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COMMUNICATOR'S 
CORNER  

Change the World event  

(May 17-18)

reaches five-year milestone 

Register now for free resources

Covenant Bible Study
now available

Covenant is a 24-week, video-based Bible study encouraging dialogue and conversation. It's divided into three, eight-week modules designed to fit around your schedule. Click here for more details.  

Teaching Partners

The University of Chicago's Master of Divinity Program (UChicago MDiv) currently has three openings for
Teaching Partners for the Arts of Ministry course sequence. Click here for more information.

Arthur Landwehr
Sermon Collection

Rev. Arthur Landwer
Rev. Arthur Landwehr 

The United Library at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary is pleased to announce the compilation and digital publication of the Arthur Landwehr Sermon Collection.

The Rev. Dr. Arthur J. Landwehr II, a distinguished alum and life trustee of Garrett-Evangelical, was an incredible preacher, ecumenist, and author who spent the majority of his ministerial career serving congregations in the Northern Illinois Conference of The United Methodist Church.

Click here for more information.
Outdoor Retreat Ministries News

Register for Spring Confirmation Retreats at Reynoldswood and Wesley Woods this April!

Not too early to start thinking of Summer Camp either!
Click here
for info and registration.

April 3, 2014
eNEWS
175th Annual Conference Online Registration opens April 14 
  • Cost is $61 through May 8.  
  • Cost increases to $80 on May 9.
  • The mail-in registration form will be available for download on April 14 from  www.umcnic.org/AC2014 or contact your District Administrator to make arrangements to receive it. 
Other Important Dates:
  • Hotel Reservations at Pheasant Run can be made through May 7.
  • Display Table applications due May 16.
  • Opening Worship June 8 - 3pm.
  • Ordination June 10 - 7pm.  
For other updates and information on the 175th Annual Conference - June 8-10 visit www.umcnic.org/AC2014. The site will continually be updated as information becomes available.
Kit Collection at Annual Conference

This year's Annual Conference invites each district to participate in giving by donating items to help those with immediate needs. This year's theme again asks, "Who is my neighbor?" and invites us to examine our work and witness with children.   

 

This year's collection will benefit the Midwest Mission Distribution Center in their efforts to assemble "layette" kits which are provided to parents to welcome a new child into this world. This witness testifies to the sacred worth of every child.

 

District Kit Challenge items:

  • Aurora - Cloth Diapers (1250) 
  • Chicago Northwestern - Baby Washcloths (2000) 
  • Chicago Southern - Receiving Blankets (800)
  • DeKalb - Infant Sleepers (500) 
  • Elgin - Onesies (1000)
  • Rockford - Infant Sleepers (500

Items will be donated in bulk to the Midwest Distribution Center. A large truck will be in place by 1:30pm Sunday afternoon to receive items and remain there until Monday afternoon. Note that cash gifts are not required. Consider supporting Imagine No Malaria with a cash gift.

 

Imagine No Malaria - March Progress
It is exciting to announce that the conference has surpassed $300,000 in pledges to Imagine No Malaria, and that is with responses from only around 10% of our churches. You can see the March progress report in full under latest news at www.umcnic.org/imaginenomalaria.

Some might be wondering how churches are raising money. There are variety ideas from brunches to selling pipe cleaner mosquitoes to business partnerships.

Check out this story from Woodridge UMC:

Woodridge business partnership - Panera bread

We just recently held a successful Panera fundraiser. Panera promised that if the total receipts that day were over $1,000, they would boost the percentage donated to the church from 10% to 20%. We made a big push in church and our total was $1,000.46, just over that goal! So we had some great fellowship at Panera, we raised $200 for Imagine No Malaria and Panera even rewarded WUMC with extra bagels! 

This event illustrates the value of every single participant - if even one person had not decided to come that day, we wouldn't have made it! We advertised the fundraiser at church, on our website, to our family, our friends, our neighbors, our coworkers, because everybody can enjoy a delicious meal at Panera Bread, and save lives.  All we had to do was give the cashier a coupon indicating that we were supporting Imagine No Malaria to get our purchases counted toward the goal.

For more information on fundraising ideas contact:
Rachel Birkhahn-Rommelfanger INM Field Coordinator c:847-431-4880

Not One More   
Bishop Sally Dyck and 40 others were arrested and ticketed last Thursday at the immigration offices in Chicago following a rally calling for President Obama to stop deportations of immigrants with no criminal record. Click here to read the full story.

This weekend Apr. 4-6 the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society encourages congregations to stand up, pray and tell President Obama not one more deportation until just, humane immigration reform is enacted. Churches can hold a prayer vigil or include information and stories of deportation in worship. For more information click here.

On Saturday, April 5 at 3pm, join others for a Prayer Vigil in Aurora from Fourth Street United Methodist Church to downtown Aurora. Rally and press conference afterwards. On Friday, April 4, Bethany of Fox Valley in Aurora will hold a prayer gathering from 4-8pm.

Read "Why I risked arrest for immigration reform" by Rev. Michael Mann. 

 

Prayers: Washington Mudslide and Chile Earthquake 
Please pray for those affected by the devastating mudslide in Washington State.
Last week's devastating mudslide near Oso, Wash., took its toll on rescue workers who diligently searched for survivors underneath a square-mile of debris and muck, which in some parts was 30 to 40 feet deep. The mudslide claimed the lives of 21 people, and about 30 people are still missing, according to recent news reports.

UMCOR is responding with an emergency grant to the Pacific Northwest Annual (regional) Conference to provide temporary housing needs, case management support, and spiritual and emotional care for affected families, as they try to make sense of this tragic event.

Please pray for healing, recovery efforts and strength for the days ahead.

In addition, please pray for those affected by an 8.2 magnitude earthquake which struck off the coast of northern Chile on April 1. The quake triggered a tsunami which hit the shore with 6-ft. tall waves. About five people have died. UMCOR is monitoring the situation and has made contact with local partner EMAH, the humanitarian assistance arm of the Methodist Church of Chile. Read more....
News & Events

Creative Ministries Grant Applications
 
The NIC Program Council is now accepting applications for the 2014 Creative Ministries Grants. They are due May 1. Click here for the applications form. 

  

Youth Lenten Retreat and Planning Session

Saturday, April  5  from 10am - 1pm at the Northern Illinois Program Office 217 Division St., Elgin. Join us as we work on the Youth Session for Annual Conference (Sunday, June 8) and experience Lenten Worship together.  We are very fortunate to have a Q-YES workshop as a part of this time together. It is a very special presentation that will help us to be more understanding and accepting as all are invited to our Lord's Table. Click here for more info. Please respond by April 1 to Rev. Dr. Barbara Javore, Conference Youth Coordinator at [email protected] or 847.835.1227 church office.

Spanish as a Second Language Summer Camp 

All ages are invited to participate in a one-day intergenerational experience
we are calling Spanish Camp. It brings together those who have little or no prior experience of the Spanish language, anyone who's already taken the SSL course and Spanish speaking congregations as they together celebrate and learn. The day will be held on June 28 at Barrington First United
Methodist Church (98 Algonquin Road, Barrington, IL) from 8:30 am-4 pm. visit www.umcnic.org/ssl for more information. Download the flyer.
 
Mark Your Calendar
(click on title for more information)