News

Pastors to be challenged, embraced during OLT

Claiborne Greenwaldt Harris In less than two weeks, pastors and other clergy from across Indiana will gather for the Our Life Together spiritual retreat at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, Feb. 16 & 17, beginning Thursday at 9 a.m. through Friday 3 p.m. Together, Karen Greenwaldt and Russ Harris will work with... -- more --

Summer Camp News

Sign Up For Camp Today! Summer camp registration is open and it’s never too soon to get your summer planned. Jump onto www.beacamper.com, navigate to the camp of your choice, and sign your family members up for another amazing summer with Impact 2818! Free Camp This Summer? This summer you could be sending your kids for free. Seriously? Impact 2818 is introducing the Happy Camper reward system, which uses an approach similar to direct selling companies like Pampered Chef, to allow... -- more --

Registration system updates being done this weekend

Due to updates being done by the host of part of the Conference registration system, you will be unable to access this weekend, Jan. 20-23 from 9 p.m. Friday to 9 a.m. Monday. The registration will be unavailable for these events: Our Life Together Bishop’s Confirmation Rally Rejuvenate events First Mondays ... -- more --

Bishop announces appointment of Cobb, Groves as district superintendents

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Bishop Mike Coyner announces the appointment of the Rev. Michelle Cobb and the Rev. John Groves to the Cabinet effective July 1. Cobb, currently the Director of the Rejuvenate Ministry, will serve as Superintendent of the North Central District based in Kokomo, following the Rev. Frank Beard who must rotate off the Cabinet after eight consecutive years of service as a District Superintendent. Groves, currently senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in... -- more --

Bishop's Christmas prayer for pastors and congregations

Gracious God, whose coming we celebrate during Advent and Christmas, may You come swiftly and powerfully to the pastors and the people of our Indiana Conference. Protect those who are traveling, guide those who lead, comfort those who grieve, and strengthen those who are weakened by illness, by heartache, or by discouragement. Especially I pray, O blessed Lord, that You may bring JOY into the lives and ministry of our pastors. Let their preparations for worship services be blessed with... -- more --

Food for pets in need

Check out these ways of helping pets Young chefs whip up biscuits to aid Portage pantry for needy pets Churches help four-legged friends Couple deliver food to people – and pets – in need... -- more --

Letter to the Church from the Council of Bishops

Download of PDF version here. ... -- more --

Communicator elected UMW of Indiana president

INDIANAPOLIS (e-HUM) – During the United Methodists Women of Indiana third annual meeting Oct. 13 at Old Bethel United Methodist Church, Carolyn Maxey of Chesterton was elected president of the group for a two-year term. She formerly served as the statewide group’s communicator. Other top officers include: Vice President Sue Shafer of Richmond, Secretary Barbara King of Indianapolis and Treasurer Sherry Ralston of Newburgh. The 219 women present, heard and saw a report about a... -- more --

Praying for 2012 General Conference

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) – When delegates to the 2012 General Conference meet next April, United Methodists around the world will be able to join them in a concert of prayer, seeking God’s will for their decisions. The Upper Room, a division of the United Methodist Board of Discipleship, will provide a prayer guide for delegates, participants and guests at the denomination’s top lawmaking assembly. The guide also will be available free of charge on The Upper Room website for... -- more --

Indiana team now at Africa University

Sitting (left to right): Pat, Jeanie, La Donna, James. Back row (left to right) Dona Lou, Bonnie, Mary Beth, Gene, Eleanor, Don, Mary, Hobart, Jerry Jo, Jerry. Fourteen Hoosier United Methodists are at Africa University this week in Zimbabwe. You can follow their ventures on their blog.... -- more --

Highlights from the October 2011 issue of Together

'Making ROOM' chosen as session theme in 2012 Members of the Annual Conference Session Implementation Team tour the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. INDIANAPOLIS – “Making ROOM” will be the theme of the 2012 Indiana Annual Conference’s Fourth Session gathering June 7-9 at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis, the first annual... -- more --

You're invited to the Grand Opening of Fenstermacher Lodge

Join us in celebration of Fenstermacher Lodge opening at Epworth Forest Conference Center on 8580 East Wesley Lane in North Webster, Ind. with your family, friends, neighbors, church ... everybody. The Ceremony will be held Sunday, October 23 from 3 to 5 p.m. This family event is FREE and open to the public. Come see the first new lodges built on these grounds since 1964. Fenstermacher Lodge is the second new lodge to be completed at Epworth Forest Conference Center this year. Duecker Lodge... -- more --

Bishop appoints part-time associate for Church Development with Hispanics

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Bishop Mike Coyner has appointed the Rev. Sergio Reyes, a part-time local pastor and co-pastor of Getsemani United Methodist Church in Fort Wayne as a part-time Associate Director of Church Development with Hispanic populations, effective Oct. 1. Sergio and his wife, the Rev. Janie Reyes, also a part-time local pastor, were appointed to the newly chartered Cristiana Getsemani congregation in May 2007. Sergio will work closely with the Rev. Mark Gough, director of... -- more --

UIndy's president announces retirement

INDIANAPOLIS (UIndy) – The University of Indianapolis President Beverley Pitts announced Oct. 3 that she will retire at the end of the 2011-12 academic year, ending seven years at the helm of Indiana’s third-largest private college which is United Methodist-related. Pitts informed the university’s Board of Trustees of her decision Oct. 1. Since then, she sent e-mail messages to faculty, staff and students, calling her tenure at UIndy “one of the most rewarding... -- more --

Bishop says help urgently needed in Minot, ND

At our most recent meeting, the College of Bishops of the North Central Jurisdiction approved making an appeal to all of the conferences in our Jurisdiction for help with the flooding in the Dakotas Conference. While we realize that many Annual Conferences continue to deal with various disasters and needs, the recent flooding in the Dakotas Conference deserves the response of all United Methodists in our Jurisdiction – due to the extensive nature of the flooding and due to the limited... -- more --

Future pastor wants to create change in DRC

“This scholarship found me at my time and on my point of need,” said Joe Samalenge, World Communion Scholar from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Joe is earning his Master of Divinity degree at Drew University in New Jersey. His goal is to form and inform leaders at the highest levels of government in DRC. Thank you for your gifts on World Communion Sunday Offering. Joe’s upbringing has uniquely prepared him for his future ministry. Born into a political and... -- more --

10-Fold 2011 – Please Mark Your Calendar 10-10-11

Beginning Monday, October 10, join UMCOR daily for 10-Fold, a 10-day multimedia experience that spotlights 10 powerful ways The United Methodist Church and UMCOR are making an impact worldwide - from planting churches to eliminating death and suffering from malaria. By logging on to 10-Fold.org, you will experience a different project each day and learn about ways YOU can join the effort. Plus, when you click to BE COUNTED, sponsors like West Ohio's Hyde Park UMC of Cincinnati, will give $1 to... -- more --

Highlights from the September 2011 issue of Together

Leaders find keys to building vital congregations Study finds many vital congregations offer both traditional and contemporary worship services, such as worship during an Indiana Conference session. Topical preaching, varied worship styles, effective lay leadership and small groups. These are the things United Methodist congregations can do right now to become more vital and... -- more --

Clergy, clergy spouses and lay employees of the church, take HQ and save $

Active clergy, clergy spouses and lay employees of The United Methodist Church in Indiana under HealthFlex are reminded to take the online Health Quotient (HQ) from HealthFlex before Friday, Sept. 30. It’s the second step toward better health. The first step is the Blueprint for Wellness biometric screening. Taking this screening, either at Annual Conference earlier this summer in Muncie or directly from Quest Diagnostics will qualify participants for a lower wellness rate health premium... -- more --

Connected in mission

Six years ago on Monday, August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina roared upon us, devastating 70,000 homes. As our leaders entered the gathering of disaster response leaders from the Mississippi community of faith leaders, there was an audible sigh of relief. A voice spoke for the gathering, “We are relieved you are here. We cannot do this without the Methodists.” United Methodists now comprise the only faith group continuing in recovery ministries on the coast of Mississippi. Through... -- more --