Ten churches’ request for disaffiliation from The United Methodist Church will be considered by Northern Illinois Annual Conference session members on June 6. These churches, constituting 2.8 percent of NIC congregations, completed a set of required steps that the 2019 UMC General Conference, in special session, passed as church law.
Read MoreDuring that learning process, I found out that the Galena UMC congregation was not officially a Reconciling Congregation, even though they thought they were.They had already been openly in support of LGBTQ+ people for a long time, so I helped them start the process to become a Reconciling Congregation. It was difficult, but we prayed and communicated with each other.
Read MoreThe Anti-Racism Task Force kicked off its 2023 Film Series at the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie on March 25. This first event aimed to help participants better understand the media’s role in portraying people of color in ways that sometimes contribute to negative stereotypes an perpetuate a “white savior” narrative.
Read MoreLent has always been considered an important time in the worship and discipleship life of a community of faith. Lent is a time for the church to journey together toward Easter and reaffirm their baptismal covenant. It is an opportunity for self-examination and reflection, as modeled by Jesus in Matthew 4: 1-11 when he prayed and fasted for 40 days before beginning his ministry. It can also be a time of great creativity and innovation, even while maintaining valued and sacred traditions. Many congregations and ministries across the conference are participating in tried and true traditions, as well as looking toward something new.
Read MoreWe recently asked our readers, "What is the most meaningful or most moving part of your Lent observance? Why?" These are some of the answers we received. Submit your response to communications@umcnic.org and it will be added it to the list.
Read MoreDuring the Laity Convocation 2023, one of the host churches, Disciples United Methodist Church (DUMC) in Mt. Morris, created a display about the rich history of the Rock River Conference that then became our Northern Illinois Conference. The church’s history team hoped to share with guests, many of whom had never been in Mt. Morris, how our early Methodist settlers, ministers, and circuit riders followed a path of discipleship as they moved west from Maryland, Ohio, and Kentucky into the frontier of northwest Illinois.
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