News & Updates

March 14, 2024

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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.

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

Meet this year's Annual Conference leaders and speakers.

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Submit legislation or historical documents.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.

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 South churches that gave 100% or more of their apportionments to BOTH the NIC and general church funds. Find the full 100% listing here.

Chana
Coleta
Creston
Esmond
Harmon
Hinckley: First
Kaneville

Mendota: Zion
Millbrook
Milledgeville
Paw Paw
Princeton: First
Red Oak (Bureau)
Reynolds

Rochelle
Seneca: First
Serena
Steward
Tampico
Triumph
Waterman

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

Albany
Brookville
DeKalb: First
Earlville
Erie
Leland
Leon
Malta
Maple Park: Grace

Mendota: First
Morrison
Mount Morris: Disciples
Norway
Oregon
Lighthouse
Ottawa: First

Plattville
Polo: Faith
Sandwich: United
Sheridan
Sterling: First
Sterling: Wesley
Sugar Grove
Yorkville: Trinity

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 South Churches for being a 100% Mission Links Supporters. (Read the full list here.)

Chana
Esmond
Harmon
Hinckley: First
Mendota: Zion
Millbrook

Milledgeville
Princeton: First
Reynolds
Serena
Tampico
Triumph

HAPPENING AROUND THE CONFERENCE

Please RSVP to Tom Weber via email or (815) 751-3593 by 3/21/24

to let them know how many men from your church will be there for breakfast.

Saturday, April 13, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Aurora: Wesley UMC, 14 N May St., Aurora

Cost $15

The fee includes registration, continental breakfast, and a light lunch.

If this fee precludes you from attending, please don't hesitate to contact Amania Drane.

Learn more.

Other Upcoming Conference Events:

Every Wednesday at noon: Weekly Methodist Liaison Office update and virtual prayer meeting. Participants will hear from a Palestinian speaker and meet in small groups for prayer. Methodists and others from around the world participate. Read more.
April 1 - May 15: Kids Above All Happy Babies Drive: Partner with KAA to help provide essential health and safety items for the young kids and parents in their programs. Read more.
April 4 - 7 Men's Walk to Emmaus weekend retreat.
April 7: NIC Delegates to General Conference meeting: Meeting for Delegates to General Conference to meet with each other and hear questions about the upcoming GC. All are welcome. Read more.
April 9: Order of Elders' Gathering: Elders will gather for fellowship and learning. Read more.
April 11 - 14 Women's Walk to Emmaus weekend retreat.
April 13: Transitions Workshop: For SPRC members and Pastors that are experiencing an appointment change in 2024. It will help participants understand their roles. Read more.
April 13: Kids Above All Fleece Blanket Making Service Event: Join faith and community partners in making blankets for the KAA Healthy Baby Drive. Read more.
April 14: Native American Ministries Sunday: This Special Sunday is a denomination wide celebration designed to raise awareness of the gifts and contributions made by Native Americans. Read more.
April 18: Civil Rights Pilgrimage Lobby Day: Participants will visit their legislators to discuss racial justice and equity issues. Read more.
April 18 - April 20: Celebrate the Mess Conference: Learn about the Messy Church movement at this conference right in our backyard. Read more.
April 23 - May 3: General Conference: General Conference is the denomination’s highest legislative body. It brings together lay and clergy delegates from four continents. Read more.

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.

Other Resources

#BeUMC Resources -Tool Kits, Social Media Kits, Graphics, and more.
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, small groups, pastors, children, and individuals.

Rev. Brian Gilbert

Prairie South District Superintendent

bgilbert@umcnic.org

312-346-9766 ext. 782

Leola Tucker

Administrative Assistant

ltucker@umcnic.org

312-346-9766 ext. 733

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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