THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING THE 2024 NORTHERN ILLINOIS ANNUAL CONFERENCE!

Save the dates: June 9-11, 2025 for the 186th Annual Conference.

Read Annual Conference News Reports

View the AC2024 Photos          Fill out the Annual Conference Evaluation       

Watch recordings of services, performances, awards, and addresses

Access Legislation and Historical Documents           Watch the Livestream Recordings on YouTube

 

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BISHOP'S APPEAL

UPDATE: A total of over $35,000 was raised so far!

This year, the Bishop’s Appeal will support United Voices for Children (UVC).

For 45 years, United Voices for Children has advocated on behalf of children, youth, and families for its three affiliated child-serving agencies: Rosecrance, Kids Above All (formerly ChildServ), and MYSI (formerly Methodist Youth Services Inc).  Bishop Dan Schwerin has identified UVC as the 2024 recipient of the Bishop's Appeal, in recognition of their important ministries in Northern Illinois communities. Kids are at the heart of UVC! Join United Voices for Children in raising our voices for our child-serving agencies and the children they reach.

Encourage your church to take an offering for the Bishop's Appeal. Bring your congregation’s donation to Annual Conference for the Monday afternoon collection or donate online (choose Bishop's Appeal 2024 from the drop down).

Learn more about the Bishop's Appeal

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2024 Mission Challenge

Update: Over 5000 lbs and $2,100 raised

The NIC Board of Global Ministries is coordinating with Midwest Mission to organize its annual conference collection drive for Midwest Mission’s Most Needed Items.

Donations will be accepted on Sunday afternoon, June 16 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Monday morning, June 17 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  in the east parking lot outside the Schaumburg Convention Center. 

Learn more about the Mission Challenge

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MORE INFORMATION, RESOURCES AND LINKS

Listed Alphabetically

• An Accessibility Coordinator will be present to help with any needs (vision, movement, hearing, etc.), within our ability. Please indicate your requests in the registration process. Large print programs will be available at the accessibility table near the hall entrance.
• Bible Study will be held twice. Rev. Dr. AHyun Lee, Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology, Care, and Psychotherapy at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, will lead the Bible study. Read more about Rev. Dr. Lee here.
• The Bishop's Appeal for 2024 collection will support United Voices for Children (UVC) Learn more. 
• Blueprint for Wellness Health Screenings are planned for Mon., June 17, and Tues., June 18  in the First Aid room near Adventure Hall. The screenings are available for those who participate in the conference health insurance plan. Testing involves one blood draw and a few measurements. The results provide valuable information about several common health risks. Learn More.
  • Registration occurs two ways via Phone or Online via Virgin Pulse.
    • Phone: 855-623-9355 Employer group: HealthFlex or United Methodist Church
    • Online: Log in to your WesPath/Benefits Access account. Click on the "Wellbeing" Tab and find the "Go to Quest Diagnostics" button. When there is an option to schedule a wellness screening choose "at an event" then choose "Northern Illinois Conference UMC".
• Charging Stations will not be offered this year. Please come with devices charged.
• Childcare 
  • The Annual Conference Childcare team spent time considering options and parent feedback. Based on responses, in 2024, we will continue offering grants for childcare. 
    • The grant request form closed May 15.
    • We will also try to assist in facilitating connecting families who need childcare.
  • For 2025, we will be exploring more options involving partnering with the local churches and colleges to provide a form of childcare/educational program or contracting with an outside firm. 
• Clergy Session will take place on June 5 and will be held at Arlington Heights: First UMC at 1903 E Euclid Ave. More information is coming soon.  Sign up for Clergy Session occurs during registration.
• Display Tables will be set up in the Nirvana Threshold all three days.
  • Applications were due May 1. Assignments will be made after May 25. 
  • View the guidelines here.
  • Send questions to George Groves
• Group Meals 
  • Conference-related organizations and groups are encouraged to hold group meals at the hotel. Plated meals, buffet, and reception style food station options are available. Registration for meals will be included in regular registration.
  • More information regarding meals is be posted here.
• Hotel Registrations were available at Renaissance Schaumburg but the room block has closed. Check with the hotel directly about room availability. The room rate for the reservation block was $185 plus 11% tax per night. Please check the hotel website for current pricing. Click here for a list of nearby hotels.
• Laity Session will take place on Sunday afternoon, June 16. Sign-up for Laity Session occurs during registration.
• The number of Lay Members to Annual Conference per church was adjusted in 2021. The number of Lay Members per church can be found in this document.
  • If a church's Lay Member is going to be different from those currently listed in the portal, s/he must contact the Conference office to be included. 
• Leadership and Speakers: Learn more about our Annual Conference speakers and leaders here.
• Legislation & Historical Documents were due April 15. All legislation and historical documents are posted online. 
  • Visit the Legislation and Document page for more information.
  • Questions about the form or submissions can be emailed to Joanne Ray at ACdocuments@umcnic.org.
  • Late documents must be submitted at conference to the chair BEFORE the opening of the annual conference session both electronically and with two printed copies.
  • The majority of legislation will be addressed during Legislative Sections on Monday, June 17.
• A Livestream of the Conference for guests will be available on the NIC YouTube channel.
• Media and Videos to be projected on the screens during AC will need to be submitted and preapproved.
  • Final decisions regarding scheduling are made by the Daily Proceedings Coordinator in conjunction with the Annual Conference Committee.
  • We will do our best to schedule presentations as time and agenda permit.  Most presentations will be shared as pre-recorded video via the NIC website and/or possibly during breaks at the annual conference.
  • The Presentation request form is closed. Requests were due April 15.
  • Videos are due to Lisa Smith at ACMedia@umcnic.org in video file by May 8.
  • Please do not use YouTube links - only original videos. Videos WILL NOT be accepted on site.
• The Memorial Service will take place on Tuesday morning, June 18. Bishop Dan Schwerin will preach at the memorial service.
  • Submission of names and photos of AC lay members who have passed since May 2023 are due May 9. Please send to ACMedia@umcnic.org.
• For the Mission Challenge, we will be collecting items for the Midwest Mission Distribution Center.  Learn more. 
• New Member Orientation is available online here. This recording includes many suggestions and explanations of Annual Conference. It is good as a refresher for previous members as well as new members.
• The Ordination and Commissioning Service will take place on Sunday evening, June 16.
  • Bishop Sally Dyck will preach and assist in the ordinationand commissioning service. Read more about Bishop Dyck here.
  • Robing for the Service will occur at 6:30 p.m. on June 16 in the Euphoria room of the Conference Center. Please bring your robes and red stoles; there will be racks for hanging robes.
  • Do you have a gift for singing? This year, during the Ordination and Commissioning Service on Sunday, June 16, we are inviting churches to send 4-5 members from their church choirs to join in a large UMCNIC Mass Choir
    • Members are invited to bring a choir robe from their church so that we can flood the platform with an array of colors. If your church does not have robes, please let us know so that we can make arrangements for a robe.
    • Rehearsal will take place 2 hours prior to the start of the service at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center (1551 N. Thoreau Dr., Schaumburg), room TBD.
    • Anthem: He Never Failed Me Yet by Robert Ray [SATB arrangement] The anthem can be purchased through JW Pepper in both paper & electronic formats
    • For more information, please contact Mass Choir Director, Pastor Jacob Tipantasig-Wolverton, at jacob@onecumc.net.
• Pre-Conference Briefings were virtual this year.  A recording of the meeting is available to watch here. 
• Packets of information for the Conference will be available for pickup on the morning of Sunday, June 16.  There will be no onsite registration, only packet pick-up.
• Distribution of Print materials will be limited as we continue to be good stewards of the environment.
  • The Annual Conference Secretary, Randy Hayes, must preapprove any material to be distributed on the AC floor. Submissions can be sent to Randy Hayes at ra50h1y9s@comcast.net.
  • Only ushers may distribute materials.
  • Groups may provide handouts at their display tables. Other handouts may be housed at the lobby table.
  • Announcements during AC will be projected on the screen after approval. Submissions can be sent to Randy Hayes at ra50h1y9s@comcast.net.
• Registration is now closed. 
  • Guests are welcome to attend, but may not vote.
  • No on-site registration
  • If a church's lay members are going to be different from those currently listed in the NIC online portal, they must contact the Conference office to be included. 
  • Active clergy who are not attending annual conference must inform the bishop's office, and provide the reason for their absence. Write to Episcopal Administrative Assistant Marva Andrews  by e-mail  or US Postal Service to Northern Illinois Conference, Attn: Marva Andrews, 303 E. Wacker Dr, Suite 2020, Chicago, IL 60601.
• The Retirement Service will take place on Monday morning, June 17.
• Volunteer Opportunities. We need ushers, plenary pages, legislative section leaders,  greeters, secretarial pool members and more to help Annual Conference run smoothly and efficiently. We need volunteers for the whole time, a day or even part of a day. No previous experience is necessary. Please contact Bri Wadlington, Events Administrator, at events@umcnic.org if you have questions. 

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Theme information

Bishop Dan Schwerin chose the theme from John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer, which includes the promise that “I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.” Many Methodist and Wesleyan Christians renew this covenant at the beginning of the new year. (See more in the “From the Bishop” article from the Jan/Feb Reporter here.) 

“As we gather for the 185th Northern Illinois Conference Session, we come ready to yield to God’s will as we offer our whole selves to the service of Christ through the work of the church,” says Bishop Schwerin.  

“For the new church that is emerging, more than ‘a zipper merge’ is needed; we all need to yield to God’s newness,” he says, alluding to the yielding needed in traffic. 

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