Bishop Dyck says go and learn mercy

Helping homeless with a meal and a message

Members of the United Methodist Rural Advocates (UMRA) distribute cards made by children in churches across the connection along with meal vouchers to the Sisters of the Road Cafe, a local non-profit which is working to end poverty and homelessness by providing nourishing meals in a safe, dignified space around Portland, OR during General Conference.

A Time to Replenish

Learning Spanish as church hospitality

Nearly 545 students participated in 48 classes held in 42 churches across the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) in the last two years to learn some Spanish and explore ¿Quién es mi vecino? (Who is my neighbor?).

Amended Special Session Resolution Passes

Thanks to the new Red Door Refinance Program, overwhelmingly approved by members of Annual Conference at a special session on Mar. 16, up to 30 NIC churches will be able to refinance existing loan agreements at 4.5% for 20 years under a collective (up to) $25 million dollar mortgage through Wintrust Bank. A reserve fund will also be established to assist with cash flow, to offset any interest rate jumps and for any unforeseen circumstances.

Church outreach ministry reaches Hispanic/Latino neighbors

Omar Torres came to the United States seven years ago from Mexico and didn’t speak English. The husband and father of three daughters wanted to learn the language to improve his job skills and do the best to provide for his family. Torres and his family found help at Our Saviour’s United Methodist Church in Schaumburg, Illinois through its English Language Learners (ELL) and Outreach Ministry.