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News & Updates

November 10, 2022

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No Email on November 24 - Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

Dear Prairie North friends,

 

We are in Thanksgiving season, a time to count our blessings, time to say “thank you,” and time to be aware of God's love, care, and protection. What are you thankful for? We have so much to be thankful for! Yes, we continue facing challenging times in our world, country, and denomination, but even in the midst of all this, we can give thanks to the Lord, for God is GOOD! Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights. 

 

As Christians, we are called to always be thankful in all circumstances. I’m thankful for all of you, pastors, leaders, and church members, who invest your time, gifts, talents, money, and energy to serve God through your church and community.

 

We are the Church, and we are all very important in fulfilling the mission that God has put in our hands and hearts. Thank you for all you have done, all you are doing, and all you are ready to do. Let us keep working and trusting that God will care for you and our Church.

 

Let’s continue praying for one another, for our local churches, conference, and denomination; and let’s pray for our new Bishop Dan Schwerin who was assigned to serve among us beginning January 1, 2023.

 

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” 1 Thess. 5:18 (NRSV)

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

 

Rev. Fabiola Grandon-Mayer

Prairie North District Superintendent

Upcoming Events.png

National Native American Heritage Month

November (month)


Veterans Day

November 11


Prairie North UMM Fall Communion Service

November 12


Tending the Harvest Conference Worship

November 13


Thanksgiving Prairie North Clergy Breakfast & Worship

November 16


Town & Rural Festival

November 19


Thanksgiving

November 24


United Methodist Student Day

November 27


Advent Starts

November 27


Kids Above All Holiday Gift Drive

November 28 - December 13


Race, America and the Church - Called

December 1


Vital Partnerships

December 3


HIV/AIDS Awareness Sunday

December 4

Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022

8:30am Breakfast

9:30am Worship/Communion

 

Hosted by Freeport: Harmony UMM, 2600 W. Pearl City Rd, Freeport, IL

 

All men interested in men’s ministries are welcome whether or not your church has a chartered United Methodist Men’s organization. Our Speaker is the dynamic Dr. Norval Brown. With special Music by Dan Holmes. Breakfast will be served. 

 

Remember to bring your banks and or your Men’s check for “Meals for Millions” offering.

 

Please RSVP to Freeport Harmony UMC (815) 233-0057, or leave a message at (815) 218-0577


Download the flyer for more information.

More Than One Thousand Expected to Attend Free Thanksgiving Dinner at Court Street United Methodist Church in Rockford

Thanksgiving dinner will be celebrated by more than 770 local residents during the annual, free Thanksgiving Dinner at Court Street United Methodist Church. The dinner, which is one of Rockford’s largest, will begin at 11 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24th and continue until 1 p.m.


This year, we will be handing out carryout meals and drive-through meals to our guests due to the pandemic (limit 2 per person). Approximately 100 volunteers will step forward to help prepare the turkey breast needed, along with mashed potatoes, vegetables, dressing, and 175 pies.


Find out More Information here.

Join us at the Albany UMC (at 502 First Ave in Albany, IL) for the Town & Rural Festival on Saturday, Nov. 19 from 9 am - 12 noon with lunch included. Keagy and PACK grant recipients will present their ministries. All are welcome to attend.


More information and registration here.

Welcome Bishop Dan Schwerin to Northern Illinois

As announced on Nov. 5, the Northern Illinois Conference is assigned Bishop Dan Schwerin starting in the new year through 2024.


Schwerin was elected to the episcopacy at the 2022 North Central Jurisdictional Conference held Nov. 2-5 in Fort Wayne, Ind. Before his election, he served as the Assistant to the Bishop in the Wisconsin Conference.


Watch this video interview with Bishop Schwerin to get to know him a little better and learn of his hopes for working with clergy and laity in Northern Illinois.


Read more about Bishop Dan Schwerin's assignment to Northern Illinois.


Read a wrap-up of the NCJ conference.

Step up for kids this holiday season! 4 ways to help

  1. Sponsor a Child - Purchase a gift for a child in one of our programs and help make their holiday wish come true.
  2. Donate a Toy - The drive needs new, unwrapped toys, games, or books for you of various ages. Online wish lists from Amazon and Target are available to help guide the gif selection process for the children and teenagers.
  3. Volunteer in the Toy Room - Join Kids Above All in the Toy Room and wrap, sort and organize gifts for distribution to our young people and families.The 2022 Toy Room will be available at Kids Above All's A Better Life Distribution Center, located at 1801 E. Oakton St, Des Plaines, IL 60018. Health and safety measures, including masks, may be required.
  4. Stand Up for Kids This Holiday Season - Make a financial contribution to help our kids build better lives.

Contact Catherine Inserra to learn more or to set up a time to volunteer Cinserra@kidsaboveall.org

Things to Note:

  • All phone extensions and email addresses will stay the same
  • Apportionment & Health Insurance/Pension Checks will still be sent to the same address: Northern Illinois Conference, PO Box 5646, Carol Stream, IL 60197-5646
  • Property Insurance Checks will be sent to a new address: PO Box 8246, Carol Stream IL 60197-8246
  • United Methodist Foundation of the Northern Illinois Conference has a new address: 155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250, Chicago, IL 60606

Any questions? View the announcement online here or contact David Quinn at dquinn@umcnic.org

Mission Links Highlight - United Methodist Student Day - Nov 27

Special Sundays are a way for your church to join with other congregations across our connection to recognize specific kinds of ministries. They may involve receiving an offering, having a “minute for mission” about the day, or recognizing a ministry in your specific context.

United Methodist Student Day was the original Special Sunday created by United Methodist Church Sunday Schools who collected offerings to help advance education for their children. The fund was originally established in 1872 as the Children's Fund. Today United Methodist Student Day Sunday has the same purpose, calling upon the denomination to support their students as they prepare for life by adding knowledge to their faith. The funds received from the offering go into the United Methodist Student Loan Fund to underwrite scholarships for United Methodist students.


Currently, there are over 70 scholarships available for United Methodist students. The fund is administered by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM). Financial support for all GBHEM loans and scholarships comes from five primary sources: 63% from endowments; 22% from wills and annuities; 13% from United Methodist Special Sundays and 1% from online gifts and fiduciary income. All donations received empower and encourage our students that we are investing in them and our future.


Without your generosity, this ministry could not be achieved! You gave $272,159 last year toward ministries funded by the United Methodist Student Day Special Sunday offering.


Students can apply for scholarships or loans at gbhem.org/loansandscholarships.

HAPPENING AROUND THE CONFERENCE

The Discipleship Task Force is delighted to announce the NIC’s second Tending to the Harvest fall conference-wide worship service based on Matthew 9:37, “Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.’”


Nov. 13 at 4 pm at Journey of Hope UMC, 37W040 Highland Ave., Elgin, IL.


Guest preacher: Rev. Dr. Mai-Anh Le Tran from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.


Including choirs from Korean UMC in Flossmoor and St. Mark UMC (St. Mark Gospirational Choir) in Chicago


The service will also be livestreamed on the NIC YouTube Channel.


Click here for more information and registration.

The Discipleship Task Force is excited about the Fall NIC Book Club selection, Soul Reset by the late Junius Dotson! Rev Dotson spoke at one of our Laity Convocations and also led the Bible Study for our Annual Conference.


It's not too late to join! You may register for the group that will be meeting during Advent or one of the two groups meeting at the beginning of 2023. You may read it on your own or gather your own small group.


Click here for details and to sign up today!

Vital Partnerships

Saturday, December 3, 2022


The Center UMC

400 N Walnut Street, Itasca, Illinois 60143


Speaker: Dirk Elliott


Cost: $20


Register Online Here


Churches come in all forms of health: some are healthy and growing, others are maintaining the status quo, and some are declining. But they all have one thing in common – they want to be fruitful and healthy. One way this can happen is through partnerships or mergers. Attending the Vital Partnerships workshop will help you explore new ways your church might become healthier through a merger.

LOCAL CHURCH RESOURCES

November is Native American Heritage Month. It is an opportunity to raise awareness about the unique challenges Native people face, and share the ways in which tribal citizens conquer those challenges. Find worship resources here and here.

Fresh Expressions Grants

After a series of teaching offerings across the conference in September, Rev. Martin Lee, Dir. of Congregational Development and Redevelopment, is offering micro-grants to churches that would like to start a Fresh Expressions project. If your church participated in a Fresh Expressions session and is interested in taking the next steps of joining the 2022-2023 cohort, the Office of Congregational Development and Redevelopment is offering matching $500 micro-grants. The churches will raise a minimum of $500 to support the project, and the conference will match up to $500. Please obtain a letter of support from your District Superintendent and your congregation's church council and submit your completed application along with support letters by Nov. 30, 2022, to mlee@umcnic.org. To download the application, click here. The grants are limited to 20 churches.

2022 NIC Journal Available


The Journal of the 183rd Northern Illinois Annual Conference held June 8 - 10, 2022, is now published. A free downloadable pdf is available on the conference website at umcnic.org/journal. It is also available to purchase online through Amazon. The cost of the paperback is $14.

Church Conference Forms Available Online

2022 Church Conference materials, including the agenda, are available online at umcnic.org/churchconference. Please encourage your church leadership to begin working on gathering the information as soon as possible. The forms are designed for online submission and will look very similar to last year’s.

New November Devotion from Rev. Hwa-Young Chong, Annual Conference Shepherding Team Co-Chair and prayer focus.

Resource Links

Like Us on Facebook: Prairie North District


Rev. Fabiola Grandon-Mayer

Prairie North District Superintendent

fgrandon-mayer@umcnic.org

312 346 9766 Ext. 781


Debra Rogers

Administrative Assistant

drogers@umcnic.org

630-465-2941

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Do you have news to share?

We are always looking for stories of what is happening in the local church.  We welcome articles from churches highlighting ministries, outreach, and missions which 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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