Highlights from the November/December 2011 issue of Together
Conference celebrates life of Bishop Duecker
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Marjorie and Sheldon Duecker break ground during ceremonies Sept. 20, 2009, at Epworth Forest Conference Center in North Webster, Ind. Bishop Duecker was honorary chairperson of the Right Now, Right Future Campaign to raise money for the building of the lodges at the center.
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Senior Pastor Greg Enstrom, called retired and recently deceased United Methodist Bishop R. Sheldon Duecker a “person of the extreme center,” during a memorial service that celebrated his life Nov. 5 at First Wayne Street United Methodist Church in Fort Wayne. Duecker died Oct. 28, in Fort Wayne, after a long battle with cancer. He was 85.
The North Central Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church elected Duecker a bishop in 1988 and assigned him to the Chicago Area, which oversees the mission and ministry of the Northern Illinois Conference of the church and is based in Chicago. He served there until his retirement in 1996 and then moved back to Indiana. In retirement, Duecker served First Wayne Street Church as Bishop in Residence.
During his eulogy, Enstrom said, “Sheldon had stood up against the Chicago political machine and stopped the expansion of casino gambling on his watch while Bishop to the Chicago Area. But he also helped build dormitories at Africa University, as well as the first new lodge in a generation at Epworth Forest.
“Duecker personified the best in our United Methodist heritage. He exemplified in his person what Bishop Scott Jones of the Kansas Area refers to as ‘The Extreme Center.’”
Enstrom also said, “As we gather this morning to celebrate the life and faith of Sheldon Duecker, it isn’t really ‘a person of the extreme center’ that comes to the forefront of our minds. There are a host of other words competing for that place: Integrity… Compassion… Acceptance… Intentionality… Perseverance… Justice… Wisdom… Humility… Truth…
“Yet, if we could only define Bishop Robert Sheldon Duecker with one word today, what would that one word be? I have it. And I know that Sheldon would be pleased to be remembered by this one word: Christian.”
Two Texans to teach congregational development principles at 2012 Annual Conference Session
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INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Annual Conference Sessions Implementation Team announces that two leaders in the congregational development movement will be keynote presenters during the upcoming 2012 Indiana Annual Conference session June 7-9 at the Indiana Convention Center.
The Friday teaching sessions will be led by the Rev. Dr. Jim Ozier, director of New Church Development and Congregational Transformation for the North Texas Conference, and Fiona Macleod who serves as director of Learning and Development at Interstate Batteries.
Ozier began his work for the NTC in November 2007, focusing on the area of new church development. Congregational transformation was added to his responsibilities in 2009.
He is responsible for starting new churches in the fast-growing Dallas-Fort Worth area and throughout North Texas. Prior to his current assignment, for nearly 18 years he was senior pastor of the 4,000-member Trietsch Memorial UMC in Flower Mound, Texas. Under his leadership, Trietsch Memorial more than tripled in size, attendance and stewardship.
Prior to her current role at Interstate Batteries, Macleod was Director of Talent Developmnet at Southwest Airlines and before that Director of Workforce Strategies at Baylor Health Care Systems, both in Dallas. Her career has taken her across industries – energy, healthcare, airline – and acrosss disciplines – strategic planning, employment branding, performance management, executive coaching. This work was begun in Glasgow, Scotland, her native home.
Ozier and Macleod share practical, hands-on techniques to create a cultuure of growth and vitality in congregations. Based on experience, they teach and inspire churches to move beyond the barriers that hold them back and into a future which penetrates the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ.
Celebrating the mother of Jesus at Christmas, throughout year
We will soon enter the season of Advent culminating in the 12 days of Christmas leading to Epiphany. Like Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians, our devotion is to Jesus Christ who we believe to be part of the triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Unlike Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians, we, as Protestants, give little devotion to who they call the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. As important as Jesus is, being the center of Christian faith, His mother takes a role second only to Him with most Christians in the world.
Why does Mary take an almost subservient role in Protestant Christianity (with 647 million members worldwide), when the overwhelmingly dominate Roman Catholic Church (1.1 billion members) and Christian Orthodox churches (300 million members), venerate her as the Blessed Virgin Mary?
According to the Rev. Dr. Donald Charles Lacy of Muncie, a retired Indiana United Methodist pastor and scholar about Mary, she continued to be the second most prominent person in Christianity at the beginning of the Protestant Reformation (begun 1517).
“As Protestant faith gained strength and moved away from Catholicism, second and third generation Protestant leaders moved away from devotion to Mary.
Lacy says and has said for four decades, “with the primacy of these two historic groups (Catholic and Orthodox), because of them coming directly from the wellsprings of the ancient Church of Christ and the Apostles and their special emphasis on the Blessed Virgin Mary for centuries, we have an ecumenical barrier to overcome.”
When asked if we pay more attention to Mary, will our behavior strengthen our ecumenical ties to Catholicism and Orthodoxy? – Lacy said, “Yes.” He further said fragmented Christian faith is a concern in order to deal with other ideologies and theologies such as radical Islamic groups who are especially anti-Christian. That’s a compelling reason why Lacy believes this is an imperative issue.
Lacy says, “Mary is a necessary and integral part of our theology and has nothing to do with worshipping her… She is part of our Christian faith, is a strong image of feminism and is only second to Jesus Christ in power and influence – her power comes from her holiness.”
Bishop urges churches to receive Christmas offering for children
With the advent of grandchildren, our family Christmas celebrations have taken on new life. Children add such a special joy to the Advent-Christmas season. Unfortunately, too many children in our world don’t experience the joy of Christmas that we do.
That’s why I ask you to pray for all the children of the world each Christmas. As we pray, God’s spirit goes before us and hears our requests on behalf of all the world’s children.
And secondly, join with me in giving to the Indiana Conference Bishop’s Christmas Offering for Children to help meet their special needs through children’s ministries. Children around the world suffer and die due to malaria in Africa, armed conflicts in the Middle East and even poverty here in the United States.
The Conference Mission Team has prayed for and chooses ministries to improve and give hope to the lives of children. Many of these ministries have ties to Indiana making their outreach even more special to us.
Programs supported by this offering are selected by the Conference Mission Team and adopted by the Conference Special Offering Committee. These ministries are among those endorsed by the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries or on the Conference Advance Specials list.
As your congregation celebrates Advent and Christmas, please include in those celebrations the Indiana Conference Bishop’s Christmas Offering for Children. On behalf of the children in whose lives this offering will make a difference, I thank you.
Communicator elected UMW of Indiana president
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More than 1,300 pillowcase dresses were made by Hoosier UMW members to be given to children in Haiti and Africa.
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Other top officers include: Vice President Sue Shafer of Richmond, Secretary Barbara King of Indianapolis and Treasurer Sherry Ralston of Newburgh.
The 219 women present, heard and saw a slide presentation about a mission trip to Haiti by Conference Volunteer in Mission Coordinator Bonnie Albert of Chesterton, who was accompanied by Stephanie Need (wife of pastor Mark Need of Winchester) and Anne Bunch of Terre Haute. The three women served at the Thomas Methodist School in Haiti helping build concrete latrines. Need put it well, when she told the women present, “The project isn’t the project; the project is being vulnerable to people who want to love you.” All three women agreed the most important aspect of any mission experience is building relationships.
Keynote speaker, Bishop Mike Coyner, reminded participants that all are leaders in some way. He challenged the newly elected officers and the membership to apply five principles of leadership:
- Lead with a servant heart;
- Know how to listen well;
- Hear with spiritual attentiveness;
- Lead the leader; allow others to lead the leader; and
- Lead by loving, exemplify God’s love and care, love those whom we lead.
Fenstermacher Lodge opens at Epworth Forest Conference Center
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Cutting the ribbon to open Fenstermacher Lodge are (left to right) the Rev. Mark and Sharon Fenstermacher of Bloomington and Connie and Craig Fulmer, lead donors of the lodge and friends of the Fenstermacher family.
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NORTH WEBSTER, Ind. – More than 200 guests were present Sunday, Oct. 23, for the Fenstermacher Lodge Opening Ceremony at the Indiana Conference Epworth Forest Conference Center.
Fenstermacher Lodge is the second waterfront lodge to be built at Epworth Forest through The Right Future Campaign.
The lodge was named in honor of the Fenstermacher family and their three generations of ministry in the Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church. More than 30 Fenstermacher family members were able to join together for the celebration, which they said was their largest family gathering in years.
Fenstermacher Lodge is already booked for all four weeks of That Thing 2012. The lodge housed its first guests Nov. 4-6 from Erin’s House for Grieving Children in Fort Wayne. More than 75 guests stayed in Fenstermacher Lodge, Duecker Lodge and Freeland House. Fenstermacher Lodge has two handicap accessible bedrooms with a total capacity of 28 beds. Both Fenstermacher and Duecker Lodges are now open for online reservations at www.indianaretreats.com. Reservations begin as low as $24 per person each night, with all linens provided to retreat guests.
With more than $2 million raised to date, The Right Future Campaign continues efforts to reach the future generations for Jesus Christ.
Lucille Raines Residence needs 'Icing on its Cake'
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UMW’s Lucille Raines Residence building in Indianapolis needs a new roof.
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The building, located at 947 N. Pennsylvania Street, serves as a residential facility for men and women actively engaged in rebuilding their lives from substance abuse. It’s an outreach ministry of the UMW of Indiana.
According to Carolyn Marshall, the facility’s executive director, “Roof replacement will allow us to reclaim rooms now unusable and prevent permanent structural damage. Sharing in this opportunity will allow us to continue our mission of helping men and women rebuild their lives, reestablish relationships with families and friends, and once again become viable, productive members of society.”
The estimated cost of the 6,488-square-foot reroofing project is $54,673; that’s about $8.43 a square foot.
For more information or answers to questions, call 317-636-3328 or www.gbgm-umc.org/lucilleraines.
United Methodists bring reality of home ownership to young mother from Kenya and her three children
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Builder Phil Myers presents a key to Serah Njeri pictured here during her home blessing Oct. 29 with her three children: Rachel (11), Moses (6) and Jeremiah (2) at 739 South State Avenue in Indianapolis.
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Habitat for Humanity of Greater Indianapolis and volunteers from those churches blessed the house Saturday morning, Oct. 29, of Serah Njeri and her three children: Rachel (11), Moses (6) and Jeremiah (2) at 739 South State Avenue in Indianapolis.
Ecstatic at the blessing, Serah Njeri told the more than 50 volunteers and guests assembled, “Thank you. I even painted my own house. For all your help, thank you.”
The new Njeri home is a half block south of Calvary United Methodist Church on Indianapolis’ east side. Volunteers from the United Methodist churches began construction on the 1,200 sq. foot house in mid-September.
The four-bedroom house is located on a street of older homes on the city’s eastside. Indianapolis area United Methodist churches, United Methodist Metro Ministries and United Methodist Women helped finance the $70,000 project. Churches included: Abundant Harvest, Acton, Avon, Broad Ripple, Castleton, Chapel Hill, Epworth, Fishers, Horizons of Faith, Lawrence, Meridian Street, North, Old Bethel, Shirley-Wilkinson, Southport, St. Luke’s and St. Mark’s Carmel.
For more information and pictures about Habitat for Humanity Greater Indianapolis, visit www.indyhabitat.org.
Bishops endorse church restructure, redistribute funds proposal
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Indiana Bishop Mike Coyner comments during the Council of Bishops’ meeting at Lake Junaluska.
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The vote specifically endorsed a letter, titled “For the Sake of a New World, We See a New Church: A Call to Action,” detailing changes – some requiring action by General Conference, some not.
“We see a new church,” the bishops’ letter says. “It is a church that is clear about its mission and confident about its future, a church that is always reaching out, inviting, alive, agile and resilient.” It asks all United Methodists to “work to do the ‘new thing’ God intends for our church and discover the path God is making for our future.”
The Council of Bishops’ vote came as part of the multi-year Call to Action process, which aims to reverse decades of declining membership and financial giving in the United States and to increase congregational vitality.
With their vote, the bishops endorsed the proposed consolidation of nine of the denomination’s 13 general agencies into a new United Methodist Center for Connectional Mission and Ministry. Legislation submitted to General Conference by the Connectional Table calls for the center to have a 15-member board of directors accountable to a 45-member advisory board called the General Council for Strategy and Oversight. The council would replace the Connectional Table, which coordinates the denomination’s mission, ministries and resources.
United Methodists worldwide asked to pray for General Conference 2012
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (GBOD) – When delegates to General Conference 2012 meet in Tampa next April, United Methodists around the world will be able to join them in an unprecedented concert of prayer, seeking God’s will for their decisions.
The Upper Room, a division of the General Board of Discipleship (GBOD), will once again provide a Prayer Guide for delegates, participants and guests of the General Conference.
Unlike at previous General Conferences however, the guide for GC2012 also will be available free of charge on The Upper Room website for all 12.3 million United Methodists worldwide. The use of technology will help the entire church surround the elected delegates, Council of Bishops and general church staff with prayer.
Traditionally, The Upper Room’s Prayer Guide has covered the 40 days prior to the General Conference. In 2012, however, the guide will include the additional 10 days that the General Conference will be in session.
In addition to overseeing the Prayer Support effort, The Upper Room will for the first time provide guidance and training to engage every local church around the world in prayer for the General Conference through online learning.
For more information, visit www.gbod.org.
Mission Guatemala to increase feeding program for children
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Mission Guatemala opened this feeding program for children earlier this year. It has expanded to include 100 more children.
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Mission Guatemala recently announced an expansion to its feeding program in the Lake Atitlan region of Guatemala. In partnership with Johns Creek United Methodist Church in suburban Atlanta, Ga., Mission Guatemala will feed nearly 60 more children every Monday through Friday in the Guatemalan community of Pacaman. The United Methodist-related ministry is currently feeding nearly 100 children each day in the village of Nueva Esperanza.
Johns Creek United Methodist Church has committed $12,500 to fund the feeding center in Pacaman for the coming year. In announcing the new joint ministry project, Johns Creek’s Rev. Dalton Rushing said, “Johns Creek UMC is preparing to break ground on a new sanctuary. The campaign for this project was called ‘Raising the Steeple,’ with the intention of allowing the steeple to serve as a metaphor for the church’s witness in the community. People from all over the community will see the steeple and know the church is there for them.
Mission Guatemala is an Indiana-based ministry related to the Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church and is a partner organization through The Advance of the General Board of Global Ministries.
Let's work together to end human trafficking
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives” (Luke 4:18).
Each year an estimated 700,000 to 4 million people worldwide are trafficked, and 18,000 to 20,000 people are trafficked into the United States [Abolition of Sex Trafficking, General Conference Resolution 6023 in the Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church, 2008].
Human trafficking is the second largest and fastest growing criminal industry in the world, and major sporting events like the Super Bowl often provide opportunities that augment this statistic. The Super Bowl can lead to increased demand for trafficking in people for labor and sexual exploitation.
Your church can help end human trafficking:
- Urge your Congressional legislators to reauthorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). Visit www.ijm.org/justice-campaigns/tvpra. This bipartisan bill renews and strengthens the legislation that established U.S. programs to fight slavery at home and abroad.
- Provide local law enforcement officials and shelter providers with gift cards for gas and cell phones to give to victims.
- Educate your church: Invite Abigal Kuzma, Director and Chief Counsel for the Consumer Protection Division of the Office of the Indiana Attorney General as your next guest speaker. Call 317-233-4393.
To receive additional information and updates on this issue, give your email address to contact Linda Todd, Social Advocacy Justice and Ethnic Ministries Team, at ljtodd@gmail.com.
Ethnic Local Church, Human Relations Day grants exceed $291,000
LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. – Directors of the United Methodist General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) awarded $291,583 in Ethnic Local Church and Human Relations Day grants at its fall meeting here.
The Ethnic Local Church Grants program is to strengthen congregations through education, advocacy or leadership development for social justice engagement. Grants are awarded twice each year. The fall cycle awarded $277,893 to 14 programs.
Human Relations Day is one of The United Methodist Church’s six Special Sundays with offerings. Human Relations Day strengthens United Methodist outreach to communities, encouraging social justice and work with at-risk youths.
GBCS distributes 10 percent of Human Relations Day receipts for youth-offender ministries. The General Board of Global Ministries distributes the remainder for its United Methodist Voluntary Services and Youth Rehabilitation programs.
This fall, GBCS awarded $13,690 to a program in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
More information and applications for grants are available on the General Board of Church & Society’s website at www.umc-gbcs.org/grants.
Derek Weber to lead UMW retreat
1 Timothy 6:18-19 is the scriptural reference for the Rev. Derek Weber’s theme “Living a Life that is a Life: Living God’s Abundance in an Age of Scarcity.” Weber, an Indiana Conference pastor, will lead the United Methodist Women of Indiana’s Spiritual Retreat January 19-20 at Canyon Inn in McCormick’s Creek State Park. He is well known to United Methodist Women of Indiana as he has led numerous spiritual growth studies at Schools of Christian Mission. Watch for registration information coming to www.gbgm-umc.org/indumw.
Jasonville church reaches out with food pantry ministry to community
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Members of the Jasonville United Methodist Church (in the West District) Back Door Food Pantry collected non-perishable food and money during the 2011 Jasonville Homecoming Parade. The pantry received 100 pounds of food and $488 along the parade route. The church opened the pantry in August 2009. It serves an average of 55 families the third Saturday of every month. |
