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2015 Annual Conference
 
Communicator's 
Corner
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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month


Rosecrance Lakeview will open this spring

 
The Chicago Zoning Board of Appeals cleared Rosecrance to open a recovery home and counseling center for young adults in Lakeview. 
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   CROP Hunger Walks are community events that bring together of different ages, backgrounds and beliefs. What we have in common is the goal of ending hunger. And we will do that one step at a time.  
To find a CROP Hunger Walk near you, please go to www.crophungerwalk.org 
Together, we are ending hunger!
 
Are you attending General Conference?
 
The General Conference Delegation would like to have a list of people who will be  attending General Conference next year as visitors, volunteers, or with another organization. 
 Anyone going please contact Elisa Gatz at  jegatz@comcast.net.


Find-a-Church
Today's tech-savvy seekers turn to the internet as their primary source for information. Local United Methodist churches can be prepared with an updated profile on Find-A-Church which now has enhanced features to include events, social media, and worship information. 
eNews                                                                                      October 22, 2015                                                             
Special Session Registration Open
Elected lay members to annual conference and clergy are encouraged to register for the Nov. 7 Special Session of the Northern Illinois Annual Conference at Court Street United Methodist Church in Rockford.

The day will begin with registration at 8am concluding with singing and prayers at 12noon.

The purpose of this special session is to present, discuss and (where appropriate) vote on these matters:  
  • The 2016 NIC budget
  • Election of new conference secretary - Rev. Deborah Tinsley-Taylor
  • Receive for action an amendment to the NIC standing rules 
  • Receive the Executive Summary of the Landscape survey  
  • Receive the General/Jurisdictional Delegation report, including a potential episcopal endorsement
To register click on this link where you will also find the documents referenced above that you may download and review. Registration deadline is Oct. 28.

If Childcare is needed please be sure to indicate this on the registration form.

Transformative Difference:
Apportionment dollars at work
 Jefferson Knight, director of The
United Methodist Church Human Rights Monitor,
stands with a large group of children orphaned by Ebola. The children are living at the church's Gorlu Care Center in Liberia. Click to read more. Photo by Julu Swen, UMNS
A fact-filled booklet distributed by United Methodist pastors
and lay leaders in Africa helped control the 2014 Ebola outbreak that has claimed more than 11,000 lives.

"The booklet dismissed the fear people had that Ebola
was a death sentence," said E. Julu Swen, editor and publisher of West African Writers, an online publication about United Methodist happenings in West Africa. 

The booklet, Ebola Disease Facts for Community and Household Health, was prepared by Dr. Richard A. "Ran" Nisbett, Adjunct Professor for the Institute for Global Health at Vanderbilt School of Medicine. It not only includes information about what Ebola is, where it comes from and how people are infected, but also how people and communities can prevent and control the spread of Ebola.

Financial support for the project was provided by Discipleship Ministries and donations from United Methodists in the United States. Click here to read the full story.

As we approach the Northern Illinois Annual Conference Special Session on Nov. 7 to vote on the 2016 budget, we are continuing our series of stories of how apportionment dollars are transforming lives. Click here to read more...
News & Events
 
HealthFlex Changes
For 2016 there will be some changes to our HealthFlex program provided by the General Board of Pensions and Health Benefits (GBOPHB) to the Northern Illinois Conference. To all Church Treasurers and/or those responsible for establishing the Church budgets: For 2016 there will be no increase in premium to the churches for the cost of the HealthFlex program. The monthly charge for the HealthFlex program will remain $1,350 a month. To Participants: In 2016 the HealthFlex plan deductible will increase from $750 to $1,000 per individual and $2,500 to $3,000 per family. Open Enrollment for the 2016 HealthFlex program is from Nov. 4, 2015 to Nov. 19, 2015. For all the details click here.

GCORR Launches a New Vital Conversations Interactive Video Series on Oct. 28 (8pm central)
Through these conversations, you are invited to engage in relevant and real conversations about the things that divide and challenge us to live authentically in relationship with one another among our differences.We begin our series with anti-racist educator Dr. Robin DiAngelo's "Misunderstanding of Racism." To watch the video series online go to  gcorr.org on Oct. 28 at 8pm central. 
 
Drawing Closer to God - Nov. 14
Registration is open for this Spiritual Formation committee event at Christ UMC in Rockford. Bishop Linda Lee will be the guest speaker. Workshops include contemplative photography, walking the labyrinth and praying with beads. Cost is $15 and includes lunch. Registration deadline is Nov. 5. Click here for more information.  

Vital Congregations Conversation Series - Nov. 13-14  
The Office of Congregational Development and Redevelopment invites you to the "VITALITY CONGREGATIONS CONVERSATION SERIES: HEALTHY DISCIPLESHIP SYSTEMS I" seminar. This is intended to empower laity, pastors, church staff, conference staff and others in the area of discipleship. The first of a two part presentation. The keynote speaker is Rev. Junius B Dotson who is known for creating teams that "get things done." Where: Crowne Plaza Hotel in Northbrook. To register click here.
 
Town & Rural Festival - Nov. 21
Join us as we celebrate new and exciting ministries happening in the rural areas of our annual conference. Come hear churches share details of how they are reaching out to their neighbors. Rev. Jill Sanders will be offering the keynote address. Where: Faith UMC, 702 E. Dixon, Polo, IL. Click here for more details. 
 
Mark Your Calendar
(click on title for more information)  
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