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                                                           May 23, 2019 
Countdown to Annual Conference 

We will gather June 2-4, 2019 in a new location at the  Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center, 1551 N. Thoreau Dr., Schaumburg.


Reminders:

Agenda, documents and legislation  
We recommend printing or downloading all documents to your personal devices before arriving to Annual Conference. You will find them online  here .  Please check back to this page as more documents may be added leading up to AC. 

Get your schedule on the go!                                                                              An  online/mobile agenda is available through "Sched."  Click here to access the online version. For a mobile version, download the Sched app through your iOS and Android app stores and search for "NIAC19." You may s ign up for a free Sched account to create a custom schedule, network with other attendees, receive updates, and take your event schedule on the go. Click "SIGN UP" to create an account using Facebook or your email.

Delegate Voting                                                                                                         
Profiles of the 12 candidates for the 2020 General and Jurisdictional Conference Delegations are listed online along with their voting numbers. Click here to view.  For the list of clergy names eligible for election and voting numbers click here. We will elect three lay and three clergy General Conference delegates and three lay and three clergy Jurisdictional Conference delegates, as well as 2 clergy and lay alternates. At Annual Conference, elections are electronic and a candidate is considered elected when they have received 50% + 1 of the votes.

Laity Reception 
The NIC Board of Laity is hosting a reception to build relationships with other Lay Members to Annual Conference, visit with old friends, make new friends, and meet and talk with laity running to become delegates to General Conference 2020.  We look forward to seeing you on Sunday, June 2 from 8-10pm in the Utopia ballroom.

Bishop's Appeal 
This year's offering is designated for NIC Youth Camps. For fundraising ideas,  click here . Be sure to bring your church's offering to Annual Conference. Which district will take home the coveted traveling trophy?
 
Fill the Truck
This year's mission challenge at Annual Conference will be to collect bulk items for Dignity Kits for the Midwest Mission Distribution Center.  Some of the items needed are bath and hand towels, combs, adult toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, and shampoo. For a complete list of items by District click here. The mission truck will be parked adjacent to the Convention Center parking lot on Sunday from 12 - 4pm and Monday from 6:30am - 3pm.
 
Calling all singers 
An all-conference choir will be singing "Total Praise" at the Retirement Service on Monday, June 3 at 1:30pm. If you would like to participate, a short rehearsal will take place immediately after the Ordination Service around 6:30pm on Sunday, June 2.

For more Annual Conference details, visit  www.umcnic.org/AC2019.
Communicator's Corner

Following the 2019 Special Session of General Conference and the subsequent Judicial Council rulings over human sexuality, several conversations among groups have started around what's next for The United Methodist Church and what a new expression of Methodism might look like. Organizers of a recent summit in Minnesota, which drew about 350 United Methodists, say the "Our Movement Forward" event was geared toward starting a new Methodist movement centered on the voices of people of color and LGBTQ individuals. Click to read more. In Kansas, more than 600 United Methodists gathered this week behind closed doors at the UMCNext meeting. Participants reached a consensus on four commitments for "a hope-filled future for the global Methodist movement." Click here to read the press release. Click here to read more.

Find-A-Church.org, what do they see when they click on your church's profile? Offering specifics about ministries and programs, contact information, and details about church leadership will help virtual visitors get to know your congregation. Search for your church and click "update church information" to get started.

Racial ethnic local church grants
The Racial Ethnic Local Church Grant application from United Methodist Global Ministries is now available. This grant opportunity provides funds to assist local congregations and annual conferences with projects and programs in one of the four focus areas: 
1) Leadership Development
2) Church Growth and Development
3) Ministry with the Poor
4) Health Ministries 
Grants are available for a maximum of $15,000 for a project, and $10,000 for a one-year salary support. All applications must be submitted by June 15. Click here to download the application.


The NIC offices will be closed on Monday, May 27 in observance of Memorial Day.

Mark Your Calendar
(click on title for more information)   

Around the Conference    
  • Small - The Next Great Awakening - (May 31) 9 am - 1 pm at the newly chartered church, The Center, 400 North Walnut, Itasca. Growing the church in 2020 requires meeting the current community and culture in new ways. The church of the future will not be the church of today. If you're interested in learning about the paradigm shifts and how to address them, please consider joining us for a morning of learning with local missional practitioners. This event is free but RSVP your seat by clicking here. 
  • Young-Mee Park Farewell Celebration - (June 9) 2-4 pm at Dixon: First, 202 S. Peoria Avenue, Dixon. Come help us show our appreciation to Young-Mee for her six years of faithful service as the DeKalb District Superintendent and wish her well in her new appointment to a local church.
  • Lisa Kruse-Safford Farewell Celebration (June 23) 2-4 pm at Freeport: First, 503 N. Lily Creek Road, Freeport. Come help us show our appreciation to Lisa for her six years of faithful service as the Rockford District Superintendent and wish her well on her appointment to a local church. 
  • Pastoral Transitions Workshop  - (Aug. 3) Due to low enrollment, the May 11 event was cancelled. Plan to attend the Aug. 3 workshop from 8 am - 3 pm at Grace UMC in Naperville. Cost is $10. Who should attend? Pastors, SPRC members, lay leaders, and interested church leaders. Click here for registration.
Around the Denomination
  • Peace with Justice Sunday - (June 16) The annual Peace with Justice offering is an opportunity for churches throughout the United Methodist Connection to support both the Conference and General Boards of Church and Society. Special giving envelopes and posters can be ordered by clicking here. Let us give thanks to God for how the United Methodist Connection utilizes the Peace with Justice offering to address issues of injustice both at home and around the world! Click here for leader resources.
  • 2019 College of Christian Life - (Aug. 12-14) at the Embassy Suites in East Peoria. The speaker for the event will be the Rev. Dr. Terry Teykl, author of several books on prayer, will be speaking on Praying and the Miraculous. Cost for the school is $175 before July 14 and $200 after that date until registration closes. CEU's are available to clergy, local pastors, lay servants, and lay speakers upon request. Click here for registration.
 

Click here  for a list of UM history and theology DVDs ready to borrow from the UMRC. 

Visit the resource center's website for the latest catalog.

Mark your calendar
The UMRC will be closed:  Monday, May 27,  June 3 - 7,  July 4,  Aug. 2 - 18.
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