The Current Week in Review
February 3, 2023
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Washington United Methodists form new church
United Methodists in Washington are forming a new congregation.
Following the vote by Crossroads UMC on Jan. 22, to disaffiliate from the denomination, about 85 people met to begin the process of continuing their discipleship and ministry as a part of The United Methodist Church.
With the help of several dozen leaders, this group held a standing-room-only, informational meeting and discerned a call to launch a new United Methodist congregation in their community. Just one week later, they gathered more than 100 people together for worship and prayer in the pole barn of one of their participants. They are continuing to meet this week in a larger barn and are making preparations for a more regular worship location.
Curtis Brown, IGRC Director of Connectional Ministries, and Sam Rodriguez, IGRC Director of Congregational Development, have been organizing and coaching the leaders of this emerging congregation as a new church plant.
“There is an amazing spirit among this group. They are, of course, angry and sad that their church home decided to leave the denomination. However, I’ve been impressed with the way that they have put their trust in God to help them find healing and a new of following Jesus as a new congregation," Brown said. "Even more, many are reporting spiritual renewal and revival as they work on extending Christ’s love through a new United Methodist Church. It’s been a real blessing to walk with them, and I believe that they are a great blessing to their community!”
The Washington United Methodist Fellowship has already been recognized by Bishop Frank Beard as a new church plant of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference. As they continue to organize and prepare to launch worship they will continue to receive support through their District Superintendent, IGRC Congregational Development, and directly from other churches. All of our IGRC churches are invited to pray for this new ministry during their Sunday worship services. Financial support can be given through local church offerings marked with IGRC Advance Special # 6701 or through the online giving portal below.
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Prairie Fire Prayer Meetings begin across the IGRC
God is up to something amazing in the churches of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference, and we want to invite you to join us in prayer for God to continue to pour down the Holy Spirit on our churches, our leaders, and our ministries.
IGRC staff directors Curtis Brown and Sam Rodriguez are traveling across our Conference hosting prayer meetings to invite God set our Prairie State on fire with passion for Christ’s mission. Five prayer meetings were held this week at Jacksonville Grace, Pawnee, Decatur First, Mattoon First and Paris First. The remaining schedule is listed below.
Everyone is welcome to these hour-long meetings. We’ll seek God’s word together but spend most of our time praying for God’s blessings on our churches, pastors, and leaders. We’ll seek together God’s permission for us to reach out to new people in our communities. And we’ll seek God’s guidance for how our churches will move into a vibrant future of engaging a new generation with God’s love in Jesus Christ.
Join us at any location:
- Harrisburg UMC – Tues Feb 7 @ 3 p.m.
- Carbondale First UMC – Tues Feb 7 @ 7 p.m
- Lawrenceville FIrst UMC – Wed Feb 8 @ 10 a.m.
- Mt. Vernon First UMC – Wed Feb 8 @ 3 p.m.
- Site to Be Determined -- Wed Feb 8 @ 7 p.m.
- Effingham Centenary UMC – Thurs Feb 9 @ 10 a.m.
- Greenville UMC – Thur Feb 9 @ 3 p.m.
- Quincy Melrose Chapel UMC – Weds Feb 22 @ 10 a.m.
- Macomb Wesley UMC – Wed Feb 22 @ 3 p.m.
- Moline Riverside UMC – Thur Feb 23 @ 10 a.m.
- Henry UMC -- Thur Feb 23 @ 3 p.m.
- Dayspring Native American Fellowship -- Thur Feb 23 @ 7 p.m.
- Coal City UMC – Tues Mar 7 @ 10 a.m.
- Site to Be Determined -- Tues Mar 7 @ 3 p.m.
- Normal First UMC – Tues Mar 7 @ 7 p.m.
- Alton Main Street UMC – Wed Mar 8 @ 10 a.m.
- O'Fallon First UMC -- Wed Mar 8 @ 3 p.m.
If you’d like to host a prayer meeting contact Curtis Brown (cbrown@igrc.org or 217-529-2442), and we’ll see if we can set one up!
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2022 Journal-Yearbook is at the printers
The 2022 Journal-Yearbook has been finalized and was sent to the printers this week.
The 736-page book and Journal-Yearbook on CD's are proceeding and should arrive at the Conference Center around Feb. 15.
Mail-out of both the CD's to lay and clergy members of the 2022 Annual Conference, along with books being sent to those who specifically requested a print version instead of the CD will be mailed out the week of Feb. 20 with everyone receiving them by the end of the month.
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A Personal Disaffiliation Experience
Rev. Randall Robinson, pastor of Danville: St. James UMC and former LaMoine River District Superintendent, shares a recent experience where he was asked to be a part of a meeting where a church was considering disaffiliation from The United Methodist Church.
"My understanding of the team’s conclusion can be summed up in a few words: disappointment with human failure." he writes. "They appeared to be disappointed that various persons and groups within the denomination have violated clear mandates of The Book of Discipline. Why was I not surprised? I have been part of many groups whose perceived failures have been disappointing. Did that compel me to withdraw? Or could it be an invitation to remain and work for renewal and reform from within the structure?"
"Here’s what I believe the Holy Spirit began to whisper, gently, within the depths of my soul. “Has The United Methodist Church ever acted as an obstacle so that you could not fulfill Jesus’ greatest commandments of loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving your neighbor as yourself?
"My response: No! In fact, The United Methodist Church has taught and modeled for me the meaning of loving God and neighbor. My experience of Jesus’ greatest commandments has been enriched and deepened through my participation within The United Methodist Church. In more ways than I am able to count, The United Methodist Church has served to shape and form me as a disciple of Jesus Christ. At age 68, I continue on a discipleship pathway provided by The United Methodist Church: I pray. I worship. I give. I serve. I witness. By the grace of God, I am on a journey of Christian discipleship created and sustained by The United Methodist Church."
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Political categories don't capture the work ahead
"One thing we all agree on: United Methodists are entering a new future," writes Bridget Cabrera, executive director for the Methodist Federation for Social Action.
"In the emerging new realities of how we organize our faith, there will be individuals and groups seeking to posture for power. If we aren’t careful, we will fall into the mistakes of our past: Dividing ourselves into factions based on imagined polarities that are in actuality two wings of the same dove.
"Division upon division will have our denomination miss what the Holy Spirit might do through the body when it is whole.
"Let’s not, for example, adopt the old trope of positioning evangelism against social justice, when each needs the other to be its best."
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New year-end reporting tool for local churches
A new year-end reporting tool for local churches have been unveiled by the General Council on Finance and Administration and has been adopted for use by IGRC churches.
The IGRC AC Stats is open for 2022 annual statistical reporting and ready to be accessed by the local church. The report from local churches is due Feb. 28.
The reporting is the same as has been used in the past with three tables using the same questions. What is different is how to access the report.
Church have two options -- they can access the direct year-end reporting option from the AC Stats link on the homepage or they can access it through a new Church Dashboard that is replacing the Church Portal page on the IGRC website. The long-term goal is to create a one-stop shop for local churches when it comes to interactions with the conference.
Each option for AC States has a different user name and password for access so please read carefully!
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Bishop's Confirmation Rally March 25
Bishop Beard is inviting all students that are engaged in confirmation classes or were recently confirmed to join in a Day of Celebration and Witness with him on Saturday, March 25 at Springfield First UMC, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The celebration will be a day of interactive fun, worship, fellowship and of course, food!
There is a small pre-registration fee of $5 per student. Adult leaders are free but must register so there is an accurate headcount for lunch.
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Registration for Covenant Keepers now open
Registration is now open for Covenant Keepers 2023, which will be Feb. 27-28 at the Regency Convention Center in O’Fallon.
The theme for the event is Joyful Resilience, based upon Psalm 30: 11-12 and Isaiah 55:12.
Links for making hotel accommodations have been added to the registration form. Those already registered can access the registration form to get direct links to the Hilton Garden Inn, the Hampton Inn or Fairfield Inn to make reservations with the Covenant Keeper block rates.
After two years of holding the annual gathering of clergy online, the 2023 event returns to an in-person format. The agenda shows a 10:30 a.m. start on Feb. 27 and a end time of 12:30 p.m. Feb. 28.
Registration can be made by clicking the button below.
Cost is $25 per person, which includes lunch Feb. 27 and breakfast Feb. 28.
Individuals are responsible overnight accommodations and for the Feb. 27 evening meal. Rooms are available at the Hilton Garden Inn St. Louis/Shiloh/O’Fallon and the Hampton Inn O’Fallon, both in near proximity to the meeting site.
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Registration at East Bay, Little Grassy now open
Registration is underway for the Summer 2023 Camping season at East Bay and Little Grassy camps.
Camp makes a great Christmas gift! Want to give the gift of camp and still have something wrapped under the tree? Send an email to camping@igrc.org for assistance.
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Click on the graphic above to find out more... |
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Updated clergy photos, church photos needed
IGRC Communications is updating clergy and church information on the IGRC website in preparation for a launch Jan. 1 of a clergy portal that will enable clergy to update their information in real time.
Churches will also migrate over to a new Church Dashboard that will enable churches to update its leadership roll at any time during the year as well as contact information. The Church Dashboard also will have online journals that enable the church to see what money has been remitted to the Conference as well as itemization of benevolent and mission giving.
You can assist in this transition time by uploading a photo of the church below. The photo should not be downsized nor taken from Facebook but rather a photo that can be attached to an email (do not embed the photo in a Word document either).
Pastors can take a look at the Clergy Locator to view their current photo. If a different photo is desired, the photo can be uploaded and it will be put in the clergy locator file for that pastor. Pastors also will have the opportunity to get a new photo taken at the 2023 Covenant Keepers event Feb. 27-28 in O'Fallon.
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United Methodist Center Contact Information |
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USPS (U.S. Postal Service)
P.O. Box 19207, Springfield, IL 62794-9207
Office Phone: 217-529-2040
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UPS and FedEx deliveries only use the street address:
United Methodist Center
5900 S. 2nd Street
Springfield, IL 62711
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