A couple of months ago, the NCJ bishops (called the College of Bishops) began to meet and discuss how to provide coverage for the NIC during the 2021 year. In consultation with the NCJ Committee on Episcopacy, the NIC Committee on Episcopacy, and the NIC cabinet, a strong preference was made for a retired bishop to provide coverage.
Read MoreGovernor J. B. Pritzker is expected to move all the regions of Illinois into Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan on June 26. This will continue to move us toward more in-person gatherings but still with restrictions.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreOnce 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.
Read MoreUnited 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.
Read MoreThe 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.
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