May 26, 2017
 

Pre-Conference Meeting on Health Insurance Proposal 5-20-17
Pre-Conference Meeting on Health Insurance Proposal 5-20-17

Lay and clergy members will have two options to consider for health insurance coverage for clergy and clergy families in 2018.

The first option is to continue in the public exchange with an health insurance allowance for each full-time clergy. Currently, at $13,200, the Committee on Equitable Compensation is recommending that amount increase to $15,000 should the Annual Conference session choose this option. The allowance will be subject to taxes.

The second option is a group plan through Wespath (formerly the General Board of Pensions and Health Benefits) which will offer a private exchange of six different plans, covering the gambit of a Preferred Provider option to a high-deductible plan that includes both Health Savings Accounts and Health Reimbursement accounts. The $13,200 allowance would be paid by the church directly to the Conference and would be tax-free.

Three of the four Pre-Conference meetings have been held with only about a total of 100 people attending. The final meeting will be held on Thursday, June 8, at the Peoria Civic Center, beginning at 8:30 a.m. in Halls B/C -- just before the Clergy and Laity sessions. The venue is the same location as where all the annual conference plenary sessions are held.

A variety of handouts were provided at these meetings:
Clergy expected at Ordination and Commissioning

Bishop Frank J. Beard has announced that it is his expectation that clergy members will remain at Annual Conference and attend the Ordination and Commissioning service on Saturday, June 10.

Members of the Cabinet and Board of Ordained Ministry will robe and process into the service. Other clergy do not need to bring their robes nor participate in the procession.
2017 Annual Conference links 
 
Workshops announced for 2017 Annual Conference

Room assignments have been announced for the four workshops which will be offered on Thursday and Friday noon at the 2017 Annual Conference. The rooms will be the same both days.

The assignments for the workshops are:
  • Building the Church in Prayer -- Rev. Dr. Terry Teykl, Halls B/C, Main Floor
  • 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, Rooms 405/406, 4th floor.
  • Evangelism for Non-Evangelists -- Rev. Dr. Mark R. Teasdale, E. Stanley Jones Associate Professor of Evangelism, Garret-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Hall A, Main Floor.
  • 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, Room 400, 4th Floor.
Religion and Race to host pre-Conference event

The Conference Commission on Religion and Race will host a program, A Day of New Beginnings, which will be from 2 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 7, prior to the start of Annual Conference

Refreshments consisting of fruits, cheese tray and crackers and cookies will be provided free of charge.

In order to have an estimated headcount, please indicate whether you will attend below. Should crowd exceed the size of the room, a change in rooms will be made to accommodate the crowd.
Conference Prayer Vigil during Annual Conference

Each year during Annual Conference, laity ask each district to pray at a certain designated time for the Conference. This certainly doesn't mean that this is the only time you can pray but it gives each district a designated time.

Assignments for the 2017 Annual Conference are as follows:
  • Wednesday Afternoon: Illinois River District
  • Wednesday Evening: Sangamon River District
  • Thursday Morning: Cache River District
  • Thursday Afternoon: LaMoine River District
  • Thursday Evening: Vermilion River District
  • Friday Morning: Spoon River District
  • Friday Afternoon: Mississippi River District
  • Friday Evening: Kaskaskia River District
  • Saturday Morning: Iroquois River District
  • Saturday Afternoon: Embarras River District
Wesleyan Covenant Association breakfast

There will be a Wesleyan Covenant Association breakfast on Thursday, June 8, 8 a.m. at Peoria First UMC.

Rev. Shane Bishop will be the speaker. Cost of the breakfast is $5 donation.

Call the church at 309-673-3641 to make your reservation.
Annual Conference Special offering and collections

Three offerings will be taken at the 2017 Annual Conference as well as collections for two agencies. Churches are encouraged to take up collections for each of these offerings and send them with their lay or clergy member to Annual Conference. This allows the church to write one check and the congregation to be credited for its gift.

An offering for the John Kofi Asmah School in West Point, Liberia, will be taken for furnishings for the school IGRC laity built several years ago.

An offering will also be taken for the Ordinands' Trip in Spring 2018 during the Service of Ordination and Commissioning. This trip is used to form spiritual leaders at the beginning of their ministry.

A third offering will be taken as part of the Black College Ambassador's report for the Tom Brown Scholarship at Wiley College. The relationship with Wiley College is long-standing and the offering is held annually in memory of the late Rev. Tom Brown, a former trustee of the school from the former Central Illinois Conference.

In addition, the Midwest Mission Distribution Center is asking for items for kits assembled by the Center:
  • Kitchen dishwashing gloves
  • Insect repellent spray, 6 to 14 oz. (ex. Off, Cutter)
  • Scouring pads
  • Pens -- no advertising
  • Protractors
The Center will also be collecting the following items for Fair Hope Ministry, a Danville-area agency in the Iroquois River District. Churches are encouraged to have an Undie Sunday prior to Annual Conference to collect these items:
  • Socks -- Infants 0-3 months to boys and girls large (4-10 girls and 3-9 boys).
  • Onesies
  • Underwear -- All sizes from 2T-3T to girls size 16 and boys 18-20

The Midwest Mission Distribution Center will be in the loading dock area outside the Peoria Civic Center lobby area to take collections. 

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.
UM Day at the ballpark June 24

June 1 is the deadline for obtaining tickets for United Methodist Family Day at Busch Stadium on Saturday, June 24, when the Cardinals take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Game time is 6:15 p.m.

The IGRC United Methodist Men have a block of tickets in the left field pavilion for the game which they are selling for $27 (regularly $73). The first 30,000 fans ages 16 and older will receive a Bob Gibson Bobblehead inspired by the 1967 World Series.

Ticket requests are handled on a first- come, first-serve basis.

Send checks payable to Jeff Thornton, 1010 Belleville St., Lebanon, IL 62254. Any questions can be emailed to Jeff at jathorn66@att.net
Internship, host church applications sought for 2017-18

The IGRC Intern Program is currently accepting applications from both prospective interns and prospective host churches/ministries for paid internships to be served during the 2017-18 academic year.

Application deadline is June 30.

Further information and application links are available at www.igrc.org/interns. Questions may be directed to Beth Fender (  bfender@igrc.org, 217-529-2611).
Click on the cover to view the June issue
Pre-Conference issue on its way

The June issue of The Current is at the printers, but you can view it online right now.

The issue includes the normal conference news, local church news, appointments and deaths as well as information specific to the 2017 Annual Conference.

An additional print run is being done so that Annual Conference attendees will have it as part of their resources for navigating through the Annual Conference session.

Look for it in the mail early next week.
Sincerely,
Paul Black's signature
Paul E. Black
Illinois Great Rivers Conference
217-529-2848
 
 
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