Sunday morning, May 7, Sherry and I had the privilege of worshiping with Pastor Gawin Anderson and the team at Indianapolis Divine Direction. Pastor Gawin is in his first year of leadership for this congregation situated on 46th Street, between College Avenue and Keystone Avenue. Following the morning service, Pastor Gawin invited me to chair their Local Church Conference. It was encouraging to hear the progress that they’re making after the pandemic and the recent pastoral transition. If I understand the history correctly, the congregation was originally planted by Rev. Eugene and Phyllis Ramsey in the former Trinity Wesleyan Church building and was known as Northside Wesleyan Church. Mother Norma Grayson, one of the earliest members now attending for 45 years, shared some of her memories with me about the Ramsey’s effective ministry. The church continues to impact its neighborhood with children’s ministry and a food pantry. Please pray for Pastor Anderson and his family as they serve this changing community. Sunday evening, I joined with Rev. Dr. Rich and Rev. Carol Schenck to chair the LCC (Local Church Conference) for Circle of Hope Network. You may remember that the Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Noblesville was already hosting Rey de Gloria and an inner city ministry known as Bethel Outreach Mission when they agreed to bring on Anderson Central and Beech Grove Wesleyan to form the Circle of Hope Network. This network was formed just before the pandemic and played a key role of helping these congregations through those difficult years. One of the celebration points last evening was the unanimous vote of the LCC to relaunch the Anderson campus as a developing church under the direction of the DBA. Dr. Rich has also been leading our district’s multi-cultural ministry initiative and Circle of Hope is modeling that with a pastoral staff that includes ordained African American and Latino Wesleyan ministers. I’m always glad to make time for prospective church planters, so it was fun to connect with Pastor Michael Hewitt and the Caraballos last week. Janiel and Leana will be joining the Muncie Rising Hope team for a church planting residency this year as they prayerfully prepare for the possibility of launching a new multi-ethnic church in Anderson next year. The remainder of my week included coaching conversations and connections with a variety of amazing leaders: Dr. David Drury (micro-church planter), Rev. Mike Colaw (multi-site church leader), Rev. Matt Ohime (rural church revitalizer), Dr. Mike Brown (NGO leader serving in Ukraine), Rev. Jon Noggle (small town church revitalizer), Dr. Chris Bounds (Dean of the School of Theology and Ministry at Indiana Wesleyan University), Rev. Neftali Lopez (Circuit Rider) and Rev. Grace Lopez (FLAMA Coordinator). We are blessed with a great team! I dropped in at Indiana Wesleyan University on Saturday morning as Never 2 Young weekend was wrapping up. Congratulations and thank you again to Rev. Charlie Alcock and his amazing team that hosted more than 1000 middle school students from across the midwest. Thank you also to our many youth pastors and sponsors who brought their students and made this event possible. I also had the opportunity to drop in on Rev. Trevor O’Dell and the team at Lancaster Wesleyan Church. They were hosting their annual “Blessing of the Bikes” which included a free lunch and a ride together. Pastor O’Dell is completing his service with LWC and will be joining Pastor Noah Farmer’s team at Gas City Eastview Wesleyan Church as the worship leader. Lancaster Wesleyan Church has called Rev. Ron Forsythe to be their next pastor. We are delighted to welcome Pastor Ron and Rita Forsythe back to the Crossroads District from their ministry in Florida. We love sharing the news of baptisms from across our district family. Pastor Matthew Trexler and the team at River Church were planning on six baptisms yesterday morning. The invitation was extended and 16 more people made their profession of faith in Christ public through baptism for a total of 22. Praise the Lord for lives being #MadeNew! You may recall the exciting news that Gas City Eastview celebrated six baptisms on April 30 but that’s not the end of the story. The next day, Assistant Pastor Ken Dykhoff received a call from someone who had watched the baptism service online and wanted to take that next step of discipleship. Pastor Noah Farmer and Ken drove to Herb’s home and had the privilege of celebrating his baptism on Monday, May 1! We enjoy celebrating educational milestones in our ministry family. Congratulations to Rev. Dr. Craig Thurmon, pastor of The Encounter Assembly and Crossroads District Secretary. Dr. Thurmon graduated this weekend with his PhD in Organizational Leadership from Columbia International University in South Carolina. Congratulations are also in order for Dr. Josh Lavender and Megan Christine, his fiancee, on the happy occasion of their engagement. Dr. Lavender serves as the lead worship pastor on staff with Rev. Michael Colaw at Indianapolis Trinity Wesleyan Church. The FY2023 conference year concluded on April 30. While the fiscal year closed on April 30, USF (United Stewardship Fund) contributions for that period can be received until Tuesday, May 10, to be credited toward your 100% participation. Pastors have access to their online LCSR (local church statistical report) and the due date for timely completion is May 20. That is also the date for pastors to complete their Annual Service Report (ASR). Just a reminder that a completed ASR is required for continued appointment as a minister in the Crossroads District. You can finish yours today in about 15 minutes. Here’s the link: https://www.wesleyan.org/twchub Please remember that only the Local Church Conference (not the LBA) can elect delegates to district conference and it is prudent to elect at least 1 alternate delegate for each one allotted. For friends and family of the ordination candidates who want to join us for the celebration of ordination, please note that seating will begin at 10:15 and the service will begin promptly at 10:30. Keep on making a difference in the only cause that counts for eternity! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Crossroads District Superintendent Please join us in praying for a fresh move of God among our next generation of Wesleyan leaders who will be gathering in Cincinnati this December. There will be helpful seminars and workshops for pastors and parents so make please every effort to attend! Sunday morning, April 30, Sherry and I worshiped with Rev. Ryan Budde and the congregation at Jonesboro Westview Wesleyan Church. Before the service, I was invited to join the worship team for prayer. In the service I brought greetings from our district team and read the scripture passage leading us into worship. Pastor Ryan has a strong pastoral team including Rev. Mark Deisler who led us in music. Rev. Budde was in the sixth week of a new series that he is preaching from Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians. This has been an exciting year at Westview with 19 baptisms. Pray with them for continued growth and impact as they rebound from the past few years. Since I wasn’t preaching at Westview, I had time to drop in at Fairmount Wesleyan Church for worship with Pastor Jeff Luedtke and his team at their 9:30 service. Fairmount Wesleyan does a special missions emphasis on the 5th Sundays and it was good to hear more about their local, national and global vision to reach people for Christ. Sunday afternoon, Michael Wood and I joined a gathering of members and friends at Tipton Ash Street Wesleyan Church as we celebrated the ministry of Rev. Logan and Nancy Westrick. Pastor Logan is retiring due to health limitations but has served the church faithfully for over 31 years. Rev. Amanda Blair, DBA member, and Rev. Johnnie Blair, who lead the Tipton Trinity Wesleyan Church, have served in the same town for the past decade. It was heartwarming to see the mutual love and respect between these pastors of a different generation. Rev. and Mrs. Westrick are moving to be closer to family near Cincinnati, Ohio. Sunday evening, I joined Rev. Matthew Trexler and the team at The River in Marion for their local church conference. God has been blessing The River in unusual ways. Attendance is up 36% over the previous year and they broke 2000 in attendance for the first time on Easter. They recorded 231 professions of faith and had the privilege of baptizing 39 new believers. Pastor Matthew and the team would agree that the greatest factor in the explosive growth they’ve experienced would be their deepened commitment to prayer and fasting. Last week began for me in Nashville, TN, on Monday with a roundtable of Wesleyan district superintendents. While several could not join us this time due to scheduling conflicts, the group that gathered shared in energizing conversations about how we can more effectively serve our local churches. It was fun to hear how God is on the move across our denomination when we stay focused on making disciples and multiplying churches. Tuesday and Wednesday, I was in Birmingham at Church of the Highlands to attend my first ARC (Association of Related Churches) Conference. I’ve previously attended the GROW conference and appreciated the focus it gives to church systems and growth. This conference focuses on the heart of the leaders and fueling the vision of the ARC multiplication movement. Some of you will know the story of two churches invested in two more church plants 22 years ago. Since then, ARC has planted 1077 churches. Combined, those churches have now invested $71 million in church planting. The average church plant that launched with ARC last year had 427 people in attendance on their first Sunday. Yes, I took lots of notes! Friday morning, I had the privilege of hosting our retired pastors and their spouses for our spring fellowship gathering at Wesleyan HQ in Fishers. In addition to an informative and inspiring presentation from Dr. Bud Bence on the 180-year history of the Wesleyans in Indiana, we were also honored by a special visit from Dr. Wayne Schmidt, our General Superintendent. Dr. Howard Castle led us as we lifted Dr. Schmidt and our General Board in prayer for their meetings this week. Rev. C. K. Chitty, who is leading the charge for seniors ministry in the Crossroads District, brought an update from their luncheon last Saturday in Indianapolis. Plans are in the works for more gatherings this coming year. I love connecting with these senior saints who continue to serve the Kingdom in a variety of ways, especially with their fervent prayers. Saturday morning, I joined Rev. Grace Lopez at Carmel Amistad where she was hosting the FLAMA class on the Old Testament led by Rev. Ingrid Martinez. We had another strong registration with students joining from Warsaw and Richmond. The next FLAMA class is Christian Education (C-23) scheduled for July with Rev. Ileana Flores teaching. What a blessing to share stories of changed lives as God is blessing around the Crossroads District. Pastor Marc and Heather Ulrich lead ReThink Church, one of our newer congregations, in Merrillville. They’ve been seeing a new wave of growth this spring and celebrated two more baptisms this past Sunday! The River Church has taken on the responsibility of developing a campus in Chesterton where we had a building but the church needed to be relaunched. Campus pastor Andy Hammonds has been encouraged by recent growth from 47 last year to averaging 65 this year with 109 present on Easter Sunday. The River Church team in Chesterton celebrated two more baptisms yesterday! Rev. Noah Farmer and his team at Gas City Eastview Wesleyan Church are rejoicing as they celebrated another six baptisms yesterday. Praise God for lives being #MadeNew! Dr. Joe Harmon has been doing a terrific job leading the turnaround at New Castle Memorial Wesleyan Church. While he’s making plans to retire eventually, he’s still enjoying ministry and had the privilege of baptizing five new believers yesterday morning! Pastors Johnnie and Amanda Blair continue to celebrate how God is on the move at Tipton Trinity Wesleyan Church. Yesterday was another high point as they five more new believers! You may already know that Rev. Angela Spangler has resigned her role as Executive Director at Fairmount Camp and has joined the ministry staff at Hope Rising Church in Huntington. Rev. Jeff Luetdke is chair of the board for Fairmount Camp and would welcome applications or referrals as the board seeks their next leader for this key role. Here’s the link for more information and how to apply: https://secure.wesleyan.org/job/frame/8989 The FY2023 conference year concluded on April 30. Pastors have access to their online LCSR (local church statistical report). While the fiscal year closed on April 30, USF (United Stewardship Fund) contributions for that period can be received and credited until May 10. The Annual Service Report (ASR) required for continued appointment as a minister in the Crossroads District is now available online. Many have already completed their reports and you can finish yours today in about 15 minutes. Here’s the link: https://www.wesleyan.org/twchub Please remember that only the Local Church Conference can elect delegates to district conference and it is prudent to elect at least 1 alternate delegate for each one allotted. For friends and family of the ordination candidates who want to join us for the celebration of ordination, please note that seating will begin at 10:15 and the service will begin promptly at 10:30. Keep on making a difference in the only cause that counts for eternity! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Crossroads District Superintendent Please join us in praying for a fresh move of God among our next generation of Wesleyan leaders who will be gathering in Cincinnati this December. There will be helpful seminars and workshops for pastors and parents so make please every effort to attend! Sherry and I had the privilege of worshiping with Rev. Dr. Morris Jones and his team at Lebanon Wesleyan Church on Sunday morning, April 23. In addition to pastoring the church, Dr. Jones works full-time for Indiana University in Indianapolis and also serves on the city council. I was able to substitute for the piano player and brought the morning message. Following the worship service, I met briefly with the local board of administration. They had good questions and they expressed the desire to get together again soon to talk about future possibilities. Dr. Morris and Anita Jones joined us for lunch and then Sherry and I traveled to Nashville for a DS roundtable meeting. The week included a variety of interesting meetings but I always look forward to our Crossroads District Board of Administration. We met at The River Church in Marion on Thursday. The DBA heard reports from Dr. Richard Schenck, chair of our Multi-Cultural Ministry Task Force, and from Rev. Carla Working, chair of our District Board of Ministerial Development. We are grateful for the strong United Stewardship Fund support that is on track to come in with close to 95% of assessments. The DBA approved a recommendation to the District Conference that could reduce our USF assessment from 10% to 9%. We also took time to celebrate with Rev. Craig Thurmon on the successful defense of his doctoral dissertation. Dr. Thurmon completed his Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from Columbia International University in South Carolina. In addition to planting The Encounter Assembly and working full-time for the U.S. Department of Defense, Dr. Thurmon serves as Secretary of our DBA and District Conference. Our ministerial family was touched by grief this past week. Mrs. Jane Bradley, wife of Pastor Tom, mother of Heather Ulrich and Rev. Marc Ulrich’s mother-in-law passed away last week. The funeral will be on Monday, 10:30 a.m., at Bluffton Sonlight Wesleyan Church. Rev. Amanda Blair’s grandmother passed away last week and the funeral was held in Portland on Saturday. Rev. Roger Budde, father of Rev. Ryan Budde (pastor of Jonesboro Westview Wesleyan Church) passed away last week. I was able to join several of our district pastors at the memorial service on Saturday morning as the family celebrated the lives of both Pastor Roger and Sue, their mother who passed away during the pandemic in 2020. The Budde children ministered in music, a fitting tribute to their parents who blessed so many with their music through the years. Following the funeral service, I joined Rev. Clifton Ashlock and the Region 2 District Board of Ministerial Development (DBMD) as they conducted interviews with ordination candidates. I am grateful for the many members of our DBMD who, under the leadership of Rev. Carla Working, serve our ministerial students so well. Pastor Aldean Pablo and the team at ARISE Church in Roanoke were celebrating on Sunday as another teenager publicly professed faith in Christ through water baptism. Praise the Lord! This past week, Pastor Andy and Leanza Riemersma celebrated their first of what they believe will be many baptisms in the Westfield YMCA pool. Many of you will know that ONE Church has signed a partnership agreement with the YMCA that will see them moving their weekend worship services into the YMCA’s new Westfield facility. Pray for God’s blessing on this innovative partnership! Dr. Oliver Dongell is concluding twenty years (2003-2023) of impactful ministry as senior pastor at Plymouth Wesleyan Church. The LBA has recommended a candidate who will be introduced to the congregation on the weekend of May 6-7. Meanwhile, the church is rebounding well from the pandemic. Easter attendance was over 800, 15 people were baptized on April 16, and 22 new members have been welcomed into the church in the past few months. I received word that Rev. Jacob Gibson was called by a vote of more than 90% of the membership to become the next senior pastor of LifeSpring Church. Rev. Gibson has accepted that call and will work with the LBA to complete a timely transition from his previous role with the church into this new appointment. We are excited to see what God has in store for the future of LifeSpring Church under the leadership of Pastor Gibson. Congratulations also to Rev. Sam Maddox who has accepted the unanimous extended call of Albion Wesleyan Church to continue serving as their lead pastor. Attention, all appointed Ministers! The Annual Service Report required for your continued appointment in the Crossroads District is now available online. Several, including me, have completed it and you can finish it today in about 15 minutes. Let me encourage you, do it now! Here’s the link: https://www.wesleyan.org/twchub Please join us in praying for a fresh move of God among our next generation of Wesleyan leaders who will be gathering in Cincinnati this December. There will also be seminars and workshops for pastors and parents so make please every effort to attend! Calling all Crossroads District retired ministers and spouses! We would love to have you join us for the Retired Ministers and Spouses Fellowship on Friday, April 28, at 10:00 am at Wesleyan Headquarters in Fishers (13300 Olio Rd, Fishers, IN 46037). We are having a surprise guest that you won’t want to miss! Keep on making a difference in the only cause that counts for eternity! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Crossroads District Superintendent Sunday, April 16, I was blessed to represent our district at Lifeway Wesleyan Church in Fort Wayne. Lifeway, which was then known as Moeller Road, is one of the three churches in our district that my father pastored so it holds a special place in my heart. Rev. Rick Fletcher served as assistant pastor with my father and led the church so well since becoming their lead pastor back in 1998. Yesterday, after an intentional multi-year transition process led by Rev. Fletcher and the LBA, and the overwhelming vote of the members, I had the joy of installing Rev. Andrew (Andy) Jellison as Lifeway’s new senior pastor. Rev. Fletcher will serve as part-time assistant pastor on Pastor Andy’s staff along with Brad Holmes, Dean Forbes, Gary Livengood, and Robert Simons. Following the service, I joined Rick and Debbie Fletcher as they hosted the Jellison family for a delicious luncheon. These are good days at Lifeway with the recent payoff of their mortgage and 280 present for Easter Sunday. Please keep Pastor Jellison in your prayers as he steps into this new responsibility. Sunday evening, I enjoyed connecting with Pastor Brent Miller and the team at Gas City Southside Wesleyan Church as they gathered for their annual local church conference. Pastor Brent and the team have completed a remarkable remodeling of their facility and technology over the past three years. They were delighted to welcome more than 140 for Easter and they are praising the Lord for 9 first-time decisions for Christ that morning. Dr. Rich Schenck and Rev. Carol Schenck (Noblesville Circle of Hope Network) represented the Crossroads District at the 10th anniversary and 8th annual conference since the founding of The Wesleyan Church of Bangladesh. Dr. Aaron Willis, our retired district superintendent has played a key role in this partnership and the Schencks have made several trips to provide theological education to this new field. Rev. Joshe Bose is transitioning from the national superintendent position to an expanded role with Global Partners. Executive Director Dr. Dennis Jackson and Rev. Gwen Jackson were also present for this celebration along with Rev. Thomas Ensz, GP area director. Since the Crossroads District was created in 2016, your USF contributions have made it possible for us to invest more than $50,000 in addition to the direct contributions from local churches and individuals. And your investment is making a difference. Today, there are 65 churches with 2500 members. Last year they baptized 274 new believers and launched 9 new churches. Thank you for your investment in our Global Partners ministry in Bangladesh! We’re also in a time of transition for LifeSpring Church in Richmond (formerly known as Fountain City Wesleyan). The LBA has unanimously recommended Rev. Jacob Gibson to be their next senior pastor. The congregational vote will take place this coming weekend. Pray for God’s continued direction through this prayerful process. I had a great time connecting with pastors last week for coaching conversations and other matters. On Monday evening, I was in Dublin (IN) to meet with Rev. Steve and Shari Cox (both IWU grads) and the leadership team at Dublin Gospel Mission. This congregation has been part of the Evangelical Church of North America but is considering the possibility of joining with The Wesleyan Church. On my way home, I was able to drop in on Dr. Joe Harmon and the LBA at New Castle Memorial Wesleyan Church. Please keep Memorial Church in your prayers as they work through the pastoral search process. Tuesday, I met with a pastoral candidate for Lancaster Wesleyan Church in the morning and then traveled to Tipton for meeting with the LBA at Ash Street Wesleyan Church. The LBA at Ash Street has unanimously nominated Jerry Smith, a lay minister, to be considered by the congregation as their interim/supply pastor for the coming year. I look forward to serving with Jerry and Beth Smith as they step forward to serve the Ash Street Wesleyan Church. Wednesday, I was on the road to visit with Rev. Judy Hatt at Hope Wesleyan Church in Fowler. Pastor Judy is assisted in the work by Harold, a retired lay minister who was formerly with the UMC. We had a great time together catching up on their ministry and praying together. We determined that they hold the highest average age (85) of any pastoral staff in our district. Pastor Phil Carder (The Branch) and I met for lunch in Lafayette and then I connected with Pastor Shane Wilson at New Hope Wesleyan Church in Columbia City. Thursday, I was in Indianapolis to meet with Rev. Ervin Webster (St. Stephen’s Church) for our annual coaching conversation. On Friday, I was in Muncie to meet with Rev. Michael Hewitt (Rising Hope Church) and a potential church planting resident. My final stop on Friday was with Rev. Aldean Pablo (Arise Church) and it was a joy to hear stories of changed lives in this new church. To close out a great week, Rev. John (our oldest son) and Rev. Lindsey Gorveatte welcomed their second child, our fourth grandchild, on Friday evening. Eden Louise arrived safely and both mother and daughter are now recovering at home. Lennon Joy, our oldest grandchild, seems pretty happy to have a baby sister! Pastor Kyle Horton and the team at Three Rivers Church in Fort Wayne celebrated another baptism Sunday. This new believer was set free in Christ from a background in New Age spiritualism. Praise the Lord for each one that is being #MadeNew! Pastor David Shafer and the team at North Anderson Wesleyan Church celebrated two more baptisms yesterday! Pastor Rob Tippey and the team at Wabash New Journey celebrated three more baptisms yesterday! Pastor Andy Riemersma and the team at ONE Church in Westfield celebrated two more baptisms on Sunday! Pastor Aldean Pablo and the team at Roanoke Arise Church welcomed 130 for Easter and celebrated another baptism! Pastor Dan Fisher and the team at Delphi Wesleyan Church welcomed 7 new members this past Sunday and another person prayed to receive Christ as Savior and Lord. Pastor Dan’s report concluded: “God is on the move. Hallelujah!!!” Attention, all appointed Ministers! The Annual Service Report required for your continued appointment in the Crossroads District is now available online. Several, including me, have completed it and you can finish it today in about 15 minutes. Let me encourage you, do it now! Here’s the link: https://www.wesleyan.org/twchub Please join us in praying for a fresh move of God among our next generation of Wesleyan leaders who will be gathering in Cincinnati this December. There will also be seminars and workshops for pastors and parents so make please every effort to attend! Calling all Crossroads District retired ministers and spouses! We would love to have you join us for the Retired Ministers and Spouses Fellowship on Friday, April 28, at 10:00 am at Wesleyan Headquarters in Fishers (13300 Olio Rd, Fishers, IN 46037). We are having a surprise guest that you won’t want to miss! The Crossroads District Senior Adult Ministries (SAM) would also like to invite you to attend the Post-Covid Relaunch Strategy Luncheon being held on Saturday, April 22nd from 1:00 – 2:30 pm at the MCL Cafeteria in Castleton (5520 Castleton Corner Lane, Indianapolis, IN 46250 – North of the Castleton Mall at 86th and Allisonville). For additional information, please email Rev. CK Chitty at ckchitty@gmail.com. Keep on making a difference in the only cause that counts for eternity! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Crossroads District Superintendent We continue to hear more stories of how God is at work in the Crossroads District team. Here are a few more of those stories to share as we encourage one another and praise the Lord for answered prayers! Pastor Tony Bye and the team at Brookhaven Wesleyan Church in Marion started off Holy Week with 885 in attendance for Palm Sunday and then welcomed 743 in worship for Easter Sunday with three more baptisms! Pastor Mike Gallant and the team at Mt. Etna Community Life Church (a former UMC congregation that joined our district this year) welcomed 96 people for Easter, almost double their regular attendance. Two families, who used to attend, have reconnected with the church and three new families have recently started attending. Pastor Johnnie Blair and the team at Tipton Trinity Wesleyan Church hosted a community Easter Egg Helicopter Drop on Saturday with 1500+ participating and welcomed 371 for worship including 35 first-time guests and two professions of faith! Pastor Shane Wilson and the team at Columbia City New Hope Wesleyan Church hosted their annual Easter drama before Palm Sunday with more than 700 in attendance and 10 decisions for Christ. Then, on Easter Sunday morning, they welcomed more than 500 in worship attendance and celebrated six baptisms! Rev. Mike Weller and the team at Restoration Church in Anderson set a new record with 58 in attendance for their Easter service! Pastor David Shafer and the team at North Anderson Wesleyan Church welcomed six new members into their church family and celebrated 4 baptisms on Easter Sunday morning! Thank you for joining us in praying for a fresh move of God among our next generation of Wesleyan leaders who will be gathering in Cincinnati this December. There will also be seminars and workshops for pastors and parents so make please every effort to attend! Calling all Crossroads District retired ministers and spouses! We would love to have you join us for the Retired Ministers and Spouses Fellowship on Friday, April 28, at 10:00 am at Wesleyan Headquarters in Fishers (13300 Olio Rd, Fishers, IN 46037). You may register by emailing office@crossroadsdistrict.org or by leaving a voicemail message at 765-674-8593. The Crossroads District Senior Adult Ministries (SAM) would also like to invite you to attend the Post-Covid Relaunch Strategy Luncheon being held on Saturday, April 22nd from 1:00 – 2:30 pm at the MCL Cafeteria in Castleton (5520 Castleton Corner Lane, Indianapolis, IN 46250 – North of the Castleton Mall at 86th and Allisonville). For additional information, please email Rev. CK Chitty at ckchitty@gmail.com. Keep on making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Crossroads District Superintendent Every Sunday is an opportunity to celebrate our Risen Lord but there is something special about the focused celebration when we have moved through the 40 days of Lent concluding with Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday – Resurrection Day! Thank you to every pastor and more than 2000 volunteers in the Crossroads District who invested time, energy, and most importantly, prayers for this annual opportunity to boldly proclaim the Good News of Christ’s victorious death and triumphant resurrection. Here are some of the reports that have already come in to our district office: Rev. Michael Hewitt and the team at Rising Hope in Muncie celebrated as an entire family was baptized together. And they were delighted when a young man gave his life to Christ at their Good Friday service after he walked through the stations of the cross. Five more people responded to the Gospel on Sunday morning! Rev. Scott Rhyno and the team at Waterline Church (meeting at Wesleyan HQ) welcomed 135 in worship with five people publicly professing faith in Christ through baptism and several others indicating their response to the invitation to follow Jesus! Rev. Matthew Trexler and the team at The River Church in Marion welcomed more than 2000 in worship for the first time with 226 people responding in writing to the invitation to follow Jesus. Children’s church attendance alone was 416! Dr. Aaron Perry, interim pastor, and the team at LifeSpring Church celebrated 25 baptisms yesterday between their north and south campuses. The south campus welcomed 473 in attendance (a new record for that location). The LifeSpring Church family also celebrated the announcement of the Local Board of Administration that Rev. Jacob Gibson is being recommended as their new lead pastor. Dr. Perry has been a blessing to the church in this season of transition while continuing to teach for Wesley Seminary. Rev. Ryan Budde and the team at Jonesboro Westview welcomed 271 for worship and baptized 7 new believers with two more baptisms candidates signing up for next time! Rev. Allen Gross and the team at Cicero United Family Church may have set a record on Sunday for the highest rate of baptisms to worship attendance. Last year, United Family averaged 45 in attendance. On Easter Sunday, Pastor Allen had the privilege of baptizing 11 individuals who publicly professed their faith in our Risen King! Rev. Noah Farmer and the team at Gas City Eastview reported 356 in attendance and 19 decisions for Christ! Dr. Chris Williams and the team at Marion Lakeview celebrated Easter with 372 people present, a recent high attendance, 7 professions of faith in Christ, and another public profession of faith through baptism! Dr. Steve DeNeff and the team at Marion College Wesleyan Church celebrated seven more baptisms on Sunday as they concluded their Holy Week services! Rev. Mike Henry and the team at Fort Wayne Level 13 are rejoicing with rebounding worship attendance and another baptism on Easter Sunday! Rev. Zach Working and the team at Huntington Hope Rising welcomed over 240 in worship attendance. They had to use their youth center to handle the attendance overflow. Best of all, the celebrated 7 decisions for Christ! Rev. Rob Tippey and the team at Wabash New Journey Church welcomed over 300 for worship with 9 decisions for Christ and another baptism! Rev. Dan Fisher and the team at Delphi Wesleyan Church are rejoicing with two more decisions for Christ yesterday! Rev. David Shafer and the team at North Anderson Wesleyan Church hosted the Madison County Wesleyan Churches in a wonderful combined Good Friday service. This is the second year that our Madison County churches have collaborated for this special occasion. On Easter Sunday morning, Pastor Shafer and their team celebrated Harvest Church in Greenfield celebrated another baptism on Easter Sunday morning. Rev. Wayne Richards has been graciously serving the church as interim pastor. Please continue to remember Rev. Brad LeRoy, founding pastor of Harvest, in your prayers as he continues to address serious health concerns. Rev. Jim Weinmann and the team at Indianapolis Evanston Avenue Wesleyan celebrated another baptism on Easter Sunday! In addition to pastoring, Rev. Weinmann also serves our pastors through his leadership in the Wesleyan Pension Fund. Rev. Scott McDermid and the team at Sheridan Six Points Church hosted the community Easter egg hunt on their campus on Saturday and then welcomed 250+ for worship on Sunday. They also celebrated the baptism of another young man who came to Christ! District superintendents are, understandably, not often invited as guest speakers on Easter Sunday so Sherry and I took the opportunity to spend time with our family in Michigan celebrating the arrival of Thea Rose, our newest granddaughter. Thea Rose was born on Palm Sunday, April 2, to Christie and Joel, our youngest son. The family also surprised me with a Saturday afternoon birthday party for Grandpa G. I couldn’t ask for a better gift! Early Sunday morning, we worshiped with John, our oldest son, and his family at Center Church where he serves as campus pastor in Grand Rapids. Then we joined Joel for the 11 a.m. service at the Journey Church campus in Middleville, where he serves as assistant pastor with Pastor Jon Allen. Our family helped Pastor Jon and Erica Allen plant Journey Church back in 2016 so it was fun to reconnect with friends ad members of the original launch team. Keep those praise reports coming in and stay tuned for a midweek edition of the Crossroads District Team Update! God is on the move! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Crossroads District Superintendent Sunday morning, April 2, I had the privilege of bringing greetings on behalf of our Crossroads District team to the wonderful congregation at New Castle Mt. Zion Wesleyan Church. Mt. Zion is one of the oldest congregations in our denomination dating back to 1843. Originally known as Duck Creek Wesleyan Methodist Church, this congregation was formed just a few weeks later than the church in Fountain City. Pastor Steve and Paula Arnett lead this vibrant, multi-generational congregation. It was a joy to worship with them, to preach the morning message, and to celebrate with the five people who were baptized as a public profession of their faith in obedience to Christ’s command. On Sunday afternoon, I journeyed From one of our oldest congregations to one of our newest congregations. Pastor Mike Weller and his team are planting Restoration Church in the downtown of Anderson. Restoration Church holds their service in the park next door on the first Sunday of each month, weather permitting. It was fun to see the worship team from Muncie Rising Hope, led by Kim Hewitt, jump in to generously offer the live music for this outreach event. God is on the move in Anderson! I’m glad that the Crossroads District stays focused on church planting and it is encouraging to see how God is at work in our newest churches. Pastor John Hannan, who is planting Union City CrossRoads Church, sent along this picture from yesterday. The church offered their Easter egg hunt on Palm Sunday this year as part of their morning worship experience. If I’m counting correctly, there are 37 children in this photo. To put that in context, last conference year, CrossRoads Church averaged 43 in worship attendance. Pastor John and Beth Hannan are doing a terrific job of planting this new Wesleyan church and serving this community of just over 5,000 people. God is able to do big things in small places! Last Wednesday evening, Pastor Logan Westrick and I met with the Local Board of Administration at Ash Street Wesleyan Church. Pastor Logan and Nancy Westrick have faithfully served this congregation for the past 30 years. They have both been dealing with significant health concerns. After much prayer and consultation with his family, Rev. Westrick announced that he will be retiring at the end of April and that they will be moving to Ohio to be closer to their children. We are grateful for their impactful ministry to the church and the community. Join me in praying for their transition and for God’s guidance as the board begins the search for their next pastor. My coaching conversations last week included Rev. Jeff Brady (Marion Commoners Church), Rev. Jerome Bell (Pendleton Autumn Hills Church), and Rev. Clifton Ashlock (Chesterfield Parkview Church). In addition to a variety of emails and phone call consultations through the week, I participated in a denominational study committee meeting via Zoom on Tuesday and represented the district at a property sale closing in Muncie on Wednesday. Saturday, I was back to meet again with the board at Lancaster Wesleyan Church as they continue their pastoral search process. They are making progress and have set up interviews over the next week. Please keep Lancaster Wesleyan in your prayers. Following my meeting in Lancaster, I dropped in to connect with some of our pastors who brought teenagers to IWU for FUSION. It was fun to catch up with one of our newest youth pastors Brad Holmes (serving at Fort Wayne Lifeway Church) and one of our “more experienced” youth pastors Rev. David Hines (serving at Marion Brookhaven Church). Dr. Jim Lo shared an encouraging note that more than 100 students prayed to be filled with the Holy Spirit in his breakout seminar on Holy Revival. Thank you to every pastor and youth leader who invested time to bring your students. Thank you also to President Kulaga, Rev. Charlie Alcock, and the IWU team that made FUSION possible! I’m always encouraged to receive reports of lives being changed. We’re rejoicing with Pastor Rob Tippey and the team at New Journey Church in Wabash as they celebrated another baptism yesterday. Praise God for lives being #MadeNew! Congratulations to Plymouth Shiloh Wesleyan Church on the calling of their new pastor. Rev. Ed Friberg received a nearly unanimous vote last Sunday and has accepted the call to lead the team at Shiloh Wesleyan. Thank you again to Pastor Rich Van Vuren for his faithful ministry to the church and the community. Join me in praying for this transition and for an exciting next chapter of ministry for the Shiloh congregation. Every child is a gift from God. Our family is celebrating the arrival of the newest Gorveatte granddaughter, born on April 2, to Joel and Christie. Joel, our youngest son, serves on the pastoral staff at Journey Church in Michigan. We are thanking God that mother and daughter are both doing well! (Stay tuned for pictures next week.) Let’s support each other in earnest prayer this Holy Week. May many new believers in Christ be born again into the family of God as we lift Jesus high on Easter Sunday! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Crossroads District Superintendent Sunday, March 26, Rev. Claudia Ruiz and the team at Richmond Casa del Alfarero (House of the Potter) welcomed me to worship with them at their 1 p.m. service and invited me to preach the Word. It was a joy to be with this beautiful family of believers. Attendance has been growing under the leadership of Pastor Ruiz and her assistant pastors, Carlos and Jessie. Following the worship service, I met with the leadership team and then shared a meal with Carlos, Jessie, and Pastor Claudia. Pastor Ruiz has also been ministering in Union City to an independent congregation called Casa de Oracion (House of Prayer) on Saturday evenings. Pastor John Hannan, who is planting CrossRoads Church in Union City, has also been a partner and encouragement to this Hispanic congregation. I was invited to preach in their service on Saturday evening as they take steps toward becoming a part of our district family in a network with Casa del Alfarero. Another exciting possibility is developing as Casa del Alfarero and Casa de Oracion are praying about planting a third church for this network in Portland. Join them in praying that God will open hearts and doors for expanded ministry in surrounding communities. Since the worship service at Casa del Alfarero begins at 1 p.m., I had the opportunity to drop in at LifeSpring North campus for their 9:30 service. The church has been making wonderful progress in ministry even as they are working through this pastoral transition. LifeSpring has a great team of volunteers including this group of tech and worship leaders who gathered for prayer before the service. The LifeSpring campus model provides live teaching at both sites built on the same series or themes but the messages at each site are unique to the preachers. Rev. Jacob Gibson was preaching at the north campus and brought a timely message on being students of God’s Word. I also enjoyed catching up with Rev. David Anderson and other members of their team. The south campus is located about 7 miles south in the center of Richmond. I was able to join Campus Pastor Josh Fakhoury and his team for their 11 a.m. worship service. Dr. Aaron Perry, professor at Wesley Seminary, has been serving the LifeSpring staff in a part-time role as interim pastor while the search process has been ongoing. It was good to hear Dr. Perry preach and to see the growing congregation (averaging over 250) at the south campus. Michael Wood and I met in Marion last Monday to interview two candidates for the Executive Ministry Partner role with our district office staff. We had great applicants and are excited to be able to introduce our newest team member to you in the next few weeks. On Tuesday, I traveled to Cincinnati to meet with our Heartland Region district superintendents. It is a joy to serve alongside Rev. Les Crossfield (Greater Ohio District), Rev. Doug Preston (Indiana South District) and Rev. Aaron Sherman (Kentucky-Tennessee District). In addition to planning and laughter, we shared in prayer for one another and our districts. There was unanimous support for offering our third Heartland Gathering next spring. We are delighted the Rev. Aaron Holley has once again agreed to coordinate the planning team. Wednesday, I was in Fishers to meet with Rev. Claudia Ruiz for our annual coaching conversation. Sherry and I were able to connect for lunch and then I was grateful for the opportunity to meet with Dr. Wayne Schmidt, our General Superintendent. These are challenging days for all denominational leaders and Dr. Schmidt welcomes our prayers. Wednesday evening, I was able to join Rev. Mike Henry and the team at Fort Wayne Level 13 Church’s weekly prayer gathering. Pastor Mike has been sharing encouraging reports of progress from this ministry. I was reminded again of this quote from Hudson Taylor: “When we work, we work. When we pray, God works!” Thursday morning, Rev. Brian Williams (pastor of Sims Wesleyan Church) and I met for our annual coaching conversation. Thursday afternoon, Rev. Ashlyn Luttrell (pastor of Wabash North Wesleyan Church) and I met for our coaching conversation. Friday was a quiet day working from my home office with just one Zoom call and enough time to read Craig Groeschel’s book “Lead Like It Matters.” Craig’s books are always full of great quotes. Here was one that I highlighted: “Be faithful even when on one else is watching. Remember, it’s the things no one sees that bring the results everyone wants. You won’t be successful someday when you see the results. You are successful when you are obedient and faithful today.” Sunday, March 26, was a beautiful day of celebration for Rev. Rob Tippey and the team at New Journey Church in Wabash. Pastor Rob had the privilege of baptizing seven new believers who publicly professed their faith in Christ. Praise God for lives #MadeNew! On another happy note, congratulations goes out to Rev. Sam and Jen Maddox (Albion Wesleyan Church) on the birth of their first grandchild, Elijah, born on Thursday to their daughter, Bailey, and her husband. We’re pleased to report that mother and baby are home and both doing well. Dr. Mark Wilson, ministry professor at Southern Wesleyan University, released an episode of his podcast this week with helpful reminders about the five factors that help churches thrive: Invite, Connect, Deepen, Send, and Worship. You can check out this helpful episode here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2120854 Thank you for joining us in praying for a fresh move of God among our next generation of Wesleyan leaders who will be gathering in Cincinnati this December. There will also be seminars and workshops for pastors and parents so make please every effort to attend! Calling all Crossroads District retired ministers and spouses! We would love to have you join us for the Retired Ministers and Spouses Fellowship on Friday, April 28, at 10:00 am at Wesleyan Headquarters in Fishers (13300 Olio Rd, Fishers, IN 46037). You may register by emailing office@crossroadsdistrict.org or by leaving a voicemail message at 765-674-8593. The Crossroads District Senior Adult Ministries (SAM) would also like to invite you to attend the Post-Covid Relaunch Strategy Luncheon being held on Saturday, April 22nd from 1:00 – 2:30 pm at the MCL Cafeteria in Castleton (5520 Castleton Corner Lane, Indianapolis, IN 46250 - North of the Castleton Mall at 86th and Allisonville). For additional information, please email Rev. CK Chitty at ckchitty@gmail.com. Keep on making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Crossroads District Superintendent Sunday morning, March 19, I had the privilege of ministering with the team at Carmel Amistad Iglesia Wesleyana. This vibrant congregation has been the anchor church for much of our district’s Hispanic ministry. Rev. Lilly Madga Kurker is the pastor of this growing church family. Pastor Lilly has been away for a few weeks caring for family in Mexico, but the congregation is excited to welcome her home later this week. They are launching into 21 Days of Prayer leading up to their Easter celebration. Amistad has helped develop leaders who have gone on to help in other ministries and the church hosted the most recent FLAMA course with 14 students gathering from across our district. Before the service, I was blessed to be prayed over by the intercession team pictured below. Sunday afternoon, I was in New Castle to meet with the LBA at Memorial Wesleyan Church as they begin their pastor search process. Following the meeting with the search team, I dropped in on Dr. Joe & Kathy Harmon and the team hosting a family fun night in their gymnasium. Dr. Harmon has done a terrific work in revitalizing this congregation. Pictured below are Dr. Joe and Kathy with two of the teenagers who’ve come to Christ under their ministry. Pray with the church as they seek the next leader to build on this momentum. Sherry and I flew back from Arizona last Monday and then I hit the road here in the district on Tuesday. Pastor Andy Riemersma and I had a productive meeting with Kevin Batman, General Treasurer of The Wesleyan Church, in his office in Fishers. Kevin also serves as local church treasurer and as prayer team member for ONE Church in Westfield, the new church that Pastor Andy and his team are planting. Wednesday morning, I connected with Rev. Shane Wilson, pastor of New Hope Church in Columbia City. It was encouraging to hear the good report of how God is on the move at New Hope. Wednesday afternoon, Rev. Michael Hewitt, pastor of Rising Hope in Muncie, invited me to spend time with Marcos Cruz, Rising Hope’s campus pastor in Sevilla, Spain. It was inspiring to hear how God is at work through this partnership with two campuses already launched and the next one getting ready to start in Madrid. The picture below shows Pastor Michael on the left, Pastor Marcos in the center, and Alberto, one of the new believers who is helping to lead the first Bible study in Madrid. If you’ve not yet met Marcos, you’ll have the opportunity in December when he returns as a guest artist for the Follow ’23 Youth Convention in Cincinnati. Thursday, Rev. John Hannan and I met for our annual coaching conversation. Pastor John and Beth Hannan planted CrossRoads Church in Union City. Last year, this new church welcomed 7 new professions of faith and baptized 8 new believers. Their baptism rate was one of the highest in our district at 18.6% of their weekend worship attendance! Thursday afternoon, I met with Larry Moore, vice-chair of the LBA at Harvest Church, as they move forward in the search for their next pastor. In addition to his leadership role at the Wesleyan Investment Foundation, I am grateful for the way that Larry serves and leads in his local church. Our acquaintance dates back around 40 years to the time when his father, Rev. Fred Moore, hosted my father for a week of evangelistic services in Falconer, New York. We are both blessed by the legacy of godly fathers who served the Lord so well. Friday morning, Dr. Jim Lo brought the closing sermon in the Cox Holiness Series at Indiana Wesleyan University. Dr. Lo’s message was anointed and many students responded to the invitation for God to begin His revival in their hearts. Following the chapel service, I joined Dr. Chris Bounds, chair of IWU’s School of Theology and Ministry, for an exciting conversation about a new initiative to place interns and residents in smaller churches. You’ll be hearing more about this initiative at district conference. Friday evening, our home was blessed by the presence of amazing pastors and spouses who gathered for food, fellowship, and prayer. Rev. Phil Carder (Lafayette The Branch Wesleyan Church), Rev. David and Suzanne Cox (Laketon Wesleyan Church), Rev. Michael and Liana Gallant (Mt. Etna Community Life Church), and Dr. Matthew and Jennifer Stewart (Sweetser Wesleyan Church) all shared encouraging praise reports of how God is at work in their families and in their congregations. Saturday afternoon, I joined the leadership team at Lancaster Wesleyan Church as they mapped out their pastor search process and conducted an initial interview with a prospective candidate. Pray that God grants wisdom and unity for these important decisions. One of the highlights of this coming week is a meeting in Ohio on Tuesday with the other three district superintendents serving together in the Heartland Region (Greater Ohio, Indiana South, and Kentucky-Tennessee). Please make plans to attend and join us in praying for move of God among our next generation of Wesleyan leaders who will be gathering in Cincinnati this December. There will also be seminars and workshops for pastors and parents so make every effort to attend! Keep on making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Crossroads District Superintendent Sherry and I were away this weekend celebrating our 39th wedding anniversary by visiting our daughter and her husband in Phoenix. We flew out on Friday and will be back later on Monday. Jordan and Sam attend Sun Valley Community Church and we enjoyed worshiping with them today in their home church. Their home church baptized 186 new believers across their several campuses last weekend. God is so good! Last week began in Orlando as Dr. Wayne Schmidt, our General Superintendent, hosted a meeting on Monday morning with district superintendents gathering before the Exponential Conference kicked off. It was good to catch up with colleagues and to learn more about new initiatives and upcoming events, including FOLLOW ’23. I flew home Monday evening to join more than 100 pastors and lay leaders from our Crossroads District who attended the GROW Leader seminar on Tuesday in Indianapolis. Pastor Chris Hodges did a great job unpacking the principles that have helped Church of the Highlands (Birmingham, Alabama) become one of the largest churches in America. Special thanks to the Wesleyan Investment Foundation for co-sponsoring the event and providing us with a block of tickets. Thank you, also, to each of our leaders who brought team members to experience this exceptional learning opportunity. Tuesday evening, I chaired the district nominating committee meeting. I’m grateful for these committee members and the many volunteers who make our Crossroads District a great team! Wednesday, I was on the road for coaching conversations with Rev. David Cox (Laketon Wesleyan) and Rev. Michael Gallant (Mt. Etna Community Life Church). The final meeting of the day was with Rev. Ben Jones and the leadership team at Beaver Creek Wesleyan Church. Beaver Creek is one of our churches participating in the Next Level initiative. Thursday morning, I was in Muncie to meet with a prospective church planter and then I met with Rev. Andy Cole (Lapel Daybreak Church) for our annual coaching conversation. My final meeting of the day was back in Marion with Dr. Paul Garverick, professor and administrator at Wesley Seminary. It’s always encouraging to be able to pass along praise reports as they’re submitted by our pastors. This week’s good news includes a report from Pastor Scott McDermid that Sheridan Six Points Church is officially debt-free after making their final mortgage payment! Pastor Dan Fisher shared the good news of another baptism at Delphi Wesleyan Church. We’re joining in rejoicing with Heaven over another life #MadeNew by the grace of Jesus Christ! Pastor Brent Miller and the team at Gas City Southside Wesleyan Church shared the good news that they welcomed 8 new members on Sunday, one by transfer and seven joining by their profession of faith! Pastor Nicholas Zarate passed along the good news that Rev. Adriana Zarate has relaunched her online Bible study for women. They’re off to a strong start with 21 ladies joining from Indiana, Nevada, and Mexico. Congratulations to Rev. Emily Hines and Rev. David Hines on the birth of their second child, Simon! Simon joins his sister Petra and his parents who serve on staff at Brookhaven Wesleyan Church. Congratulations to Rev. Ben and Katie Wade on the birth of their second child, Gracie! Gracie joins her big sister Myla. Pastor Ben is on staff at Greenfield Brown’s Chapel Wesleyan Church. Our prayers and condolences are extended to Mrs. Teri Downing, wife of Rev. Alan Downing (Frankfort Connecting Point) on the passing of her mother last week. Please mark your calendar for December 28-30 and add the Follow 2023 Wesleyan Youth Convention to your prayer list. Let’s believe God for a fresh outpouring at www.followconference.org Keep on making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Crossroads District Superintendent |
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