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Several items related to the 2017 Annual Conference which will be June 8-10, at the Peoria Civic Center has been posted to the IGRC website.
The main page for the 2017 Annual Conference is: www.igrc.org/ac2017. Secondary pages are found to the right-hand menu area. Additional pages will be added as information becomes available.
Registration will open April 1. However, the following information is available now:
- Secretary's letter from Annual Conference Secretary Joy Caschetta. This letter along with an annual conference checklist will be arriving in the mail but you can view it online now.
- Annual Conference Checklist includes a list of deadlines, some of which have changed due to the shortened annual conference schedule.
- Hotel list of the Annual Conference block of rooms. Conferees are responsible for making their own reservations. Now is the best time to reserve your room. Rates are guaranteed through May 16, but rooms are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Request for Special Meals. Due to the shortened schedule and workshops being scheduled over the noon hours on Thursday and Friday, groups may have to choose alternate times for their special meals. Requests need to be made by March 6.
- Request for Display Space. Setup and tear down times have been modified to conform to the new schedule. Requests need to be made by March 27.
- Information on submitting reports/resolutions. Provides a summary on the process for submitting items for consideration by the Annual Conference. Includes the deadlines, dates and responsibilities.
- Information on A/V and tech support. Information for presenters at the Annual Conference. Includes deadlines to ensure third-party items work with the equipment and those who seek help for creative assistance by IGRC Communications. Deadlines are strictly enforced! Plan early!
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Upcoming church finance webinars
The General Board of Discipleship is offering three upcoming webinars free to church leaders and clergy. There is no cost to participate in the seminars, which have been made possible through generous support of churches to the World Service Fund.
Financial Tips for Clergy: Take the Bite Out of Income Taxes!
Monday, Feb. 13
10 a.m. Central
PRESENTER: Rev. Don Joiner, Certified Financial Planner & Rev. Ken Sloane
Clergy face some unique challenges when it comes to things like social security payments, estimated tax payments, housing allowances or exclusions, and reimbursed expenses. It is important to know the rules, but also the way to minimize the impact of your tax liability. Not every tax preparer understands the unique situation of clergy, and finding one who does can save you substantially in money and aggravation. Join us as the Rev. Don Joiner, a certified financial planner, offers tips to clergy who are navigating the preparation of taxes and planning for a sound financial future.
The Church Audit: You Can Do This!
Thursday, March 9
6:30 p.m. Central
PRESENTER: Ken Sloane, Director of Stewardship and Connectional Ministries
Every congregation needs to do a church audit, but it doesn't have to be a big expense or an insurmountable obstacle. There is a great Local Church Audit Guide, available free for United Methodist churches that will take you through it step by step. Going through the process builds confidence among you financial leaders and projects transparency to your donors. Join us as we explore the tools that can make this process easier than you thought.
Offering Electronic Giving: What Are You Waiting For?
Thursday, May 11
6:30 p.m. Central
PRESENTER: Ken Sloane, Director of Stewardship and Connectional Ministries
Electronic giving is not the future of charitable giving, it is the present reality. If your church is not offering this as an option for those who attend your church, you are missing out on generous giving. If there have been obstacles to making this option available to your church, we will talk about them in this webinar.
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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.
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Thursday Feb. 9, 10 - 11 a.m.
Peggy Hisey will help you strategize and plan for your 10 month implementation of The Journey. This seminar will focus on the practical application of the resources provided on the website.
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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.
Register online...
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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.
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Extension School offerings for the April-May term
Feb. 10 is the deadline to register for the April-May classes. These classes will meet April 7-8 and May 5-6. The classes offered in this term are:
- COS 123: Formation and Discipleship
- COS 223: Worship and Sacraments
The NCJ Native American Course of Study School is another option. This program is designed for Native American pastors. Applications will also be considered from persons who are working in a Native American context, and from persons outside the jurisdiction.
The Native American COS is operated through the auspices of Methodist Theological School of Ohio (METHESCO).
The format is to hold a single session to complete courses. Those being offered in the Spring 2017 term at Mounds Park UMC in St. Paul, Minn., are:
- March 14-16 -- COS 223: Worship and Sacraments or COS 421: Bible IV
- May 2-5 -- COS 423: Mission/Congregational Life or COS 523: Evangelism
The Fall 2017 term will be hosted by New Baden UMC in the Illinois Great Rivers Conference. Dates and course offerings include:
- Sept. 12-14 -- COS 221: Bible II or COS 522: Theology in Contemporary Church
- Oct. 16-19 -- COS 224: Administration and Polity or COS 521: Bible V
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Registration open for Senior High YAR
Registration is now open for the 2017 Senior High YAR March 10-12 at the Lake Williamson Christian Retreat Center in Carlinville.
Final registration deadline is Feb. 24.
Information and registration forms can be found by visiting:
www.igrc.org/srhighyar
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UMW Spiritual Growth Retreat Feb. 24-25
The 2017 IGRC United Methodist Women Spiritual Growth Retreat will be Feb. 24-25 at Illiopolis UMC.
Because of extenuating circumstances, a few changes have been made to the registration process for the retreat. If you have already registered, you don't need to do anything. If you haven't registered yet, there is still time. The deadline has been extended to February 16. There is also a change in where to send your reservation. Please read the attached flyer carefully for the new contact person and address.
The theme for this year's retreat is
Make A Joyful Noise: Finding Spiritual Harmony Through Music.
Cost is $65 based upon double occupancy for overnight accommodations, $20 for the retreat only.
For more details,
contact Marge Stout by email or phone 217-486-6031.
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United Methodist Men's Rally March 25
The Vermilion River District United Methodist Men will host a Men's Rally on Saturday, March 25 at Kankakee Asbury UMC from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Speakers include Ken Hudgins, North Central Jurisdictional UMM President and former IGRC UMM President Jerry Motsinger. Included in the event is a sloppy joe luncheon for $5 with a freewill offering collected to pay the speakers' expenses.
For more information,
contact Steve West by email or phone 815-937-4036 by March 18.
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GBGM seeking young adult applicants
The General Board of Global Ministries is seeking young adult applicant to join Global Missions Fellows program.
There are two tracks -- an international track, which is a 24-month initiative in another country while engaging with local communities, connecting the church in mission and growing in personal and social holiness. The US-2 program has a domestic focus but its mission is the same of engagement, connection and growth in personal and social holiness.
Benefits are included -- simple-living stipend, relocation assistance, insurance, and housing.
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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...
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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
Early registration deadline is February 11.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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...
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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.
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PCC Self-Care Retreat April 21-22
The office of Pastoral Care and Counseling will host a Self-Care Retreat for IGRC clergy and/or spouses (ie: individual clergy, clergy groups, individual spouses, groups of spouses) April 21-22 at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville. Friday dinner is provided with event registration and Saturday breakfast is provided with Friday night hotel stay (rate is $75.85 before tax).
BOOM has authorized .8 CEU's for those wanting to attend all workshops beginning Friday at 3 p.m. through Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Otherwise attend the workshops you are interested in and enjoy the beautiful grounds at The Shrine or rejuvenate yourself as you see fit. We serve others best when we feed our soul.
Cost for the event is $25 per person. Register online before April 5 at: www.igrc.org/selfcare2017. Contact The Shrine for hotel reservations at 618-397-1162, 800.682.2879, or email hotel@snows.org, referencing that you are attending the IGRC PCC Self-Care Retreat.
Childcare will be available at a cost of $10 per family (not per child) 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
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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.
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Fire-up Conference
Crystal Kirgiss will be the speaker for the 2017 Fire-Up Senior High Conference hosted at Troy UMC Feb. 24-26.
Kirgiss serves as adjunct faculty at Purdue University where she teaches English and researches the history of adolescence. For 25 years, she has worked with students in church, parachurch, educational, and community settings. She is the author of many books for adults and students, most recently
In Search of Adolescence: A New Look At an Old Idea which presents a broad historical survey of youth throughout the centuries. She regularly speaks to youth workers, parents, students, and congregations on a variety of topics. She lives in Indiana with her husband Mark, a veteran youth worker.
The weekend consists of worship, small groups, seminars, meals, recreation and community.
Registration is now open and for more information, visit the link below or call 618-667-6241.
Read more and register online...
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Light Kids Conference in three locations
Harvest Ministry Teams will host three Light Kids Conferences for children in first through fifth grade and their ministry leaders.
The conference will be at Washington Crossroads UMC on March 4; Troy UMC on March 25 and Marion Aldersgate on April 1.
The one-day event includes music, Bible Buzz, MERGE Recreation, entertainment, snacks, lunch and worship times centered around the theme RESCUED!
Read more...
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Sincerely,
Paul Black
Illinois Great Rivers Conference
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