Sunday morning, March 30, Dr. Craig Thurmon and the team at The Encounter Assembly welcomed me to worship with them and bring the message from God’s Word. It was exciting to be back with them and to see that the congregation has doubled in attendance since my last visit. We closed out the service with the celebration of five baptisms. Following the service, Dr. Thurmon and I spent time catching up over lunch. I’m grateful for the way that Craig leads this new congregation bi-vocationally and still finds time to serve as our District Secretary.
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Sunday afternoon, Pastor Zack Working and the LBA (Local Board of Administration) at Hope Rising Church in Huntington welcomed me to lead them through a board development workshop based on the accountable leadership model. It was fun to work with Pastor Zack and his team as they continue to steward the momentum at Hope Rising.
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Pastor Zack shared the amazing story from this past week when he was privileged to baptize his great uncle, who had been estranged from Christ and the church for more than 60 years!
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Monday morning, Michael Wood and I met in Marion and connected with the financial team at Lakeview Wesleyan Church. Dr. Chris Williams has graciously allowed their church’s accounting staff to assist the district since Wesleyan HQ closed its Shared Accounting Service office. Many of you follow Michael’s updates on Facebook. Here’s the most recent posting on Emma Jean’s progress: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Debrh5LZa/

​Tuesday, I was back on the road for coaching conversations with Rev. Andy Riemersma (Westfield ONE Church) and then with Rev. Lilly Kurker (Carmel Amistad Iglesia). It was fun to catch up with Pastor Andy’s staff at ONE Church. ONE Church has been encouraged with attendance of 170, 184, and 174 over the past three weekends.
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Wednesday was another day on the road with meetings in Elwood, Indianapolis, and Muncie. One of the highlights of the day was a visit with Dr. Joe Sawyer, one of our church planting heroes. Dr. Joe was the pioneer who first planted in San Antonio and opened up Texas to The Wesleyan Church. He celebrated his 100th birthday this past year and continues to shine his testimony brightly, even in the hospice unit. Please keep Dr. Joe and Lois in your prayers!
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My last stop on Wednesday was at Rising Hope Church in Muncie. Pastor Mike and Kim Hewitt have partnered with Pastor Marcos Cruz to plant three new churches in Spain. Marcos flew over for the Exponential Conference and then spent time last week ministering at Rising Hope before flying home on Thursday.
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Thursday morning, I began the day meeting with Dr. David Smith, one of our faithful circuit riders. My next stop was in South Bend for lunch with Pastor Greg Holmes at Sonlight Wesleyan Church. My last stop of the day was in my annual coaching conversation with Pastor Terry Vaughn at The Bridge Urban Church. Between my afternoon meetings, I jumped on the webinar hosted by Rev. Todd Sloan with district superintendents for an update on the Thrive program. Todd has a great heart for serving our pastors and districts.
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Saturday afternoon, I was blessed to host several of our urban pastors and their spouses in downtown Indianapolis. Three of the couples were at Exponential last month and came home even more committed to multiplying disciples and churches. Pastor Terry Vaughn has been part of the Exponential team for the past few years and has agreed to convene a monthly cohort of urban leaders focused on multiplication.
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Pastor Mike Colaw and the team at Trinity Wesleyan Church continue to minister effectively in the Garfield Park community in downtown Indianapolis. Campus Pastor Mike Schultz shared the exciting news that eight new believers were baptized this past Thursday night!
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Pastor Scott McDermid and the team at Sheridan Six Points Church celebrated another baptism on Wednesday night. Praise God for lives being #MadeNew!
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Pastor David Dignal and the team at Edgerton Wesleyan Church celebrated three baptisms and one baby dedication yesterday with 20 first time guests! Praise the Lord!
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Congratulations to Rev. Andrew and Kaitlynn (Weinmann) Colaw and welcome to Jeremiah Theodore, the newest member of the Crossroads District team. The Colaw’s serve on staff with Rev. Don Bayne at New Carlisle Wesleyan Church.
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Congratulations to Rev. Andrew Kinney and the team at Sweetser Wesleyan Church. Rev. Kinney candidated last Sunday and accepted their call to become Sweetser’s next lead pastor!
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​Fairmount Camp has opened registration for its summer youth camps. This year, Fairmount Camp is offering separate camps for middle school and high school students. For more information or to register, check out their website:
​https://www.fairmountcamp.org/teen-camp.html

Driving through Indianapolis this morning, I was reminded that we don’t have to go to the mission field. God is bringing the mission to us here in Indiana.
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Keep on making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity!

Your servant in Christ,

​Mark Gorveatte
​
Crossroads District Superintendent
​
Save the Date: Crossroads District Ordination and Conference will be at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion on Friday-Saturday, June 27-28.

Sunday morning, March 23, I had the joy of serving with Rev. David Dignal and the team at Edgerton Wesleyan Church. Pastor David has served this multigenerational congregation since 2002. When he first arrived at EWC, there were questions about the viability of the church. Today, under David’s leadership, the church is a thriving rural congregation serving families along the Indiana-Ohio border.
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Pastor David has also been a terrific member of the district team serving in leadership roles including the DBMD and he is always encouraging our church planters. After the service and a brief meeting with the LBA, I enjoyed lunch with Pastor David, Stevie (his wife), and Jonathan (their son). Pastor David has a baptism celebration planned for this coming Sunday with five believers stepping up to publicly profess their faith in Christ!
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Sunday evening, Rev. Steve Cox and the congregation at Dublin Gospel Mission hosted the choir from KMBC for a concert of praise. Pastor Steve and his leadership team are exploring denominational affiliation, and he graciously invited me to join their team at the concert.

Our last Pastor and Spouse Fellowship Brunch for this conference year was held at Southdowns Wesleyan Church in Kokomo. Special thanks to Dr. Mark Rennaker for hosting us. We were missing a few who had registered but we had a great time with those who could attend. We did award the last of the 10 travel scholarships and registrations to the Harvest Foundation pastors’ retreat in the Dominican Republic this October. Congratulations to Rev. John and Beth Hannan!
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Following the brunch, I met with Rev. Claudia Ruiz Wilson and Stanley, her husband, and also with Rev. John Hannan and Beth, his wife, for our annual coaching conversations. I left Kokomo heading to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis to check in on Emma Jean Wood and her parents. Thank you for your prayers and support for the Wood family!

On the way to Riley, I dropped by Monte de Sion Church in Eagledale. Pastor Walter Martir and his team were hard at work replacing the windows in the auditorium. On Sunday, Rev. Grace Lopez, Assistant District Superintendent for Hispanic Ministries, represented me and the DBA in leading the church through the ritual of becoming an established church.
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Exponential Conference in Orlando has become one of the highlights of the year for Wesleyan leaders. This premiere conference on multiplying disciples and churches has seen a growing number of Wesleyans each year.

Exponential 2025 welcomed 618 Wesleyan leaders from across North America. This included denominational leaders, pastors, team members, and ministerial students from 4 of our 5 universities. The Wesleyan Pre-Conference was hosted by Dr. Ed Love’s team from HQ and Dr. Wayne Schmidt, our General Superintendent, was the keynote speaker.
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The Crossroads District was well represented with 40+ registered. Rev. Michael Hewitt, pastor of Rising Hope Church in Muncie and district champion for church planters, was invited to present as one of the panelists.
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The Wesleyans gathered on Tuesday evening for fellowship and a meal in the courtyard. The photo here is of Pastor Terry Vaughn and some of the 18 people in the multi-generational team from The Bridge Urban Church. Pastor Terry brought along high school students, young adults, and grandmothers!
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If you’ve not yet been to an Exponential Conference, let me encourage you to consider joining us next year, March 16-19. The theme for next year is “Multiplier: It’s In You.” The Wesleyan Church has a great discounted ticket price when you register as part of our group. If you’d like more information, you can visit this website: https://exponential.org/global-2026/
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Congratulations to Rev. Ben Wade on his call to serve as pastor at Brown’s Chapel Wesleyan Church in Greenfield. Pastor Ben and Katie have been serving there as part of Dr. Theo Griffin’s team. Ben received a strong pastoral vote and has accepted the call to lead.

Rev. Rick Carder has accepted the invitation of Lancaster Wesleyan church to candidate on April 6. Rick and Cindy have already been serving at Lancaster as part of Rev. Ron Forsythe’s team. We’re praying with the church and the Carders for God’s direction in this time of transition.
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​​Make plans to bring your students to IWU for FUSION, April 4-5. Thank you to Professor Charlie Alcock and his team for creating this opportunity for students to experience the IWU campus and the impact of worshiping with 1500 other high school students from across Indiana. (“Never Too Young,” the middle-school event, is scheduled for May 2-3.)
​https://www.indwes.edu/academics/youth-ministry-events/fusion/

Crossroads District Ordination and Conference is fast approaching! We’re looking forward to our time with you at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion on Friday-Saturday, June 27-28.
Thank you for making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity!

Your servant in Christ,

​Mark Gorveatte
​
Crossroads District Superintendent
​
P.S. Fairmount Camp has opened registration for its summer youth camps. This year, Fairmount Camp is offering separate camps middle school and high school students. For more information or to register, check out their website:
​https://www.fairmountcamp.org/teen-camp.html

Sherry and I had the privilege of worshiping at Circle of Hope Wesleyan Church in Noblesville this morning with Dr. Rich and Rev. Carol Schenck. Not only did they invite me to preach but they also allowed me to join the worship team for a few songs on keyboard. Following the service, I met with the LBA (local board of administration) and then we enjoyed hosting the Schencks for lunch.

Last week began with a fun time connecting with Rev. Carla Working and several of the women in her leadership cohort who gather each month in Marion. They are currently working through the book and video series on “Canoeing the Mountains.”
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Tuesday, I was back on the road for coaching and connections starting the day with Dr. Gregory & Tonnes Lismon in Fishers. Pastor Duncan Prior (Laketon Wesleyan Church) and I met in Nappanee and then I finished up the day connecting with Rev. Rich Van Vuren in Bremen. Wednesday’s appointments included Rev. Scott Miller at Lone Oak Wesleyan and Rev. Jerry Alexander at Living Hope Church, both in Anderson. My last stop of the day was with Dr. Chris Williams and Christian Kelley at Lakeview Church in Marion as we prepare for district conference (June 28).

I was back in Marion on Thursday morning to sit in with Dr. Willaims’ monthly leadership cohort. It was so encouraging to hear the reports of how God is working in churches of all sizes. I’m grateful for leaders who make time to connect and sharpen each other!
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Pastor Ben Parker (Back Creek Wesleyan Church) and I met over lunch for our annual coaching conversation and then I finished up the afternoon with a meeting at Elwood Central Wesleyan Church. Friday was my day of rest last week and I’ve continued to read through Wesley’s sermons. “Repentance of Believers” and “The Means of Grace” are two of the best so far.

Saturday, I was back on the road with coaching conversations. My first stop was with Rev. Duane Cragun at Brinker Heights Church in Marion and I finished up the day with Rev. David Shafer in Anderson (North Anderson Wesleyan Church).

We love to share praise reports from across our district team. Rev. Allen Gross led Cicero United Church in celebrating 8 baptisms yesterday. That’s incredible for a church that averaged 80 in worship last year!
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Rev. Chris Taylor and the team at Plymouth Wesleyan Church had another outstanding day celebrating 13 baptisms! Praise the Lord for lives #MadeNew!
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Pastor Andy Riemersma and the team at ONE Church in Westfield have the biggest baptistry in our district (the Olympic-sized swimming pool at the YMCA). They made good use of it again yesterday with 6 more baptisms. That makes 41 baptisms since ONE Church was planted back in 2021. They’ve averaged 164 in worship since relaunching in the YMCA. Thank you for your prayers and support for this young congregation!
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Congratulations to Rev. Scotty Murphy on accepting the call to pastor Mt. Etna Community Life Church. Rev. Michael Gallant has served this congregation well but he and Liana, his wife, will be semi-retiring in Warsaw to be closer to their grandchildren.
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​Make plans to bring your students to IWU for FUSION, April 4-5. Thank you to Professor Charlie Alcock and his team for creating this opportunity for students to experience the IWU campus and the impact of worshiping with 1500 other high school students from across Indiana. (“Never Too Young,” the middle-school event, is scheduled for May 2-3.)
​https://www.indwes.edu/academics/youth-ministry-events/fusion/

Thank you all for making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity!

Your servant in Christ,

​Mark Gorveatte
​
Crossroads District Superintendent
​
P.S. Fairmount Camp has opened registration for summer youth camps. This year, Fairmount Camp is excited to be able to offer separate middle school and high school camps. For more information or to register, check out their website:
​https://www.fairmountcamp.org/teen-camp.html

Sunday morning, March 9, Pastor Dave Leitzel and the team at Hamilton Wesleyan Church welcomed me to worship with them and to bring the morning message. Pastor Dave and the Local Board of Administration met with me over lunch. They are prayerfully considering the best path forward as Pastor Dave and Carol look toward retirement in a few years.
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Sunday evening, Dr. Tony Bye and Brookhaven Wesleyan Church welcomed the Kentucky Mountain Bible College Chorale for an evening of worship. I was able to attend and was glad for the opportunity to catch up with President Rob Pocai, a friend from our mutual connection at Wesley Biblical Seminary.
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Highlights of last week included our district nominating committee meeting online on Tuesday evening. I’m grateful for the work of these committee members. This meeting is a great reminder of how many people participate in the life of our district team. Thank you to those who have served and also to those who are willing to be considered for office this year!
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Wednesday, I was in Lebanon to meet with Dr. Morris Jones for a helpful conversation about future opportunities for church planting along the fast-growing I-65 corridor. In addition to pastoring Lebanon Wesleyan Church since 1995, Dr. Jones has also served on the city council with valuable insights into commercial and residential development planning. My last stop on Wednesday was with Rev. Dan Fisher and the LBA at Delphi Wesleyan Church. The board unanimously affirmed Pastor Dan’s extended call.
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Thursday included signing property sale documents for North Anderson Wesleyan Church’s old parsonage. Friday was set aside for sabbath. I’m continuing to work my way through Wesley’s sermons. This week’s reading were The Spirit of Bondage and of Adoption (#9), The Witness of the Spirit – Part 1 (#10), The Witness of the Spirit – Part 2 (#11) and The Witness of Our Own Spirit (#12). These sermons make a strong case for the necessity and possibility of having God’s Holy Spirit bear witness with our spirits that we truly are God’s children. We sometimes forget how controversial this doctrine of assurance was in Wesley’s time.

Saturday morning, I was in Muncie with Pastor Michael Hewitt for a conference featuring Ron Blue that focused on the role of churches in providing financial wisdom for their communities. Pastor Hewitt served on a panel along with other area leaders who are implementing this strategy in their congregations. You can learn more about this initiative at this website:
​https://ronblueinstitute.com/fwn/
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Saturday afternoon, I was in Indianapolis to meet with some of our pastors who are focused on urban ministry. My first stop was with Pastor Barry and Joyce Dixon (Calvary Family Church). They’ve been fellowshipping with another ministry couple and invited me into their conversation about future ministry opportunities.
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My last stop on Saturday was in the Fountain Square neighborhood with Pastor Terry and Lennaire Vaughn. They have accepted the challenge of relaunching ministry in what was formerly the Central Wesleyan Church building. They introduced me to their friends who are prayerfully exploring the call to plant with us in Indianapolis. God is on the move!
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Pastor Scott McDermid and Sheridan Six Points Church celebrated another baptism on March 9. They’ve had five baptism services in the new calendar year. Most of these recent baptisms have been the fruit of their effective student ministries.
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Pastor Matthew Trexler and the team at the River Church in Marion celebrated 18 baptisms on Sunday, March 2. Praise God for lives being #MadeNew!
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Beaver Creek Wesleyan Church congregation voted unanimously to renew the call of Rev. Ben Jones and New Carlisle Wesleyan Church congregation voted unanimously to renew the call for Rev. Don Bayne. We’re grateful for the faithful ministries of these pastors and celebrate these strong partnerships with their congregations!

We’re also praying for churches that are in the pastoral search process. Mt. Etna Community Life Church and Sweetser Wesleyan Church have both recommended candidates coming to preach this month. Pastor Ben Thomas has accepted the pastoral appointment to The Branch (formerly Schuyler Avenue) in Lafayette. The Branch is currently a developing church but is working toward established church status with a pastoral vote following.
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​Make plans to bring your students to IWU for FUSION, April 4-5. Thank you to Professor Charlie Alcock and his team for creating this opportunity for students to experience the IWU campus and the impact of worshiping with 1500 other high school students from across Indiana. (“Never Too Young,” the middle-school event, is scheduled for May 2-3.)
​https://www.indwes.edu/academics/youth-ministry-events/fusion/

Krista Brown, Executive Director of Fairmount Camp, has opened registration for summer youth camps. This year, Fairmount Camp is excited to be able to offer separate middle school and high school camps. For more information or to register, check out their website:
​https://www.fairmountcamp.org/teen-camp.html

Thank you all for making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity!

Your servant in Christ,

​Mark Gorveatte
​
Crossroads District Superintendent

Sherry and I were in Michigan for an early anniversary celebration and a chance to visit our grandchildren on Saturday and Sunday. John (first son) and Joel (third son) serve Wesleyan churches in the Grand Rapids area. Joel & Christie (Thea) hosted us in their home and then we worshiped with John and Lindsey (Lennon & Eden) on Sunday. John is leading the team at Knapp Valley Church which just launched last month. We are grateful for God’s faithfulness to our family through the years!
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Last Monday, I joined Rev. Eric Roemer and the LBA at Greentown Wesleyan Church for a review in preparation for their upcoming pastoral vote. Pastor Roemer has served as lead pastor since 2015 and was also on staff as youth pastor there with Rev. Paul Boss.
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Pastor Eric and the team at Greentown are excited to welcome Denver Bierman (formerly with the Mile High Orchestra) for a concert this coming Sunday evening, March 9 at 6 pm. He’s best known as the leader of the big band that performed for the Olympics in Athens and Salt Lake City. You will recall that Denver was part of the youth group at Plymouth Wesleyan Church.
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Tuesday morning, Rev. Andy Cole (Lapel Daybreak) and I met for our annual coaching conversation. The funeral for Rev. Charles Dederick was held in Warren on Tuesday afternoon and I was glad to be able to visit and pray with Barbara before the service. Rev. Ron Forsythe (pastor of Lancaster Wesleyan) officiated. My last stop for the day was with Rev. Ben Jones and the LBA at Beaver Creek Wesleyan Church just outside North Liberty. The LBA unanimously affirmed Pastor Ben and the congregation voted yesterday to extend the call. Pastor Ben has already accepted the call and we’re excited to see God’s continued blessing on his leadership.
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Wednesday was set aside for prayer and study at home. I’ve been reading Wesley’s sermons on my sabbath day and this week’s reading included sermons 5-8: Justification by Faith, The Righteousness of Faith, The Way of the Kingdom, and the First Fruits of the Spirit.

​I was back on the road Thursday for coaching conversations with Rev. Scott Rhyno (Waterline in Pendleton) in the morning and with Rev. Duane Summitt (Fishersburg) over supper. Pastor Scott joined me and several other pastors from our district for lunch and a seminar hosted by Wesleyan Investment Foundation (WIF). GLOO and Barna have partnered for an extensive research project on the state of the church in America. You can learn more here:
​www.stateofthechurch.com
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Friday, Pastor Michael Hewitt (Muncie Rising Hope) and I traveled to Fort Wayne to connect with Rev. Troy Evans and Pastor Terry Vaughn (The Bridge Urban Church). Troy Evans, the author and speaker who planted The Edge Urban Church in Grand Rapids, is now coaching urban pastors and church planters. We’re looking forward to working with Troy in the coming conference year to provide additional support and encouragement to our urban pastors.
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God has been moving in exciting ways at The Bridge Urban Church (Mishawaka). Last Sunday they had 18 professions of faith and this Sunday they celebrated 7 baptisms. Thank you to every church in our district that has invested in and prayed for our church multiplication projects. Your partnership is making a difference!
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Pastor Rob Tippey and the team at Wabash New Journey Church are rejoicing with two more baptisms yesterday. Praise God for lives being #MadeNew!
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Pastor John Hannan and the team at CrossRoads Church in Union City continue to see God work miracles. They celebrated three baptisms yesterday. Two of the young men are in recovery after serious addictions. The CrossRoads Church family has welcomed and supported them in their recovery journey.
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Some of you may know that Pastor John and Beth Hannan had opened their home to welcome two girls that the courts had taken away from their mother, a distant relative. John and Beth stepped up to provide a loving home for these little ones. Last week, the court finalized the adoption paperwork and the Hannans have two new daughters!
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Our sympathies and prayers are extended this week to Mrs. Carole Emery, wife of Dr. Steve Emery (one of our retired district superintendents) upon the loss of her mother, Mrs. Joyce Stone. Mrs. Stone lived to celebrate her 100th birthday. Joyce leaves a loving family and a lifetime legacy of faithfully serving Christ.
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Make plans to bring your students to IWU for FUSION, April 4-5. Thank you to Professor Charlie Alcock and his team for creating this opportunity for students to experience the IWU campus and the impact of worshiping with 1500 other high school students from across Indiana. (“Never Too Young,” the middle-school event, is scheduled for May 2-3.)
​https://www.indwes.edu/academics/youth-ministry-events/fusion/
​
​Krista Brown, Executive Director of Fairmount Camp, has opened registration for summer youth camps. This year, Fairmount Camp is excited to be able to offer separate middle school and high school camps. For more information or to register, check out their website:
​https://www.fairmountcamp.org/teen-camp.html

Thank you all for making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity!

Your servant in Christ,

​Mark Gorveatte
​
Crossroads District Superintendent