weLink
Vol. 4, No. 4: Feb. 25, 2009

- Regional meetings report

- Finances

- From our IN-MI Conference Resource Advocate

- At Amigo Centre

- Events

- In the wider church

If possible, please include blurbs from weLink (as applicable) in your church bulletins and/or newsletters. Thank you!

Regional meetings report

Thank you to everyone who gave of their time and energy to attend one of the two regional meetings -- Feb. 14 at Ninth Street Community Church in Saginaw and Feb. 21 at First Mennonite of Indianapolis. (These meetings replaced the usual seven cluster meetings this year.) Eighty-eight people attended the North regional meeting in Saginaw, and 77 the South regional meeting in Indy.

And an extra special THANK YOU goes to both congregations for their warm hospitality! Both of them cleared their sanctuaries and set up round tables, and provided food for participants. The Ninth Street congregation left the tables up for worship and were delighted with the notes of gratitude and blessing written by delegates on the paper table covers.

Both meetings began a little late due to snowy travel conditions. Each meeting began with worship and wove worship throughout. The mornings included table conversations about creative congregational responses to economic challenges. Nancy Kauffmann reported on the denomination’s proposed health cost sharing plan (The Corinthian Plan) for church employees and Mennonite Church USA agencies. She shared a testimony about our conference’s Premium Assistance Fund, which helps congregations who are not able to pay premium costs for their pastor, and invited contributions to help replenish the fund; the offerings amounted to $1,528!

The afternoons were given to table discernment about spending plan projections and a staffing proposal from the Transition Team. Working through three questions, each table group came to their best wisdom about how to proceed on both questions, along with rationale for their position. These responses were shared verbally and handed in on paper. Leadership groups, including the Transition Team, will review the counsel received as they make decisions on next steps. Further information will be coming.
-- Dan Miller, lead conference minister

Finances

January revenue was down over the same month last year, but expenses were also down. As a result, the operating funds increased to $27,628. Year-to-date, expenses exceed revenue by $13,648.

Thank you to all congregations and individuals who continue to financially support the vision during this time! In a Feb. 7 conference call, the Executive Committee approved the Stewardship and Finance Commission’s reduced spending plan for the remainder of the fiscal year. The Jan. 31 year-to-date figures:

2008–09 2007–08 2008–09 2007–08
Estimated income* $383,152 $388,199 Estimated expenses** $378,441 $401,870
Actual income 306,159 351,648 Actual expenses 319,807 355,119

*calculated according to historical giving patterns **seven-twelfths of total spending plan

From our IN-MI Conference Resource Advocate

Book club for ministers and church librarians. Mennonite Publishing Network / Herald Press has a book club for ministers and church librarians to help familiarize them with their latest Anabaptist/Mennonite publications. See online: www.heraldpress.com/mbc/
-- Eldon Stoltzfus, IN-MI Conference Resource Advocate

At Amigo Centre

A training event for transitional (intentional interim) pastors and potential transitional pastors is planned for April 27–29 at Amigo Centre, Sturgis, Mich. The 48-hour event provides a theoretical framework for transitional ministry and identifies helpful skills and characteristics. The training includes a two-hour interview prior to the training -- which helps participants assess how suited they are for transition work -- and follow-up mentoring. A second phase of training is scheduled for the end of October.

Trainers: Gary Martin, Dan Miller and Cliff Brubaker. Between them they have served in more than 20 transitional assignments in Central District, Illinois, IN-MI and Ohio conferences. The training is a joint venture of the trainers and Amigo Centre, done in consultation with these four mid-states conferences. See www.amigocentre.org or contact Jason Lichti (269 651-2811 or jlichti@amigocentre.org) or Cliff Brubaker (cbrubaker@frontiernet.net).

Scrapbooking retreat at Amigo: March 20–22. Celebrate the arrival of spring by expressing your creativity at Amigo's Spring Scrapbooking Retreat! Enjoy a weekend away, scrapbooking with friends old and new. The relaxed schedule gives you the freedom to do what you want, when you want. Cost: $100. Call 269 651-2811 or see: www.amigocentre.org

Growing and Eating Faithfully at Amigo: March 21. This spring, Mennonite camps and retreat centers across the U.S. and Canada are celebrating each community's local food movement. Amigo's Growing and Eating Faithfully day will explore Michiana's unique place in this movement. Cost: $30 (2 meals). Call 269 651-2811 or see: www.amigocentre.org

Friends of Amigo Banquet. Amigo Centre will host a Friends of Amigo Banquet on Tuesday, March 24, at Das Dutchman Essenhaus in Middlebury. Come and hear about the ongoing ministry of Amigo and the work that is being done on Vision2020! To host a table or purchase individual tickets, contact Amigo: 269 651-2811 or info@amigocentre.org

Events

Michiana MEDA event: “Focus is Business: Impact is Life” -- Successfully Sustaining Business in Tough Times. This Mennonite Economic Development Associates event will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 12, at the Schrock Pavilion (411 West Plymouth Ave., Goshen). A meal made from locally grown, organic ingredients will be followed by a panel discussion by members of the local Sustainable Business Network about implementing sustainable, responsible practices -- environmental, business, community, and home -- to strengthen our communities. Meal and program costs are $15/members, $20/non-members, $5/students. RSVP by March 9: 877 787-6332, (online) www.michianameda.org or (e-mail) reservations@michianameda.org

Evening with Hesston College in Goshen: March 13. Hesston College alumni and friends are invited to an evening of music, comedy entertainment, and dessert starting at 7 p.m., Friday, March 13, at LVD’s Concert Hall at the Old Bag Factory, 1100 Chicago Ave., Goshen. Doors will open at 6 p.m. Performers: professional baritone and faculty member Anthony Brown (’68) and northern Indiana comedian Jon Helmuth (’91). Music faculty member Ken Rodgers (’85) will accompany Anthony. Tickets: $25/person. Proceeds will benefit current students through financial aid. Seating is limited. Reservations and payment are requested by March 6. Call toll-free: 866 437-7866 (866-HESSTON)

2009 Missional Leaders Meeting: “Leading by example,” May 2–4 at the Ramada Inn in downtown Denver, Colo. Components of our time together will include Dwelling in the Word, practical applications, case studies and worship in local congregations on Sunday morning. The meeting is open to area conference leaders, congregational leaders and others with a heart for the Missional Church. Contact Becky Tyson: 866 866-2872 or BeckyT@MennoniteMission.net Registration is available online: www.MennoniteMission.net

In the wider church

Presentation on faith and global warming. Bob Yoder, campus minister at Goshen (Ind.) College, and Paul Steury, education coordinator at Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College, have been trained by Al Gore to speak to faith communities about the challenges of and solutions to the climate crisis. Bob and Paul, who were among the first group of faith leaders to participate in The Climate Project (TCP) training program, are available to deliver an educational slideshow on climate change and to lead discussions on how churches, individuals and communities can reduce their environmental impact and urge others to action. They can adapt the length and style of their presentation for various contexts. There is no charge. To invite Bob to speak to your group, contact him at 574 535-7542 or robertey@goshen.edu. To invite Paul to speak to your group, contact him at 260 799-5869 or paulds@goshen.edu. Read more online: www.goshen.edu/news/pressarchive/11-19-08-climate186.html

Iraqi song expresses solidarity: “Iraqi Good Shepherd.” Glenn Lehman, interim music and worship staffer at Zion Mennonite Church, Souderton, Pa., looked far and wide for an Iraqi song to express solidarity with those suffering because of the war. “One day I could take this war no longer,” said Lehman on Feb. 5. “Some Zion people were doing peace vigils. As I stood with them the thought came to me -- why not sing an Iraqi song?” After failing to find a single Iraqi song in print, Lehman contacted Mennonite Central Committee’s John Filson, who put him in touch with a Christian Baghdad-born song writer. See: www.themennonite.org/public_press_releases/Iraqi_song_expresses_solidarity_

Request for volunteers: Share your skills in Indianapolis! A nonprofit community development organization requests volunteers to assist with home repair projects and community development projects in a distressed neighborhood in Indianapolis. Two new homes will be built during the summer and fall with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Indianapolis. Work depends on the time and skill level of volunteers. Projects can be arranged for one-day service trips or up to a full week. Housing can be arranged through local congregations. Contact Nate Lichti: nate@mfcdc.org or 317 517-3251

weLink serves to connect IN-MI Conference congregations to each other, to Amigo Centre and Bethany Christian Schools, and to the wider church. It is published on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. weLink issues are archived on the conference web site at: im.mennonite.net/news/welink/welink.php

To subscribe to or unsubscribe from the weLink mailing list, contact the conference office: imoffice@im.mennonite.net
Editor: Annette Brill Bergstresser, annette@im.mennonite.net (Send material for the March 11 weLink by noon on March 9.)

Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference
Mailing address: 212 S. Main St., Goshen, IN 46526-3723
Phone: 574 534-4006; 800 288-8486
E-mail: imoffice@im.mennonite.net
Web site: www.im.mennonite.net