Ministry Leadership Development Team, Sept. 23, 6:30 p.m.

District Hymn Sing & Ice Cream Social, Emmert Meeting House, Franklin Grove, IL, Sept. 27, 2:30 p.m.

Program & Arrangements Committee, Sept. 30, 6:30 p.m.

Leadership Team, Oct. 6, 6:30 p.m.

Church Revitalization and Development Team, Oct. 17, 9 a.m.

Hearing on proposed congregational withdrawal policy, Oct. 17, 10:30 a.m.

2026 Illinois/Wisconsin District conference, Nov. 6-7, Polo (Ill.) Church of the Brethren

2027 District Potluck event, April 17, 2027, Cerro Gordo (Ill.) Church of the Brethren

[all meetings via Zoom unless otherwise noted]

September Newsletter

Join with others from around the district on Sunday, Sept. 27, for an afternoon of ice cream, fellowship, worship, and singing at the old Emmert Meeting House and Cemetery of the former Franklin Grove congregation! The ice cream social will begin at 2:30 p.m., with worship and an oldfashioned hymn sing following, around 3:15. The event is being hosted by the Dixon congregation and is free. Bring a lawn chair, an appetite, a smile, and your best singing voice! The Emmert Meeting House is located on the north side of Route 38, 3 miles west of Franklin Grove or 1 mile east of Nachusa.

Before the official conference starts on Friday evening, the district Ministerial Leadership Development Team will offer a workshop around the theme of discipleship led by Josh Brockway of the denomination’s Discipleship and Leadership Formation office. Cost will be $20 per person, including lunch. The workshop will run 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday (Nov. 6) with a lunch break. While clergy are especially encouraged to attend (and can receive 0.5 CEU's for participation), all are welcome. To register, please contact the district office at iwdde@outlook.com and send your name and congregation; checks should be made payable to the Illinois/Wisconsin District CoB and mailed to the district office at 1S 071 Luther Ave., Lombard, IL 60148.

The 2026 Illinois/Wisconsin District Conference will take place Nov. 6-7 at Polo (Ill.) Church of the Brethren (401 S. Congress Ave., Polo, IL) with the theme “Kindled Anew.” The conference will begin with worship and an ice cream social Friday evening, continuing with business, an equipping session, and lunch on Saturday (optional). Jocelyn Watkins (Peoria First) will serve as moderator and Sharon Rice (York Center) as moderator-elect. They will also serve as the speaker and worship leader, respectively, for Friday evening’s worship. Conference will conclude late Saturday afternoon. 

 

A NEW online Registration is now open for DELEGATES and NON-DELEGATES by clicking one of these links:

DELEGATE District Conference Registration

NON-DELEGATE District Conference Registration

 

Please note:

• You may pay by credit card through PayPal or by indicating you will send in a check. Follow the instructions on the form to mail the check. 
• Cost for Non-delegates is $15 per person, not including meals or lodging. 
• Cost for Delegates is free after assessment is paid. See more information below. 
• An optional catered Saturday lunch is available for $20 for all attendees. 
• Please register by Oct 31.

Delegate registration is covered by each congregation’s district assessment, up to the allotted number of delegates; this assessment must be paid in order for delegates to be seated. For any questions about delegate registration or assessments, please contact the district office.

The Illinois/Wisconsin District Potluck Experience, a sort of district conference without business, is held in the district every other year. Cerro Gordo has agreed to host the 2027 event on Saturday, April 17. It will run from approximately 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Further planning is under way. Mark your calendars, and plan for a day of worship, workshops, good food, and good fellowship! Watch for more details in the coming months.

Both of our district camps had a successful summer season, drawing more than 200 campers between them over the past few months. We rejoice in their important ministry and community connections!

Camp Emmaus will hold its Camp Celebration Day and Lunch this Saturday, October 3, starting at 1 p.m. The day will also include an auction, a look back at summer highlights, and opportunities to hike and enjoy the camp.

Brethren Volunteer Service is holding its fall orientation unit at Camp Emmaus. Unit 340 is staying at the camp Sept. 15-24 as nine volunteers train, build community, and prepare for a year of service at projects all around the US and the world. They will be worshiping at Dixon on Sept. 20. Please keep them in prayer as they head out to serve!

Look for information on future events at www.campemmaus.org.

Note that Camp Emmaus no longer has a PO box. All mail should be sent to the camp at 3011 W. Camp Rd., Oregon, IL 61061.

Camp Emmanuel is now closed for the season. Find more at www.campem.com.

The 2026 Church of the Brethren Outdoor Ministries Association retreat will take place Nov.15-19 at Camp Harmony near Hooversville, Pa. The retreat brings together Brethren camping leaders of all levels to gather for professional growth, faith formation, and outdoor ministry community development. The theme this year is “Torchbearers” (Matt. 5:14-16). Keynote speaker will be Jolene Regetta, a licensed professional counselor, former public school teacher, and life-long camp servant. The retreat will also include workshops, Bible study, meditations, games, meals, and more. Cost is $215 for OMA camp members, $240 for nonmembers. Learn more and register at Annual Retreat – Outdoor Ministries Association. 

JUNIOR HIGH SUNDAY is Nov. 1. Resources will be available on www.brethren.org this fall.

The 2027 Powerhouse Midwest regional youth conference will take place Feb. 19-21 at Columbia City (Ind.) Church of the Brethren. The keynote speaker will be Beth Jarrett on the theme “Everyday Hallelujah.” More details will be available in the months ahead.

Brethren Disaster Ministries opened a new rebuilding site Aug. 30 in Buncombe County, N.C., expected to remain in operation through May 15, 2027. Working in partnership with Fuller Center Disaster ReBuilders, Brethren Disaster Ministries will serve qualified families identified through the organization by making home repairs and constructing new homes in the ROOTS Community Land Trust, a 50-home affordable housing initiative in Black Mountain, N.C., for families displaced by Hurricane Helene. Many lost not only their homes but also the land beneath them or rental housing they can no longer return to.

BDM has also returned to Ashe County, N.C., for a short-term rebuilding project from Sept. 6 through Oct. 31. Working in partnership with the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, volunteers will make home repairs and build new homes. BDM previously served at this location during a two-week project in April 2026. Volunteer housing will be provided at the Ashe Baptist Campground. Learn more about volunteering at www.brethren.org/bdm/rebuild/volunteer.

Rick Koch, our district disaster coordinator, has said he plans to step down from that role at the end of this year. If you would have interest in serving, or know someone who might, please contact the district office.

Prayers were requested in August for those affected by severe flooding in communities across Indiana, including areas where several Church of the Brethren congregations and Bethany Theological Seminary are located. Brethren Disaster Ministries was in communication with district disaster coordinators in both South/Central Indiana District and Northern Indiana District and is ready to support both districts and affected congregations as needs emerge.

Recent grants from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) have gone out to support disaster relief efforts and aid in North Carolina, Western Maryland, Ukraine, Gaza and the West Bank, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Venezuela, and Cuba. 

Children’s Disaster Services, a program of BDM, will offer two volunteer training events in October: Oct. 9-10 at Chalice Christian Church in Virginia Beach, Va., and Oct. 16-17 at Manassas (Va.) Church of the Brethren. Register for one of the following scheduled trainings, and encourage others to continue serving. If your congregation or group is interested in hosting a training, get in touch with Carolyn Neher at cneher@brethren.org or cds@brethren.org or 410-635-8734.

The 2027 Annual Conference will be held later than usual, July 28-Aug. 1 in Daytona Beach, Fla. Dennis Beckner, pastor of Columbia City (Ind.) Church of the Brethren will serve as moderator, with the theme “Growing Faith.”

Registration opens March 10. Costs are $350 for delegates and $175 for adult non-delegates in advance and $425 and $120, respectively, on-site. The conference hotel will be $190/night with tax, not including parking. Individual virtual registration will tentatively be $220 for the full conference. Find more information at www.brethren.org/ac

 

• Official IL/WI Channel
• Older Content

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.

Grants available through the district include the following:

1. Mission and Mortar: 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, whose mission is to support the growth and development of member congregations, desires to financially support congregations that are in good standing with the district and have specific needs. More information can be found here.

2. Being Jesus in the Neighborhood: Congregations can apply for $100 in seed money to start a new outreach project or initiative in their local communities, or to expand an existing one. These should be projects that intentionally engage with the neighborhood immediately around the congregation or, for those in rural locations, with the town or area around the church. Each congregation receiving a grant will be asked to share a little about their project at district conference. More information can be found here.

3. Emerging Missions Fund: To facilitate the growth and establishment of new faith communities, this grant is available for church and ministry planting initiatives. New church and ministry plants are encouraged to apply by contacting the district office and/or the CRDT.

Supporting Your District

The Illinois/Wisconsin District is active in a variety of ministry and mission efforts, both directly and indirectly. Continuing these efforts requires resources in the form of time, tools, knowledge, and especially finances. Consider making a contribution to the district’s general fund or one of its special funds (disaster relief, youth, emerging ministries, etc.). Look for the donate button at iwdcob.org, or send your checks to the district office: 1S071 Luther Ave., Lombard, IL 60148.

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 the district office, iwdde@outlook.com, or call 630-576-0276 ext. 800 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!

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.