Annual Celebration Registration & Updates

"Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it?"

Isaiah 43:19

Join us on November 1st and 2nd at First Congregational Church of Western Springs for a weekend of inspiration and growth at the Illinois Conference Annual Celebration as we Embrace God’s Imagination! Please see below for important updates regarding this year's event and for information regarding registration.

Thursday Optional Trainings - Learn more here

• UCC History & Polity has been cancelled.
• Committee on Ministry Members are invited and encourage to attend COM discussions with Tara Barber from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. There is no charge for this event.
• Boundary Awareness Training and Bias Awareness Training are being offered for $30 per person from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Hotel Rooms at Holiday Inn Countryside

The link previously sent is no longer valid. You must call the hotel to secure your room at 708-354-4200. The block code is ICC. A king room is $129/night and a double queen room is $139/night. The deadline to reserve a room in the block of rooms is September 30th.

To learn more about this year's Annual Celebration click here.

LEEAP Grant Application - UPDATE

The LEEAP (Local Evangelism, Envisioning, and Planting) Committee of the Illinois Conference is to assess and determine the distribution of specifically allocated Conference funds designated for church growth and revitalization. Due to the low number of grant applications, the committee has decided to extend the deadline until October 31, 2024. Below you will find the revised application and guidelines.

DEADLINE EXTENDED: October 31, 2024

Applications are for new church starts and revitalizing ministry projects that could be self-sustainable. APPLICATIONS NO LONGER NEED TO BE APPROVED BY AN ASSOCIATE CONFERENCE MINISTER. Please see the updated guidelines and application below. We are excited to support conference ministries and creative projects. Our hope is to continue this funding for the years ahead, however for right now we only have funding for 2024.

TPIRC is Hiring!

The TPIRC program is currently looking for a new part-time Program Coordinator. To learn more about the position and how to apply, click here to download the position description. The TPIRC and Illinois Conference staff offer sincere thanks to Marz Rivera for all he has done for the TPIRC program and wish him well!

Illinois Conference Women's Retreat

October 4-5, 2024 at Pilgrim Park Camp

The Illinois Conference Women's Retreat is a 23-hour get-a-way to relax while engaging God’s Holy Spirit. It’s a time to reconnect with old friends, make new friends, and even bring along some friends. Unable to stay overnight for the full retreat but able to come for a portion? There are options to experience just Friday night or just Saturday or if possible, come for both days. Register online here.

Costs:

Full Retreat, $159

Friday & Saturday (no overnight) $109

Friday Evening (no overnight) $61

Saturday Day Only (no overnight) $69

Directors: Carol Currier-Frighetto & Ronda Bower

Enneagram Retreat

October 24-26, 2024 at Tower Hill Camp

Join us at Tower Hill for the "Connection and Presence through the Enneagram Retreat." Participants can arrive at 4pm on Thursday to settle into their rooms. We will gather at 6pm at Wales Dining Hall to get to know one another over dinner and begin our exploration of the Enneagram. There will be time to wander in the woods and stroll along the lakeshore. Whether you're new to the Enneagram or looking to deepen your understanding, Beth Bollenbach will guide you through an insightful journey. The event begins Thursday, October 24th at 4:00 p.m. and ends Saturday, October 26 at 11:00 a.m. Register online here by October 10th.

Climate Camp Project - UPDATE

November 8-9 at Pilgrim Park Camp

You members, pastors, lay leaders, church members, and earth lovers are ALL INVITED to attend a Pilot Project retreat to develop a CLIMATE CAMP in 2025. The event will take place Friday, November 8th at 5:00 p.m. through Saturday, November 9th at 1:00 p.m. at Pilgrim Park Camp & Conference Center in Princeton. The retreat will be led by the Rev. Michael Mulberry, a coordinator for the UCC Great Lakes Creation Collaborative. Download the flyer here and share with folks you know who might be interested.

All ages, youth especially, are invited to:

• Build climate change awareness
• Advocate for Climate Justice
• Brainstorm plans for ’25 Climate Camp at Tower Hill Camp and Retreat Center

The cost has been decreased to $140 per person and includes: 1-night lodging, 3 meals, registration, and pilot project expenses. Register online here under "Intergenerational Camps 2024." Any questions? Contact Rev. Dr. David Russell at rddrr1774@gmail.com.

Our Faith Our Vote Campaign

United Church of Christ

The United Church of Christ’s Our Faith Our Vote Campaign is our ongoing commitment to equip you with the tools for nonpartisan faithful engagement in our democratic process. The campaign is made up of three main components; voter registration, issue education, and voter empowerment. The 2024 Our Faith Our Vote campaign asks the church to answer the call of 1 John 3:18 to “let us not love with words or speech, but in action and in truth,” by “voting with love.” Vote with love for creation, for our neighbors both here and abroad, for a just peace, for repair and reconciliation of the brokenness of our nation. And encourage your family, friends, and community to do the same. The 2024 election season is well underway, so please check this page for updates to learn how you can “vote with love” this year.

Neighbors in Need Offering

The focus of the 2024 Neighbors in Need campaign is Mental Health Justice, with a theme of “Mental Health Justice For All!” A just world for all is a world where the human rights and well-being of people with mental health challenges are respected, and in 2015, the General Synod of the United Church of Christ passed a resolution to become WISE (Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive, and Engaged) for mental health. Join us in promoting this year’s NIN “Mental Health is a Universal Human Right” campaign with these resources, available as a downloadable toolkit or as print materials. While many of our churches collect the offering on October 6, 2024, as part of World Communion Sunday, contributions to this offering can be collected on any Sunday during the calendar year. Click here to get the resources.

Racing Toward Equity

St. John UCC, Freeport

St. John UCC in Freeport invites members of the Illinois Conference to take part in an antiracism workshop on October 12, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. In “Racing Toward Equity,” Jessica Oladapo, LPC, of Diversity to Inclusion, will lead us in considering identity and engaging in a conversation about race, racism, and antiracism. This session will provide an overview of vocabulary and language to understand what race is, how race is constructed and created, and what we can do to move toward antiracism. You can learn more about Ms. Oladapo’s work and background at her website: http://www.diversity2inclusion.org.

Tickets are $25 each and include an antiracism syllabus, booklist, and critical thinking questions. Purchase tickets online here. The workshop is capped at 30 participants, so we encourage purchasing them as soon as possible. We are hopeful that broad participation from Illinois Conference churches will multiply the impact of the training and invigorate efforts to combat racism in our region. Please direct any questions about the workshop to office@stjohnuccfreeport.org or 815-235-2824.

Avalon Park Community Church Anniversary

Avalon Park Community Church invites you to join them in celebrating their 128th Anniversary on September 22, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. Their anniversary theme is “Staying on the Wall” and they will be joined by guest speaker, the Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III, Senior Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. Please click here to download the flyer for more information.

Retirement Celebration for Rev. Dr. Bobbie McKay

Glenview Community Church

Glenview Community Church will be honoring Rev. Dr Bobbie McKay’s career and legacy on October 6th during 10am worship and with a reception immediately to follow. The reception will include refreshments, a chance to honor the wide reach of Bobbie’s ministry, and the revealing of a portrait of Bobbie which will find its home at Glenview Community Church. All are welcome!

We look forward to celebrating with you on October 6th!

Donuts, Faith and My Coming-Out Stories

United Church of Hyde Park

“Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” -- John 11:43-44

You are welcome to share a breakthrough in your life, a new experience, a story in your heart, or your questions of faith here. No matter where you are on your life and faith journey, this is the place for exploration and support. The event takes place at the United Church of Hyde Park (1448 E. 53rd Street, Chicago, IL 60615) on Saturday, October 5th at 10:00 a.m. Please enter by the Blackstone entrance. Donuts and coffee are provided! All are welcome! A suggested $5 free donation to support our LGBTQ+ Ministries. Partnered by PFLAG Tinley Park! Learn more and sign up to attend here.

Proposed Constitution and Bylaws

The Conference Council is pleased to present to you the final version of the proposed Constitution and Bylaws for the Illinois Conference. The Illinois Conference Annual Celebration will be held November 1-2, 2024 in Western Springs, IL. To read the full official notice, along with a letter from the Governance Task Force, and to download a copy of the proposed Constitution and Bylaws - please click here to view the email that was sent to our mailing list on Thursday, August 1st.

Boundary and Anti-Racism Trainings

The deadline for all authorized ministers to get up to date on the required Boundary Awareness Training is December 31, 2024. If you have not received boundary training since before 2022, you are required to complete a training by the end of this year in order to remain in good standing. In his position as Associate Conference Minister for Programs, Innovation, and Events, Rev. Dr. Terrill Murff has been putting together a list of potential Boundary Awareness training opportunities as well as Anti-Racism trainings and other continuing education opportunities. Click here to access the full list of available offerings. If you have questions about the Boundary Awareness requirement, please contact the chair of your Association's Committee on Ministry.