Mission Statement
The purpose of the Northern Illinois Annual Conference is to make disciples for Jesus Christ by equipping its local faith communities for a ministry of witness, justice, hope and love, and by providing a connection for mission beyond the congregation; all to the glory of God.
Bishop Hee-Soo Jung
Greetings to you as you browse the Web.
The Northern Illinois Conference consists of some 400 United Methodist Churches. We are an extremely diverse Conference with wide ethnic participation both in the life and the leadership of our community. We are rural and urban, younger and older and our theology ranges from radical liberal to very, very conservative.
We believe there is room in the Jesus House for all who seek God's presence and yearn to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. Please know that our churches stand ready to welcome you and to be an integral part of your lives.
Bishop Jung regularly shares his thoughts in a column written for the Northern Illinois Conference's weekly newspaper, The Reporter. His columns and other of his commentaries have been collected on this web site. To view them, click on Bishop's Commentaries.
Bishop Hee-Soo Jung preaches at General Conference and encourages the church to use both “holiness” and “hospitality” to build the kingdom of God.
Read full text of Bishop’s Jung sermon, Bishop Jung preaching video
“Jesus, Remember Me”
http://www.gbgm-umc.org/nillconf/BishopJung/Commentaries/05012008.htm
Bishop Jung preaching video
http://media.umcom.org/gc2008/video_archives/20080501_morning/20080501_Sermon_Jung_sm.asx
The purpose of the Northern Illinois Annual Conference is to make disciples for Jesus Christ by equipping its local faith communities for a ministry of witness, justice, hope and love, and by providing a connection for mission beyond the congregation; all to the glory of God.
169th Annual Conference:
Features Bishops from Bolivia and Korea
Bishop Carlos Poma Bishop Chung Suk Han Rev. Karen Greenwaldt
Bolivia Seoul South Korea General Secretary
General Board
of Discipleship
Register for the 169th Annual Conference Online Here
http://www.expressevent.com/umcnic2008
Marketplace Display Space Application Here
http://www.gbgm-umc.org/nillconf/AnnualConference/2008/08DisplaySpaceForm.pdf
Clergy Form to Participate in the Ordination/Commissioning Procession
http://www.gbgm-umc.org/nillconf/AnnualConference/2008/2008ParticipationForm.doc
General Conference:
10 days. 1,600 resolutions. 988 delegates and 140 translators for 9 languages. Nearly 1,000,000 words written by reporters. You can read every word at www.gc2008.com. General Conference 2008 is now history.
Here are some General Conference highlights:
Nothing Buts Nets Challenge – Be a part of the $40,000 challenge from the Northern Illinois Conference delegation to all United Methodists in the NIC. Be a part of the effort to eradicate Malaria by making a donation before Annual Conference (June 5, 2005).
Read about the Challenge
Click here for details: http://www.gbgm-umc.org/nillconf/News/2008/May/NetsChallenge.htm
Nothing But Nets Video
Conference Web Page
http://www.gbgm-umc.org/nillconf/index.htm
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=DPzIptSfTQme80MDv1Pleg_3d_3d
http://www.gbgm-umc.org/nillconf/Harvest2020/MissionVision.htm
Register for all Harvest 2020 events @
ngardner@umcnic.org
Northwestern District Mission Statement
The mission of the Chicago Northwestern District is to enable, empower, and equip local faith communities to make disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Message from the District Superintendent, Reverend James Preston
Chicago Northwestern News
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ!
Peace and grace to you from the fifty-seven congregations, two campus ministries, one college, and many other exciting ministries of the Chicago Northwestern District of The United Methodist Church. Framed by the Eisenhower Expressway, southern Lake County, parts of I-294, and Lake Michigan, the district is a beautiful tapestry of diverse faith communities serving a mosaic of neighborhoods in Chicago as well as a plethora of suburbs in Cook and Lake counties. 
We read of Paul’s vision of the church in First Corinthians in the New Testament of the Bible. Paul’s hopes are evidenced in our racial, cultural, and social diversity as well as our deep and profound commitment to offer Christ in personal witness and social holiness. Our communities of faith include Korean, African, Latino-Hispanic, Vietnamese, Caribbean, African-American, Indian, Pakistani, multicultural, suburban, urban, large, small, Reconciling, and much, much…more. Truly, we are many parts of one sacred and Spirit-filled body.
Chicago Northwestern District Cluster Leaders
In the midst of our diversity, we celebrate intentional ministry and mission through creative worship, powerful social justice ministry, transformative mission, and creative new outreach. From campus ministry to senior adult care, we live out our Christian faith in concrete ways of witness and expression. We also rejoice in the vision of planting new faith communities in growing areas of our district as we embrace our common vision of Harvest 2020.
I want to personally invite you to visit our churches and to explore our many ministries as a part of God’s loving call in your life and journey. I know you will experience wonderful people, warm hospitality, and a dynamic expression of the Christian faith in the twenty-first century. Welcome to the Chicago Northwestern District!
In Christ,
Rev. James Preston, District Superintendent
Chicago Northwestern News
Resources and information for the people in ministry in the Chicago Northwestern District of
The United Methodist Church
Conference Email News is Available
The new conference electronic newsletter is offered each week for your information. You can sign up by going to www.umcnic.org and entering your email address on the lower left-hand corner.
United Methdoist Men
NWDUMM will have their 1st Annual Men's Musical May 10, 2008
@ St. John's UMC Oak Park
Regional Pre-Conference Meeting and Dialogue is May 15
The regional gathering for Chicago Southern and Chicago Northwestern persons attending annual conference will be Thursday, May 15, at 6:45pm at River Forest UMC in River Forest. This event will be a time of learning about Annual Conference, hearing a presentation about Harvest 2020, and dialoguing about critical issues facing our church. Be in prayer for this gathering and watch for more information. Annual Conference packets were mailed on April 8. Contact the regional office if you have not received that information.
District Web Site is UP!
The Chicago Northwestern District web site is up at www.umcnic.org. Check it out. It still needs additional work and links but we are moving forward. Your suggestions are welcome!
Events and Opportunities
National Workshop on Christian Unity 2008
School of Congregational Development in Grand RapidsJuly 31-August 5, 2008, Grand Rapids, MIvisit www.scdumc.org for more information.North Central Jurisdiction Immigration ConferenceOctober 16-18, 2008 Chicago, ILBlessed to Be a Blessing: Conference for Educators and PreachersOctober 24-27, 2008 -- Albuquerque, NM visit www.cef2008.org for info.Conference Stewardship EventSaturday, October 4, 2008 Location TBARemember to check out the conference web site for more information and events at
www.umcnic.org.
Prayer Requests and Needs
End to violence in our streets and neighborhoods
General Conference and all involved there
The people of Tibet
The people of Kenya
The people of Zimbabwe
Darfur
The environment
End to war
Homeless youth in our city and suburbs
Those brothers and sisters in faith struggling with addictions.
Our General and Jurisdictional Conference Delegation
For the communities of our district and those who are lost and lonely within them
Harvest 2020 and the Harvest 2020 Leadership Team
District Youth Ministry
Our District Lay Leader, Arnold Rivera
Our District Superintendent
UM Men
UM Women
Lay Criers
District Stewards
Apportionment Giving-committing ourselves to 100% for sharing Christ's love in mission
Outreach to Children in our neighborhoods and communities
Bethany Retirement Home
Bethany Terrace and Chestnut Square
Bethany Methodist Hospital
Methodist Home
Methodist Youth Services
Our campus ministry at Northwestern University (on our district) - Rev. Julie Windsor Mitchell
Our campus ministry at UIC - Rev. Lisl Heymans
Kendall College (on our district) and President Dr. Niveen Megahed
All of the churches/ministries in our district and their witness for Christ
Bishop Hee-Soo Jung and his leadership for our conference
Peace in the world especially in Iraq, Sudan, Burma, Palestine, and Afghanistan
Nothing But Nets Campaign
Global AIDS Fund (committed to offering one dollar for every church member in NIC)
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and staff/leadership
Our justice ministries in the district
Our District Strategy team as they develop a plan for evangelism and church growth
Liberty Worship UM Mission and Pastor Michael Wright
Stone Park UM Mission and Pastor Jesus Molina
Ebeneezer UM Mission and Pastor Maria Torres
Irving Park Hispanic UM Ministry and Pastor Cecelia Obret
Korean
Palestine/Israel
Send prayer requests for pastors and lay leadership to
chicagonwnews@aol.com.
For just as the body is one and has many members, all the member of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we are all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—but we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12: 12-13
Chicago Metropolitan Regional Office
77 W. Washington St., #1820, Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: (312) 346.9766
District Superintendent James Preston, ext. 134
Administrative Assistant Connie Williams, ext. 132
http://www.gbgm-umc.org/nillconf/Districts/ChicagoNorthwest/index.htm
General Commission on United Methodist Men
As I write this entry, I am in Nashville at the final Connectional Table meeting before General Conference. As you may know, the Connectional Table is made up of the presidents of all the general agencies, the general secretaries, members from jurisdictions in the U.S. and from central conferences, representatives from ethnic caucuses, and a few other key leaders in the UMC. This group has worked well together, and we have grown to be close friends. We come from big churches and small, rural and urban congregations that speak a variety of languages; each representative has strong opinions on a wide variety of subjects. But most importantly, each is completely dedicated to Christ and to the UMC.
Each member to the Connectional Table has read the small book, Three Simple Rules by Bishop Rueben Job. The subtitle for the book is “A Wesleyan Way of Living” and is a unique presentation of the first three General Rules of the church:
1. Do no harm.
2. Do good.
3. Stay in Love with God.
The Connectional Table has played an important role in my journey these last four years. I have been going to General Conference since 1996 and the South Central Jurisdictional Conference since 1992. The major players in the table were well known to me and as I looked at the diversity of the membership, I was not sure we could agree on anything. But this Connectional Table is a different kind of thing.
We have not always agreed with each other, but we have never been disagreeable. Passionate?––yes. Forceful?––yes. Faithful?––absolutely. Part of the reason this has worked goes to Bishop John Hopkins, an extraordinary leader. Another reason it worked has been because many on the Table had been burned by the by the Council on Ministries in previous years and vowed that this would be different. The main reason it worked is that we set aside our differences to unite for the common good of this church we love.
As I make preparations for General Conference, my prayer is that we follow those simple rules and focus on ways to bring positive changes that infuse the UMC with Wesley’s fire and excitement.
For the last 35 years I have lived in Texas, in an area once controlled by Mexico. Under Mexican rule, Methodists were not allowed to preach in the area because they were so excitable. How many decades has it been since our church has been accused of being excitable?
We have such hope to bring to a hopeless world. We have such a wonderful Savior, who is so needed in our world of the lost. As you may have heard, General Conference in many ways will be embracing “four areas of focus.” These are exciting and needed ministries that the church can embrace. They involve church growth and revitalization, lay and clergy leadership development, being in community with the poor, and world health issues.
Please pray that we can leave General Conference filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit, that we will follow Wesley’s simple rules, and that we will embrace these ministries that will make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Gilbert C. Hanke, president
General Commission on UM Men
ghanke@sfasu.edu
In my church, the 100th anniversary calendar is hung proudly on our men’s bulletin board and one of my 100th anniversary pins is strategically placed on my choir robe for all to see. In addition, this special year has given me numerous opportunities to talk to men and women about UM Men and what we are about and what we are doing in and through men’s lives. I hope and pray you are making this year a special year with those you come in contact with.
Glenn Wintemberg, president
National Association of Conference Presidents of UM Men
unitvent@yahoo.com
The time has come for Men’s Ministry Specialists. If you desire to serve God and the UMC in the ministry of Jesus Christ through men, you may consider certification as a Men’s Ministry Specialist (MMS), operating under the General Commission on UM Men (GCUMM).
A MMS is a man committed to lifelong spiritual growth. He is an active member of the UMC; a ready learner who is teachable and can teach others. He communicates and listens well, using these skills to work closely with a team of congregation lay and clergy leaders. Together they help the entire congregation increase effectiveness in reaching men, and the spiritual growth of men. The MMS does not displace existing leaders––rather he serves alongside them helping congregations reach their vision by more effectively engaging and growing men as followers of Jesus Christ. The MMS connects congregations with effective and appropriate training and resources for ministry to and through men.
Detailed information and qualification requirements are available for download from www.gcumm.org. When all MMS requirements are completed, you will be interviewed, reviewed, and recommended for MMS certification by a panel under the authority of the GCUMM. The panel will recommend you for certification by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry for service within the UMC as a Men’s Ministry Specialist.
If you desire to enroll as a MMS candidate, please download the MMS application forms and send them to Marc at mstowe@gcumm.org. Please also join the UMCMMS yahoo group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UMCMMS/join.
Working together and focused on Christ, UM Men can be an instrument of renewal for the UMC.
Boy Scouts of America (BSA) will celebrate its 100th birthday at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree, July 26-Aug. 4, 2010.
The jamboree will be held at Fort A.P. Hill, in Caroline County Virginia. The central Virginia site is 45 minutes southwest of Washington, D.C.
“We’re going to have one heck of a party,” said Chief Scout Executive Robert J. Mazzuca. “Not only will this gathering allow us to celebrate our glorious past, it will provide an equal opportunity to proclaim our glorious future. It will be the best, most exciting, fun-filled, and safest jamboree ever.”
Of note, the United Methodist Church is the second largest sponsor of the BSA, ending 2007 with 368,420 youth meeting in 11,695 units in almost 8,000 UM churches.
Approximately 100 chaplains of all faiths will serve at the jamboree, including 80 in 20 sub camps where 30,000 Scouts will reside.
The Office of Scouting Ministry is looking for 20 UM clergymen and clergywomen to serve as chaplains for the event. BSA registration and BSA youth protection certification must be current. Candidates must attend a two-day training session in Nashville in 2010. Room and board for the training experience will be paid by the General Commission on UM Men; participants are responsible for their travel expenses. Chaplains must also pay for their own travel and room and board at the jamboree. Ethnic minority chaplains are especially needed. All appointments are made by the BSA. The office of scouting ministry only makes recommendations.
For a chaplain’s information survey form or more information, send an e-mail to me or call 615-620-7261.
Larry Coppock, national director
Scouting Ministries
General Commission on UM Men
LCoppock@gcumm.org
The email sent Tuesday was meant for the men who are members of UMCMMS yahoo group. This is for all UMMen leaders.
You can become a Men’s Ministry Specialist
If you desire to serve God and the UMC in the ministry of Jesus Christ through men, you may consider certification as a Men’s Ministry Specialist (MMS), operating under the General Commission on UM Men (GCUMM).
A MMS is a man committed to lifelong spiritual growth. He is an active member of the UMC; a ready learner who is teachable and can teach others. He communicates and listens well, using these skills to work closely with a team of congregation lay and clergy leaders. Together they help the entire congregation increase effectiveness in reaching men, and the spiritual growth of men. The MMS does not displace existing leaders––rather he serves alongside them helping congregations reach their vision by more effectively engaging and growing men as followers of Jesus Christ. The MMS connects congregations with effective and appropriate training and resources for ministry to and through men.
Basic MMS Requirements
ü Be recommended by your pastor, and if married, have the support of your wife.
ü Grow spiritually under the counsel of a spiritual advisor.
ü Meet and work with your district superintendent and conference and district leaders of UM Men.
ü Participate regularly in a small-group such as Disciple Bible Study, “Companions in Christ,” or Wesleyan Building Brothers or engage in other spiritual formation work that moves you toward spiritual maturity.
ü Complete free on-line spiritual and personality assessment inventories that help you know yourself and communicate well with others.
ü Participate in a 2 ½ day “No Man Left Behind” men’s leadership training experience offered through Man in the Mirror ministries.
ü Read Spiritual Fathers by Dan Schaffer and No Man Left Behind by Patrick Morley, David Delk and Brett Clemmer.
ü Complete a free on-line course on UMC/UM Men history and polity.
ü Participate in UMC Safe Sanctuary and Sexual Ethics courses offered by your district or annual conference.
ü Attend a basic Lay Speaker course; advanced courses are encouraged.
When all MMS requirements are completed, you will be interviewed, reviewed, and recommended for MMS certification by a panel under the authority of the GCUMM. The panel will recommend you for certification by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry for service within the UMC as a Men’s Ministry Specialist.
For additional information and application forms, go to www.gcumm.org. If you desire to enroll as a MMS candidate, please download the MMS application forms and send them to Marc at mstowe@gcumm.org. Please also join the UMCMMS yahoo group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UMCMMS/join.
Larry Malone
Director, UMMen Ministries
PO Box 340006
Nashville TN 37203-0006
615-620-7265
lmalone@gcumm.org
Nothing But Nets
Dear Leon,
“This is not an African issue. It’s not only for poor countries. It’s global.”
Bishop Joao Somane Machado Mozambique Conference
The United Methodist Church
United Methodist News Service: Reports on Nothing but Nets in Chicago
http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nl/content3.asp?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=1723955&ct=4126183
Dear Leon,
In the first few years of our lives, our mothers held our hand, picked us up when we fell, and rocked us to sleep. They provided a healthy, happy environment and kept us safe from harm.
Nothing But Nets works to give mothers in Africa the chance to do those same things, by providing them with insecticide-treated bed nets so that they and their children have the opportunity to realize their full potential too. Pregnant mothers and children under five are the most susceptible to contracting malaria. Protective bed nets allow mothers to enjoy the simple pleasure of caring for their children, as our mothers cared for us.
This Mother’s Day, honor the woman who raised you by donating in her name to Nothing But Nets and sending a bed net to another mother and child in Africa. Let her know about your gift through our personalized ecard, scheduled for delivery on Sunday, May 11, or anytime you choose.
Take this Mother’s Day to reflect on what your mother has given you, and help give a mother in Africa the chance to care for her children.
Donate to Nothing But Nets in honor of your mother today.
With thanks,
The Nothing But Nets Team
http://www.nothingbutnets.net/
http://www.nothingbutnets.net/
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The Nothing But Nets Team