This Week's Current Week in Review

The Current Week in Review

November 21, 2018

Beard to hold two briefings in Marion, registration is online

Due to high demand, Bishop Frank J. Beard will be doing a SECOND General Conference 2019 briefing on Monday, Dec. 3 at Marion First UMC from 1 to 3 p.m. This is in addition to the 7 to 9 p.m. session already scheduled.

Registration hasn't changed. Click on the button below to register. Registration is capped at 150 just like the other sessions.

The 7 to 9 p.m. session is currently at capacity with those who had planned to attend the Nov. 15 session which was postponed due to weather. If you wish to cancel your spot in the evening session, contact Paul Black or contact Michele Willson. When the registration is cancelled, the 7 to 9 p.m. session will accept additional registrations until it is at capacity again.

If you wish to change your registration to the afternoon session, cancel your evening registration above and re-register, choosing the 1 to 3 p.m. option for the afternoon session.

Denomination's Christmas tour begins

at Fairview Heights Nov. 25

Those visiting St. Clair Square in Fairview Heights, Ill., with visions of sugarplums might also get a glimpse of the true meaning of Christmas – and it comes with free hot cocoa.

“The True Meaning of Christmas Tour,” sponsored by The United Methodist Church, will be bringing its signature gift-wrapped truck to the mall on Sunday, Nov. 25 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., outside the food court entrance located between Macy's and Dillard's. The family-friendly festivities are free and open to everyone.

Fairview Heights serves as the first of 11 cities on the 23 day nationwide tour. Local and surrounding area residents have the chance to unwrap the joy of Christmas and experience this cheerful event right from the beginning.

Guests are invited to pick up a free hot chocolate, capture memories at an interactive photo booth and enjoy holiday music while spending time with loved ones and meeting new friends. A craft station will also be on site for decorating greeting cards that will be gifted to those in the care of Belleville’s Memorial

Convalescent Care Center. Attendees are also invited to share prayer requests, engage in conversations about the reason behind the season and to join congregations in their community for Christmas services and events. Volunteers from Christ Church’ Fairview Heights campus, St Matthew UMC in Belleville, First UMC in O’Fallon, and Shiloh UMC will be assisting the truck’s visitors.

Harris to highlight Annual Conference concert

Five-time Grammy and 11-time Dove Award recipient Larnelle Harris will perform in concert on Friday, June 7, 7:30 p.m. at Carver Arena in the Peoria Civic Center during the 2019 Annual Conference.

The concert is a fundraiser for the IGRC campaign, Our Conference, Our Kids.

The choir from Peoria Bethel UMC will join Harris on stage for several selections during the concert.

Tickets go on sale Jan. 15 in a pre-sale for IGRC members at $20 and $30. On Feb. 1, tickets go on sale to the public Feb. 1 for $25 and $35. All tickets will be sold through Ticketmaster and will not be a part of the normal Annual Conference registration process. The link and discount code will be share closer to the Jan. 15 launch.

Camping announces staff changes

The Conference Commission on Camping and Retreat Ministry announced Nov. 15 changes that will be made in 2019 to maximize its mission.

The decisions made will result in the following changes at East Bay and Little Grassy camps:

The position of Minister of Mission Expansion (MME) has been eliminated and we will no longer have any staff in this role beginning in 2019. We have had two staff in this role: Kim Stuby and Ed Hoke.
We celebrate Kim Stuby, current MME of Camping, for her years of service and ministry at both of our sites. Her ministry has impacted countless lives and we are thankful for her leadership.
We celebrate Ed Hoke who will take retired status as a Full Elder in IGRC on Dec.31, 2018. Ed has agreed to continue at Little Grassy in the role of acting site manager until a new Site Manager is hired in 2019. At that time, Ed Hoke will work primarily in the area of facility maintenance.
The Coordinator of Camping and Retreat Ministries, Patric Newton, will be transitioning to East Bay Camp and taking on site manager duties in addition to his current responsibilities.
Both camps will be hiring an additional staff member to fill open positions on site. At East Bay, a search will begin searching for a new program team leader, and at Little Grassy, a search will be conducted for a site manager Both of these positions have been updated to take on additional responsibilities in order to decrease the need of additional support staff at those sites. We expect a national search to yield key individuals which will bring the experience, ideas, and leadership that we need to continue to move our camping ministry into a healthy and vibrant existence.
The decision was also made to scale back some of our year-round and summer staff hiring by creating new staffing models and expanding current job descriptions to more appropriately meet the needs at the sites.

READ THE FULL STATEMENT

Churches coping with wildfires

Members of Paradise United Methodist Church were still unsure about the state of their homes or their church building as firefighters continued to battle widespread California wildfires. Nine families of Malibu United Methodist Church, near Los Angeles, have lost their homes to fire. Jim Patterson and Sam Hodges report on the continuing emergency and The United Methodist Church's response.

DONATE TO UMCOR

United Methodist Student Sunday Nov. 25

On United Methodist Student Day, Nov. 25, congregations will gather to support students as they prepare for a life that unites faith and knowledge.

Our gifts on this churchwide Special Sunday provide scholarships for diligent United Methodist students in local congregations just like yours.

Read their stories here . Then, share the stories with your congregation to encourage generosity on November 25.

Church leaders can use these resources immediately to prepare for United Methodist Student Day on November 25. It’s simple!

DONATE ONLINE TO UNITED METHODIST STUDENT DAY OFFERING

SEE APPLICATION

Applications open for Global Mission Fellows

The United Methodist Board of Global Ministries is taking applications from young Christian adults who are interested in becoming Global Mission Fellows. Applicants must be ages 20 to 30 and commit to two years of service. Global Mission Fellows work to address the roots of injustice. Early-access deadline is Dec. 3.

General Conference information

Special session pre-registration online

Guests and observers to the 2019 Special Session of the General Conference, The United Methodist Church’s top legislative assembly, may now pre-register online. General Conference will meet in St. Louis, Missouri at the America’s Center Feb. 23-26, 2019.

Volunteers needed for General Conference

Persons wishing to volunteer for hospitality and other committees working the special session of General Conference in February 2019 may now apply to register.

Preference will be given to Missouri and Illinois Great Rivers members. All volunteers will be required to sign a covenant agreement, liability waiver, participate in hospitality and intercultural awareness training, as well as job-specific training.