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Communicator's
Corner
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In the News:
Boy Scouts of America Amends Policy on Adult Leadership
The Boy Scouts of America decision on July 27 to lift its national ban on openly gay adult leaders has the support of United Methodists of varied theological perspectives. But no church will be required to accept any volunteer as a Scout leader simply because of the new policy, says Gil Hanke, top executive of United Methodist Men.
Bishop Sally Dyck says,
"We celebrate this openness toward all who are gifted and qualified to provide leadership. We expect that churches will continue to provide excellent scouting opportunities for young people in their communities as they have in the past."
Click here to read the UMNS article.
Tuesday Tea with Melanie - What Every Child Should Experience Web Chat
Tuesday, August 4, 2015 12:30pm Central Time
Join Melanie C. Gordon, Director of Ministry with Children, Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church, as she welcomes inspirational leaders who will offer wisdom and expertise in areas of the faith formation of children.
Fall Catalog of Online & Hybrid Courses now available in UMC Cyber Campus
Are you looking for new courses to earn academic credit or CEUs? Maybe you need to brush up on subjects or coursework, or are looking to strengthen your skill set or broaden your theological understanding.
UMC Cyber Campus offers a consortium of online and hybrid courses, certificate and degree programs from an assortment of participating universities, seminaries, and independent centers.
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 Ordination, which is $10 (set of 2). Shipping is $5 for up to 10 DVDs. Please contact Susan Gieseler at:
sgieseler@umcnic.org or 847-931-0710 ext. 17.
UMCMarket Relaunches
The online shopping portal, UMCMarket,
re-launched on July 13,
using more advanced technology and faster delivery of donations. Working with
Tribute, Inc., the new and improved UMCMarket will provide an enhanced user experience,
quicker access to status reports, regular distribution of micro-donations
and the addition
of hundreds of savings offers for participants.
Check it out at
UMCMarket.org.
Become a Test Church for Disciple Fast Track!
Disciple Fast Track is looking for 10 churches from each Annual Conference to join a second round of beta testing to make sure the new Fast Track study is of the highest quality. For nearly thirty years, the original Disciple Bible Study has helped millions of people read through the Bible and grow in their faith through a 34-week class.
Churches that participate in this beta 2 testing phase will receive the final, official-release materials at no cost.
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Let Your Voice Be Heard - Faith in Action Public Assembly - Aug. 1
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In conjunction with the United Methodist Women's National Seminar, Bishop Sally Dyck and Community Renewal Society member churches invite you to an elected official public accountability meeting on Police Accountability and Mass Incarceration on Saturday, August 1 from 1:30 - 3:00pm at Hartzell Memorial/St. James UMC (3330 S. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive).
At this elected official public accountability meeting, Chicago Aldermen will be asked to support a Chicago Police Accountability Reclaim Platform that calls for reform of the Chicago Police body camera pilot program, stop discriminatory "stop and frisk" practices and provide real independent police oversight.
Cook County Commissioners will be asked to publicly endorse the Reclaim Platform that seeks to repair justice, rebuild lives and restore communities by increasing the Cook County budget by $2 million in the area of restorative justice programming.
Come out to gather with other faith-based organizations to "break the chain" of oppression. Download the flyer.
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Prayers for Peace and Reconcilation
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When: Friday, July 31 Time: 12-1 p.m.
Where: Daley Plaza, Chicago
In response to the various acts of violence, hatred, and discrimination in our country and around the world, Bishop Sally Dyck will be participating in the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago (CRLMC) "Prayers for Peace + Reconciliation" in Daley Plaza on July 31, 2015 @ 12 p.m.
In light of the recent violence in Charleston and the many other acts of violence fueled by racial division, the Council will devote significant attention to the men and women around the world who have been victimized by acts of racial discrimination, with the hope that coming together in pray-er will help us to end division and unite in faith. People of all faiths and creeds are welcome!
For more information click here.
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Congress #StopTheCuts
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 The time to speak up is now!
The Children's Defense Fund urges you to tell Congress to stop program cuts and get rid of sequestration rules that prevent needed investments to lift children out of poverty. We must move forward, not backward if we are to end child poverty. Take action now by sending an email to your Senators and Representative. Learn more by clicking here.
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Sign up for Plumbline 2015
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October 11-14, 2015
New York City
Plumbline Tour '15 is an invitation to all United Methodist High School Youth to learn how to reflect on social justice issues from a Christian perspective.
Our trip this year will about the United Nations - especially the UN Development Goals.
Early Registration Deadline: August 10.
Know a youth who would like to go? Please pass along this info.
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Trustees Training Event
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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)
Questions about the event? Contact Bob Burkhart, Chair of the Conference Board of Trustees (rgburkhart@att.net or 708-309-4988)
Questions about registration? Contact Kathy Barker, NIC Office Database Coordinator (kbarker@umcnic.org or 312-346-9766 ext. 710)
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New ICD Class Starting
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Do you ever feel in a rut in your ministry, doing the same things year-in and year-out? Do you ever wish you had more trusted mentors and peers to bounce ideas off, sharpen practical skills, and hold each other accountable? Do you have a deep desire to do something new in your church or community but you're not sure the best path to take?
The Institute for Congregational Development (ICD) may be just what you need. Rev. Timothy Biel testifies that ICD was "eye-opening and relevant. It did more than just create a sense of urgency, but also gifted me with tools for leadership development and community outreach."
Rev. Adonna Davis Reid also adds, "Before I began attending the ICD, my ministry was more internally focused, concentrating on what we could do simply with the resources of the church-human and financial. Since attending ICD, however, my perspective has shifted. The ICD has shown me how ministry can be expanded and enhanced by effective partnerships in the community and across our Annual Conference." Those are just two of the dozens of leaders across our Annual Conference who have benefited dramatically from the ICD.
You could be next! The application deadline is August 14 and classes start in September. For an application and more information please click here or contact or Judy Siaba at jsiaba@umcnic.org, Kathy Barker at kbarker@umcnic.org.
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UMW National Seminar in Chicago - July 31 and Aug. 1
United Methodist Women from across the country will gather at the University of Illinois-Chicago this Friday 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. See above for the Faith Action event on Saturday.Click here for more event details. Click here to read Wednesday's article from UMNS.
Calling all Disciples - Training Session
You can lead a DISCIPLE Bible study in your congregation or in one of the prisons or jails in Illinois. Come and be trained with the latest tools for leading this life-changing study. Date: August 15 at Crossroads of Faith UMC in Bolingbrook starting at 8:30am. Click here for more information.
Click here to register.
UMW Grant Application Deadline - Aug. 1
The Northern Illinois Conference United Methodist Women's female graduate student grant applications are due by August 1, 2015. They will be reviewing all applications and will decide on a recipient by mid-August. The grant is in the amount of $1,000. This year, they will be able to award two grants. Click here for the application.
Installation Service for new Elgin DS - Aug. 16
Celebration Service for Rev. Darneather Murph-Heath as she begins her new appointment as Elgin District Superintendent will be on Sunday, August 16. This service will take place at Arlington Heights 1st UMC, 1903 E Euclid Ave, Arlington Heights at 3 pm. Please join us as we celebrate this new appointment for the Elgin District.
Stewardship Summit- Aug. 26
Visionary Stewardship! United Methodist Foundation's 12th Annual Stewardship Summit will be held Saturday, Aug. 22 at Barrington UMC from 9am-3pm. Keynote Speaker is Rev. Dr. Michael Vilardo. Click here for registration and details.
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(click on title for more information)
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