weLink
Vol.
4, No. 10: May 27, 2009
- Conference prayers
- Blooming Glen Mennonite mutual aid gift update
- Annual Sessions 2009: “Once upon a time …
signs and wonderings”
- Finances
- Connecting congregations
- IN-MI Conference people in the news
- At Bethany Christian Schools
- At Amigo Centre
If
possible, please include blurbs from weLink (as applicable) in your church
bulletins and/or newsletters. Thank you!
Conference prayers
Please pray for IN-MI Conference’s new leadership groups
(Missional Leadership Team [MLT], Advisory Council [AC] and Gifts Development Team [GDT]) and the
presently continuing groups (Stewardship
and Finance Commission and Church
Life Commission) as they prepare for Annual Sessions: June 18–20 at Clinton
Frame Mennonite, Goshen. May the Holy Spirit guide their thinking, praying and
other preparations, and may God’s Kingdom be extended through their work.
Blooming Glen Mennonite mutual aid gift update
Two weeks ago, IN-MI Conference received a generous financial gift from Blooming Glen (Pa.) Mennonite! The congregation eagerly responded to an idea originating with Firman Gingerich, their lead pastor (and former lead pastor of College Mennonite, Goshen, Ind.), to hold a fundraiser for congregations in IN-MI Conference. (Read more online.)
While the congregation’s generosity was
catalyzed by hearing about people struggling in Elkhart (Ind.) County, the gift
is not limited to Elkhart County. I have been working on ways that our
conference might use and extend this gift. While $8,200 is a lot of
money, if divided among the many needs, it becomes quickly diluted. For
this reason, it seems to make sense to target the funds. That is part of
the strategy being formed now. My goal is to have the funds and other
resources distributed by the time of Annual Sessions. Expect to hear more
in coming weeks. -- Dan Miller, lead
conference minister
Annual Sessions 2009: “Once upon a time … signs and wonderings”
June 18–20
at Clinton Frame Mennonite, Goshen, Ind.
Come join this once-a-year gathering of representatives
from our community of congregations!
Worship
sessions. Throughout the
weekend, we will focus on listening to and sharing stories about God’s work in
IN-MI Conference.
All worship sessions are free and open to the public.
Please join us!
- Thursday opening worship
(1:30 p.m. June 18 in the sanctuary): “Once upon a time … ” We will celebrate gathering together as a conference
body, sing praise to God, hear about abiding in God’s love and enter playfully
into our theme for Annual Sessions.
- Thursday evening worship
(7:15 p.m. June 18 in the sanctuary): “Bringing what we have.”
This will be a time to reflect upon what we “bring” with us as we gather together.
Dan Miller, lead conference minister, will share our message and give people
opportunity to respond in a creative way.
- Friday evening worship
(7:15 p.m. June 19 in the fellowship hall): “Signs and
wonderings.” Gathered around tables, we all will listen together to several
stories of God at work throughout our conference, then share and reflect with
one another as “table groups” in story, prayer and communion.
- Saturday morning worship
(11 a.m. June 20 in the sanctuary): “And here we go!” We will
celebrate what we have heard and shared during Annual Sessions. John Troyer,
pastor at Clinton Frame Mennonite, will provide summary reflections from the
weekend. As participants prepare to return to their congregations, they will be
given opportunity for anointing and be sent with a blessing.
Annual Story Books
(a.k.a. report books) that have not been hand-delivered or picked up from
the conference office will be mailed Thursday, May 28.
A summary of lodging is available at www.im.mennonite.net/events/annual_sessions/lodging.php and also is attached.
Finances
April revenue was $30,480. Expenses were $31,514, for a balance of ($1,034). Year-to-date expenses have exceeded revenues by $35,508. Overall income has declined about 14 percent compared to last year. A quick look at congregational giving reveals that while some congregations have decreased their contributions, some have increased their conference giving. Thank you! These increases have kept the percentage of decline more manageable than it might have been. We appreciate your support of the ministries of IN-MI Conference! The April 30 year-to-date figures:
2008–09 2007–08 2008–09 2007–08
Estimated income* $539,453 $554,799 Estimated expenses** $540,630 $574,100
Actual income 401,041 470,093 Actual expenses 436,549 493,822
*calculated according to
historical giving patterns **ten-twelfths
of total spending plan
Connecting congregations
“Where the Spirit
of the Lord moves”: True Vine Tabernacle, Elkhart, Ind., invites you to
join them in celebrating their five-year anniversary! A time of worship and
fellowship will be held June 7, 1–3 p.m. The church is located at 54365
Independence St. in Elkhart (off Bristol St., near Flavor Freeze). Questions? 574 264-0035 or TrueVine.3@juno.com
A few months ago, members of Paoli (Ind.) Mennonite Fellowship
were struggling to find a proper location for their annual mid-winter effort in
disaster service. For several years, they had gone to the Gulf Coast to assist
with disaster recovery. But this year, all the places seemed to be filled.
Nothing seemed to fit just right -- until a sudden disaster much closer to home
summoned their efforts. Read Tim Jessen’s article and
see photos online.
First Mennonite of
Indianapolis (FMC) broke ground March 8 for a multimillion
dollar addition to its facility. “This expansion will make a huge difference in
the spiritual lives of the children in our growing congregation,” says Kenda Resler Friend, Children's
Education co-chair. “We will be able to expand our ministry in many ways.” Read more of Erwin Boschmann’s
article and see photos online.
IN-MI Conference people in the news
Check out IN-MI
Conference’s News page (im.mennonite.net/news/news.php)
for information about conference
congregations and people from conference congregations. Recent additions
include:
Pastors share experiences of crossing divisions. Two
IN-MI Conference pastors were among the presenters at an event hosted by
Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary’s Engaging Pastors program on April 30
about ministering in diverse contexts: Maria Crockett of House of Power,
Elkhart, Ind., and Cora Brown of Church Without
Walls, Elkhart. Seferina DeLeón of Iglesia Menonita del Buen
Pastor, Goshen, Ind. (and an interim assistant conference regional minister),
also participated. Read more online.
Christian service participants. For 2008–09, 227 young adults and people of
all ages have chosen to invest their time in Mennonite Mission Network
Christian service programs -- a 44-percent increase in participants over 2007.
In an article from Mennonite Mission Network, Mary Jo Martin of Olive
Mennonite in Elkhart, Ind., said, “My church definitely supports
doing service and MVS. I’m sending update e-mails to them and they’re very
interested in what I’m doing. They consider it an extension of them, in a way.”
See a list of 17 participants from IN-MI Conference
online.
You are invited to attend Bethany Christian Schools’ commencement service at 3 p.m. on
Sunday, May 31.
Walking
with Jesus. Choral music teacher John D. Smucker assigned his junior-senior choir at Bethany to walk
in their church neighborhoods for an hour each week for four weeks and to read
the Feb. 17 issue of The Mennonite,
in which senior Juanita Klassen
observed, “to really help people and understand what they are going through, we
need to meet them where they are at, and learn about their stories and
struggles.” Read more: www.bethanycs.net/walk_with_jesus
At Amigo Centre
Camp Amigo! Summer
camp is just around the corner, and camps are starting to fill up, so send in
your registration form 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. (Some scholarship options also are available.) Learn more and download a
registration form online: www.amigocentre.org/Programs/Youth/Summer_Camps Questions? 269 651-2811 or info@amigocentre.org. We're
looking forward to a great summer together!
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 June 10 weLink
by noon on June 8.)
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