Large Church Initiative 2009 – “Partnerships Play in Peoria,” Peoria, Illinois, April 21-24, 2009

Location: The Initiative will be held at First United Methodist Church, 116 NE Perry Ave., Peoria, IL 61603 (309-673-3641)

Registration: The registration fee is $325 which includes lunches and dinners. The event will include a visit to Springfield First UMC and the Lincoln Museum, as well as a concert by Ken Medema and the Irving School Choir.

To register go to: http://www.fumcpeoria.org/lci09/index.html

Hotel: Holiday Inn City Center, 500 Hamilton Blvd., Peoria, IL 61602 which is one block from the church and the rate is $99 per night, which includes breakfast, free internet access, free parking, and many more amenities. This rate is available until March 21, 2009.

The theme of the event is Partnerships Play In Peoria. The focus is upon developing partnerships within the community which lead to ministries of transformation. We will be highlighting the ministries of Peoria First as well as partnerships between Ginghamsburg Church in Tipp City, Ohio and UMCOR, large church and the ADVANCE, larger churches with smaller churches, learning how to develop partnerships, and experiencing the fruits of ministries that are working for the transformation of the church and community.

Featured speakers and presenters are: Mike Slaughter of Ginghamsburg Church, Tipp City, Ohio; Bart Campolo, Walnut hills Fellowship Church, Cincinnati, Ohio; Sam Dixon, Deputy General Secretary of the General Board of Global Ministries and Director of United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR); Jan Davis, Executive Pastor of Christ United Methodist Church, Plano, Texas: Janet Forbes, pastor of St. Lukes United Methodist Church in Highland Ranch, Colorado; Joshua Smith, of Joshua Smith Coaching Group, Washington, D.C.; Ron Crandall, Executive Director, SCLI/ABIDE; Joy Moore, Associate Dean, Duke University Divinity School; and Debbie Wallace-Padgett, pastor of St. Luke United Methodist Church, Lexington, Kentucky. And Abraham Lincoln may make a special 200th birthday appearance. You can read more about each of the speakers by visiting: http://www.fumcpeoria.org/lci09/index.html

The Large Church Initiative has been making a difference in the life of larger churches in our denomination over the past 20 years.

Contacts: Mike Illuzzi 309-673-3641, ext. 120; milluzzi@fumcpeoria.org or Sue Heytman 309-673-3641, ext. 114; sheytman@fumcpeoria.org.