ReTurn Team Plan Feedback and Clarifications

The ReTurn Team is grateful for the support and feedback received in response to the May 15 guidelines offered for churches to consider as businesses and institutions around us have begun to reopen. We recognize that the Health Teams or Leadership Teams tasked with guiding your work in your local context are feeling an increasing amount of pressure to move toward a return to “normal” in-person activities. As our state has moved into Stage 3 and soon will likely move to Stage 4, we wish to offer additional clarification and guidance that may help you moving forward.

Bishop's Monday Message: Trouble can produce endurance

Once I told my congregation that I wanted to tattoo this verse on the inside of my eyelids: “…we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” Yeah, they thought it was a little weird, too, to imagine tattooing something on the inside of your eyelids. But it’s a message that guides us through our times of trouble to a place of hope.

Raising Our Voices – UVC Annual Awards Ceremony

United Voices for Children (UVC) has announced the recipients of its 2020 annual awards for outstanding advocacy and service for children and youth throughout Northern Illinois.

Children still count!

The COVID-19 pandemic has made a significant impact on the operational guidelines used by the U.S. Census Bureau. Changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the counting process to protect the health and safety of the American public and Census Bureau employees, has a tremendous negative impact on already under represented and underserved groups. However through intentional education and mobilization, faith communities can make a significant positive difference in Census return rates.

Bending Toward Justice

Many of our members have asked “What is B.M.C.R.’s response to this terrible event? How will we address the continued discrimination and oppression of black and brown people?” We answer as follows: Chicago B.M.C.R. advocates for and supports peaceful protests against the horrendous death and physical abuse of George Floyd and calls for “Justice NOW!”

Northern Illinois Annual Conference moves to teleconference meeting in November

Given the uncertainty of how long we will need to maintain safe distancing, and how long before gatherings of about 1000+ people will be permissible, the Annual Conference Committee and Bishop have approved to hold a ‘virtual 2020 Annual Conference session’ on Saturday, November 14, 2020.

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