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2015 Annual Conference
 
Communicator's 
Corner
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Bishop Dyck celebrates Supreme Court Ruling on same-sex marriage. 
Bishop Dyck celebrates Supreme Court Ruling on marriage equality.
 
 

Prayers for Charleston

Read Bishop Sally Dyck's latest blog following the tragedy at Emanuel A.M.E Church. Also visit umc.org/violence for articles and resources in responding to the violence and racism.

Share Your Stories of H.O.P.E.

United Methodist congregations are being invited to share stories about how they are making disciples for the transformation of the world as they offer the H.O.P.E of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life.

Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church, which developed the acronym H.O.P.E. (Hospitality, Opportunity, Purpose, Engagement) to help remember steps in disciple-making, is posting the stories to celebrate how individuals and congregations make disciples on a new website,UMCHOPE.org.
  
Click here to learn more. 
   
Artwork for Sale 
  
If you missed the sale of postcards and notecards of the beautiful "water"
images painted by Rev. Kristine Marshall which incorporated our worship theme of "Replenish", you can still buy them online.  Proceeds will go toward the Bishop's Appeal for Northern Illinois Justice for Our Neighbors. Order deadline: July 9 
    
 

 
fireworks-summer.jpg
Have a safe 4th!


eNews                                                                                                 July 2, 2015          4th-july-banner.jpg                                                    
Annual Conference Wrap Up

A report wrapping up the business of the 2015 Annual Conference is now available on the NIC website. Click here to read the full article. Also, the July/August Reporter is now available online with highlights and photos. Click here to check it out. Look for it to be delivered to your mailboxes soon.  

 

  • Annual Conference DVDs: Copies of the following services will soon be available on DVD: Opening Worship (Acts of Repentance), Memorial, Retirement, Ordination, Episcopal Address, Hispanic/Latino Celebration. All are $5 except for Ordination, which is $10 (set of 2). Shipping is $5 for up to 10 DVDs. Please contact Susan Gieseler at:  [email protected] or 847-931-0710 ext. 17. Some of the services and plenary sessions were recorded and archived via Ustream and can be found by clicking here. Our thanks to Rev. Keck Mowry for providing the live-streaming of annual conference.

For more information visit: 

 www.umcnic.org/AC2015.  

Volunteer information for tornado cleanup  
Grundy County

Volunteer Reception Center open 9a-5pm daily at Diamond Banquet Hall. All volunteers MUST register at VRC.  Looking for skilled laborers (ERT and chain saw). Contact Will at [email protected].  Team Rubicon also needs clean up volunteers. Contact: [email protected].
 
Kankakee County
A small area in Bourbonais was hit with the tornado and wide spread flooding. There will be a MARC, location TBD, in Kankakee County on 8a-6p Thursday July 2.  If you are interested in helping as a volunteer to assist and guide families through the process, please contact:
Patricia Holt @ 571-205-3117or [email protected].
 
Lee County
Woodhaven Lakes Association - some areas still do not have access.  Damages thus far 776 total lots at a total loss, 2429 heavily damaged.
VOLUNTEERS WILL BE NEEDED NEXT WEEK.  Clean up will start after July 4: debris and tree removal. Please contact Jenny Koch [email protected]

Cash donations to the Illinois Great Rivers Conference Disaster Response Fund Advance Special #6800 will be used to make purchases and get them delivered to the site. Online donations may be made on the IGRC website at:
Overall, for an up to date understanding of needs across the state, stay tuned to www.illinois.ready.gov.

Check the NIC Disaster Response Facebook page for updates on other volunteer and donation needs.

Continue to pray for all those whose property was damaged especially for our Annual Conference Secretary Lora Zink whose home in Coal City was struck and heavily damaged. 
Letter to Gov. Rauner
Diana Davis, Nancy Grim Hunter, Bishop Sally Dyck and Rita L. Simpkins-Smith
Thank you to everyone who signed the Bishop's Letter to the Governor at Annual Conference regarding the impact that proposed cuts to the budget will have on children and their families in Illinois.
 
Representatives from the Children's Table delivered the signboard letters with more than 400 signatures on them to the Governor's Office on Wednesday. To voice your opinion to the Governor click here. 
  
Are you interested in becoming a Children's Champion for your church? Click here for more information and the Children's Table initiative.
Trustees Training Event
Attention All Pastors and Church Trustees: Don't Miss This!
 
The NIC Board of Trustees and Office of Congregational Development and Redevelopment are hosting a FREE training event for trustees!
 
How to Maintain Our Sacred Spaces
When: Saturday, August 29, 2015
Time: 8:30 a.m. until 12:15 p.m.
Where: Barrington UMC (98 Algonquin Rd.; Barrington, IL 60010)

Join us for this FREE training event which will cover topics related to risk management, maintenance of our facilities, space-sharing guidelines for congregations, and energy efficiency.  All Clergy, local church trustees, District Board of Church Location and Building members, and District Strategy Team members are encouraged to attend this valuable training.
 
Register online by clicking here.
 
Questions about the event?  Contact Bob Burkhart, Chair of the Conference Board of Trustees ([email protected] or 708-309-4988)
Questions about registration? Contact Kathy Barker, NIC Office Database Coordinator ([email protected] or 312-346-9766 ext. 710)
 
Although this is a FREE event, you must register to attend.

News & Events

UMW National Seminar - July 31 and Aug. 1
United Methodist Women from across the country will gather at the University of Illinois-Chicago in late July for a National Seminar, an in-depth experience of worship, Bible Study, education and action for social justice. National Seminar is a leadership development experience for United Methodist Women members to draw on faith and biblical tradition to discern and respond to justice priorities through service and advocacy. Bishop Sally Dyck will be presenting on July 31 at a town hall meeting on mass incarceration from 7-9pm. Click here for the event details.


Seminar program offers `In Focus' introductory events
Deadlines are approaching for "In Focus" introductory events for youth groups and young-adult leaders of ethnic minority local churches and campus ministries on the United Methodist Seminars on National and International Affairs. The deadline  for the July 7-9 "In Focus" is June 26.
Learn more...

Stewardship Summit- Aug. 22
Visionary Stewardship! United Methodist Foundation's 12th Annual Stewardship Summit will be held Sat., Aug. 22 at Barrington UMC from 9am-3pm. Keynote Speaker is Rev. Dr. Michael Vilardo. Click here for registration and details.
Mark Your Calendar
(click on title for more information)