For Monday March 1, 2010
This newsletter is paid for through your annual conference connectional ministries tithe.
Edited by Dan Gangler, director of communication
The Rev. LeKisha Reed, Associate Director of Mission and Advocacy, is available to you in the new Indiana Conference Center and would like to hear what your congregation is doing in mission and advocacy. Submit mission news, information and volunteer opportunities to lekisha.reed@inumc.org or call 317-924-1321. The Indiana Conference Mission and Advocacy area has created a Facebook Fan Page. Check it out here.
The Mission Resource Team of the Indiana Conference is conducting a Mission Census 2010 during the month of March. The Mission Census is a short survey about the mission ministry of your congregation. The Mission Resource Team wants to become more familiar with the various ways you serve. All information collected will be used as a way to determine how the Mission Resource Team may service you better and to help create mission affinity groups throughout Indiana.
Register to participate at www.inumc.org/missions. If you need a paper copy of this survey, call the Rev. LeKisha Reed at 317-924-1321 ext. 1006 or toll-free 877-781-6706 ext. 1006.
Thank you for participating in this important survey.
The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is responding to the needs of people affected by the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Chile early on Saturday. Preliminary reports indicate at least 147 people have died, homes and hospitals have been destroyed, and the earthquake triggered a tsunami that is rolling across the Pacific.
UMOR is working with partners in Chile: Iglesia Metodista de Chile (IMECH), Ministerio Social Methodista (MISOM) and Equipo Metodista de Acción Humanitaria (EMAH) to respond with resources and support.
Bishop Martinez continued, “I received a message from the Iglesia Metodista de Chile and have expressed to Bishop Mario Martinez Tapia that we respond with our prayers, our solidarity, and our commitment to offer the resources and services of UMCOR to help the church respond.”
In an e-mail, Juan Salazar, President of the Methodist Social Ministry in Chile, says of their initial evaluations of damage, “the information that arises each time indicates that the effects are greater than originally assessed.”
UMCOR executives, Melissa Crutchfield and Tom Hazelwood expressed via e-mail, “our thoughts and prayers are with you all as you mobilize EMAH and IMECH in response to the earthquake this morning. We will continue to keep in touch and to keep you in our prayers. UMCOR and the people of the United Methodist Church stand with you and will help in any way we can.”
At this point, it is not anticipated that relief supply kits will be needed. Financial support can be made to Chile Emergency Advance # 3021178. Give now.
Gifts can also be made by check to UMCOR and mailed to UMCOR, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087. For local church and Annual Conference credit, place your gift in the offering plate on Sundays. Please indicate in the memo line of the check that it is for the Chile Emergency.
For continuing information about relief efforts in Chile, visit www.umcor.org.
DOYLE E. “JACK” PAVY, retired Elder with 45 years of service in the Indiana Conference, died Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010 and father of Kathryn P. Hart, part-time local pastor of Bloomington, Ind. Memorial Services will be held on Saturday, March 13 at 3 p.m. at Arlington United Methodist Church, 1820 West Arlington Road in Bloomington, Ind. and on Sunday, March 14 at 3 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, 2715 E. Jackson Blvd. in Elkhart, Ind. Survivors include: his wife, Shirley, of 56 years; four children, Cheryl McLean, Stephen, Kathryn Hart and John; eight grandchildren; two sisters; and three brothers. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Riverview Adult Day Care Center, c/o Trinity United Methodist Church, 2715 E. Jackson Blvd. Elkhart, IN 46516-5053.
NEW YORK (UMNS) – Now is the time for young women between the ages of 18 and 30 to apply for short-term, volunteer-mission service in the 2010 Global Justice Volunteers program of United Methodist Women. The deadline to apply is March 15. The areas of service are Asia and Africa. The program offers young people the opportunity to live internationally for six weeks and explore the issues of justice and its advocacy. Download applications at here.
On Saturday, March 6, Bread for the World in Indianapolis will present an Offering of Letters workshop. We can end hunger in our time if everyone, including our government, does their part. By making our voices heard in Congress, we can make our nation’s laws fairer and more compassionate to those in need. Bread’s focus this year will be working for changes to the Earned Income Tax Credit that help working parents in the U.S. feed their own families. Whether you have participated in a letter writing campaign before or not, this workshop will provide all needed information and materials.
The workshop will be Saturday, March 6 from 10a.m. until 1 p.m. (includes lunch) at St. Luke’s UMC, 100 W. 86th Street (just west of Meridian) in Indianapolis. There is no charge.
Register at www.bread.org/indy2010 or call Roger Howard at 317-594-9355.
Friends of the Orphans, a Chicago-based charity with Roman Catholic roots serving South America and the Caribbean, and Children of Abraham, an Indiana Conference Advance Special with offices at Hammond First UMC, have been resupplying the Saint Damien Children’s Hospital in Haiti. This 120-bed hospital currently has 700 people in serious or critical condition under its care. Children of Abraham have been supplying medical supplies and many additional beds, as well as food which are being distributed with help from the Italian contingent of the United Nations. Children of Abraham is partnering with other concerned relief agencies to supply ten-person mosquito netted tents complete with rain tarps. We have multiple suppliers willing to provide these tents for $150 each, which normally sell in the $350-$400 range. For more information, visit Children of Abraham at www.coa-worldwide.org.
Information can be found on UMCOR’s Web site.
There is an immediate need for the following: Requesting physicians of specific specialties to deploy with the National Disaster Medical Assistance teams to Haiti. The need is for trauma surgeons, orthopedists, anesthesiologists and others with experience in treating crush injuries.
For more information, visit www.hhs.gov/haiti/volunteers.html.
Volunteers need to go to http://secure.gbgm-umc.org/HaitiVolunteer and register their intent to volunteer in Haiti in the future, along with listing their skills and aptitudes for being a United Methodist Volunteer In Mission.
The Five Jurisdictional UMVIM Coordinators had their weekly conference call with UMCOR this past Thursday evening. The Methodist Church of Haiti has invited us to attend their annual conference the end of February in Les Cayes. Plans are being finalized for that trip. We also will work on some team logistic assessments with the hope of being able to start scheduling teams as soon as possible. Please continue to register online to go with a future team to Haiti, even if we already have your name as the data base includes more information. – Lorna Jost, NCJ-UMVIM
Both 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (ET), Penny Krug will be the trainer for these sessions.
Who should attend? Leaders and/or participants of work teams and youth leaders.
What is the cost? $15 person, which includes lunch and basic materials plus $25 for VIM Training Manual (only 1 needed per church).
Topics include: How to plan a mission trip, where to go when your church wants to send a team, spiritual enrichment, being a team member, cultural sensitivity, insurance and liability forms regardless of where you go, issues of risk, and answers to questions.
To register: Contact Bonnie Albert, Indiana Conference UMVIM Coordinator.
According to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), there will be a great need for volunteers to help rebuild once the initial crisis is past, but it is not safe or possible for volunteers to go to Haiti at the present. Instructions for assembling and shipping health kits are available on the UMCOR Web site.
There is a need for volunteer groups in March to serve at the Midwest Mission Distribution Center in Illinois assembling the shipment to Haiti. Please contact MMDC to make your team’s reservations. Contact: Midwest Mission Distribution Center, 1022 New City Road, P.O. Box 56, Chatham, IL 62629, phone: 217-483-7911, fax 217-483-7981 or online.
We are grateful that donations continue to come in online. Donors may also contribute by placing a check in the offering plate at any United Methodist church or by mailing it to UMCOR, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087. Checks should indicate “Advance #418325” in the memo line.
Offerings received in congregations need to be sent to their District Centers using the same P.O. Box address used when sending in the conference tithe. Checks sent to the conference office should have “Haiti Emergency” in the memo line. Thank you for your generous contributions.
Remember, 100 percent of gifts go directly to Haiti Earthquake relief efforts. Administrative cost has been paid through the One Great Hour of Sharing special Sunday offering.
A recent change to the tax code permits certain charitable contributions for Haiti relief made between Jan. 11, 2010 and March 1, 2010, to be deductible on 2009 individual tax returns. The following link at the IRS Web site has more details.
For more Indiana Conference-related information about recovery efforts, early response training, kit assemblage, collection points and special offerings to UMCOR for Haiti Emergency, visit www.inumc.org and click on Haiti Emergency in left column.
“The response of the church has been remarkable and generous,” said Bishop Joel Martinez, interim general secretary of the General Board of Global Ministries. “This ongoing support will allow UMCOR to be there in Haiti for the long haul,” Martinez underscored. Please continue to be in prayer with the people of Haiti and know that your support is critical.
As of February 26, 2010, nearly $13 million has been received for UMCOR Haiti Relief.
A number of conference treasurers have indicated that they are processing church offerings that will be forwarded to UMCOR in the next few weeks. For a more complete report of the church’s response to Haiti, visit http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/work/emergencies/ongoing/haitiearthquake/betherebehope/. - UMCOR
The Friends of the World Food Program Committee of Indianapolis invites you to join them for an Indianapolis Children’s Choir benefit performance to alleviate world hunger Sunday, March 7 at 2 p.m. at Pike Performing Arts Center, 6701 Zionsville Road, Indianapolis.
Advance Tickets only $10, available at selected Marsh Stores. Major funding for this performance provided by: The United States Infrastructure Corporation. For more information: Contact WFP Committee Leader Ed Smith.
KINGSPORT, Tenn. (UMNS) – A March summit will bring together United Methodists from around the world to discuss the urgent needs in Sudan. United Methodists who want to learn more about ongoing work in south Sudan – while sharing knowledge and resources – are invited to "come to the table," said Danny Howe, chair of the Holston Conference Missions Ministry Team and missions director for the summit’s host church, First Broad Street United Methodist Church. http://www.fbsumc.org/welcome “There is so much more work to do than we could have ever imagined,” Howe said. “We need to operate in our full capacity as United Methodists to unify our efforts to eliminate hardship and bring hope to our brothers and sisters in south Sudan.” Read more.
MIAMI (UMNS) – For two Haitian families receiving medical treatment here, the earthquake that nearly destroyed Port-au-Prince on Jan. 12 is a scar that will never fade away. Estamene Lamour and her daughter, Stania Jean, and Alice Michaud and her daughter, Guilene Honore, say they are haunted by the disaster. They are not alone. Church World Service organized support for severely injured Haitians airlifted to U.S. hospitals, and the four are among the 62 medical evacuees and accompanying family members received by late February by the service’s Miami office. Five more were sent to the relief agency’s Durham, N.C. office, and an affiliate, Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Services of Atlanta, received 45 Haitians. Read more.
NEW YORK (UMNS) – In a Feb. 16 letter to the leaders of the 36 communions that compose their organizations, the Rev. John McCullough of Church World Service and the Rev. Michael Kinnamon of the National Council of Churches said the urgent need for immigration reform must be a shared Christian concern in the season of Lent. The letter called on heads of communions to host a prayer vigil or community event for the 12 million immigrants living in the United States; to dedicate a sermon, Bible study or Sunday school lesson to Christ’s teachings on welcoming the stranger; and to lobby for reforms.
Three United Methodist Volunteer-in-Mission IM Coordinators (Greg Forrester, Northeast Jurisdiction, Paulette West, Southeast Jurisdiction and Lorna Jost, North Central Jurisdiction) are in Haiti to assess the logistics of hosting Volunteer-in-Mission teams and how best to accommodate volunteers at the priority project sites.
In the meantime, register for one of the many United Methodist Volunteer-in-Mission workshops to prepare for mission trips to Haiti, when Haiti becomes open to VIMs.
They are listed at http://www.gbgm-umc.org/northcentralvim/. Click on “Upcoming UMVIM Leadership and ERT Trainings” at the bottom of the home page.
Check out the United Methodist-related Gambling Recovery Ministries’ greatly expanded Web site. Ministry tools, plenty of information and blog is available online. The site includes practical, easy-to-use help for problem gamblers, loved ones, pastors, counselors, educators and prevention specialists. Sign up for e-news Bonus Pages at www.grmumc.org. This ministry is supported in part through your congregational tithe to the conference.
The Individual Volunteer training from April 15-18 is for longer term service. It is led by the Mission Volunteers Unit, General Board of Global Ministries. This is not just for anyone. People must apply and go through the Individual Volunteer Web site. There will be folks from around the North Central Jurisdiction and some from farther away at this special training. The North Central Jurisdiction gets to host this event one time each year and this year it is in Minnesota. Going to serve individually for an extended time does require some different skills than leading a team!
Want to join a unique international mission to Russia? Our vision is to plant a new United Methodist church in a Russian city with more than a million in population that doesn’t already have a UM congreation. There is a pent up demand for our brand. Time is running out, and the Memorial UMC and its Crossroads cluster from Terre Haute have places open for a June 15-26 VIM trip.
A brief description is available at www.umcmemorial.com, click on the Missions tab. This trip is planned and endorsed by Memorial UMC and its Crossroads cluster from Terre Haute in the new Southwest District. Team leader Peter Priest has met with the Russian United Methodist Bishop Hans Vaxby and the General Board of Global Ministries Director of the Russian Initiative Jim Athern when both visited Cincinnati this past October. Priest has arranged and led study and mission trips to Russia since 1975 for UM-VIM projects and for the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute. The last Indiana mission to Russia went in 2005 and was principally from Memorial Church. –Peter Priest, Emeritus Professor of Russian
Bread for the World is looking for the best and brightest 20- to 30-year-old advocates to join the next class of Hunger Justice Leaders. Selected participants will attend an all-expense-paid advocacy-training workshop in Washington, D.C., June 12-15. For information, visit www.bread.org.
The floods may seem long gone and out of the news, however, volunteers are still needed to assist residence in northwest, far northwest and in the central parts of Indiana.
In far northwest Indiana, contact the Lakeshore Area Regional Recovery in Indiana (LARRI). Visit www.larri.info located at the United Way of Porter County at 951 Eastport Centre Drive, Valparaiso, IN 46384; ph 219-447-3583 or toll-free 877-LARRI4U; fax 219-477-5845.
In Northwest Indiana, contact Alan H. Welch, director, DANI-Disaster Assistance for NW Indiana, 1021 N 10th Street, Lafayette, IN 47904; ph 765-742-4718; welchah@gmail.com. DANI information is available by visiting http://daniflood.org.
Morgan County (Lannie Stecher, ph 765-318-8344, pastorlannie@yahoo.com) is in need of both skilled and unskilled volunteers to assist with rebuilding and repairing homes damaged by the June 2008 floods.
Southern Indiana – Contact Disaster Response Coordinator: The Rev. David Powell at 317-745-4330 or info@danvilleumc.org. Terre Haute and Bartholomew County areas in need of volunteers.
For more information about these opportunities, listings of ongoing projects and contact information, please visit http://inumc.org/pages/detail/171.
For more information about these opportunities, listings of ongoing projects and contact information, please visit http://inumc.org/pages/detail/172.