This Week's Issue of The Current Week in Review

January 6, 2017

Bishop Frank J. Beard has sent a personal invitation to IGRC clergy under appointment to join him at Covenant Keepers 2017 Jan. 30-31. All clergy under appointment are expected to attend. There is a registration link within the letter arriving in your inbox. If, for some reason, your invitation didn't get through, click here to read the invitation.

Bishop Beard also issued a New Year's Day pastoral letter. In a follow-up post to his Facebook group that have covenanted to pray for him, he offers these words of encouragement:

Fear. It's everywhere. It seems to be spreading like a killer disease. It is infecting and affecting a wide array of communities and people groups. The temptation to be afraid has always been lurking in the shadows, but now fear seems to be commanding the center-stage spotlight.

There is no denying the multitude of challenges we face as individuals and as a community. Things seem to be getting darker.

Hope appears to be headed out of the side door. Even the strongest, most hope-filled optimists are sometimes tempted to drift towards the arms of hopelessness.

I believe that God has a message for us for 2017. God's message is not new, but it needs to be viewed from a renewed vantage point. I was able to hear and receive the message while reading a devotional book written by the late Bishop Reuben Job. The message was, "Fear Not!"

Those words appear in that form, or some related form, over 365 times in the Bible. That's one for every day in a year. God has not given the Church or its constituents a spirit of fear. The words of the Advent and Christmas message are still relevant as we move into a new year, "Fear Not!"

I invite you to join me is affirming Psalm 27:1 as the "guiding verse" for 2017. "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

No matter what happens in this New Year I will not give in to fear, and I will not be pulled toward the darkness. The Lord is the provider of our hope. I love the attitude that is displayed by the psalmist, "Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear."

2017 will not be a year of fear, but by faith, it shall be a year filled with the light of Christ. His presence cannot be overcome by darkness of any kind or magnitude. The Lord is my light, and I will not be afraid!

Thanks for your continued prayers.

Bishop issues call to prayer for Jan. 22-28

Bishop Frank J. Beard is asking that the Illinois Great Rivers Conference set aside the week of Jan. 22-28, 2017, as a Week of Prayer for the Way Forward Commission and its work.

The week selected is part of a church-wide call to prayer in 2017 and 2018 as the Commission moves forward its work. Bishops of the church have covenanted with one another to pray 15 minutes each day for the Commission. The second phase is involving each individual annual conference in prayer for a week.

Read more...

Bishop to speak twice on MLK weekend

Bishop Beard will be speaking at Fairview Heights Christ UMC as part of the church's Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration. Beard will be the keynote speaker and soprano Katherine Jolly will be the musical guest.

The service will be at 7 p.m. in the chapel of the church's main campus in Fairview Heights.

Beard will also be speaking at Springfield Kumler UMC on Monday, Jan. 16 at 5 p.m. The 5 p.m. service is part of a Illinois Area United Methodist Joint Service honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., which begins at noon. The church is located 600 N. 5th St. in Springfield and its sponsors are the United Methodist churches of the Sangamon River District.

IRS announces business mileage rates for 2017

The Internal Revenue Service Tuesday issued the 2017 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business purposes.
Beginning on Jan. 1, 2017, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be: 53.5 cents per mile for business miles driven, down from 54 cents for 2016.

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Final day for 2016 apportionments

The last day for local churches to send in apportionments and contributions to the conference office to have it count toward 2016 is by the end of the business day on January 9, 2017.

It has to be received in our office by Jan. 9, not postmarked on Jan. 9.

Please have your treasurer clearly denote that the money is for 2016.

Year-end reports available online

EZRA - the on-line tool for local churches to report their year-end statistics - is now available. One church has already submitted all three tables! We will be sending out instructions and reminders, but if you want to get a jump on it, the website is http://ezra.gcfa.org

The username for your church is the six-digit number assigned to your church by GCFA (it is the same number found on your remittance reports from my office). The initial password is password. You will be prompted to change the password when you enter the system for the first time.

Deadline to submit your reports is March 31, 2017.

McKendree's Statham candidate for Hall of Fame

McKendree University men's basketball coach Harry Statham, the all-time wins leader in college basketball history, is among the eligible candidates for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The complete list of eligible candidates for the Class of 2017 was announced Dec. 20.

Read more...

Read more here: http://www.bnd.com/news/local/community/ofallon-progress/article118421298.html#storylink=cpy

Annual Conference 2017 shortened by a half day

Bishop Frank J. Beard, in consultation with the Executive Team of the Annual Conference Sessions committee has announced that the 2017 Annual Conference will be held June 8-10 at the Peoria Civic Center.

Plans are to have the clergy and laity sessions begin at 10 a.m. Thursday with the opening worship set for 1:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon with the Service of Ordination and Commissioning being held on Saturday morning.

While the shorter agenda may not actually result in persons being able to reduce the number of lodging nights, it is an ongoing attempt at listening to attendees and trying to make the schedule easier for those who must take time off from their work to attend.

The Sessions Committee will be working on streamlining the agenda and further announcements will be made as plans unfold.

The 2017 theme is Let's Get Fired Up! and will focus on ministries to children.

Photos for the clergy directory will also be taken at the annual conference session as well as at Covenant Keepers Jan. 30-31 at the East Peoria Holiday Inn.

Sincerely,

Paul E. Black
Illinois Great Rivers Conference
217-529-2848

Illinois Great Rivers Conference
217-529-2040