Did you know? Practicing Hospitality

This month’s NIC Reporter is filled with images of welcome. In the conference these days, we are driven by welcome. You only need to look at the conference calendar to see all the ways in which we are engaged in welcoming Bishop Dan Schwerin as our new episcopal leader. From an Installation Service (on Sunday, February 26th) to Days on the District (the first two weeks of February), to a card shower of notes and well wishes, we have extended a welcome to Bishop Schwerin.

DYK: Reflecting on change

At the end of October, on our last day in the Northern Illinois Conference offices at the Chicago: Temple, while packing boxes and sorting through years of materials, I found the memories of that space bubbling up and sat down to capture a few of those images. This month’s article is my reflection at that moment of change.

DYK: How Tall is He?

For the last two years, the Northern Illinois Conference has been led by interim Bishop John L. Hopkins. As we move into the last couple of months of the year, our attention turns to the announcement of a new bishop and the transition into a new era. Before that transition takes place, I want to celebrate the leadership of our interim bishop and invite you to reminisce on this two-year journey.

2022 North Central Jurisidictional Conference

DYK: All about bishops

This fall, the United Methodist Church will elect new bishops. In the past, bishops were elected following a General Conference and assigned to their Episcopal Areas on September 1 of that same year. Due to the delay in holding a General Conference, special attention was required to care for this vital component of our UM structure. Over the past two years, bishops have retired or gone on medical leave. Sixteen active bishops and four retired bishops are now filling in the gap, serving multiple conferences or returning from retirement, as is the case for Northern Illinois with Bishop John L. Hopkins.

DYK: Providing safe spaces

You are phenomenal! This year we challenged all church leaders to ramp up their Safe Sanctuaries training and increase the number of volunteers who have gone through this valuable course. We started the year with a report of 1,362 trained volunteers, and as I write this article, eight months into the year, we have gained 800 more trained volunteers raising the number to 2,162 leaders working with children, youth and vulnerable adults.

DYK - Annual Conference Wow Factor

Wow! That’s my first impression when thinking about the 183rd session of the Northern Illinois Annual Conference. The gathering was a mix of revival, homecoming, worship, business, celebration, and inspiration. I have not been to all 183 annual conferences, but I’ve not missed one in 40 years since I became a United Methodist, and this one was amazing.

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