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Many pastors have already begun the work of preparing for your next appointment. There are movers to contact, items to pack and many arrangements to be made before that important day arrives. Bishop Frank J. Beard joins with the Cabinet in praying for a smooth transition for you and those who might be traveling with you.
It is in that spirit that a seminar is being designed to be helpful as you begin your new appointment as pastor and congregation. Bishop Beard, along with Rev. Mike Crawford and Rev. Gifty Smith, will be facilitating a workshop entitled
Making a Good Move. This two-day event is designed to enhance your ministry and to prepare you for a successful transition.
ALL clergy that are receiving a new appointment are expected to be present at this seminar along with representatives of their new church/charge.
The
Making a Good Move event will take place on May 12-13, at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield, IL. The workshop will begin on Friday at 4 p.m. and continue until 8 p.m. Dinner will be provided. On Saturday, a light breakfast will be offered, beginning at 8 a.m. and concluding at noon.
There is no charge for this workshop; however, you will need to make your own arrangements for lodging. We anticipate that the receiving congregation(s) will care for the lodging and mileage reimbursements. The Crowne Plaza has reserved a block of rooms for us at $109 per night. Call the hotel (217-529-7777) and identify yourself as part of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference group.
Registration deadline is May 1.
Should you have any questions about this event, please contact Nancy Patton at the Illinois Great Rivers Conference Office (217-529-2397,
njpatton@igrc.org). Please secure your reservation as soon as possible. We look forward to joining you and assisting you in making a good move!
Register online...
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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.
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.
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Clergy directory photos
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.
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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...
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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
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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.
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Q & A on Judicial Council hearing
The Virginia Conference is sharing a Q&A prepared by the Southeastern Jurisdiction bishops. It deals with the Judicial Council's April 25 hearing on whether a gay pastor can serve as a bishop. The decision could affect the standing of Bishop Karen Oliveto, a lesbian married to another woman.
Read Q & A...
Meanwhile, the Rocky Mountain Conference, where Bishop Oliveto is assigned, has released this video in which Bishop Oliveto invites everyone into a season of prayer April 23-30.
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Bishop Karen Oliveto on
Judicial Council meetings |
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New Orleans church offers sanctuary
First Grace United Methodist Church was born from the remnants of two congregations that lost members after Hurricane Katrina. The new church proceeded to shelter volunteers, students and the homeless.
So it seemed a natural extension of the congregation's ministry to become a sanctuary church, said the Rev. Shawn Anglim, known as Pastor Shawn to his flock.
"We've always given sanctuary," he pointed out.
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Sincerely,
Paul E. Black
Illinois Great Rivers Conference
217-529-2848
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