 Sunday afternoon, Pastor Claudia Ruiz Wilson and the leadership team at the CASA network of churches welcomed me in Richmond. I brought a message from God’s Word and then led in a prayer of consecration for three of their ministerial students who will be stepping into leadership roles with this expanding network, which includes congregations in Richmond, Union City, and Portland. Pastor Claudia is now working with four families in Indianapolis who are willing to be part of the launch team for another CASA campus. Pray that God continues to provide wisdom and strength for this growing network of churches!  Rev. Jerome Bell and the team at Autumn Hills Church in Pendleton welcomed me to bring greetings from the district and to share the evening message. This new church launched during the pandemic and has continued to offer an evening service with discussions around tables. This evening’s service continued with a shared meal. The congregation continues to impact families through their “Art Camp” each summer and a monthly “Art Club” evening session. Pray for Pastor Jerome and Lenita as they lead this growing ministry.  My Sunday morning schedule allowed me to stop by Rising Hope in Muncie for the beginning of their first service. Pastor Mike and Kim Hewitt continue building a strong team and developing a church planter pipeline. This morning’s worship team featured their three sons!  On my way from Muncie to Richmond, I was also able to check in with Rev. Randy Yaryan and the team at Winchester Union Street Wesleyan Church. Pastor Randy continues to lead the church after 27 years with a special focus on children’s ministry and Bible quizzing. The delightful children’s choir sang in the morning service.  Last week’s schedule began with our office staff meeting in Marion on Monday. I was on the road for coaching conversations on Tuesday. Paul Crisp and his team from Campus.edu allowed me to spend two days (Wednesday and Thursday) with them filming lesson introductions for a new course on Church Leadership and Management that can be taken for ordination credit through https://www.kingswoodlearn.com/. Congratulations to President Steve Lennox and Dr. Darren Campbell for their game-changing initiative!  Saturday was a special day that reminded me of the many ways God is working across our district team. I began the day in Marion and heard Levi Trexler, an 18-year-old, bring the message from God’s Word to kick off an hour of prayer at The River Church.  My next stop was in Indianapolis where I was honored to represent our district at the homegoing celebration for Mrs. Helen Shepherd Schenck, a beloved 98-year-old saint. Mrs. Schenck, a faithful prayer warrior, counted 5 ordained ministers among her 5 children and their spouses, including our own Dr. Ken Schenck. What an amazing legacy of faith passed on to the next generation!  My third stop was at Monte de Sion Iglesia Wesleyana in Eagledale on the west side of Indianapolis. Pastor Walter Martin and his team have been reaching out to their neighbors on Saturdays by cooking pupusas. The church has nearly doubled in the past few months (91 in attendance last Sunday) and they’ve purchased 200 chairs to make room for their growth. They are looking forward to celebrating five baptisms later this month.  My last stop of the day was in Greenfield at the surprise party that Randy Griffin hosted to honor her husband Pastor Theo Griffin on his 60th birthday. We’re praying with Rev. Griffin, pastor of Brown’s Chapel Church, as he prepares to defend his doctoral dissertation this week. We’re always excited to pass along baptism reports! Dr. Steve DeNeff and the team at College Wesleyan Church in Marion are celebrating three more believers publicly professing their faith in Christ through water baptism. Praise the Lord for lives being #MadeNew!  Pastor Calimerio Rodriguez and the team at Frankfort Templo de Poder Iglesia Wesleyana are praising the Lord for a beautiful baptism service today in the river. Three adults and two teenagers publicly professed their faith in Christ!  Several of our churches are participating in the 21 Days of Prayer initiative resourced by Church of the Highlands. If you or your church would like to get involved, you can access the livestream and free resources at this site: https://21days.churchofthehighlands.com/  You are invited to join us for the Celebration of Ministry on September 15, 5 p.m., at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion. The ordained ministers will meet promptly at 4:30 for our group photo and directions for our participation in the service. The service begins promptly at 5 p.m. led by our General Superintendent, Dr. Wayne Schmidt. We will share in the ordination of twelve persons approved by this year’s district conference. We will celebrate retiring ministers and those who have achieved decadal milestones in their ministry. The service will be followed by a reception to greet those newly ordained and for a time of fellowship. Plan to join us!  Each year, our district conference receives reports from our various ministry champions. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing several of those reports for you to enjoy. Every ministry matters and we’re grateful for the outstanding ministers who generously provide point leadership for these initiatives. This week’s excellent report is from Rev. Michael Hewitt, district champion for church planting. Click here to read his report. Thank you for all you do to make a difference for eternity! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Crossroads District Superintendent P.S. COURAGE TO LEAD – Shawn Lovejoy is bringing his one-day leadership training event for pastors and business leaders to Indianapolis on September 17. Shawn has been both a successful commercial real estate developer and an effective church planter. We’re grateful for Shawn’s willingness to offer a 30% discount for our district pastors. Sign up early and use the discount code “Wesleyan” when you register and let’s learn to be more courageous leaders. https://www.couragetolead.com/oneday Comments are closed.
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