The Illinois Conference Local Evangelism, Envisioning and Planting Board/LEEAP and Cells members as well as the Conference Association Ministers met for a 24-hour gathering at Pilgrim Park on Oct. 12 -13, 2007.  The specific goal was to put together the pieces needed for developing a New Church Development/NCD Strategy for the Conference. The objectives of the gathering were to:

·        Be more pro-active in new church development strategy,

·        Clearly define the role of Conference partners in new church development ministry (Associations, National, local churches),

·        Incorporate the new and renewed church development goals of the "Into the Future by the Spirit's Power Capital Campaign into a new strategy and,

·        Integrate needed components of the "Now is The Time" for new church development strategy of the UCC into our Conference strategy.

The Rev. Paul Nickerson, Massachusetts Associate Conference Minister for New Church Development and well known consultant, lead the LEEAP team in reviewing:

• New Church Strategy Development that includes Church Planters, Coaches and Mentors
• Development of a system of workshops and coaching for Congregational Vitality and
• Building Team to assist in Congregational Turn-Around.

The LEEAP Cells: New Life (church), Vitality and Legacy all gathered to respond to specific areas of programming including:

• Being pro-active and the role of Associations, local congregations and others in new church development, birthing and multiplication.
• Identifying major components for a Conference local church revitalization strategy and
• A Conference policy on the use of property given by disbanded congregations that honors the legacy of the donor congregation.

LEEAP is projecting having a first draft of its New Church Development Strategy for presentation to Conference Council in early 2008.