Click here to watch a video from last summer's rallies.

Thank you to Bolingbrook: Friendship, Elmhurst: First, Schaumburg: Our Saviour’s and Cary UMC for signing up to participate this year! Learn more about holding your own rally and sign up today.

The Northern Illinois Conference is offering training options this summer to help meet our goal of ensuring safe spaces in our churches. The training is being offered both online via zoom and in person.

**This free training is an alternate for those who cannot participate in other training options and does not include a background check. For videos, policies, FAQs, downloads, and more resources, visit umcnic.org/safesanctuaries.

We are currently seeking a qualified candidate to come join the NIC Program Area Team as an Events Coordinator/Administrative Assistant.

The event planner is responsible for all events and registration offered at the conference and district level, either through planning, or guidance for those who do the planning, so every event will have the same high quality of branding and execution. The event planner must have exceptional customer service skills and support capabilities with a passion for planning events. They must be able to work with staff teams and engage volunteer committees to accomplish the task.

This job is a hybrid, full-time position with flexible hours. Some weekend and evening work is required for event support. The position includes both Health Insurance upon hire (with wellness incentives) and Pension Benefits after a vesting period.

If you know someone who would be interested, click here for the job description and to apply.

The Discipleship Task Force began a collaboration with the Anti-racism Task Force in February of this year to discern a way forward to best engage local church youth leaders in meaningful, connectional experiences where Christ is revealed through prayer, information sharing, reflections, and action to better serve our youth. As a follow-up, youth leaders are invited for a meeting, lunch, and volunteer opportunity on Sat., August 6, from 9 am – 12 pm. We will spend about one hour of our time together filling backpacks for Kids Above All, which will be given to youth returning to school. The meeting location is 8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago, IL. Space is limited. Please email Amania Drane at [email protected] by Fri., July 29, 4 pm if you are interested. You will be notified to let you know if space is still available.

Do you know an individual or group who exemplifies service and advocacy efforts on behalf of children, youth and/or families throughout the Northern Illinois Conference? Any United Methodist member or congregation in Northern Illinois can nominate individuals both laity and clergy to receive one of three distinguished awards – Bishop Jesse. R. DeWitt, Katherine B. Greene, and Rev. Margaret Ann Williams – please click here for descriptions, nomination forms and event information. Nominations are due July 31. These awards will be given virtually during the Raising Our Voices Through Resources; A Bridge for the Gap event on Tuesday, Sept. 13 at 11:00 am.

Running through August 26, you can help ensure that the hundreds of kids in the care of Kids Above All have the supplies they need to succeed this school year through the agency's annual backpack drive. Recommended donation drop-off is between July 27 and August 12. If you have a small group interested in volunteering, Kids Above All needs many helping hands to assemble the backpacks. To find a link to the Amazon wish list and more information, visit kidsaboveall.org/bts-drive. To volunteer, please contact Catherine Inserra, Manager of Faith & Community Relations, at [email protected] or 847-224-2870.

The NIC Board of Pensions is seeking more stories like this one from Rev. Isaac for its “You Made a Difference” initiative. The goal is to show how others within the UMC connection made a difference in our lives and also raise funds to support future clergy pension programs. Please go to umcnic.org/differencemakers and click on “Tell Your Story” to open an online form. After hitting submit, click on the donate button to give a gift in honor of your Difference Maker.

Please note that UMRC services remain paused in July to prepare for and implement the transition to Kumler Outreach Ministries in Springfield with a target date of August 1.

Items will not be mailed in the transition period but explore the UMRC online catalog for ideas for fall programming. You can request resources during the transition time using the online catalog and items will begin shipping in August. What ministries would you like to expand or begin this fall? What topics might new small groups like to explore? Borrow some resources and try something new!

Questions? Contact Jill Stone at [email protected].

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