Weekly insights into generosity, Conference finances, and being stronger together. |
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Outdoor Ministries - Pilgrim Park and Tower Hill |
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The Difference Camp Can Make
Michael Cusak, ODM Co-Chair
In the past we have highlighted our guests' reflections on camp as they experienced God while gazing at stars over Tower Hill, or silently reflecting on God's plan for them as they sit on a tree stump at Pilgrim Park. People “love to tell the story” of their campfire experiences, the new friends, the special moments where camp became a part of their life. We heard testimonies of our volunteers and dedicated staff that look forward every year to making you feel like family, where you are accepted, where you explore what you could be and who you can be.
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This year in our camp promotions we showcased God’s mailbox where children of all ages wrote their thoughts and left them to God. These heartfelt messages are a visual reminder of the closeness they feel while at camp surrounded by nature. Many of these prayers start with a simple approach “thank you God, for…” and some are heartbreaking asking God to “please help my friend (my mother, my sister, cousin, etc.).” |
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The realization is that the value of camp is
a life changed.
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The best investment you will ever make is keeping our camps alive and flourishing. Yes, money matters and your financial help can be the difference. Please visit our ODM website using the button below to place a donation to keep our campfires burning bright into the future.
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Keeping the Campfires burning
at our UCC camps
Your support allowed us to preserve our camps for strength and spiritual sustenance during this extended COVID pandemic.
We are working in this moment to ensure that in an uncertain future children will have a camp-based experience to bring them "out of the ordinary and into the sacred".
Please prayerfully consider a financial gift to our camps, knowing that your gift is directly changing a person's life.
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The Congregational United Church of Christ in Emington invites the Illinois Conference to join them to celebrate 146 years of ministry on Sunday, July 25, 2021.
The congregation will gather for its final worship service on July 25th at 2 PM. The church, which was founded in 1875, has discerned to end its season of active ministry after many years of faithful service to Emington and the surrounding community. Rev. Grant Speece, who has served the congregation since 2017, will continue to serve as pastor at First Congregational UCC in Dwight.
The church is located at 103 Division Street in Emington, Illinois. If you are planning to attend, it would be helpful to RSVP so the congregation can prepare accordingly by emailing Rev. Speece at grantspeece@gmail.com. Cards and messages can be mailed to the church address or emailed to Rev. Speece.
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A Fun-Filled Grandparents & Me Camp at Pilgrim Park! |
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From Tuesday, June 29th through Thursday, July 1st, Grandparents & Me Camp was back at Pilgrim Park! We had 59 registered for this event, one of four sponsored events during this camp season unlike any other.
During these few days, those who came "out of the ordinary and into the sacred" were able to enjoy God's beautiful creation in fellowship with God's people. And there was plenty of time for fun, too! They made ice cream and tie dyed shirts. They went swimming and paddle boating, practiced archery and went on a hay rack ride. They made crafts, including compassion cards in keeping with this year's theme of "Compassion". They even hunted for whamdoodles--slippery, silent creatures hidden all over camp (but you'll have to ask someone who went to find out what these creatures were)! And of course, no time away at camp would be complete without a campfire, smores, and silly songs!
Thank you to our camp staff, directors, volunteers, and everyone who signed up!
And thank you for continuing to support our camps!
We hope to see more of you at Pilgrim Park or Tower Hill soon!
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Who we are
The Illinois Conference of the United Church
of Christ is made up of all of the churches, members, clergy and covenant partners
affiliated with the United Church of Christ in the northern half of Illinois. The shared work of the Conference is funded primarily
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Support the work of the
Illinois Conference
with your gifts today!
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THE ILLINOIS CONFERENCE UCC Money Matters - a weekly conversation about money and ministry in the Illinois Conference UCC is published by the Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ, 1840 Westchester Blvd., Suite 200, Westchester, IL 60154. The Rev. Molly Carlson, Conference Minister; Sarah Lohrbach, Editor. Copy may be sent to: SarahLohrbach@ilucc.org.
This communication is made possible by your contributions to
Our Church's Wider Mission
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