Skip to Main Content

Laity Convocation 2018

Location: Sycamore UMC, 160 Johnson Ave., Sycamore, IL

How Why

 

 

 

 

Join laity and clergy from around the conference for this year’s Laity Convocation on Saturday, February 17th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at the Sycamore UMC.  Our keynote speaker will be Rev. Dr. Junius Dotson.  Rev. Dr. Junius Dotson currently serves as the General Secretary of Discipleship Ministries. In this capacity, he leads the agency in connecting Methodist leaders with needed resourcing, training, consulting and networking to support their ministries. 

Dr. Dotson has spearheaded and will be speaking about “See All the People.”  “See All the People’ is not a program,” said the Rev. Junius Dotson. “It really is an attempt to spur and ignite and inspire the spirit and movement of disciple-making across our denomination.”                     

Join us to also learn strategies for transforming ministry plans into action. Breakout sessions will include:

  • How Do We Share Our Faith?  Led by District Lay Leaders Greg Chapman and Larry Newton this will be an interactive session on how to share faith with your neighbors and people you meet every day.
  • How Do We Meet Our Neighbors?  Led by Rev. Mike Jones and Rev. Adonna Reid along with laity teams from their churches.  These two churches, one rural and one urban, have put elements of “See All the People” into action. Find out how they have done it.
  • How Do We Use Data to Help Our Neighbors?   Led by Rev. Martin Lee, NIC Director of Congregational Development & Redevelopment, and a laity team who have used data available from the conference to better understand and know their neighbors.
  • How Do We Talk About the Way Forward?  Led by Co-Conference Lay Leader and chair of the General Conference delegation.
  • How Do We “See All The People”?  More from Rev. Dr. Junius Dotson on “See All the People.”  (Learn about #SeeAllThePeople and how to be a part of this growing discipleship movement. You can download the free booklet, Developing an Intentional Discipleship System: A Guide for Congregations, and see the video that started the conversation at www.SeeAllthePeople.org.)
Dotson Junius

Rev. Dr. Junius Dotson

Childcare will be available, but parents must sign up their children in advance so the church will be prepared.  In recognition of your response to last year’s evaluation, we have kept Laity Convocation to a half day event.  For those who want to stay afterward for lunch to catch up with friends from around the conference, a box lunch will be offered for an additional cost.  Orders for lunch must be made by February 9.  DeKalb district lay leaders Karen Bonnell and Tom Weber have created a list of local restaurants for lunch for those who would rather eat on their own outside of the church. 

The cost per person is $10.  Churches may register a group for $40.  After February 3, registration costs increase to $15 per person and $50 per church group. 

Registration

Download the flyer

 

 

News & Announcements

2025 Mlk Banner Cmyk

Dr. King Wanted to Build a Better World, Not a Monument

In his reflection, Rev. Dr. Charles A. Woolery Sr., challenges readers to move beyond a comfortable, sanitized remembrance of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to engage hi…

Ac 2026 Logo Square

Gathering in Hope Together

Clergy and lay members will gather June 14–16 in Schaumburg for the Northern Illinois Conference’s 187th Annual Conference, centered on the theme “Practicing Hope.” With inspiring worship, engaging…

Hands Quilting Cmyk

From Your Bishop: A Year of Practicing Hope

Acknowledging the challenges of a fractured and uncertain time, Bishop Dan Schwerin lifts up gratitude for the resilience, courage, and faithfulness of the Northern Illinois Conferen…

Town And Rural Lena Shirt Back Cmyk

Stronger Together: Grants Make a Difference

Over the past year, the Northern Illinois Conference has supported local churches through a range of grants designed to nurture innovation, sustain vital rural ministries, and advanc…

Print