We are in an in-between time. In-between fall and winter. In-between Advent and Christmas. In-between the current year and the New Year. In-between a sense that we are on the other side of COVID-19 but also facing another variant circling the globe; its impact is yet to be determined.
Read MorePerhaps this year is the right year to observe "Clergy Appreciation Month."Who doesn't appreciate a word of encouragement, an acknowledgment that life has been hard, or a congregational "hip-hip hurray."
Read MoreThe first session of our 2021 Annual Conference is now behind us as we live into the theme "Jesus Makes a Way." We will meet again on October 1 and 2 for ordination and additional business. Evaluations are still coming in, but again we adapted to our circumstances, making the best of our pandemic limitations. From virtual worship services and Bible Study to electronic voting, the annual conference committee and staff found ways to help us connect, converse and move forward.
Read MoreFor 14 months, the mantra of the United Methodist Churches in Northern Illinois has been "Do No Harm." As we contemplated every step in our ministries during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have done so with an eye toward keeping each other and our communities safe by stopping the spread of disease.
Read MoreAs a convert to the UMC before my ordination, I knew little beyond the local church. Participating in a Rainbow Covenant Bus Tour with other candidates for ministry introduced me to the work of missions within the bounds of our annual conference and throughout the world.
Read MoreThank you to the amazing, talented and versatile laity and clergy who have given leadership to our congregations during this time of the pandemic. We have learned and persevered. Now, a year into our unprecedented experience, we are ready for it to end. We have had enough of the restrictions, limitations and loss. We long for a “normal” life. Some of our churches have returned to worshipping in person with limited attendance and precautions. Others continue to work and worship remotely in anticipation of a time when all can safely gather.
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