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The Current Week in Review
October 1, 2021
Handbook aims to reach unvaccinated

Whether COVID-19 vaccinations are an answer to prayer or a harmful evil has led to distrust and anger while the death toll continues to rise.

The push to get every person vaccinated against COVID-19 has opened wide divisions that can’t be healed without compassion, said the Rev. Dana Horrell, who has written a handbook to help congregations reach out to the unvaccinated.

“We have been told to love your neighbor and the way we do it is by listening. We don’t do it by telling people what to do,” he said in an interview about his handbook, Mobilize Vaccine Turnout!

Horrell, pastor at Cooperstown United Methodist Church in New York, said the idea for the handbook came to him after a conversation with a 95-year-old member of his church who told him she had not gotten the vaccine.

“She said her daughter didn’t believe in the vaccine and she depended on her daughter for a ride,” he said.

Horrell then talked to the woman’s son and offered to help. “I just offered a nudge and now all three family members are vaccinated.”

Horrell pastored in the former Southern Illinois Conference years ago and graduated from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.
As we prepare to celebrate World Communion Sunday on October 3rd and our unity as the Body of Christ, we take a look at the people called Methodists, 80 million people globally comprising 80 denominations tracing their origins back to John Wesley.
Covenant Keepers 2022 Jan. 31-Feb. 1

Covenant Keepers 2022 will take on a new look as a panel of speakers will be a part of the program Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2022. 

Organizers are planning for both a virtual and an in-person event since a decision has not been made as to whether it will be possible to host the meeting in-person. Time for the event will be from noon to 5 p.m. Jan. 31 and from 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 1. 

Registration will be launched as soon as a decision is made on the gathering’s format at: https://www.igrc.org/CK2022.  

Utilizing the theme Called to Holy Excellence, based upon Philippians 4:8-9, speakers will address the issue from a variety of perspectives. 

Speakers include Rev. Dr. Jaqui King, IGRC’s new Director of Ministerial Excellence; Rev. Dr. Curtis Brown and Rev. Dr. Bener Agtatrap, authors of Ready, Set, Plant: The How and Why of Starting New Churches; Rev. David Neckers, retired clergy from the Indiana Conference, consultant and coach.
November issue of
The Current
The Novermber issue of The Current should be arriving in mailboxes across the Conference this weekend.

The November issue features a story about former Illinois Gov. George Ryan's decision in 2003 to clear Death Row due to flaws in the state's criminal justice system -- a decision that continues to reverberate to this day.

Ryan is a long-time member of Kankakee Asbury UMC.

Click the cover to the right to read or download the issue.
Bishop Palmer's midweek service

Bishop Palmer has extended an invitation to the IGRC to join in with the midweek service online at 11 a.m. Central time each Wednesday.

The Facebook Live event will be shared on the IGRC Facebook group.
Paperwork
Charge Conference materials available online

Forms and other materials needed to prepare for the 2021 Charge Conference season are now posted online on the IGRC website.

Forms can be accessed through the Church Portal page located in the upper right corner of the IGRC Homepage.

  • Choose your District
  • Choose your Church
  • Type in the six-digit GCFA number for the church as the password

In addition, the Finance Office has put together information needed to build local church budgets for 2022. Apportionments are also available below.
Be prepared to connect with people who are searching online for information about churches in your zip code. By reviewing and updating your church’s Find-A-Church profile, you’re ensuring a welcoming first impression. Get started by clicking the red “update church” button at the bottom of your church’s profile. Update today by clicking the button below and then get to your church's page.
United Methodist Center Contact Information
USPS (U.S. Postal Service)
P.O. Box 19207, Springfield, IL 62794-9207
Office Phone: 217-529-2040
UPS and FedEx deliveries only use the street address:
United Methodist Center
5900 S. 2nd Street
Springfield, IL 62711
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