This Week's IGRC Events-full

February 1, 2017

The 2017 Annual Conference will be June 8-10, at the Peoria Civic Center. The Annual Conference Sessions committee is working on a shortened agenda that will have several changes in the format of Annual Conference.

Special meals: Groups planning a special meal will be impacted due to workshops being scheduled over the lunch hour on Thursday and Friday. The only luncheon that will be scheduled in addition the boxed lunches on Thursday and Friday will be the retirees luncheon, which will be Friday. Groups have the following time slots available for special meals: Wednesday lunch and dinner (before Annual Conference); Thursday breakfast and dinner; Friday breakfast; and Saturday breakfast and lunch. The request for a special meal should be online by Friday.

Displays: Please note time changes for the display area. Display hours will be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday. Setup times for display will be 2 to 5 p.m. Wednesday and 8 to 10 a.m. Thursday. Tear-down of displays will be 3 p.m. Friday and from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Saturday. Online registration of displays will be available Friday.

Hotels: The list of hotels in the annual conference block will go live Friday. The Peoria Journal-Star raised concern over the future of the Pere Marquette recently. The incident centered around the inability of persons to make online reservations through the Marriott reservation website. The issues have been resolved and the Pere Marquette and the Courtyard by Marriott hotel will be among those in the Annual Conference block of rooms. That list will go live Friday as well.

New clergy directory: Photos for a new clergy directory will be taken by LifeTouch during Annual Conference. A sign-up link will soon be operational for clergy to schedule their appointment. Those that had their photos taken at Covenant Keepers 2017 will not need to have their picture taken again.

Leveraging demographics for effective ministry

IGRC Coordinator of Congregational Development will offer a webinar from 2 to 3 p.m., on Wednesday, Feb. 8, as an introduction to the free demographics resource IGRC churches have available.

This seminar will demonstrate how to generate demographic reports for your community and the wealth of information and ministry ideas you can find. This seminar will be limited to 8 registrants.

Setting boundaries with stressed congregations

This workshop is intended for clergy and laity and would be perfectly suited for members of your Pastor Parish Relations Committees.

Does your local church push back every time you set a boundary? Is your congregation having trouble playing nice? Is there a tendency to scapegoat? Does triangulation or parking lot processing happen a lot in your church? How do we learn as clergy and lay leaders to recognize anxiety in our congregational systems and keep communication above ground?

The Missouri Conference, in cooperation with Eden Theological Seminary is hosting a workshop, Setting Boundaries with Stressed Congregations will be Saturday, March 4, from 9 a.m. to noon at Eden's Wehrli Chapel, 475 E. Lockwood Ave in St. Louis. Cost is $15. A video can be found at: https://vimeo.com/197397359.

The three-hour workshop led by Dr. David Olsen, author of Saying No to Say Yes: Everyday Boundaries and Pastoral Excellence, will involve an examination of clergy/congregation dynamics through the lenses of both self-psychology and family systems theory-clarifying how some obstacles to effective boundary setting are caused by personality tendencies that are exacerbated by stressful church environments. A perfect storm can occur when clergy vulnerabilities and systemic congregational anxiety interact, leading to burnout and boundary problems which hinder pastoral excellence.

This workshop is intended for clergy and laity and would be perfectly suited for members of your Pastor Parish Relations Committees.

Two Reaching New People workshops scheduled

Two Reaching New People workshops, sponsored by the IGRC Office of Congregational Development, are currently scheduled this spring: March 11 at Kansas UMC and April 1 at Elmwood UMC.

Plan now to bring a team from your church.

Scholarship information for students

The Illinois Great Rivers Conference Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry is offering a scholarship opportunity for the 2017-2018 school year to any undergraduate.

Applicants must be members of a United Methodist Church for a minimum of one year. Scholarships awarded will be sent to the community college, college or university that the student will be attending during the 2017-2018 school year to help pay for their undergraduate tuition. The scholarships awarded will be a minimum of $500.

Read more...

The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry are currently accepting applications for scholarships and United Methodist student loans for 2017-18.

Read more...

Seminary students that are preparing for a Master of Divinity for pulpit ministry may want to check out the Opal Dancey Fellowship. Students from any United Methodist seminary or Asbury Seminary are eligible.

Read more...

Women ministry students may also want to consider the Sondra Newman Scholarship offered by the Illinois Great Rivers Conference Commission on the Status and Role of Women.

COSROW offers a scholarship for any woman who is 1) a certified candidate from IGRC 2) enrolled in seminary for degree or course of study 3) completed at least one semester of training 4) will also consider CPE training.

Read more...

Handbell Festival at Salem Grace March 11

The Illinois Great Rivers Conference chapter of The Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts will be holding their 29th annual handbell festival on Saturday, March 11.

To be held at Salem Grace UMC, the featured clinician is Jason Krug. Registration forms are available on our

website. You can also register online at https://fumcpeoria.wufoo.com/forms/29th-annual-handbell-festival/.

Early registration deadline is February 11.

Hungary mission trip deadline nears

Volunteers are sought for a short-term mission to Budapest, Hungary in June of 2017. Our group will teach conversational English to the students of Forrai High School as an outreach with the Pest UMC. We depart June 15 and the mission ends June 24. Participants can continue traveling in Europe at that point or return home. Application deadline is Feb. 15. Please see our brochure with dates, costs, and application form at www.igrc.org/hungary or contact trip leader, Ken Hutchens at 217-390-1566 or Brokenhutchens@gmail.com.

Annual reports can now be filed online

EZRA -- the on-line tool for local churches to report their year-end statistics -- is now available. The Conference office will be sending out instructions and reminders, but if you want to get a jump on it, the website is: http://ezra.gcfa.org

A link may also be found on the Conference website homepage and at www.igrc.org/ezra

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.

Mission Day at Cunningham Home March 11

The Annual Mission Day at Cunningham Children's Home will be Saturday, March 11, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Middle school and high school youth groups are invited to join the agency for an inspiring day as we offer a first-hand look at the mission and exemplary programs offered at Cunningham.

Youth will learn:

* what happens daily to help the vulnerable and hurting youth that we serve

* the importance of faith for healing

* the involvement of United Methodists in our mission

* how to put their prayers, presence, gifts, and service into action

Contact Bernice Dallas by email or by calling 217-337-9058 with any questions.

First Fridays at Peoria First's Foster Gallery

The Foster Gallery for Christianity and the Arts at Peoria First UMC, will host First Fridays on Friday, Feb. 3, from 5 to 9 p.m.

The gallery participates in studio tours sponsored by the Central Illinois Artists Association (CIAO). This month's featured exhibit is Summer Revisited by Cathy Engberg. The subject matter focuses on family life, children at play and animals as the artist strives to capture a slice of everyday life in her paintings.

Entertainment will be from provided by Projekts from 6 to 8 p.m.

The Foster Gallery is located in the church's second-floor mezzanine.

Fairview Heights Christ to host Large Church Initiative event

Fairview Heights Christ will be hosting the denomination's Large Church Initiative event, Navigating Change, May 8-10.

Keynote speakers include Jon Acuff, Thom Rainer, Telley Gadson, Brad Kalajainen, Adam Weber, Ashley Cooper and Bishop Robert Schnase.

More information can be obtained from the event website as: www.lc17.com.

A Facebook page has also been established for the event.

Five-Day Academy for Spiritual Formation slated

The 2017 Five-Day Academy for Spiritual Formation will be April 23-28 at Lake Williamson Christian Center in Carlinville.

The Academy is a program of Upper Room Ministries, providing an opportunity for clergy and laity to tune their hearts toward God through a daily rhythm of prayer, worship, learning and reflection. Each day includes teachings by gifted spiritual leaders to deepen our walk with God, periods of silence, morning and evening prayer, Eucharist, and an opportunity to share with and encourage one another.

Registration through March 6 is $675 which includes tuition, room and board plus all supplies for the week. After March 6, the cost rises to $700 through April 3. Rooms are single occupancy with private baths. A $100 non-refundable deposit is required at the time of registration.

Continuing education credit is available for participants who commit to full-time participation.

Read more and register online...

Women of Faith: A Day of New Beginnings

Springfield Kumler, Grace and Douglas Ave. UMC's are jointly hosting a spring women's conference, Women of Faith: A Day of New Beginnings on Saturday, May 6, at Douglas Ave. UMC.

Keynote speaker for the event will be Rev. Gifty Roberts-Smith. Presentations will also be made by Rev. Nancy Wilson and Rev. Sylvester and Aletha Weatherall. Topics will include a new beginning, forgiveness and healing. Special guest for the event will be Melissa Beard, wife of Bishop Frank J. Beard.

Registration and check-in will be from 8:30 to 9 a.m., with the conference running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost is $20 per person and includes both a continental breakfast and lunch.

Register by calling Kumler UMC at 217-523-2046 or by emailing: kumler2010@aol.com by April 26.

PCC Self-Care Retreat April 21-22

The office of Pastoral Care and Counseling will host a Self-Care Retreat for IGRC clergy and spouses April 21-22 at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville.

Cost is $25 per person. Register online at: www.igrc.org/selfcare2017 .

Childcare will be available at a cost of $10 per family and will be provided at Belleville St. Matthew UMC, just minutes from the Shrine. Parents must pick up and drop off children as no transportation will be provided. Childcare registration deadline is April 1 and reservations can be made at www.igrc.org/selfcare2017-childcare .

Topics of workshops during the retreat include:

Do We Encourage or Discourage Self-Care as a Culture?
Our Healthiest Selves with Nutrition and Exercise
Sacred Spaces: An Experiential Faith Exploration
Wake Up Your Life
Chair Yoga and Healthy Living
Marriage Self-Care
Finding Your Treasures
"What My Spouse Doesn't Tell Me" Benefits Education
Understanding Stress and Management of Chronic Stress

Renovate Youth Conference

Renovate Youth Conference is a two-day discipleship event for students in 6th - 12th grades hosted in East Moline Feb. 10-11. Early Registration cost is $35 for students and $20 for adults.