The United Methodists Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) Rainbow Covenant Program provides a way for congregations within the conference to show their love for missions here in Illinois, across the US and around the world.

At CUMC the Missions team selects and promotes approximately 20 missions projects (including those directed by our own sponsored missionaries in Kenya and Senegal) for CUMCs annual Second Mile Giving Stewardship drive. These projects span all of the rainbow band categories. Also included in these options is a Greatest Need Fund that is used to provide for crucial needs that surface during the year. All monies contributed go directly to these programs.

Each year, during the stewardship drive, members of the congregation have the opportunity to pledge toward any of these programs. Pledge options are referred to as Rainbow Promises and pledged amounts are referred to as Rainbow Covenants.

• 2008 Rainbow Promises
• 2007 Greatest Needs Grants Summary
• 2007 Rainbow Promises
• 2007 Rainbow Covenant Pledges
• 2006 Greatest Needs Grants Summary

For seven consecutive years, the NIC has recognized CUMC with the Philip William Otterbein Award for highest amount contributed to Advance Specials through the Rainbow Covenant. In 2007, for the first time, CUMC also won the John Wesley Award for highest contribution per capita.

To be a Rainbow Covenant Church a congregations must:

• Contribute 100% of their church's NIC apportionments. This First Mile Giving funds NIC missions and ministries and the UM church-wide Benevolences.
• Go the Second Mile and select specific projects or missionaries to support as Advance Partners. These project are categorized in rainbow colored bands defined as follows:
  • International Advance Projects = Burgundy
  • USA Advance Projects = Red
  • United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) = Orange
  • The Children's Fund = Yellow
  • NIC Benevolences = Green
  • District Projects = Blue
  • Missionary Personnel = Indigo
  • Local Missions in Your Community = Purple
• A Rainbow Covenant Church must choose to support at least one program in every color of the rainbow.