Action: During 2008, two United Methodist congregations will each partner with a counterpart Jewish synagogue for dialogue in two locations within the Northern Illinois Conference. The Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns will act as catalyst and provide resources to enable participants in these two venues. The CCUIC will encourage local leaders to develop small group settings for building trust and increasing the ability of participants to discuss sensitive topics over the next two years. Using feedback from these dialogues as models, the CCUIC will initiate two more venues in 2010

Rationale: While Conference leadership continues to engage in dialogue with leadership of Jewish institutions, we believe it is important to have intentional grass roots conversations. In a world riven by political and religious divisions, Christians and Jews must go beyond surface fellowship to in-depth understanding of one another. We perceive there has been a drawing back from Methodist/Jewish dialogue on major issues such as the state of Israel, anti-Semitism, and political activism, perhaps out of concern for not disturbing friendship relationships from the past. We trust that these historic friendships are sturdy enough to survive and be strengthened by these dialogues. The CCUIC therefore proposes this initiative for endorsement by Northern Illinois Conference.