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Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
| Hoosier United Methodists together |
July/August 2006 |
Letters to the Editor
Happy New Year!
No, I don't want to roll back time to January 2006, but we are starting a New Year of appointments and many pastors are moving into new communities, new homes and new churches. As I am starting my third year of serving Whitestown UMC, I realize I have talked about being an outward focused congregation and being a "connectional" denomination, and yet, I have not reached out to many other UM churches in our area, nor have others reached out to our church except for two people.
Thus for the upcoming New Year, I am going to practice what I preach by reaching out to the other 13 UM churches within a 15 mile radius of Whitestown (15 miles because it is found people are likely to drive 15 miles to attend a church). For me, reaching out means seeing where we can leverage ministries, be a larger transforming presence in our communities and in individual lives through the Good News.
Won't you join me in making a New Years resolution of reaching out?
Kevin Raidy
Whitestown, Ind.
Making disciples of Jesus Christ
I have never really seen the North Indiana Conference so focused on our reason for being which we are declaring is about making disciples of Jesus. This is very cool, and I believe it can lead to some powerful unified action. But I think it is now time to actually begin the conversation about what all this means.
From what I am hearing, I gather most people believe making disciples means to make new disciples of Jesus. This is certainly a great call for us all. But I personally believe it also involves helping people who have already decided to follow Christ to continue, deepen and strengthen their journey with Jesus and his ways. What would it look like if our congregations as a whole were discussing, holding one another accountable, and setting visions based on our quest to be more faithful disciples? I am sure some of you are doing this already.
I know that I myself am trying to stay aware of what it means for me to be one of his disciples. In fact, I have a list of nine characteristics that I keep in front of me as a kind of journal for my daily walk with the resurrected rabbi. You might come up with your own list or have your own path to stay on a faithful path of following Jesus. But I guess what I am indeed trying to do is define what in the world a disciple of Jesus is. Here's my list.
Disciples are students/followers of Jesus and the Jesus-way. The Jesus way is:
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Being a seeker of God's will.
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Being a servant.
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Being one who offers healing and wholeness to all especially the outcasts.
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Being a confronter of evil.
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Being in community.
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Being forgiving.
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Being a teacher and demonstrator of the Kingdom of God.
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Being trustful that God is good and gracious.
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Being connected to God for power and transformation.
Again, your list might look much different than mine, and that's OK. I simply want us to converse about and then act upon this unified desire to make disciples of Jesus.
And I know we have all actually been making disciples of Jesus for a long time. My dad, my grandpa, and and our great grandpas and grandmas on back to the early Jesus followers standing on the beach with Paul have been making disciples of Christ. But it's our turn now. And together, the churches of Indiana shall unify and figure out how to keep the main thing the main thing.
Craig LaSuer
Marion, Ind.
Resolution on Iraq
I'm very encouraged about the future of The United Methodist Church (Re: Resolution on the War in Iraq; HUM Together May/June 2006). If the Council of Bishops wants to be politically correct and surrender to the Islamic terrorists, I suggest they do so individually. They may be adequately accommodated in Tehran or Damascus.
Tom Shrode
Chrisney, Ind.
Last updated on 25 Apr 2008