TODAY!
is the
LAST
DAY TO REGISTER ONLINE for General Synod 35
July 11-15, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri
LAST DAY TO REGISTER ONLINE ~ closes on Friday, June 13 at 11:59 pm EDT.
You are invited to the barbeque capital of the country this July for General Synod 35. The General Synod brings together faithful members of the United Church of Christ for inspirational worship, public witness, and fellowship with friends old and new. Delegates will address the business of the church and discern the church’s engagement with issues of the day. Gathering under the theme Into the Deep (Luke 5:4), all will explore being rooted in faith and what new depths God is leading the church into.
Come to Kansas City for this biennial gathering, and register to access all things Synod:
- Inspiring worship services
- Lively fellowship and dining events
- Dozens of engaging workshops
- The exhibit hall, including an exciting new space for the National Ministries
- An electrifying keynote speaker
- Faith-filled business proceedings
- And much more!
AGENDA AT A GLANCE
PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS
LIST OF WORKSHOPS
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Support our Illinois Conference Delegation at Synod!
The Rev. Dr. Terrill N. Murff, Interim Conference Minister
The Illinois Conference is planning to send 55 delegates to General Synod. These 55 servants from our various churches are giving of their time and energy to serve on our behalf in the national assembly of the United Church of Christ. The total cost per General Synod delegate is approximated to be around $2,000 for registration, housing, food, and transportation. The IL Conference is contributing $500 per delegate to offset a portion of their housing cost.
I would like to encourage you and your congregations to support our 55 delegates with a financial donation through this year’s Strengthen the Church offering. All money raised will be used to offset the out-of-pocket costs for our delegation of faithful servants on top of the $500 stipend they are already receiving from the Conference.
Click here to read the full letter
about how you can donate and support our delegates.
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2025 Open and Affirming
National Gathering
July 9-10, 2025
Held Just Before the United Church of Christ General Synod 35
What to Expect
- Dynamic Speakers & Workshops: Engage with faith leaders, activists, and theologians addressing the urgent issues of our time.
- Powerful Worship: Celebrate and affirm God’s love for all people through uplifting and justice-centered worship experiences.
- State of the Movement Address: Gain insights from the ONA Coalition’s leadership on the future of our movement.
- Community Connection & Celebration: Meet ONA advocates from across the country, share best practices, and build lasting relationships.
Why Attend?
Every ONA church is encouraged to send at least one person to be part of shaping the next chapter of this movement. If your church is still discerning its ONA commitment, this is the perfect opportunity to learn, grow, and take the next steps toward a more just and inclusive future. If you would like to request financial assistance, please reach out to Rev. Derek Terry, our Program Director, at ona@openandaffirming.org.
REGISTER HERE ONLINE
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June is LGBTQIA+ Pride Month!
Help Support LGBTQIA+ Organizations
The United Church of Christ Cornerstone Fund joins UCC congregations nationwide in celebrating LGBTQIA+ individuals, families, and organizations.
Your investment also reinforces the mission of the Cornerstone Fund by enabling it to provide even more low-cost loans to churches and nonprofit organizations serving the LGBTQIA+ community.
Learn more: cornerstonefund.org/lgbtqia-giving-bonus
If you have questions, please call us at 888-UCC-FUND or email info@cornerstonefund.org
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Pride Month Resources
Lots of LGBT RESOURCES FROM UCC
A long list of resources from ONA and other LGBT related publications by the UCC, Pilgrim Press, and the UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns.
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Second Installment of our Sacred Memory Proclamation Webinar Series
McCormick Theological Seminary
July 10, 2025 at 6 pm CDT
In-Person: McCormick Theological Seminary (5th Floor),
5416 S Cornell Ave, Chicago, IL 60615
McCormick Theological Seminary invites you to join us for the second installment of our Sacred Memory Proclamation webinar series, taking place on July 10 at
6 pm CDT / 7 pm EDT.
This hybrid gathering—both in person in Chicago and online via Zoom—will explore “Nommo and Other African Concepts as a Proclamation Path for Communal Futures.”
Together, we’ll reflect on ancestral wisdom and the transformative power of the spoken word, grounded in African cosmologies.
Save the date, plan to join us and please share with your networks!
Reserve your spot: Here (Attend In-person or Online) : registration required!
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Juneteenth Free Digital Opportunity
Bible Study
Join Rev. Traci Blackmon at the Black Churches 4 Digital Equity Coalition's National Juneteenth Digital Opportunity Bible Study on June 19th at 10 AM CDT with Greater Grace Temple online.
Discover the role of the Black Church in preparing for an AI-dominated future!
Register to attend the FREE National Juneteenth Digital Opportunity Bible Study.
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Greater Chicago Broadcast Ministries Closing
Eric Diekhans, Executive Director of GCBM posted the following announcement:
Since 1956, our Broadcast Ministry has served as a voice for the Protestant, Orthodox, and Episcopal churches in the Chicago area, reaching a diverse audience through local broadcast television, radio, streaming, and podcasts.
For decades, our weekly programming aired on CBS, NBC, ABC, WGN, and Spanish-language radio. But the television and religious landscapes have undergone seismic changes. While we have adapted to the migration of viewers to the Internet and streaming, declining support from our faithful denominations, churches, and individuals has made it impossible to continue our ministry.
Many of our past programs will remain viewable on our Different Drummers and Sanctuary YouTube channels.
| | Training & Educational Opportunities | | |
Encountering God in Nature
Advocate Health
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
12:00 - 1:00 pm CDT
(Virtual)
All faith traditions recognize the power of nature to touch our spirits and foster our sense of wholeness. When we slow down and connect with the natural world, we feel God’s presence more keenly and better understand who God is.
In this virtual workshop, you will find ideas and resources to help you and your faith community connect with nature.
This virtual workshop is a 'lunch and learn' format. The Zoom link will be sent out in the confirmation email.
REGISTER ONLINE HERE
CLICK HERE FOR ONLINE TOOLKIT
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Boundary Awareness &
Racial Justice Trainings
Six-hour trainings via Zoom over two days.
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Capstone: Living The Heart of Progressive Christian Theology
Pathways Theological Education
July 9 - August 13
- What are the essentials of the Christian faith?
- How do you understand the realm of God, salvation, and the message of Jesus?
- What is Christianity’s role in the pluralistic role?
These are foundational questions for Christian life and theological formation. Over the next six weeks, you will explore, reflect on, and discuss these aspects of Christian theology from a progressive perspective. You will be asked to trace how your theological understandings have evolved as a result of church experience, study, and growth.
TEXT: Borg, Marcus J. (2003). The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering the Life of Faith. HarperOne/Haper-Collins.
CLICK HERE FOR Information and Registration
| | | | Conference/Local Church News & Events | | |
Center of Concern's LGBTQIA+ Intergenerational
Cookies & Conversations
June 24, 2025 at 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Christ Church UCC
1492 Henry Ave, Des Plaines
Join us for this quarterly intergenerational event where teens and older adults come together for conversations and companionship.
Click here to register online
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Stories of Community & Giving: A Chat
June 17, 2025 at 7 pm
Christ Church
Hear author Denis Collins share how small acts of giving can spark life-changing transformation and join a moving conversation!
Free and open to all.
Her book: The Angels of the West Side.
Register for the Zoom link here
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SAVE THESE DATES: October 30 – November 1, 2025
2025 Illinois Conference Annual Celebration& TPIRC Education Summit
For Such a Time as This: Faith in a Time of Upheaval
First Congregational United Church of Christ -- DeKalb, Illinois
Join us for a powerful three-day gathering of worship, workshops, fellowship, and visioning for the future of the Church. Special guests include The Many and the Rev. Dr. Ozzie Smith. There will also be COM trainings and other great offerings to engage our communities during these times.
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Computer Ministry at First Congregational Glen Ellyn
First Congregational Glen Ellyn
We are a new ministry that refurbishes and deploys computers to low-income families and local nonprofits.
Our mission is to help people learn basic computer skills, find employment, and build self-confidence.
Contact
Mike DeFlorio,
mikedeflorio@outlook.com,
cell: 630-913-2694,
for more information.
| | Outdoor Ministries Opportunities | | |
A Watershed Moment
Great Lakes Creation Care Collaborative
The Great Lakes Creation Care Collaborative invites you to join us at Tower Hill Camp among the sand dunes of Lake Michigan's beautiful east coast on August 24-26. Download the flyer here to learn more. Watershed Discipleship leader and New Testament scholar, Ched Myers, will be our keynote. We will enjoy fellowship with creation caregivers from the Ontario region of the United Church of Canada and the UCC Conferences around the Great Lakes.
Also, our Michigan collaborator, Mike Mulberry, has created an Adopt a Body of Water curriculum that is free to use. You can use this curriculum in part or in whole to introduce your church members to the ministry of care for the watershed where we find ourselves.
REGISTER HERE ONLINE
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2025 Camps and Retreats
Registration is open!
Explore an exciting array of camps and retreats offered at Tower Hill Camp & Retreat Center and Pilgrim Park Camp & Conference Center, with options to suit every age and interest. Whether you're looking for spiritual growth, environmental action, creative crafting, or intergenerational bonding, there’s something special waiting for you!
Register online here to step out of the ordinary and into the sacred!
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Ordinations, Installations, and Ecclesiastical Councils
June 22: Service of Installation for Theodore Engelsdorfer. 4:00 p.m. at Community United Church of Christ in Morton. Western Association.
Meetings and Events
June 14: Conference Council Meeting. 9:00 am via Zoom.
June 15: WA Council Meeting. 3:30 pm via Zoom.
June 17: FAB Committee Meeting. 9:00 am via Zoom.
June 17: WA Committee on Ministry Meeting. 9:00 am via Zoom.
June 17: CMA Council Meeting. 6:30 pm via Zoom.
June 18: EA Committee on Ministry Meeting. 9:30 am via Zoom.
June 19: EA Council Meeting. 6:30 pm via Zoom.
June 23: FVA Council Meeting. 6:30 pm via Zoom.
June 24: General Synod Delegate Orientation. 6:00 pm via Zoom.
July 3: Annual Celebration Planning Meeting. 5:00 pm via Zoom.
July 8: LEEAP Committee Meeting. 6:00 pm via Zoom.
July 9: PA Committee on Ministry Meeting. 1:00 pm via Zoom.
July 10: FVA Committee on Ministry Meeting. 9:00 am via Zoom.
July 14: Stewardship Committee Meeting. 6:00 pm via Zoom.
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Please let us know if you have a job opening you would like to share,
and also update us once the position is filled. Contact Sarah Lohrbach.
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Contact Us
Mon-Fri 8:30 - 4:30
708-344-4470
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You are receiving this message because you are listed on our Conference email list, one of our leadership/committee email lists, or because you previously subscribed to receive our e-newsletters.
This communication is made possible by your contributions to
Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM)
This NEWSLETTER is published by the Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ, 1840 Westchester Blvd, Suite 200, Westchester, IL 60154. The Rev. Dr. Terrill Murff, Interim Conference Minister; the Rev. Sarah Lohrbach, Editor. Copy may be sent to: sarahlohrbach@ilucc.org.
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