May

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2nd YAK focuses on being ‘youth-friendly’

(May 27) Junior and senior high youths from churches across the Northern Illinois Conference gathered at Barrington UMC on May 7 for the second annual Youth Annual Konference (YAK).

The Rev. Cerna Castro Rand, associate pastor of First UMC of Chicago (The Chicago Temple) preached at the opening worship service and told the young people about her personal faith journey.

Rand, who was raised a Roman Catholic, was invited by a senior high classmate to attend a United Methodist youth fellowship meeting. “To me it was a new experience to witness the lively fellowship and the warmth of feeling for each other,” she recalled. “I had never before been to any kind of fellowship in the church, especially with a group of young people.”

Despite objections from some of her family, Rand joined the United Methodist church in 1984.

“In this church I have learned to know more about Jesus Christ and what it really means to become a Christian,” Rand said. “I became more active in the church as a youth and a leader. Then I felt the call of God. I wanted to give my life to the Lord.”

Rand encouraged her young listeners not to be intimidated by their ages. “God will strengthen you in all that you do,” she said. “You might have some doubts as to what God wants you to be and to do, but I want to tell you that young people can make a difference in the lives of others.”

Rand told the youths that whatever vocation or career they pursue, “always remember that you are called by God to make a difference in others’ lives and in the world.”

“God has given us gifts,” Rand said. “God wants us to build a community where there is love, respect, appreciation and acceptance to all. We are different from each other, but we are all children of God and brothers and sisters to each other because we have one God who created us in his or her image.”

The 2005 YAK included youth-led workshops on a variety of topics, including band and music, “Taking Jesus out of the box,” Plumbline Tour, and junior high pressures.

A plenary session had reports on youth activities, but no resolutions were voted on. “This year we didn’t get any resolutions from anybody,” said Hesed Campañano, chair of the Conference Council on Youth Ministries (CCYM).

“My approach this year was more of maintaining,” Campañano said. “Last year was breaking new ground, and this year I just wanted to sustain what we had started and focus more on fellowship with youths instead of the business side of things.”

Campañano said CCYM wanted to make this year’s YAK a “youth-friendly” event. “Last year a lot of the kids really had no idea what a plenary was and what a lot of the technical language meant,” she said. “My objective was to make it less technical and have an opportunity for fellowship and worship for youths. Then we’ll try to ease some of the technical back in [in future years].”

Most participants thought the event was a success. “I think it went really well,” Campañano said, “and based on the evaluations that we got, a lot of people enjoyed it and they felt like it was a good Saturday for them.”

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Dakota expansion will turn around sanctuary

(May 27) Dakota UMC, 120 S. Church St., held a ground breaking service May 15 for a $535,000 expansion that will turn around its sanctuary, make the building handicap accessible, add a multi-purpose room for fellowship events and put a new principal entrance to the west. The cost is expected to be reduced by more than $100,000 through the volunteer labor of members and friends.

Rockford District Superintendent the Rev. Addison Shields saluted the congregation for “thinking outside the box” and exemplifying the vision of Northern Illinois Conference’s Bishop Hee-Soo Jung for not thinking with an attitude of scarcity. “You are truly thinking out of an attitude of abundance,” Shields said, “You can do all things by faith through Jesus Christ.”

The Rev. Kangse Lee, Dakota UMC pastor for the past six years, prayed at the ground breaking ceremony, “May this place become a home where we together can be nurtured.”

More than 80 persons of all ages, including former pastors the Revs. Bruce Janes and Young Seon Kim, surrounded the lawn where the expansion will occur, took shovels in hand and dug in to break ground for the project.

Among other changes to the building will be a new kitchen and a room for youths. There will also be a church office and a library. Two handicapped-accessible restrooms will be added on the main level and lower level. The sanctuary will be remodeled and turned to face the south instead of the north, thus enabling the multi-purpose room to act as an overflow space.

Classrooms will be added for Sunday School, but most notably the church’s King’s Club after-school program will not have to search for additional space for the foreseeable future once the renovation is completed. The program meets every other Monday and provides programs for an average of 67 children.

Kurt Koester, a member of the Dakota UMC finance committee, said, “I’m blown away at the response we’ve gotten for this project.” He said $280,000 has been raised so far in cash gifts and pledges.

Jim Yeoman, chair of the church’s building committee, said he expected work on the project to begin once another $50,000 has been raised. He anticipates that work will be completed shortly before Christmas. “We’re celebrating our 150th anniversary on Nov. 6,” he added, “and we’d like to hold that in our new sanctuary.”

The congregation will worship during construction at Dakota Elementary School beginning the first week of June. Vacation Bible School will be held at the elementary school this year, according to Lee, who described the VBS as huge. “We have 90-95 children and teachers,” he said, pointing out that the VBS is also a reason for the expansion.

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Thanksgiving outreach develops into
year-round commitment by small church

(May 27) Christ UMC, 224 Bruce Rd., Lockport, is a small membership church that makes a difference in its community.

“We have an average attendance of 26, but these folks are serious about mission,” said the Rev. David Kell, pastor. “Every month we give $100 to a different mission cause — at least that was the case until last December when our members decided to help a local family.”

Through a local elementary school the church’s mission chair, Sue Nickel, learned of a single mother with six children under the age of seven who desperately needed help. Aid from the church started in November and continues today.

“Most help came at Christmas,” Kell said, “but this is not the typical Christmas basket token gift idea. Christ UMC intends to make a difference for this community family the year round.”

Nickel said the Thanksgiving and Christmas Mission to adopt a local family in great need was a huge success for such a small church. “A total of $181 was received in monetary donations,” she said, “but what was even more outstanding were the gifts of household items, groceries and paper products along with each of the seven family members receiving a new winter coat, a new outfit and toys for the six children. Mom received two gift cards along with a winter coat.”

The Thanksgiving project started with collecting everything needed for a Thanksgiving dinner including a 20-lb. turkey right down to dessert. “It came to our attention that they were in great need of pots and pans and other household items so the collection began,” Nickel said.

Church members were divided into seven teams with each team handling gifts for one member of the family. “It was heartwarming to see teams spending an unlimited amount not just on the least expensive things they could find but watching for good sales and discounts so these children ended up with jackets and clothing that would be quite expensive at full price,” Nickel said.

A friend of the church donated homemade hats for each family member. Each child also received an assortment of items such as new toothbrushes, kids’ toothpaste, numerous children’s books, crayons and coloring books. The family received a Candy Land game that the children could play together and two sets of school uniforms were purchased for each of the school-age kids. “Our foyer was literally filled with paper products, cleaning products, personal care items, household items and groceries,” Nickel said.

Upon finding out that this mother had nothing to give her children for Christmas, Nickel received a large donation of expensive used toys that were cleaned up, repaired, filled with batteries and taken to the mother with wrapping paper and tape so she had something to give her children. “She was quite grateful and seemed happier than I had seen her since we first met,” Nickel said.

Two weeks before Christmas, the mother called and asked if Nickel knew where she could get a Christmas tree. Nickel responded yes, and remarkably, two days later without Nickel even mentioning it, someone from outside Christ UMC called and asked if the church could use a Christmas tree. “When the tree was delivered the excitement of the children was absolutely uncontainable in all the jumping up and down,” Nickel said. “I saw this mother go from someone who was extremely quiet and withdrawn to someone who was actually smiling and looking forward to Christmas in the course of the month.

“We planted a spark of light and hope in the life of someone who really needed it. The children were in amazement as I emptied my car, which was packed from ceiling to floor and front to back with all the donations.”

Over the course of the month, Nickel made four trips to the home with her car full each time. In trying to estimate full retail value of everything that was donated, she said it was at least in the range of $1,200, which she added is “truly outstanding for such a small church.”

Some church members indicated they would like Christ UMC to stay in touch with this family throughout the year because most of the time organizations take care of people at Christmas but forget that there is a whole year of tough times ahead. “We are staying in touch,” Nickel said. “I spoke to the mother recently and the only thing she asked for help with was diapers. I delivered a box of 174 diapers, two pairs of boots and some children’s clothing.”

Nickel said the family receives diapers through Lockport First UMC’s Circle of Love program, but not enough to last through the month. So Christ UMC is accepting donations of size 3 diapers to fill in the gap when needed.

For more information, call Christ UMC, (815) 726-1041.

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G-ETS preparing for local pastor course

(May 27) Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (G-ETS) in Evanston recently renewed its commitment to the Course of Study program and made a few changes to the schedule. Course of Study provides theological training for local pastors, persons who are licensed by an annual conference, but have not received a master of divinity degree at a seminary.

The two sessions of Course of Study will now be taught in English during a three-week period, while the Spanish and Hmong schools will be taught in one two-week session. Previously the two sessions of the English school were taught over a four-week period.

The English school this year is July 18-26 and July 28 to Aug. 5. The Spanish and Hmong schools will be July 18-29. A full complement of 20 courses will be taught at each session of Course of Study. During the Spanish Course of Study, a license-to-preach school will be offered in Spanish.

Course of Study students come to the seminary campus each summer over a period of five years to complete course work. The current Course of Study School at G-ETS reflects the seminary’s continuing commitment to meet the needs of the church, and the needs of local pastors. Teachers for these sessions come not only from the seminary’s faculty, but also from the ranks of denominational leadership, including staff members at general boards and agencies of the church.

The registration deadline is June 1; however late registration for an additional fee is open through June 15. Registration forms, as well as course syllabi and class schedules, can be found on the seminary’s Web site at www.garrett.edu.

While the program’s director, the Rev. Rex Piercy, reduced his hours and took an appointment at a local church, he continues to work part-time along with the office’s administrative assistant Ana Maria Keating. The office is staffed two days a week.

Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary is one of 13 United Methodist-related seminaries and is located on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston. This graduate school of theology offers master of divinity, master of arts, master of theological studies, doctor of philosophy and doctor of ministry degrees. In the years 2003-05, the seminary celebrates its 150th anniversary.

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Increased involvement increases stewardship

(May 20) About 220 laity and clergy from churches in the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) gathered at Sycamore UMC on May 7 for the third conference-wide stewardship seminar sponsored by the NIC United Methodist Foundation.

The seminar was led by the Rev. Dan Dick, research coordinator and project manager for the United Methodist General Board of Discipleship in Nashville. He urged churches to take a holistic approach to stewardship.

“To get people to increase their giving to the church,” Dick said, “you need to give them some level of control over decisions being made in the church.”

Dick said there is a direct correlation between how deeply invested people are in the total life of the church and how much they give to the church.

“When people are more deeply invested in the life of the church they more deeply invest in giving to the church,” Dick said.

Dick noted that studies show 20% to 30% of a congregation — the core leadership group — provides 96% of the financial and volunteer time support to the church. To increase support, he said increase the size of the group that is in core leadership in the congregation.

If the core leadership group of a church talks about what it is committed to do, its giving alone will probably take care of the church’s operating budget, according to Dick.

“Then you can talk about what you can accomplish, not what you need,” Dick said.

“If we want to help people give, we need to give people opportunities to serve and to lead,” Dick said. “If you focus on leadership development and missional ministry, you’ll find that the money issues are being taken care of.”

Dick called on congregations to take seriously the obligations of church membership. “When we join the church we make promises to support the church with our prayers, our presence, our gifts and our service,” he said. “But no one ever holds us accountable.”

“We are implying through our inaction that being a member of a congregation means absolutely nothing,” Dick said.

Dick emphasized that some people like the status quo. “They like the church the way it is,” he said. “When you take seriously growing the church, there are going to be some people who say, ‘I didn’t sign up for this.’ There will be some people who are going to be turned off.”

Dick noted, “Any time you get serious about really holding people accountable in church, you risk losing some members, losing attendance.”

An audio tape of Dick’s presentation is available from the NIC United Methodist Foundation, according to the Rev. Harry Nicol, Foundation president. For more information, contact Foundation offices at (312) 346-9766, ext. 104.

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NIC lauded for 100% apportionment payment

(May 20) The United Methodist General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) has written to thank Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) for paying 100% of its 2004 apportionment.

Jerome King Del Pino, GBHEM general secretary, wrote that students worldwide are appreciative of NIC’s support.

“During a year when many conferences have struggled with local church receipts, we want you, your cabinet, and the churches of Northern Illinois to know that your conference’s 100% participation will have a significant impact on available funding for denominational ministry and mission,” Del Pino wrote to Bishop Hee-Soo Jung.

The General Council on Finance and Administration reported that NIC was one of 12 conferences that met its full financial commitment to the general church.

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Baker Memorial sends solar oven to India

(May 20) After more than a year of planning and fund-raising, members of Baker Memorial UMC in St. Charles have purchased a large solar oven that is now in a crate on a ship in the middle of a six-week sea voyage to India.

Ben Adams, chair of Baker Memorial UMC’s Missions Work Area, and his wife, Kathy, will go to Calcutta to intercept the huge oven and guide it into Nagaland, a province in far northeast India, where it will be installed at Clark Theological Seminary as a demonstration model. Ben will take time off from his duties at Lazarus House shelter and Kathy will take vacation from her Ball Seed Co. post in order to supervise assembly of the oven and direct its use.

“This Sun Oven will be used in the college mess as an alternative to burning wood,” said the Rev. David Jamir, Baker Memorial associate pastor. “Our prayer is that this will help reduce the demand on forests and reduce health hazards as well. We understand that biomass smoke has many harmful effects in the developing world. It kills four to five million children with acute respiratory infections.”

The solar oven can cook rice, meat and bake loaves, Jamir said, and 126 countries from Ghana to Haiti to Afghanistan are beginning to use this simple technology.

Concerned about deforestation

The Rev. Al Patten, Baker Memorial senior pastor, encouraged the church to undertake the project after he heard a Rotary Club presentation on Sun Ovens made by Paul Munsen, president of Sun Ovens International in Elburn. Patten has been concerned about deforestation of developing countries since the 1980s when he traveled with Bishop Jesse DeWitt to Niger, Africa, and learned about the environmental crisis caused when using wood for cooking fires eliminates forests.

“This [solar oven] is a very exciting opportunity for a third world country,” Patten said, “especially a country where they have used up all of their wood.”

Worldwide, it is estimated that 2 billion households depend on wood and charcoal to prepare food. Population growth has gradually depleted the availability of firewood, resulting in swaths of deforested areas. Nearly one in three people (1.7 billion) lives in countries considered to have critically low levels of forest cover, according to a study by Population Action International. Women, who are responsible for wood gathering and food preparation, not only must walk and carry wood for greater and greater distances, but also suffer with their young children poor health resulting from close and continuing contact with wood fires.

Sending to college in Nagaland

Baker Memorial’s congregation decided to send the oven to Clark Theological College in Nagaland, Jamir’s homeland, where Volunteers in Mission teams from the church have visited, led by Jamir, to engage in dialogue and pastoral leadership training.

Patten said one member of the congregation gave a substantial contribution to the project, and the rest of the money was raised from the church’s booth at the weekly St. Charles Farmer’s Market that the congregation sponsors in the street next to the church at 4th Ave. and Main St.

Church volunteers sold coffee and soft drinks. The church’s United Methodist Women sold more than 200 copies of its popular cook book.

Ben Adams had a large solar oven cranked up both for demonstrations and to cook treats for workers and shoppers. Under the management of Rob Murphy and volunteers, the Farmer’s Market was able to make a significant contribution to the total $17,000 cost of the project.

For more information, go to www.sunoven.com and www.bakermemorialchurch.org on the Web or call the church at (630) 584-6680.

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RUM plans to host 11
week-long summer work camps

(May 20) Rockford Urban Ministries (RUM) is hosting 11 week-long summer work camps for volunteer teams from all over the United States.

Work projects will include restoring a Victorian house to habitable condition to provide affordable housing for a large family; providing a roof, shelving, heavy cleaning and a paint job for a new food pantry; and doing general repair, good cleaning and paint job for a drop-in center for mentally ill homeless.

Volunteers will also assist Zion Development in demolition and rehabbing of office space and single residential housing.

Some volunteers will help Rockford Habitat for Humanity with construction of new affordable housing.

A new RUM project will transform an old farm to a prairie wetland.

Work crews will also assist in serving food to the hungry, sorting clothes and visiting neighborhoods to help in cleanup. They will be led by Jake Runestad.

Centennial UMC

Most volunteers will stay at Centennial UMC in Rockford, but two other congregations also will host camps.

Private housing is available for small adult crews of 11 or fewer.

For those people who can afford it, there is a Catholic Retreat Center that provides room and board.

RUM is located in the inner-city of Rockford and was founded in 1962 as an outreach of the Northern Illinois Conference. RUM is supported by 25 local congregations, mainly United Methodist churches.

In 1992 RUM launched its work camp project that links volunteers from across the country with non-profit and faith-based organizations.

Hosted more than 165 groups

Since its inception, RUM has hosted more than 165 groups that have logged more than 12,600 hours of service.

Volunteers must be age 14 and up and have the ability to work 5-7 hours per day at physically demanding jobs in any weather.

Each group must provide one leader for every three youths, ages 14-15, and one adult leader for every five youths, ages 16-18. A maximum of 70+ volunteers may register at once.

Groups are responsible for their own meal preparations. Host churches will provide kitchen facilities including refrigerators, pots, pans, food storage and other cooking utensils, not including plates and silverware. Showers can be taken at the local YMCA and/or Salvation Army.

RUM schedules week-long work camps during the months of June, July and August.

Spring and fall week or weekend camps may be arranged and are subject to availability of work.

For more information, contact Stanley Campbell, RUM executive director, 623 Seventh St., Rockford IL 61104, (815) 964-7111.

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Childserv Chicago Community Trust grant
to fund 2 Spanish-speaking Waukegan positions

(May 20) ChildServ, a not-for-profit child and family well-being organization affiliated with the United Methodist Church, has received a grant from The Chicago Community Trust to fund two Spanish-speaking positions, an educational liaison and a clinical therapist at the agency’s Lake County Service Center in Waukegan.

ChildServ has been working with the Latino community throughout Lake County for the past 15 years providing parent support, family home child care, immigration and U.S. citizenship support services, domestic violence prevention, English as a Second Language classes and information and referral.

With assistance from the Community Trust, ChildServ has also implemented counseling and mental health services, family and educational support, the Ways-to-Work program, and a small automobile loan program for families so parents can keep a job or stay in school.

ChildServ, which was founded in 1894 as an orphanage in Lake Bluff, has evolved into a multisite child-serving organization with 15 locations throughout Cook, Lake and DuPage counties. The agency’s programs include foster care and adoption, group homes, child care, tutoring, early childhood education, immigration support and parenting support.

For information regarding the Lake County Service Center, call (847) 263-2200 or visit ChildServ’s Web site at www.childserv.org, which provides information in both English and Spanish.

Chicago Community Trust is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. The Trust is a union of numerous gifts, bequests and other contributions totaling more than $1.2 billion.

Income from these assets provides more than $62 million annually in grants to agencies to improve the lives of residents in the region through arts funding, community development, education improvement, and health and wellness. More information is available at www.cct.org.

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Glen Ellyn First becomes
Bridge Communities partner

(May 20) First UMC, 424 Forest, Glen Ellyn, has joined 38 other churches and community groups across DuPage County as a program partner with Bridge Communities, the largest transitional housing program in the county.

First UMC will begin working with a homeless family from DuPage County this summer. The church will provide a support structure, financial support and volunteer mentors to work with the family over the two-year program period. Bridge Communities provides housing and supportive services including employment counseling, mental health therapy, automobiles and tutoring.

“Our team is in place, we’ve raised the funds, and our volunteer mentors are trained,” said church member Martha Staky, who will head up the Providing Affordable Transitional Housing (PATH) group at First UMC. “We are ready to welcome a new family. This is an incredible ministry opportunity for our church.”

“DuPage County is home for 50,000 working poor families who live one paycheck away from becoming homeless,” said Mark Milligan, Bridge Communities president. “Our phones ring over 800 times a year with calls from families who are experiencing a housing crisis. We are always looking for new community organizations to partner with us in our mission to help move homeless families from financial instability to a better future.”

Bridge Communities is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, with offices in Glen Ellyn, whose mission is to provide transitional housing to homeless families in DuPage County through partnerships with faith-based and community organizations. These provide mentoring relationships that root homeless families into local neighborhoods. In the past 17 years, Bridge Communities has helped more than 1,000 people cross the bridge from homelessness to permanent housing.

For more information about Bridge Communities, call Milligan at (630) 545-0610, ext. 10, or visit the Bridge Communities Web site.

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Rochelle, Woodlawn partnership helps needy

(May 20) More than $3,000 was raised at the 14th annual Rochelle United Methodist Women (UMW) garage sale on April 30.

Linda Cater, UMW president, said beyond the money raised, “the real success of this event was the many families clothed in Rochelle for free, as lots of items were given away, and then a truckload of clothes and household items was sent to Chicago homeless.”

Every year, Rochelle UMC, 709 Fourth Ave., works with Woodlawn UMC, 6446 S. Greenwood Ave., Chicago, to help those in need in the inner city.

Louis Owens, a member of Woodlawn UMC, and other volunteers bring a truck to Rochelle and fill it with items collected for the garage sale, but not sold. The items are delivered to Woodlawn UMC Pastor Chris Dawson. He has a street ministry where the items are distributed to those in need.

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VIM banquet salutes life-changing experiences

(May 13) Many who have gone on Volunteers in Mission trips, many who are planning to go and many who have supported the trips of others gathered for a Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) Volunteers in Mission (VIM) Banquet April 24 at Wheatland Salem UMC in Naperville. They shared stories of their trips and encouraged others to join in what many said would be “a life-changing experience.”

The Rev. Randy Day, general secretary of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries, reported that last year 68,204 United Methodists participated in VIM trips to 51 countries and 37 states in the U.S. Of those, 6,907 were from the North Central Jurisdiction and 181 were from the NIC.

“I want to recognize the ardent spirit and creativity in this jurisdiction and in this conference,” Day said, “I’m here to thank you, but I also want to challenge you. How can we maximize all that energy?”

Calling this jurisdiction “a center of creativity and innovation when it comes to mission volunteers,” Day noted a number of volunteer mission programs that originated in the North Central Jurisdiction, including Mission Discovery, which was conceived by former NIC Bishop R. Sheldon Duecker to allow young adults from the U.S. to work with young adults in other countries on mission projects.

Day noted that for many young adults today, VIM trips provide the leadership development and entry into ministry that church camps did for earlier generations.

“Thank you for the tremendous good you are doing for many sisters and brothers and, especially, children, around the world,” Day said.

Five leaders of VIM trips told about their experiences. The Rev. Noah Panlilio, pastor of United Church of Sandwich, reported on trips he has led to the Philippines.

Delia Ramirez, 21-year-old member of Humboldt Park UMC in Chicago, said she started going on mission trips when she was 15. “It doesn’t matter what age we are,” she said. “God can use us anyway.”

Jane Dunn, member of First UMC in Glen Ellyn, led a trip to Guatemala. “This work is infectious,” she said. “When people do it, they want to do it again.”

Dr. Carol Meynen, member of Trinity UMC in Wilmette, led a medical mission team to Senegal and called it “an incredible experience.” “My life has changed and I have participated in changing the lives of my friends,” she said. “I feel like I have transformed so many lives in doing this, I want to go out and tell the whole world.”

Bishop Hee-Soo Jung praised the volunteers gathered in the room and also paid homage to Dr. Sondra King, NIC secretary of Global Ministries who died March 16. The banquet was dedicated to King’s memory. “She’s now with the saints,” Jung said, saying that she lived a life that can be an example to the rest of us.

“God’s outpouring of love is showing through you,” Jung told the volunteers, “and your sweat and your tears and your backaches.”

Jung also challenged the gathering to “expand our mission dreams” because “mission is our expression of love and compassion.”

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Chicago Amor de Dios works
with Joliet Trinity on outreach

(May 13) With the help of Amor de Dios UMC in Chicago, Trinity UMC in Joliet is reaching out to the Hispanic neighborhood around it — and bringing in new members.

On Palm Sunday, 14 adults and one youth joined Trinity UMC. One was a transfer from another United Methodist Church, but 14 came in by confession of faith.

Each of the Spanish-speaking new members received a New Testament and Psalms in Spanish. English-speaking new members received The Message by Eugene Peterson.

Hernandez transfers membership

One new member was Oscar Hernandez who transferred his membership from Amor de Dios UMC in Chicago where he had served as lay leader. Also joining were eight persons from Joliet’s Hispanic neighborhood.

Trinity UMC is a 100-year-old predominately Anglo congregation that finds itself surrounded by a new immigrant community, mostly from Mexico.

“As so many aging congregations in transitional neighborhoods, we found ourselves in dire need to be able to reach out to our neighbors,” said the Rev. Erika Hundreiser, pastor. “After my husband committed himself last fall to visit neighbors’ homes to invite them to share in the wealth of our building space, it was not long before we realized that we needed a person with Spanish language skills to continue this work. The community’s needs are great, but so are the opportunities for service.”

Spanish-speaking missioner sought

At the fall Special Session of Northern Illinois Annual Conference, Hundreiser asked Aurora District Superintendent Danita Anderson-Wilkins for a Spanish-speaking missioner.

Anderson-Wilkins referred the request to the Rev. Oscar Carrasco, NIC director of Connectional Ministries, who engaged the Trinity congregation in a dialog with Pastor Jose Landaverde and the Amor de Dios congregation. Eventually, the church in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood agreed to send Hernandez to Joliet.

Since arriving in Joliet Jan. 4, Hernandez has visited more than 60 homes to identify needs, build community and be a liaison between the Trinity UMC congregation and its Hispanic neighbors.

“With the help of Oscar Hernandez, our outreach into our immediate community, which is 50% Hispanic, is uniting the congregation with the community,” said Hundrieser, “through services and many celebrations which we enjoy together, in spite of some language barriers. A smile, a hug, sharing food is the same in every language.”

Spanish ministries started

Members of the Spanish community now meet in Trinity UMC every Thursday evening, discussing needs, hopes, services, planning celebrations, getting volunteers, always with a devotion or teaching by Hernandez.

Spanish-language worship is held in the Trinity sanctuary following the English-language service.

On April 16 the congregation began a twice-a-month food pantry becoming members of the Northern Illinois Food Bank in St. Charles. On its first day, the pantry served 36 families.

This month, the congregation is starting an after-school program Tuesdays and Thursdays for first grade through junior high.

And there are fund-raisers, dinners, dances, cultural events and small group meetings in homes with Bible study and conversation.

English as second language classes needed

Hundreiser said the community needs English as second language classes, teachers and materials, but the local community college has no funds. And the congregation is seeking donation of a large refrigerator to help with the food pantry, as well as materials for the after-school program, such as crayons, pencils, sharpeners, paper, dictionaries, coloring books, construction paper, story books and board games.

“Although at times our energies and funds are stretched to the limit, it feels so good to have so many extra hugs and smiles and good will in the neighborhood,” Hundreiser said. “For these we don’t even have to be language proficient.”

For more information, call Hundrieser, (815) 791-2108; leave a message on the church phone, (815) 723-1387, e-mail ekafood1@yahoo.com; or call Carrasco at (312) 346-9766, ext. 121.

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Denomination’s higher education board
selects Crain to attend Diakonia assembly

(May 13) When the World Assembly of the Diakonia World Federation meets this summer in England, one of their voting delegates will be from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (G-ETS) in Evanston.

The Rev. Margaret Ann Crain, an ordained United Methodist deacon and G-ETS associate professor of Christian education, was selected to attend as one of five United Methodist deacons from the United States.

This global gathering of persons whose ministry is diaconal in focus will meet July 20 to 27 in Durham, England. Diakonia is a worldwide federation of diaconal associations and communities. Ministers whose primary focus is diakonia are generally identified as diaconal ministers, deaconesses or deacons. Conference attendees will represent the diversity of ministry from monastics to business people.

Crain has provided leadership to national and international deacon events. She was chosen for this conference by the staff of the United Methodist Church’s General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.

Crain said the attendance is “an extension of the commitment that [G-ETS] has made to provide programs of academic preparation for the new UMC order of deacon. To connect that to the broader ecumenical stage, that is the world, seems appropriate and important.”

“We are grateful for Margaret Ann’s work and leadership in ecumenical conversations about the nature and ministry of the United Methodist deacon and the church-wide diaconate,” said Sharon Rubey, director of candidacy and conference relations for the Division of Ordained Ministry at the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. “She brings scholarly knowledge, theological grounding and practical insights to the table.”

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Nominees sought for excellence
in children’s ministry

(May 13) United Voices for Children seeks nominations for two “Excellence in Ministry with Children Awards.” The awards are presented to persons and groups within the boundaries of the Northern Illinois Conference. Anyone can nominate a person or group for the awards, named for Bishop Jesse R. DeWitt and Katherine B. Green.

Nominees should be working on behalf of United Methodists to provide service and ministry to children and their families in their communities or throughout the conference. Award categories are individual volunteer (not compensated), individual professional (compensated) and organization or local church program.

Awards will be presented during the United Voices for Children breakfast on Friday, June 10, at Northern Illinois Annual Conference at Pheasant Run Resort and Conference Center in St. Charles. Nomination deadline is May 25.

For more information about the awards or nomination process, contact Louise Lowe at (815) 756-8499.

For ticket information to attend the breakfast, contact the Rev. Norval Brown, (312) 659-7819, or Judy Grote, (630) 668-3100.

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Which way do we go?

By Roger Curless, Lay Leader
Northern Illinois Conference

(May 13) There is a lot of activity in the Northern Illinois Conference around our vision. A vision is that point on the horizon to which we are compelled — called, if you wish — to move. A vision keeps guiding us in a defined direction.

Every group, every organization needs a vision of what it wants to be, of what it wants to become. From time to time the vision is recast and now is that time for us.

What does the Bible say about vision?

There was a time when the King James version was the only Bible readily available. In my Sunday School days memorizing Bible verses was always done out of the good old King James version. There in Proverbs, Chapter 29, verse 18 the words are clear: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

Different versions change verse

However, there are other versions and that same verse changes:

It’s quite a litany of what happens when there is no vision, no guidance, no sense of what we are doing or what God wants us to do. We perish, cast off restraint, run wild and stumble all over ourselves. I doubt that there is anyone reading these words that has not experienced some of this in groups where there is no vision on where to go and what to become — when there is no listening to how God might want us to move.

In April, nearly 1,000 laity and clergy from the Northern Illinois Conference met at three different sites around the conference to consider a statement of vision shared by Bishop Hee-Soo Jung. What we heard in those sessions was a prophetic call to the Northern Illinois Conference to a vision of mission, opportunity, growth and faithfulness to our call to be Christians and United Methodists.

4 major elements to bishop’s vision

There are four major elements: attitude of abundance rather than scarcity; doing recruitment over retention; creating a spiritual leadership network; and full participation in Christian Social Holiness movements.

The details and actions within these fit very well with our current conference priorities: Developing Leaders for the Church (Recruitment, Leadership Network); Developing and Redeveloping the Church (Abundance, Recruitment); Reconnecting the Connection (Recruitment, Leadership); and Claiming Christ on the Margins (Abundance, Social Holiness).

So now we must act. There are missions and ministries being organized within this vision that could potentially involve every current disciple in the Northern Illinois Conference and the thousands within our conference that need to be recruited and brought into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ in our United Methodist congregations. There was so much excitement at the three gatherings, and there is so much excitement around our conference. God is working in our midst and we should all feel it, see it, experience it.

Choices to make

God is calling the Northern Illinois Conference and every one of us to a new vision. We have choices to make and we will be making some of those at our annual session in June. But each of us has some decisions to make: What is God asking of me in this vision?

Individually and collectively, we can perish, cast off restraint, run wild, or stumble all over ourselves. Or, we can prayerfully consider what God is calling us to do as the body of Christ.

I believe God is opening opportunities for more ministry for all of us and that we have a vision of what we can and must become as a faithful people. I am excited. I am a little nervous. I am ready to try new things. I am renewed.

Please study the vision documents. Pray over the vision documents and the planning that is happening now. Please pray for our bishop, our cabinet, our staff and all those charged with opening the opportunities for all of us to engage in the implementation of the bishop’s vision. I believe if we join together in prayer and ministry, God will answer the question for us. God has answered the question for people throughout time and we will know which way we are to go.

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Children asked to design cover
for Rainbow Covenant book

(May 13) All local churches are encouraged to have budding artists in grades 1 through 6 submit cover designs for the 2006-2007 Rainbow Covenant Advance Special Book.

Theme of the book is “Rainbows of Hope.”

The cover will be selected during Northern Illinois Annual Conference, June 8-11, at Pheasant Run Resort and Conference Center in St. Charles. Cover submission deadline is June 1.

Artwork should be designed on 8½ x 11 inch paper. The name of the artist, age, grade in school, church, home address and telephone number should be on the back of the artwork.

Artwork should be sent to Emmy Lou John, 1541 Kenilworth Pl., Aurora, IL 60506.

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Chicago Northwestern District to recognize congregation achievements, Martin Lee

(May 13) River Forest UMC, 7970 Lake St., will host a Chicago Northwestern District awards banquet in honor of John Wesley’s Aldersgate experience in which his heart became “strangely warmed” on May 24, 1738. The awards banquet will be at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, May 22, and will recognize significant accomplishments of several Chicago Northwestern District congregations and the ministry of the Rev. J. Martin Lee, Northern Illinois Conference director of Congregational Development and Redevelopment.

The banquet will focus on successes of congregations that have been working with Natural Church Development process and other congregational development resources, according to the Rev. Marti Scott, Chicago Northwestern District superintendent.

“The Aldersgate Banquet will celebrate those churches that have used these various resources and attained measurable results,” Scott said. “In addition to the celebration, this event will also provide time for networking and story sharing from people who would love to share their experiences.”

Churches to be recognized are the following:

Lee will be recognized with the first “J. Martin Lee Empowering Leadership Award.”

Special recognition will be given to the Indo Pak congregation that was chartered this past year. Unchartered congregations that are growing within the district include Stone Park Mission, Melrose Park; Grace Korean Mission, Ebenezer Mission and Liberty Worship Center.

The District lay leader will also receive special recognition.

For more information or to reserve banquet space, contact the Chicago Northwestern District office, (773) 252-9844, ext. 221, or send e-mail to earbelo@umcnic.org.

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2 Plainfield youths address Super Rally

(May 6) In a dramatic change from the past, two youths from Plainfield delivered keynote addresses at the Senior High Super Rally, held April 22-24 at Aurora University in Williams Bay, Wis. More than 270 persons from 34 churches representing every Northern Illinois Conference district attended the rally that is developed and led by youths.

Goal of the Super Rally is to help youths discover and grow in faith, according to Kathy Black, a member of Barrington UMC who serves as adult director. This was her 17th Super Rally. “For the first time, we had two youths as speakers,” she said, adding that they both volunteered.

Speakers were Laura Mackley, a senior in high school, and Sarah Casey, a junior. Both attend First UMC, Plainfield, where Sarah’s father, the Rev. Tim Casey, is associate pastor. This was Laura’s fourth and final Super Rally as a participant and Sarah’s third.

In addition to the two keynote speakers, others who spoke included Bishop Hee-Soo Jung and the Rev. Doc Newcomb, who serves an extension ministry at the Group Workcamps Foundation in Loveland, Col. He had previously been an adult director of Super Rally.

A Christian music duo, Lost and Found, provided entertainment at plenary sessions. Then after speakers, attendees separated into small breakout groups to discuss the message. Theme for this year’s rally was “Putting Faith First and Making It Last.”

Other activities included a penny competition for the Youth Service Fund, dance, talent show, movies, board games, and worship and Bible study.

Super Rally is planned by a youth team drawn from across the conference. Black said this year’s team included youths from First UMC, Plainfield; First UMC, Lombard; Hazel Crest Community UMC; Olivet UMC, Chicago; and Good Shepherd UMC, Schaumburg.

Casey said the decision to have youth keynoters was an important change in direction. “We can relate better,” she said. “We’re experiencing the same things that the other youths are experiencing.”

Casey said she saw an “amazing response” to Mackley’s message Saturday morning. “People could relate to what she’s saying,” said Casey, who spoke on Sunday morning. “People came to me and said, ‘I really get what she’s going through.’”

“I love to see the youths grow and learn about their faith journey,” said Black.

Mackley said the Super Rally experience “will be with you for a lifetime.”

Casey said she attended her first rally because her dad didn’t give her an option to not participate. “I came, I loved it, the meeting people, the Christian atmosphere, and each year I’ve loved it even more,” she said.

Natasha Walcott, 18, attends Hazel Crest Community UMC. This was her fourth rally. “The first time I came it was scary,” she said. “I liked it, though, and joined the planning team. At Super Rally, youths learn that we can make a difference and stand up and not be afraid to talk about God among ourselves.”

Markus Pitchford, 15, said Super Rally helped him “open up” to the point that he has become a member of some committees at Olivet UMC. “Youths need to know that they can do something in the church,” he said. “Usually adults do everything.”

Tim Casey, while expressing pride in his daughter, said Super Rally has special significance. “We can get senior high kids together from across the conference who are trying to figure out their faith,” he said. “Kids from smaller churches that couldn’t do such a premier program on their own find that they are not alone.”

The important message, according to Casey, is that youths learn they don’t have to practice faith the way mom and dad and their grandparents did. “They can do it as who they are,” he said. “They can stand up and dance. Some youths are almost astonished by the enthusiasm. It has a life-time effect on them.”

Black said a lot of new churches were represented this year. She said some previous attendees couldn’t come because of an increase in the rate by Aurora University and a reduction in the funding by the conference, which limited the number of scholarships to attend the rally.

“It’s frustrating because for $85 per person we get the use of the whole campus,” Black said. “You can’t get a retreat like this too often for this cost.”

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Budget consultation is May 16

(May 6) The Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) Council on Finance and Administration (CCFA) will hold a 2006 budget consultation Monday, May 16, at 7 p.m. CCFA invites representatives from boards, committees, councils or any person with a budget request to attend the consultation at the NIC offices at 217 Division St. in Elgin.

Categories to be funded have been proposed to members of the Northern Illinois Annual Conference in pre-conference mailing materials. Copies will be available at the consultation.

The Rev. Felix Burrows, CCFA chair, urges anyone with budget responsibilities to attend and share their views of the use of categories for the 2006 budget. CCFA will also explain how the budgeting system will work in 2006.

If there are any questions prior to the meeting, contact Burrows, (773) 483-7798, or Lonnie Chafin, NIC treasurer/director of Administrative Services, (312)346-9766, ext. 122.

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Sycamore offers bags for school kits

(May 6) As part of the effort to replace the 18,000 school kits the Northern Illinois Conference “borrowed” from Sager Brown Depot to send to Sri Lanka for tsunami relief, Sycamore UMC recently purchased 1,000 United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)-approved school bags for this project. The church is offering some at cost to other congregations or groups.

Sycamore UMC has set a goal to fill 350 of the bags itself. The other 650 bags are available to other churches or groups at Sycamore UMC’s cost of $.75 each.

Sycamore UMC has sewn UMCOR school bags for several years, and recently formed an UMCOR School Kit Task Force to coordinate the church’s efforts, said the Rev. Bill Landis, senior pastor. “The biggest difficulty most churches have in putting together the school kits is sewing or finding suitable school bags that meet UMCOR’s specifications,” he pointed out.

Lois Richard, a member of Sycamore UMC’s new task force, found an inexpensive source of UMCOR-approved bags if purchased in bulk.

“Our church’s UMCOR School Kit Task Force decided to purchase 1,000 school bags with the idea that we would share them at our cost,” said Landis. “The 1,000 bags ended up costing us $750 or $.75 each.

Anyone wanting school bags can call the church, (815) 895-9113.

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