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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.
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Communicator's Corner
Advent Prayers
Pray these prayers from Alive Now on your own or with your faith community beginning the first Sunday of Advent, December 1. Click here.
Join the Reclaim Campaign - Fight mandatory sentences
Join others in calling on members of the Illinois General Assembly to oppose SB1342 and any legislation that expands mandatory minimums.
SB1342 imposes mandatory sentences for possessing an unloaded gun without a valid FOID (Firearms Owner Identification) card. Click here for information on how you can take action.
Read NIC Dir. of Connectional Ministries Chris Pierson's blog on why mandatory sentences do more harm. Click here.
In the News:
Chicago Southern Dist. Supt. Rev. Tracy Smith Malone highlighted in the
Website Hosting
Visit www.umcchurches.org to find out about new website hosting services from UMCOM or call 888-346-3862.
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.
A detailed job description is available by clicking here. Application deadline is 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. 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
Applications 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.
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Harvest 2.0
Thanks You
A big thank you to everyone who has completed his or her Harvest 2.0 (former Harvest 2020 campaign) pledge! 30% of the pledges have been paid in full as of this date.
Your financial support has been very important to the new faith communities. And thank you to everyone who is in the midst of making payments on his or her pledges. We appreciate your faithful ongoing financial support.
It is not too late to make a gift to Harvest 2.0 for 2013 - choose the general fund or designate a gift to a specific new faith community. Set up a recurring donation or make a one-time gift. Support at any level is welcome! Visit the Donate page to give a gift now. If you would like more information about Harvest 2.0 or would like a planter to come speak at your church, please contact Anne Coon, acoon@umcnic.org, (312) 346-9766 x.707.
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Historic UMC Giving Tuesday is Record-Breaking Day for Mission
Thanks to the generosity of United Methodists around the world, more than 880 projects and missionaries will receive a financial boost to help them meet their mission goals.
The denomination's General Board of Global Ministries announced that the first-ever UMC #GivingTuesday generated a record $6.5 million online on December 3. Nearly 11,000 donors in 34 countries gave more than 16,300 gifts through The Advance to mission and ministries they believe in. Global Ministries matched the first $500,000 received.
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Imagine No Malaria Advent Devotion
and Gifts
 Newly released is an Advent Devotional Guide for Imagine No Malaria. You can download this daily devotional resource here. Or find the devotions on our Twitter and Facebook page each day.
Also don't forget that you can order great Imagine No Malaria gifts this holiday season. Available are PJs, Teddy Bears and bracelets at www. imaginenomalaria.org/pjs.
Half of all proceeds are a donation to Imagine No Malaria.
Fundraising Success around the conference
Bethany UMC In Itasca, IL held a book signing and concert for Imagine No Malaria on Nov 17 and raised $300, even with the storms raging around them. A fundraiser Nov 15 at Ten Thousand villages by United Church of Roger Park sold $570 of merchandise and raise $90 for Imagine No Malaria.
Congrats to these entrepreneurial churches!
Community fundraisers are great ways to raise money from folks not in already in the church, and witness to the world about the great work the UMC is doing to fight malaria and save lives. If you want help brainstorming of planning a community fundraiser check out this great list of ideas.For more info contact: rbrommelfanger@umcnic.org and follow INM events at www.facebook.com/inmnic.
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Illinois Tornado Relief
Four ways we can help now:* The Illinois Great Rivers Conference disaster advance fund. Send money to: IGRC Disaster Response Fund Advance #6800 - United Methodist Center P.O. Box 19207 Springfield, IL 62794-9207 or donate online by visiting IGRC.org. * Give to UMCOR Advance Special #901670, Disaster Response, United States and then designate it for "Tornadoes 2013." Visit umcor.org and click on donate. * The Midwest Mission Distribution Center needs, in order of priority, 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 taking donations by visiting www.SolveHungerToday.org/HelpNow or by texting FOOD to 52000.
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Martin Luther King Jr.
Remembrance - Speaker Announced
Rev. Dr. H
 | | Rev. Dr. Harold Dean Trulear |
arold Dean Trulear, Healing Communities National Director is our special guest speaker for the Northern Illinois Conference annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Service on Jan. 19 at St. Mark UMC in Chicago. Harold Dean Trulear is Director of the Healing Communities Prison Ministry and Prisoner Reentry Project of the Philadelphia Leadership Foundation. Designed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Healing Communities has been implemented in over 20 sites nationally in partnership with several organizations including; the Progressive National Baptist Convention, the Christian Association for Prisoner Aftercare and most recently the UMC General Board of Church and Society. Read more. Click here to read Trulear's bio.
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Concealed Carry Posting
Efforts to amend the Illinois State Concealed Carry Law to include places of worship will not be addressed by the state legislature until the spring of 2014. If this amendment passes, churches will be added to a short list of places that are automatically protected in the Concealed Carry joining schools, libraries and others. Meanwhile, permits for concealed carry will begin to be issued in early 2014.
The United Methodist Church in the 2012 Book of Resolutions #3426 concludes with the statement: "Reflecting the traditional role of The United Methodist Church that has been one of safety and sanctuary, every United Methodist Church is officially declared a weapon-free zone."  The Illinois Concealed Carry Law requires signage for those places that wish to be weapon-free. The signage is simple and can be downloaded by clicking here. NOTE: When printing the sign, please ensure the black borders surrounding the "no firearms" symbol measure 4 inches from top to bottom and 6 inches from left to right. Click here for more info. While schools are exempt in the law, churches that house children's programming are not and must post the no weapons sign at all entrances. Persons who work in law enforcement are exempt from the concealed carry law and may continue to carry their weapon in places that are gun free zones.
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The Clergy Retirement Security Program (CRSP) is Changing
General Conference changes to the Clergy Retirement Security Program (CRSP) go into effect January 1, 2014. Both components of CRSP - the Defined Benefit (DB) and the Defined Contribution (DC) - will be modified. Your retirement benefits will be reduced unless you increase your personal contributions to UMPIP to offset the CRSP reductions. To learn more about this change you can go to the GBOPHB website at: http://www.gbophb.org/assets/1/7/4562.pdf You can download a UMPIP agreement and instructions from our Benefits Coordinator, Shirley Burkhart here.
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Clergy Housing Allowance in Court - No Changes for the Immediate Future
The portion of IRS Section 107 tax code related to clergy housing allowances, for those owning their own home or receiving funds for rental, has been the focus of a recent lawsuit in the Western District of Wisconsin.
On Nov. 22, a federal judge ruled in favor of the plaintive, the Wisconsin based-Freedom from Religion Foundation, striking down the law that gives clergy tax-free housing allowances. What has not been widely reported is that the judge also stayed her ruling until appeals are exhausted, in addition any decision will not be retroactive. The ruling also does not address clergy who live in parsonages. Read full story>> Read statement from GCFA. Click here for judge's ruling.
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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? Deadline to apply is Jan. 8. Email: ssl@umcnic.org
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 Rainbow Covenant Open for New Applicants The Rainbow Covenant is a giving program of the Northern Illinois Conference where a local church or individual may choose to give to a specific ministry or program. For ministries wishing to be added to the list of Rainbow Covenant Advances, please use this application. The deadline is Jan. 31, 2014. For those already in the Rainbow Covenant, you do not need to re-apply. Questions? Contact Rev. Shirley Pulgar Hughes, the Conference Mission Secretary at shirleympg@outlook.com or Rev. Michael Mann, Conference staff, at mmann@umcnic.org. Note: Being a Rainbow Covenant Advance will also allow a ministry to have a display table at the Annual Conference. |
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 Operation ChristMOB delivers Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving weekend XperienceChurch's Operation #ChristMOB teamed up with young people from Chicago BMCR's Pembroke Institute, St. Mark UMC, Hartzell UMC, Ingleside-Whitfield UMC, Quinn Chapel AME, St. James AME and other churches to bless over 100 of the less fortunate on Lower Wacker Dr. & all along State St. in Chicago. More than 30 people handed out Subway sandwiches, care packages, socks, coats, money and medical kits. Pastor Dwayne Grant, Robert E Dixon Jr., Angel Grant of XperienceChurch and Ministers Michele Branch and Marlan Branch along with students from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary mobilized and organized this movement to give Christ's love to the homeless & poor. Support also was given by 501c3 organizations A Just Harvest & WorldVision and individual contributions. More pics on @XperienceChurchChicago FB page and Instagram. www.xperienceministry.com. |
Please send emails for the eNews or the Reporter to Anne Marie Gerhardt,
Dir. of Communications at
Deadline for Jan. Reporter is Dec. 11.
All submissions for eNews must be received in writing no later than 4pm on Tuesday each week.
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