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Communicator's  
Corner

2016 Summer  
Camp Guide  
  It's not too early to start thinking about next summer and camp at Wesley Woods or Reynoldswood. 
Click here for a listing of the 2016 camps, dates and prices. Also look for and share this special insert in the Dec/Jan Reporter!
 
Reyonldswood
Christmas Tea


The annual Christmas Tea at Reynoldswood was a festive time with more than 30 ladies enjoying tea, desserts and fellowship.
Click here to read more.


Christmas Youth Celebration

 
The Hispanic/Latino
Youth Advent
Celebration on Dec. 5 at
El Mesias UMC in Elgin had a great turnout. Participants said it was a wonderful and spirit-filled time of learning, worship and fellowship

In the News  

Last Thursday, the Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council, a coalition of Jewish and Christian communities, including Kingswood UMC in Buffalo Grove, held a press conference to share their concerns about growing anti-Muslim speech and actions in the Chicagoland area and across the country. 
Read more in the 
Daily Herald.

 Christmas Program Highlighted
DeKalb: First UMC's Christmas program will be aired on national TV this Saturday and Sunday.
  
Lay Leadership
 2016 Trainings


*Aurora: Jan. 9  
Location: Grace UMC in Naperville  
  
*Chicago Northwestern: Jan. 30 - Location: Glenview UMC 
 
*Chicago Southern:
Jan. 23  - Location: Faith UMC, Orland Park  
 
*DeKalb: Jan. 23  
Location: First UMC, Dixon 
 
*Elgin: Jan. 30  
Location: First UMC of Crystal Lake   
 
*Rockford: Jan. 30  
Location: Faith UMC, Freeport

eNews                                                                                    December 17, 2015                                                                              

MLK Celebration Special Guest
Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, II is our special guest speaker for the NIC annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration on
Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016.


It will be held at St. Mark United Methodist Church at 8441 S. St. Lawrence Ave., Chicago beginning at 4:30pm with the worship service scheduled for 5pm.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, II is now serving his sixth term representing Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, the home district of President Harry Truman. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee, the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, and also a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus.

Having served for twelve years on the city council of Missouri's largest municipality, Kansas City, Cleaver was elected as the city's first African American Mayor in 1991.

Cleaver has received five honorary Doctoral Degrees augmented by a bachelor's degree from Prairie View A&M, and a Master's from St. Paul's School of Theology of Kansas City. Read his complete bio.

Save the Dates: Winter 2016 Landscape Regional Conversations
Purpose Summit - Saturday, February 20 at Naperville: Grace UMC
Tentative time: 9am-3pm

Focused on Elected Conference Leadership (those serving on Conference Committees) this day will include work on our corporate understanding of the purpose of the annual conference. 

Laity Listening Sessions:
*Rockford/DeKalb - Oregon UMC Sunday, February 21 (3:30-6:00 PM)
*Aurora/Elgin - Barrington UMC Sunday, February 28 (3:30 -6:00 PM)
*Chicago Southern/Northwestern - Maywood: Neighborhood UMC Sunday, March 6 (3:30-6:00 PM)

Clergy Listening Sessions:
*Rockford/DeKalb - Mt. Morris: Disciples UMC -  Monday, February 22
(10:00 -3:00 PM)
*Chicago Southern/Northwestern - Chicago: Clair Christian UMC - Tuesday,February 23 (10:00-3:00 PM)
*Aurora/Elgin - New Lenox UMC - (note location change) Wednesday, February 24 (10:00-3:00PM)  
 
Directory coming soon...
A new Northern Illinois Conference Church, Clergy & Laity directory will be available in Jan. 2016. If you ordered a directory through the 2015 Annual Conference registration, one will be mailed to you. An updated pdf of the clergy list will be available on our website as soon as Friday at www.umcnic.org/directory. If you would like to purchase a directory for $10, please contact Susan Gieseler at [email protected]
 
Drawer Closer to God
About 60 people from throughout the Northern Illinois Conference gathered at Christ UMC in Rockford on a beautiful fall day for the second annual Drawing Closer to God event on Nov. 14. The event was sponsored by the NIC Spiritual Formation Committee. Bishop Linda Lee inspired and challenged us with her keynote address. 

Bishop Linda Lee
Her talk focused on spiritual awakening. We learned about the five stages of change in spiritual awakening. Bishop Lee developed the concepts of Process, Path, and Practice with examples, explanation, personal stories, and challenging questions. 

She shared her personal practice of Sabbath and reminded those gathered that"Everything we do to draw closer to God is for the sake of Christ and for the world."She called us to consistency in whatever practice we choose. In her talk, Bishop Lee drew from two books: Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass and Invitation to a Journey by Robert Mulholland.
 
The day was filled with worship, prayer, workshops, and fellowship. 

Mark your calendars for the 5 day Spiritual Formation event Aug. 1-6, 2016. Registration is underway.

News & Events
Peace with Justice Grants
The NIC Board of Church and Society administers Peace with Justice/Emerging Ministries Grants (a portion of the funds from Peace with Justice Sunday are given back to the conference for these grants). The same universal application is used to apply to both programs. All applications are due December 30, 2015. Click here for the application and details.  
 
Shop, Save, and Support UMC This Holiday Season
If you haven't yet checked out the new UMCmarket.org, its an innovative and simple program that offers savings for you while generating contributions for your ministry. Whether purchasing items for donation or shopping for family and friends, it's a great way to give twice, at no additional cost to you. Click here to watch a brief video and learn more about the benefits of UMCmarket! 

Full on Faith 2015 
All congregations are invited to put faith into action by helping hungry neighbors during Full on Faith week at the Northern Illinois Food Bank! Sign up to volunteer during the week of February 22-27, and help the Food Bank fill all volunteer shifts with members of faith groupsGet more info and sign up by clicking here.

Local Church IT Support 
Is your church interested in help with Managed Information Technology Services? The Northern Illinois Conference is looking to assist local churches with reducing their IT support costs by providing this service for a low monthly cost compared to what other vendors can offer you or for what you are currently paying.  Please feel free to reach out to us via phone 312-334-0729 and speak with our Information Technology Manager Mo Darwish or email him at [email protected] for further questions/discussions.  
 
Mark Your Calendar
(click on title for more information)  
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