For Friday, January 22, 2010 – Third Sunday after Epiphany (green)
This newsletter is paid for through your annual conference tithe. Thank you.
Edited by Dan Gangler, director of communication
Then Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath he went as usual to the synagogue. He stood up to read the Scriptures and was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed and announce that the time has come when the Lord will save his people. Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. All the people in the synagogue had their eyes fixed on him, as he said to them, “This passage of Scripture has come true today, as you heard it being read.”
– Luke 4:14-21
Today’s New International Version
www.americanbible.org
A message from Bishop Joel Martinez, interim head of the General Board of Global Ministries
The time was not right for sending volunteer teams, or even individual volunteers, into Haiti for post-earthquake service. I am here repeating that request with renewed emphasis.
We know that the church seeks to respond to the great crisis in Haiti. We are in touch with many persons and groups wanting to reach out in tangible ways to provide relief for suffering people there. We have already received an outpouring of inquiries and offers for volunteers to provide a variety of services. While we are encouraged by this spirit of support, we strongly advise that teams and others not set out for Haiti at this time.
There will be great need for short-term and long-term volunteer mission groups in due course – for medical care, rebuilding, and responses to many other needs. However, the current state of Haiti is not conducive to the safety and welfare of the volunteers; security is a major concern; infrastructures are shattered. There is little access to water, power, fuel, and even roads.
An UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) Team is on the ground, coordinating with relief partners on appropriate courses of action. As you know, the United Nations (representing government) and the Red Cross go into to massive disaster areas first. This is long-established international protocol. Church-related and other relief organizations follow. Objectives of our initial team include the assessment and organization for the reception of volunteers.
In collaboration with jurisdictional coordinators of UMVIM, we are making a registry of potential individual volunteers and teams. The time for volunteers will come and their assistance will be crucial.
In the meantime, the best way for congregations and individuals to respond to the Haiti crisis is by supporting the work of UMCOR. Not only are funds needed but also health kits. Please direct persons to http://umcorhaiti.org.
I will be glad to receive your questions arising from this memo, and I pledge to keep you informed on our relief operations in Haiti.
NOTE: If you are interested in Volunteer in Mission service with UMCOR to Haiti, please contact LeKisha Reed, associate director of mission and advocacy for the Indiana Conference at LeKisha.Reed@inumc.org or call her at 317-924-1321 ext. 1006.
Early Response Training is required and can be obtained at the upcoming ERT workshop on Jan. 30 at Old North UMC in Evansville. Contact Bruce Wright at 812-422-9155 for more information. See Mission Opportunities newsletter for more information about Haiti relief efforts.
They arrived in Haiti the day before the massive earthquake that rocked the nation Jan. 11 and only got back home to Indianapolis six days later.
But Kay and Gary Walla, mission volunteers from St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, are ready to go back to Haiti when the rebuilding starts.
“We are raising funds for immediate medicine and food needs, and gathering building supplies for a future trip,” Kay said. “We are looking for medical personnel who are going there now and willing to transport what we’re collecting.
“The Haitians are a hardy people. They can sleep on the ground but without food and medicine, they’re going to die.”
Read the rest of their story and see a short TV interview with them online.
The ten district assistants are at the Indiana Conference Center of the UMC in Indianapolis Thursday and Friday to receive training for their new positions in the Indiana Conference. Ruth Ellen Needler of the conference staff, is coordinating the two-day event. District Assistants will receive training from the five directors and other conference center staff in finance, data, protocol, procedures and communications. Instructions also are included about the online Shelby data processing system which houses financial records and statistics for each congregation online at www.inumc.com/webshare. Each district has a presence on the conference Web site, which will be managed by the District Assistants or a District Webmaster (visit http://www.inumc.org/districts). The ten assistants by district include: Central in Indianapolis – Robin Brown, East in Muncie – Bernie Jamison, North in LaPorte – Jan Fager, Northeast in Fort Wayne – Sherry Fulbright, Northwest in Lafayette – Shirley Dominick, North Central in Kokomo – Becky Rees, South in Georgetown– Lynda Alexander, Southeast in Columbus– Becky Huff-Cook, Southwest in Evansville– Joy Ahlemeyer and West in Greencastle – Katie Swisher.
The 2009 Indiana Annual Conference session approved a state-wide special offering to support Indiana United Methodist-related Campus Ministries. Indiana’s 1,200 congregations are invited and encouraged to receive the offering any Sunday in February and to promote campus ministries in their congregations. Envelopes and other resources will be arriving later this month. For more information and resources to promote campus ministries or to request a campus ministry speaker for your congregation, visit www.inumc.org/campusministry or e-mail the Rev. Brian Durand brian.durand@inumc.org.
What’s next for clergy and laity after the David Bell “Extravagant Generosity” workshops and the Faith-based stewardship education programs?
Rejuvenate, the Indiana Conference-wide educational program for clergy, spouses and laity, is launching a series of education opportunities for clergy and laity that will help clergy and congregations grow in the areas of financial management and planning. A partial list of the courses offered in 2010 is found online at www.inumc.org/rejuvenate.
Rejuvenate also provides matching grant funds to those eligible clergy who have education debt.
Contact Michelle Cobb, project director of Rejuvenate if you have any questions.
ATLANTA (UMNS) – Alvin Townley, 34, an author who has traveled around the world to write books on Eagle Scouts, is the new spokesperson for scouting ministry in The United Methodist Church. “Many United Methodist churches are looking for new ways to reach young people,” Townley said. “Scouting is one of the best ways to develop our church’s youth -- and also help reach teenagers who are not active members of the church or of United Methodist Youth Fellowships.” Townley serves as a volunteer commissioner for Troop 455 chartered by Haygood United Methodist Church in Atlanta, where he has been a lifelong member.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (UMTV) – One year ago this month, drama unfolded on the Hudson River as hero pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger made an emergency landing. Dave Sanderson was one of 155 passengers that day, who found out how a brush with death can change your life. Sanderson says he heard the voice of his late mother as he helped fellow travelers out of the icy water onto lifeboats. With a new lease on life, Sanderson travels the country sharing his story of hope to encourage others. Sanderson and his family are longtime members of Providence United Methodist in Charlotte. The Rev. Ken Carter compares Sanderson’s experience on the Hudson with baptism. “He went into the water and came out a different person,” says Carter. UMTV’s “Hudson Horror Brings Hope” is available to view here. Find this and other UMTV stories on YouTube and Tangle by typing “UMTV” in the keyword search. You can also find the latest UMTV videos on Facebook if you become a fan of the page for The United Methodist Church.
Rethink Church is offering sermon starters for the Lenten season to help you reach seekers and connect in new ways with your community. A Journey to Hope, begins on Ash Wednesday with an invitation to travel with Jesus to the cross. As participants encounter real life issues along the way, we see that God's light is sometimes even brighter in the darkness and that hope can be found even in the most unlikely places.
Social media suggestions are provided to engage community prior to the message, and to continue reflection afterwards. Props add another dimension to the series which are especially helpful to visual learners, while free-downloadable UMTV video stories illustrate how United Methodists are finding and sharing hope around the world. And that hope is extended beyond the walls through experiences shared through Facebook, Twitter, blogs, short videos and personal testimonies.
This Lenten season, take a journey to hope and share that hope with the world.
What if…on one weekend all around the world, United Methodists came together to work with their local communities? What if…as we serve people locally, we unite globally to eliminate a preventable, treatable disease that kills one child every 30 seconds?
The Rev. Mike Slaughter, lead pastor at Ginghamsburg Church in Tipp City, Ohio, has written a book called Change the World: Recovering the Mission and Message of Jesus, set to be released in February 2010. He emphasizes, “As the United Methodist Church, we have worried too much about getting numbers into our churches instead of getting the people in our churches out into the world in relative ways. Even our smallest churches can have incredible impact when they leave their four walls to serve the needs of their neighbors, alongside of their neighbors.” Be one who makes a change and together, we can change the world. To get involved go to rethinkchurch.org/changetheworld.
The Indiana Conference Media Resource Center is making a transition to one center to serve all of Indiana. Due to the change in location from the two former offices, we are moving to a new location. Please be patient with us during this transition. There are literally hundreds of resources to move, restock and catalog. To allow for this adjustment the center will be closed through January. At the end of the month we will release new contact information. If there are emergency concerns with materials already in circulation, please contact Angel Rea through the Indiana Conference Center at 317-924-1321.
FIND-A-CHURCH – An online directory of United Methodist churches and their ministries.
Find-A-Church brings in more than 400,000 page views per month. More Web visitors are on the way. They could be looking for a church in your area. If you have not updated your church’s profile recently, you may be missing an opportunity to present your church and its ministries fully.
More often than not, potential visitors are using the Internet to search for a congregation. Your church’s Find-A-Church profile is often the first door a visitor will enter.
How to update – To make it easy, please search your church by ZIP code here and add your ministries.
Click here to see a tutorial.
If you have questions or need assistance, contact fac@umcom.org or call toll-free 800-251-8140.
Click here for a great example of an updated FAC profile.
ROSE WILLIAMS, the widow of the late Rev. Albert Leroy Williams, Elder in the Indiana Conference, died Dec. 29, 2009. A memorial service was held Jan. 4 at Otterbein UMC in Bellmore, Ind. with the Rev. J. Daeschner officiating and burial in Roselawn Memorial Park in Terre Haute. Survivors include her three daughters, Ruth Harbour of Rockville, Barbara Hicks of Kokomo and Nancy Wall of Rockville; one special adopted daughter, Sandi Beaman of Rockville; five grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. Condolences can be sent to her daughter Ruth Harbour, 10522 E US Hwy 36, Rockville, IN 47872.
Bishop Michael J. Coyner has announced the following changes within the Indiana Area. These appointments are based on Cabinet reports received by Indiana Area Communication the week of January 22, 2010.
The North Indiana United Methodist Foundation and the IN U. M. Loan & Savings Ministry is seeking three Field Representatives for portions of south, central and western Indiana. Time commitment is flexible – possibly 10-40 hours per month. This position is ideal for those who want part-time work and are highly self-motivated. Field Reps are compensated for their time on a per diem basis, plus expenses.
We need persons who would be proactive in making contacts with UM conference leaders, local churches, and individuals to promote our services.
Our Foundation: Provides professional investment services for churches, assists churches in developing and promoting their endowment programs, conducts educational seminars, assists individuals with planned gifts, and manages and administers many endowed funds.
Our Loan Fund: Provides stable investments for UM individuals, churches and agencies, and makes affordable capital improvement loans to UM churches and agencies.
You may visit our website at www.niumf.org, call 866-669-2327 and ask for Tamara, or e-mail thendricks@niumf.org for more information.
Marion First UMC is looking for a Youth Director to fill a 15 hour per week position. Our youth group is large and growing as a viable part of the inner city ministries of FUMC. A new building and site for the youth is now available with lots of bells and whistles to make youth meetings and youth worship great. We are looking for someone with a real commitment to the youth program and to promoting the doctrine and theology of the UMC. This position is part time now with hopes to grow it to a full time position. Interested parties should submit a resume to the SPRC, 624 S. Adams, Marion IN 46953. For a job description contact the Rev. Kaye Patton at 765-664-5177. Deadline for applications is January 30.
The General Board of Global Ministries is the global mission agency of The United Methodist Church, its annual conferences, missionary conferences and congregations. Through its offices at the Inter Church Center in Upper Manhattan of New York City, Global Ministries supports mission, evangelism, social justice and humanitarian relief efforts around the world.
GBGM seeks a Deputy General Secretary for Mission and Evangelism that incorporates the general programmatic functions of the Board. The Mission and Evangelism portfolio includes the functions of Missionary Services, Mission Relationships and Justice & Discipleship, as well as responsibility for Mission Volunteers, Mission Theology and administration of the United Methodist Development Fund. Previously this portfolio was managed by three Deputy General Secretaries.
For more information about this position and an application for employment, visit http://thenovakconsultinggroup.com/global-ministries.
The West Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church seeks a CFO and Director of Administration. In addition to fulfilling the roles and responsibilities of conference treasurer as defined in The Book of Discipline, this person will serve as the bishop’s chief of staff and will provide broad administrative leadership on many matters of the conference, including leadership on implementing our vision, goals and objectives; human resources and benefits administration; and coordination of financial and administrative activities across the various conference and district offices. The position description can be found on our West Ohio Conference Web site at www.westohioumc.org\CFO. Deadline for applications is Jan. 31. Feel free to encourage qualified candidates you know to consider making themselves available for consideration.