weLink
Vol. 4, No. 7: April 8, 2009

- Conference office closing on Fridays—a follow-up note

- Finances

- Journey program

- From our IN-MI Conference Resource Advocate

- At Bethany Christian Schools

- At Amigo Centre

- Connecting congregations

- Events

- IN-MI Conference people in the news

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

Conference office closing on Fridays -- a follow-up note

First of all, thank you to those of you who noticed and cared about the conference office closing on Fridays for a trial period of three months—April through June. A number of people were confused about how we could do this and not cut staff hours. The simple answer is that Dan Miller, lead conference minister, and Heidi King, administrative coordinator, are the only full-time staff members. Dan will move his regular day off (which compensates for weekend work) to Fridays and Heidi will simply work from home on Fridays. The other three office staff will generally work their part-time hours as follows:

Annette Brill Bergstresser, communication coordinator (.5 FTE): afternoons Monday–Thursday

Diana Hershberger, secretary/receptionist (.8 FTE): Monday–Thursday

Charlotte Long, bookkeeper/webmaster (.5 FTE): Wednesday and the rest from home

Thank you for joining us in this experiment! We welcome your feedback particularly during the next three months.
-- Heidi King, administrative coordinator

Finances

March revenue was the lowest March in six years. Expenses were within the expected range. This resulted in a negative balance in the operating fund of approximately ($2,500). Year-to-date, expenses exceed revenue by $43,815.

These numbers underline an ongoing economic reality. They also represent a call to creatively rethink how we nurture relationships among pastors and between congregations so we effectively learn to see what God is doing in our communities. We invite your prayers for the work of preparing a realistic spending plan for next fiscal year. The Mar. 31 year-to-date figures:

2008–09 2007–08 2008–09 2007–08
Estimated income* $481,303 $487,245 Estimated expenses** $432,504 $516,690
Actual income 370,561 423,664 Actual expenses 414,376 447,687

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

Journey program

We are all on a journey; however, some people are called to ministry in this journey. Whether you are already in ministry or would like to test this call, IN-MI and Central District conferences in partnership with AMBS invite you to join Journey: A Conference-Based Leadership Program. This program is for pastors and other congregational leaders who are called without specific training for ministry or who are exploring a call to pastoral ministry. The deadline to apply for fall 2009 is Aug. 1. To learn more, visit www.journeyprogram.net online, talk with your pastor, or contact Dan Miller at (dan@im.mennonite.net) or the conference office (imoffice@im.mennonite.net) at 800 288-8486.

From our IN-MI Conference Resource Advocate

A church librarian’s newsletter -- “Library News and Views” -- is published quarterly by a community of churches in eastern Pennsylvania. Learn more: 215 699-5646 or Bux-MontChurchLibrarians@hotmail.com
-- Eldon Stoltzfus, IN-MI Conference Resource Advocate

At Bethany Christian Schools

Fish Fry: The junior class fish fry is Friday, April 24. For ticket costs and information see www.bethanycs.net/fishfry.

At Amigo Centre

Scholarship Golf Outing for Amigo Centre: June 6. Get a team together and help send kids to a great, life-changing week of camp at Amigo Centre in Sturgis, Mich.! Individuals also may sign up. Cost per golfer is $85 and includes your green fees, cart, and hog roast lunch at Amigo. To learn more, call 269 651-2811, e-mail info@amigocentre.org or download a web registration at www.AmigoCentre.org. We look forward to seeing you in June!

Summer camp is just around the corner, and some camps are starting to fill up! If you haven’t sent your registration form in, be sure to do that soon! We know that budgets are tight, and we've worked hard to keep our camp fees for five days and five nights at a great price! However, if you need financial assistance, please feel free to contact us about scholarship options: 269 651-2811 or info@amigocentre.org. We're looking forward to a great summer together!

Woodcutting Day at Amigo Centre is April 25! Plan to arrive by 9 a.m. for a great morning of working together. Your efforts help keep Amigo warm all winter long!

Connecting congregations

East Goshen Mennonite will dedicate its new facility on June 14. The service will begin at 10 a.m. and will be followed by a noon meal and slide show. -- Barb Eiler

Events

Share the vision! Several local individuals have a vision for a clubhouse in Elkhart County for adults with long-term mental illness. Such a facility could provide a wonderful opportunity for socialization, education, work and access to services for this population. A community forum will be held on Wednesday, April 22, 8:30–10:30 a.m., at Maple City Chapel, 2015 Lincolnway East, Goshen (former WalMart building). The support and involvement of local churches is welcomed. There is no charge, but registration is appreciated. Visit ec-clubhouse.adnetonline.org.

Nurturing Peacemakers Retreat: “Stories of struggle, stories of hope”: May 8–10 at Camp Friedenswald, Cassopolis, Mich. This time of inner reflection and sharing -- sponsored by Central District Conference with the support of Mennonite Central Committee Great Lakes -- is designed to nurture, encourage and strengthen peacemakers. The retreat will be led from an Anabaptist-Mennonite background, but it is open to people of other traditions and backgrounds. Wendy Chappell-Dick and Les and Gwen Gustafson-Zook will lead worship and music. We especially encourage congregations and local communities to sponsor a member to attend this retreat. Register by April 22. Suggested donation: $40 (or what you can donate). See online (www.centraldistrict.mennonite.net) or call 800 662-2264.

“Unmarried couples living together” to be held June 4 at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Ind. This seminar will examine how pastors can provide pastoral care to co-habiting couples in the church while addressing the ethical questions and congregational dynamics generated by these situations. This is the newest event in the “Extreme situations in the congregation” pastoral care series sponsored by the AMBS Church Leadership Center and Central District and IN-MI conferences. Presenter: Irma Fast Dueck of Canadian Mennonite University. For more information and to register, visit: www.ambs.edu/couples

IN-MI Conference people in the news

Soup, self-confidence and service in one. Every five months, a new group of women graduates from the Soup of Success program, equipped with computer skills, bursting with business experience and wrapped in the support of a new community. Those relationships also have enriched Mennonite Voluntary Service volunteers, who go out of their way to support SOS. (The Elkhart, Ind., Mennonite Voluntary Service unit connected with Prairie Street Mennonite is featured in this article. Also interviewed are Anna Ruth Hershberger of East Goshen (Ind.) Mennonite and Julia Gingrich of Waterford Mennonite, Goshen.) Read more: MennoniteMission.net/?Story_ID=1353

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

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