Brinker Heights and Changes

Sherry and I had the joy of worshiping yesterday morning with Pastor Aldean and Jessie Pablo at Brinker Heights Wesleyan Church in Marion. Some of you will know that Pastor Mark Atkinson and the Gas City Eastview Wesleyan Church entered into a mentoring partnership with Brinker Hieights last year and have been sharing Aldean’s ministry.
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It was encouraging to hear testimonies of transformed lives and to see the progress as the church is mobilized to impact children, influence their community and increase their capacity. They set a recent attendance record of 82 this spring and gave out 5000 Easter Eggs at their community connection event. Thank you to Aldean and Jessie for their missional leadership and thank you to Pastor Mark and Eastview for their visionary partnership!
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​We also had the chance to greet Rev. Harvey and Rachel Herring. Please remember Rachel in your prayers as she continues cancer treatments. Though retired from full-time service they continue to be active in the ministry of their local church.
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Special welcome this week to Pastor Ryan and Kelly VanMatre who arrived on site and are joining the Fountain City Wesleyan Church team where Ryan will serve as campus pastor for The Well in Richmond. (And yes, they’ve been blessed with a new member of their family since this photo).

Our office is in transition this week with the holidays, vacations, and a move from the old office in Marion to a new location adjacent to Abbey Coffee and Tree of Life Bookstore. We’ve also changed email and web service providers so please be patient, and persistent, if you’re having trouble reaching us. The rest of the team is on vacation but I’m available by cellphone for our team members.
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​It’s not too late to register for the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit. College Wesleyan is one of several host sites in our area. This two-day event, August 10-11, features world-class leadership training at an affordable price and convenient locations.

Leadership Summit Registration

Last week included a variety of follow-up assignments from our district conference including thank you notes to so many team members who helped make our first anniversary gathering a success.

One of the key ways that a DS is privileged to serve a local church is in the pastoral search process. I met with LBA/search committees at Columbia City New Hope on Wednesday evening and Chesterfield Parkview Wesleyan on Thursday evening. I know that both of these congregations welcome your prayers.

Special thanks to Pastor Jeff Luedtke for bringing his trusty pickup truck last Monday morning and helping Chris and I move some of the larger pieces of furniture over to the new location.

On Thursday, I attended the funeral of Mr. James Neal at Marion Hillside Wesleyan Church. Mr. Neal, the father of Rev. Jim Neal, was a faithful member and active lay leader for years. Rev. Gary Bingham brought meaningful words of hope and comfort to the family. While I work most closely with pastors, the reality is that reaching 3 million in Indiana will take thousands of people like James Neal who love God, their family and their neighbors. They are the salt of the earth and the front-line missionaries in offices, classrooms, factories and farms.

Prayer requests: Larry Gross, lay member at Grant City Wesleyan, was injured while volunteering at Frankfort Camp last week. He’ll be in a back brace for the next 2 months and would welcome your prayers. Rev. Lloyd Moore (retired) continues to wait for a donor match and liver transplant. He and Rhonda appreciate the prayer support they’re receiving from our district team.

On Friday, July 14, Sherry and I are looking forward to hosting the pastors of the Muncie Zone in our home for supper and fellowship. Lead/senior pastors can RSVP to my e-mail or by texting. Then, on Friday, July 21, Sherry and I are hosting some of our pastors and spouses who serve in the urban context (South Bend and Indianapolis).
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Upcoming opportunities for spiritual renewal include family camps at Fairmount (July 23-30), Frankfort (July 9-16), and the Renuevo Camp at Indiana Wesleyan University (July 14-16). Please pray for the evangelists, staff and all who attend.

​One final note, it is bittersweet to announce that Mrs. Raleigh Pedro has accepted a ministry position with White River Community Church in Noblesville. Raleigh has been a great blessing to our district team this year and she will be missed. We’re excited for her though as she takes this big step into ministering on the frontline in a local church while she continues her M.Div studies at Wesley Seminary. We pray that God will continue to bless Raleigh as she serves in her new assignment and send our congratulations to Luis and Raleigh Pedro on their first anniversary.
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Your servant in Christ,
Mark Gorveatte