo.com.
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Cokesbury Naperville Last Few Days
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Everything at the Cokesbury Naperville store is 90% off until is closes for good on February 16, 2013. Everything at the Cokesbury store at Garret is now 50% off. Excludes Vacation Bible School, Quarterly Dated Curriculum & UM Book of Discipline and Resolution and textbooks at Garrett. In stock items only - while supplies last. All Sales are Final!!!! |
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Registration Open for Mental Health Initiative
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May 3-4, 2013
8:00am-3:30pm at First United Methodist Church Oak Lawn
5627 W. 100th St., Oak Lawn, IL 5627
Limit to 30 Participants - Two Day Intensive Training
Click here to download the flyer
Contact Rev. Cheryl Magrini by email with questions and to receive the registration form at magrinicheryl@gmail.com or by phone at 312-552-0082. Pay $25 at the door. The United Methodist Grant Program of the NIC awarded this program funding.
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Please send emails for the eNews or the Reporter to Anne Marie Gerhardt, Dir. of Communications at communications@umcnic.org.
All submissions for eNews must be received in writing no later than 4pm on Tuesday each week.
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The NIC Media Resource Center has ordered many new DVD's and has a number of VHS tapes in its library to check out to engage your congregations in discussion about Black History. 