Quick Links
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2013 Charge Conference Forms
Forms needed for your 2013 Church or Charge Conference are now available to download from the conference website. Click here. |
Communicator's Corner
Website Issues?
Job Opening:
Applications are being accepted for the position of Senior Director of Advocacy and Sexual Ethics at the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women.
The Senior Director will oversee sexual harassment/sexual misconduct prevention and intervention in The United Methodist Church. A detailed job description is available by clicking here. Application deadline is Friday, January 3, 2014.
EYA Summer Internships
Deadlines to apply for a 2014 Ethnic Young Adult (EYA) Summer Internship in social justice placements in the U.S. capital are Jan. 11 for applicants outside the U.S. and Feb. 1 for applicants within the U.S.
The EYA program is for persons, ages 18-22 from United Methodist racial/ethnic minority caucuses and Central Conferences, who have an interest in exploring issues of public policy, social justice advocacy and social change.
Sponsored by the General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) and the denomination's Inter-Ethnic Strategy Development Group, the summer internship is from May 29-Aug. 2. Click here for more info.GBCS Grants for racial/ethnic ministries
Applications for grants up to $10,000 to help local United Methodist churches build ministries that strengthen and support racial and ethnic church concerns are due on Jan. 15. Click here for info.Young clergy initiative grants openApplications for Young Clergy Initiative grants to develop innovative projects of all sizes that could attract young people to ordained ministry in The United Methodist Church are now open through Feb. 1, 2014. Click here for info.
Sympathy Notice
Our Sympathies are with the NIC Media Resources Director Susan Gieseler whose husband Philip Gieseler passed away on Sunday, Nov. 17. The memorial service will be held at Marengo UMC at 4:00 pm on Sunday, Nov. 24.
Visitation 3-4 pm. Memorial gifts may be given to the church or to the UMCOR disaster relief fund.
Marengo UMC
119 East Washington St.
Marengo, IL 60152
"I am very grateful for the many kind words that people have left for me on facebook. They give me strength and courage."
Blessings,
~Susan G.
Reynoldswood Confirmation Retreat
Nov. 22-23
Come for our fall Confirmation Retreat. Confirmation participants study and intentionally affirm (confirm), their desire and commitment to "seek ye first the kingdom of God" through the New Testament teachings of Christ's Church. Click here for info.
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Giving Tuesday - Dec. 3
When you make an online donation on December 3 your gift will multiply!
For one day only, on
Dec. 3, as part of UMC #GivingTuesday, gifts made to support any project or ministry through The Advance will be matched
(up to $500,000).
Consider donating to one of these three programs that provides health care to people around the world.
1) Pan-African Rural Health & Social Services (PRHESS) Advance # 3021290
2) Zimbabwe HIV-AIDS Advance #3021529
3) Imagine No Malaria - Advance Number 3021190
Gifts to the mission work of Deb and Jeff in Bolivia will also be matched:
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Illinois Tornado Relief
Recovery efforts continue in the hardest hit communities after Sunday's outbreak of tornadoes. NIC Disaster Coordinator Rev. Christina Vosteen said during a conference call on Wednesday that financial gifts are still the best way to help. Churches and agencies in these areas are already overwhelmed with unsolicited material donations and volunteers. ERT's and other trained volunteers may be called in at a later date - this will be a long-term recovery. Visit ready.illinois.gov and click on the red banner about the tornadoes, it will take you to a good resource page for ways to help. Four ways we can help now: *The Illinois Great Rivers Conference has a disaster advance fund in place for donations. You can send money to: IGRC Disaster Response Fund Advance #6800 - United Methodist Center P.O. Box 19207 Springfield, IL 62794-9207 or you can donate online visiting IGRC.org. *Give to UMCOR through the Advance Special #901670, Disaster Response, United States and then designate it for "Tornadoes 2013." Visit umcor.org and click on donate. 100% of these donations go directly to help those in need. Administrative costs are covered by One Great Hour of Sharing. *The Midwest Mission Distribution Center has already distributed 1,695 Personal Dignity Kits, 97 Student Kits, and 216 Flood Buckets in Griffith, near Champaign. Their needs, in order of priority, would be money, items for kits, and assembled kits. Visit www.midwestmissiondc.org and click on donate for information on what's needed. *The Northern Illinois Food Bank continues to send in food to the storm-affected areas. Donations can be made by visiting www.SolveHungerToday.org/HelpNow or by texting FOOD to 52000.
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Philippines Relief - Bishop Francisco visits NIC
Bishop Fransicso appreciated everyone's outpouring of support during his visit to the Chicago area last weekend. He
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Bishop Fransisco accepts typhoon relief check from First UMC at the Chicago Temple
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visited First UMC at the Chicago Temple on Friday which provided him with a $4,000 check for typhoon relief efforts. He stopped by the Urban Strategy Community Safety Event on Saturday. His wife, Restetita, designed a shirt for the clothesline project. (see below for information.) Sunday, Bishop Francisco delivered the message at Cosmopolitan UMC in Melrose Park where the congregation is 95% Filipino-American. Read the Chicago Tribune story.He appealed to churches to give financially to help those in his Episcopal area who are struggling in the aftermath of not only Typhoon Haiyan but last month's earthquake. "All of the houses were destroyed in the earthquake and then the typhoon only worsens the situation for the people who live in the poorest annual conference of my Episcopal area," said Bishop Francisco who said the recovery will take a long time. "I am appealing to United Methodists all over the world to pray for us and to help us reconstruct and rebuild the community." You can donate to UMCOR through Advance Special #982450.
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Urban Strategy Community Safety Summit
 Nearly a 150 people gathered at Michelle Clark Academic Preparatory High School
in Chicago on Saturday, Nov. 16 to look at ways to address community safety in the city and surrounding areas. A panel discussion with Bishop Sally Dyck, area alderman and representatives from the Chicago Police Department and CAPS program answered questions and opened the discussion to think of new strategies to help make our communities safer. A high school girl spoke saying she feels safe in school but unsafe walking to and from school along the safe passage. 1st Deputy Superintendent Alfonzo Wysinger said law enforcement, faith leaders, neighbors, parents and communities need to partner together to make the city a safe place for children. He said many kids are hopeless and don't believe they'll live to turn 17 and some fear they will not live to even see tomorrow. "It's up to us to give these kids something to look forward to and to give them hope," he told the audience.Participants broke out into groups divided by police districts to begin to make community action plans. The group then read together a covenant ... read here.  | |
Clothesline Project
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Adults and youth decorated and designed t-shirts with messages and drawings expressing their fears around the violence plaguing our city streets and their hopes for peace. The Clothesline Project will be available for churches to display across the conference, at events and annual conference. If interested contact Rev. Robert E. Biekman at PassaB39@yahoo.com.
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James Winkler Elected to NCC
James E. Winkler, general secretary of the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society (GBCS), has been elected General Secretary/President of the National Council of Churches by the NCC Governing Board.
Winkler will succeed Peg Birk, who has served as Transitional General Secretary of the Council since July 2012.
As the chief executive of the GBCS board, Jim has led a staff of 22 who seek the implementation of the Church's Social Principles through education, witness, and advocacy. The board carries out a wide-ranging ministry of peace and justice throughout the world with offices in Washington and New York. Read More....
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Imagine No Malaria Christmas Gifts
 * Cyber Monday December 2
This year you can shop cyber Monday sales and SAVE LIVES. By using the portal www.umcmarket.org you can shop all your favorite stores and the company will give a donation to Imagine No Malaria.
Go to www.umcmarket.org select Imagine No Malaria Northern Illinois from organizations, and start shopping!
A portion of your purchase will be donated to INM.
You can use this portal all year, not just on cyber Monday.
Click here for the Bulletin insert- to share with your congregation.
*Imagine No Malaria gifts
Shop www.imaginenomalaria.org/pjs to order PJ bottoms, teddy bears, and bracelets for Imagine No Malaria.
The Mashozi pajama bottoms and Mashozi Teddy Bears are handmade and produced ethically to empower local artisans through grassroots job creation. The items are packaged in a re-usable cotton drawstring bags. The bags are nicely sized and perfect for use as a shoe or travel bag.
Imagine No Malaria cause bracelets are produced by Relate, a not-for-profit social enterprise, that creates opportunities to change lives. Half of all the funds from these fair trade items goes to the artisan, and half of the cost is a donation to Imagine No Malaria.
With all the consumerism of Christmas, with these projects we have a change to remember what Advent and Christmas really mean and redirect some of our retail money to help save a life in Africa.
For more fundraising ideas and bulletin inserts about these events to share with your church and community visit
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Grant Applications Due Dec. 30
The NIC Board of Church and Society is currently accepting grant applications for 2014 in two different categories: Emerging Ministries and Peace with Justice.
Use the same application, entitled Universal Grant, to apply in either of these two categories. Please specify which category your program falls under. The form can be downloaded by clicking here. All applications are to be submitted to by Dec. 30, 2013: Rev. Wendy A. Witt 1st UMC/Chicago Temple 77 W. Washington St., FL 2 Chicago, IL 60602 Email: wendy@chicagotemple.org
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Host a Spanish as a Second Language Class
 Applications are currently being accepted for those congregations that wish to host a class for the next 6-week term of introductory Spanish classes. The dates of the term are between February 2 and April 11, allowing a congregation to choose any 6 weeks in this time frame that would best fit their schedule. Would your church like to host a class? E-mail ssl@umcnic.org
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