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Water Crisis in 
Flint,  MI   
Michigan Area Bishop Deborah Lieder Kiesey has appealed to all United Methodists in the state to respond to the Flint water crisis. Church efforts already underway include the hiring of a district emergency water crisis coordinator and $10,000 from the United Methodist Committee on Relief to help fund water resource centers started by eight local churches. 

But Kiesey said more is needed and she asked for prayer, donations and hands-on assistance.Read her appeal by clicking here.
 
Northern Illinois JFON attorney Jenny Ansay is taking donated water this weekend to Flint to help undocumented immigrants who say they're being denied bottled water. If your church is helping or collecting water, please send information to [email protected]

February is Black History Month
United Methodist Discipleship Ministries offers 
worship resources. The United Methodist Commission on Archives and History offers resources for African-American history. 
 
New Center for Music and Worship in the Black Church 
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary announced the founding of a new Center for Music and Worship in the Black Church Experience. The center's mission is to provide training in the sacred music of the black church and beyond to musicians and worship leaders for the enrichment of congregational worship in diverse contexts.
Read more.

Preparing for Lent
 
Ash Wednesday is Feb. 10. Keep checking UMC.org for resources, the latest stories and a new quiz for the 2016 
Lenten season.
 
Directory Coming Soon...
A new Northern Illinois Conference Church, Clergy & Laity directory is printed and
 if you placed an order through the 2015 Annual Conference registration, one will be mailed to you. An updated pdf is now available on our website www.umcnic.org/directory
Questions: please contact Susan Gieseler at [email protected]
 
2016 Summer
Camp Guide
  It's not too early to start thinking about next summer and camps 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 February Reporter.
 
Lay Leadership
 2016 Trainings
 
 
Jan. 30
Location: Glenview UMC 
 
Jan. 30
  Location: First UMC of Crystal Lake   
 
Jan. 30
  Location: Faith UMC, Freeport 
 
 District Lay Academies
Click on District for more info:
 Sundays from
Feb. 14-Mar. 13

Apr. 16 & 23
 
Mar. 5 & 12

 DeKalb District -
Mar. 5 & Mar. 19
 
Elgin -
Mar. 5 & 19

Mar. 12 & 13

Looking for VIM Opportunities in the  
new year? 
The North Central Jurisdiction Volunteers in Mission continually update project lists around the country including disaster recovery sites. 
 Click here for the most recent and find ways your church can serve this year. 
 
 
 
eNews                                                                                    January 28, 2016                                                                              
Laity Convocation - Register Today

Ray Buckley
Please join your Conference Board of Laity on Saturday, February 6, 2016 for INSIDE OUT! (Inner Strength for Greater Outreach).

The event continues with the theme of Who Is My Neighbor?, and seeks to help us renew our spirits in order to be more effective in our Christian outreach. In other words, be renewed inside, be led by the Spirit and then reach out! Thus, INSIDE OUT!

This year's special keynote speaker is Ray Buckley, the interim Director of the Center for Native American Spirituality and Christian Study. The event will start at 9am with worship and will also include afternoon workshops concluding at 3pm.

Early registration cost is $15 per person and includes a continental breakfast and lunch. Registration after January 30 will be $20 per person. For more details and to register click here.
 
Register for the Winter 2016 Landscape Regional Conversations

Following the presentation at the special session of annual conference in November, we invite clergy and laity to attend a listening session to help vision the purpose of the Annual Conference. Click here to read Bishop Dyck's report on the survey.

Deadline to register for the Listening Session is Feb. 15. You may choose any location or date that best suits your schedule.

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)

Click here to register for a laity session

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)
 
Location: Naperville: Grace UMC from 9am-3pm. This event is for elected conference leadership and those serving on a conference committee. Participants should have received a personal email invitation with a registration link. Clergy and laity attending the Purpose Summit are also encouraged to attend one of the above listening sessions.

24-Hour General Conference Prayer Vigil
 
The United Methodist Church will hold its quadrennial General Conference in Portland, Oregon from May 10-20, 2016.  
 
As we all prepare for this important time of conferencing, the Council of Bishops has invited each Annual Conference to host a 24-hour prayer vigil and our day is February 29.  

I am asking you to join me and fill the day with prayer as we all pray across the church for this important gathering. Our prayers will be like a wave across the NIC as well as the whole church around the world! Resources are being provided for you and I encourage you to be a part of this "prayer wave" across our annual conference on February 29 (leap day!). ~Bishop Sally Dyck

Click here for sign ups and resources including bulletin inserts and prayers cards.

Note: If you are planning on attending General Conference as a volunteer or other capacity, please contact the delegation's chair Elisa Gatz. The delegation is also looking for those willing to read and give input on the legislation (more than 1,000 petitions have been submitted). Contact Elisa at: [email protected]. Click here for news on last week's Pre-General Conference Briefing held for delegates and communicators in Portland, OR. 
 
Apportionments Update
 
The churches of the Northern Illinois Conference contributed a total of $6,133,131.93 in 2015 apportionment giving, representing a 3.8% increase over 2014. In addition, over $882,000 was given to second-mile, designated causes.

Last week, the Conference Council on Finance and Administration (CCFA) voted to pay General Church Apportionments at 72%, the same rate as apportionment receipts from all NIC churches--a practice shared by many other Annual Conferences. In addition, the council agreed to contribute an additional $177,217 to the World Service Fund for a total of 90%. The Book of Discipline states that the World Service Fund is our first priority for benevolent giving, providing a financial lifeline to a long list of Christian mission and ministry throughout the denomination.
 
We celebrate with the following 189 churches who contributed 100% (or more) of their Apportionments. Click here for the full list.
 
Annual Conference News - June 5-7
"Walk By Faith"

The 2016 Annual Conference will be held June 5-7, 2016 at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Ill. Online registration will be available on April 8

Volunteers Needed
The Annual Conference Worship Team is currently looking for persons throughout the Annual Conference who are willing to serve as greeters, ushers, or general volunteers for worship at Annual Conference this June. For more information, or to sign up, please contact Will Ed Green at 
[email protected]

Worship Leader 
The Annual Conference Worship Team is excited to share that this year's worship leadership will be provided by Mark Miller. Mark serves is Assistant Professor of Church Music at Drew Theological School and is a Lecturer in the Practice of Sacred Music at Yale University. Read more...

Important Worship Times - Mark your calendars

Ordination - Sunday, June 5 at 7pm
Memorial Service - Monday, June 6 at 3pm
Retirement Service - Tuesday, June 7 at 2pm
Visit www.umcnic.org/AC2016 for latest updates and more information.

News & Events
Preparing for the Future Calls for Present Accountability
Pension and health benefits are crucial programs designed to financially protect our eligible clergy during times of immediate medical need and future income security during retirement. In the NIC, health and pension rates or premiums have remained constant over the last three years. We would like to continue this precedent but we are facing a growing challenge. The challenge of arrearages or uncollected debt. In the coming months Woody Bedell, Conference Director of Personnel and Benefits will be working with the District Superintendents and local churches to determine the best ways to move forward. Please read the full letter from Woody with further explanations from Conference Treasurer Lonnie Chafin and Bishop Sally Dyck.
 
Rainbow Covenant Application Available 
The Rainbow Covenant Advance Application for 2016-2020 is now available. Rainbow Covenant is a way for an organization or ministry connected to the NIC to be supported by local United Methodist congregations. Every organization wishing to be included as a Rainbow Covenant Advance must submit this application. This includes all current Advances as well. The deadline is February 15, 2016. Click here for more details and the application.
 
Healing and Building Summit - Feb. 27  
Registration is open for Urban Strategy's Healing and Building Summit at Maple Park UMC in Chicago. Our plenary speaker will be Dr. Colleen Cicchetti from Robert & Ann Lurie Children's Hospital to focus on healing. Click here for more information and to register today. 
  
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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