July 5, 2017

Mission Kit Challenge Champions – Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!!

Again, this year (for four straight years for that matter!), our District won the Mission Kit Challenge! Thank you so much for all those who contributed! While other districts met 100+% of their goals, we met over 200% of ours! For your faithfulness and generosity, I have no words to express how proud and grateful I am. I know, it’s not about competition, but I think it deserves celebration and recognition! Let us keep up the good tradition!

Clergy Summer Interviews – July 6 – August 2, Various Locations

Thank you, pastors, for signing up for your one-on-one summer interviews! I look forward to a meaningful conversation with you discerning together God’s movement and direction in our shared ministry. For questions or last minutes communication needs, please do not hesitate to call, text

(815-394-9493

), or e-mail!

Transition Workshop – Saturday, August 5, Downer’s Grove First UMC

If you are beginning a new appointment and did not have a chance to attend the workshop last May, this is your chance! Please come join us to learn about taking a good start and building strong relationships. For further information or to register, please visit the Conference website at [

https://www.umcnic.org/th_event/18319/

Clergy Family Picnic – Sunday, August 6, 4 PM, Camp Reynoldswood

Come celebrate summer! Come celebrate new appointments and another year of grace!

Come welcome new pastors and their families to our wonderful District! Jim Miller will be our chef again this year and provide the main dish. Please bring a salad, side dish, or dessert to share, preferably something special from your culture and tradition. There will be activities for children, including bouncy house, firetruck, and balloon art! All pastors and their family, active or retired, are cordially invited to attend!

Leadership Institute – September 27–29, United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, Leawood, Kansas

If you register no later than August 10, you will receive the discounted rate of $119 per person for the conference (note: the conference registration does NOT include travel and accommodations). Here is how you can receive the discounted conference rate:

– Go to

li.cor.org and decide which workshops you want to attend.

– Click on one of the registrations links on the website.

– Select the Registration Type: ShareChurch Registrar Group and proceed with registration.

– Please select N Illinois Conference/Martin Lee from the dropdown list provided for affiliation.

– At the end of the registration, select to Pay by Check. VERY IMPORTANT: Please DO NOT pay using your own credit card. The Northern Illinois Annual Conference will make payment to Church of the Resurrection on your behalf.

– Mail a check made payable to “NIC” (and include on the memo line that it is for the COR Leadership Institute Registration amount) to Laura Lopez at 77 W. Washington St., Suite 1820, Chicago, IL 60605 NO LATER than August 10th, 2016.

I strongly encourage each church to consider attending as a team of clergy and at least one or two lay leaders. For questions, please do not hesitate to contact Rev. Martin Lee or myself (

ypark@umcnic.org). I plan to attend myself and hope to see many of you there! Details about this amazing conference and workshops can be found on the Church of the Resurrection’s website, http://li.cor.org/

Sixty Plus Retreat – September 28, 1 PM – September 29, 3 PM, NIU, DeKalb

The NIC Older Adult Ministries is pleased to sponsor a retreat for those 60 and above. Themes explored will include: Living Life to the Fullest, Exercising the Total Self, Gift of Stability, and Power Within You. For inquiry, please contact Pastor Rosa Lee [

pastorrosalee@gmail.com] or Pong Javier [abjavierjr@aol.com], or go to www.facebook.com/nicolderadultministries

UM Foundation Grant Application – Deadline September 15

Is your church planning a new or expanded ministry project? The Foundation would love to hear about it! The UM Foundation Grants Program offers grants to help churches launch ministry – seed money to begin the new direction. Grants generally range from $500 – $2,000. If your church has an idea and a plan for mission-based programming, please check out the Grant Guidelines [

http://www.nicumf.org/churches-2/grants-program-2/grants-program-application-and-guidelines/

] and consider applying by completing the Grant Application by September 15.

Stewardship for Real People – Saturday, August 26, 9AM to 3PM, Barrington UMC

Mark your calendar, gather a team, and register now! Molly Phinney Baskette will keynote the morning sessions. During the optional afternoon session, plan to rotate through a series of focused, TED-talk style presentations of 15 minutes each: Beyond Membership: Sunday life lived seven days (Erin James Brown, Chicago Urban Village Church), Beyond Budgets: Setting the captive free (Mary Zajak, St. Charles Baker Memorial UMC), Beyond Bills: Generosity changes lives (Anne Coon, The Generosity Group), Beyond Change: Conflict is normal (Bill Obalil, Retired UMC clergy). Following these presentations, small groups will have opportunity to debrief and plan their next step. For further information, please visit: [

http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=q7fzqpcab&oeidk=a07ee5oml2063faf34b

]

“Protecting the Cookie Jar” – Saturday, October 21, 9:30-11:30 AM, Rochelle UMC

The Conference Trustees and CCFA (The Conference Council on Finance and Administration) will jointly sponsor a workshop on local church internal control practices and policies. The presenter will be Michelle Haley who is a CPA and serves as the Director of Finance of the Evangelical Covenant Church. Watch out for further detail and consider attending!

Thank you for your faithful service and ministries! Blessings of God’s love, peace, joy, and hope to you and yours now and always!

With Peace and in Gratitude,

Rev. Young-Mee Park
DeKalb District Superintendent
Northern Illinois Conference | United Methodist Church
951 S. 7th St., Suite D
Rochelle, IL 61068
Tel: 815-561-8285

Where Can I Serve?

Jesus told us, his disciples, to make disciples of all nations. One of the most important values of Prophetstown United Methodist Church is our mission to the world. It begins in our own community, and spreads overseas to every nation. Prophetstown United Methodist members are involved in a variety of ministries from things like mowing the lawn, to preparing the church bulletins.

Mission Outreach

Missions Report: the first 4 bands are paid.

1. Burgundy-Street Children Ministry, Cambodia ($25)

2. Red-Imagine No Malaria (last year was called “No Nets”) ($25)

3. Orange-Heifer Project ($50)

4. Yellow-Children’s Fund ($25)

On Sunday afternoon, January 24, thirty-two members of our church gathered in the Fellowship Hall for a working lunch and visioning session led by Rev. Martin Lee, NIC Director of Congregational Development and Redevelopment. The conversation was rich and productive.

Among the topics of discussion were:

What Is Our Church Story? Who Led Me to God? Who Needs Christ’s Love? If PTUMC Disappeared Tonight, Would It Be Missed? What Are Your Dreams for PTUMC?

You will be encouraged by the answers and observations discussed as a results of the above questions. We will share the content with you as we refine and compile the information. Our conversations will inform our core values and vision as we move forward. Be attentive as your Administrative Board, Nominations Committee and other groups in the church embrace our shared values and forward focused vision. Thank you to all who were able to attend and for those who continue to pray diligently for the mission and ministry of Our wonderful Prophetstown United Methodist Church!

9 am Adult Sunday School

Music & Drama

God-honoring worship is something we strive for. Many church members get involved in our music and drama ministry. Some play their instruments. Some are vocalists. Others are involved in the choir. Still others get involved in drama. These volunteers are an important part of the ministry of Prophetstown United Methodist Church, using their talents and gifts to glorify God.

Ushers

The usher team at Prophetstown United Methodist Church fills an important role. They are involved in directing attendees to their seats, ensuring the safety of the building during services, guiding traffic, helping visitors, answering questions, providing direction, unlocking doors, locking doors, and generally ensuring that the service can proceed problem-free. The usher team is a servant-hearted group of men and women whose ministry is integral to church life.

Media & Technology

Using media to spread the gospel is a privilege of Prophetstown United Methodist Church. In an age of widespread technology, we have a stewardship to use these tools as best as possible for kingdom purposes. All of our weekly sermons are uploaded to our website in video and audio formats. We also maintain an active Facebook for additional church communication.

Marriage Counseling

Marriages can be difficult to maintain. Misunderstanding, confusion, resentment, and anger can flare up in any marriage. Several couples at Prophetstown United Methodist Church serve other families as marriage counselors. Their role in listening, understanding, helping, and encouraging struggling couples has, by God’s grace, saved marriages, and repaired relationships. Couples have found fresh hope and new joy in a warm and fulfilling relationship with their spouse.

Prayer Warriors

Prayer cannot be overestimated. Prayer moves the hand of God. Grace Community Church is a body of believers dependent upon prayer, and committed to God’s sovereignty. Each Sunday, during the morning service, a team of volunteers is praying for the ministry of the Word. Throughout the week, volunteers to our Prayer Warriors team, pray for their pastor, a list of church members, any special requests, and missionary prayer needs. Each Wednesday, the church comes together for a special time of prayer and Bible study.

Children’s Church

In order to give our children the best Bible teaching possible, Prophetstown United Methodist holds a children’s church service in conjunction with the main service. This special time gives kids more opportunity for interaction and learning in a context and manner that may be better suited to their age and learning styles. Our friendly children’s church volunteers have an endless stream of creativity–ranging from puppet shows, to games, to object lessons.

Camp Counselors

Each summer, Grace Community Church hosts a youth camp. The week-long event involves games, a lot of preaching, great food, good worship, and the intentional influence of camp counselors. The camp counselors are selected, screened, and trained for this important camp ministry. They find that their ministry is personally rewarding, and both campers and counselors grow in the process.

ctive.