Did you know? Practicing Hospitality

This month’s NIC Reporter is filled with images of welcome. In the conference these days, we are driven by welcome. You only need to look at the conference calendar to see all the ways in which we are engaged in welcoming Bishop Dan Schwerin as our new episcopal leader. From an Installation Service (on Sunday, February 26th) to Days on the District (the first two weeks of February), to a card shower of notes and well wishes, we have extended a welcome to Bishop Schwerin.

A Toy Story that hits the road

The late Rev. Doug Williams brought the idea of making and distributing toy wooden cars to his congregation at Aldersgate UMC in Rockford in 2011 as a new ministry to children. Combining inspiration from a similar ministry in Florida and his woodworking hobby, it was Doug’s dream for a life-giving impact.

Creating safer and more welcoming spaces

One of the goals of the Northern Illinois Conference for 2022 was to ramp up our Safe Sanctuaries training and increase the number of volunteers who have gone through this valuable course. Online training through Safe Gatherings is an ongoing tool for this training. In addition, eight Safe Sanctuaries Trainings were held in 2022 throughout the summer and fall to train over 1,850 lay and staff. This brings our number of people leaders in the past 2 years to over 2,790!

Notes of Rest presented for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Observance

On Sunday, January 15th, Julian Davis Reid presented one of his spiritual retreats, Notes of Rest, specifically tailored for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at First United Methodist Church of Oak Park. The event, sponsored by the Northern Illinois Conference and the United Methodist Foundation, focused on the importance of rest in fueling the continued pursuit of justice for all and Dr. King’s dream of the Beloved Community.

Bishop Announces Two New Conference Leadership Appointments

Bishop Dan Schwerin is pleased to announce two appointments, effective July 1, 2023. Rev. Fabiola Grandon-Mayer to the role of Director of Connectional Ministries (DCM), and Rev. Arlene Christopherson to the role of Assistant to the Bishop.

Editor's final assignment

As I look back to April 2011 and my first day on the job as the new NIC Director of Communications, my first introduction was to the monthly print Reporter and the process of publishing it. I remember looking over former NIC Media Resource Director Susan Gieseler’s shoulder as she made edits to the final proof to be sent off to UMR Communications in Dallas to be printed. This would be my first task and now my last assignment.

News

Categories