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.

Communicator's Corner

Conference Elders Featured in Global Ministries Meetings

Rev. Kyeong-ah Woo, an elder in the Northern Illinois Conference, will be featured in the General Board of Global Ministries #StillInMission Episode 41 on April 7 at 1 pm CST. Kyeong-ah Woo is serving as the Consultant to the WCC Assembly Programs & Workshop Coordinator with the World Council of Churches in Switzerland. Register here. 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 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.

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.

•First Place in Print Publications in the Newspaper Category for the Reporter.

•Second Place in Video News Story Category for NIC News Today with Liz Gracie and Rev. Myron McCoy.

•First Place in the Photojournalism Category for Ordination Service photo that appeared on the cover of the April 2021 Reporter.

So many talented and amazing communicators across the denomination are also deserving of accolades and have worked so hard...especially during the last two years during the pandemic. Read a list of all the winners here.

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].

Quick Links 

*Please note an unsubscribe from this eNews will remove you from all notices from the Conference, including messages from the Bishop, appointments and sympathy announcements.