Impact Church, Missions, and Baptisms!

Sunday morning, September 22, I had the privilege of worshiping with Pastor Kory Christensen and the team at Impact Church in New Haven. Pastor Kory and Becky stepped out in faith to plant this new church back in 2013 and Impact continues to invest deeply in serving the community, especially with their involvement in the public schools.
​

Sunday evening, I joined Dr. Richard Schenck and the team at Noblesville Circle of Hope for a presentation by Rev. Joshe Bose on a new initiative in south Asia with Global Partners. Pastors Rich and Carol Schenck have played a significant role in the ministerial education for the field in Bangladesh since 2012. When they began working with Rev. Bose, there were 12 Wesleyan churches in the country. Today, there are 77 churches sharing the Good News!
​

Last week began with a special opportunity for area pastors and staff as Rev. Matthew Trexler and The River Church hosted Shawn Lovejoy, founder of the Courageous Leaders coaching organization. The room was full and the conversations were timely for our growing churches.
​

Following the morning seminar, Michael Wood and I hosted several of the pastors and their team members for lunch and an opportunity to connect with Rev. Joshe Bose.
​

Tuesday morning, I dropped in on Rev. Mike Colaw and the staff at Trinity Church in Indianapolis. Pastor Mike is hosting a monthly connection for Indy area pastors and this month’s session featured Dr. David Smith (one of our circuit riders) for a session on reading scripture as a life-giving spiritual discipline for ministry leaders.
​

I traveled on to Emmanuel Church where several of our pastors and their staff were participating in the Courage to Lead seminar that featured presentations from Shawn Lovejoy and his team of coaches, including one of our own, Pastor Matthew Trexler.
​

My last stop of the day was at the United Wesleyan Church in Anderson to hear Rev. Yunio Gonzalez, national superintendent of The Wesleyan Church in Cuba. Pastor Joe Jackson and Rev. Mark Atkinson have both visited the churches in Cuba and were excited to introduce Pastor Yunio to more of the churches in the Crossroads District. Pastor Janiel Caraballo (The Exit Church) did a great job translating the sermon.
​

Wednesday, I was on the road for a coaching conversation with Pastor Chris Taylor at Plymouth Wesleyan Church. Rev. Bose and Dr. Schenck rode along with me and we were able to share an informative lunch gathering with Rev. Ed Friberg (Shiloh Wesleyan Church) and Rev. Ben Jones (Beaver Creek Wesleyan Church).
​

Thursday, both Rev. Junio Gonzalez and Rev. Joshe Bose joined me in Indianapolis as we welcomed pastors from across the metro area. The presentations from our colleagues from Cuba and Bangladesh were well-received. We enjoyed the food, fellowship, and prayer.

Rev. Tom Ensz (Global Partners) joined Dr. Schenck, Rev. Bose, and I for supper and a helpful conversation about the new initiative in South Asia. Tom and I first worked together in Alabama as pastors in the Delta District. Sherry and I presented at the Bible college in Manaus, Brazil when he and Grace Ensz were leading that field for Global Partners. I’m grateful for the experienced leadership Tom is bringing to the South Asia project.
​

We join Heaven in rejoicing with the exciting news of lives being transformed by the power of the Gospel. Pastor Andy Riemersma and the team at ONE Church in Westfield celebrated three such public professions of faith through the sacrament of baptism on September 22.
​

Pastor Andy Cole and the team at Lapel Daybreak Community Church had an exciting morning as two people were baptized. Following the baptism, the wife of the gentleman who was baptized prayed to receive Christ as her Lord. God is on the move in Lapel!
​

Pastor Andy Jellison and the team at Lifeway Wesleyan Church (Fort Wayne) had the joy of baptizing three young people on Sunday morning, September 22. Praise the Lord for lives being #MadeNew!

FUEL is coming to Indiana, October 11-12! Santes Beatty, Director of NextGen Ministries invites all youth and children’s workers to attend this convenient and helpful training event. This year’s event is held right here in our backyard so make tracks, not excuses. (Scholarships are available from the district office if finances would keep you from participating.) Here’s the link to register for the two-day event.
​

Each year, our district conference receives reports from our various ministry champions. Every ministry matters and we’re grateful for the outstanding ministers who generously provided point leadership for these initiatives last year. This week’s excellent report is from one of our circuit riders, Rev. Mark Atkinson. Read his report at this link.
​
​​Thank you for all you do to make a difference for eternity!
​
​Your servant in Christ,

​Mark Gorveatte
​
​Crossroads District Superintendent​

P.S. All credentialed ministers appointed to local church service are invited to save the date of December 7 for our Christmas gathering. This Saturday brunch will be hosted on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University and will feature a Christmas concert from the IWU Chorale. More details to follow. Seating is limited, and a link to RSVP will be sent out soon.