Images of trees torn out by their roots and roofs pierced by tree limbs and reports of tornadoes dominated the news in late March and early April. Northern Illinois United Methodists immediately offered help and support those whose lives were disrupted.
Read MoreThe Boy Scouts of America recently settled a lawsuit related to accusations of sexual abuse of children. The United Methodist Church—one of the parties in the suit—is committed to caring for the children who were harmed and to preventing abuse in the future. The Northern Illinois Conference Trustees and Council on Finance and Administration, in collaboration with Bishop Dan Schwerin and the conference staff, created the Repair the Harm to Children Campaign to respond to the victims’ needs.
Read MoreDuring the first days of April, a number of Northern Illinois communities have been battered by storms. These include Belvidere, where a tornado touched ground on April 1, and Camp Reynoldswood, which suffered damage to the roof of one of its buildings on April 4.
Read MoreJesus submitted to it for our sake. As we pray and fast on Good Friday, it seems a small thing to go without food for a little while. When hunger pangs strike, we are reminded to pray and give thanks for Jesus.
Read MoreDuring the Laity Convocation 2023, one of the host churches, Disciples United Methodist Church (DUMC) in Mt. Morris, created a display about the rich history of the Rock River Conference that then became our Northern Illinois Conference. The church’s history team hoped to share with guests, many of whom had never been in Mt. Morris, how our early Methodist settlers, ministers, and circuit riders followed a path of discipleship as they moved west from Maryland, Ohio, and Kentucky into the frontier of northwest Illinois.
Read MoreThe Northern Illinois Conference is thankful to its many churches for their faithful apportionment giving and celebrates those who paid in full. In 2022, 173 churches paid 100% of their calculated apportionments compared to 198 in 2021. Because of your apportionment giving in 2022, the Northern Illinois Conference will be able to help fund the conference budget for programs and ministries both locally and globally. Apportionments denote an understanding that the purpose of the church is not just to care for its members, but also to reach beyond itself to engage with the world, minister to the world, and be in mission to the world.
Read More