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Prairie Central Leadership Training 2025

Location: Grace UMC in Naperville, 300 E. Gartner Road

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Canceled

See other District Training events:

Saturday, January 18
8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Grace UMC in Naperville, 300 E. Gartner Rd.

Cost

  • $15 per person (incluldes lunch)
  • Total of $60 per Church (4+ people)*
    *Register each person under the church member option entering in their information and workshop choices.

Schedule:

  • 8:30 - Gathering and Refreshments
  • 9:00 - Welcome and Worship, featuring Rev. Lisa Kruse-Safford,  First UMC Crystal Lake
  • 10:15 - Workshop 1
  • 11:30 - Lunch
  • 12:15 - Workshop 2
  • 1:45 - Workshop 3
  • 3:10 - Closing Gathering and Prayer

Classes:

Choose one class per workshop - some offered multiple times. See descriptions below.

Workshop 1:

  • Asset Management
  • Children and Youth Mental Health
  • Common Sense Gun Safety
  • Simplified Accountable Structure (One Board)
  • Staff-Parish Relations Committee Tool Kit - offered twice
  • Stewardship and Budgeting - offered twice

Workshop 2:

  • Building Connections - offered twice
  • Building and Resourcing a Communication Plan for Your Church - offered twice
  • Staff-Parish Relations Committee ToolKit - offered twice
  • Stewardship and Budgeting - offered twice
  •  Vital Congregations: The “E” Word (evangelism) - offered twice

Workshop 3:

  • Building Connections - offered twice
  • Building and Resourcing a Communication Plan for Your Church - offered twice
  • Creation Care as a Spiritual Practice
  • Anti-Racism as a Disciple of Jesus
  • Vital Congregations: The “E” Word (evangelism) - offered twice

Class Descriptions (Alphabetical Order)

  1. Anti-Racism as a Disciple of Jesus:  Learning Cultural Humility and Anti-Racism for our Every Day Living
    Nadia Kanhai, co-chair of Conference Committee on Race and Religion
    Offered Workshop 3
  2. Asset Management: Making a Plan Before Your Boiler Breaks
    Ron Donovan and Rev. Rob Hamilton, United Methodist Church of Geneva
    Offered Workshop 1
  3. Building and Resourcing a Communication Plan for Your Church
    Rev. Scott Himel, Pastor, First UMC in Park Ridge
    Offered Workshop 2 & 3
  4. Building Connections: How best to build cooperative ministries to meet the needs of the community
    Rev. Violet Johnicker, Pastor, Brooke Road UMC in Rockford
    Offered Workshop 2 & 3
  5.  Children and Youth Mental Health
    Meghan Hamilton, Mental Health Practitioner
    Offered Workshop 1
  6. Common Sense Gun Safety
    Rev. Elizabeth Bowes, Deacon and Organizing Manager,  Everytown for Gun Safety
    Offered Workshop 1
  7. Creation Care as a Spiritual Practice
    NIC Net Zero Team
    Offered Workshop 3
  8.  Simplified Accountable Structure (One Board): Creating Momentum Through Effective Leadership Structures (Is the One Board/Simplified Accountable Structure Right For Your Church?)
    Rev. Dr. Jaye Johnson, Superintendent of Congregational Excellence and New Communities of Faith, Iowa Conference UMC
    Offered Workshop 1
  9. Staff-Parish Relations Committee Tool Kit (including training for cross-cultural/cross-racial appointments)
    Rev. Danita R. Anderson, NIC Assistant to the Bishop
    Offered Workshop 1 & 2
  10. Stewardship and Budgeting: Learn about Apportionments and Budgeting
    Elaine Moy, NIC Treasurer
    Offered Workshop 1 & 2
  11.  Vital Congregations: The “E” Word (evangelism)  (Or How to Make Your Backpack Smell Like Coffee)
    Rev. Christian Coon,  NIC Dir of Cong. Dev., Rev. Jonah Boutell, pastor of Prince of Peace UMC Elk Grove, and Rev. Hyujae Lee,  Pastor of Woodstock UMC
    Offered Workshop 2 & 3

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