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Apportionments allow us to do together what no church, district, or annual conference could do alone.  

The Conference is thankful for the 96 churches that paid 100% apportionments (NIC and general) in 2023. We also thank the 197 churches that gave 100% apportionments to the NIC funds. “We give thanks for the ways that our local churches are inviting people into and deepening own their relationships with God and the ways that those relationships turn into a response of God’s love through our connectional giving,” said Rev. Tammy Scott, chair of the NIC Council on Finance and Administration. “That helps to create loving, caring ministries locally and globally.” Click here to read more. For more resources on apportionments, check out the Apportionments page.

Thank you to the following Prairie North churches that gave 100% or more of their apportionments to BOTH the NIC and general church funds. Find the full 100% listing here.

• Apple River 
• Argo Fay 
• Burlington 
• Capron 
• Cedarville 
• Dakota Rock Grove 
• Davis Junction 
• Forreston 

• Freeport: Harmony 
• Hanover 
• Kingston 
• Lanark 
• Leaf River 
• Rockford: Evans 
• Marengo 
• Mount Carroll 

• Pecatonica 
• Rockford: Aldersgate 
• Rockford: Beth Eden 
• Rockford: Christ 
• Rockford: Grace 
• Shannon: Bethel 
• Shirland 
• Thomson  

Thank you to the following Prairie North churches that gave 100% or more to the NIC apportionments. 

• Belvidere: First 
• Belvidere: Iglesia Esperanze y Vida 
• Blaine 
• Chadwick: Hope 
• Elizabeth 
• Freeport: Faith 
• Galena 

• German Valley 
• Hampshire: Zion 
• Hunter 
• Kirkland: First 
• Lena 
• Machesney Park: New Life UMC 
• Poplar Grove 

• Rockford: Centennial Multicultural 
• Rockton 
• Roscoe 
• Savanna: First 
• Stockton: Wesley 

Mission Links help you live out the beatitudes and be a blessing for projects around the block and around the world. 

The Advance for Christ and His Church (The Advance) is the United Methodist program for designated mission giving. The Northern Illinois Conference Global Board of Ministry has organized the options for giving through The Advance in our Mission Links booklet. For more resources on Mission Links, check out the Mission Links page. 

We would like to thank the following Prairie North Churches for being a 100% Mission Links Supporters. (Read the full list here.)

• Argo Fay 
• Hanover 
• Lanark 
• Marengo 
• Rockford: Beth Eden
• Rockford: Chris
• Thomson

March/April Reporter Available Online

Learn about how Fresh Expressions ministries are giving hope, read about the love ripples that resulted from a Kingdom Assignment, and more conference updates. Bishop Schwerin talks about how Lent shapes & frees new expressions of Faith. Rev. Arlene Christopherson encourages us to lean into our past to plan our future. Rev. Fabiola Grandon-Mayer shares about her hope in the Laity. Co-Lay Leader Eugene Williams reminds us to revive and extend grace.

Check out the issue online and read the news stories here.

Bishop Announces Assistant to the Bishop Transition

Rev. Arlene Christopherson, the Northern Illinois Conference assistant to the bishop, will retire on Sept. 1. Rev. Danita Anderson will follow her in that role.

Read more.

Elaine Moy Named NIC Treasurer

Elaine Moy, who has over two decades of experience working for the UMC's general agencies, has been named treasurer and director of administrative services for the Northern Illinois Conference. She begins work on April 15. Read more.

Annual Conference 2024 Updates

Sunday, June 16 - Tuesday, June 18

Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center

Meet this year's Annual Conference leaders and speakers.

Special Observances and Sessions

• Clergy session: June 5 (location to be announced) 
• Laity session: Sunday afternoon, June 16
• Ordination and commissioning: Sunday evening, June 16 
• Retirement: Monday morning, June 17 
• Memorial: Tuesday morning, June 18 

Things to note:

• Childcare: Grants for defraying the costs of your childcare arrangements must be made by May 15. Complete the form here. The Annual Conference Committee decided on this approach based on responses to their survey.
• Group meals: Conference-related organizations and groups are encouraged to hold their group meals at the hotel. Plated meals, buffet, and reception-style food station options are available. Participants will be able to sign up for group meals when they register for conference session. For more information, contact Bri Wadlington at events@umcnic.org by March 25.
• Display Tables: Registration for display tables is now open. Tables will be in the Nirvana Threshold. Space is limited. Read the guidelines here.
• Hotel rooms: The Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel is holding a block of rooms for conference attendees at a special rate. The reservation deadline is May 25. Any remaining rooms will be released on May 26. Cost: $185 plus 11% tax per night. Call (888) 236-2427 (mention Northern Illinois Conference UMC) or reserve online.

Other action items:

• Submit legislation or historical documents.
• Request a video or media presentation.
• Join the mass choir at Ordination & Commissioning.
• Host group meals at Annual Conference.
• Volunteer for conference ministries.

HAPPENING AROUND THE CONFERENCE

LOCAL CHURCH RESOURCES

Rural Church Grant Deadlines Approaching

Are you a rural church that has a great ministry idea but you need some money to get it off the ground? Then, consider applying for a PACK Grant (Planned Act of Christian Kindness) or Keagy Grant. Deadline: March 31.

• PACK Grants are from $100-$500 for strategically reaching out and blessing the lives of your community neighbors. Examples of PACK grants include supporting teachers with school supplies for their classrooms, providing snacks and water at a local parade or treating first responders to pizza as a thank you.
• Keagy Grants are from $500-$3000. They are also typically community-facing ministries and can be used as seed money to start a new ministry or strengthen an existing ministry. Examples include a summer reading program for kids, a senior ministry with meals and entertainment and start-up funds for a teen ministry.

If you have any questions, please contact Rev. Libby Rutherford. Learn more and apply here.

Other grants available

• The Migrant Needs grant, funded by the 2023 Bishop’s Appeal, is offering funds for churches in ministry with migrants in your community. Priority will be given to proposals that directly assist individuals or families and include cost-sharing or additional sources of support, whether in-kind, volunteer hours, or financial contributions. Read more.

Scholarship Deadline extended for UMHEF Applications

 The United Methodist Higher Education Foundation remains committed to making it financially possible for United Methodist students to attend UM-related colleges, universities, and seminaries. Due to continued delays in financial aid and admissions processes caused by challenges with the 2024 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), UMHEF is extending its application deadline another month. Deadline for application has been extended to April 15! Read more. 

Scholarships are also available through the Midwest Methodist Foundation. Applications are due April 30. Read more.

Celebrate Women's History Month

March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the role women have played in our history, culture and society. The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women has brief bios on some of the important women (past and present) who have left their mark on the history of The United Methodist Church. Read more.

Update Your Find-A-Church Profile

Find-A-Church is one of the most visited sections of UMC.org, averaging more than 1,000 page views a day. It is a free and easy to help you to connect with busy people in your community on their terms, on their time, and in their comfort zone. It also serves as a companion to your church’s existing website — giving you twice the local visibility online.

Last your United Methodist Communications made major improvements. The site has fully searchable attributes, such as worship style and language, and features event listings, ministries offered, driving directions and more. You can even link to your social media pages. It’s great for large churches and small ones. Make sure your page is up to date today! Click here for instructions on how to update.

NIC Property Insurance News

• Review the 2024 letter that addresses property premium allocation, property insurance statements (posted monthly rather than quarterly), insurance packet, and property claim activity.  
• 2024 Certificates of Insurance are available on the Lay Leadership Portal Instructions are available here. Contact Debbie Rogers drogers@umcnic.org for assistance accessing the portal. Contact Dwayne Jackson, Director of Ministry Protection & Ministry Protection djackson@umcnic.org, with questions and/or changes.
• Additional information on the NIC Property & Casualty Insurance program is available on the conference website under Risk Management.

Like Us on Facebook: Prairie North District

Rev. Hwa-Young Chong

Prairie North District Superintendent

hychong@umcnic.org

312 346 9766 Ext. 781

Debra Rogers

Administrative Assistant

drogers@umcnic.org

630-465-2941

Do you have news to share?

We are always looking for stories of what is happening in your church.  We welcome articles from churches highlighting ministries, outreach, and missions that tell the story of being vital Christians. Events considered should be of conference-wide appeal and United Methodist-related. 

District eNews are sent out the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month. Please submit stories and events by end of business on the 2nd and 4th Mondays. Space is limited. Stories of fewer than 250 words are preferred. Submissions will be edited at the discretion of Communications staff. Information can be emailed to communications@umcnic.org.

Check out our Submit News page for more details. 

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