Independence Day, Indiana South, and Summer Camps

This is an abbreviated update given our holiday weekend. Hopefully you were able to take a few days to enjoy celebrating America’s 245th birthday with your family and friends. We really are blessed to live in this wonderful land of freedom and opportunity. America still has room for improvement but the fact is that more people are trying to get into this country than are trying to leave it. I join you in praying that our country may continue to become a more perfect union with liberty and justice for all.
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Sunday morning, July 4, I had the privilege of preaching at Hartford City Wesleyan Church where I’ve been serving as interim pastor. This is a wonderful congregation ministering in Blackford County, one of the smallest and least affluent counties in the state of Indiana. It has been a joy to serve with their leaders and staff during this time of transition. We were blessed to welcome Amanda Banter, Global Partners missionary-appointee, who is preparing to join the team of Wesleyan missionaries serving in the Czech Republic. Amanda shared her testimony of God’s trustworthiness in her life and calling to ministry as part of my sermon from Lamentations 3:22-24 on the great faithfulness of God.
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It was a wonderful blessing to hear from Amanda (a member of The River Church in Marion) and to be able to pray for her as she continues raising prayer partners and financial support. Thank you to each one of our Crossroads District churches who have already partnered with Amanda. If you haven’t had the chance to have Amanda share in your church, there’s still time this summer.

On Tuesday, June 29, I was able to attend the Indiana South District Conference. It was encouraging to hear the reports of church planting and congregational renewal. Dr. Mark Eckart, who has served as their district superintendent for 18 years, was re-elected to another term. General Superintendent Dr. Wayne Schmidt joined the conference to bring greetings from our denomination. IWU President Dr. David Wright was also there to bring greetings to this district that had been home to his family for years when his father and mother ministered there. We’re excited to partner again this year with Indiana South, Greater Ohio, and Kentucky-Tennessee district to provide The Heartland Region Gathering in Pigeon Forge, TN, March 22-24, 2022.
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Summer camping ministry continues across our district family. Last week, I received the report from Rev. Seth Merrill that Camp United, a partnership of several churches on the western side of our district, had another successful week at Hanging Rock Christian Assemblies Camp. We are celebrating with them as they reported 30 professions of faith and 4 students testified to answering a calling to ministry.

This week, the Fairmount Camp Ministry is hosting their annual children’s camp with another great turnout. Pray for the Executive Director Angela Spangler, her staff, the many volunteers and the precious children who will be ministered to this week. The stakes are high and the statistics are compelling that as many as 85% of all people who ever come to faith in Christ do so between the ages of 4 and 14. (Source: ​http://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/ages.htm)
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Fairmount Camp is welcoming Dr. Jim Lo and Dr. Andrea Summers as their evangelists and Rev. Matthew Stewart as the Bible teacher for their family camp beginning on July 18-25. (www.fairmountcamp.org). Frankfort Camp runs from July 11-18 with Rev. David Duncan and Rev. Nathan Bryant as evangelists.
(https://www.facebook.com/Frankfort-Camp-Ministries-442025890366)
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​Pray that God will graciously meet with His people in these camps and empower us for effective service in these great days of opportunity!

Your servant in Christ,

Mark Gorveatte

Crossroads District Superintendent