For death notifications of current lay members to annual conference, please click here for the policy from the
Board of Laity.
Order your 2015 InterFaith Calendar Today
The Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago's full-color, twelve-month, wall calendar is produced with the cooperative effort of 17 Religious Communities. Visit www.crlm.org to order.
Different Drummers highlights Chicago Southern Dist.
Youth Ministries
Different Drummers: United Methodist Church Chicago Southern District
November 26, 2014 eNews
Happy Thanksgiving!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever ~ Psalm 106:1
Prayers for Ferguson
Matt Berryman, Rev. Dr. Pamela Lightsey, Rev. Lois Parr and other clergy gather in Ferguson on Tuesday to stand in solidarity with the witness for justice. Courtesy RMN.
Following the grand
jury's decision to not
indict Officer Darren Wilson for the shooting death of 18-year old Michael Brown, Bishop Sally Dyck encourages all of us to continue to pray and act peacefully.
"We acknowledge that the bitter root of racism runs deep and wide in this country and impacts us all," said Bishop Dyck. "Racism plagues our nation and our citiesand keeps us from being as whole and free as we need to be.
We need to put 'legs to our prayers'. Our prayers are meant to lead us to action." Read the Bishop's statement.
Rev. Lois Parr and members of the Reconciling Ministries Network joined in a non-violent protest in Ferguson on Tuesday calling on the "power of God's spirit to bring justice and peace to Ferguson and the nation". Click here to read more.
Ferguson United Methodist Pastor to speak at MLK Day Celebration
Save the date: Sunday, Jan. 18, 2015 (time: TBD) Location: St. Mark United Methodist Church in Chicago
Rev. Johnson, who is also a father of a teenage son, has been leading the way working to bring peace in the community following the shooting death of Michael Brown. He and other area UM pastors have led prayer vigils, helped with cleanup, met with community leaders and comforted protesters.
"The ultimate concern is this: under no pretense does someone deserve to lose their life, and in this case to have innocence stripped," said Johnson in a recent UMNS article. "Innocence is not defined by court law but by the fact all life is sacred. In our faith tradition, that is enough to stand on."
Rev. Johnson's church is about a block from the police station in the St. Louis suburb and less than a mile from where most of the protests have been taking place. Read more.
Giving Tuesday - Dec. 2
The United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries will match up to $1 million in gifts made online to any project through The Advance as part of UMC #GivingTuesday on Dec. 2, 2014.
Click here to read more on some FAQ in case you were wondering how it works works with Rainbow Covenant/Imagine No Malaria.
Imagine No Malaria this Advent
The Advent season can be enhanced with Imagine No Malaria 2014 worship resources.
The downloadable materials include a short video, sermon starters, hymn suggestions and children's messages. The five weeks of materials are centered on the themes of "Imagine Hope," "Imagine Peace," "Imagine Joy, "Imagine Love," all highlighted by the African hymn "I've Got The Light Of God In Me," from Cameroon.
Now Available: Rainbow Covenant Advance Applications for 2015
Applications are now on-line for ALL ministries wishing to be a Rainbow Covenant Advance in 2015. This is for ALL current and new ministries. A new Rainbow Covenant book will be created after this 2015 cycle is complete. Each ministry must fill out this form and return it to the e-mail indicated on the form.
United Methodist Student Day calls the church to support students as they prepare for life in uniting faith with knowledge. The offering provides scholarships for qualified United Methodist students. November 30 is set as this year's United Methodist Student Day, but your congregation may choose to celebrate on any Sunday during the year.To help promote this Special Giving Sunday, a collection of resources are available to download and use in your own church communications.
The Advent season can be enhanced with Imagine No Malaria 2014 worship resources. 
Applications are now on-line for ALL ministries wishing to be a Rainbow Covenant Advance in 2015. This is for ALL current and new ministries. A new Rainbow Covenant book will be created after this 2015 cycle is complete. Each ministry must fill out 