June

Grace sends 111 on Habitat work trip to Tennessee

(June 27) In a project that they expect will transform their congregation, members of Grace UMC in Naperville sent the largest work team in its history to Tennessee to build houses for Habitat for Humanity. On Sunday, June 15, 111 Grace members — 56 adults and 55 youths — took 16 rented vans, five personal vehicles and two trucks loaded with supplies on a 10-hour drive to Clarksville, Tenn., where they will spend a week building two houses.

“We’re going to build two houses,” said Carol Fraser, director of Youth Ministries, “but we’re also going to begin to build our own church, our own selves. I hope we come back from a mountaintop experience, filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Called “Side by Side,” the work trip has involved almost all members of the congregation. Some are serving as prayer partners for those on the trip. Church “shareholders” donated $40,000 to help pay for the venture.

“The philosophy is that everybody will go with us, whether they are shareholders or prayer partners or made food for us to take with us,” said Jeff Hartman, assistant director of Youth Ministries.

“We’ve always believed that mission work is important,” said the Rev. Larry Hilkemann, senior pastor, “but we believe this particular event will be transforming in our church.”

In the past, the church has sent teams of youths, accompanied by a few adults as chaperones, on work trips. This is the first trip where the number of adult volunteers equals the number of youths.

Hilkemann credits Fraser, who has been on the church staff for 10 months, with wanting to put together a work team that is half adults and half youths. She said such a trip “will change our church,” said Hilkemann, who is one of the adults on the trip.

“Our adults often walk right past the youth without speaking,” Hilkemann said. “We expect that when we come back there will be hallway conversations, parking lot conversations and fellowship hall conversations between the adults and the youths.”

And both youths and adults are taking this work project seriously. About half of the volunteers gathered at the church on May 25 to practice construction skills. They divided into teams, each headed by adults with some construction experience, to build miniature house frames.

14-year-old Cory Sackett said his practice house “was a little lopsided,” but he’s not worried about the house he will help build in Tennessee. “It’s going to be perfect,” he said.

“I’m just going to serve,” said 17-year-old Megan Miskiewicz. “I know it’s something that God wants me to do.” While admitting that she isn’t skilled in woodworking, Miskiewicz said she is “really excited” about the opportunity to build houses.

“For our training we made mini-houses,” she said. “It helped us practice using a hammer and different tools. I’m still working on that, but I’m learning and I’m excited to learn new things.”

Katie Stephenson, 15, said she’s worried about lack of sleep, the heat, bugs and her inability to do her daily running to keep in shape. But she’s glad to be going on the trip, anyway. “It’s not about going on a vacation,” she said. “It’s about serving other people for God and showing God’s love.”

Garrett Muscato, 16, said he’s going on the trip “because it was God’s call. God needed people to carry out His will.”

Hilkemann said the church normally plans work trips that are a three- to four-hour drive in distance. Trip planners originally rejected the Tennessee site because it is so far away. But the Habitat for Humanity manager of the Tennessee site called the church and said, “You must come. We need you.”

“We accepted that as a Macedonia call,” Hilkemann said. “We decided that God’s hand must be at work in all this.”

Wearing “Side by Side” T-shirts, members of the work team were commissioned during the 8:30 a.m. worship service before they left Naperville.

“They’ll know we are Christians by our love,” the Rev. Lois Parr, associate pastor, told the group. “And they’ll know we are Grace United Methodist Church by our T-shirts.”

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Broadway imbibes only ‘fair-trade coffee’

(June 27) During this month’s 164th Northern Illinois Conference session, members approved a resolution urging all local churches to purchase Fair Trade Coffee for coffee hours, local church consumption and sale to members of their congregations.

Broadway UMC in Chicago decided last February to serve only fair-trade coffee purchased through the Coffee Project of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). The project links congregations with small farmers and their families in Latin America, Africa and Asia through fair trade. This congregation and many individuals and families in the church buy only fair-trade coffee as acts of social justice.

Coffee is the world’s most heavily traded commodity, after oil. Yet most coffee growers receive little financial benefit. “The chain of events that leads from the coffee farm to your cup is long and expensive, often leaving the farmer with very little to live on,” according to UMCOR’s Coffee Project web page. People in the United States consume one-fifth of all the world’s coffee, making it the largest consumer in the world, “but few Americans realize that agriculture workers in the coffee industry often toil in what can be described as ‘sweatshops in the fields,’” according to campaign literature.

The Broadway church, which describes itself as a diversity-driven congregation committed to national and global ministries, joined the project after learning that “growers earn very little for their harvests and are barely able to meet their basic needs.”

Most of the world’s small coffee farmers reside in isolated villages in the world’s poorest countries and sell their coffee through middlemen, who offer the lowest price. At least 20 million people live near the equator, eking out a living on coffee. Because of fluctuating prices, the farmers never know what they are actually getting for their crops.

Churches and individuals that participate in the coffee project help small farmers earn a fairer share of income, obtain access to credit and technical support, and gain a trading partner they can trust, a fair-trade organization called Equal Exchange.

Through the project, congregations and individuals are linked with people in other countries because for each case of coffee, tea or cocoa purchased, Equal Exchange contributes to UMCOR’s small farmer fund, further benefiting coffee farmers and their families. For every case of coffee ordered, Equal Exchange gives $1.50 for farmer economic development.

United Methodist congregations and other participants enable investment in farm improvements, debt reduction, nutrition enhancement and training small farmers to plan for the future.

Fair-trade coffee gives growers fair price and access to microcredit and technical support, which ensures farmers a fair return for their work; allows growers who are usually in a local cooperative to sell to the United States without going though a middleman; and promotes and encourages sustainable farming practices such as organic and shade-grown agriculture that build a long-term economic base for farmers while protecting community health and the environment.

In buying Fair Trade Coffee, you must be careful because not all organic coffee is shade-grown and not all fair trade is shade-grown. More than 120 U.S. companies now sell Fair Trade certified coffee.

Broadway has ordered its Fair Trade Coffee from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR Coffee Project), which buys the product through Equal Exchange in Canton, Mass. You can buy bulk, whole bean, packaged whole bean, drip grind, percolator grind, flavored, decaffeinated and regular and also fair-trade tea, cocoa, coffee filters and cups.

For more information visit web site: gbgm-umc.org/umcor/hunger/coffee.cfm or call (781) 830-0303.

Broadway is promoting its use of fair-trade coffee through posters, signs and literature posted at its coffee hour table.

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Foundation grant applications available

(June 27) The United Methodist Foundation of Northern Illinois Conference announces availability of applications for 2004 funding for innovative ministry programs. In general, it is anticipated that funded programs will benefit communities, children, youths, the elderly and families disadvantaged in some way.

Since 1999, the Foundation has distributed approximately $250,000 to nearly 50 ministries across northern Illinois. Areas of support have included leadership development, mission outreach, ministries to children, youth programs, evangelism and programs to benefit seniors. This year, 12 grants were awarded totaling $38,835.

Grants will normally not exceed $5,000 for any one year and can be renewed in decreasing amounts for up to two additional years. Funded programs must give evidence of broad support within the community, financial planning, readiness to begin if funding is provided, and ability to carry on after the year the Foundation’s grant is awarded.

Applications for 2004 will be mailed to interested persons upon request made to Carolyn Cook at the Foundation office, (312) 346-9766, ext. 104. Applications can also be downloaded as a .doc or .pdf file from the website: www.nicumf.org.

Questions regarding the application and/or guidelines can be addressed to the Rev. Harry Nicol, Foundation president, at (312) 346-9766, ext. 103.

All applications must be returned to the Foundation office by 4 p.m. Sept. 15.

Grants to be funded will be approved by the Foundation board by Nov. 15 with awards to be made in January 2004. The grants program is funded with income from the Foundation’s permanent endowment fund.

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ORM opens new Wesley Woods accommodations

(June 27) Northern Illinois Conference Outdoor and Retreat Ministries (ORM) announces two new accommodations are available at Wesley Woods on Lake Geneva in Williams Bay, Wis.

Susanna’s House is a four-bedroom facility with two full baths and sleeps 16. The facility has new custom-made bunk beds with a queen bed on the bottom and twin on top in each room.

Some rooms have been set up with twin bunk beds.

The house, used for summer staff, will become available for retreats from Aug. 15 to May 30.

Epworth House is a five-bedroom facility with three full baths that sleeps 26. This building has all new custom bunk beds with a full-size bed on the bottom and twin on top in each room.

The facility, which has a large deck, has the best view of Lake Geneva of any at Wesley Woods.

Epworth House is available for year-round retreats or other gatherings.

To make reservations, call Jeffrey Fry, (262) 245-6631.

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Annual Conference gives $108,854
for Millennial Challenge

(June 20) Members of the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC), meeting June 5-7 at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, collected the largest offering in its history — $108,854.07 — for “The Millennial Challenge,” a campaign to raise $1 million this quadrennium for four projects to help children: work with the West Angola (Africa) Conference to build a residential school for orphans in Catete; re-establishment of relationships with the India Methodist Church by helping modernize churches, schools and hospitals; expansion and strengthening after-school programs in local churches in the NIC; and a Mission Endowment Fund to help fund future ministries for children.

The offering was the result of a challenge made last year by Bishop C. Joseph Sprague asking each member to bring at least $250 for the “Millennial Challenge” to this year’s session of Annual Conference.

Members of Annual Conference also elected delegates to next year’s General and Jurisdictional Conferences, ordained one elder, commissioned 10 candidates for probationary membership heading toward elder’s orders, commissioned two candidates into probationary membership heading toward deacon’s orders, licensed 11 new local pastors and reflected on the service of 12 retiring clergy.

They also celebrated the centennial of the Korean-American immigrant mission, remembered lay and clergy members who died since last Annual Conference, recognized congregations and individuals for exceptional ministry, danced, sang, prayed and worshiped.

Theme for this year’s gathering was “Called to Serve.”

Affirm homosexuality

The only legislation involving lengthy debate was a resolution, approved 56% to 38% with 6% abstaining, affirming that homosexuality, heterosexuality and bisexuality are all gifts of God. The resolution says the current statement in the United Methodist Book of Discipline that “homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching” is “not reflective of the historic Wesleyan unwillingness to limit prerogatives which belong solely to God, and is not representative of every biblical/theological perspective.”

The resolution encourages clergy to proclaim from pulpits that homosexual orientation can be compatible with Christian teaching; encourages lay people to teach it in Sunday school classes; affirms that loving, monogamous, intimate relationships between persons of the same or opposite gender are an expression of God’s love; and affirms that persons of all sexual orientations are equally called to ordained ministry.

Resolutions

With little discussion, the Conference also approved resolutions that:

General Conference petitions

Conference members approved resolutions to be submitted to the 2004 General Conference, including:

When time for approving legislation ran out, Conference members voted to consider 13 remaining resolutions at the Special Session Saturday, Nov. 15, at First UMC, Elgin.

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NIC elects 24 to General, Jurisdictional Conferences; diverse delegation dedicated
to inclusiveness

(June 20) The Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) is sending a delegation to General Conference, the United Methodist Church’s top lawmaking body, that will be working to make the United Methodist Church open to all people, including homosexuals, and will be resisting a push from conservative groups to make the denomination a “creedal” church.

Meeting in St. Charles June 5-7, members of the Northern Illinois Annual Conference elected six clergy and six lay delegates to General Conference, which will meet April 25-May 7, 2004, in Pittsburgh. Six other clergy and six other lay delegates were elected to join the General Conference delegates at the North Central Jurisdictional Conference July 12-14, 2004, in Davenport, Iowa, to elect bishops.

Of the 24 delegates elected to General and Jurisdictional Conference, 20 are part of the “Open to All” coalition having signed a statement that says “there is room for all people within our one denomination” and stating that “all people, without regard to sexual orientation, race, gender, age, economic status, disabilities, or ethnic origin should be able to be in full connection in the church without barriers to ordination, consecration, church membership or any ministry of the church.”

In addition, the statement said: “The United Methodist Church has always been a conciliar church with members working together in a dynamic way to explore our beliefs, our theology, and the issues of the present day. We will continue in this Wesleyan tradition and will not succumb to the pull of those who would require the affirmation of a solitary creed or statement of belief in order to be a member of the United Methodist Church, but we embrace faith in Jesus Christ.”

General Conference delegates

Clergy delegates to General Conference are:

Laity delegates to General Conference are:

Jurisdictional delegates

In addition to the General Conference delegates listed above, the following six clergy and six laity will be part of the NIC delegation to Jurisdictional Conference. The first two Jurisdictional Conference delegates in each category will serve as alternate delegates to General Conference, serving if any of the General Conference delegates are unable to serve.

Clergy delegates to Jurisdictional Conference are:

Laity delegates to Jurisdictional Conference are:

Clergy alternate delegates to Jurisdictional Conference are:

Laity alternate delegates to Jurisdictional Conference are:

Sprague issues call
for real ‘holy conferencing’

(June 13) In his “State of the Church” address during the 164th session of Northern Illinois Annual Conference, Bishop C. Joseph Sprague touched on the state of United Methodism in the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) and around the world and his own expectations as he enters his last year as the Episcopal leader here. He focused on four essential traits of United Methodism: conciliar, connectional, itinerant and episcopal.

Conciliar

Neither the whole Church nor this annual conference is doing effectively what needs to be done in “holy conferencing” to search together for the will of God and Christ’s truth in each generation, according to the bishop. “It is not that we have practiced it and found it wanting in our time; but rather, it is that we have hardly practiced it at all,” he said.

Rather than establish venues for theological and biblical truth-seeking, the bishop said that increasingly some United Methodists have embraced the more secular practices of litigation, journalistic posturing and divisive power-seeking. “Some paint opponents with the garish discoloration of half-truths, or occasionally, with no truth at all,” he said.

Yet, Sprague said he is heartened by many who say they are delving more deeply into Scripture and examining their own beliefs anew. “Many are eager for thoughtful and prayerful discourse across theological lines of difference,” he said. “Surely we are far healthier as an annual conference when we can engage each other on matters of core beliefs and subsequent practices that contain the potential to create tension and dis-ease among us.”

The bishop called for new venues both within the NIC and across the whole Church in which, instead of chasing supposed heretics, people will engage one another honestly and lovingly on the biblical, theological, ethical and political issues that tend to divide them.

“I sense that the United Methodist Church and this annual conference are ready for such holy conferencing,” he said. “It is in our hands to find ways to make it happen for Christ’s sake and our own.”

Connectional

Sprague praised a spirit of connectionalism among local congregations.

Sprague cited numerous examples of churches that have merged, partnered to help another congregation, share a pastor, or participate in cooperative ministries, noting that these ventures have resulted in “exponential growth, “win-win-win” situations, and “rebirth of congregations.”

Sprague also praised the work of NIC’s 10-10-10 missionaries (salary supported by the General Board of Global Ministries).

The bishop expressed disappointment that for the first time in five years, the NIC did not pay its General Church apportionments 100% in 2002. “Conference leadership has vowed that this will not occur in 2003,” he said. “If need be, the belt will be further tightened around ourselves that others might be supported and served this year and next.”

Some congregations “faced do or die situations” last year, Sprague said. “The downturn in the economy and the loss of employment coupled with sky-rocketing health care and utility costs precluded 100% support of apportionments for some of our more faithful congregations.”

“I only ask that all of us do all we can to treat apportionments and our Rainbow Covenant commitments as having first call on our missional outreach giving,” Sprague said. “What one congregation cannot or will not do with apportionment giving, others must to make up the difference.”

Sprague called it “a wondrous thing” that so many congregations have committed to connect through the Church with the peoples of the world. “Wherever we turn — Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, barrio, suburb, small town, ghetto, farmland, black, brown, yellow, red and white — United Methodists in the Northern Illinois Conference are connected to each other and with the world through prayers, presence, gifts and service,” he said. “How delighted I am with your embrace of immigrants, whether documented or not. With your support of the Russia Initiative, your solidarity with the Church in Cuba and Latin America, your demonstrated nurture of the Church in Korea, your support of Africa University, and the additional innumerable ways by which you do indeed embrace the world as your parish.”

Itinerant

The bishop said itineracy, wherein the Conference appoints pastors to congregations, is under attack. “Truthfully, it must be reformed while not surrendering its historic ability to help reform and renew the church,” he said, adding that the “most damaging variable at work” is the absence of a sufficient number of called, committed, creative, courageous and well-trained clergy leaders. He called this is a problem of crisis proportion.

“It does not matter if you call or send pastors if you have too few of those who are needed, the result is the same,” Sprague said. “Therefore, we United Methodists must reestablish a process for helping young people to interpret their call. And we simply must nurture and support them in following it.”

Episcopal

Sprague said he enters his final year in Northern Illinois with energy and hope. “I have no startling new dreams to announce,” he said, “but rather, my prayerful vision is that we will keep on keeping on with all that is before us.”

The bishop said this includes meeting apportionments 100%; more widely embracing the Rainbow Covenant; continuing the Initiative on Children and Poverty, including congregational study of Community With Children and the Poor; finding new land for Resurrection UMC in Chicago; building a retreat center out west; continuing to take giant steps forward in leadership development; strengthening the myriad of justice and kindness ministries in which the conference is engaged.

Sprague said he hopes more NIC congregations will embrace the four marks of vital congregations: passionate worship, sophisticated education, intimate care, and risk-taking mission, social justice and evangelistic outreach.

“This will not be a lame duck year,” Sprague promised.

(Full text of Bishop Sprague’s “State of the Church Address.”)

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CCFA hopes to lower spending by $500,000

(June 13) Based on the percent of apportionment payments received last year and the rate funds are coming in this year, members of the Conference Council on Finance and Administration (CCFA) are working with groups within the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) to reduce spending by $500,000 for 2003.

The goal is to reduce expenditures in order to stay within expected income levels and still be able to pay 100% of the Conference apportionments to the General Church.

“CCFA is working with groups to come up with a spending plan that allows each group to do what’s most important,” said Lonnie Chafin, NIC Treasurer and Director of Administrative Services. “It’s a positive development for CCFA to act collaboratively and consultatively in finding a way to meet all the Conference’s needs rather than some arbitrary method. Some CCFAs would just cut everything by 10% and shrug off the consequences.”

The spending cuts are necessary, according to Chafin, because current economic conditions are making it more difficult for some local churches to make their apportioned contributions to the denomination.

When CCFA developed the 2003 budget of $7,630,452 in the fall of 2002, “we made a guess that we would get $7.6 million in apportionments this year,” Chafin said. “But last year’s apportionments came in at $7.1 million, and this year’s receipts are running two or three percentage points below last year.”

The $7.6 million represents 89% of the $8,594,952 in apportionments allocated to churches in the NIC. The 89% assumption was based on previous years’ experience, Chafin said. “But when you average in last year’s experience, 89% seems to be a high assumption,” he said.

“We’ve hit a wall in terms of apportionments,” Bishop C. Joseph Sprague said. Noting that the problem is not about anger or unfaithfulness, Sprague said churches are “trying to survive when costs are going up and people are losing jobs.”

“We’re just trying to be reasonable,” Chafin said. He pointed out that the Chicago metropolitan area has lost more jobs than any other in the country. “United Airlines and Arthur Andersen employed a lot of our lay persons,” he said. “But the hardest hit have been the small towns in the western districts where one or two factory closings can have severe consequences. That’s probably where the most pain is right now.”

CCFA plans to work with councils, boards, commissions, the Cabinet, trustees and other groups to identify areas where spending may not be necessary or areas where projects will be implemented only if the resources materialize.

“We feel confident that we can secure 86% of apportionments in this year,” Chafin said. “We budgeted 89% receipts, which is a goal we continue to maintain, but we want to be sure that we get the money in before we spend it.”

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Myron McCoy named president
of Saint Paul School of Theology

(June 6) The Rev. Myron F. McCoy, senior pastor of St. Mark UMC in Chicago, will become the first African-American to lead a predominantly white United Methodist seminary when he takes the top post at Saint Paul School of Theology Aug. 1.

The United Methodist Church has 13 related seminaries and theological schools in the United States. Of those, only Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta has ever had an African-American at the helm. Gammon, led by the Rev. Walter McKelvey, is part of a consortium of six historically black theology schools.

McCoy, 47, will become Saint Paul’s fourth president since the school was founded in Kansas City, Mo., in 1958. He succeeds the Rev. Lovett Weems, who moves to Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington to become its distinguished professor of church leadership and founding director of the G. Douglass Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

“When I think about myself, the church, the varied needs of the laity and clergy, seminaries and the world in its brokenness, I’m not hearing or seeing a work completed,” McCoy said. “I see this new calling as an opportunity to engage in the new work God is doing and will be doing in reshaping and revisioning the church, and helping clergy and laity gain a larger grasp of learning opportunities and faith formation for the changing and complex world in which we live.”

McCoy, who has more than two decades of experience in local church, conference, theological and civic leadership, said he is humbled by Saint Paul’s “gracious invitation to break another glass ceiling for those of my race.” He said he looks forward to helping the seminary and other theological schools “deal with the reality of diversity in our church and the world.”

McCoy’s many roles in the church include serving as the current chairperson of the United Methodist Publishing House board of directors and as a trustee of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston.

In a May 21 seminary release, Bob Rogers, chairperson of Saint Paul’s board of trustees, said the school’s mission is to educate people for leadership in the ministry of the church. McCoy, he said, “has the dedication and the gifts necessary to fulfill that mission and to inspire spiritually sound leaders for the renewal of the church.”

Weems, who has led Saint Paul for 18 years, expressed support for McCoy. “He is a fine choice,” Weems said, noting that McCoy “has the pastoral, academic and governance experience that will serve him very well.”

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Kelsey-Powells renew vows for 25th anniversary, and raise $1,250 for The Millennial Challenge

(June 6)When the Revs. Judith and Keith Kelsey-Powell started making plans to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary last April, they decided to use the event to raise money to give to the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) Millennial Challenge, an initiative to raise $1 million to help children and youths in Angola, India and the NIC.

They said they were encouraged to do so by Bishop C. Joseph Sprague’s challenge to members of Annual Conference to each bring a $250 donation for the Millennial Challenge to this June’s Annual Conference session.

Bishop Sprague issued the challenge at last November’s Special Session of Annual Conference, urging the more than 1,000 members of Annual Conference to “be as creative as we can” to raise money or make sacrifices to save money to each “bring a gift for The Millennial Challenge of at least $250” to the June 5-7 session of Annual Conference.

“We have four members of the Annual Conference in our family,” Judith said. “That put our goal at $1,000.”

In addition to Keith and Judith, both clergy members of the NIC, the Kelsey-Powells’ two children are lay members of Annual Conference. Their daughter, Ana, will be a junior at North Central College, Naperville, next fall and was a delegate to General Conference in 2000. Luke, 18, graduates from high school this spring and serves as vice president of the Conference Council on Youth Ministry (CCYM).

“We were having our 25th wedding anniversary, and we wanted to do a renewal of our vows,” Judith said, so the Kelsey-Powells decided to use the opportunity to ask for contributions rather than gifts.

The Kelsey-Powell’s anniversary is April 29. They celebrated at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 27, at Morgan Park UMC, Chicago, where Keith is pastor.

The Rev. Martha Coursey, who had officiated at the Kelsey-Powells’ wedding 25 years ago, officiated at the renewal ceremony. “It was a simple ceremony that essentially comes out of the Book of Worship,” Judith said. The service also included a litany Judith adapted from a book written by one of her former seminary professors. Ana read a scripture passage and Luke led a prayer.

Ana and Luke officially gave the party and did all the work.

“Ana sent out the invitations, consulted with me about the menu, and essentially did all the legwork,” Judith said. “She ordered the flowers and arranged them and rented linens for the tables. She did the whole hostess thing. It was lovely.”

A family friend who is starting a catering business provided the food at only the cost of the food.

“It was very nice,” Judith said, “and we had a really good time.”

And how did they do for the Millennial Challenge?

“We went over,” Judith said. “We raised $1,250. We could have had a fifth member of the family go to Annual Conference.”

“The bishop said to be creative,” Judith said, “and that was about as creative as we could be.”

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Sign is ‘For Sale’

(June 6) Covenant UMC, 2123 Harrison St., Evanston, is offering its virtually new outdoor sign for sale because the city’s Building Division declared it not in compliance after one of its employees had issued approval to install it.

“We were astonished and disappointed by the inconsistent and extreme action taken at the April 10 meeting of the Sign Review & Appeals Board requiring removal of the sign,” said Steven Wilcox, chair of the church’s Trustees. He said the board on March 13 had offered to discuss a compromise solution on April 10, but instead insisted on removal of the sign.

“Walter Hallen of the city’s Building Division has admitted that one of his staff mistakenly informed us that we were free to proceed with the installation of our outdoor sign,” Wilcox said. “We are not only perplexed, we are also damaged by the city’s disregard for the fact that its own employees informed our contactor that no permit was required due to our being a church.”

Subsequently, contractor Al Hatcher submitted to the Building Division, at its request, “unambiguous plans and specifications for the sign,” according to Wilcox, including cement footing and electric aspects.

Wilcox said Building Division employee Karlton Mims told Hatcher he was free to proceed.

“It was in specific reliance on these authorizations that we then and only then purchased and installed the specified sign in the specified location,” Wilcox said. “Let there be no doubt that, if the city had wanted a different sign in a different position, we would have bought a different sign and positioned it differently.”

Wilcox said Covenant UMC is pursuing restitution from the city for the costs of the sign, installation and removal, estimated at nearly $10,000. “Neither the sign manufacturer nor the installer are willing to offer a refund, on the understandable grounds that neither of them did anything wrong,” Wilcox said.

In the interim, Covenant UMC is offering its sign for sale. The sign is practically brand new, Wilcox noted, and cost $4,874 to purchase. Asking price for the sign is $3,000.

“Obviously, whoever purchases the sign would want to have a new ‘header panel’ showing the name of their own church,” Wilcox said. “The panel could be ordered from the sign manfufacturer, Stewart Sign Co., who has indicated that a new panel would cost $1,054.”

For more information, call the church at (847) 328-9100.

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Northbrook raises most money at ChildServ walk

(June 6) Approximately 125 board members, friends and staff attended ChildServ’s “Step Out for Children Walk-A-Thon,” May 3 at Half Day Forest Preserve along the Des Plaines River Trail in Lincolnshire.

Congressman Mark Kirk helped ChildServ kick off the five-kilometer walk, which also included festive activities such as face painting for kids.

Northbrook UMC brought in the most money with more than $3,000 in pledges.

The event was co-hosted by a group from Northbrook UMC that included Tom Brigham, Amy Waters and Chris Warren.

Donors and sponsors of the event included Daiichi Fine Chemicals, Whole Foods Market, Provita, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Hinckley Spring Water Co. and NES Rentals.

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Anti-Gambling Task Force issues alert

(June 6) The Northern Illinois Conference Anti-Gambling Task Force has issued an Action Alert about gambling legislation.

“Newspapers reported on May 7 that Mayor (Richard) Daley wants a government-owned, land-based casino in Chicago,” said Nancy Duel, chair of the task force. “State Rep. Lou Lang held a press conference on the same day to introduce three huge gambling expansion proposals.”

Proposal one, House Bill 143, would expand the number of gambling positions at casinos from 1,200 to 2,000. The Gaming Board would establish a competitive bidding process where casinos using 2,000 positions could bid for unused gambling positions. Chicago area casinos could buy out the positions from the smaller downstate casinos and become even larger.

The bill also legalizes 3,200 slot machines at race tracks, and tracks can increase the number of slots by 10% on renewal of their license. The bill also lowers taxes for casinos.

House Bill 142 would legalize video gambling at bars, restaurants and veteran and fraternal organizations that serve alcohol.

House Bill 144 provides an 11th casino license that would go to Chicago, which would own and operate the casino. That casino would have 4,000 gambling positions, making it the largest in the state.

Duel urges calling your State Representatives (217) 782-200 and urging them to vote no on these three bills.

“Call the Governor, (800) 642-3112, and ask him to keep his word and reject these gambling expansion bills,” Duel added.

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Keagy grants $8,000 to LaMoille child care

(June 6) The Keagy Foundation has awarded $8,000 to Community UMC of LaMoille to cover start-up costs for a child-care program. The program is tentatively set to open at the church, 73 Main St., this summer.

“It will provide quality, full-time, enriched child care in a nurturing and Christian environment for up to 13 or 14 children, ages two to five,” said the Rev. Lisa Kruse-Safford, pastor.

The Martin Keagy Fund, whose investments are managed by the United Methodist Foundation, was established in 1992 to support country parishes. Keagy and his wife were members of Barrington UMC and retired to a farm in Wisconsin.

The fund is administered by a committee of the Conference Board of Trustees. Grant awards of nearly $100,000 have been made since its inception “to enhance existing ministries, develop new ministries in response to the changing rural environment, enable and enhance a vision of rural ministry and the quality of life that celebrates our relationship to the land and its resources as a gift of God’s creation.”

Kenneth Riskedal of Leland made the presentation for the Keagy Fund.

For more information, call the church, (815) 638-2348.

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Broadway receives grant for ‘Gather’ arts program

(June 6) The United Methodist Church’s social action agency has awarded almost $150,000 in grants to 17 projects involving young people. Several of the projects use music, art and drama to teach about justice.

Broadway UMC in Chicago garnered a $7,500 grant for Gather, a program offering music, hot meals and safe haven in an urban environment plus opportunities for discussion of life issues.

The Board of Church and Society has made the grants with funds obtained through the denomination’s Shared Mission Focus on Young People initiative. Of the $149,050 total, $39,000 will go to four projects in central conferences (outside the United States) and $110,050 to 13 projects throughout the United States.

Each program must include leadership from people between the ages of 12 and 30, according to the grant criteria. The projects also must include people from the community that is benefiting from the planning and implementation. The grant application needs to include information about community assets and how the project reflects the denomination’s Social Principles.

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Marcy-NewberryAuxiliary
fashion show raises $35,000

(June 6) Metro Women’s Auxiliary, Marcy-Newberry Association’s ecumenical volunteer group of women whose purpose is support and service, hosted its 5th Annual Spring Event. This year’s celebration, a fashion show and dinner, marked 16 years of dedicated service Saturday, April 26, at The Lexington House, in Hickory Hills.

A new annual recognition award was introduced: The MAW Award (Most Active Woman), is for outstanding volunteer service. It is given to a Metro woman who consistently exceeds expectations for service and support to Marcy-Newberry. The 2003 recipient of the MAW Award was Irene Robinson Worthington, member of St. Mark UMC, Chicago.

Almost 500 tickets were purchased for the “Fashion Fan Fare,” featuring commentator/coordinator Connie Williams, and beautiful, professional female and male models, showing latest fashions.

The Newberry Children’s Choir provided a program featuring a medley of favorite songs. A 100-page program book, with greetings, best wishes, vendor advertising and patrons was a great resource and souvenir for guests to take home with them. The event grossed about $35,000.

Two special awards were presented for outstanding service: The 2003 Promotions Award to Worthington, who raised $4,000, and the 2003 Marketing Award to Bobbie Henry, member of Maple Park UMC, Chicago, who raised $5,000.

A special congratulations was received from Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and letters of commendation were received from Bishop C. Joseph Sprague of the Northern Illinois Conference, and Dr. Donald F. Guest, Chicago Southern District Superintendent.

Daisy Bell, member of South Shore UMC, Chicago, is president of Metro Women’s Auxiliary. Co-chairs for the event were Patricia Higgins, member of Maple Park UMC, Chicago, and Jennifer Hammond, member of Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago.

Marcy-Newberry Association is a 119-year-old social agency related to the United Methodist Church, serving in 17 locations on the West Side of Chicago. For further information about the agency and/or auxiliary, contact the Rev. Margaret Ann Williams, Marcy-Newberry Association, 1073 W. Maxwell St., Chicago, IL 60608 or call (312) 829-7555.

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BMCR music workshop draws from 24 churches

(June 6) Representative from 24 churches attended a workshop last month led at First UMC of Chicago (the Chicago Temple) by the Rev. Cynthia Wilson-Hollins, Minister of Music at Ben Hill UMC, Atanta. Then, more than 500 persons attended a concert at the Chicago Temple she performed with a mass choir comprising members from her workshop the day before.

The workshop and concert were sponsored by the Black Church Mobilization Committee of Chicago Black Methodists for Church Renewal (BMCR).

Wilson-Hollins was co-director of music for the 1996 General Conference and director of music for the 2000 General Conference.

The workshop/concert was designed so that Wilson-Hollins could share her expertise and gifts as part of BMCR’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the Black Church.

The weekend began Friday when Black United Methodist Pastors (BUMP) hosted a gathering of pastors at St. Matthew UMC, Chicago. Wilson-Hollins engaged in an informal conversation with the clergy, as they raised their concerns and issues in regard to church music programs.

The workshop was held Saturday, May 3, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Laity and clergy from more than 24 churches attended.

The first half of the day was a teaching session. The afternoon time was spent in rehearsal with a mass choir. Ministers of music, choir directors and musicians participated. It was a time of reflection on and recommitment to the seriousness of music as a ministry in our churches. It was also a time for learning and growth.

More than 500 people from 28 churches experienced the fruit of their labor at the concert Sunday, May 4. Wilson-Hollins and the mass choir lifted their voices in praise and worship to glorify the Lord.

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