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General Synod 35 Workshops!
July 11-15, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri
Attendees at this summer’s General Synod 35 will have plenty of learning opportunities to choose from 34 workshops in five tracks:
- climate change
- decolonization
- leadership development
- spirituality and the church
- strengthening the church
Attendees can choose between 17 different one-hour presentations and panels for each of the two sessions, which will occur Sunday, July 13 — the first batch set at 10:30 am, and the second batch at 12:00 pm. Times and room assignments will be announced in the coming weeks.
Workshops will not be livestreamed, and anyone in attendance can attend any workshop, as long as seats are available.
Register soon as online registration closes on Friday, June 13 at 11:59 pm EDT.
REGISTER ONLINE NOW
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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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Proposed Amendments to the UCC Constitution & Bylaws
This webinar, on Tuesday, June 3 at 12 noon EDT, hosted by the United Church of Christ Board, will engage with the wider church about the proposed amendments to the UCC Constitution and Bylaws, which will be voted on at General Synod in July.
REGISTER HERE
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Strengthen the Church Offering
United Church of Christ
The Strengthen the Church offering supports the expansion of ministry and growth of UCC local congregations. Your support helps the UCC fulfill its commitment to creating a just world for all by investing in ministries and practices that meet the emerging needs of local communities. Most congregations will receive the STC offering on Pentecost Sunday, June 8, 2025. There are several downloadable resources available for use, including a leader's guide, bulletin inserts, media files, posters, and more.
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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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Big News: Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson to Preach at ONA National Gathering
July 9-10, 2025
Kansas City Marriott, Downtown
We have exciting updates to share about the 2025 ONA National Gathering and a commitment to accessibility we’re proud to uphold – Registration remains at $250!
The Open and Affirming Coalition is committed to keeping this gathering affordable and accessible to as many people as possible. Registration includes four meals (one breakfast, two lunches, one dinner), and we do not profit from this event—your fee helps cover meeting and food costs only.
And, we’re thrilled to announce: Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ, will be our Opening Worship Preacher!
Join us for two days of celebration, learning, strategy, and community as we gather under the theme: Sacred, Seen and Called: Living Our Truth, Embracing Our Light, inspired by Philippians 2:15 – “...then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.”
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Why This Gathering Matters Now
More Than Ever
From anti-LGBTQ+ legislation to harmful religious rhetoric, our communities are under attack. This is why we gather—to affirm that God’s love includes ALL of us, and to strengthen our witness for justice and inclusion.
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Registration: $250
Optional Gathering T-shirt: $25
Scholarships available – email Rev. Derek Terry at ona@openandaffirming.org
Learn more and register online here!
| | New Resources from Church Training Center | | |
A Spirit-led Discernment Guide for Congregational Planning
Called Together offers a fresh approach to congregational planning—rooted in prayer, guided by the Spirit, and shaped by your church’s unique calling. Whether you’re discerning your next step or reevaluating your direction, this guide provides a structured, spiritual process to align your ministries with where God is leading you now.
ORDER ONLINE HERE
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Embracing Our Call ~ A Practical Guide for Church Governing Body Leaders
Created specifically for those serving on church councils, boards, or governing bodies, this resource brings clarity to your leadership role. With spiritual grounding and practical tools, it addresses the real challenges of governance—ensuring your energy and resources are aligned with the call of God on your church.
ORDER ONLINE HERE
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All Church Read 2025:
Building Up a New World
United Church of Christ
This year’s All Church Read invites all across the United Church of Christ to imagine the kind of world that could be created if every local church became a hub of justice-making in its community.
The book is Building Up a New World: Congregational Organizing for Transformative Impact. Join the Movement and Racial Justice Ministries have created a 6-week curriculum and study guide to accompany and enrich your engagement with the book in community.
Worship resources have also been developed based on the Building Up a New World theme. Groups and individuals are encouraged to read the book and engage with the curriculum to "dig into methods of creative solidarity, deep purpose, and life-saving change." Click here to read the full article about this year's all church read.
If you or your church is interested in participating in the All Church Read, click here to register online and access the resources.
| | Training & Educational Opportunities | | |
OWL Taking Flight: What Fresh Hell is This? The Impact of Identity Erasure
United Church of Christ
June 4, 2025, 11:00 AM in CDT
(US and Canada)
Heather Corinna, founder of http://Scarleteen.com, joins Rev. Amy Johnson and Dr. Melanie Davis to discuss the impact of policies, laws, and executive orders on the lives of trans/intersex/nonbinary/queer people of all ages. Scarleteen is the largest online resource for comprehensive and highly inclusive sex and relationships education, information, and support centering young people.
REGISTER ONLINE HERE
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The Gift of Elders
Advocate Health
Monday, June 2, 2025
11:30 - 12:30 pm CDT
(Virtual)
Join our Faith & Health Partnerships workshop as we celebrate the gifts that older adults bring to our faith communities.
Hear from two of our Faith & Health Companion graduates as they share their personal experience of how their lives have been impacted by older adults, as well as how they are blessing younger generations with their gifts.
REGISTER ONLINE HERE
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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 holds loosely to a 'lunch and learn' format. Please feel free to enjoy your meal while we meet. The zoom link will be sent out in the confirmation email.
REGISTER ONLINE HERE
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Boundary Awareness &
Racial Justice Trainings
Six-hour trainings via Zoom over two days.
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Understanding the Bible as a Progressive Christian
Pathways
June 4 - July 9, 2025
This foundational, six-week course creates a safe space for critical engagement and spiritual transform-ation. Methods offered in this course give the tools for bridging the gap between church Bible study and formal academic Biblical interpre-tation.
Objectives:
- The place of the Bible in the United Church of Christ
- The development of the Bible over time
- The methods of studying the Biblical texts to discern meaning and purpose for our own faith lives and for the exercise of our pastoral roles as preachers and teachers
INFORMATION & REGISTER ONLINE HERE
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Ethics and a Life of Meaning
Pathways
June 4 - July 9, 2025
This six-week course uses two complementary texts, one of which brings together clear, comprehen- sible ethical theory and goals, and the other text introduces an ethical approach that bridges ethical theories with down-to-earth ethical situations in today’s world. These two texts provide a strong, practical ethics background. Participants will be able to identify moral dimensions of ethical issues, describe multiple moral stances related to these issues, and formulate thoughtful and faithful responses to these issues, shaped by individual, communal, and broad UCC values.
The Facilitator, The Rev. Dr. Julie Mavity-Maddalena, is Assistant Pro-fessor of Philosophy and Religion, Ulrich Ethicist in Residence, and University Chaplain at Lakeland University in Wisconsin.
INFORMATION & REGISTER ONLINE HERE
| | | Conference/Local Church News & Events | | |
Tuthill Commission 2025 Grant Recipients
UCC Illinois Conference
Wilbert O. Watkins, PhD (he/him/his), Chair - Tuthill Commission, UCC Illinois Conference, announced that the Tuthill Commission supported these missions in 2025:
Kukhany’Okusha Zion Church, for the Neighborhood Care Points Project in Eswatini
Fellowship of Middle East Evangelical Churches, for the Syria Agriculture Renewal Project
Church of Ceylon Mission, for the Youth Leadership Program in Sri Lanka
Zimbabwe Council of Churches, for the Strengthening Health and Dignity of Women Project
SIPAZ in Chiapas, Mexico, for the Peace Education Project
| | 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.
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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 1: Service of Installation for Pastor Dan Waterman. 3:00 p.m. at St. John UCC in Beecher. Eastern Association.
June 1: Service of Installation for Rev. Larissa Forsythe. 3:00 p.m. at Epiphany UCC in Chicago. Chicago Metropolitan Association.
June 1: Service of Ordination for Allen J. Reynolds. 3:00 p.m. at University Church in Chicago. Chicago Metropolitan Association.
June 8: Service of Installation for Pastor Eric Morgan. 3:00 p.m. at First Congregational UCC in Dwight. Eastern Association.
Meetings and Events
June 5: Annual Celebration Planning Meeting. 5:00 p.m. via Zoom.
June 7: Personnel Committee Meeting. 9:30 a.m. via Zoom.
June 9: Stewardship Committee Meeting. 6:00 p.m. via Zoom.
June 10: LEEAP Committee Meeting. 6:00 p.m. via Zoom.
June 11: Outdoor Ministries Committee Meeting. 9:30 a.m. via Zoom.
June 11: PA Committee on Ministry Meeting. 1:00 p.m. via Zoom.
June 12: FVA Committee on Ministry Meeting. 9:00 a.m. via Zoom.
June 12: CMA Committee on Ministry Meeting. 12:00 p.m. via Zoom.
June 14: Conference Council Meeting. 9:00 a.m. via Zoom.
June 15: WA Council Meeting. 3:30 p.m. 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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