The October Reporter is now available to read online and is heading to the printer for mailing.

In this issue, Bishop Hopkins shares the story of his call to the episcopacy and more about how bishops are elected.

Read more about a call to pray and act to end gun violence from the Council of Bishops.

Find out how growing church garden ministries are giving back to their communities and how laity at one church revitalized a youth ministry.

Also, United Voices for Children reveals the 2022 child advocacy award winners. All this and more in this issue.

Please help us welcome Brianna (Bri) Wadlington to the NIC staff as the new Events Coordinator/Administrative Assistant. She officially began Sept. 19.

As a third-generation member of Hartzell Memorial United Methodist Church in Chicago, her roots are deep in the Conference.

"Bri comes to us with experience in event planning and coordination, as well as familiarity with our work as a member in the United Methodist Church,” said Rev. Arlene Christopherson, Dir. of Connectional Ministries. “The role of our Events Coordinator touches almost every aspect of our Conference life from Lay Academies to Annual Conference. Bri brings deep faith, energy and experience for the work ahead.”

Brianna attended Hampton University, where she first got the opportunity to coordinate school-based and community-wide events. After graduating with

her degree in Marketing, she completely immersed herself in production and stage management, being afforded the opportunity to work in several industries, from luxury retail clothing companies to national broadcasting companies.

Over the years, Brianna has accumulated a range of knowledge and a true passion for serving. While Brianna’s passion may truly be in marketing, her

heart belongs to her 7-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Avery!

If Brianna is not planning an event, enjoying walks with Avery, or serving her community, she is snuggled on the couch reading a good book or the latest fashion magazine!

You may reach her by phone at 312-346-9766 ext. 724 or email at [email protected] or [email protected].

More than 750 asylum seekers from Central and South America have now arrived on buses sent from Texas since Aug. 31 and more are expected, according to the city of Chicago.

In collaboration with local, state, and federal agencies, the city of Chicago is taking action to welcome and ensure these migrants have access to shelter, food, and other resources.

Several churches across the conference in each district are serving as donation collection sites to be convenient, centralized locations in order to bring the items to the city. For the list of locations, contacts, drop-off instructions and other ways to help, click here.

Thank you to Prince of Peace UMC for already donating vans full of supplies to migrants who are being housed in Elk Grove Village. In addition, they collected $625, which the mission team spent on additional items such as jackets and jeans. Similar stories are coming in as our churches continue to help.

Over 65 youth and adult youth leaders came together this past weekend (9/23 – 9/25) for a fall youth retreat in Lake Geneva.

The retreat theme was JOY (Jesus, Others, and You) with a focus on joy in fellowship as reflected in scriptures in Philippians 1—2 and Psalm 133. Rev. Josiah Montgomery, Pastor of East Side UMC in Chicago and Asst. Director of Faith and Action at North Central College (Naperville), was the retreat's guest speaker.

Rev. Daniel Lee, Director of Youth Ministries at Gary UMC in Wheaton, started sharing this vision with other adult youth leaders over a year ago and said he was, “grateful that we’re one church and can share joys and struggles. Hopefully, this is the beginning of something the conference can work together on for years to come.”

The planning team is interested in working with other churches in the future. If you’re a Pastor, Youth Pastor, or an Adult Youth Leader and interested in joining this ministry, please complete this short survey and you’ll be updated about future plans. Read more.

A paperback copy of the 2022-2023 Directory of NIC churches, clergy, laity, committees, and agencies is now available to purchase for $6.25 on Amazon or available for free to download on the NIC website.

Go to umcnic.org/directory for details.

The Council of Bishops (COB) of The United Methodist Church is appealing for donations to assist the recovery efforts in Puerto Rico following the devastation left on the island by Hurricane Fiona last week. The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico sent a letter to the COB asking for help and donations. Bishop Lizzette Gabriel Montalvo said, "Your act of love by sending monetary donations for us to continue purchasing first aid supplies to thousands of families around the Island will make a difference in the lives of many people experiencing difficulties in their recovery process.” Read the letter.

Also, continue to pray for all those in the wake of Hurricane Ian in the Gulf of Mexico that's impacting Florida. Donations may be made to UMCOR U.S. disaster relief and response.

Applications are being accepted for the NIC's three ministry grants, Social Reform, Congregational Development, and Creative Ministries. The deadline to apply is Nov. 14. To learn more about each grant and for an online application, click here.

2022 Church Conference materials, including the agenda, are available online at umcnic.org/churchconference. Please encourage your church leadership to begin working on gathering the information as soon as possible. The forms are designed for online submission and will look very similar to last year’s. Please note that all reports should be submitted online one week before your church conference, except for the Clergy Compensation form. Lastly, if you have anything that you need to add to the agenda, please contact your District Superintendent as soon as possible.

The Discipleship Task Force is excited about the fall 2022 NIC Book Club selection, Soul Reset by the late Junius Dotson! Rev Dotson spoke at one of our Laity Convocations and also led the Bible Study for our Annual Conference. Here Junius Dotson tells his story, and here is how this study works for congregations. Click here for details and to sign up today!

The United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women marked its 50th anniversary on Sept. 15, celebrating a half-century of advocating for the full inclusion of women in church life as well as helping to promote sexual ethics. The agency is offering five ways to join in the festivities including encouraging its annual conference counterparts to plant a tree. Find out more. Watch a video on the agency's work.

Looking for a new study for your small group, congregation or family this Advent? Cokesbury, the retail arm of the United Methodist Publishing House, has put together an interactive comparison chart of its Advent studies so Christians can find the study that best fits their need. Learn more. For customizable Advent outreach resources, click here. Get up to $250 off these resources by using code UMCA22.

All items are unpacked and shelved! While there's some organizing to do, the UMRC is settling into its new location at Kumler Outreach Ministries in Springfield, Ill.

Kumler Outreach Ministries

Attn: United Media Resource Center

Springfield, IL 62702-3822

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