Registration for the 2022 Northern Illinois Annual Conference is open with early- bird registration through April 29. The cost is $80. Registration increases to $95 from April 30 to May 29. Please note there will be no on-site registration.

*Make sure you have a file copy (jpg, jpeg, png, bmp, gif) of your proof of vaccination card handy to upload during registration, which is required.

Annual Conference will meet in person June 8 - 10 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center. The AC Committee is diligently working to make this a safe gathering for everyone while continuing to monitor COVID-19 infection rates for the area. For current requirements for AC members to attend, please read the health and safety statement.

Download a Fact Sheet with more details and information.

Learn more about this year's speakers and leaders.

The worship services and plenary sessions will be livestreamed on the NIC YouTube Channel for guests and observers. Clergy and lay members of AC must be present in person to vote.

The 2022 Northern Illinois Annual Conference Bishop's Appeal special offering will go toward Ukraine assistance. While immediate needs are great, we know the people of Ukraine will need long-term assistance. For more details on fundraiser ideas and bringing your collective offering to Annual Conference, visit umcnic.org/Bishopsappeal2022.

Thanks to Rev. Keck Mowry, First UMC Palatine, for organizing special T-Shirt sales to help fundraising efforts for the Bishop's Appeal and support our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. Click here to order and get more information about placing bulk orders for your church to sell.

AC Mission Challenge

The NIC Board of Global Ministries is coordinating with the Midwest Mission Distribution Center (MMDC) to organize its annual conference collection drive for the most needed items at this time. Your church is encouraged to begin collecting donations to fill the truck. The board is working on the drop-off location, preferably at the Schaumburg Convention Center on June 8 and 9. Details are being worked out. Click here for items needed. Download flyer.

Communicator's Corner

We regret incorrect information was shared in the April 12 appointment announcement. The correct information: Rev. Sang Hun Han is appointed to Schaumburg: Salem Korean (Prairie Central District) from Addison: Good Samaritan (Prairie Central District). Sang Hun follows TJ. Kim. Click here for 2022 appointment announcements.

As part of its mission to modernize approaches to men’s ministry, the Commission on United Methodist Men has introduced UNITED Men’s Ministry, a resource that focuses more on process than a specific program. The innovative online resource provides a package that includes leader coaching, online learning, support, topical studies and connection. Every church leader who feels their men’s ministry effort could use a restart, an upgrade, or a boost is encouraged to visit UnitedMensMinistry.com to get in on the launch, happening May 1, 2022. Simply register on the website for the launch event and join the movement. Read more.

Kids Above All's annual Diaper Drive is back! Donate diapers of all sizes and wipes to help their parents, caregivers, babies, and toddlers have the essentials they need for a happy and healthy start to their lives together. Click here for an Amazon Wish List. To schedule a drop-off time for your donation, contact Manager of Faith & Community Relations, Deaconess Catherine Inserra, at 847- 224-2870, or at [email protected]. Donation Drop off address: 8765 W. Higgins Rd., Suite 450, Chicago, IL 60631. Time:

In the News: New Effort To Save Logan Square’s Grace Church

Chicago: Grace United Methodist Church leaders have launched a petition to convert the deteriorating church into a Park District community center, part of a last-ditch effort to save the more-than-century-old structure. Under the plan, part of Grace Church, 3325 W. Wrightwood Ave., which has long struggled from deferred maintenance and a shrinking congregation, would become a field house and community center for nearby Unity Park. The church would offer Park District programs like basketball tournaments and recreational activities for neighborhood kids. Read more from Block Club Chicago.

For many students, continuing education beyond high school is a challenging decision due to financial circumstances. The United Methodist Foundation wants to empower students to continue their education by providing financial assistance. This scholarship is designed to assist minority United Methodist students to attend a trade school, community college, college, or university. Applications are due April 30. Vist umfnic.org/uplift for more information and to apply.

Registration is open for the Five Day Academy for Spiritual Formation, "Come to the Waters," at the Siena Retreat Center in Racine, WI on Lake Michigan from Oct. 2 - 7, 2022, sponsored by the NIC Spiritual Formation Committee. The cost is $625 per person if you register before April 15. This includes tuition, private room and bath, and all meals. Registration cost after that date is $700 per person. Click here for details and registration. Download the brochure.

United Methodist Communication (UMCom) has announced a week-long ecumenical training opportunity launching this spring for anyone in ministry seeking to enhance their communications skills. Communication Learning Week: Taking the Next Step will be held May 9-13, 2022, and is designed with busy schedules in mind. All of the learning week content will be recorded and stored in a learning portal that participants will have access to for six months following the event. Registration opens April 12. Learn more.

Global Ministries Features Northern Illinois Conference Elder

Rev. Jin Kim, who serves as the Coordinator of Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace with the World Council of Churches in Switzerland, will be featured on the Global Ministries Missionary meeting on June 2 at 1 pm CST. Register here. You will have the opportunity to meet in a small group to hear a presentation from each missionary during the call. Registration is limited.

Click here for a list of various resources to be mailed to your church or home address.

Go to igrc.org/umrc to access the online catalog.

Questions, comments? Contact UMRC Director Jill Stone at [email protected].

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