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Imagine Indiana Transition Team Information
General Information about the Area Office
North Indiana Conference Office
South Indiana Conference Office
Area United Methodist
Foundation
Prayer Guides
(Courtesy of the NIC Prayer Team)
For resources to assist your congregation in welcoming guests,
click here
Seashore District Volunteer Center VIM project -- Completed
Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
| Hoosier United Methodist News |
April 2001 |
Indiana churches on the Big Screen this month
The Best Man in Grass Creek, a new film shot in northern Indiana and featuring three United Methodist Churches will premiere this month:
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Monday, April 16 at Devon Theatre in Attica
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Tuesday, April 17 at Kerasotas Showplace 12 in Marion
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Wednesday, April 18 at Rees Theater in Plymouth
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Thursday, April 19 at Times Cinema in Rochester
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Friday, April 20 at Historic Eagle Theater in Wabash.
Look for Pleasant Hill, Kewanna, and Fletcher's Lake UMCs. The three Kokomo District churches can be seen in this freshly released romantic comedy, "full of good country humor," according to press releases. Pastors Bill Mathys and Dave Sommers appear briefly in the film, along with members of various congregations.
Help for tri-generational churches
A House Divided: Bridging the Generation Gaps in Your Church (Abingdon Press), 248 pp.
This new book by Dr. Bob Whitesel and Dr. Kent R. Hunter is a step-by-step manual for churches of all sizes who want to integrate the generations of their membership. It focuses on the challenge of addressing the pronounced gender gap in today's congregations. "Eighty-five percent of the churches in America are dying, and until now there has been little churches could do," states Whitesel, who holds a doctorate in church leadership from Fuller Seminary in California. "Most churches tend to be made up of one dominant generation. Then, as that generation ages, the church ages too, failing to attract younger people. Eventually a church dies from "old age."
Nineteen years of research and field-testing have led to the development of a strategy where churches serve three generations at once. The book presents a seven-step strategy to bridge this gap and suggests "cross cultural principles" whereby young people may be enfolded in the life of the church and discipled into ministry. Whitesel is senior editor of Strategies for Today's Leader magazine and a church consultant based in Indiana. Hunter is president of the Church Growth Center, a church interventionist service based in Corunna, Ind.
New stewardship resources
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Author Schwarzentraub states in Afire with God, "Real stewardship is
radical, which means going to the roots of our faith. If we take stewardship
seriously and joyfully -- it won't be just another addition to the same old
programs we've been doing in our congregations.
Afire with God -- $13.95 |
Donald W. Joiner, author of Creating a Climate for Giving, brings a
vision for fresh comprehensive strategy for helping churches recognize
stewardship as an exciting spiritual journey in response to God's call.
Creating a Climate for Giving -- $15.95 |
Other new books: Covenant & Call: Mission of the Future Church by Mary
Elizabeth Mullino Moore and In Spirit & in Truth: United Methodist Worship
for the Emerging Church by L. Edward Phillips and Sara Webb Phillips. These
two books are part of a book series called "Equipping the Future Church." The
books in this series provide resources for nurturing faith, building Christian
community and equipping people for ministry in daily life.
Covenant & Call: Mission of the Future Church -- $14.95 In Spirit & in Truth: United Methodist Worship for the Emerging Church -- $13.95 |
All of the above-named books are available from Discipleship Resources at 800/685-4370 or online at www.discipleshipresources.org. They are also available from Cokesbury.
Marriage Encounter weekend
For those who wish to enhance their communications and renew their commitment to a marital relationship, a Marriage Encounter Weekend will be held in Indianapolis, April 27-29. Marriage Encounter is a unique program designed to reenergize a couple's relationship through a private, informative, structured weekend of personal discovery. For registration forms or more information about fees and future Marriage Encounter sessions, contact Hank and Janet Godby, 317/729-5050.
National BMCR, Indianapolis this month
The 35th annual meeting of the National Black Methodist Church Renewal, Inc. will take place April 10-13 in Indianapolis. This event is hosted by the North Central Jurisdiction BMCR, South Indiana Caucus and North Indiana Caucus.
Hunger workshop
Free "Bread for the World" workshop on 2001 Offering of Letters Legislative Campaign will take place from 9 a.m. -- noon, May 19, at the Fairview Presbyterian Church, 4609 N. Capitol Ave, Indianapolis. This event takes a significant step toward ending hunger in Africa by asking Congress to increase poverty-focused U.S. foreign aid to Africa by $1 billion. This amount from the United States on an annual basis -- only a penny a day per American -- will encourage an international initiative that could cut hunger in half in Africa by 2015. For more information contact Elaine Davies, 317/541-9331.
Conference on hymns, worship music
A songwriting workshop will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4:40 p.m., April 28 at the Salem UMC, Keynote speakers will be Delores Dufner, O.S.B, a hymn writer from St. Joseph, Minn., and William P. Rowan, composer and director of music at St. Mary Cathedral, Lansing Mich. For further information, contact Rev. Dr. David Tripp, Salem UMC, 302 W. Plymouth St., Bremen, Ind. 46506, 219/546-2667.
Scholarships, loans available for UM students
The United Methodist Loans and Scholarship Program is a churchwide service providing scholarships and loans to help supplement the financial needs of students.
Scholarships are awarded on an academic-year basis and are available to undergraduate students at more than 100 United Methodist-related colleges and universities. Most scholarships are designed for students pursuing a degree in theological studies, higher education administration, or older adults changing their careers. Applicants must be active, full members of a United Methodist church for at least one year, citizens or permanent U.S. residents, admitted to a full-time degree program, and maintaining a grade point average of 2.5 or above.
Loans are available to active, full members of a United Methodist church who are citizens or permanent U.S. residents and admitted to a degree program at an accredited college or university. They must possess a grade point average of at least a C. Loans are made per calendar year with the maximum loan of $1,500 for students enrolled in UM-related schools or $1,200 for non-UM schools. No more than $9,000 can be borrowed during a student's entire educational program.
For more information, application forms, or resource kits, contact General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, The UMC, Office of Loans and Scholarships, P.O. Box 871, Nashville, Tenn. 37202-0871, or call 615/340-7344 (Scholarship phone) or 615/340-7346 (Loan phone).
Last updated January 14, 2004