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COMMUNICATOR'S
CORNER
Online Training
Registration open through Tuesday, July 22
New Course Dates: July 23 - September 3
Start the course when it best fits your schedule and move at your own pace. The course includes six weeks of instruction. A facilitator will respond to your work and answer questions via forums.
Annual Conference DVD
Looking for the Historical DVD shown during the Opening Worship at AC? It's available to download online at vimeo.com/98653062. Copies are also available in the NIC Media Resource Center.Contact Susan Gieseler at sgieseler@umcnic.org or 847-931-0710 ext. 17.
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New Imagine No Malaria Website
ImagineNoMalaria.org has re-launched with a new look.
With easy navigation, the new website offers visitors a visual introduction to malaria, which claims a life every 60 seconds, and the importance of Imagine No Malaria in beating this disease through prevention, communication, trained health workers and facilities, grassroots education.
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Have you seen the new UMC Handbook?
The new United Methodist Handbook is now available in an easy-to-read and share digital format.
The Handbook is among the best resources for laity providing leadership, people new to The United Methodist Church and clergy who occasionally get stumped by a question.
It includes:
* United Methodist teachings,
* church structure and organization,
* denominational initiatives,
* what it means to be a worldwide church,
* connectional giving information,
* a glossary of United Methodist terms ... and much more.
You can also download the Handbook for off-line reading, print pages for new member classes, leader training and other events and send it to others.
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Honor Flight Chicago is recruiting WWII Veterans for a day of honor. Join your fellow Chicagoland
WWII veterans for an unforgettable day trip to Washington, D.C. Free!
Contact Honor Flight Chicago at 773.227.VETS (8387) or visit
www.honorflightchicago.org
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 Aurora United Methodists are seeking donations of funds and school supplies for a school-supply giveaway on Saturday, Aug. 9. The eighth annual event will be held at Greenman Elementary School, 729 W. Galena Blvd., Aurora, from
9 to 11 a.m., or until supplies are distributed.
For more information, call (630) 896-1033 or email,
info@
schoolsupplygiveaway.org.
If your church is participating in a back to school event or collection, let us know! Email communications@umcnic.org
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Church seeks to meet needs in border crisis
 United Methodists have mobilized to provide humanitarian relief and other assistance as the United States deals with a flood of Central American immigrants, including unaccompanied minors. But the magnitude of the need is sobering, and the crisis is likely to be long term, church leaders say.
"I ask that you hold these children and all other children around the world who are displaced, neglected, abused, endangered in our prayers. They are OUR children because God has given them to us for this moment to offer our love and compassion," said Bishop Robert T. Hoshibata. The United Methodist Committee on Relief has been a major supplier of health kits to welcome centers and JFON is responding to the surge of unaccompanied minors by sending attorneys from their network to conduct intake of children housed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. Northern Illinois JFON ( www.jfonnic.org) listed 23 children as clients at the end of 2013 - all of whom had parents who were sending in documentation so that they could live without fear. NIJFON also indicates that 34% of its clients come to escape violence, and 32% are seeking to reunite with their families. You can give to our local JFON by going to jfonnic.org and clicking "donate" to give now through paypal.
Click here to read more...
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| Let us also not forget and to continue to pray for the safe return of the kidnapped girls from Nigeria.
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Prayers as Typhoon hits Philippines - Youth take shelter
 Nearly 400 United Methodist youth, young adults and adult leaders from 34 countries, including First UMC of Oak Lawn Pastor Jonathan Crail's son Nate and wife Rhodalynes along with several others from the North Central Jurisdiction, are gathering at the Global Young People's Convocation and Legislative Assembly in the Philippines. However, the event has been disrupted by a typhooon in the islands.Participants were awakened in the middle of the night by strong winds and rain. The storm was the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane and prompted the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people in the region, according to news reports. "They were stuck inside a hotel in Manila the last 48 hours and are trying to arrange transport to where the Conference is being held," said Pastor Crail. "The Retreat Center in Tagaytay was damaged so the leaders were scrambling to find housing for everyone." Organizers were able to move the event to a venue called Island Cove near Manila to keep the participants safe. Keep the youth and the people of the Philippines in your prayers. Read more...
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Save the Date - "What We Can Do"
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Bishop Sally Dyck
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Bishop Sally Dyck invites all clergy to a conversation on "what we can do," given Illinois' legalization of same-gender marriage.
So much of the talk around our denomination is about what we can't do, but there is much we can do and in fact, what we are required to do in relation to LGBTQ persons and families in our churches, families and communities.
The conversation is scheduled for September 9, 2014 from 9:30 am until 3 pm, at First United Methodist Church in Arlington Heights. Stay tuned for more details and registration information. Click here to read Bishop Dyck's letter of invitation. |
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New UM Foundation President Named
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Rev. John Peterson
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The Board of Directors of the United Methodist Foundation of the Northern Illinois Conference is pleased to announce that the Rev. John Peterson has been selected to be the next President of the Foundation. He will begin on September 1, 2014.
John comes to us from the United Methodist Foundation of Florida where he has served for 17 years as Vice President of Planned Giving. John is an ordained elder and a clergy member of the Florida Annual Conference. Prior to his work with the Florida UMF he served as pastor at four local churches.
Click here to read more...
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Children at Faith UMC held anti-violence signs in
front of the church on July 2.
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How can you help serve Chicago Public School Children? Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is launching its Mentoring the Next Generation Initiative. The program provides Kindergarten and 8th grade CPS students with one-on-one support from a trained, caring adult mentor. Next Generation mentors spend one hour per week in schools, building relationships with students and working with classroom teachers to help children develop their skills. Click here for a full description. Bishop Sally Dyck is setting the goal of 100 United Methodist Mentors in Chicago Public School classrooms this fall! Read more...
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Click here for information on the training schedule and to register. Click here for the background check. For questions and if you plan on mentoring contact Rev. Robert Biekman at rbiekman@umcnic.org.
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Safe Sanctuaries Training now online
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 Online training for Safe Sanctuaries is now available through "Safe Gatherings", a United Methodist affiliated organization based out of Kansas, to help churches and their congregants meet this responsibility through a comprehensive and consistent online training process.
The links below will take you to the Safe Gatherings website that is separate from UMCNIC.org. If you wish to participate in this training, first you need to register by clicking here.
Once you are registered click here to Login to Safe Gatherings to continue your training.
Please contact Natarsha Gardner at the Conference office with any questions (ngardner@umcnic.org or 847-931-0710, ext. 14).
This training will also soon be available in Spanish.
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Spanish as a Second Language
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Applications are now being accepted for host sites for the fall six-week sessions. If your church is interested, visit www.umcnic.org/ssl for information. Classes will start Oct. 1. Participant registration and training will start in late August/early September.
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Deadline to Apply for Ethnic Local Church Grants
Aug. 10 is the deadline to apply for an Ethnic Local Church Grant from the United Methodist General Board of Church & Society (GBCS). The grants are to strengthen ethnic minority local churches through education, advocacy or leadership development as they engage in social justice. Click here for info. Grant applications requiring the signatures of cabinet, staff and officers of the Northern Illinois conference must be submitted to those persons no less than seven calendar days prior to the application deadline.
11th Annual Stewardship Conference Registration Open
Bounty: 10 Ways to Increase Giving in Your Local Church with Kristine Miller and Scott McKenzie at Barrington United Methodist Church, Barrington, IL, Saturday, August 23 - 9 am - 2:30 pm. Registration and Light Breakfast beginning 8 am. Click here to download the flyer. Click here to register.
New Downloadable 3-Session Bible Study on Gun Violence
The United Methodist General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) has developed a three-session Bible study about the use of guns in committing violence. The study, "Kingdom Dreams, Violent Realities," uses Micah 4:1-4 as its scriptural foundation. Click here for more information.
ChildServ Night at Ravinia with Train
The Board of ChildServ announces to the public its third annual evening at Ravinia, featuring Grammy-Award-winning artists Train, along with the Wallflowers. Proceeds will benefit ChildServ's programs for children and their families. The event, on Friday, August 22, features a 5 pm tented reception, 5:30 dinner and 7 pm lawn tickets for the performance. Tickets are $200 - $250 after August 1. For information contact: Suzan Lea at slea@childserv.org or at (773) 867-7361.
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(click on title for more information)
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