August 29, 2005

"Preaching in Local Churches"

One of my favorite aspects of being a bishop is the opportunity I have to preach in local churches. During this first year back in Indiana, I have had the privilege of preaching in the following local churches for Sunday services or for other events:

Indianapolis St. Luke's, Terre Haute Memorial, Indianapolis Lawrence, Indianapolis Meridian Street, Bloomington St. Pauls, Pendleton 1st, South Bend 1st, Fort Wayne Open Arms, Fort Wayne First Wayne Street, Kokomo Grace, Valparaiso 1st, West Lafayette 1st, Hartford City Grace, Warsaw 1st, Huntington Trinity, Fort Wayne Good Shepherd, Muncie High Street, Vincennes Community, New Albany Trinity, Columbus Sandy Hook, Logansport Main Street, Anderson 1st, Rushville Trinity, Marion God's Grace, Markle, Princeton Hillside, Bloomington 1st, Fishers 1st, Lafayette Congress Street, Franklin Grace, Kokomo St. Luke's, Bloomington St. Mark's, Kokomo Shiloh, Indianapolis North, Lafayette Trinity, Elkhart St. Paul's, Acton, Sheridan, Indianapolis University Heights, Brownsburg Calvary, Fort Wayne St. Joseph's, Ligonier, Washington Bethel, Michigan City 1st, Webb Chapel, Farmersburg, Yorktown, Washington Christ, Indianapolis Bethel, Porter, Jasper Shiloh, Indianapolis Scott, Mt. Vernon, Bedford Grace, Honey Creek.

My upcoming schedule includes:

Anderson New Horizon, Newbern, Muncie College Avenue, New Harmony Johnson Memorial, Mt. Olive (Bloomington District), Madison Trinity, Indianapolis Calvary, Kilmore, Carmel 1st, Spiceland, Bloomington Fairview, Carmel St. Mark's, Indianapolis Bethel, Logansport 1st, Mt. Olive, Peru Main Street, Forsythe, Rockport Trinity, South Bend Evangel Heights, North Webster, Indianapolis Broadway, Logansport Main Street, South Bend 1st, Castleton.

My schedule fills up fast, but I try to balance it between North and South Conference, between larger and smaller churches, and among urban and rural settings. How can a local church get on my schedule? Ask. Write to my office or talk to your District Superintendent, and your invitation will go into our consideration as Dr. Don Griffith helps me plan my preaching schedule. Right now, I am almost totally "booked" through next June, and I have a few requests as far out as 2009, but I try to work invitations in my schedule -- especially if you can be flexible about the particular Sunday.

What I am learning from preaching in our local United Methodist Churches in Indiana? I am learning how much faith, generosity, local outreach, mission support, enthusiasm, and loyalty exists among "grass roots" United Methodists. In fact, most always I leave a local church feeling encouraged about the future. When I was first elected a bishop in 1996, one of the older, veteran bishops gave me some advice. He said, "Whenever you feel discouraged about the denomination, or general church politics, or the future of United Methodism, go and preach in a local church and that will refresh your hope for our church." He was right, it does, and I am grateful for those opportunities.

from Bishop Michael J. Coyner

Indiana Area of the United Methodist Church
"Making a Difference ... in Indiana
and around the world"

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