In 1992, the second Sunday of October was designated as Clergy Appreciation Sunday, evolving into October as Clergy Appreciation Month.1 Doing a Google search on Clergy Appreciation Month provides about 140,000 results ranging from information about the celebration to ways which clergy can be appreciated, to clergy writing about their dislike of the observance to clergy offering essays on why it’s a bad idea.

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As for me and my house, I am continuing to learn to read and write Syriac Eastern Archaic. As you may remember, this was Jesus’ native language and only language for most of the Nazritzii, citizens of Nazareth of synagogue members, he taught. You may also remember that speaking in any language other than Syriac while in the synagogue was forbidden.

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Come Join us!
November 2 & 3, 2018
Cerro Gordo Church of the Brethren

Friday Evening:
   Worship: Paul Kohler, Champaign Church of the Brethren

Friday Evening After Worship:
   Ice Cream Social

Saturday:
   Business Session, Live & Silent Auctions

Downloadable Documents:

* District Conference Poster
* Full Schedule
* Hotel Information
* Registration Form (Online Registration is also an option)
* K-5 Registration Form
* Silent  Auction Poster
* Moderator's Letter
* Service Project Information
* Conference Checklist

The IL/WI District invites you to attend one of the Compelling Vision Process Sessions listed below. The Compelling Vision Process is designed to hear many voices from across the denomination to develop a vision for the Church of the Brethren. This vision includes energy, enthusiasm, and excitement for sharing ministry together far into the future. Every voice is important to this process. Please share this information in your congregation and encourage as many who can attend to engage in this important and compelling conversation! This opportunity is yours to help shape the future of the Church of the Brethren. Every voice counts, and every thought is important!

1) Locations:
 * Decatur COB: October 14, 2018
 * York Center COB: October 21, 2018

2) All sessions will start at 4 p.m. with a tentative end time of 6 p.m., depending on discussion and the needs of those attending.

3) Beverages and cookies will be provided.

4) Please RSVP to the District Office by:
 * Decatur COB Session: October 7, 2018
 * York Center COB Session: October 14, 2018

Click Here for more information, including registration information.

2018 resources will be posted online by Oct. 1

Find worship resources, logos, and more free downloads at www.brethren.org/yya/jr-high-resources.html.

This special Sunday is an opportunity for congregations to call youth into leadership, and invite junior highers to help lead worship for the whole church. Resources are offered to aid junior high youth and their adult advisors to plan and lead a worship focused on the theme.

Resources include calls to worship and benedictions and other liturgy, aids for preparing a sermon and ideas for responding to a sermon, a children’s story, ideas for music and hymns, and more.

November 9-11, 2018

Camp Emmaus
3011 W. Camp Road
Oregon, Illinois 61061

When: Registration will begin at 7 pm on Friday Night. Retreat participants will be dismissed on Sunday around noon. We are open to people coming late or leaving early so long as they are at the retreat Saturday Morning.

Who: Everyone currently in 9th through 12th grades plus First Year College students during the 2018- 2019 school year. Friends and advisors are welcome.

Cost: $30 for youth and adults. Make checks payable to “Illinois/Wisconsin District Youth”

What to Bring: Games, Bible, Rake, Sleeping Bag, Snacks to share, Towel, and Work clothes.

Service Project Information: We recommend dressing comfortably and in layers – it can be chilly in the morning – and you may warm up while raking leaves.

[Registration Information]

Inspired by 2 Peter 1:5-8 (The Message), the theme for the 2019 Church of the Brethren workcamp season is “Grow.” This theme focuses on complementing basic faith with qualities that encourage steady and active growth. Workcampers will connect to 2 Peter’s spiritual principles through the stages of a plant and explore God’s call, Christ’s example, and living with purpose. More information and a complete schedule will be available online by the middle of October. 

Visit www.brethren.org/workcamps to stay up to date.

Registrations will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis starting January 17, 2019, at 7 p.m. (central time). Participants must register on the workcamp webpage at www.brethren.org/workcamps. A $150 non-refundable deposit is due seven days after the online registration confirmation is sent. This deposit holds each registrant’s workcamp location “spot.” The full balance of the registration fee is due by April 1, 2019. Make checks payable to Church of the Brethren and mail them to Workcamp Office, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120.

January 17, 2019: Workcamp registration opens. www.brethren.org/workcamps

The next Christian Citizenship Seminar will be April 27 – May 2, 2019 

Christian Citizenship Seminar (CSS) provides high school aged students the chance to explore the relationship between faith and a particular political issue, and then act from a faith perspective regarding that issue.

This Christian Citizenship Seminar will focus on innovative approaches to resolving conflict and preventing civilian harm.

Who is eligible to attend?

All high school youth and their adult advisors are eligible to attend the seminar. Churches are strongly encouraged to send an advisor with their youth, even if only one or two youth attend. Churches are required to send one advisor for every four youth.

Registration is limited to the first 60 participants.

What is the cost?

The $425 registration fee includes:

• Event programming
• Lodging for five nights
• 2 dinner meals, one in New York City and one in Washington D.C.
• Transportation from New York to Washington D.C.

Note: Each participant will need to bring additional money for most meals, sightseeing, personal expenses, and subway/taxi fares.

What if I have questions?

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact Emmett Witkovsky-Eldred, the Youth and Young Adult Ministry Assistant, at ewitkovsky-eldred@brethren.org or 847-429-4385.

National Youth Sunday will be May 5, 2019.

Resources for 2019 workshop planning will be available early in the year.

Memorial Day Family Camp	5/24 thru 5/27
Senior High	7/7 thru 7/13
Elementary II	7/14 thru 7/17
Young at Heart	7/17 thru 7/21
Junior High	7/21 thru 7/27
Elementary III	7/28 thru 8/2
CIT	8/2 thru 8/4
Elementary I	8/3 thru 8/4
Women's Camp	8/8 thru 8/10
Labor Day Family Camp	8/30 thru 9/2

Tentative - Wilderness Camp/Retreat held during spring break on a Friday thru Sunday
Directed by Jonathan Stauffer & Randall Westphall

May 24-26, 2019
Camp Brethren Woods, near Keezletown, Virginia

Young Adult Conference (YAC) offers people ages 18-35 a chance to enjoy fellowship, worship, recreation, Bible study, service projects and more… with other fantastic young adults!

• Registration ($130) includes food, lodging and programming!
• Scholarships: Upon request, we will send a letter to your congregation asking them to provide a $65 scholarship. Make your request by April 1. Scholarships are also available to BVSers who are currently serving.
• A non-refundable deposit of $65 is due within two weeks of registering.

Questions? Contact Becky Ullom Naugle in the Youth/Young Adult Ministry Office at bullomnaugle@brethren.org or 847-429-4385.

National Junior High Conference will be June 14-16, 2019 at Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania

Stay tuned for theme information, cost, and registration information!

National Junior High Conference is for youth who have completed 6-8 grades and their advisors.

Sing, laugh, worship, make friends from all over the country, and spend time with God!

Questions?

Contact Becky Ullom Naugle in the Youth/Young Adult Ministry Office at 847-429-4385 or bullomnaugle@brethren.org.

Annual Conference 2019

“Proclaim Christ; Reclaim Passion”

 July 3–7
Greensboro, NC

The Church of the Brethren Annual Conference Office has announced speakers and other worship leadership for the 2019 Annual Conference.

With the unique format of this year’s Conference, in which most business will be suspended so that delegates and others can engage in the “Compelling Vision” process, the worship schedule will differ from its typical format. Evening worship will be similar to previous years, but each day will also feature a morning worship service, with an abbreviated singing time and a shorter sermon, for a total service length of about half an hour.

Donita Keister, moderator of the 2019 Conference and associate pastor of Buffalo ValleyChurch of the Brethren in Mifflinburg, Pa., will speak at the opening worship service on Wednesday evening. Other evening worship speakers include Jonathan Prater of Rockingham, Va., on Thursday; Tim and Audrey Hollenberg-Duffey of Hagerstown, Md., on Friday; and Jeremy Ashworth of Peoria, Ariz., on Saturday.

Morning speakers include Brethren Press publisher Wendy McFadden of Elgin, Ill., on Thursday; Joel Peña of Lancaster, Pa., on Friday; and LaDonna Sanders Nkosi of Chicago on Saturday. Tim Harvey, of Roanoke, Va., will speak at the traditional closing worship on Sunday morning.

Members of this year’s worship planning team are Joel Gibbel of York, Pa.; Erin Matteson of Modesto, Calif.; and Cesia Morrison of Christiansburg, Va. Danielle Sommers of Lewisburg, Pa., will serve as music coordinator; Geneva Price of New Madison, Ohio, as choir director; Jonathan Emmons of Greensboro, N.C., as organist; Lucas Finet of Nokesville, Va., as pianist; and Karen Stutzman of Winston-Salem, N.C., as children’s choir director. Bethany Theological Seminary faculty member Dan Ulrich of Greenville, Ohio, will be the Bible study leader.

For more information on Annual Conference, visit www.brethren.org/ac.

There is a Speakers List for the Illinois/Wisconsin District. Persons included in this document have accepted the invitation to be available to preach during worship services or for other special events as indicated. Hopefully you will find this tool useful and valuable when the need arises for inviting a guest speaker.

The speakers on this list are all credentialed ministers, either licensed or ordained. We would like to expand the list to include more credentialed ministers as well as interested laity. If your name is absent from the list and you have interest in serving as a guest speaker, please inform the district office. We would also welcome the names of persons you might suggest for inclusion on the list.

Since this is a new venture, it is likely we may need to provide more information than is included. Your input as to how the list can be improved would be welcomed.

Please share with the District Office any questions, comments, or concerns you may have.

The purpose of the Illinois/Wisconsin District is supporting the growth and development of the member churches. One means of support is financial assistance. Congregations in good standing are eligible to apply for assistance through the Mission and Mortar Program. 

Sustaining and developing ministry (mission) within congregations, as well as maintaining property (mortar), is sometimes hindered because of inadequate financial resources. The Illinois/Wisconsin District realizes that this dilemma exists and desires to financially support congregations that are in good standing with the district and have specific needs. Application for assistance may be made for up to a three-year period with reductions in the amount of support for each subsequent year. In the event that multi-year assistance is needed, a graduated agreement for funding will be arranged, but a request for the funds must be made annually.

Read the brochure for more details.

All ordained ministers, licensed ministers, and congregations need to keep the District Office informed of changes in contact information. Changes include: phone number, cell phone number, email address, mailing address, and congregational email or website. Please email Andrea Garnett, andreag.iwdcob@gmail.com, or call (309)649-6008 with your updates. Your effort will save valuable staff time trying to track down these changes. Other information to share: changes in key leadership positions at the church or the death or serious illnesses of minister, retired ministers, or spouses. Help us serve better!

Do not wait to begin to log your Continuing Education Units. The 2015 Five-year Ordination Review process for ALL ordained ministers will launch in 2014. Ordained ministers are required to produce verification of 5 CEU credits for this five-year period. It is your responsibility to secure certificates, letters or verifying documentation regarding CEU credit. Retired clergy are exempt from this requirement with the exception of those retired clergy actively involved in Interim Ministry.

CEU Notation: The district does not grant CEU credit for personal study and/or self-designed experiences you have had and/or books you have read. It is the minister's responsibility to secure a CEU certificate, Letter of Verification, and/or authentication document for completed training, seminars or workshops, or learning experiences offered by the presenting organization. This verification should always state the number of hours of the training - 10 hours of training equals 1.0 CEU credits. Please take personal initiative to become a life-long learner and increasingly effective minister of the Gospel.

The Gifts Discernment and Call Committee seeks your help. We are commissioned to call active, informed, and committed members of congregations or fellowships from within our District to positions of service. These persons, both pastors and lay members, are to be called from all parts of the District and to represent the diversity among us. Our committee's knowledge of members eligible and capable to serve is limited. Therefore, we make this appeal for assistance.