Proposed Constitution and Bylaws
The Conference Council is pleased to present to you the final version of the proposed Constitution and Bylaws for the Illinois Conference. The Illinois Conference Annual Celebration will be held November 1-2, 2024 in Western Springs, IL. The delegates at that annual meeting will be asked to vote “Yes” or “No” on the following motion:
The Conference Council moves that the Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ adopt the proposed revised Constitution and Bylaws in their entirety. The revised Constitution and Bylaws will become effective at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Illinois Conference.
To read the full official notice, along with a letter from the Governance Task Force, and to download a copy of the proposed Constitution and Bylaws - please click here to view the email that was sent to our mailing list on Thursday, August 1st.
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Neighbors in Need Offering
The focus of the 2024 Neighbors in Need campaign is Mental Health Justice, with a theme of “Mental Health Justice For All!” A just world for all is a world where the human rights and well-being of people with mental health challenges are respected, and in 2015, the General Synod of the United Church of Christ passed a resolution to become WISE (Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive, and Engaged) for mental health. Join us in promoting this year’s NIN “Mental Health is a Universal Human Right” campaign with these resources, available as a downloadable toolkit or as print materials. While many of our churches collect the offering on October 6, 2024, as part of World Communion Sunday, contributions to this offering can be collected on any Sunday during the calendar year. Click here to get the resources.
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Partners in Building
September 26-27
Attendance at Sunday services is declining, but people are still seeking community and support. The 21st century calls on us to re-envision church to meet our communities where they are. What if we told you your church’s property could be the key? The UCC’s Church Building & Loan Fund helps churches like yours turn empty parking lots into community centers, basements into youth spaces and underutilized fellowship halls into affordable housing. This work transforms communities and revives churches. Even the New York Times is reporting on the power of church redevelopment projects.
Launch your church’s new chapter this September 26 and 27 at Partners in Building, the Church Building & Loan Fund’s signature training event! Trailblazing ministers, mission-driven real estate professionals and our experienced Church Building & Loan Fund staff will introduce you to faith-based real estate development during this two-day virtual event. Learn and more and register here.
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A Refuge in Times of Trouble
Wednesday, Sept 11, 12 PM CST
As the climate crisis leads to more extreme weather events, faith communities can play a vital role as places of refuge and resiliency. For example, a house of worship with solar panels, battery storage, air conditioning, and an air filtration system can provide a place for community members to come during heat waves, power outages, or unhealthy air quality days. Faith communities not only can serve as drop-in centers, but they can also serve as evacuation zones, emergency shelters, and resource hubs in times of trouble. In this webinar, we will learn more about the cutting edge of how faith communities are embodying a love of neighbor in very tangible and needed ways.
We will hear from those leading the way in their local communities to make this happen with the help of government funding. Even if you cannot make it at its scheduled time on Wednesday, September 11th at 12 p.m. CST, still sign-up, and we will send you a recording. Register now!
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Illinois Conference Women's Retreat
October 4-5, 2024 at Pilgrim Park Camp
The Illinois Conference Women's Retreat is a 23-hour get-a-way to relax while engaging God’s Holy Spirit. It’s a time to reconnect with old friends, make new friends, and even bring along some friends. Unable to stay overnight for the full retreat but able to come for a portion? There are options to experience just Friday night or just Saturday or if possible, come for both days. Register online here.
Fee: Full Retreat, $159
Friday & Saturday (no overnight) $109
Friday Evening (no overnight) $61
Saturday Day Only (no overnight) $69
Directors: Carol Currier-Frighetto & Ronda Bower
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Open and Affirming Coalition
National Gathering
The Open and Affirming Coalition will host its 2024 41st Open and Affirming National Gathering in Cincinnati, OH at the Summit Hotel, September 18th – 22nd, 2024. The Gathering offers an opportunity for communal education, celebration, reflection, renewal, and empowerment. Our theme for this year is Resistance and Persistence, Hope Reigns, with a goal to discern The Coalition’s movement for justice, affirmation, and safety. Join us for the 2024 National Gathering of the Open and Affirming Coalition of The United Church of Christ. We will come together under the theme “Resistance and Persistence: Hope Reigns.” This year’s gathering is a powerful call to embrace hope, patience, and perseverance as we continue our journey of faith and advocacy amidst challenging social, political, and economic times. Learn more and register here.
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Boundary and Anti-Racism Trainings
The deadline for all authorized ministers to get up to date on the required Boundary Awareness Training is December 31, 2024. If you have not received boundary training since before 2022, you are required to complete a training by the end of this year in order to remain in good standing. In his position as Associate Conference Minister for Programs, Innovation, and Events, Rev. Dr. Terrill Murff has been putting together a list of potential Boundary Awareness training opportunities as well as Anti-Racism trainings and other continuing education opportunities. Click here to access the full list of available offerings. If you have questions about the Boundary Awareness requirement, please contact the chair of your Association's Committee on Ministry.
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Our Faith Our Vote Campaign
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ’s Our Faith Our Vote Campaign is our ongoing commitment to equip you with the tools for nonpartisan faithful engagement in our democratic process. The campaign is made up of three main components; voter registration, issue education, and voter empowerment. The 2024 Our Faith Our Vote campaign asks the church to answer the call of 1 John 3:18 to “let us not love with words or speech, but in action and in truth,” by “voting with love.” Vote with love for creation, for our neighbors both here and abroad, for a just peace, for repair and reconciliation of the brokenness of our nation. And encourage your family, friends, and community to do the same. The 2024 election season is well underway, so please check this page for updates to learn how you can “vote with love” this year.
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Brush Harbor Retreat for Clergy/Seminarians of Color
October 3-5
Ministry is demanding, and being a spiritual leader of color ups the ante. Imagine a retreat designed exclusively for you to fuel your ministry and your life. Renew yourself in a few short days and be back in church on Sunday with tools to be a healthier and happier you. Come enter a world of awe and wonder. Shake off stress among the nation’s tallest trees, soaring over 100 feet high, in forest as far as you can see. Or splash in the coastal waters of Lake Michigan at the retreat’s private beach.
Celebrating 100 years offering sanctuary to clergy, Tower Hill offers guided nature hikes, a labyrinth for quiet reflection, 30 acres of winding trails, bar-b-Que grills at every building and fire pits with wood for laugh-out-loud conversations, roasting Smores and more. The retreat will take place October 3-5 at Tower Hill Camp in Sawyer, MI. Learn more and register online here.
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Healing Centered Learning Communities Training
Info Session Aug 28th at 12 PM
Advocate Health Care, along with partners such as Nehemiah Trinity Rising and The Center for Faith and Community Health Transformation are hosting a Healing Centered Learning Community cohort for faith communities and community-based organizations on September 17 and 18 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Both sessions will take place in Chicago. These learning communities offer congregational and organizational leaders the opportunity to develop trauma-informed practices, policies, and culture in their settings. We offer a unique, relationship-based approach to understanding both trauma and healing, and for developing skills for healing-centered leadership. Because this project is funded by the city, participants must be located in the Chicago city limits. Participating organizations receive a stipend for up to 2 participants who complete the cohort. There is a 30-minute information session coming up on Wednesday, August 28th at 12:00 p.m. for anyone who wants to learn more. Sign up here.
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LEEAP Grant Applications
LEEAP (Local Evangelism, Envisioning, and Planting) has been charged with engaging in the evangelistic mission of the Illinois Conference and inviting all people to become disciples of Jesus Christ through new church development and existing church revitalization. The LEEAP Committee of the Illinois Conference is to assess and determine the distribution of specifically allocated Conference funds designated for church growth and revitalization.
This is an ongoing, Spirit-led process of birthing new church starts and renewing existing churches. We are doing the work of the Spirit in bringing the message of Jesus to our communities in a relevant, meaningful way for our particular time and place. In recent years the available funding has been between $75,000 and $200,000. This year (2024) only $35,000.00 will be available.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: September 30, 2024
Applications are for new church starts and revitalizing ministry projects that could be self-sustainable. Each application needs to be approved by an Associate Conference Minister. We are excited to support conference ministries and creative projects. Our hope is to continue this funding for the years ahead, however for right now we only have funding for 2024.
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Make-A-Will Month
This month marks "Make-A-Will Month," a nationally recognized event that raises awareness about the importance and process of writing a will — to give and to share our tokens of love with those who matter to us. A will allows us to protect the family, faith, and finances that has been entrusted to our care for this generation, and use it to serve our faith community in the next. The National Ministries and The Pension Boards-United Church of Christ, Inc. is launching Together for Tomorrow, a shared legacy campaign for the benefit of the United Church of Christ community. To kick-off Together for Tomorrow, and in celebration of August as national “Make-A-Will” month, the Pension Boards is proud to offer FreeWill, an easy-to-use platform for writing our wills. Please consider creating (or updating) your will today. Click here to download a brochure.
FreeWill can also help you designate a gift to the National Ministries of the United Church of Christ, your local Church or Conference, or another organization. A planned gift to Ministerial Assistance helps secure our ministers, church workers, and their families—physically, spiritually, and financially—so they can focus on answering their call and serving their communities and congregations for generations to come. Please know that you do not have to make a charitable gift in your will to use the FreeWill service.
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Conference/Local Church News & Events | |
Farm to Table Community Dinner
Grace UCC/It Takes A Village Community Farm
Experience a one of a kind three course dinner (with drinks) prepared by some of Chicagoland's most talented chefs, using fresh, organically grown food from our farms. In addition to dinner, guests will have a chance to tour the farm, meet the chefs, hear from inspiring community leaders, and take fresh produce home! All of the proceeds from this event directly support our education programs. This event is possible thanks to the generous support of Advocate Health.
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Farewell Celebration for Rev. Molly Carlson
Please join us for a Farewell Celebration in honor of the Rev. Molly Carlson on Sunday, September 1, 2024 from 4:00-6:00 P.M. at First Congregational UCC (615 N 1st St, DeKalb, IL 60115). As a celebration of Molly’s tenure as our conference minister, there will be a time for sharing memories and offering our thanks for her work here in the Illinois Conference. Heavy appetizers and cake will be served. Please RSVP by August 18 to rsvpillinoisconference@gmail.com or call 309-762-1419. We hope you can join us to wish Molly farewell and blessings in her new call as Interim Conference Minister of the South Central Conference. Click here to download the invitation.
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2024 Annual Celebration - Save the Date
"Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it?"
Isaiah 43:19
Join us for a weekend of inspiration and growth at the Illinois Conference Annual Celebration as we Embrace God’s Imagination! Registration details to follow. Save the date and prepare to embrace new perspectives and possibilities! Stay tuned for more updates!
Dates:
- Boundary and Anti-Racism Training: October 31
- Annual Celebration: November 1 and 2
Venue: First Congregational of Western Springs
Hotel Accommodation: Holiday Inn Countryside
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Does your church have news to share or an upcoming event you would like to advertise? Email us the information and any accompanying graphics/flyers. | |
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Ordinations, Installations, and Ecclesiastical Councils
Aug 25: Installation Service for Rev. Malcolm Griffith. 3:00 p.m. at The Congregational Church of Park Manor in Chicago. Chicago Metropolitan Association.
Sept 22: Ecclesiastical Council for Terri Smith. 3:00 p.m. at St. Peter's UCC in Champaign. Eastern Association.
Meetings and Events
Aug 26: Fox Valley Council Meeting. 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.
Aug 27: FAB Committee Meeting. 9:00 a.m. via Zoom.
Aug 28: Eastern Council Meeting. 3:30 p.m. via Zoom.
Sept 1: Farewell Celebration for Rev. Molly Carlson. 4:00-6:00 p.m. at First Congregational UCC in DeKalb.
Sept 2: Conference Office Closed.
Sept 5: Prairie Committee on Ministry Meeting. 9:00 a.m. via Zoom.
Sept 10: LEEAP Committee Meeting. 6:00 p.m. via Zoom.
Sept 11: Outdoor Ministries Committee Meeting. 9:30 a.m. via Zoom.
Sept 12: Fox Valley Committee on Ministry Meeting. 9:00 a.m. via Zoom.
Sept 12: Chicago Metropolitan Committee on Ministry Meeting. 12:00 p.m. via Zoom.
Sept 13-14: TPIRC Educational Summit.
Sept 15: Western Council Meeting. 3:30 p.m. via Zoom.
Association Fall Meetings/Annual Celebration
Sept 28: Eastern Fall Meeting. 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at St. John UCC in Kankakee. Register online here.
Sept 28: Prairie Fall Meeting. 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Zion UCC in Peru. More details and registration coming soon.
Oct 12: Western Fall Meeting. 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at First Congregational Church in Canton. More details and registration coming soon.
Oct 12: Fox Valley Fall Meeting at Congregational Church of Batavia. More details and registration coming soon.
Nov 1-2: Conference Annual Celebration at First Congregational of Western Springs.
Chicago Metropolitan Fall Meeting date and information coming soon.
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Please let us know if you have a job opening you would like to share,
and also update us once the position is filled. Contact Sarah Lohrbach.
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Contact Us
Mon-Fri 8:30 - 4:30
708-344-4470
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