December

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Conference newspaper will become
edition of United Methodist Reporter

(Dec. 30) The Reporter, the weekly newspaper of the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC), will once again be an edition of the national United Methodist Reporter, effective Jan. 13.

The publication will continue to be a tabloid-size newspaper, according to Linda Rhodes, NIC director of Communications. The weekly newspaper will include four pages of NIC news plus eight pages of national and worldwide denominational and religion news and four resource pages.

“The inside pages of the newspaper will be prepared in Dallas by the national UMR staff and will include national and international news about the United Methodist Church and other religious groups,” Rhodes said. “This addition of global news should help reinforce the connection between local church members in the NIC and the rest of our denomination. This has been missing since we went to an independent conference newspaper in January 2004.

“Even though we try each week to dedicate one page to national and international news, our space is very limited. By returning to the national edition, we will be giving readers 12 additional pages of national and international news and denominational resources without decreasing our conference news coverage.”

Rhodes said that in addition to providing “a great deal more news,” the new publication will also be more attractive. National news pages will include color photography, and conference pages will have blue spot color. The new publication will be printed on heavier, brighter white paper stock.

The Rev. James T. Galbreath, chair of the NIC Communications Commission, said the change is being made by members of the Communications Commission in response to requests from readers. “People have told us that they want more national and international coverage in the newspaper,” he said. “At the same time, I have never heard anyone say they wanted to cut down coverage of our conference news. Everyone wants to add to, not cut back. We’re responding to that request.”

At the request of the Communications Commission, the NIC Program Council approved $15,840 more per year to fund the newspaper.

In addition, the paid subscription cost of the newspaper will be increased from $20 to $25 per year. Those wishing to subscribe should visit the NIC Web site, www.umcnic.org, and click on “News.” Or contact Margaret Lundahl, subscription manager, (312) 346-9766, ext. 125, or mlundahl@umcnic.org.

Rhodes said this issue will be the last issue of the conference independent newspaper. No newspaper will be issued for the week of Jan. 6, and the first edition of the new publication will be Friday, Jan. 13.

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‘Fruit-producing strategies’
packet sent to all churches

(Dec. 30) A packet describing opportunities to participate in Bishop Hee-Soo Jung’s “fruit-producing strategies” has been mailed to every Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) local church. .

“Your Northern Illinois Conference has been hard at work planning opportunities for both laity and clergy to sharpen the skills needed for Fruit Producing Strategies for mission and ministry,” the Rev. Oscar Carrasco, NIC director of Connectional Ministries,” wrote in a cover letter in the packet. “In this mailing you will find a myriad of important opportunities.”

Resources for Natural Church Development, Christian Social Holiness, Small Group Ministry and Volunteer Spiritual Leadership Network are included in the packet.

Natural Church Development

Brochures about Natural Church Development (NCD), a diagnostic tool available to churches who seek qualitative growth in all areas of their congregational life, explain the NCD program and list training sessions for “NCD Introduction,” “Coaching 101” and “Follow-Up Training” that will be offered throughout the NIC.

For more information about Natural Church Development, contact the Rev. Martin Lee, NIC director of Congregational Development and Redevelopment, (312) 346-9766, ext. 108, or send e-mail to ncd@umcnic.org.

Small Group Ministry

The packet also includes brochures about the Institute for Small Group Ministry that lists training opportunities for leaders of small groups in local churches.

The first Small Group Ministry training sessions will be held Saturday, Feb. 18, at Sycamore UMC and Saturday, Feb. 25, at River Forest UMC. Both sessions will be led by the Rev. Steven Manskar, clergy member of the Minnesota Conference who serves as Director of Accountable Discipleship for the United Methodist General Board of Discipleship.

For more information about the Institute for Small Group Ministry, contact Carrasco, (312) 346-9766, ext. 121, or Judy Siaba, (312) 346-9766, ext. 124.

Christian Social Holiness

A four-week Bible study on social holiness is being developed for churches in the NIC by Dr. Ted Campbell, president of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. This curriculum is expected to be available for use in local churches beginning in February.

The study will include four topics:

To reserve copies of this new curriculum, contact Susan Dal Porto, NIC director of Media Resources at (847) 931-0710, ext. 17.

For a two-hour consultation on “Transforming Your Church’s Social Ministry,” contact the Rev. Chris Pierson, NIC director of Outreach and Witness, at (847) 931-0710, ext. 15.

Spiritual Leadership Network

The NIC is establishing a Spiritual Leadership Network System to enable laity and clergy to offer their gifts in ministry beyond their local setting and volunteer their talents and skills to help churches throughout the conference.

The packet includes a Volunteer Survey to allow individuals to indicate areas in which they have skills and are willing to share their time with other congregations.

To be part of the Spiritual Leadership Network helping churches that need help, return your completed survey to Jean Bush, NIC director of Leadership and Program Development, Northern Illinois Conference, 217 Division Street, Elgin, IL 60120.

The names and areas of expertise of individuals who complete the survey will be added to the Spiritual Leadership Network database. As needed, these volunteers will be matched with congregations needing help.

For more information, contact Bush at (847) 931-0710, ext. 108.

More information on “fruit-producing strategies” is also available on the NIC Web site at www.umcnic.org.

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New Hope Community Food Pantry becomes authorized to distribute USDA commodities

(Dec. 30) Starting in December, New Hope Community Food Pantry became authorized to distribute USDA commodities to its clients in addition to the items that have been donated or purchased with cash donations.

All government regulations regarding the distribution of USDA commodities will need to be met by recipients of the commodities. Regular income level standards followed by the New Hope Community Food Pantry will continue to be used for all clients receiving non-USDA products.

The New Hope Community Food Pantry, located in New Hope UMC, 7115 W. Hood Ave., Chicago, opened its doors to the community in November 2004. That first month, the pantry served five households consisting of 19 people. One year later in November 2005, 32 households consisting of 112 people were served. The total number of households that have registered and have been served by the Food Pantry during the first year is 73 consisting of 243 persons.

In February the Food Pantry became one of more than 600 member agencies of the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

The New Hope Community Food Pantry operates as an Emergency Food Pantry, which means each household is provided with approximately a 3-4 day supply of nutritionally complete food on a once-a-month basis to supplement other food resources. The New Hope Community Food Pantry is open every Tuesday morning from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Nonperishable food donations can be brought to New Hope during normal pantry hours, or you can contact the director, Bill Murphy, at (773) 775-1215 to make other arrangements. Monetary donations are always welcome and checks should be made payable to the New Hope UMC Community Food Pantry.

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Rockford Christ team to return to Gulf Coast

(Dec. 30) Christ UMC will lead another adult team to serve in Mississippi in continued hurricane relief March 19-26. The church has issued an invitation for others to join in the work trip.

The church has put its name in with the UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) director in Mississippi, and it will probably be some time before it receives specifics on where the work team will be asked to serve, and what projects might be.

“We have been told that UMCOR anticipates being in a construction phase by March, so our projects would most likely be of that nature,” said Laura Widstrom, director of youth and children’s ministries at Christ UMC. “Because we have some time to plan, this trip will be more structured than our trek to Laurel, Mississippi, this fall.”

Widstrom said this trip’s daily schedule will be more formally structured with a designated time for evening devotions and reflection.

“We will ask for a financial contribution towards the expenses of the trip,” Widstrom said. “Contributions will cover the cost of food during the week and will assist in purchasing the supplies we will be using for construction.”

Widstrom said the trip is open to any interested adult willing to covenant with the group to a common standard of purpose and conduct.

Registration materials will be available Jan. 1. To receive these materials when they become available, contact Widstrom at the Christ UMC office, (815) 399-5910 or by e-mail at laurawidstrom@insightbb.com.

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Red Oak builds addition without adding debt

(Dec. 23) Members of Red Oak UMC in Walnut spent almost five years dreaming, designing, raising money and then building a 32- by 80-foot one-level addition to their church building. Now completed, the addition provides the 86-member congregation with a new fellowship hall, modern kitchen, handicapped-accessible bathrooms and drive-up entrance.

Because of this project, Red Oak UMC is the third Church Builder’s Call for 2005.

“We started raising money and working to design the addition in 1998,” said Evangeline Guither, trustee.

At that time, the church’s kitchen and dining hall were located in a lower level below the Sunday school rooms and sanctuary. None of the church was handicapped accessible.

The original church, built in the 1880s, had been expanded by adding classrooms along one side; in the 1940s space was dug out to build a fellowship hall underneath the sanctuary.

“But it was old, small and difficult to access for some of the members,” said Robert Meador, Red Oak UMC pastor. “It was showing its years.”

“We felt that our church needed to be more handicapped-accessible,” said Guither. “Coming in the old entrance, you had to go up steps to get to the sanctuary level. And all the stairs were outside. Although there were railings, you were out in the open. There was no way you could get into the church without going up stairs.”

Guither said church members considered the possibility of installing an elevator like some other churches had done, but decided, instead, to build an addition and make everything accessible on the same level.

“Wonderful and beneficial addition”

“It proved to be a wonderful and beneficial addition to the church,” Meador said. He noted that on Nov. 13 the congregation celebrated its 150th anniversary, and more than 170 people attended a banquet in the new facility.

“The new hall is roomy with an excellent kitchen,” Meador said. “It provides easy access for everyone, and it is air conditioned, which none of the rest of the church is.”

Meador also noted that the new space is “wonderful” for gatherings for members of the community as well as the church. “As a rural church this congregation is very much a part of the community,” he said. “Their expectation was that the space would be available to the community. The church itself is out in a corn field, about four miles outside of Walnut, the closest town. But they did expect community usage.”

A number of community organizations, including the Bureau County Antiques Club, regularly meet in the new space. “Members have also found it to be a great place for birthday parties and other family celebrations,” Meador said.

And the entire project was built without debt.

Congregational project

“As much as possible we wanted it to be a congregational project,” Guither said, “not a committee project. We wanted everybody to feel that they were part of the congregation so they would have a voice in it and help whenever they could.”

Guither noted that individual church members, as well as United Methodist Men and United Methodist Women, contributed through fund raisers.

“When we had enough money raised, we would do the next part of the project,” Guither said. “We didn’t go into debt for any of the building.”

Guither said one of the biggest helps was that “we had five $10,000 donors.” She said that gave the congregation a big start. “We wanted to have the money in our pockets before we spent it,” she said. “We raised the money first, then we built.”

“It’s paid for,” said Donald Bohm, church treasurer, “and it was paid for as we went, so we didn’t have a bill hanging over our heads, which made it kind of nice.”

Meador said the original construction estimate was around $400,000, “but they actually built it for less than half of that because members of the church did much of the labor, both general and skilled.”

“The local men were willing to do all they could,” Guither said, “and the contractor was willing to let them help, so we did all we could with volunteer labor.”

Sacrificed other improvements

But Meador noted that the congregation sacrificed a number of other improvements in order to build the addition.

“There is a whole lot that the church has postponed in general maintenance and in upkeep in order to complete this addition,” Meador said. “There are a lot of little projects all around the church that haven’t been done because they made the commitment to get the hall built. You can imagine a 100-member church with a project this big. There’s only so much money out there.”

A few years ago, the Kuhnert family, members of the church, donated one acre of land behind the church to be a parking lot. “Nothing has been done with it,” Meador said. “It’s just dirt on the edge of the corn field. It would be very, very helpful if we could get the parking lot done, but first we have to upgrade the drainage from the church building.”

Currently, the church parking lot is located across the street on a grassy area that is also a playground. “It would be great if we could save that grass and actually park in a parking lot,” Meador said.

Another project that Meador hopes the congregation will undertake is replacement of the carpeting in the sanctuary.

“The sanctuary is a beautiful small country church sanctuary with original 1960s green sculptured shag carpeting,” he said. “Because they take such good care of everything, even the carpeting is in good shape. I’d rather have that changed even before the parking lot.

“But that will be up to the trustees.”

You can help Church Builders empower local ministry

Individuals throughout Northern lllinois pledge $25 or more per call — usually three each year.

Funds help purchase land and construct new buildings and parsonages.

Deteriorating buildings have been restored, and those damaged by natural disaster have been repaired or replaced.

Conference Board of Global Ministries pays administrative costs, enabling all donations, plus interest, to go to designated churches.

For more about Church Builders and how you may join: contact the Northern Illinois Conference, (312) 346-9766; the Rev. Scott McClellan, Church Builders chairperson, (815) 369-5291; or Nancy Duel, treasurer, (847) 259-3793.

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ORM seeks youths for outdoor ministry

(Dec. 23) Northern Illinois Conference Outdoor and Retreat Ministries (ORM) is looking for youths who would make competent and strong volunteer leaders in outdoor ministry programs.

Youths must be 15 years of age by June 1; show natural leadership skills; growing in or already possessing a mature Christian faith; be mature and show integrity in personal choices; able to work independently; enjoy working with children and other youths; and able to or interested in learning how to share their faith with others.

Leadership training for these individuals will be offered in three areas:

It is mandatory that applicants attend all three sessions.

For more information, contact Claudia Moore, ORM program director, at (815) 494-0444 or claudia@ niccamp.org, or ORM office for registration information at 200 Stam Street, Williams Bay, WI 53191, (800) NIC-CAMP.

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G-ETS names Pupo-Ortiz director
of Spanish course of study program

(Dec. 23) Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary announces the appointment of Yolanda Pupo-Ortiz as director of the course of study program for Spanish speakers. She joins Dawn Jeffers Ramstad, director of the English course of study program and church relations at the seminary, 2121 Sheridan Rd., Evanston.

Course of study is a five-year program of intensives that trains licensed local pastors in the United Methodist Church.

From 1995-2005, Pupo-Ortiz was associate general secretary of the General Commission on Religion and Race for the United Methodist Church, which works to eliminate racism and towards reconciliation and inclusion throughout the denomination.

Born a Quaker in Cuba, Pupo-Ortiz is thankful for the influence of la Iglesia Los Amigos on both her upbringing and education. At 18 she entered both university and seminary and holds a bachelor of philosophy and arts from Colegio Los Amigos and a bachelor of theology from Seminario Evagelico de Teologia both in Cuba. She also has a masters in library science from Emory University, Atlanta.

Over the years, Pupo-Ortiz has served on many conference and national committees and has been an influential voice for Hispanic ministry in the church. She has taught courses in worship and preaching, the mission of the church, and pastoral care for Garrett-Evangelical’s course of study program since 1989.

For more information on the course of study, visit on the Web www.garrett.edu.

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RUM’s Fair Trade Store will be
open until ‘last shopper finished’

(Dec. 23) Fair Trade Rockford, the first nonprofit gift store of its kind in the area, celebrated its first month of operation at 623 Seventh St. with a musical blessing on Dec. 17 by performers Mark and Terri Hoffman, who shared their brand of folk music mixed with holiday cheer at the store.

The store features one and a-half tons of fair-traded gift items from Ten Thousand Villages, a mission outreach of the Mennonite Church, and co-operative groups from around the world.

The Fair Trade Store is a project of Rockford Urban Ministries (RUM) with a “whole lot of community help,” said volunteer project manager Michael Kearney, a retired school teacher and son of United Methodist Church pastor Norm Kearney.

The store will be open Friday, Dec. 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Christmas Eve, Saturday, Dec. 24, “we will keep the store open until the last shopper is finished,” said Stanley Campbell, RUM executive director.

“We are bringing in wonderful gifts, arts and crafts from around the world. The items come from Ten Thousand Villages, which pays worldwide producers fair and decent wages,” Kearney said. “Fair trade is the wave of the future, especially for people concerned about working conditions, the environment and justice.”

Fair-traded gifts include pottery, wood products, baskets, Christmas ornaments, toys, textiles, all items made and imported by mission and peace groups from around the world.

Fair trade means a fair portion of the purchase price goes to the producer. For example, fair-traded coffee means an individual farmer or cooperative that grew the beans, was given a fair price for the product.

Fair-trade coffee will be available for tasting and purchase at the store, including a large selection of fair-traded organic coffee (i.e., no pesticides) as well as shade-grown coffee (no trees were cut down, which provides more cover for wildlife and improves the flavor of the coffee bean).

“We have volunteers to help sell fair-trade items at their church, business or home,” Kearney said. “Fair trade is fun, educational and drawing people from around the Midwest, and it will increase the sales tax base for Rockford.”

Kearney added that proceeds will be used for the betterment of the neighborhood.

For more information, contact Rockford Urban Ministries at (815) 964-7111, or visit the Web site at www.gbgm-umc.org/urbanmin. RUM is an outreach of 25 area churches, including 19 United Methodist congregations.

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Latino/Hispanic Academy for faith
development begun by NIC, seminary

(Dec. 16) The Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) is partnering with Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary to conduct the first Latino/Hispanic Academy for Faith Community Development. The goal of the academy, according to the Rev. Martin Lee, NIC director of Congregational Development and Redevelopment, is to develop leaders in Hispanic congregations who can grow their own congregations and help establish new faith communities.

“We have 14 Hispanic congregations in the conference,” Lee said. “We’d like to double that by 2008 and develop another 24 new Hispanic/Latino faith communities.”

Lee noted that there are more than 1.7 million Latinos and Hispanics in the NIC and, according to census data, only 12% of them attend Roman Catholic churches.

“We have a huge open market,” Lee said. “We can reach out and welcome them into our faith communities. God is calling every one of us to join in God’s movement. There are so many people out there waiting for us to come and reach out to them.”

Fifty-four participants from eight Hispanic NIC congregations have signed up for the academy that meets six times a year for two years. Each of the 12 sessions is an intensive 48-hour weekend beginning at 5 p.m. Friday and ending at 5 p.m. Sunday. Two of the sessions are field trips.

Participants include laity and clergy, the educated and uneducated, U.S. citizens and undocumented residents, homeless and working professionals.

“They are from churches in the immigrant community,” said the Rev. Oscar Carrasco, NIC director of Connectional Ministries. “They are from liberal congregations and from conservative congregations. They are from Mexico, Puerto Rico and South America. They are from many different backgrounds, but after working together for three weekends, they are coming together. They are moving from isolation into community. It’s a beautiful thing.”

Lee said the curriculum is based on the General Board of Discipleship’s “L3 Leadership Incubator” program.

“We are trying to develop leaders who can lead.” Lee said. “But this is a personal transformation process. Because without changing the hearts of the people, we can’t do much.”

The academy is designed to provide theological encounters within the Latino/Hispanic context, develop contextual leadership skills for church and community, identify teaching parishes that relate to Latinos and Hispanics, and identify leaders to recruit Hispanic/Latino students for seminary training.

Content of the sessions includes prayer, contextual community development, Wesleyan studies, listening and living God’s presence, evangelism and spiritual gifts.

“This is something wonderful,” said Rosa Villareal, member of Nuevo Amanecer UMC in Des Plaines. “I’m learning about what to do in our church and how to use the resources we already have instead of looking for something we don’t have.”

Blanca Fuerrero, member of Ebenezer Mission in Chicago, said participants are like “little caterpillars” and the academy is like an incubator.

“When we’re through,” Fuerrero said, “we’ll come out like butterflies. Right now we look at each other and feel ugly ourselves. We don’t know what God wants us to do. But after we go through this process, we’ll be able to be a light for others.”

Milagros Bermudez, San Pablo UMC in Waukegan, called the academy a “blessing.” She is excited about the program that her pastor, the Rev. Awilda Nolla, sent her to attend.

“This program is giving me the tools to do what I feel in my heart: to talk to people about the word of God and bring people to God,” Bermudez said. “Before, I was afraid to do that. Now I’m not afraid any more.”

Oversight for the academy comes from a team of representatives from both the seminary and the conference. Team members include Carrasco, Lee and the Rev. Joaquin Garcia, Garrett-Evangelical’s vice president for student affairs.

Funding for the academy includes $15,000 from the NIC and a $50,000 grant from the United Methodist Church’s General Board of Higher Education and Ministries. Participants pay for their own books and transportation.

“This is not easy for the participants,” Lee said, noting that expenses plus the time commitment can be hardships for many.

“It’s not a sacrifice,” said Kromber Lainez, one of eight participants from Humboldt Park UMC in Chicago, “because it’s something I like. I am happy to do this because when I see something in life worth doing, I do it happily.”

Seminary President Ted Campbell said, “We are convinced that this program will enable Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary to connect directly to Hispanic/Latino leadership in our area, and will enable us to be at the forefront of preparing a new generation of Hispanic/Latino leaders in the church.”

“This is a miracle for me,” said Lino Aragon, member of Nuevo Amanecer UMC in Des Plaines, “that the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church has opened the door to minorities. They are giving us the tools to go out into the community to give people hope and share the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

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Faith leaders collecting signatures to urge Hastert
to allow vote on FDA control of tobacco products

(Dec. 16) A group of faith leaders in Aurora are gathering signatures on a resolution to encourage Speaker of the House of Representatives Dennis Hastert (R-IL) to support legislation that gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority over tobacco products. The petition urges Hastert to bring that legislation to a vote in the House as soon as possible.

Last year, the U.S. Senate twice voted overwhelmingly to pass the FDA legislation into law. It did not come to a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The legislation, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH) and U.S. Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA), would give the FDA authority over the manufacturing, marketing and sale of tobacco products.

Among other things, the FDA would have the authority to crack down on tobacco marketing and sales to children; require changes in tobacco products to make them less harmful and less addictive; stop tobacco companies from making unsubstantiated claims that some tobacco products may be safer than others; require the disclosure of the contents of tobacco products; and mandate larger, more effective health warnings. The bills are S. 666 in the Senate and H.R. 1376 in the House.

“We in the faith community spend too much of our time burying mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers who are victims of this addiction.” said the Rev. Tracy Smith Malone, senior pastor of Wesley UMC and a member of the coalition called Northern Illinois Faith United Against Tobacco.

“This legislation would give FDA the power to take some critical actions to help keep children from becoming addicted to cigarettes and other tobacco products,” Malone said. “We know that Rep. Hastert cares about children, so we are working hard to change his mind on this legislation.”

Unlike other consumable products, Malone said tobacco products are virtually unregulated to protect consumers’ health and safety. The FDA legislation would finally end the special protection enjoyed by the tobacco industry and protect children and the nation’s health instead.

Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., killing more than 400,000 people and costing more than $89 billion in health-care bills each year, according to the coalition. About 90% of smokers become addicted as youths. Nearly a quarter of high school students still graduate as smokers.

In Illinois, the coalition pointed out that tobacco use kills over 16,900 people and costs over $3.8 billion in health care costs each year. More than 29% of high school students smoke, significantly higher than the national average, and another 34,200 kids become regular smokers every year.

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March 11 will be discipleship event

(Dec. 16) The second year of “Destination Discipleship: Mapping the Journey” will be Saturday, March 11, at Grace UMC, 300 E. Gartner Rd., Naperville. The theme for the conference discipleship event is “Don’t Travel Alone! Sharing the Faith.”

More than 15 workshops on Christian education, evangelism, youth and older adult ministries will be offered in the day-long event that will run from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Registration materials will be available soon.

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United Church of Hyde Park, Jewish congregation work to assist evacuees from Katrina

(Dec. 9) United Church of Hyde Park (UCHP), a combined United Methodist and United Presbyterian congregation in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, and KAM Isaiah Israel, a Jewish congregation, have joined forces to form the Hyde Park Katrina Evacuee Support Committee to assist hurricane evacuees living in Chicago.

The Rev. Larry Turpin, UCHP pastor, said Jacqueline Courtrell-Washington, a member of Church of the Three Crosses UMC, but who grew up in United Church of Hyde Park, pushed the congregation to get involved.

“We really felt the impact of the hurricanes here and really wanted to do something,” Turpin said. “Other churches in the conference were doing such great things, Jacqueline just said we’re going to do this.”

“How do you not help?” Courtrell-Washington asked. “It’s just unconscionable not to help. If we’re going to wear the label of Christian, then we’ve got to do what that label calls us to do.”

When a local synagogue sent a message that they wanted to do something, too, Turpin said, the congregations got together. “We identified people ourselves,” he said. “We happened to know a person who had 25 relatives from Louisiana, and they were all wiped out. We took on several of them.”

The two congregations are now helping three families: a single woman, a young couple with two children, and a mother and daughter who live together.

“We got them set up,” Turpin said. “We found the housing and the household items. Now we’re connecting them with all the services they need. That’s one of the things we’re really good at. Our commitment is to see them through a year.”

The three families have moved into three apartments in the Hyde Park area provided, rent free, by the University of Chicago and Parker Holsman Realty. Members of both congregations collected furniture, kitchen utensils, and other essential domestic items to furnish the apartments. More than 15 volunteers from the church and synagogue spent a Saturday collecting and distributing donations, helping set up the apartments, and filling them with cleaning supplies and kitchen basics.

“They are in these apartments,” Courtrell-Washington said. “They’ve got furniture. They’ve got food. They’re warm. They’ve got beds and clothes. They’ve got everything they need. It’s been wonderful; it’s been a joy to do.”

“These families have begun new lives here,” said Cal Audrain, chair of the UCHP Church Council. “We expect to continue to sponsor and support them over the near term as they stabilize their situations and determine their longer-term futures.”

Keishell and Mack

Keishell and Mack, parents of a five-year-old son and an 11-month-old daughter, had lived in the 9th ward in New Orleans in a rented house. Rescued from the flooding by helicopter, they were initially flown to Utah, unable to take anything with them. Shortly thereafter, they arrived in Chicago by bus to stay with an aunt and have been there until now.

Keishell already has a job working as a secretary at a local company, and Mack is looking for work as a painter, tile layer or janitor. Their son is enrolled in kindergarten and will soon transfer to Ray School. Mack’s mother and sister care for the baby.

Their new home is a three-bedroom apartment, made available by the University of Chicago through April 2006. They will be working with a case manager to help them access Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) support and other services. While they have collected the first $2,000 of FEMA aid, nothing more has been forthcoming. They have been approved for a trailer in Louisiana, but they are expected to find the land themselves to put it on — land they do not have. They are unsure when or if they will return.

Antoinette and Michelle

Antoinette and Michelle, Mack’s mother and sister, are also New Orleans evacuees. They came to Chicago directly following the hurricane. They stayed initially in a hotel and later with Antoinette’s sister, who housed four evacuee families at one point.

They assume day-care responsibility for the baby and have moved into a one-bedroom University of Chicago apartment a few blocks away. They will work with the same case manager to access FEMA and other support.

Michelle, a high school graduate with some training in the hospitality industry, hopes to find work in child care, but would consider other options. They have not decided whether they will move back to New Orleans.

Alma

Alma, a single middle-aged woman, has moved into a third apartment in Hyde Park, donated by a private real estate agent. She has been staying with her sister and is originally from Chicago. She plans to remain here permanently.

In New Orleans Alma had stopped working due to health problems and had applied for SSI benefits. She has just returned from a traumatic trip to New Orleans to retrieve her things from a storage facility that she had been told was untouched by the hurricane. Unfortunately, all of Alma’s furniture was covered with mildew and unsalvageable.

Alma was able to retrieve some of her personal items, such as kitchenware and linens. But she now needs to furnish her apartment. Along with the others, she has recently been assigned a case manager who will undertake a needs assessment for the short- and long-term.

“Helping these three families settle in to new homes and new lives is a monumental undertaking, but we are the lucky ones; we get to help,” Audrain said. “It is obviously much more difficult for them and much remains to be done. Despite government promises of help, we do not yet know the specific resources that will be available to these families from FEMA or other governmental sources.

“However, additional financial support is needed immediately to help pay for things like food, phone hook-ups, bus cards, and other essentials to get families through these next few months comfortably so that they can start rebuilding their lives.”

Audrain said the congregations’ goal is to raise an initial $7,000 to spend on essential support. To help with short-term fund raising, the Polk Bros. Foundation committed a challenge grant of $2,500 and Rabbi David Sandmel of KAM Isaiah Israel has committed $500 from the Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund.

“We are asking members and friends of the two congregations, as well as anyone else that sees this as a way to help people displaced by the hurricane, to join with us in helping these families.” Audrain said. “If we can raise this money before year-end, these families can celebrate a true holiday season secure and well-supported in new homes.”

For more information, contact Coutrell-Washington, (773) 264-3096 or jacquelyncw@sbcglobal.net.

Send contributions to United Church of Hyde Park, Attn: Katrina Fund, 1448 E. 53rd St., Chicago, IL 60615. Make checks payable to United Church of Hyde Park; put Katrina Fund on the memo line.

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North Central students to
work at Sager-Brown Depot

(Dec. 9) On Dec. 10, a group of nine North Central College students, faculty and staff will leave Naperville for Baldwin, La., where they will spend part of their Interim Term working at the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) Sager-Brown Depot. The facility is a center for disaster supplies distribution.

Earlier this fall, North Central students raised some $2,000, all of which went to UMCOR for hurricane relief.

During the visit, the North Central group will provide additional staffing for the depot. The students, Professor of Psychology Thomas Sawyer and Alycia Capone, assistant director of ministry and service, will inventory supplies, unload trucks, organize materials, answer calls from donors or those in need, load trucks to drop off supplies to victims, and occasionally help deliver the goods.

The group will arrive back at the college on Dec. 18.

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Chocolate now available in Fair Trade programs

by Christie House, Editor, New World Outlook

(Dec. 9) The ancient Aztec and Mayan cultures discovered the value of the cacao beans, using them to produce a drink they called xocoatl. Chocolate was the food of the gods, used in religious ceremonies honoring the god Quetzalcoatl, and chocolate consumption was reserved for the ruling elite.

Today, chocolate made from cocoa butter and cocoa powder is tied up in a complex web of global dependencies. The cacao trees grow only in hot, humid climates close to the equator. Producers, usually in developing countries, sell low-grade cocoa products. The major chocolate producers in Europe and the United States refine the cocoa to a higher grade, making many different kinds of cocoa and chocolate products.

Most commercial chocolate available in U.S. stores is made from a mixture of beans from several different countries. In general, it is not possible to distinguish where cacao beans come from or who picked them.

All not the same

All cacao production is not the same, though. Some farms on the west coast of Africa, particularly in Côte D’Ivoire, the world’s top producer of cocoa, use child labor.

It is possible to purchase chocolate and cocoa products that have been fairly traded and were harvested and produced without exploiting children. Although the Fair Trade market for coffee is better known, a nascent fair-trade chocolate movement is gaining momentum.

Equal Exchange, a Fair Trade buying cooperative based in Massachusetts, has instituted interfaith Fair Trade coffee programs with a number of U.S. denominations, including the United Methodist Church. The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) Coffee Program is open to any United Methodist congregation. Recently, fairly traded baking cocoa, hot cocoa mix, and three kinds of chocolate bars became available through the UMCOR program.

Bought ‘blind’

In the world-market cocoa industry, cocoa is bought “blind” through importers and brokers. Fair Trade certified cocoa harvesting and processing must be monitored by independent, nonprofit certifying organizations. In order to sell to Fair Trade buyers, the cocoa cooperatives must adhere to the International Labor Organization Conventions on child labor and forced labor. In addition, Fair Trade cocoa is bought directly from democratically controlled cooperatives of small-scale farmers. Farmers receive a fair share of the profits and have a say in how common funds are spent. Equal Exchange pays a fair price for the cocoa, much higher than the world market price, which fluctuates.

Equal Exchange buys Fair Trade cocoa from two producers in Peru and one in the Dominican Republic. In the Dominican Republic, the Confederación Nacional de Cacaocultores Dominicanos (CONACADO) comprises 9,000 small-scale cocoa producers. The farms are divided into nine regional districts, forming about 400 small base associations or cooperatives. Founded in 1988, CONACADO has developed a niche market in the production of organic cocoa. It is now the primary producer of organic chocolate worldwide.

Abel Fernandez, a worker representative of CONACADO, says that 10% of the crop is now sold as Fair Trade cocoa. CONACADO would like to sell more, because of the higher price on the Fair Trade market, but at this point there aren’t that many buyers.

When cocoa is sold to Equal Exchange, the higher price enables CONACADO to set aside a percentage of the proceeds for community development projects. Last year, 1,200 tons were sold to Fair Trade market.

Fernandez wants to raise awareness among interfaith consumers that cocoa production often creates a “belt of misery” for people in rural areas. “A bar of chocolate often represents a lot of sweat and abuse for people all over the world,” he said. “Many live without access to basic services. Doing without becomes a way of life.”

Leveraged proceeds

CONACADO farmers have leveraged the proceeds from the fairly traded chocolate to:

That’s powerful chocolate!

Excerpts reprinted with permission, New World Outlook, September-October 2005. New World Outlook, published by the General Board of Global Ministries, is a subscription-based mission periodical in its 95th year of publication. For more information, call toll-free (877) 881-2385.

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Coat Ministry helps NIU international students

(Dec. 9) The Missions Committee of Sycamore UMC, 160 Johnson Ave., invited the international graduate degree students from Northern Illinois University (NIU) in DeKalb to select a coat from the church’s Coat Ministry.

The students were from warm weather climates, including India, China, the Philippines, Japan, Ecuador, Nigeria and Brazil.

On Nov. 16 transportation was provided to the church where more than 30 students selected more than 50 coats to take with them.

Some of the students also took part in the Wednesday evening meal held each week for members of the church.

Carole Cook-John, chair of the Coat Ministry, said anyone in need of a gently used coat is welcome to come to the Sycamore Food Pantry at the church on Mondays from 12 to 4 p.m. Coats of all sizes are available.

For more information on the Coat Ministry or the Sycamore Food Pantry, call the church at (815) 895-9113.

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Wheaton Aldersgate 40 Days of Purpose help different talents ‘spring up like flowers’

(Dec. 9) Aldersgate UMC, 1753 S. Blanchard St., Wheaton, recently completed the 40 Days of Purpose campaign with a celebration party. The party was a family event held at the BR Ryall YMCA last month with food, games and activities including a climbing wall, swimming pool and wolleyball courts. The program included testimonies from participants who experienced some special moments during the campaign.

The 40-day study, based on the book The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren, led the congregation to answers for questions such as: “Why am I here? Why did God make me?”

The six-week campaign, which began Sept. 24, explored the questions through multiple avenues, including a weekly message by Aldersgate’s pastor, the Rev. Kurt Gamlin, daily devotional readings for individuals and families, a daily e-mail of encouragement, and a weekly scripture verse. Small group discussions hosted in the homes of some of the campaign’s participants and Sunday school classes explored the questions and examined the Purpose-Driven Life’s thoughts about God’s five purposes for people: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and evangelism.

Ministry and mission fairs were held that helped members discover their particular shape for serving God.

“Everyone who participated heard about God’s purposes for their lives in many different formats,” Gamlin said. “Those who read the daily devotional, became part of a home discussion group and joined in the Sunday Celebration encountered a life-changing and affirming experience.”

Gamlin noted that different talents “seemed to be springing up like flowers in the spring.” He added that it was a great experience “to have the whole church focused on God’s purpose for our lives.”

For more information, call Aldersgate UMC at (630) 665-1414, or send e-mail to the church at wheatonaumc@earthlink.net.

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Conference begins building database
of Spiritual Leadership Network names

(Dec. 2) Laity and clergy in the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) are being encouraged to volunteer their talents and skills to help churches in the conference.

One of the four “fruit-producing strategies” that Bishop Hee-Soo Jung has set as priorities for the conference is the establishment of a Spiritual Leadership Network System, a conferencewide opportunity for laity and clergy to offer their gifts in ministry beyond their local setting.

To help implement that priority, NIC staff members are working to build a database of names of people within the conference who have skills and are willing to volunteer time to help other congregations.
Volunteer Network Survey (Word format) | Volunteer Network Survey (Adobe Acrobat format)

“From the beginning of John Wesley’s ministry, he demonstrated the importance of laity sharing their gifts in mission and ministry for the church,” Jung said, “We each have unique gifts to share. We each have been called to serve.”

Bishop Jung said he wants to have lawyers, carpenters, painters, computer consultants, teachers, grant writers, social workers, professors and a variety of other professionals listed on the database.

“We need to identify them, identify their gifts,” Jung said. “And then let them offer volunteer hours to serve not only their own congregations, but also others.”

The bishop’s vision is to have a network of more than 100,000 volunteers available to help local churches — without cost — when needs arise.

“We are spending thousands of dollars for legal fees, for example,” Jung said, pointing out that a number of churches in the NIC are in legal battles with municipal governments to get permission to build new buildings, expand or renovate existing buildings, or offer new programs. Many ethnic congregations are trying to help their members deal with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. Other churches are trying to help the poor obtain government services.

“We have hundreds of legal professionals in our conference,” Jung said, “I know if we invite them to help out, they will be willing to help.”

To share your gifts with others, go to the NIC Web site at www.umcnic.org. Go to the box in the right hand column entitled “Fruit-Producing Strategies for Ministry and Mission,” click on “3. Spiritual Leadership Network,” and download the survey to share with your congregation. Or call Jean Bush, NIC director of Leadership and Program Development, at (847) 931-0710, ext. 14.

“During this season of sharing gifts, your gift of resourcing others will be greatly appreciated,” Jung said.

To be part of the Spiritual Leadership Network helping churches that need help, return your completed survey to Bush, Northern Illinois Conference, 217 Division St., Elgin, IL 60120.

As you will see on the survey, many ways to volunteer exist. If you do not see your area of interest, feel free to add it to the survey. Your name and gifts will be added to the Spiritual Leadership Network database. As help is needed, you may be matched with a congregation needing your talents.

Jung said he wants the conference to change from “having a ‘hired’ mentality” where it is necessary to hire somebody to do ministry, to a mentality of using volunteers who serve Christ through using their own talents and abilities.

The bishop believes that such volunteer service from the laity will provide a valuable resource for the church.

“The Spiritual Leadership Network will enhance support for linking strategy, planning and concrete execution for NIC ministry,” Jung said. “It will move and empower the NIC to manage our financial resources better.”

“We hire everyone,” Jung said. “We hire and we pay,” and increasing salaries force budgets and local church apportionments higher and higher.

Jung said he believes a volunteer network will allow for a “flattening” of the conference hierarchy and a move toward “God’s people serving God’s people.”

“Everyone has God’s call to serve people in the community,” Jung said. “We are all hired by God. We need to ask: ‘What is my gift? How can I serve? How can I join the holy movement through my own profession?’

“We all need to join in and figure out how we can serve Christ better through our own professions and our own gifts.”

The bishop said he wants to implement a long-term plan for recruiting and training lay professionals for the professional work of ministry and indicated he has asked conference staff to make this a top priority.

“Being part of a faith community is not just a hired job,” Jung said. “Many gifted laity need to be identified and trained as congregation developers or small group ministers, etc. so they can serve with joyful celebration.”

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Winkler will be guest speaker at Rockford Urban Ministries annual Peace Dinner Dec. 30

(Dec. 2) Jim Winkler, General Secretary of the United Methodist Board of Church & Society, will be guest speaker at Rockford Urban Ministries Annual Peace Dinner Friday, Dec. 30, at Court Street UMC, 215 N. Court St., Rockford. The dinner begins at 6:30 p.m., the program starts at 7 p.m.

Winkler serves in Washington, D.C. and works to implement United Methodist Social Principles. He grew up in the Northern Illinois Conference and is the son of the Rev. Gene Winkler, retired NIC clergy member.

The public is invited to attend. Vegetarian dinners are available upon request. The program is free and open to the public.

To make reservations, call (815) 964-7111.

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31st Bethlehem Marketplace
will be Dec. 4 at Gary Memorial

(Dec. 2) Gary Memorial UMC, 224 N. Main St., Wheaton, will offer an opportunity to travel through an authentic representation of a Bethlehem Marketplace on Sunday, Dec. 4, from 2 to 5 p.m. The church will produce its 31st marketplace, a recreation of Bethlehem on the day after Christ’s birth, complete with elaborate scenery, costumes, and live animals.

Visitors are travelers through the market and are an interactive part of the presentation. After signing the census they stroll down streets of Bethlehem filled with sellers of spices, cloth, food, animals and vendors of all trades trying to sell their goods. Beggars are pesky, but not nearly as threatening as Roman soldiers who patrol the streets.

At the end of the walk, away from the noise of merchants haggling, visitors will encounter a stable in quiet solitude where Mary, Joseph and their baby named Jesus are resting.

The marketplace journey takes approximately 25 minutes. Travelers will gather in the church’s sanctuary to listen to music and scripture readings while they await their turn to begin the journey.

There is no charge for admission, but visitors are encouraged to bring canned and nonperishable foods for the Christmas sharing program to benefit low-income residents. More than 100 needy families will be invited to the church where they will be able to go through donations of clothing, household goods, shoes and toys. Each family will also receive a large box of food.

For more information, call (630) 668-3100.

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Todd’s mission trip to Bolivia begins Christmas Day

(Dec. 2) Brett Todd, pastor of St. Andrew UMC in Carol Stream, will leave Christmas day on a mission trip for three weeks to Bolivia. His goal is twofold: to help the staff at a new church plant and also to immerse himself in Spanish to help grow the Latino outreach ministry program at St. Andrew.

Todd will spend time with adults and children at Quillaco. The church in this area was started in October 2004 for and with the children.

If you would like to join the members of the St. Andrew UMC congregation in sending supplies for the children with Todd, contact Mary Mecker at (630) 653-7375.

“The Quillaco church needs a VCR, and we would like to send along a set of Veggie Tales,” Mecker said.

Other needs are Christmas cards of greetings to the children, decorative socks for both boys and girls, crayons, stickers, small toys, Christian coloring books, small toiletries, pencils, markers, hair decorations for the girls, sew-on patches, and anything small and flat.

“As always, cash donations would be accepted and much appreciated,” Mecker said. “We will be praying for Pastor Brett, the services in which he participates, and the people he meets.”

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Ryans making 2nd Christmas
mission trip to Arkansas

(Dec. 2) Elwood residents Bob and Carol Ryan are organizing their second annual Christmas mission run to Jo Ann Cayce Charities in Thornton, Ark. The Ryans, members of Manhattan UMC, are collecting donated items from the public through Thursday, Dec. 8.

The Ryans undertook this effort as a personal mission last year. “It was a leap of faith,” Bob Ryan said, when they felt called to make the effort to gather items and make their first trip, which was a new experience for them.

The Ryans didn’t have a vehicle to haul the goods, or for that matter, any donations to take. Bob mentioned to a friend that he needed a truck to drive to Arkansas. That friend not only volunteered his truck, but accompanied the Ryans.

Donations came in from many individuals. The Ryans were so inspired that they made a second trip in April to deliver more donations. This year, Bob Ryan will be making the run to Arkansas with church friend and Disciple classmate, Tim Good.

“The needs of the people are great,” said Carol Ryan. “Jobs are scarce and many families are living in extreme poverty. Some families are living in not much more than shacks with dirt floors and no running water.” When Hurricane Katrina struck, evacuees from that storm moved into the area.

The Ryans have been supporting Jo Ann Cayce Charities for the past three years after they became aware of the organization through author Joan Wester Anderson’s “Where Angels Walk” Web site, www.joanwanderson.com. Anderson has written several inspiring books about angels and she saluted the efforts of Cayce Charities, which has served the needy of central Arkansas for more than 45 years. Four generations of the Cayce family have helped people in the Thornton area.

Daniel Cayce and his grandmother, Jo Ann, have both been honored by the Points of Light Foundation and National Caring Awards. Daniel, a senior in high school, has also been awarded a Kohl’s Kids Who Care scholarship, ARKeeper Award (by the Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission), and 2004 Youth Humanitarian by Arkansas Department of Human Services for his work with Cayce charities and on his own.

The Ryans said major needs this year are children’s socks and underwear, new or gently used kids’ clothing and warm coats; new and gently used warm coats for men and women; and checks made payable to Jo Ann Cayce Charities to be used for the purchase of food. Checks may be sent directly to Jo Ann Cayce Charities, P.O. Box 38, 315 S. Second Street, Thornton, AK 71766, or they may be sent in care of Bob and Carol Ryan, 25044 S. Bush Rd., Elwood, IL 60421 for delivery with the mission trip. For more information on donating to the mission trip, email reryan@yahoo.com or call (815) 423-5020.

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