eNews  · March 30, 2023
"Invite a friend into life in Christ, where our service, mission, and witness demonstrate Easter in a Good Friday world," Bishop Dan Schwerin says in his Holy Week and Easter message. You may include it in Holy Week or Easter worship.

Special meals, a layette project, a Walk for Justice, community ecumenical activities, and more are part of NIC churches' Lent and Holy Week observances this year. Learn about these and find inspiration for your church.

Learn, engage, and share a meal with others as you discover the history, culture, challenges, and successes of different ethnic communities. The NIC Anti-Racism Task Force is presenting a film discussion series in which participants learn about and discuss the contexts, causes, and impacts of racism. Read about the upcoming films here. Consider hosting a discussion at your church. Complete and submit the interest form here.
Room reservations for Annual Conference are now available at a reduced price for the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center at 1551 N. Thoreau Dr., Schaumburg, Ill.

  • Cost: $169 plus 11% tax per night
  • Nights available at NIC rate: June 5, 6, and 7
  • Reservations by phone: (888) 236-2427 (mention Northern IL Conference UMC)
  • Reservations online: book.passkey.com/go/NorthernILConferenceUMC

RESERVATION BLOCK CLOSES ON APRIL 11!

Reserve your room now.
  • April 3: Online registration begins.
  • April 3: Historical documents & proposed legislation due. Find the form here.
  • April 28: Early-bird registration ends. (Fee rises to $125.)
  • May 23: Clergy session
  • May 28: Registration closes.
  • May 30, 7 p.m.: Pre-conference briefing, online.
  • May 31, 10 a.m.: Pre-conference briefing, online.
Special Observances
June 6
  • 9 a.m.: Laity convocation
  • Evening: ordination service
June 7
  • morning: Retirement service
June 8
  • morning: Memorial service
Annual conferences will not be electing delegates this year for the 2024 general and jurisdictional conferences. Read more here.
More updates and details will be posted in the NIC eNews and on the website at umcnic.org/AC2023.
News & Resources


Twenty percent of Americans say they are attending worship in person less often since before the pandemic, Pew Research Center data show.
On the other hand, 15 percent say they are participating in virtual services more often. Tracking the same individuals’ answers on four annual surveys from 2019 to 2022, the organization found that the vast majority (87 percent) report no change in their rates of worship attendance over that period. Learn more here.


While the headlines may have receded, the sin of racism remains with us. United Methodist Discipleship Ministries believes that work toward change must be bathed in prayer every step along the way. They’re providing daily prayers for the ongoing journey of transformation. Find them here.


At least 25 people died and dozens were injured in storms that cut a path of destruction across the lower Mississippi Delta on March 24. So far, we know that a UM church was destroyed; three others and a parsonage were damaged. To help with recovery efforts, please give to the United Methodist Committee on Relief’s U.S. Disaster Response and Recovery through Advance #901670. The Mississippi Conference is also raising funds to help survivors; learn more here.
Mission Around the Denomination
Every Saturday morning, Lokole Methodist Radio in Congo dedicates 30 minutes to lifting up the cause of vulnerable children. The program, "30 Minutes with the Orphans," is an initiative of Innocent Afful, a UM missionary who is coordinator for orphans and vulnerable children for the Churches of Christ in Congo. Some of these children are threatened by civil unrest in the region. The ministry Afful leads provides vocational training and literacy education for orphaned children.

Mark your calendar




Grandparents can be a supportive influence on their family's faith development. United Media Resource Center has some books to guide grandparents in this role.

Check out the resources here.

Resources include:

Grandparenting: Strengthening Your Family and Passing on Your Faith

Discipling Your Grandchildren: Great Ideas to Help Them Know, Love, and Serve God

Equipping Grandparents: Helping Your Church Reach and Disciple the Next Generation

Overcoming Grandparenting Barriers: How to Navigate Painful Problems with Grace and Truth

Find the online catalog here. The UMRC email address is umrc@igrc.org. 
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