March

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Rhodes to go to Virginia after 13+ years
as NIC Director of Communications

(March 30) Linda Rhodes, Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) Director of Communications for more than 13 years, will be leaving to become Director of Communications for the Virginia Conference, the largest conference in the United Methodist Church.

“This was a difficult decision,” Rhodes said, “but the opportunity that Virginia offered me is so terrific, I really couldn’t say no.”

Rhodes said the Virginia Conference offer includes an opportunity to manage a communications staff of seven professionals and to direct a sizable program and administrative budget dedicated to providing effective communications at all levels of the conference.

Rhodes begins her new job April 16. She and her husband, Wayne, will move to the Richmond area, where the conference headquarters is located.

‘Huge legacy of service’

“Linda leaves behind a huge legacy of service,” said the Rev. James Galbreath, chair of the NIC Communications Commission. “Few people realized the vast hours she invested in gathering information, taking pictures, compiling that information in concise written form, editing and laying out the Reporter each and every week, and still reaching out to conduct communications workshops and Igniting Ministry trainings.”

Galbreath said Rhodes “provided wise counsel and trustworthy news connections in the midst of media frenzy during times of high controversy.” And, he said that she created “quality special resources, print and video,” to interpret connectional giving and ministry.

“And all the while, Linda has been a very active lay woman in her local church [Community UMC in Naperville] and a trustee of Wiley College in Marshall, Texas,” Galbreath said.

“Most important,” Galbreath said, “I have seen Linda embody her genuine Christian faith in the midst of all the ‘nuts and bolts’ of her work in a truly faithful way.”

Rhodes, who owns her own marketing consulting firm, has worked for the NIC as a part-time consultant.

Fill in after Jones left

Rhodes first served as interim editor of the NIC edition of the United Methodist Reporter from December 1992 to June 1993. She was hired by the Rev. Bonnie Ogie-Kristianson, NIC Council Director at the time, to ensure that the weekly newspaper continued while the conference conducted a nationwide search for a new Director of Communications to replace Dana Jones, who left the post to become editor of Response magazine, the United Methodist Women’s publication produced in New York City.

Linda Matsumoto was hired as Director of Communications, but Rhodes was brought back in May 1994 when Matsumoto resigned suddenly.

“I’ve been doing the job ever since,” Rhodes said.

Rhodes has produced the weekly NIC edition of the United Methodist Reporter, which during her tenure has expanded from one weekly full-size newspaper page to include four weekly pages of conference news and four pages of either district news or Media Resource Center information in a tabloid format with color.

Rhodes also is responsible for the NIC Web site — which was begun during her tenure — electronic E-News distribution, media relations and production of promotional material. She has led workshops on preparation of newsletters, marketing, media relations and related topics for conference and district events as well as for local churches.

Igniting Ministry

Rhodes serves as Igniting Ministry coordinator for the conference, promoting the denomination’s advertising campaign within the NIC, conducting training sessions, providing support to local churches, and handling media buys.

As one of 12 national trainers designated by United Methodist Communications in Nashville, Rhodes also conducts Igniting Ministry training sessions in annual conferences across the U.S.

In her role as Director of Communications, Rhodes has served as a member of the Conference Extended Cabinet.

Galbreath said conference leadership will be meeting to consider how to fill the position. “As to next steps, we have a lively Communications Commission,” he said. “In consultation with the NIC Program Council, we will proceed to analyze communications needs for the United Methodist churches of northern Illinois and evaluate appropriate strategies to respond to those needs.”

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NCD Introduction is April 14,
21 in Naperville, Wauconda

(March 30) The next two coach-training sessions of Natural Church Development (NCD) will be Saturday, March 31, at Christ UMC, 4509 Highcrest Rd., Rockford, and Saturday, April 28, at St. Mark UMC, 8441 S. St. Lawrence Ave., Chicago.

The Rev. Sharon Schwab, Indiana District superintendent, Western Pennsylvania Conference, will lead the one-day seminars that run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

To attend the coach training, persons should have an introductory knowledge of NCD, evidenced by attending an NCD Introduction and reading either Color Your World with NCD or Natural Church Development, both by Christian Schwarz.

They should also submit a coach application to the office of Congregational Development and Redevelopment, Suite 1820, 77 W. Washington St., Chicago, IL 60602 or call (312)346-9766, ext. 108. Books and applications are available through the office.

For persons who want to attend coach training but have not yet attended an NCD Introduction, they will have two opportunities to do so this spring: Saturday, April 14 at Grace UMC, 300 E. Gartner Rd., Naperville, led by the Rev. Royal Speidel; and Saturday, April 21, at Federated Church, 200 S. Barrington, Wauconda, led by the Rev. Gary Waters.

Both NCD Introductions will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at noon. Cost for the events of $10 includes light refreshments, the ABC’s of Natural Church Development booklet, and other handouts and materials.

Register for the April events by contacting Judy Siaba at (312) 346-9766, ext. 124, or jsiaba@umcnic.org.

NCD Introduction will present the basic components of the 5-step NCD process, including all-by-itself growth, health team, eight quality characteristics and minimum factor.

Anyone who wants to learn more about NCD is invited. Churches new to NCD should bring a team of four- to six-persons from the congregation.

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Lay hospital visitation training will be April 14

(March 30) Laity from churches in the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) are invited to a Lay Hospital Visitation Workshop from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 14, at First UMC, 216 E. Highland Ave., Elgin.

Jean Bush, NIC director of Leadership and Program Development, and Art Webb, vice chair of the NIC Older Adults Council, will offer training on the role of a lay visitor in a hospital.

This is the first in a series of four workshops on compassionate care being sponsored by the NIC Older Adults Council. Goal of the workshop is to encourage local congregations to have an active lay ministry devoted to compassionate care.

Cost to attend this workshop is $15, which includes lunch and materials. Registration deadline is April 5. To register, mail registration information and checks to Natarsha Gardner, Northern Illinois Conference, 217 Division St., Elgin, IL 60120.

For more information, send e-mail to Joyce Fieldstad, or call Jean Bush at (847) 931-0710, ext. 14.

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1 week + Jesus = A lifetime

By Bruce Nelson, Director
Northern Illinois Conference Outdoor and Retreat Ministries

(March 30) A gift of a week at church camp can be a gift that lasts a lifetime for the participant and a beginning of a life-long relationship in the United Methodist tradition.

I was 11 years old when I attended my first church camp. The fifth grade Sunday school was going to camp, and I was invited to come along as one of the neighborhood kids. My parents paid a deposit and the United Methodist Women gave me a church scholarship for the rest of the fee. I was on my way to a week of fun at camp.

What a week! Just think: a cabin of seven boys and a college-age counselor who was our best friend and big brother for six special days. We read devotions, memorized verses, participated in skits at campfires, and learned what it meant to be in commun4A-5Aity. Oh yes, we played games, performed service projects, took our turn at washing dishes and setting the table for the rest of camp, but that community was greater than the individuals in our cabin, it included the other cabins of boys and, of course, the cabins of girls.

‘Home in the Woods’

Our cabin was paired up with a cabin of girls and together we built a special “Home in the Woods.” That “Home in the Woods” was our unique place where we could talk about anything and listen to the sounds of God’s voice. Our counselors helped us study our lessons and talked to us as if we were the most important persons in the whole world. Remarkably, we listened to what was being taught about the possibility of a different life by coming to know Jesus personally and what it meant to follow in his footsteps. Our counselor, Dan, was a living, walking and talking example of who we could become. I wanted to be just like Dan.

I returned home from that week of camp a different person. I knew something about Jesus and wanted to begin a different path for my life and did not know how. I started reading my Bible, praying and living differently. Sunday school and worship became the most important time of the week for me. I was hungry to learn.

The excitement of this one-week experience did not wear off in the next few months or the next few years as my parents dropped me off at Sunday school each and every week. Imagine my excitement when Mom and Dad began to attend worship with me and became more active members in the church that invited their son to go to a week of church camp that redirected my life.

A simple gift

One week of church camp was a simple gift to me when I was 11 years old. During that week I was introduced to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. That has resulted in a lifetime of devotion and avocation for me. But, more importantly, it brought my parents to an active participation in the life of the United Methodist Church. What a great recruitment model: one week of church camp + an introduction to Jesus Christ = a lifetime of service to Christ and the church for more than just the person who attends.

Consider giving a gift of a week of church camp to the children and youths of your church. Extend an invitation to their friends or those marginalized in your immediate community. I promise they will have a fun experience, they will be introduced to Jesus Christ, and they will come home changed by the experience. I cannot guarantee that they will live a life of service or that their parents will begin attending church, but what if: 1 week + Jesus = A lifetime.

More information is available about Northern Illinois Outdoor and Retreat Ministries summer camping programs on the Web at www.nicccamp.org or by calling me at (800) NIC-CAMP.

Nelson is completing his 30th year of ministry in Northern Illinois.

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Town and Rural grants available

(March 30) The Northern Illinois Conference Town and Rural Center invites applications for 2007 grants. Mission of the Town & Rural Center is to equip rural and small town churches for effective ministry, regardless of the numbers of their membership or the grandeur of their buildings.

Grants are awarded based on the following criteria:

Deadline for receiving completed applications is April 15. Requests for applications or other inquiries should be directed to the Rev. Monica William, P.O. Box 267, Ashton, IL 61006 or (815) 453-2328.

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BOM awards Endowed Scholarships for 7th year

(March 30) For the seventh consecutive year, the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) Board of Ordained Ministry (BOM) has awarded funds above and beyond the long-standing Ministerial Education scholarship funds for students enrolled within a theological school and preparing for ordained ministry within the annual conference.

“This special award is called the Endowed Scholarship Award and is funded from investment earnings that flow from several restricted funds controlled by the Board of Ordained Ministry and managed by the NIC United Methodist Foundation,” said the Rev. Thomas Petty, vice president for Business Affairs/Chief Financial Officer at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (G-ETS) and BOM member.

For the 2006-07 award year, the following students received an award from the Endowed Scholarship program:

From G-ETS, Evanston: Calvin Culpepper, Alice Hedges, Sirchester Jackson, Paul Andrew Judd, Edwina Kadera, Charles Murray Jr., Jose Francisco Ramos-Lara, and Hyoungchel (Tom) Yang.

From University of Dubuque Theological Seminary: Eric Blachford, Douglas Carroll, Cindy Marino, Marilyn Nolan and Andrew Ploenzke.

“The board is grateful for the cooperation of the Rev. Harry Nicol, president of the Foundation, in the stewardship of these funds and expresses its gratitude to the Rev. Lillian Gibbs and the members of her work area within the board for administering the review of applications and the selection of awardees,” Petty said. “The work of the board and the preparation of effective, well-educated clergy is supported and enhanced by contributions from churches and church members to the Ministerial Education Fund, which for more than 35 years has been an apportioned fund of the United Methodist Church.”

For more about the Ministerial Education Fund, visit www.umcgiving.org/content/MEF/default.asp.

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DeKalb, Elgin Districts sponsor
Safe Sanctuaries training

(March 30) Elgin and DeKalb Districts are sponsoring a Safe Sanctuaries training event on Saturday, April 28, at Cornerstone UMC, 41W170 Russell Rd. in Elgin. The event will include training in the Korean language.

The event will provide an opportunity to talk to an insurance agent, hear a young person’s point of view, review reasons for having a Safe Sanctuaries policy, discuss background checks and state requirements.

Cost is $7 per person. Child care will be available by reservation.

For more information, contact Natarsha Gardner, (847) 931-0710, ext. 16, fax (847) 931-0732.

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2nd UM, Muslim Clergy Dinner
to be April 26 at North Central

(March 30) North Central College will host the 2nd Annual United Methodist and Muslim Clergy Interfaith Dinner Thursday, April 26. This year’s theme is “Building Trust: Interfaith Relationships in an Unreconciled World.”

The dinner will be at the college’s White Activity Center on Benton St. The Rev. Edgar Hiestand, NIC Ecumenical and Interreligious Officer, said this year’s dinner will highlight activities in churches and mosques that further interfaith relations.

Last year, the Islamic Foundation in Villa Park hosted the first dinner.

For more information, contact Hiestand at (708) 660-9168.

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Levoy to lead April 29 workshop
on answering God’s call on your life

(March 30) A workshop presented by Gregg Levoy, author of Callings, For Those Seeking the Authentic Life, will be Sunday, April 29, 1 to 5 p.m., at Gary UMC, 224 Main St., Wheaton.

Levoy is a former adjunct professor of journalism at the University of New Mexico and former columnist and reporter for the Cincinnati Enquirer and USA Today. He has written about the subject of callings for the New York Times Magazine, Washington Post, Omni, Psychology Today, Reader’s Digest and many other publications, as well as for corporate, promotional and television projects.

Levoy will also speak at 9 and 11 a.m. worship services, and during the church’s Master Teacher Series at 10 a.m. in the chapel.

Cost of the workshop is $30. A soup, salad and sandwich lunch will be served at 12:15 p.m. for $7.

This workshop will be of particular interest to those persons answering the call of God upon their lives. Inquiring, exploring or declared candidates and those in ministry as ordained probationer on the deacon or elder tracks are invited to participate in the workshop.

Scholarships are offered by the Northern Illinois Conference Board of Ordained Ministry. Candidates for ordained ministry with the Northern Illinois Conference can check the Gary Church Web site, www.garychurch.org, to access an application for scholarship.

For more information, call (630) 668-3100 or contact the Rev. Sandra Sagehorn.

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Camp Reynoldswood to present
first Day Camp program for children

(March 30) Camp Reynoldswood, 621 Reynoldswood Rd. in Dixon, will present its first Day Camp program for children entering kindergarten through 8th grade. Children will enjoy the camp experience, but return home each evening to their family. For parents, this is an opportunity for child care that is active and educational as well as spiritual.

Each week, Day Camp, conducted by Northern Illinois Conference Outdoor and Retreat Ministries, will explore a different theme with a field trip off site and different activities in addition to swimming, canoeing and other such outdoor pursuits.

Schedule of day camps is as follows:

Day Camp will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Cost is $135 per week. Cost includes lunch and two snacks each day, T-shirt, water bottle, field trip and all activities.

Persons who register for all seven weeks receive a $50 discount. To register, contact Camp Reynoldswood, (815) 284-6979. Registration information is available on the Web at www.niccamp.org under the Day Camp tab.

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9th annual Marcy-Newberry spring benefit,
fashion extravaganza will be April 28

(March 30) Metro Women’s Auxiliary of Marcy-Newberry Association invites you to attend its 9th Annual Spring Benefit Luncheon/Fashion Extravaganza at the Lexington House, 7717 West 95th St., Hickory Hills, on Saturday, April 28, at noon. Tickets are $50 each.

Marcy-Newberry Association was founded in 1883 by Elizabeth Marcy, a dedicated volunteer. Her vision was to help provide direct social services to low-income persons residing on Chicago’s west side. Effective Dec. 9, the agency is 123 years old.

Despite the ever-increasing needs of the community, it continues the rich legacy of service in 12 locations on the west and south sides of Chicago.

This year marks the Metro Women’s Auxiliary’s 20th anniversary as an organization of volunteers whose purpose is “Support and Service.” Primary goal is to raise funds to support quality programs where thousands of children and youths are served daily through Head Start, Day Care, Latch Key, School Age and evening activities. The agency also offers support services to senior citizens as well as homeless women and children.

Metro Women’s Auxiliary officers are Daisy Bell, president, South Shore UMC, Chicago; Felice Johnson, vice president and 2007 event chairperson, Grace in Faith Christian Church; Patricia Caples, secretary, Resurrection UMC, Chicago; and Patricia Phillips, treasurer, St. Mark UMC, Chicago.

Connie Williams, a member of St. Mark UMC, is coordinator and commentator for this event at which the Newberry Children’s Choir will perform.

For more information or tickets, call Gladys King-Lucas, (312) 829-7555.

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‘Create the Life You Want’ will be April 14

(March 30) “Beginning Anew: Create the Life You Want to Live” is being sponsored by the Mental Health Ministries of First UMC, 1032 Maple Ave., on Saturday, April 14, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This program is for women who may be empty nesters, divorced, widowed, retired, needing a change or just looking for more.

A morning workshop, “Mastering What’s Next,” will begin at 9:30 a.m. with lunch, exhibits and demonstrations following at 11:30 a.m.

Two afternoon workshops, out of six, may be chosen to attend. They will begin at 1:30 p.m. and repeated at 3:15 p.m. Subjects of these workshops are:

Leaders of these workshops will include Jacqui Neurauter, graduate of Coaches Training Institute; Shelly Zabielski, BS, MAT, who is completing her Masters of Science in Clinical Psychology; Marcia Gerzan, financial coach and divorce mediator and educator; Sally Strosahl, MA, LCPC, marriage and family therapist; Sheila Hallman, RN, Advocate Parish Nurse at First UMC; Carol Lysne, director of Mental Health Ministries at First UMC; and Bonnie Price, MA, retired social worker and great grandmother.

Cost is $15 for each workshop, $15 for lunch and exhibits or $35 for the entire day. Registration is requested by April 12.

For more information, call (630) 968-7120 or visit the church’s Web site.

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Anderson to give keynote at ‘Women’s Day Apart’

(March 30) The Rev. Danita Anderson, Aurora District superintendent, will be the featured speaker at “Women’s Day Apart,” Saturday, April 28, at Grace UMC, 300 E. Gartner Rd., Naperville. Theme for the event, which will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and offer several workshops, is “With All Your Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength.”

Women’s Day Apart is designed to provide rest and renewal for body, mind and spirit in an environment to help attendees refocus their faith and reorient their life.

Attendees may sign up for two workshops, one in the morning, and one in the afternoon. Each workshop will be offered at both times. It is recommended that attendees bring or wear comfortable loose clothing for the workshops targeted on Yoga, dance and exercise.

Workshops are as follows:

Gathering music will be provided by “If,” a female quartet and instrumentalists that play a blend of contemporary Christian favorites and original inspirational music.

Registration deadline is April 22. Child care is $5 per child or a $10 per family.

For more information, call (630) 355-1748.

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Interfaith bus tour educates,
shows potential of dialogue

(March 23) The first weekend of March, the 2nd Bishop’s Interfaith Bus Tour visited seven other faith traditions, including two Muslim sects. Besides learning about the inherent potential for world peace and understanding that interfaith dialogue possesses, the nearly 60 riders also learned that interfaith dialogue can be fraught with minefields of misunderstandings.

The tour was the 29th Bishop’s Bus Tour conducted by the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC). All but one other has been targeted at building support for mission activities within the conference.

“This interfaith tour is a gift Bishop [Hee-Soo] Jung has brought to us,” said Harriet McCabe, who has coordinated the tours since they began in 1984. She said this month’s tour had 10 clergy, two deaconesses, a retired Presbyterian pastor, a lay person from Wisconsin and an Episcopalian. There was also a family of three. Five of the six NIC districts were represented.

Bishop Jung encouraged tour members to let God’s spirit into their hearts. “I want to be recreated again by God through this interfaith experience,” he said. “Mutual transformation happens when we embrace others. It’s not simple, it’s a long process, and this is a very small step that you can advance this weekend.”

Reach higher ground

The bishop said the hope of the tour’s organizers is that everyone involved can reach a higher ground to serve all humans, even though they have different faith traditions.

The tour visited Congregation Beth Shalom Synagogue (Jewish) in Naperville; Jain Society of Metropolitan Chicago and the BAPS — Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Hindu), both in Bartlett; Sikh Gurdwara — Sikh Religious Society of Chicago, Palatine; Korean Zen Buddhist Temple, Chicago; Niagara Foundation (Muslim), Mount Prospect; and Islamic Foundation of Villa Park. The Niagara Foundation’s roots are Turkish, and the Islamic Foundation’s are primarily Pakistani.

The Rev. Chris Pierson, NIC director of Outreach and Witness Ministries, pointed out, “A study found the Chicago area to be the most religiously diverse community in the nation.”

“Radical hospitality” was the hallmark of the tour. Tenets of each faith were explained, most frequently emphasizing the belief in one supreme entity.

Members of Congregation Beth Shalom stayed well beyond allotted time to explain Judaism, and show the Torah to tour members.

At the Sikh Society, tour members sat on the floor for worship, partook of a different style of communion, listened to a description of Sikh beliefs, and then went downstairs where they sat on the floor again to be served lunch by their hosts.

Tour members heard a heartfelt plea at the Sikh Society by Executive Secretary Sadhu Singh Rikhiraj that they help people understand who Sikhs are. He described circumstances where Sikh men, who wear beards and turbans, and their women, who cover their heads, were treated as terrorists after 911 by ignorant persons. He said they still encounter such ignorance.

Fortunate to be dominant religion

“We are fortunate to be the dominant religion in the U.S.,” said Bishop Jung. “It is difficult to be in the minority in this country. I am inviting you on this tour to be ambassadors to extend the hand of love. God’s landscape is different from our landscape. Our Christian church can be very stubborn to learn about it.”

At the Korean Zen Buddhist Temple in Chicago, tour members were led in a nearly 30-minute meditation by a female monk before she answered questions about Buddhist beliefs.

Members of the Niagara Foundation stood outside their facility in the frigid night to greet the tour members — and to wave goodbye. The foundation’s members provided a Turkish meal, taught about both Turkey and their Muslim faith, and encouraged the tour to return next year.

“We can make a difference by dialogue,” said Kemal Oksuz, executive director of the foundation. “Everyone has a puzzle piece. Why don’t we put them together?”

Somewhat discomfited

Tour members were discomfited somewhat at the Islamic Foundation of Villa Park, not by a lack of hospitality, but by a very direct description of how Islam and Christianity differ from one another.

Abdul Hameed Dogar, director of the Islamic Foundation, told the tour members: “We all are in some sense Muslim.” He said the most important teaching is that God is one God. “We are all equal. There is no chosen race,” he said, “only those who are most obedient to God.”

Dogar stressed that Muhammad is the “last prophet.” He said that Jesus was only sent to one people, but “Muhammad was sent to the world.” He stressed that the Bible differs from Catholic to Protestant, but the “Koran is the same everywhere.”

Although Dogar’s presentation emphasized differences, most of the other faith groups dwelt on similarities and areas of common concern.

Absolute joy of tour group

McCabe said at the end of the tour that she could feel the absolute joy of the tour group about how it was received and all that was learned. She noted that the Islamic Foundation experience was “challenging to a lot of the members,” though.

The Rev. Ed Hiestand, NIC ecumenical and interreligious officer, told tour members to remember there is variety in the Islamic world, as evidenced by their visits of the weekend. “How do you deal with that?” he asked. “How do you say, ‘Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,’ and keep on trying?”

Pierson pointed out that there is a reason that religious conflict exists in the world. “There are interfaith and intrafaith reasons,” he said. “Good interfaith dialogue is not just positive.”

Hiestand urged not to be confident that you understand it all. “Humility is important,” he said. “That other religion may be more complicated and diverse than you get on the newscast. Intra dialogues are taking place in all religions, not just ours.”

Better understand yourself

The Rev. Catiana McKay, chair of NIC Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, said it is important to zero in on how to work with others. “We’re not alone,” she said. “Our neighbors include everyone. As you engage in interfaith dialogue, you will want to go back and better understand yourself.”

James Stein, a member of Barrington UMC, said he came on the tour harboring stereotypes, “but everything has changed in my mind.”

The Rev. Im Jung, who attends Grace UMC, Naperville, commented, “We were trying to respect the differences in their God and our God, but we knew it was the same God.”

“All the places we visited drank from different wells,” said the Rev. Laura Crites, associate pastor at First UMC, DeKalb. “But God offers something we can all partake. We can all come together without abandoning who we are.”

“God is among all of us in different cultural ways, but there was love,” said Marilyn Clark, member of Our Saviour’s UMC in Schaumburg.

Under same umbrella

“We are all under the same umbrella,” said Vanessa James, member of Epworth UMC, Chicago. “We are trying to get to the same place. We are after the same goal, trying to know God or Jesus or Buddha.”

Paul Neumann, member of Kingswood UMC in Buffalo Grove, attended the tour with his wife, June, and 27-year-old son, Kristoffer. “I am constantly amazed at how God gives us so many paths to find God,” Paul said. “If not Methodist, you can become Buddhist or Muslim. Love God, love your neighbor. You can find a community to reach your goals because they are basically the same.”

Pierson emphasized that many congregations within the NIC are doing a “marvelous job” of interfaith cooperation. He encouraged the tour members to continue or expand this effort.

“God’s landscape is different from our landscape,” said Bishop Jung. “Our church can be very stubborn to learn about it, but we must serve God as true witnesses. If you share your love with others, it will shine through. God asks us to be a true, good neighbor. God will transform them and us.”

‘If I can be ...’

The Rev. Emily Haight summed up her thoughts about the Bishop’s Interfaith Bus Tour thus:

If I can be as rooted in tradition as a Jew, and as joyful and playful as a Jew at Purim,

If I can live as healthy and non-violent a life as a Jain,

If I can be as humble and devoted as a Hindu,

If I can be as happy as a dancing and chanting Sikh,

If I can be as centered and peaceful as a Buddhist,

If I can be as disciplined as a Muslim,

I will be a much better Christian.

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Mentors to guide new Annual Conference members

(March 23) To make Northern Illinois Annual Conference session in June a more user-friendly experience of holy conferencing, the Annual Conference Committee is seeking to identify new Lay Members. The committee intends to pair first-time Lay Members with mentors who will help them become acquainted with how Annual Conference functions.

Mentors will explain terminology, logistics and procedures.

“The intent is to make the new Lay Members’ experience a pleasant and productive one,” said the Rev. Steven Ziegler, committee member.

If you are a first-time Lay Member to Annual Conference this year or know someone who is, send contact information of name, mailing address, telephone and e-mail to the Rev. Steven Ziegler, P.O. Box 515, Hampshire, IL 60140, (847) 683-2045.

The Annual Conference Committee is also recruiting servant leaders with annual conference experience to be mentors. If you would like to be a mentor, contact Ziegler, (847) 683-2045.

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UMF investment results show 9.9% increase

(March 23) At the end of 2006 the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) United Methodist Foundation had assets in its investment accounts of $42,899,459, an increase of $2,726,205 from the end of 2005. Overall, the investment return on the account for 2006 was 9.9%.

The returns in the various asset accounts were: Domestic Equity Fund, 11.9%; International Equity Fund, 31.41%; Convertible Bond Fund, 13.34%; and Income/Bond Fund, 4.24%.

The returns listed here are before management fees, which average about 1.1% that includes a 0.5% management fee assessed by the Foundation. The Foundation receives no direct financial support from the NIC.

The Foundation retains the services of a team with the Smith Barney Consulting Group as its investment consultant. Eleven different fund professional managers are engaged to manage the various Foundation investment accounts.

Investment program component

At the end of 2006, the Foundation had the following components in its investment program:

In addition to its long-term investment funds, the Foundation also has a short-term fund that is appropriate for churches with money to be invested for one to two years such as during a building campaign.

Socially responsible investing

“There are important advantages to utilizing the services of the Foundation to manage local church investment accounts,” said the Rev. Harry Nicol, president. “First, all accounts are invested in accord with the guidelines for socially responsible investing defined in the 2004 Book of Discipline.

“These guidelines provide investment standards related to companies that produce tobacco products, alcohol, pornographic materials and weapons systems for the military. Investments are prohibited in the gambling industry. Finally, investments in corporations likely to support racial discrimination, violation of human rights, sweatshops or forced labor are avoided.”

In addition, Nicol pointed out that the management fees paid to the Foundation by its investors support the other work of the Foundation. This includes financial stewardship training, assisting local churches to develop and promote endowment funds, administration of the grants program and providing guidance to individuals who wish to make creative gifts to their local churches.

Free up human resources

“By allowing the Foundation to manage invested funds,” Nicol said, “the human resources of the local church are freed up for ministry including the encouragement of additional gifts to the church’s endowment funds.”

Any group seeking further information about how the Foundation’s investment opportunities might assist it may call the Foundation office at (312) 346-9766, ext. 104, and speak with Nicol, Janet Boryk or Carolyn Cook. The Foundation staff will be pleased to come to your local church to provide details about how this program may benefit your congregation and its ministries in your community.

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CNW District seeks nominations
for Aldersgate Awards

(March 23) The Chicago Northwestern District (CNW) seeks nominations for its Annual Aldersgate Banquet Awards to celebrate the ongoing work of the Spirit.

The banquet awards will recognize congregations that demonstrate quality characteristics of Natural Church Development: Need-Oriented Evangelism, Passionate Spirituality, Holistic Small Groups, Loving Relationships and Inspiring Worship. Other award categories are: New Member Growth, Attendance Growth, Community Outreach, Healthy Youth Group, Nurturing Children’s Ministries, Mission Giving, and Peace and Justice Ministries.

The annual Aldersgate Banquet is to recognize the efforts of healthy and stronger congregations, and to celebrate the diverse ministries that God is growing in the Chicago Northwestern District, according to the CNW Strategy Committee.

Congregations may nominate themselves, others in their cluster or others on the district whom they can identify as being faithful in one of the nomination categories. All nomination information is confidential.

All district pastors should have received a letter and nominations form from the Rev. Vickie Hadaway, chair of the CNW Strategy Committee, (708) 386-1188; if not, contact the District Office, (312) 346-9766, ext. 134, or the Rev. Young-Mee Park, (708) 383-4983, who will be receiving completed nominations on behalf of the committee either at the March 27 “Day Apart with the Bishop” or by April 1 at First UMC, 324 N. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, 60302.

The annual banquet, scheduled this year for Sunday, May 20, 6 to 8 p.m., is open to all congregations to help celebrate these exciting ministries.

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Visit to coast provides ‘eye
opening’ view of devastation

(March 16) Eleven members of the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) Extended Cabinet spent a week on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in February serving as Volunteers in Mission to help rebuild a house destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

The team also got a one-day guided tour of the destruction and response work being done in the Mississippi area.

“This trip was eye opening,” said the Rev. Harry Nicol, president of the NIC United Methodist Foundation. “It is very troubling that there is still so much devastation nearly a year and a half after the storms. The size of the affected area is immense, and we didn’t begin to see it all.”

Most members of the team were stunned by the amount of destruction still evident in the area and couldn’t help but note the piles of rubble, collapsed buildings, acres of dead pines, and a mattress hanging in a tree.

“I was struck by how uneven the redevelopment, the pace of recovery, has been for families,” said Lonnie Chafin, NIC treasurer and director of Administrative Services. “Some families have huge mansions rebuilt, while other families still have trash hanging in their trees. You could tell just by driving down the street who had good insurance and who didn’t.”

The Extended Cabinet stayed in a pre-fab dormitory erected by the Mississippi Conference and United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) on the grounds of Gulfside Assembly, the historic African-American retreat site in Waveland, Miss., that was completely destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

“I have attended retreats at the Gulfside Assembly in the past,” said the Rev. Addison Shields, Chicago Southern District superintendent, “and it was just painful to see that every building had been washed away and nothing remains, not even the new 10-day-old building that had just been dedicated in honor of Bishop Alfred Norris.”

The dormitory now standing at Gulfside is one of five structures the Mississippi Conference has built to house volunteers coming to help the recovery effort.

The NIC team was led on a tour of the volunteer housing, inspected warehouses filled with building supplies, visited damaged church buildings, talked to survivors, and prayed. Repeatedly, the group formed a circle, grasped hands and prayed for God’s mercy, love and healing.

The team was told that Katrina destroyed 70,000 houses and damaged 68,000 more in Mississippi alone.

“In a good year, with a good economy, 2,800 houses could be rebuilt,” said Lisa Michiels, Communications coordinator for disaster recovery in the Mississippi Conference. “So you can see why they say it’s going to take about 12 years for us to rebuild.”

The NIC team experienced “the sadness of such great loss and the hope that the people of Mississippi have,” Shields said. “God is able to provide the vision and the strength needed to rebuild and recover from such loss.”

“The serious and effective response being made by the United Methodist conference in Mississippi is very encouraging,” Nicol said. “There are five newly created facilities to serve storm victims and to house and coordinate volunteers who come there to help with the rebuilding. It’s an impressive effort that all United Methodists need to embrace by being a part of the rebuilding. Help will be needed for a long time.”

Many times, the team heard people say that “if it were not for people of faith, no recovery effort would be happening.”

And over and over, United Methodists in Mississippi praised “the connection” and thanked the United Methodists from all over the country who continue to come to help rebuild.

Robert Sharp, Disaster Response coordinator for the Mississippi Conference, said nearly 50,000 United Methodists have already come to the area as volunteers. “Without you and the connectional system,” he said, “Mississippi would be in awful trouble.”

The NIC team was assigned to work on the Bay St. Louis home of Artmeyer “Artie” Darensbourg. She is living in a FEMA trailer in her front yard while her home is being rebuilt by volunteers. She said her roof had been blown off, and water destroyed everything inside. Now that the roof had been replaced and the inside gutted, the house was ready for new walls.

With the instruction and supervision of Bruce Nelson, NIC director of Outdoor and Retreat Ministries, team members hung drywall, taped seams, applied joint compound (“mud”), sanded the dried mud and applied a second coat — and visited with Artie.

“Artie greeted us each morning and told us how grateful she was that the church was helping to rebuild her house,” Shields said.

“Being present for folks seemed to be the most important work,” Chafin said. “While we were fixing a house, it was really expressing support for people. Letting them know they’re not alone seemed to be the best aid for their spirit and their future.”

Participating in the work trip were Bishop Hee-Soo Jung; the Rev. Oscar Carrasco, NIC director of Connectional Ministries; Chafin; the Rev. Arlene Christopherson, Elgin District superintendent; the Rev. Ouk-Yean Kim Jueng, Rockford District superintendent; the Rev. Martin Lee, NIC director of Congregational Development and Redevelopment; Nelson; Nicol; the Rev. James Preston, Chicago Northwestern District superintendent; Linda Rhodes, NIC director of Communications; and Shields.

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Dionne Warwick to sing at Rosecrance benefit

(March 16) Grammy Award winner Dionne Warwick will perform at the Rosecrance Foundation Benefit on Monday, April 16, at 6:30 p.m. at Giovanni’s.

“The benefit is to celebrate the joys of recovery and raise funds to support our adolescent treatment program,” said John Griffin, Rosecrance Foundation chair.

Warwick received Grammys for her classic songs “Do You Know the Way to San Jose?,” “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again,” and “That’s What Friends are For,” among more than 60 hits.

All proceeds from the benefit will provide treatment scholarships for the neediest youths and their families and will help Rosecrance build a new Monarch Recovery Home for girls ages 15 to 20.

Tickets for the benefit are $150 per person or $1,500 for a table of 10. The event is open to the public. For more information, contact Lynne Vass, CFRE, vice president of Development, at (815) 997-5602.

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Let us pray

By Roger Curless, Northern Illinois Conference Lay Leader

(March 16) In a few months we will be at the 168th Northern Illinois Annual Conference in St. Charles. This is an important ministry in the life of our United Methodist connection. From mid-May through the end of June, Annual Conferences across the denomination will be meeting to worship, hear reports, pass budgets, engage in holy conferencing and celebrate ministry in their locations and around the world. Many of you reading this will be a part of that conference in Northern Illinois.

Our Methodist history tells us that early conferences were times of not only being accountable for the work of churches and pastors in the past year, but were also times of intense prayer and Bible study. We need to return and revitalize our work by praying the presence of God into our Annual Conference session. Too often we have swept ourselves up in the busy work of maintaining an agenda, following a schedule and working hard so that we have forgotten how our work can be best accomplished when we are able to let God’s Spirit move among us and guide us.

Continual worship and prayer

God’s presence comes to us through our continual worship and prayer. I believe we need to call one another to prayer. I am asking that we all take at least 10 minutes a week between now and June to:

Imagine the blessing

Imagine what a wonderful experience we will have, what a blessing this will be for our conference if several thousand United Methodists across Northern Illinois are in prayer throughout the time between now and the opening session of Annual Conference. There will be such a powerful presence of God!

It feels like we sometimes see our Annual Conference only as a business session with an agenda and tasks that we must perform. I have talked with many of you who don’t look forward to Annual Conference. Some would like to shorten it so we could just get the work done and go home. I also know that many of us come and go, and are not always a part of the Bible study, worship or sessions.

Perhaps it is too easy to not be fully engaged when one does not feel the presence of God in our work together. We need the presence of God, and I ask that you pray about that from now until the opening session and perhaps beyond.

Will you join in this prayer discipline? Will you help surround the 168th Northern Illinois Annual Conference with your prayers before it begins and as it is in session? Will you pray God’s presence into our session so that all there will feel the transforming power of the Holy Spirit at every moment from the opening gavel to the closing benediction?

I pray that you will. So my brothers and sisters, let us pray ...

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NCD Introduction sessions are April 14, 21

(March 16) The next two coach-training sessions of Natural Church Development (NCD) will be Saturday, March 31, at Christ UMC, 4509 Highcrest Rd., Rockford, and Saturday, April 28, at St. Mark UMC, 8441 S. St. Lawrence Ave., Chicago.

The Rev. Sharon Schwab, Indiana District superintendent, Western Pennsylvania Conference, will lead the one-day seminars that run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

To attend the coach training, persons should have an introductory knowledge of NCD, evidenced by attending an NCD Introduction and reading either Color Your World with NCD or Natural Church Development, both by Christian Schwarz. They should also submit a coach application to the office of Congregational Development and Redevelopment, Suite 1820, 77 W. Washington St., Chicago, IL 60602 or call (312) 346-9766, ext. 108. Books and applications are available through the office.

For persons who want to attend coach training but have not yet attended an NCD Introduction, they will have two opportunities to do so this spring: Saturday, April 14 at Grace UMC, 300 E. Gartner Rd., Naperville, led by the Rev. Royal Speidel; and Saturday, April 21, at Federated Church, 200 S. Barrington, Wauconda, led by the Rev. Gary Waters.

Both NCD Introductions will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at noon. Cost for the events of $10 includes light refreshments, the ABC’s of Natural Church Development booklet, and other handouts and materials.

Register for the April events by contacting Judy Siaba at (312) 346-9766, ext. 124, or jsiaba@umcnic.org.

NCD Introductions will introduce pastors and laity to the basic components of the 5-step NCD process, including all-by-itself growth, health team, eight quality characteristics and minimum factor.

Anyone who wants to learn more about NCD is invited to attend. For churches that are new to NCD, it is recommend that four-to-six leaders from the congregation attend an introduction together.

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Foundation awards grants totaling
$43,660 to 31 innovative ministries

(March 9) The United Methodist Foundation of the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) awarded grants totaling $43,660 to 31 United Methodist churches and related agencies to help fund innovative ministries. The Foundation has awarded $447,510 to more than 151 ministries since the program’s inception.

Ed Pigg, member of the Foundation Board of Directors and chair of the Grants Committee, expressed the hope that the program will grow. “We recognize the worthiness in all of the applications,” he said, but added that the Foundation was not able to fund them at 100% of the request or even to fund all of the applications received.

The 2007 grant recipients are:

The grants are funded by income from the Foundation’s Permanent Endowment Fund and from fees to manage local church investments.

“This money doesn’t fall out of the skies,” Pigg said. “Generous brothers and sisters in Christ, committed to the work of the church, make contributions to our Permanent Endowment Fund, which enables us to award the grants.”

To learn more about these projects or to help the philanthropic mission of the grants program, visit the Foundation Web site at www.nicumf.org or contact Janet Boryk at (312) 346-9766, ext. 106.

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Princeton will ‘Journey to Jerusalem’ April 6, 7

(March 9) On Friday and Saturday, April 6 and 7, First UMC, Princeton, will present “Journey to Jerusalem,” a walk-through dramatic experience about the events of Holy Week seen through the eyes of those who were there.

This dramatic event includes activities and foods in the Jerusalem marketplace, a chance to rest while hearing and seeing stories about folks who knew Jesus during his ministry, and then a journey through Jerusalem for up close and personal meetings with people who were part of the saga: scared disciples, frightened and angry officials, and perplexed bystanders.

“If your family, youth group or class can’t actually make it to Jerusalem this Easter, make a pilgrimage to ‘Journey to Jerusalem.’ It’s the next best thing,” said the Rev. James Galbreath, pastor. “It’s a great experience for all ages. There are so many actors in costume we stopped counting at about 70.”

“Pilgrims” can come any time between 5 and 8 p.m. on Good Friday, April 6, or between 1 and 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 7. The experience takes about 90 minutes. There are frequent places to sit and rest. The church produces “Journey” as a gift to the community; there is no admission charge, but a voluntary offering barrel at the end is available for those who wish to contribute.

First UMC of Princeton is on the corner of Peru St. (U.S. 6) and Church St., two blocks east of Main St., which is the Princeton exit from I-80. No reservations are necessary except for persons in wheelchairs. To make a reservation for a wheelchair visit, call the church at (815) 872-2821.

“Journey to Jerusalem” has been presented at Princeton UMC for several years, but not for the past three. It is being produced this year as part of the church’s celebration of its 175th anniversary.

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Jung, Mujahid stress importance
of interfaith dialogues, cooperation

(March 2) Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) episcopal leader, Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, stressed the importance of interfaith cooperation in a dialogue with Abdul Malik Mujahid, chair of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago.

Approximately 200 persons attended their interfaith dialogue on “Christianity and Islam” at North Central College’s Pfeiffer Hall in Naperville on Jan. 25.

Jung and Mujahid shared their personal faith journeys, discussed what they liked about each other’s religion and stated emphatically the importance of interfaith cooperation.

The two leaders’ religious organizations signed a “Declaration of Relationship” last April committing to a “relationship grounded in our mutual love for God and dedication to the ethical core of our faiths.”

Bishop Jung said he was attracted to Christianity because of the inclusive love of God and the doctrine “to really love and understand each other although we are all different: to love your God and your neighbor as yourself.”

Common faith teachings

Mujahid cited Islam’s belief in one God and eternal life. “It’s all too easy to forget about the teachings of our common faith,” he said.

Both Jung and Mujahid have experienced discrimination because of their respective religions. Mujahid decried “Islamaphobia,” and added, “I like to remember the colleagues, brothers and sisters of other faiths who have stood up with us to correct wrongs.”

Jung described his interfaith walk as being “in a way,” a family issue. “I was a center of controversy in my family. My family didn’t share my faith, nor I theirs [Buddhist],” he said. “I learned to stand up for my faith.”

The bishop emphasized that interfaith dialogue is really about how different faiths can have harmony living together. “Proclamation of the Christian witness is very important for us, but everywhere you go you experience tension,” he said. “Very faithful Christians burned Buddhist temples, and very faithful Buddhists burned Christian churches. Interfaith dialogue is about how to work together for the common good, about achieving a common goal as humanity.”

All religions from God

Mujahid responded that Islam believes all religions flow from God. “There are so many things in common in different faiths,” he explained. “All people are created by the same God. We believe God sends prophets in all ages to all people. We believe in all of them. We believe in those in the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Koran. But we also believe in those whose names I’m not aware of.”

The product of a good faith is a good person, according to Mujahid. “The more you rise in your faith, the more you grow as a person,” he said. “Bishop Jung and I have yet to find a point we can fight about.”

“We cannot lead alone,” Jung emphasized. “Not one single person can solve the entire interfaith problem. We need each other. We are learning how we interrelate.”

Jung said he admired the “absolute simplicity” of the Islamic faith: There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His prophet.

“As a Christian, we are compromised in many ways by our culture,” Jung said. “I’ve always admired their prayer life, their simple faith that leads to the powerful living they do. Islam is a total submission to God. I’d love to live that way.”

Admired Christian teaching

Mujahid said he admired the Christian teaching to love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and might, and your neighbor as yourself. “I believe that,” he said. “I also admire your commitment in millions of dollars spent on sending missionaries to tell what Christians believe. I was born in a missionary hospital. Lots of people around the world are poor and needy.”

The concept of Jesus as the son of God bothers Mujahid, however. “And what bothers me more,” he said, “is that a lot of war and suffering has been inflicted around the world by people who believe in Christianity.”

Mujahid said that neither Christians nor Muslims can get away from their collective responsibility. “Interfaith work is the dialogue of the willing,” he pointed out. “The willing are nice people. How do we enter dialogue with people who do not believe in dialogue? Methodists should work to extend the dialogue to people of the Christian tradition, such as Southern Baptists.”

Mujahid urged the audience to take the dialogue and transplant it into different places. “Cross pollination is happening,” he said.

Model life-changing interfaith relations

Bishop Jung said he celebrates that many local communities are involved in interfaith relationships. “We are prayerfully trying to constantly model life-changing interfaith relations,” he said. “I hope they will continue to build up and expand.”

Moderator for the dialogue was the Rev. Lynn Pries, NCC chaplain and an NIC member. The dialogue was sponsored by the college’s Cultural Events Committee, the Office of International Studies and the Office of Ministry and Service.

North Central College will be the site of the 2nd Annual United Methodist and Muslim Clergy Interfaith Dinner on Thursday, April 26. The Rev. Ed Hiestand, NIC Ecumenical and Interreligious Officer, said this year’s dinner theme is “Building Trust: Interfaith Relationships in an Unreconciled World.”

The dinner will be at the college’s White Activity Center on Benton St. Last year, the Islamic Foundation in Villa Park hosted a similar dinner at which the “Declaration of Relationship” was signed by Bishop Jung and Mujahid.

Hiestand said this year’s dinner will highlight activities in churches and mosques that further interfaith relations. The “Declaration of Relationship” text is available on the NIC Web site: www.umcnic.org.

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Bishop Craig to meet with clergywomen on March 9

(March 2) Clergywomen of the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) will meet with Bishop Judith Craig (retired) on Friday, March 9, at Kingswood UMC, 401 W. Dundee Rd., Buffalo Grove. Bishop Craig will lead the women in a discussion about self care, fellowship, ministry and the 2008 General Conference. The meeting will be from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The gathering is to discern direction and to formulate goals as sisters in Christ.

The day will begin with opening worship at 9 a.m. At 10 a.m. will be “Connecting,” 11 a.m. “Privacy to Partnership — Colleague to Companion.”

After lunch at noon, a discussion of General Conference issues will occur at 1:30 p.m. At 3:30 p.m. General Conference elections and delegates will be addressed.

A closing worship at 6:15 p.m. will follow dinner at 6.

Cost to participate in the gathering is $15, which will be payable at the door. Registration deadline is March 6.

For more information or to register for this event, contact Judy Lantinen, (847) 931-0710, ext. 11, or jlantine@ umcnic.org.

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Williams to be honored by G-ETS Ministry Sunday

(March 2) Several years ago Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (G-ETS) established the Ministry Sunday Program to lift up the importance of ministry as a calling and to publicly recognize persons engaged in effective ministry. The Rev. Margaret Ann Williams, the first Deacon-in-Full-Connection to be chosen for this honor, will be celebrated on Sunday, March 18, at 4 p.m. at Maple Park UMC, 11705 S. Elizabeth Ave., Chicago.

Though recently retired, Williams continues full-time in her 42nd year on the staff of Marcy- Newberry Association in Chicago, her past primary appointment. She also is still on the ministerial staff at Maple Park UMC.

The seminary is establishing a scholarship fund in Williams’ name with an initial gift of $1,000 to be endowed when the goal of $25,000 is reached.

Williams has designated the recipients of the scholarship to be Pembroke Institute alumni or members of Black Methodists for Church Renewal.

The Rev. Dr. Gennifer Brooks, assistant professor of Preaching and director of the Styberg Preaching Institute, will be the “Preacher of the Hour.” The Pembroke Institute Student’s Choir will sing. All are welcome to share in this afternoon.

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Nominees sought for Denman evangelism award

(March 2) Nominations for the 2007 Denman Evangelism Award are sought for both lay and clergy persons. Nominating forms have been mailed to all clergy and lay members of the Northern Illinois Annual Conference.

The awards, named for the late Dr. Harry Denman, Methodist lay evangelist whom Dr. Billy Graham called “my mentor in evangelism,” are sponsored by The Foundation for Evangelism, founded in 1949 by Denman.

The Denman Evangelism Award was established in 1980 to honor pastors and lay persons doing the work of responsible evangelism in the local church.

The Denman Award is presented each year to inspire and remind that the church’s purpose is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Both pastors and lay persons are eligible for this award. This can involve speaking, personal witnessing, inspiring the church to be involved in evangelism, etc.

Additional nomination forms can be obtained by contacting the Rev. Jay Carr, chair of the Conference Evangelism Work Area, at (815) 623-2292.

Nominations are to be received by March 15 to the Office of Leadership and Program Development, Northern Illinois Conference, 217 Division St., Elgin, IL 60120.

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Chicago Temple to premier Illuminated Bible

(March 2) First UMC at the Chicago Temple, 77 W. Washington St., Chicago, will host the premier showing and Bible study of prints of St. John’s Illuminated Bible using a new learning approach called “visio divina.”

Opening event at the Chicago Temple is Sunday, March 11, at 12:15 p.m. in the lower level Pierce Hall Main Auditorium. Tim Ternes, director of Public Programming and Education Outreach, and Carol Marrin, executive director of the St. John’s team, will introduce the history of the project and a variety of panels.

Twenty-two of the archival quality prints will be displayed during the month of March. The following schedule lists times and locations where persons can meditate using the visual arts of these biblical words created in the 21st century.

The first Illuminated Bible project in modern times was commissioned by the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library of St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minn. Composed in modern English by a 16-person team in Monmouth, Wales, St. John’s Bible was written on vellum by hand using quills, natural handmade inks and hand-ground pigment. Drawings use gold and silver leaf gilding.

For more details, contact Dr. Cheryl Magrini, First UMC minister of Christian Education, (312) 236-4548.

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Levoy to lead ‘Callings’ workshop April 29

(March 2) A workshop presented by Gregg Levoy, author of Callings, For Those Seeking the Authentic Life, will be Sunday, April 29, 1 to 5 p.m., at Gary UMC, 224 Main St., Wheaton.

Levoy is a former adjunct professor of journalism at the University of New Mexico and former columnist and reporter for the Cincinnati Enquirer and USA Today. He has written about the subject of callings for the New York Times Magazine, Washington Post, Omni, Psychology Today, Reader’s Digest and many other publications, as well as for corporate, promotional and television projects.

This workshop will be of particular interest to those persons answering the call of God upon their lives. Inquiring, exploring or declared candidates and those in ministry as ordained probationer on the deacon or elder tracks are invited to participate in the workshop.

Scholarships are offered by the Northern Illinois Conference Board of Ordained Ministry.

For more information, call Gary UMC, (630) 668-3100 or contact the Rev. Sandra Sagehorn.

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