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e-HUM is a free service of Indiana Area United Methodist Communications, www.inareaumc.org. Subscribers will receive late-breaking news, announcements and Church resources via e-mail. We welcome your comments, please direct to e-HUM editor at ehumeditor@inareaumc.org. |
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FOR CHILDREN MARCH April 26, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Indianapolis The Bishop's Initiative on Children and Poverty, along with partner Clarian Health, will be hosting the march. Children from across North and South Indiana Conferences will gather at Riley Children's Hospital before marching together to the State Capitol Building. Musical groups from the churches are encouraged to volunteer to perform during the gathering time. Governor Frank O'Bannon is scheduled to address the gathering, as are several state legislators. |
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INDIANA BISHOP CHANGES LOCATION OF TWO SUPERINTENDENTSBishop Woodie W. White of the United Methodist Indiana Area has switched the location of two North Indiana Conference District Superintendents, who oversee pastors of a district. The switch involves the Michiana and Marion Districts. White appointed the Rev. Robert J. Dexter as superintendent of the Michiana District, effective June 16. Currently, Dexter is superintendent of the Marion District based in Gas City, Ind. Dexter was first appointed to the superintendency in June 2001. Dexter also has served as pastor at St. Andrew UMC in West Lafayette as well as churches in Waterloo, Mulberry and Congress St. UMC in Lafayette and Fort Wayne Trinity. He was ordained an Elder in 1973. White also appointed the Rev. Daniel Motto as superintendent of the Marion District, effective June 16. Currently, Motto is superintendent of the Michiana District based in Elkhart, Ind. Motto was first appointed to the superintendency in June 2000. He also has served as a campus minister at the Wesley Foundation at Kansas State University, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne and Metro Campus Ministry in Indianapolis, and has served as pastor at Oxford, Union City Wesley, Logansport Market Street and Mishawaka First UMC. He was ordained an Elder in 1967. BETHLEHEM SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS SENDING BLANKETS TO ZIMBABWEChildren of the Bethlehem United Methodist One Room Sunday school at Twelve Mile, Ind., (northeast of Logansport) in the Kokomo District, are working on a quilt for the Bishop's War on Poverty project, "Blanket Them with Blessings." The children have collected or made more than 20 blankets to send to orphanages in Zimbabwe. The class will host a community breakfast in the Twelve Mile Community Center Sat., April 19 from 7 to 10 a.m. to raise money for shipping expenses to send the blankets. According to Linda Hoffman, their Sunday school teacher, these same five children collected 1,500 pairs of shoes last year for Africa, plus $800 for shipping costs. Last month they delivered a check for $877 to Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis for the purchase of red wagons to be used as wheelchairs. The children also volunteer at the Emmaus Mission Center in Logansport, Ind. BISHOP AND PASTORS ASK GOVERNOR TO FULLY FUND ANTI-SMOKING EFFORTSIndiana has one of the nation's highest overall smoking rates, youth smoking rates and smoking rates of pregnant women. One of the most striking statistics is that in Marion County 62 percent of white teenagers who are pregnant smoke. Tobacco kills 10,300 Hoosiers a year. The tobacco industry spends more than $200 million per year marketing tobacco in Indiana, and the vast majority of their new customers are kids - children and youth. To support anti-smoking efforts, United Methodist leaders, recently joined with more than 140 leaders of other Indiana's faith communities to ban smoking public places including restaurants and bars. They met April 7 at North UMC in Indianapolis to rally support of both through efforts of the Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Agency and through local ordinances to ban smoking in all public places. Following the lawsuit with the tobacco industry, Indiana took steps to become a national leader in smoking prevention by investing $32.5 million a year over the last two years in a comprehensive prevention and cessation program based on successful models in other states. Indiana United Methodist Bishop Woodie W. White has written to Governor O'Brannon to urge him not to wavier from his strong support for the ITPC and to encourage state legislators to continue ITPC's current $32.5 million-a-year funding. For more information about Indiana's anti-smoking campaign, log on to www.whitelies.tv. COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION WORKSHOPS OFFERED BY METRO MINISTRIESMetro Ministries of Indianapolis has scheduled transformational community training at The Old Centrum,12th and Central Ave., home of Central Ave. UMC. According to Taylor Walters, a community developer, TCT provides participants with methods to identify critical issues of their community and the skills to more fully engage community participation in effective community transformation. Two sets of TCT workshops are scheduled. The first ones, for secular and faith-based community workers, will be held April 29-30 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Cost: $50 per person, including lunch both days. The second workshops for church leaders will be held on May 2 from 6 to 9 p.m. and May 3 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Cost: $25 per person, including lunch. Both workshops require pre-registration. Call 317-464-9321. Each limited to 25 people. UMC RECOGNIZES PLAINFIELD CHURCHThe Igniting Ministry, the television and welcoming ministry of The United Methodist Church based at United Methodist Communications in Nashville, Tenn., recently recognized the Plainfield (Ind.) United Methodist Church as an official "Welcoming Congregation" for 2002. UINDY NURSING SCHOOL MAKES U.S. NEWS 'BEST' LISTThe University of Indianapolis Graduate School of Nursing has been listed among the top 75 master's programs in nursing in the latest rankings of outstanding graduate schools issued today by U.S. News and World Report. The rankings will be contained in the 2004 edition of America's Best Graduate Schools, that hit newsstands April 7. UINDY's Krannert School of Physical Therapy, tied for 23rd place in its category in 2000, also included in the book. NORTH INDIANA GOODS ON WAY TO AFRICA UNIVERSITYLibrary books, textbooks and computers for university students are on their way to Africa. The Northern Indiana United Methodist Conference in partnership with the Midwest Mission Distribution Center near Springfield, Ill., shipped a 40 foot container to Africa University on March 31. Purdue University Professor John Huie of West Lafayette led the drive for students at A.U. in Mutare, Zimbabwe. Volunteers from Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois were on hand at the center helping load more than 11 tons of items. In addition to books and computers, the center also shipped dental chairs, exam tables, office furniture, dorm beds, sewing machines, health kits, sewing kits, layettes and an electronic organ, with a combined estimated value of $22,000. ST. LUKE'S EXCEEDS MILLION DOLLAR MIRACLESt. Luke's UMC in Indianapolis exceeded its million dollar goal during the church's 50th anniversary celebration in March. The goal was to raise a million dollars in one month in order to build a new youth center. At last count according to staff member Lori Crantford, St. Luke's was somewhere around $1,090,000. She said, "Ground will be broken for the new youth building on Sunday, April 27." |
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INDIANA RELATED MISSIONARIES BEGIN NEW ITINERATIONSix Indiana-related Globalm Ministries missionaries are beginning new itinerations this spring. One missionary couple are missionaries in residence. Charles and Patty Maddox, serving in Haiti, are scheduled to begin their itineration in May with supporting churches in the South Indiana Conference. They can be contacted at Volunteers in Mission, c/o Lynx Air-PO Box 407139, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33340. E-mail vimhaiti@hotmail.com. Kelly Jewett, who served in Liberia, began itineration last month with supporting churches in the South Indiana Conference. Kelly can be contacted at 5112 37th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55417. Telephone 612-722-5788. E-mail kelleyjewett@yahoo.com. Terry and Muriel Henderson, seving in Mexico, began itineration last month with supporting churches in the South Indiana Conference. There address is Apartado 2-72, Puebla, Puebla 72130, Mexico. E-mail gyttephm@aol.com. Sally Morris, serving in Sierra Leone, began itineration last month with supporting churches in the South Indiana and Illinois Great Rivers conferences. Her address is c/o Sierra Lenone Annual Conference, 31 Lighfoot Boxton Street, Freetown, Sierra Leone. E-mail sfmfreetwn@yahoo.com. Allan and Mavis Streyffeler, who served in Senagal, are currently serving as Missionaries in Residence in the North Central Jurisdiction. Their address is 10 School St., Naperville, IL 60540. Telephone 630-357-0170, fax 630-357-5987. E-mail almaviss@aol.com. The Streyffelers are scheduled to speak at the Mission Banquet, Friday evening, June 6, during the South Indiana Area Conference in Bloomington, Ind. For more information about Indiana's missionaries, contact Flora M. Childers at 812-294-3145 or online at fchilders@sicumc.org. |
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UNITED METHODIST, PEACE GROUP, LEAVES IRAQBAGHDAD, Iraq (UMNS) - The United Methodist making a witness for peace in Baghdad has left Iraq along with other members of the Christian Peacemakers Teams and Iraq Peace Team. Scott Kerr, 27, a member of First United Methodist Church in Downers Grove, Ill., and the other team members managed to travel safely from the Iraqi capital to the Iraq-Jordan border, and they crossed into Jordan on April 1. Claire Evans, personnel and delegation coordinator for CPT, said the group had decided to leave because the increasing security restrictions placed upon them by the Iraqi government made it difficult to move around independently. IRAQ, NORTH KOREA DRAWS ATTENTION OF MISSION AGENCYBIRMINGHAM, Ala. (UMNS) - Current events in Iraq and North Korea commanded attention when the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries met April 7-10. Looking toward the war's end, the resolution supported the distribution of humanitarian aid primarily through non-military channels and called upon the occupying powers to work with the United Nations. The governments involved are asked to respect international agreements, such as the Geneva Convention; devote sufficient resources to cleaning up land mines, toxic wastes and other dangerous legacies of war; and let the Iraqi people determine their own system of government. Churches are encouraged to continue engaging in interfaith dialogue, "create sanctuaries where all are welcome, even in our differences," and support humanitarian aid through the United Methodist Committee on Relief's "Iraq Emergency" Advance No. 623225-4. In a resolution on North Korea, directors affirmed the longtime relationship between the Board of Global Ministries and the Korean Christian Federation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as well as the denomination's continuing work toward a peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula. United Methodist congregations are invited to join in the humanitarian aid efforts. Funds can be directed to UMCOR Advance No. 226435-0, "North Korea Emergency." BOXING GREAT PROVIDES BOOST TO WILEY COLLEGEMARSHALL, Texas (UMNS) - Boxing legend and commentator George Foreman has given a United Methodist-related college a $100,000 punch in the arm. The former two-time heavyweight champion recently made the gift to Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, for several programs, including men's basketball. COMMITTEE CALLS FOR CHANGE IN MANDATORY RETIREMENT AGENASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - Calling forced retirement at age 70 "antiquated and ageist," the United Methodist Committee on Older Adult Ministries finalized proposed legislation that will relax the rules on mandatory retirement for lay employees, pastors and bishops of the church. Meeting March 25-27, the committee forwarded the resolutions to the churchwide General Board of Discipleship for submission to the 2004 General Conference. NEWS BRIEFSUnited Methodist News ServiceThe Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts will hold its biennial national convocation July 10-15 in Dearborn, Mich. The fellowship is a national organization of worship planners and leaders, musicians, music directors, pastors, dancers, storytellers, actors, and other liturgical artists. For registration information, contact the Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts, David Bone, administrator, P.O. Box 24787, Nashville TN 37202-4787; telephone: 800-952-8977 or 615-749-6875; fax: 615-749-6874; e-mail: FUMMWAconvo@aol.com; Web site: www.fummwaconvo.org. The United Methodist Committee on Relief is prepared to offer training and technical assistance to many of the church-based humanitarian efforts in Iraq, according to the Rev. Paul Dirdak. Dirdak, who leads the agency, explained those plans when UMCOR directors gathered April 8 during the spring meeting of the agency's parent organization, the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. UMCOR plans to channel its own humanitarian response to Iraq through partner agencies there, such as the Middle East Council of Churches. If the United Methodist African-American caucus wants to continue providing a prophetic voice in times of injustice and a pastoral presence in times of crisis, it needs a new vision, leaders of the group say. Speakers, workshop leaders, Bible study leaders and others led this refrain at the April 2-5 annual meeting of the National Black Methodists for Church Renewal in Los Angeles. BMCR must reassess its mission, said the Rev. Vincent Harris, newly elected chairperson of the 36-year-old caucus. "We have not felt what is going on in our churches and we have not connected to that." A 12-member task force has been formed to begin preparing for the 50th anniversary of full clergy rights for women in the Methodist Church. The anniversary will be observed throughout 2006. A highlight will be an international clergywomen's consultation that May. The United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry organized the task force. Resources for helping children and youth cope with issues of war are available from the camping and retreat ministry of the United Methodist Board of Discipleship. Go online to www.gbod.org/camping or call the Rev. Kevin Witt at 541-317-1615. |
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LET US REMEMBER IN PRAYER HOOSIERS SERVING OVERSEASDuring this time of war, let us remember in prayer our United Methodist men and women in the armed forces. If you know of someone serving our country in this conflict with Iraq, please share his or her name with us at the e-HUM for posting so that we can generate a prayer list of Hoosiers in the service. Please list name, relationship to you and/or the church, name and place of congregation, where this person serves. Send this information to editor@inareaumc.org. This information will be posted on the e-HUM as it is made available. May God's peace be realized in Iraq and across God's world, now and always. Many United Methodists want to do something more than pray for our men and women in uniform. The Defense Department is not accepting packages addressed to "Any Service member," but has other suggestions. Defend America, part of the DoD's Web site, allows people to sign a virtual thank-you card to soldiers. Go to www.defendamerica.mil/nmam.html to add your name to an e-card. Operation Uplink, sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, allows people to donate calling cards so service members can call home. Go to www.operationuplink.org. ST. LUKE'S HOST PASSION DRIVEN CONFERENCEPassion + Vision = Transformation is the equation that speaker will be using during a national 2003 Large Church Conference hosted by St. Luke's UMC in Indianapolis April 29-May 2. According to "The Passion Driven Congregation" event publicity, the conference is open to the community and features seven nationally-know speakers, scholars, preachers and writers. Some sessions are free. Others come with a price tag. For more information call 317-846-3404 go log on to www.stlukesumc.com. Unless otherwise listed, most of these events are at St. Luke's UMC, 100 West 86th St., Indianapolis. Here are dates and speakers:
UI TO HONOR DAVE'S MOMUnited Methodist-related University of Indianapolis will honor Dorothy Letterman, Mom of TV talk-show host David Letterman, on May 9 as part of a celebration of Older Americans Month. "Indianapolis Salutes Older Americans - What We Do Makes a Difference" will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the campus of the University of Indianapolis and include proclamations, presentations and 20-minute mini-classes on everything from forensic anthropology to helping grandchildren learn to read. For more information or to register for the free day-long program, contact Betty Shaw at the Indianapolis Senior Center at 317-263-6272, or UINDY's Center for Aging and Community at 317-788-4910. DISCIPLESHIP ANNOUNCES THREE NEW RESOURCESNASHVILLE, Tenn. - In the 300th anniversary of his birth, United Methodists can read an edited version of John Wesley's A Plain Account of Christian Perfection in the newly released book A Perfect Love by Steven W. Manskar with an accompanying study guide by Diana Hynson. Using a positive approach to discipline, Jenni Douglas Duncan takes Sunday school class problems in her new book Let There Be Peace in the Classroom. This book tackles the hard issues teachers of children face and provides workable suggestions. A third new publication is a bilingual training program for the development of Hispanic ministries title Modula 1: Programa de capacitacion para el desarrollo de ministerios hispanos. More information about all three resources can be found online at www.discipleshipresources.org. UMR COMMUNICATIONS BEGINS NEW ONLINE COMMUNITYA new online community begins this month to give United Methodists a chance to shape the future of their church. A New Connection: Shaping The United Methodist Church for the 21st Century will feature online resources and discussion directed by the Rev. Ken Bedell, a noted expert on the Internet and the church. Reporter Interactive, the online edition of the 155-year-old United Methodist Reporter weekly newspaper, will sponsor the site (www.umr.org). Both periodicals are published by UMR Communications, an independent religious communications agency based in Dallas, Texas, and historically related to The United Methodist Church. "A New Connection is intended to provide an open, democratic forum on the Internet to engage all levels of The United Methodist Church in discussion of organizational structure as the international, 10-million-member denomination prepares to deal with these issues at the 2004 General Conference," said Dr. Bedell, also pastor of Archbold United Methodist Church in Archbold, Ohio (West Ohio Annual Conference). |
 for more details and additional events, visit our Happenings page. |
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You can contact the North Indiana Conference office You can contact the South Indiana Conference office The Oakwood Passion Play Marriage Encounter Weekends Annual Meeting of the Auxiliary Revitalizing the Small Church FAITHQUEST: Make Thyme For Gardening Wonderful World Of Watercolor |
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