Members of the Commission on a Way Forward expressed gratitude at the opportunity to be part of the Commission and they signaled hope for The United Methodist Church as they completed their meeting in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 22.
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On Mar. 10 the Annual Conference Shepherding Team (ACST) and members from the six newly formed District Shepherding Teams (DST) came together as a group for the first time to mobilize and tackle the task of learning about adaptive leadership. Consultant Rev. Susan Beaumont led the group’s full-day workshop at Barrington United Methodist Church to introduce how to lead through adaptive change.
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The Northern Illinois Conference Reporter took 1st place in the Print Publication - Newspaper category at the annual United Methodist Association of Communicators annual meeting in Philadelphia on Mar. 9. The judges said in their comments that the newspaper had a "very attractive layout and good photography."
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One year after laity and clergy pondered the “why”, participants at the 2018 Northern Illinois Conference Laity Convocation focused on the “how” local churches carry out the mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. About 270 people gathered at Sycamore United Methodist Church on Feb. 17 to learn strategies for transforming ministry plans into action. General Secretary of Discipleship Ministries Rev. Dr. Junius Dotson delivered the keynote challenging local churches to move from the ‘why’, (the purpose), to the ‘how’, (seeing all the people.) Dotson calls it “missional engagement.”
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As bells tolled and wreaths were placed in remembrance of the 10th anniversary of the Valentine’s Day shooting which killed five students at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, news of another horrific school shooting was breaking in Florida. Feelings of shock, fear and disbelief reemerged for the families of victims, survivors, students, University staff, the community and faith leaders who were gathering for the memorial service at the garden outside Cole Hall, where a gunman opened fire in a lecture hall the afternoon of Feb. 14, 2008 taking the lives of Ryanne Mace, the granddaughter of two retired pastors from the Illinois Great Rivers Conference, Gayle Dubowski, Catalina Garcia, Julianna Gehant, and Daniel Parmenter.
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United Voices for Children is once again seeking nominations for awards to honor extraordinary volunteer service or advocacy efforts on behalf of children, youth and/or families throughout the Northern Illinois Conference.
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