 Sunday morning, September 14, Chapel Pike Wesleyan Church welcomed Rev. Michael Hofer as their guest speaker. The church was nearly full and the sung worship was inspiring. Rev. Hofer brought a challenging message on “Patience” from Galatians 5. I was on hand to bring greetings from the district. It was good to reconnect with retired pastor Rev. Steve Colter who continues to stay active in ministry. The congregation has been blessed by Rev. Mike Helvie who continues to serve as supply pastor during this pastoral search season.  Last week included our first two “Lunch & Learn” connections. We had a great time with the Marion area pastors on Wednesday. We took time to catch up on the stories of how God is working in our churches and then focused in on leading change. We also enjoyed a delicious meal and lots of laughter!  We hosted the Fort Wayne area “Lunch and Learn” on Thursday. In addition to free lunch, we also have a free book for each participant. Our conversation on change was supplemented with Doug Paul’s insights in “Kingdom Innovation.” I’ll be hosting our next “L&L” in Indianapolis on Tuesday and then in Plymouth on Wednesday. We cap the group at 8 but there are still a few open seats at these locations. Pastors can RSVP by reaching out to Michael Wood.  Before heading to Ft. Wayne, I joined Michael Wood at the District Administrators’ Institute hosted by General Secretary Janelle Vernon at Indiana Wesleyan University. Dr. John Drury, campus chaplain, brought the devotional and an encouraging report of the signs of revival at IWU this fall. Nearly every district was represented as they worked together to prepare for the upcoming General Conference, May 17-20, 2026. https://www.wesleyan.org/15thGC  Thursday afternoon, after the “Lunch and Learn,” I met with Rev. David and Carol Leitzel. They were excited to share the news about a prospective assistant pastor to join their team as part of a succession plan. They were also happy to share that they’re purchasing a home of their own. Hamilton has enjoyed a summer of spiritual victories with two more baptisms just this past weekend!  Saturday, Pastor Michael Hewitt welcomed me to join the party at Rising Hope Church as they cut the ribbon for the grand opening of their community center. This center is a one-of-a-kind pool facility with tables from as far away as China. Special guest at the ribbon-cutting event included Muncie Mayor Ridenour and two world-ranked pool players. Pastor Mike has a long-term record of leveraging these games to reach people for Christ in person and online.  This time last year Waterline Church was holding their “Grand Opening Sunday” in their first permanent location. This weekend, Pastor Scott Rhyno and the team at Waterline Church celebrated this first anniversary in their new space with a “Welcome Home Sunday.” What better way to celebrate than with six baptisms. In the past 12 months in this new facility, Waterline has welcomed 326 first-time guests, 51 first-time commitments to Christ, and 23 baptisms, with a 54% increase in worship attendance. God is moving at Waterline!  Pastor Ryan Budde reports that God has been working at Westview Wesleyan Church in exciting ways. In addition to the ministry on their own campus, God has opened an unusual door of ministry for Rev. Brian Holland, youth pastor, to serve in the public schools. They’ve celebrated 11 baptisms in the past month, including two last week. Three more people stepped forward to prepare for this step of discipleship obedience in the next few weeks. Praise God!  Pastor Jeff Luetke passed along the encouraging report from Fairmount Wesleyan Church. They’ve had the joy of baptizing 10 believers in the past few weeks, 6 of those just last Sunday. It’s wonderful to see one of our historic congregations reaching the next generation and building a bright future!  More exciting news from Cicero United Family Church where Pastor Allen Gross had the privilege of baptizing 6 new believers this weekend. They averaged 85 in worship last year with 20 professions of faith and 12 baptisms. This conference year is also off to a great start. Praise the Lord for lives being #MadeNew.  There’s something very special for ministers who have the privilege of baptizing their children. It’s even more special when you celebrate the baptism of your grandson like Pastor Terry and Lennaire Vaughn were able to do on Sunday at The Bridge Urban Church in Mishawaka. Praise God for the privilege of passing the faith along to the next generation!  Rev. William (Bill) Kinnan, Sr. was welcomed home to Heaven by his Savior on September 10, 2025. As faithful ministers of the Gospel, Pastor Bill and June served churches in Pennsylvania and Michigan for 27 years. Rev. Kinnan was then elected East Michigan District Superintendent and mentored pastors for the next 15 years. A memorial service will be held Monday, September 15, 1:00 PM at The River Church - 759 Lenfesty Avenue, Marion, IN 46953. A viewing will be held from 11am – 1pm. Please remember June and the Kinnan family in your prayers.  “Is there an ethical way to use AI in ministry?” “What’s working in youth and children’s ministry?” “What are the best financial practices for our local church?” — We are excited to welcome you and your leaders to ReEquip, our district-wide ministry training day on Saturday, September 27, at Eastview Wesleyan Church in Gas City.  Check-in begins at 9:00am with the first round of breakout sessions starting at 9:30. There will be a fellowship break to catch up with friends from other district churches. Then the second round of breakouts starts at 11:00. We’ll gather at 11:45 for door prize drawings and a final challenge before we adjourn at 12:00. The price? FREE. Check out the link for more information and registration: https://forms.gle/PaW8vrCNatv17ZD87 You can also register today for the Wesleyan Holiness Connection’s Pastors & Church Leaders Day coming to IWU on Tuesday, September 23. Please click here for more information and registration.  The Wesleyan Church is hosting regional youth events this fall with the closest one coming to Grand Rapids on Friday and Saturday, October 24-25. Our own Andy Riemersma is one of the featured artists. For more information, here’s the link: https://wesleyan.org/empoweredtour2025  Keep on making a difference in the cause that counts for eternity! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Comments are closed.
|
Archives
October 2025
|
RSS Feed
