News & Updates

April 28, 2022

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From the Lake North District Superintendent

I greet you in the name of our risen Christ, who continues to move and breathe life into our United Methodist Churches across the connection. Hallelujiah! As I have spoken with many pastors and leaders in the district there have been so many signs of resurrection.

I know that there is a feeling of uncertainty within the denomination and that you are receiving propaganda about what an old, tired, restricted denomination the UMC is. I want you to know that that is not the case! While I cannot fully predict the future, what I do know is that Christ is risen and meets all of this uncertainty with peace. Below are some of the signs of resurrection that happened in our United Methodist district:

I wanted to write and tell you about our joyous Easter celebrations. I especially enjoyed the baptism we had of three-year-old Miles.
Easter at Northbrook UMC was both careful and joyful… still the choir rang out, we raised our alleluias, we heard stories of faith, and celebrated that Christ is risen indeed!
We continue to explore what intentionally hybrid ministry looks like…
It was a great moment to worship and celebrate together with a new hopeful and joyful feeling.
Our Easter worship service was vibrant, welcoming and innovative.
We experimented with two more speakers and discovered hidden talent to deliver the word.
Cosmopolitan had a Resurrection Sunday Sunrise Service where we remembered our baptism and then enjoyed breakfast.
On Holy Saturday, Grace was able to partner with Unity Park and host a community Easter Egg Hunt. Over six hundred kids. A woman who is new [and reexploring her faith] led a game station. Her joy and laughter as the kids played is a testimony to resurrection. Coming out of the isolation of the pandemic and once again experiencing the joy of community with our neighbors.
Our boiler broke the night before... Despite the cold, the service had a great energy, the music was wonderful, and it was joyous for us to celebrate Easter physically again.
We had over 300 people at our Easter Outreach event for children which service 180 children…and our CARE-A-VAN singing group sang a concert at a nursing home on Holy Saturday with 25 singers.
Easter worship was great, we have the children serve in the worship as worship leaders, reading scripture, doing the call to worship. We had more people in worship this year.
First Vietnamese UMC had a joy Easter service at my house. We appreciate the support from the conference and the district and wait for the day our church will back to our normal activities.
It began with 50+ in attendance at Palm Sunday with several visitors who were new to town!
West Ridge UMC had a joint Easter service with one of our churches that shared space with us (Park Community Church). It was a beautiful service.
It was a great moment to worship and celebrate together with a new hopeful and joyful feeling.
Our Easter Sunday Worship started with our Children Sunday school class Junior Praise band.
HPUMC gathered to celebrate the power of Resurrection at 5:45am at Fullerton Ave Beach on Easter morning. It was the 38th year as a church to have a Culto de Amanacer (Sunrise Worship) and we sang, read Scripture and prayed as the sun rose and the hope for a new day with Risen Christ came.

Friends, Christ is risen! To quote that old hymn: And because He lives, [we] can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know he holds the future. And life is worth the living. just because He lives.

For nearly 40 years we have been riddled with conflict within our denomination. I hope and pray that in this Easter season, we will be able to shed the anger and hatred that has held us back from being a people who are reconciled in Christ.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

Rev. Brittany Isaac

Lake North District Superintendent

What makes you proud to #BeUMC?

With words of disunity, disaffiliation, and division in the news, let’s use this time as an opportunity to share why you are proud to be United Methodist and why we are better together. United Methodist Communications has launched the #BeUMC campaign with key themes intended to highlight what unites us as United Methodists and what we are working towards, together.

The UMC is founded on a Wesleyan theology of grace, anchored in Scripture and based in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and the continuing movement of the Holy Spirit.

Find ways to share your personal story or simply post on your social media, “I am United Methodist.” Don’t forget to use the hashtag #BeUMC. You may use the image above (right-click and save), download them (1, 2, 3), or create your own. You may also share the image from the NIC Facebook page.

Find more ideas at umc.org/BeUMC.

Read the latest DYK? with more details on #BeUMC.

Annual Conference Early-bird Registration Ends April 29

Save money and register today for the 2022 Northern Illinois Annual Conference through April 29.

The cost of registration increases from $80 to $95 starting April 30. Registration closes May 29. Please note there will be no on-site registration. *Make sure you have a file copy (.jpg, jpeg, png) of your proof of vaccination card handy to upload during registration, which is required.

Annual Conference will meet in person June 8 - 10 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center. The AC Committee is diligently working to make this a safe gathering for everyone while continuing to monitor COVID-19 infection rates for the area. For current requirements for AC members to attend, please read the health and safety statement.

Clergy Session will be held May 24 in person at New Lenox UMC starting at 9 am. Click for details. You may register through AC registration.

Laity Session will be held June 8 from 11 am - 12 pm at the Schaumburg Convention Center. You may register through AC registration.

More Info

Click to download an abbreviated agenda.
Click to learn more about this year's speakers and leaders.
Download a Fact Sheet with more details and information. For more dates and information, visit umcnic.org/AC2022.
The worship services and plenary sessions will be livestreamed on the NIC YouTube Channel for guests and observers. Clergy and lay members of AC must be present in person to vote.

Annual Conference Registration

Annual Conference Updates

2022 Bishop's Appeal for Ukraine Assistance

The 2022 Northern Illinois Annual Conference Bishop's Appeal special offering will go toward Ukraine assistance. While immediate needs are great, we know the people of Ukraine will need assistance in the long term. For more details on fundraiser ideas and bringing your collective offering to Annual Conference, visit umcnic.org/Bishopsappeal2022.

T-Shirt Sales

Thanks to Rev. Keck Mowry, First UMC Palatine, for organizing special T-Shirt sales to help fundraising efforts for the Bishop's Appeal and support our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. Click here to order and get more information about placing bulk orders for your church to sell.

A C Mi s s ion C h a lle ng e

The NIC Board of Global Ministries is coordinating with the Midwest Mission Distribution Center (MMDC) to organize its annual conference collection drive for the most needed items at this time. Your church is encouraged to begin collecting items to fill the truck. The board is working on drop-off locations, preferably at the Schaumburg Convention Center on June 8 and 9. Details are being worked out. Click here for items needed. Download flyer.

AC Ushers Needed

As we gather in-person this June 8-10 for Annual Conference, ushers will once again be needed to help the event run smoothly. During the daily proceedings ushers often help with distribution of materials. Ushers are also needed to distribute worship programs at the Memorial Service (Wed. 6/8 1:30 pm), Retirement Service (Thurs. 6/9, 8:45 am), and Ordination (Friday, 6/10 1:30 pm). Ushers do not need to be present the entire day, shifts can be arranged. If you are able to volunteer some time, please contact Laura Lopez, LLopez@umcnic.org.

Apportionment Highlight - World Service Fund

Teaching churches and communities to prepare for disasters, providing immediate humanitarian relief and aiding long-term recovery are important jobs of Global Ministries and UMCOR. This work, said top executive Roland Fernandes, is “accomplished through disaster relief and recovery, risk-reduction programming, addressing the needs and rights of migrants worldwide, improving livelihoods, increasing food security, and promoting environmental sustainability to reduce the impact of climate change.”

Methodism’s focus on health as a part of mission dates back to the 19th and 20th centuries when missionaries expanded the options for health care in underserved communities. Through United Methodist conferences and health boards, Global Ministries strengthens networks of health responses, from revitalization of facilities and staff training to building better water sources, developing sanitation facilities and promoting nutrition. Global Health concentrates on eradicating preventable diseases, such as malaria, HIV and AIDS and COVID-19, and supporting the most vulnerable populations, including mothers, newborns and children.

Through the Apportionments given to World Service Fund, United Methodist congregations support Global Ministries and the running of UMCOR.

The NIC Communications office is pleased to provide the 2022 flyer explaining Apportionments (asignaciones) translated in Spanish thanks to Prairie North District Superintendent Rev. Fabiola Grandon-Mayer. To download the flyer here.

May Reporter Available Online

The May Reporter is at the printer but available to read online now. In his monthly column, Bishop Hopkins asks after the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ, are you ready to do whatever it takes to be in a love relationship with Jesus? Also, read more about a Chicago church building on a legacy of accessibility. Catch up with two NIC missionaries who returned for a first-time visit that was delayed because of the pandemic and learn more about the #BeUMC campaign. Click to share and read the full issue. Want to read a digital magazine version? Click here.

Kids Above All's annual Diaper Drive is back! Donate diapers of all sizes and wipes to help their parents, caregivers, babies, and toddlers have the essentials they need for a happy and healthy start to their lives together. Click here for an Amazon Wish List. To schedule a drop-off time for your donation, contact Manager of Faith & Community Relations, Deaconess Catherine Inserra, at 847- 224-2870, or at cinserra@kidsaboveall.org. Donation Drop off address: 8765 W. Higgins Rd., Suite 450, Chicago, IL 60631. Time: Monday - Friday, 9 am - 4 pm.

Native American Ministries Sunday (May 1) serves to remind United Methodists of the gifts and contributions made by Native Americans to our society and in our communities. With more than 20,000 Native Americans within the denomination, this Special Sunday helps to ensure that Native American United Methodist leaders are recognized and to celebrate their special voice in The United Methodist Church. Click for resources to celebrate and promote this Special Sunday. For more ideas from the NIC Committee on Native American Ministries, click here.

Breathe Again event sponsored by United Women in Faith Northern Illinois Conference

Did you know that more than 40% of the US is breathing dirty air? We have the power to take action! Join us Tuesday evening, May 3, 7:00-8:30 pm via Zoom to learn more about the issues surrounding air pollution, its public health impact, and to learn how to contact our elected officials and ask them to take action. Anne Mellinger-Birdsong, Medical Education Advisor of Mothers and Others for Clean Air, will be the guest speaker. More information and registration here.

Churches undergoing a pastoral appointment change should be attending a Transitions Workshop designed to give you a jumpstart on good transitions. It will be a 90-minute Zoom workshop led by Rev. Jim Ozier author of “The Changeover Zone”. Find more information about the workshop here.

*Money paid to NIC Conference Apportionments provides the financial assistance for appointment changes and transition workshops.

Clergy, Employees May Qualify for Student Loan Forgiveness

Clergy and employees of not-for-profit organizations engaged in faith-based work may benefit from recent changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. Wespath is offering a one-hour webinar on Mon., May 9 at 2:00 pm CST, and again on Wed., May 11 at 12:30 pm CST, to help organizations and their staff understand the PSLF Program and its application process. Learn more at Wespath.org/r/PSLF.

Communications Learning Week

United Methodist Communication (UMCom) has announced a week-long ecumenical training opportunity launching this spring for anyone in ministry seeking to enhance their communications skills. Communication Learning Week: Taking the Next Step will be held May 9-13, 2022, and is designed with busy schedules in mind. All of the learning week content will be recorded and stored in a learning portal that participants will have access to for six months following the event. Registration opens April 12. Learn more.

Somewhere Over the Border Special Night Preview Hosted by NIJFON

Join NIJFON on May 13 at 7:30 at the Windy City Playhouse for this very special event. Support their mission to provide free high quality immigration legal services, engage in education and advocacy and create cross cultural communities. Find more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

Deerfield: Christ UMC Fair Trade Gift Boutique

Deerfield: Christ UMC is hosting a Fair Trade Boutique in cooperation with the Chicago Fair Trade event in celebration of World Fair Trade Day, Saturday May 14, 2022 from 11am to 4 pm. 600 Deerfield Road Deerfield, IL 60015.

CUMC will be hosting several fair-trade vendors in our coffee lounge, with an array of products to sell including jewelry, candles, handbags and honey-infused skin lotions and creams! Click here for more info and the Facebook Event Page.

Clergy Ministry Review due date is May 24

Each year, it is helpful to church leadership and their clergy/pastors to take time to reflect on their goals and life together in the past year. The evaluation tool seeks to foster opportunities for dialogue, support, and accountability in order to enable growth and ministry for the congregational and pastoral team. It is available on the NIC website on the Clergy Life Forms Page under the heading, CLERGY MINISTRY REVIEW. Like last year, the Clergy Profile information questions are included to help keep the Conference database current and are on the clergy/pastor’s EM360 online form for simplicity. The deadline to complete the evaluation and update the Clergy Profile Sheet is May 24, 2022.

Asian Heritage Month Celebration banner rev.png

Resources for the Local Church

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (Month of May) - Worship Resources and Prayers
Native American Ministries Sunday (May 1) - History, Worship Resources, Communications, Children's Resources, Social Media Graphics, Podcasts, Devotions and more. For more ideas from the NIC Committee on Native American Ministries, click here.
Mother's Day (May 8) - Resources to honor mothers without hurting others.
Heritage Sunday (May 22) - Resources and information on this year's theme "Splits, Separations and Reconciliations."
United Voices for Children Sunday (May 29) - Information and videos to share with your congregation.
Social Media Shareables - Free graphics for social media for different events, months and ministries. (Through Outreach, log in is needed but resources are free)
UMC Giving Resources - Mission Moments, Special Sunday Info, Leader Kits, Pew Cards and more.
United Media Resource Center - Lending library of Christian materials for local churches - for small groups, pastors, children and individuals.

Rev. Brittany Isaac

Lake North District Superintendent

bisaac@umcnic.org

312-346-9766 ext. 785

Debra Rogers

Administrative Assistant

drogers@umcnic.org

630-465-2941

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