Alderman Howard Brookins - Black History Month Speaker - February 8, 2015

Alderman Howard B. Brookins, Jr. was elected in April 2003 and is currently serving his third term as Alderman of the 21st Ward. The Alderman follows in a lineage of politicians that include his father, former Senator Howard B. Brookins, Sr. Alderman Brookins’ political career includes having served as Assistant Public Defender, Assistant States Attorney and Special Assistant Attorney General.

Alderman Brookins is a graduate of Mendel Catholic High School, Southern Illinois Carbondale and Northern Illinois University. He participates on a number of committees in various organizations, including:

• Trinity United Church of Christ
• Prince Hall Mason Eureka Lodge #64
• Board of Directors Community media Workshop
• Board of Directors Northern Illinois Alumni
• Alpha Phi Alpha

Alderman Brookins is a longtime resident of the City of Chicago. His duty as Alderman is to help improve the quality of life in the 21st Ward. He makes himself available through monthly town hall meetings and weekly constituent night meetings, and meetings by appointment to listen to the 21st  Ward residents. From having a pulse on his constituents, Alderman Brookins serves with fairness and integrity. He serves on several committees for the City Council. As a result, he routinely provides insight on key issues, including crime, economic development and employment.

Alderman Brookins is a devoted husband to Ebonie Taylor-Brookins. He is the proud father of Howard Brookins and Harihson Brookins.

Professor Steven Rogers - February 1st Black History Month Speaker

Steven Rogers is a Senior Lecturer in General Management at Harvard University and teaches the Field Immersion Experiences for Leadership Development (FIELD) course in the MBA program and Entrepreneurial Finance in several Executive programs. A 1985 graduate of Harvard, Professor Rogers also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Williams College. Prior to teaching at HBS, Professor Rogers taught in the MBA program at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwerstern fro 17 years. He was the Gund Family Professor of Entrepreneurship and the Director of the Entrepreneurship Center. He is one of two professors in the school's history to have been selected Professor of the Year twice. He also taught Kellogg executive programs in the U.S., Toronto, Germany, and Hong Kong, including the Northwestern University PhD program. He received the Outstanding Professor award for the Executive Program an unprecedented 26 times.

Before joining the Kellogg faculty, he owned and operated two manufacturing firms and one retail operation. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Professor Rogers worked at Bain and Company Consulting firm, Cummins Engine Company and UNC Ventures, a venture capital firm.

In 2000, he received the 'Bicentennial Medal for Distinguished Achievement' by an alum from Williams College. In 2005, he received the 'Bert King Award for Service' from the African American Student Union at Harvard Business School. In 2006, he was selected as one of the "100 Men Impacting Supplier Diversity." In 2009, Ebony Magazine named him one of the top 150 influential people in America. in 2011, he joined Chicago Mayor Emmauel's Supplier Diveristy Task Force.

He has often been quoted in many publications, including Black Enterprise, Crain's Business Journal, Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, Fortune, Monarch and Business Week, NPR, and the Tom Joyner Show. In 2002 Professor Rogers published his first book, The Entrepreneur's Guide to Finance and Business. The second edition was published in 2008.

United Methodist Student Day November 30

United Methodist Student Day is November 30, 2014. Giving Tuesday is December 2, 2014.

Across the country, the people of the United Methodist Church are serving the people God loves in Jesus’ name. We’re doing it at home, but so often we’d like to do more. And we can; not just for one Sunday but any and every day.

• We want to serve those in other places who are suffering.
• We want to offer spiritual words of hope and life.
• And we want to be well-equipped to do both!

But the reality for most of us is that our responsibilities—home, family, work—don’t allow us to engage with every need we’d like to meet.

Right now there are UMC young people—who might not have had the resources to attend a school of their choice, or, for some, any school at all—who’ve been sent by you into the world God loves because of your giving to United Methodist Student Day. When you give generously you are support these students as they prepare for a life that unites faith with knowledge.

What no one person or congregation can do alone, we’re doing together.

Text taken from UMC Giving website. Go to the official page here to learn more and donate:
http://www.umcgiving.org/ministry-articles/united-methodist-student-day

Native American Heritage Month - November

Although we are nearing the end of this important month of November, let's take a few minutes to remember that this is Native American Heritage Month and chastise ourselves (I know I'm doing so right now) for so often forgetting the Native peoples of the Americas and the many proud cultures that now wait in marginalization for the days of equality to come.

Here below I include the Native American Creed. For more resources look at these pages:
http://www.gbod.org/worship/church-civic-holidays/native-american-heritage-month1
http://www.gbod.org/leadership-resources/native-american
Native American Creed
by The Rev. Roger Scott

I believe in God, Creator of our unique native languages,
Who gifted us this identity as a distinct people through
our native tongues,
so that our native spiritual leaders could relay God's love
to our native people who could not understand
that foreign tongue called English.

I believe in Jesus Christ, our relative,
Who talked of us when he said, "I have other sheep out there,
besides those I have here."
I believe in Jesus Christ who knew the pain of our native
people who were forced from their homeland and had no
place to lay their head.
I believe in Jesus Christ as our Chief Cornerstone as we
begin to build a new generation of native spiritual leaders.
I believe in Jesus Christ who does not say "goodbye"
in any language, but says "I will come again."

I believe in the Holy Spirit as tongues of fire
lighting upon our native people to witness to their people
and to the world, through the native song and dance.
I believe in the Holy Spirit as our guide and the
driving force for our native people to do a new thing
as we walk a new journey, toward perfection for all
humankind.

The Rev. Roger Scott is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. His poetic interpretation of Luke 2:8-11 draws upon his experiences from the pow wow culture within Native America.

Christ the King Sunday - November 23, 2014

This Sunday marks the close of Ordinary Time after Pentecost, as well as the conclusion of the “standard” Christian liturgical year. This day was first celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church in 1925 in response to attempts by governments in Mexico and elsewhere to declare themselves the ultimate authority in the lives and even the religions of their subjects. 

The image above of the Church of Christ the King in Guanajuato, Mexico, captures the celebration of the Mexican people set free from a period of oppression as a sign of Christ the King who looses every bond, breaks every yoke, and sets captives free.

Today functions as is a “segue Sunday.” After today, we move from the end of one liturgical year to the beginning of the next, from Ordinary Time to Advent, from readings in Matthew to readings in Mark.

All good segues create both closure and room for a new opening. Starting next week, with a different gospel, the focus may start to be more on how awareness of the end of all things prepares us for the celebration of the Incarnation that we keep during Christmas Season.

Guest Speaker MEN's Day - Rev. Richard d. Winn, Sr.

November 9th Sherman UMC had the honor of hosting Rev. Richard Winn, Sr. District Superintendent of the Griffin District of the North Georgia Conference.

Reverend Richard Don Winn, Sr., who was previously the beloved and always thankful Senior Pastor of Ben Hill United Methodist Church was born and raised in Chicago, IL. He is the fourth of six children and is an identical twin.

Pastor Winn graduated from Chicago's Parker high School. He received a B.A. in Sociology from Southern Illinois University, and in 1976, Rev. Winn received his Masters of Divinity from Gammon Theological Seminary. Rev. Winn's pastoral ministry began at Maple Park UMC in Chicago. In 1979 BishopWilliam Cannon invited Rev. Winn to serve in the North Georgia Conference (NGC)of the UMC. Since that time he has served Bowen UMC, Clifton, UMC, Hoosier Memorial UMC, and Warren Memorial UMC.

Pastor Winn has served on the Committee of Episcopacy in the NGC; as Chairperson of the District Committee on Superintendency, Atlanta-College Park District; spent more than 25 years as Secretary to the NGC; and has served as Secretary of Religion and Race. For 4 consecutive years Rev Winn has presented at Rock Eagle UM Men's Retreat. He has preached in every region in the US and is presently planning an African preaching tour. Rev. Winn is currently District Superintendent of the Griffin District of the NGC: his tenure began July 1, 2013.

His wife Vernita is a retired Social Worker of the Atlanta Public School System. They have a son, Richard Jr. an Atlanta Public School teacher, and are proud grandparents of three granddaughters.

Professional/Civic Affiliations and Expert Panels
Rev. Winn is involved in the community through the participation as a member of the Executive Committee - Atlanta Area Council Boy Scouts of America; Chairperson, C.A.S.C.A.D.E. Community Drug Preventions and Education; a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the American Cancer Society, the March of Dimes; and has served on a search committee for Chaplain at Clark Atlanta University.

Honors and Awards
G. Ross Freeman Leadership Award (UMC)
Whitney M. Young Award (Boy Scouts of America)
African American Preacher's Award
Southern Illinois Think Tank
Emory University Kellogg Fellow

Guest Speaker October 26 - Lorraine Morton - Former Evanston Mayor

Though Lorraine has made her home in Evanston since 1953, she was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She came to Evanston to attend Northwestern University where she met her future husband, James T. Morton, Jr., who was completing his requirements for a Ph.D degree. Lorraine received her MA in curriculum development from Northwestern at the same ceremony in which her husband received his Ph.D in clinical psychology. They married and were blessed with the birth of a daughter, Elizabeth Elinor, who is the mother of Lorraine’s granddaughters, Elizabeth Keziah Brasher and Constance Mariah Brasher.

Lorraine’s professional employment in Evanston began as a teacher at Foster School. Later she was transferred to Nichols Middle School, followed by Chute Middle School and Haven Middle School where she was named principal. She was asked by the then mayor to fill the unexpired term of the Fifth Ward Alderman. She agreed and was both Alderman and Principal until she retired from District 65. Two years later she was asked to run for Mayor of Evanston. She accepted and remained in that position for sixteen years. Documents from the City of Evanston upon her retirement stated “Her tenure has been marked by responsiveness, integrity, and care. She represents Evanstonians with civility, grace, and respect......and as an energetic ambassador at events in every corner of our town and in organizations at the regional, state, and national level. She is a strong and enthusiastic advocate for our city.”

Former Mayor Lorraine is very proud of her services to District 65 and to her community. She was very active in many endeavors and received many awards too numerous to record here. She has, however, expressed her appreciation for receiving honorary doctorates from the then Kendal College and Northwestern University. Yet, she relates to all her pride in the contributions she was able to make to the citizens of Evanston. In recognition of her services, the Evanston City Council renamed Evanston City Hall the Lorraine Hairston Morton Civic Center.