 |
IGRC Communications won five awards at the 2017 DeRose-Hinkhouse competition, sponsored by the Religion Communicators Council for work in calendar year 2016. The awards ceremony was held Thursday evening as part of the 2017 Annual Meeting at Chicago's Crowne Plaza-O'Hare Hotel.
IGRC graphic artist Kim Halusan was awarded an Award of Excellence for best special issue publication for the 2017 Camping Guide.She also received Awards of Merit of public relations materials for her design of the Pastoral Care a
nd Counseling booklet and also was awarded an Award of Merit in the local/regional newsletter division for her work on the Where Miracles Happen, a quarterly newsletter for IGRC Camping and Retreat Ministries.
Halusan and IGRC Director of Communication Ministries Paul Black won Awards of Excellence for the best local/regional magazine for The Current and for the best single issue among local/regional issues with the December 2016 double issue devoted to the Camping and Retreat Ministries ministry.
The Religion Communicators Council (RCC), founded in 1929, is an association of communications professionals who work for and with a diverse group of faith-based organizations in the areas of communications, public relations, advertising and development with an interfaith scope.
|
|
Final day to submit EZRA reports
Today is the final day for submitting year-end reports for 2016 through the EZRA system.
As of mid-Thursday afternoon, 78 percent of local churches have completed their year-end EZRA reports. 9% have started, but not submitted. 13% HAVE NOT STARTED. This represents about 109 churches.
|
|
UM Children's Home changes name
United Methodist Children's Home will now be known as Spero Family Services.
The nonprofit's new name and anchor logo was unveiled at a special ceremony Thursday.
Spero CEO John Shadowens said the new name coincides with a period of expansion for the agency. By the end of the year, Spero will have operations in 10 Southern Illinois counties, including Jefferson, Marion, Wayne, Franklin, Jackson, Clay, Hamilton, Clinton, White, and Union.
"Our mission remains the same, our core values remain," Shadowens said. "We continue to operate with integrity, with respect, excellence and a focus on nurturing family bonds and infusing Christian principles in everything that we do. This change allow us to grow and develop new services and opportunities to serve more people as we expand our service area beyond Jefferson and Marion counties."
Shadowens said the new name is part of an overall rebranding of UMCH, resulting from the agency's work with a marketing firm called Socially Present.
|
|
 |
|
Stroble to preach Prentice Sermon at Mt. Carmel Trinity UMC April 23
Mt. Carmel Trinity UMC will host the annual Prentice Sermon, sponsored by the IGRC Commission on Archives and History on Sunday, April 23, at the church's 9 a.m. worship service.
Dr. Paul Stroble, chair of the Commission on Archives and History, will be the preacher.
The Prentice Sermon began with a bequest from a Methodist layman in Springfield to honor a group of persons who are well known for their untiring proclamation of the Gospel, the pioneer Methodist circuit riding preachers. Hiram Buck Prentice made his bequest to the Illinois Conference in 1922 to pay the expenses of one of the ministers of the Illinois Conference to preach upon the topic, "the Ministry and service as exemplified by the lives and labors of pioneer preachers of the Illinois Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church."
Mt. Carmel is one of two IGRC communities that will be celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2017 and three Methodist ministers were instrumental in the community's founding.
|
|
2017 Annual Conference links
Registration for the 2017 Annual Conference will be opening Saturday.
The agenda can be viewed by visiting the IGRC website at:
www.igrc.org/ac2017agenda. Additional information will be added.
Persons are able to set up a mobile app and pre-select which agenda items apply to them. Once set up, the app sends a daily schedule to the user each morning prior to the start of Annual Conference. Any last-minute changes to room assignments and schedule will be pushed out through the app to those using it.
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.
- 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!
Bishop invites baptisms during Ordination service
Bishop Frank J. Beard has announced there will be an opportunity for clergy families to have children baptized at Annual Conference during Saturday's Service of Ordination and Commissioning.
Families need to contact the Area Office at 217-529-3820 no later than Monday, April 17, in order to be included in the worship service. The Bishop will need the name of the child as well as parents and those that will be witnesses to the baptism so that they can be included in the bulletin materials.
Workshops announced for 2017 Annual Conference
Four workshops will be offered each of two days on Thursday and Friday noon at the 2017 Annual Conference. Identical sessions will be offered both days and each person will be able to register for the workshops as part of the Annual Conference registration that will open April 1.
Workshops for the 2017 Annual Conference:
- Building the Church in Prayer -- Rev. Dr. Terry Teykl, author of several books, including Pray and Grow, Pray the Price, Blueprint for the House of Prayer, Acts 29, Preyed on or Prayed For, Making Room to Pray, How to Pray After You've Kicked the Dog and Outside the Camp. Dr. Tekyl will also be the Friday Morning Manna speaker and speaker at the Saturday Morning Community Prayer Breakfast that will be held at nearby Bethel UMC and hosted by the Conference's United Methodist Men.
- Can We Talk?: Respectful Communication in a Polarized Church and Society -- Rev. Stephanie Ann Hixon, executive director of the JustPeace Center for Mediation and Conflict Transformation.
- Evangelism for Non-Evangelists -- Rev. Dr. Mark R. Teasdale, E. Stanley Jones Associate Professor of Evangelism, Garret-Evangelical Theological Seminary.
- Reaching New and Next Generations: Ministry with Gen Xers and Millennials -- Rev. Dr. Joe Scheets and Rev. Jessica Baldyga, pastors of Effingham Centenary UMC in the Embarras River District.
|
|
LifeTouch Studios is now setting up online appointments for clergy to have their photos taken at the 2017 Annual Conference on June 8 and 9.
A new clergy directory will be produced this year. Clergy who had their photos taken at Covenant Keepers 2017 will not need to have them taken again.
There is no cost for having one's photo taken. Persons will receive a free 8 x 10 or wallet size photos and clergy photo badges can be purchased at the time of the shooting.
Click the photo to the right to be taken to the appointment page.
|
|
Nominations sought for evangelism awards
Nominations are being sought for the Harry Denman Evangelism awards and the Peter Cartwright Lifetime Achievement Award by the IGRC Evangelism Committee.
The Denman Evangelism Award honors an IGRC United Methodist lay, youth lay and clergy person who exhibits unusual and outstanding efforts for work in Christian evangelism by faithfully carrying out the mission of "making disciples of Jesus Christ.
The Peter Cartwright Lifetime Evangelism Award of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference is awarded to someone who has exceptional leadership qualities to help our conference in making disciples of Jesus Christ. This person's lifetime example challenges pastors and lay people to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others. Where the Denman award is given for a period of work, the Peter Cartwright Lifetime Evangelism Award is given to a retired pastor who has reflected this work throughout their ministry career.
Nominations must be sent via email to:
cblickensderfer@igrc.org The downloadable forms are in Microsoft Word form. You may download the forms, type in the information and the form as a file to an email. If you require a different format, please contact us. Nomination deadline is April 14.
Read more and download forms...
|
|
Nominations sought for the Cramer-Heuerman Social Justice Award
Nominations of clergy are being sought for the Cramer-Heuerman Social Justice Award which is awarded in the odd-numbered years by the IGRC chapter of the Methodist Federation for Social Action.
In essay form, nominators are asked to explain why the nominee exemplifies the work of MFSA and lives a life in accordance with the objectives of MFSA. Work, volunteer activities, lifetime and lifestyle characteristics and pursuits, as well as any relevant dates, activities or achievements will be considered.
The objectives of MFSA are:
- to witness prophetically to the Biblical faith in solidarity with persons who are oppressed;
- to establish a society based on democratic social-economic principles, according human dignity to all without discrimination based on race, gender, age, sexual identity, handicapping condition, or class distinction;
- to defend civil liberties and human rights as set forth in Biblical tradition and the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights; and,
- to work to abolish nuclear arms and eliminate war between nations.
The award will be given at the Social Justice Banquet at Annual Conference Thursday evening.
All nominations must be
submitted by May 1, and should be sent to:
Pat Davis, 3204 Ridge Park Rd., Urbana, IL 61802, or by emailing:
pat@bnpdavis.com
|
|
Native American Ministries Sunday April 30
One tribe in North America has told this story for centuries: when people "pale as birch" crossed the great water in large canoes, they brought with them "The Black Book." However, the bringers of the physical Book could not have known what it would mean and look like to be Native and a follower of Jesus.
Today Native Americans-with many unique languages, many unique cultures-honor their heritage, and live as Jesus-followers, led by a rotation of primarily Native American pastors.
When you support Native American Ministries Sunday, you equip seminary students who will honor and celebrate Native American culture in their ministries. And you empower congregations that are finding fresh new ways to minister to their communities with the love of Christ.
|
|
|
Sincerely,
Paul E. Black
Illinois Great Rivers Conference
217-529-2848
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
