Our normal Team Update will return next week after Dr. Mark Gorveatte, District Superintendent, returns from Bangladesh on assignment with Dr. Aron Willis. Dr. Chris Williams, Assistant DS, and Michael Wood, District Administrator, remain on call should any needs come up. Below are a few snapshots from Dr. Gorveatte as they continue to minister in Bangladesh this week. First is a photo of Dr. Aron Willis with Rev. Joshe Bose, who has taken on an expanded role with Global Partners after serving as the National Director of The Wesleyan Church in Bangladesh. Dr. Willis has been instrumental in the partnership between the Crossroads District and The Wesleyan Church of Bangladesh. The work has grown to include 77 churches, two orphanages (one for boys and one for girls), and 20 remote sites dedicated to providing early childhood education. On Sunday morning, Dr. Willis had the honor of preaching at one of the local Bangladesh church gatherings, pictured below. Dr. Rich Schenck, accompanying the team, also had the opportunity to preach during the Saturday evening worship service at one of the Wesleyan orphanages. Below is a video capturing a portion of that worship service. The Jesus Film Project has been a catalyst for dynamic church growth in Bangladesh under the leadership of Rev. Joshe Bose. Many gathered on Saturday night for an outdoor showing and were introduced to the message of salvation through Christ. Please continue to keep Dr. Gorveatte, Dr. Willis, and Dr. Schenck in prayer as they continue their assignment this week and prepare for the journey home. As we witness the Lord's work in Bangladesh, we also celebrate growth happening right here in the Crossroads District. We rejoice with Pastor Kyle Horton and the team at Three Rivers Wesleyan in Fort Wayne who celebrated 2 baptisms yesterday! Pastor Rob Tippey and the New Journey team in Wabash also celebrated 3 baptisms yesterday. Praise God for lives #MadeNew! We are gearing up for Exponential 2024 and look forward to connecting with many Crossroads District leaders next week in Orlando. This premier church planting conference brings together over 5,000 leaders to envision and equip the church, including nearly 500 Wesleyans from across the US and Canada. For those unable to attend in person, you can stream the main sessions March 5-7 at the following link: https://exponential.org/live For those attending The Heartland Gathering, the full schedule has just been posted on the conference website. For those who haven't registered yet, you only have a few days left! This conference is designed specifically with pastoral families in mind, and will provide encouragement, renewal, and resources to strengthen your family and ministry. Your family registration includes 3 nights hotel stay at The Ramsey, a hot breakfast buffet each morning, and all conference sessions, including nursery and kids programming. We look forward to seeing as many of our pastoral families as possible April 2-5 in Pigeon Forge! On April 11-13, 2024, College Wesleyan Church will host the first-ever Marketplace Multipliers Conference. The goal of this conference is to inspire and empower professionals to effectively live out their faith in the workplace. You will hear from clergy and laity alike—practitioners on the front lines of this movement, and those in the trenches. You can learn more about the conference and register for the event at this website: https://collegewes.com/multipliersconference Join us for the OCHLOS Conference, April 13-14, 2024 at Southview Wesleyan Church in Indianapolis. Speakers include Santes Beatty, Director of Next Gen for the Wesleyan Church; Yamil Acevedo, Executive Vice President of Wesley Seminary; Zachary Szmara, Executive Director for Immigrant Connection and Pastor of the Bridge Church; and Meg Puello, Executive Director of ASPYRE Inc. Click Here for more information and registration. Save the date! Our 2024 Crossroads District Conference will be held on Saturday, June 29th at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion. This annual gathering is a wonderful time of celebration, inspiration, and Kingdom connection across our district family. Additional details will be coming soon, but mark your calendars now and make plans to join us! Please continue to keep our churches preparing for upcoming pastoral votes on March 3rd and 10th in prayer as they discern God's direction and will during this process. May the Lord continue to open doors of Kingdom opportunity in the days ahead, and may we walk in obedience wherever He may lead! Our normal team update will be taking a brief two week hiatus while Dr. Mark Gorveatte, District Superintendent, is traveling overseas with Dr. Aron Willis to Bangladesh. We are praying for safe travels and a fruitful time of ministry for Dr. Gorveatte and Dr. Willis during their time overseas. Dr. Chris Williams, Assistant DS, and Michael Wood, District Administrator, are available and on call should any needs come up over the next couple of weeks. Despite the bad weather last weekend, we had an enthusiastic response at the Crossroads District Youth All-Nighter on Friday evening in Fort Wayne. 350 students and 79 adults were in attendance, representing 22 churches from across the district. Special thanks to Rev. Jessica Folz, Crossroads DYP, and the phenomenal team that organized and led this event. Last week, Dr. Gorveatte participated in five Local Board of Administration (LBA) meetings across the district. North Anderson Wesleyan (LBA pictured below) is one of several churches preparing for upcoming pastoral votes on March 3rd and 10th. Please keep these churches in prayer over the next couple of weeks as they discern God's direction and will during this process. We were honored to welcome Dr. Wayne Schmidt, General Superintendent, as our special guest during Thursday's District Board of Administration meeting. It was another productive meeting, including an annual review of the DS facilitated by Dr. Schmidt. We are grateful for Dr. Schmidt's dedication to servant leadership and his significant contributions to the growth and development of our district and denomination. The "Women in Ministry" cohort also gathered last week for a special time of connection and prayer. We are incredibly blessed by the many gifted women faithfully serving throughout our district churches and ministries. We are also thankful for Rev. Carla Working's leadership and investment in women leaders across the Crossroads District. On Thursday evening, Dr. Gorveatte joined the East Liberty Church in Monroeville for a special time of prayer for their pastor, Rev. Dennis Croy, as he faces ongoing health challenges. Please continue to lift Pastor Croy in prayer, believing for God's supernatural healing and strength. We rejoice with Pastor Chris Taylor and the team at Plymouth Wesleyan who celebrated 5 baptisms yesterday. What a beautiful picture of obedience and new life in Christ! Pastor Chris Williams and the Lakeview Wesleyan team had the privilege of celebrating 2 baptisms yesterday. We join with them in praising God for lives #MadeNew! Pastor Andy Jellison and the team at Lifeway Wesleyan in Fort Wayne also had the privilege of baptizing 3 new believers on Sunday! It's not too late to join us for The Heartland Gathering, April 2-5, 2024 at the Ramsey Hotel & Convention Center in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee! This conference is designed specifically with pastoral families in mind, and will provide encouragement, renewal, and resources to strengthen your family and ministry. Your family registration includes 3 nights hotel stay at The Ramsey, a hot breakfast buffet each morning, and all conference sessions, including nursery and kids programming. Click Here for more information. On April 11-13, 2024, College Wesleyan Church will host the first-ever Marketplace Multipliers Conference. The goal of this conference is to inspire and empower professionals to effectively live out their faith in the workplace. You will hear from clergy and laity alike—practitioners on the front lines of this movement, and those in the trenches. You can learn more about the conference and register for the event at this website: https://collegewes.com/multipliersconference Join us for the OCHLOS Conference, April 13-14, 2024 at Southview Wesleyan Church in Indianapolis. Speakers include Santes Beatty, Director of Next Gen for the Wesleyan Church; Yamil Acevedo, Executive Vice President of Wesley Seminary; Zachary Szmara, Executive Director for Immigrant Connection and Pastor of the Bridge Church; and Meg Puello, Executive Director of ASPYRE Inc. Click Here for more information and registration. Save the date! Our 2024 Crossroads District Conference will be held on Saturday, June 29th at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion. This annual gathering is a wonderful time of celebration, inspiration, and Kingdom connection across our district family. Additional details will be coming soon, but mark your calendars now and make plans to join us! May God continue to lead and guide us in the days ahead as we partner together to further His Kingdom here in the Crossroads District and beyond! Sunday morning, February 11, Pastor Scott Ferguson and the team at Harvest Church in McCordsville welcomed me to bring greetings and the morning message. It was encouraging to see the response of the Harvest congregation to Pastor Scott’s leadership as he begins his ministry with them. Rev. Ferguson came to Harvest from Southland Church in Lexington, Kentucky and had previously served in our district at Fountain City LifeSpring Church. I met with the leadership team briefly after the service and was excited to learn about a potential partnership with the public school system. When I’m at Harvest it is always good to catch up with Rev. Larry Moore (Wesleyan Investment Foundation). Our family connections date back several decades from when my father allowed me to accompany him when he was the evangelist for special meetings at the church Larry’s father, Rev. Fred Moore, pastored in Levant, New York. Larry and Karen later served with my father and mother at Kingswood University. I’m grateful for the godly heritage that we both share. My next stop was on the southside of Indianapolis with Rev. Benjamin Tuimuk and the beautiful congregation at Shalom Church. This congregation is comprised of refugees who fled religious and political persecution in Myanmar (formerly Burma). Our Southview Wesleyan Church, led then by Rev. Rick Matthews, graciously partnered to help get this new ministry established. They average about 100 in worship with a strong ministry to children and teenagers. The church has purchased property nearby and is taking steps toward having their own worship facility in the coming years. It was a joy to preach and worship with them. My final stop of the day was with Rev. Noah Farmer and the LBA (Local Board of Administration) at Gas City Eastview Wesleyan Church. Pastor Noah is in the second year of his initial call as senior pastor and will be voted on next month for his extended call. The LBA voted to unanimously recommend Pastor Farmer’s ministry. Yesterday was another positive day at Eastview with more than 200 present for worship and with 12 people publicly responding to make commitments of faith! Last week’s DS schedule included coaching conversations and pastoral vote reviews. I was also able to represent our district family at the funeral in Fowler on Tuesday morning for Rev. Judy Hatt’s husband, John, and at the funeral in Warsaw on Wednesday morning for Rev. Dennis Croy’s father, John. Pastor Croy was unable to attend his father’s memorial service due to being hospitalized to commence treatments for leukemia. Please remember these families in your prayers. I met with the LBA at Chesterfield Parkview Wesleyan Church on Tuesday evening. Rev. Clifton Ashlock has given notice that he will be concluding his service to the church with this conference year. The church has been doing well under Pastor Ashlock’s ministry so please join me in praying for God to provide clear direction in this time of transition. Friday, February 9, Sherry and I had the privilege of welcoming lead pastors and their spouses to our home for an evening of fellowship. No group of people laughs more or sings better than a group of ministers. The prayer time is also a precious time for these soldiers of the Cross to intercede for each other. We were honored to have Pastor Joe and Nancy Parks come all the way from Lafayette. Some of you may know that Pastor Joe will celebrate his 50th year of ministry at Evergreen Wesleyan Church this summer. We’re looking forward to welcoming a group on Friday, March 15 (2 open slots), and then again on Friday, April 19 (2 open slots), and one more time on Friday, May 10 (3 open slots). We’d love to have you join us! Saturday morning, Dr. Chris Williams, Assistant DS and pastor of Lakeview Wesleyan Church, welcomed leaders from four churches for a day of learning and planning that we call Next Level. Dr. Matthew Stewart, Michael Wood and I assisted Chris in hosting this event. The largest group came the farthest as Rev. Terry Vaughn brought seven members of his leadership team from The Bridge Urban Church in Mishawaka/South Bend. Dr. Williams has agreed to host another session of Next Level this fall so please contact the office if your leadership team would like to be included in that workshop. We’re always excited to share the stories that you pass along of baptisms in your congregation. This week we’re celebrating with Pastor Sam Maddox and the team at Albion Wesleyan Church as two men stepped forward to follow Christ and publicly declare their faith through baptism. Last conference year, Albion Wesleyan averaged 51 in attendance with 9 baptisms. This conference year, worship attendance has been averaging nearly 70 with 7 baptisms to date. Praise the Lord for lives being #MadeNew! Here’s a shout out to all the pastors and congregation who responded to the challenge of blessing Rev. Greg Holmes (pastor of South Bend Sonlight) and his family. Pastor Greg faces a long physical recovery from the back injury he sustained from falling on the ice while working a part-time job. As one of our faithful bi-vocational pastors, Greg’s income was immediately cut in half. Your generosity not only met but exceeded our $5000 challenge grant from the pastor emergency relief fund. Thank you for your giving and for your prayers! Last call! Don’t miss this year’s Crossroads District All-Nighter in Fort Wayne this Friday, February 16! In addition to the inspiring worship rally, our students will be enjoying Crazy Pinz, Canlan Ice Rink, laser tag, and the YMCA! Here is the registration link: https://districtallnighter2024.eventbrite.com April 11-13, College Wesleyan Church will host the first-ever Marketplace Multipliers Conference! The goal of this conference is not just to share information on Marketplace Multiplier, but to create a network of pastors and lay people who are called to be conduits of the gospel, wherever they are located, and encourage each other throughout the year. You are invited to this special event to hear from clergy and laity alike—practitioners on the front lines of this movement, and those in the trenches. You can learn more about the conference and register for the event at this website: https://collegewes.com/multipliersconference Keep on making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Crossroads District Superintendent Sunday morning, February 4, Rev. Matthew Ohime and the congregation of Davis Wesleyan Church, near Hamlet welcomed me to bring greetings from our district team. Pastor Ohime and Kendra moved back to Indiana in 2018 after church planting in Wisconsin. Kendra now teaches in the LaPorte public school system and Pastor Matt has taken the lead in developing the Starke County Resource Center. Just three weeks ago, the building housing the resource center was severely damaged by fire so Matthew and this team are working diligently to get the program back up and running. After a brief meeting with the LBA, I had the privilege of hosting Pastor Matthew, Kendra, and their two daughters for lunch. My last stop of the day was in Laketon to meet with Rev. David Cox and the LBA at Laketon Wesleyan Church. Pastor Dave and Suzanne have been commuting from Warsaw each Sunday to lead the revitalization of this congregation since 2014. Last Sunday, Rev. Cox announced that he will retire at the end of the conference year. We met with the LBA to map out the pastoral search process. Please keep Laketon in your prayers for this transition. Last Monday afternoon, I was in Marion to meet with Michael Wood, our district administrator as we prepared for our upcoming DBA meeting (February 15). On Tuesday, I hosted a ZOOM meeting with the district superintendents of the Heartland Region as we are counting down toward this year’s Heartland Gathering in Pigeon Forge. Rev. Bob McHenry and I reconnected over lunch in Marion that same day. Wednesday, I had the privilege of sitting in with Rev. Matthew Trexler and the leadership team from The River Church as they hosted Shawn Lovejoy, the founder and lead consultant for CouragetoLead.com, for a morning of staff development. One of the best questions that day was this: “Is everyone I lead better for having served on my team?” Wednesday afternoon, I met with Rev. Andrea Schaull in Franklin. Pastor Andrea and Austin, her husband, started The Table, a house church (new Kingdom community) in Emerson Heights back in 2022. Andrea and Austin are tentmakers with a growing candle-making business. They are relocating their business to Franklin (part of the Indiana South District) so I helped make a connection with Rev. Doug Preston, their new DS. They welcome your prayers as they launch this new location and begin a new house church among their new neighbors. I worked from the home office on Thursday morning, then left for a quick getaway to Grand Rapids to enjoy time off visiting our three granddaughters (and their parents) before returning home on Friday afternoon. Saturday morning, I was back on the road meeting with Rev. Ervin Webster and the leadership team at Saint Stephen Church in Warren Park. Pastor Ervin and Karen had a good group come out for a planning session in preparation for community outreach and Easter weekend. I stopped by Divine Direction Church on 46th Street at 1 p.m. to connect with Pastor Gawin Anderson as he leads the revitalization process for this strategic congregation. My last stop of the day was in Tipton with the LBA (local board of administration) at Ash Street Wesleyan Church. Jerry Smith came to us from the Church of the Nazarene and has been serving as supply pastor since Rev. Logan Westrick retired last year. The LBA strongly affirmed his ministry and requested that his appointment as supply pastor be renewed for the upcoming conference year. This will provide time for Jerry to continue his coursework toward ordination in The Wesleyan Church. We all rejoice with Heaven when we hear stories of people finding new life in Christ! Pastor Tony Bye and the Brookhaven Wesleyan Church in Marion celebrated 2 more baptisms last month. Praise God for the power of the Gospel to change lives! Pastor Matthew Trexler and the team at The River Church in Marion celebrated five more baptisms yesterday between their morning worship services. Praise the Lord for more lives being #MadeNew! Our heartfelt sympathies are extended to Rev. Judy Hatt (Fowler Hope) on the passing of her husband John just before midnight on Tuesday, January 30. John was at home with hospice care after a lengthy illness. The funeral will be held at Hope Wesleyan Church in Fowler on Tuesday morning, February 6. We were also saddened to receive the news that Rev. Dennis Croy’s father passed away early on Thursday morning. His funeral will be in Warsaw on Wednesday morning, Please remember these families in your prayers. Thank you to each pastor and congregation who responded to the challenge to help Rev. Greg Holmes (pastor of South Bend Sonlight) as he faces unemployment and a long physical recovery from the back injury he sustained when falling on the ice. At last report, we were on our way to surpass the $5000 challenge grant from our emergency relief fund. Thank you! Don’t miss out on this opportunity! Bring your teens to this year’s Crossroads District All-Nighter in Fort Wayne on February 16! This year, in addition to the inspiring worship rally, our students will be enjoying Crazy Pinz, Canlan Ice Rink, laser tag, and the YMCA! Here is the registration link: https://districtallnighter2024.eventbrite.com *** PLEASE NOTE THE LOCATION CHANGE FOR RALLY! The rally will be held at Pine Hills Church in Fort Wayne (about 5 minutes down the road from our previous location). Calling all pastors and spouses (and children are also welcome)! Please join us for the 2024 Heartland Gathering, April 2-5, 2024, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee! Our DBA has approved one $300 scholarship for each district church, designated to cover a significant portion of the registration cost for one pastoral family per church. Registration ends TODAY, February 5! Here’s the link for the speaker lineup and registration information: gathering.heartlandregion.org Keep on making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte |
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