Sunday, October 24, I was blessed to worship with the team at College Wesleyan Church and bring greetings from our district family. Assistant Pastor Ethan Linder brought the message from God’s Word and Daniel Rife hosted the service. Jordan and Daniel do a great job developing new worship leaders and yesterday morning we were blessed to be led in worship by Aynsley Vermilya (daughter of Dr. Jim and Dr. Emily Vermilya).
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College Wesleyan is a wonderful partner in the Crossroads District ministry in many ways including hosting several of our recent ordination services and district conference sessions. They are also hosting our Retired Pastors and Spouses Fellowship on November 12. I am grateful for Dr. Steve DeNeff’s friendship through the many years and am excited to see what God has in store for Steve’s next 20 years at College Wesleyan.

Sunday afternoon, I joined Rev. Carla Working (DBMD Vice-Chair) as she led a Q & A session for prospective ministerial students at Restoration Church in Anderson. Rev. Mike Weller, founding pastor of Restoration, is building a ministry team that is mission focused. Carla did a great job of answering questions and casting vision for the ministry development process that is vital to our district partnership.
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Rev. Working also organized our first CDI (Crossroads District Institute) to offer the required ordination class in Wesleyan Church History and Discipline. Special thanks to Rev. Chris Williams (DBMD Chair) and Lakeview Wesleyan Church for hosting our two Saturday sessions. One student audited and 15 took the course for ordination credit. I had the joy of teaching these students both in person and by Zoom. The students came from our Wesleyan churches in Chesterton, Columbia City, Gas City, Greenwood, Huntington, Indianapolis, New Castle, Pendleton, South Bend, and Tipton.
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The age of the students ranged from their 20s to 60s. Some are staff pastors in midsize churches and others are leading in church plants. One third were women and one in four represented ethnic minorities. It was an inspiring picture of our current mission field and the future of our district. After our final session on Saturday, most of the students were able to join us for the graduation party!
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Last week’s calendar included coaching conversations with Rev. Barry Dixon (Indianapolis Calvary Family Church) and Rev. John Miller (Speedway Way City Church) on Wednesday. Rev. Brian Holland (Westview Wesleyan), and Rev. Seth Bye (Avon 317Church) both met with me in Marion for coaching conversations on Thursday.

Another highlight of the week was the leadership development event for Region 2 pastors hosted by Rev. Mike Colaw and the team at Indianapolis Trinity Wesleyan Church on Tuesday morning. Our guest presenter was Dr. Jonathan Morgan, Associate Professor of Theology at Indiana Wesleyan University. His excellent presentation focused on how we ground our identities, particularly our sexual identities, in Christology. Pastor Mike and his team will be hosting a Region 2 Christmas event on November 19. Watch for your email invitations and RSVP as soon as possible!
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After the graduation party with the DBMD class on Saturday, I made a quick trip up to Silver Lake Wesleyan Church to connect with Pastor Duane Seitz and his team. They were hosting an open house and free hog roast for the community. They’ve been working hard to clean up the church property and have recently completed a new nursery at the back of the auditorium. It was good to hear about the new connections they were able to make with community families. I am grateful for the vision and commitment of Pastor Duane and JoEllen Seitz who are faithfully serving this rural congregation.
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Congratulations to our pastors who are celebrating growing families! Pastor Ben and Kirsten Jones (North Liberty Beaver Creek Wesleyan Church) welcomed their first child Violet on October 15.
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Rev. Theo and Randy Griffin (Greenfield Brown’s Chapel) were blessed with the addition of their first grandchild Jason Alijah Hill on Monday, October 18. We thank God for these precious gifts and we are pleased to hear that both mothers and their babies are now at home and doing well.
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Last Friday, Pastor Seth Bye and I attended the funeral for Michael (Woody) Wood’s uncle Pat. Pastor Rick Fletcher and Associate Pastor Andy Jellison conducted the service at Fort Wayne Lifeway Wesleyan Church. On Wednesday of last week, Pastor Bob McHenry (Marion Nelson Street) received word that Phil McHenry, the last of Bob’s four older brothers, had passed away. Pastor Bob will be presiding at the funeral tomorrow morning, October 26, in Elkhart. Please remember these families in your prayers.
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This is the last week of October, better known as Pastor Appreciation Month! Here’s a helpful link with resources to assist your congregation in blessing your pastoral staff members:  https://resources.wesleyan.org/pam

Calling all Crossroads District retired ministers. We would love to have you join us for the Retired Ministers and Spouses Fellowship on Friday, November 12, at College Wesleyan Church in Marion. You may register by emailing: [email protected] or by leaving a voicemail message at our office: 765-674-8593
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Make plans to join us for The Heartland Gathering on March 22-24, 2022 in Pigeon Forge, TN. Each church received a scholarship for one pastoral couple to register that can also be applied toward the THRIVE initiative. We’re excited for this opportunity for our pastoral families to rest and renew together. For the speaker lineup and more detailed information, please visit:
​https://gathering.heartlandregion.org
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Three million Hoosiers have no relationship with Christ or His church. ​Thank you for partnering together in the Harvest!
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​Your servant in Christ,
Mark Gorveatte

P.S. If you haven’t heard Pastor Johnnie Blair’s (Tipton Wesleyan Church) new album, I invite you to check out this link for a sample:
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Sunday morning, I dropped in on our team at Elwood Central Wesleyan Church. It was good to catch up with Amanda and Noah Capshaw. Amanda is pressing forward and continues to express her appreciation for the prayers and generosity of the Crossroads District team.
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It was also helpful to connect with the treasurer, head trustee, and the LBA vice-chair. They are encouraged by how well the church is doing as they’ve pulled together in this crisis. Rev. Marc Watkins is graciously serving as the supply/interim pastor for Central Wesleyan through the remainder of the conference year. Pastor Watkins preached about the freedom that we can find in Christ and in community with other disciples. I’m grateful for his willingness to bless the church in this difficult time.
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Last Monday morning, I checked in with Pastor Matthew Trexler and members of his Region 1 pastors cohort as they worked through a leadership book and encouraged one another in prayer. Each of our three assistant district superintendents commits to a monthly mentoring session with pastors in their region. If you’d like to be included in a mentoring cohort, please reach out to your region’s ADS.
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Monday evening, the fall group for our district course on Wesleyan Church History and Discipline met via Zoom. It has been fun sharing this learning journey with this group of pastors in our district who are preparing for ordination. They come from a variety of backgrounds and are asking good questions. We have our final wrap-up session of this course this Saturday at Lakeview Wesleyan Church.

Tuesday morning, I met with Dr. Rich and Rev. Carol Schenck in Noblesville for our annual coaching conversation. Rich and Carol lead the growing Circle of Hope network of churches with congregations in Anderson, Noblesville, Beech Grove, and Bangladesh. Carol also serves as District Secretary. They reported good progress across the network and are excited for the future as they continue to co-pastor.

Tuesday evening, I was in Clinton, Tennessee for a special session of the KY-TN DBA. DS Aaron Sherman is on a well-earned sabbatical leave and had asked me to serve as a resource person for their DBA while he is away. Aaron was able to join us for this meeting via Zoom. They have a great group serving on their DBA and it is a blessing to partner with them in the Heartland Region.
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Wednesday morning, Dr. Anita Eastlack and her team at CMAD welcomed me (via Zoom) for a leadership development lesson followed by Q&A on ways their team can best serve our district.

Thursday and Friday, I joined with President David Wright and his team for the annual fall meeting of the IWU Board of Trustees. We were blessed to have Dr. Chris Bounds open the fall session with a challenging devotional. These are difficult days in Christian higher education. Dr. Wright is a valued brother in Christ who has a daunting task of navigating the perilous waters while maintaining the core values and mission of our denomination’s leading university. This weekend also marked the formal gathered celebration of last year’s 100th anniversary. Please keep Dr. Wright and IWU in your prayers.
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Friday evening, October 15, Sherry and I were blessed to host another “Friday Fellowship” with pastors and spouses from across our district. Rev. Mark and Ronda Atkinson joined us from Gas City Eastview, Rev. Tony Bye joined us from Marion Brookhaven, Rev. Martin and Misty Furrow joined us from Rochester The Cross, and Pastor David and Suzanne Cox joined us from Laketon Wesleyan Church. Rather than assigning nights to each zone, as in previous years, we’ve opened up the dates for pastors and their spouses to select an evening that works best for them. It has been fun seeing team members making new connections from different parts of our state. We’ll look forward to welcoming our next group on Friday evening, November 19.
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Saturday morning, I joined with Dr. Bob Hallett and the congregation at Lone Oak Wesleyan Church for their Vision Defining Retreat. Dr. Hallett is serving as the interim pastor this year at Lone Oak and is drawing from his years of fundraising and consulting experience to help this church envision God’s best for their future. I am grateful for the way that Dr. Bob and Carol, his wife, invest in our churches!
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Nothing is more exciting to our district team than stories of changed lives. Pastor Gary Bingham and the team at Marion Hillside Wesleyan Church celebrated four baptisms on Sunday. We join them in praising God for these lives that are being #MadeNew! (If you’ve had a baptism service in your church, please share the stories and photos that we can pass along to our team.)
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October is Pastor Appreciation Month! Information was sent to our lay leaders in each church but anyone can take the initiative to affirm your pastor. Here’s the link for some excellent resources to help you make this a special opportunity for your congregation to bless your pastoral staff members: https://resources.wesleyan.org/pam

Calling all Crossroads District retired ministers. We would love to have you join us for the Retired Ministers and Spouses Fellowship on Friday, November 12, at College Wesleyan Church in Marion. You may register by emailing: [email protected] or by leaving a voicemail message at our office: 765-674-8593
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Special Invitation: Rev. Carla Working, Vice-Chair of the Crossroads DBMD will be leading a Q&A session on Sunday afternoon, 3:30 pm, at Restoration Church, 1217 Meridian Street in Anderson for present or potential ministerial students who would like to learn more about the ordination preparation process. Rev. Mike Weller has emerging leaders at Restoration Church who are exploring their call to ministry. They invited Carla to meet with them and are glad to open it up for others in the Anderson area who would like to participate.

​Make plans to join us for The Heartland Gathering on March 22-24, 2022 in Pigeon Forge, TN. Each church received a scholarship for one pastoral couple to register that can also be applied toward the THRIVE initiative. We’re excited for this opportunity for our pastoral families to rest and renew together. For the speaker lineup and more detailed information, please visit:
​https://gathering.heartlandregion.org
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​Thank you for partnering together in the Harvest. There are still 3 million people to reach in Indiana!

Your servant in Christ,
​
Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday morning, October 10, I had the privilege of preaching in the three morning worship services at Pathway Church in Warsaw. Rev. Jarod Osborne and his team are doing a great job regathering the congregation in this challenging season. They have launched a new third service simply called “116” in reference to Romans 1:16. This service makes use of creative video elements and concludes with people gathering in circles across the auditorium to discuss the message and pray for each other. They also celebrated a baptism in this service last weekend. Pray for Pastor Jarod and the Pathway team as they reach out to multiply disciples in Warsaw and beyond!
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It was a blessing again this week to connect one-on-one with pastors for coaching conversations. Pastor Sam Maddox (Albion Wesleyan) and I were able to sit down together on Tuesday morning for our coaching conversation and prayer. Pastor Alan Downing (Frankfort Connecting Point) and I met for our conversation and prayer in Kokomo on Wednesday morning, and then I connected with Pastor Allen Gross (United Family Church) in Cicero on Wednesday afternoon.

Wednesday evening, I joined in with Pastor Matthew Trexler and more than 200 people for the “First Wednesday” Prayer and Praise service at The River Church in Marion. Several of our district churches have been following up their “21 Days of Prayer” with these monthly gatherings to continue building spiritual momentum for this season of harvest. Last month, I dropped in on Pastor Johnnie Blair and the team at Tipton Trinity who are holding their prayer gathering on the first Saturday morning of each month. It can look different in every church but I’m grateful every time I hear reports of our congregations ramping up their commitment to prayer.
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Thursday morning, Pastor Ryan Budde (Jonesboro Westview Wesleyan) and I met in his office for our coaching conversation. It was also good to walk through the remodeling that they’ve been doing in their facility. Later that morning, I was able to attend the family visitation and extend our sympathies to Mrs. Cheryl and Rev. Doug Sharrard before the funeral for her mother.
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Rev. Chris Williams, Chair, and Rev. Carla Working, Vice Chair and Secretary, did a great job in leading the district-wide DBMD this week in interviewing eleven pre-ordination candidates at College Wesleyan Church. Our meetings began at 5 pm on Thursday and continued on through Saturday noon. We have another seven candidates who may be ready for their pre-ordination interviews in January. The District Board of Ministerial Development (DBMD) may be the most important team in our district as they help prepare the next generation for a lifetime of leadership in our denomination. Thank you to every DBMD member, from the zone to the region to the district, who prayerfully and generously invests in our ministerial students.
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Thank you for to every pastor in our district who faithfully preaches the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ and invites people to become His disciples! We are rejoicing with with Pastor Jeff Luedtke and the team at Fairmount Wesleyan Church as they celebrated 2 baptisms last Sunday.
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We are also rejoicing with Pastor Eric George and the team at Muncie Memorial Drive as they baptized three new believers this Sunday. Praise the Lord for these lives being #MadeNew!
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October is Pastor Appreciation Month! Information was sent earlier by email to the lay leaders in each church. Here’s the link for some excellent resources to help you make this a special opportunity for your congregation to bless your pastoral staff members:
​https://resources.wesleyan.org/pam

There is still time to register for the Retired Pastors and Spouses Fellowship on Friday, November 12, at College Wesleyan Church in Marion. You may register by emailing: [email protected] or by leaving a voicemail message at our office: 765-674-8593
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Plan to join us for The Heartland Gathering on March 22-24, 2022 in Pigeon Forge, TN. Each church received a scholarship for one pastoral couple to register that can also be applied toward the THRIVE initiative. We’re excited for this opportunity for our pastoral families to rest and renew together. For the speaker lineup and more detailed information, please visit:
​https://gathering.heartlandregion.org
​
​Thank you for partnering together in the Harvest for the 3 million people yet to be reached in Indiana!

Your servant in Christ,
​
Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent

Sunday, October 3, I had the privilege of worshiping with Rev. Matthew Trexler and The River Church congregation in each of their three morning worship services. In addition to powerful worship in song and a compelling message from Pastor Matthew, the church family celebrated four baptisms! After the last service, Sherry and I hosted the Trexlers for lunch. Last conference year, River Church led our district team with 58 professions of faith and 32 baptisms. Rev. Trexler also serves as our Assistant DS for Region 1 and in that capacity he hosts a leadership development cohort each month.
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Pastor Matthew and their team have a heart for the least of these in Grant County, but they also have a vision for the world. This year, they are blessed to see one of their own members, who was saved through their ministry, answer the call to join the Global Partners team in the Czech Republic. Amanda Banter is stepping out in faith, supported by The River and several other district churches, for her first term of missionary service. Yesterday, Amanda was excited to share that her committed support is now over 93% and that her visa application has been approved. There is still time to join Amanda’s support team with your giving and prayers. https://www.globalpartnersonline.org/missionary/wm04-0433/

Last Monday, after sending off the Team Update, I was able to join Pastor Matthew and his leadership cohort in Marion over lunch. It was good to see how these pastors are encouraging and stretching each other to lead well in this challenging season of ministry.

Tuesday morning, Pastor Mike Colaw (Region 2 Assistant DS) and the team at Indianapolis Trinity welcomed Region 2 pastors for a leadership learning opportunity with Pastor Ken and Serena Murphy. Many of you will know Pastor Ken from his effective ministry leading Cypress Wesleyan Church in Columbus, Ohio. Ken and Serena shared helpful insights for ministry and marriage. Ken reminded us that the enemy of our souls often uses the tools of distraction and discouragement. He encouraged leaders to establish and protect healthy rhythms. They also stressed the importance of “…working together with one mind and purpose.” (Philippians 2:2 NLT)
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I enjoyed the coaching conversations last week which now include both pastors and their key pastoral staff. Rev. Cathy Howie serves with Pastor Mike Colaw at Trinity Church and we met together on Tuesday afternoon. In addition to a variety of responsibilities at the central campus, Pastor Cathy is the point person for their campus in Garfield Park. On Wednesday morning, I met with Rev. Mike Schultz, leader of the East Fishers campus and then shared lunch with Rev. Jorge Escalante, leader of Trinity’s growing Hispanic ministries. My last coaching conversation on Wednesday was with Rev. Neftali Lopez. In addition to pastoring Carmel Amistad Iglesia Wesleyana, Neftali serves as a chaplain for IWU in Indianapolis and manages a restaurant in Fishers.

Thursday morning, I met with Pastor Kalina Carlson Smith who serves on staff with Rev. Kyle Horton at Fort Wayne Three Rivers Church. Kalina is in the final stages of ordination preparation and is having an effective ministry with youth and discipleship at Three Rivers. Pastor Andy Jellison and I met in New Haven for our coaching conversation. Rev. Rick Fletcher is edging toward retirement and passing the baton to Andy in their planned succession journey. If you’re considering retirement in the next few years, Rick and Andy can share some good insights from their process.
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Friday, I was back in Indianapolis to attend the funeral of Mrs. Vicki Shepherd. I’ve had the privilege of working with Dr. Carl Shepherd, her husband, in his role as board chair at IWU and as a member of the General Board. Carl and Vicki have been a tremendous example of fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ in their local church, denominational, and global engagement. There were many beautiful tributes to Vicki but none was more meaningful than the video testimony of a young woman that Vicki had led to Jesus Christ while she and Carl served together in a Muslim country in Central Asia. Our prayers and sympathies are extended to Carl and his family as they carry on Vicki’s legacy of love and lay ministry.

Saturday morning, I joined Rev. Chris Williams and leaders in Region 3 at The Bridge Church in Logansport for a conversation around the book “Lead Like Wesley.” Pastor Chris serves as Assistant DS for Region 3 in addition to leading the ministry at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion. It was good to connect with these pastors and to hear stories of the ways that God is moving in their ministries!
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Our Crossroads District team loves to celebrate redemption stories. In addition to the four baptisms on Sunday at The River yesterday, Pastor Eric Roemer and the team at Greentown Wesleyan Church shared the exciting report and photos from their celebration service with four baptisms on the previous Sunday. Praise the Lord!
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I also love hearing stories of how our churches are finding creative ways to share the love of Christ with their neighbors and friends. This past week, Pastor Mike Weller and the team at Restoration Church in downtown Anderson collected supplies, made up 200 care packages called “Blessing Bags” and passed them out to people in need. Mary, pictured here with Pastor Mike, had the vision for this outreach and their entire team rallied around to accomplish this practical expression of God’s love!
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October is Pastor Appreciation Month! Information was sent earlier by email to the lay leaders in each church. Here’s the link for some excellent resources to help you make this a special opportunity for your congregation to bless your pastoral staff members:
​https://resources.wesleyan.org/pam

There is still time to register for the Retired Pastors and Spouses Fellowship on Friday, November 12, at College Wesleyan Church in Marion. You may register by emailing: [email protected] or by leaving a voicemail message at our office: 765-674-8593

​Plan to join us for The Heartland Gathering on March 22-24, 2022 in Pigeon Forge, TN. Each church received a scholarship for one pastoral couple to register that can also be applied toward the THRIVE initiative. We’re excited for this opportunity for our pastoral families to rest and renew together. For the speaker lineup and more detailed information, please visit:
https://gathering.heartlandregion.org

Thank you for partnering in the harvest for the 3 million in Indiana!

Your servant in Christ,
​
Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent