During the storms of mid-July, Transformation Community UMC in Harvey, Illinois, faced a major power outage. Despite these challenges, TCUMC volunteers, supported by the Northern Illinois Conference, swiftly ensured their essential food pantry remained operational. This response showcased the church’s commitment to serving the community’s needs, and demonstrated the power of United Methodist Connectionalism.
Read MoreObserving a Wesleyan spiritual practice rather rallying around a slogan, members of the 2024 session of the Northern Illinois Conference of met from June 16 to 18 in Schaumburg to yield to God as they recognized ministry milestones, worshiped, and voted on policies and resolutions.
Read More"Our Northern Illinois Conference has many reasons to celebrate," observes Rev. Fabiola Grandon-Mayer, Northern Illinois Conference's director of connectional ministries. "Although we are not all the same, come from diverse backgrounds, and have different opinions, we are one in Christ Jesus. As we work for the kin-dom, we are not islands; we are one body working together to make a difference in this world."
Read MoreThe Northern Illinois Conference recognized five churches with the One Matters Award. The United Methodist Church’s Discipleship Ministries created this recognition to encourage congregations that in the previous year increased baptisms and professions of faith from zero to at least one. The UMC believes that each person matters.
Read MoreEarly in the morning of 18 April 2024, 22 members of the Northern Illinois Conference Anti-Racism Task Force, many of whom had participated in last year’s Civil Rights Pilgrimage, boarded a bus or piled into cars to descend on Springfield to speak to state legislators about issues of racial injustice that concern us—with a focus on environmental justice, the school to prison pipeline, and immigration.
Read MoreChicago and suburban church youth leaders gathered at Wesley United Methodist Church in Aurora on April 13 to explore laying the groundwork for friendships and alliances to fight racism. "Becoming the Beloved Community: Disciplining Anti-Racist Youth," a morning workshop, was presented by the Anti-Racism Task Force of the Northern Illinois Conference. It was developed specifically for leaders of youth based on the Becoming Beloved Community Workshop that is offered to churches.
Read More