Lakeview, LBA Meetings, and Baptisms!

Sunday, February 13, Sherry and I had the privilege of worshiping with Dr. Chris Williams and the growing congregation at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion. Pastor Chris and his team are leading well and there was a wonderful spirit of worship in the service. Some of you may remember that Dr. Williams was called as pastor for Lakeview Church in April 2020, just as the pandemic hit full stride.

There is encouraging evidence of increased missional engagement and financial stability in this vital congregation that has such a rich history of Kingdom impact. On another happy note, Pastor Chris shared the announcement that Assistant Pastor Jared and Kayla Webb are expecting their first child in August. In addition to leading the church and recently completing his PhD, Dr. Williams also serves as our Assistant District Superintendent with responsibility for the District Board of Ministerial Development. I am grateful for the privilege of partnering with Chris in these key ministries. Following the morning service, Sherry and I hosted the Williams family for lunch.
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The Eastview Wesleyan Church LBA (Local Board of Administration) met at their Jonesboro campus yesterday afternoon. Pastor Mark Atkinson led the LBA through the regular agenda and then turned the meeting over to me as the LBA officially began their search process for their next lead pastor. After a helpful discussion about where this team senses God leading their church in the future, the LBA mapped out next steps with a special emphasis on engaging the congregation in prayer.
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Last week’s schedule included coaching conversations with Rev. Brad LeRoy (Greenfield Harvest Church) on Tuesday and with Rev. Martin Furrow (Rochester The Cross) on Wednesday. Thursday, I met in the morning and afternoon for coaching conversations with lead pastor Rev. Tony Bye and each of the full-time ordained staff members at Brookhaven Wesleyan Church in Marion. One of the highlights of these conversations was Rev. Michelle Henry sharing that they welcomed 98 children to worship at Brookhaven on the previous Sunday.

Another highlight of the week was meeting with five different local boards of administration. The week began with the LBA at New Castle Mt. Zion Church on Monday evening. They look quite serious in this photo but we had a productive and enjoyable meeting as they prepare for their upcoming pastoral vote.
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Tuesday evening, I had the unique opportunity to meet with two of our boards. The first meeting was at 6:00 p.m. with Rev. Gary Bingham and the LBA at Hillside Wesleyan Church in Marion as they prepared for their pastoral vote. The second meeting was with Rev. Lyle Breeding and the LBA at Bluffton Sonlight. Their meeting began at 7:00 and I was able to drop in with them at 7:30 as they prepared for the upcoming pastoral vote and a future-focused conversation about succession planning.
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Saturday morning, I had the privilege of meeting with Dr. Steve Bray and the LBA at LifeSpring Church in Richmond as they prepared for their upcoming pastoral vote. The LifeSpring Church has both a north campus (formerly the Fountain City campus) and a south campus (in downtown Richmond). It was exciting to hear how God is at work in unique ways in both locations.
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We have a great team of pastors but the five LBA meetings this week also reminded me of how blessed we are with so many gifted and dedicated lay leaders who play such important roles in the life of our congregations. Thank you to every board member, every trustee, every worship leader, every Sunday School teacher, and small group leader who makes such a difference for eternity. Please know that you are making a difference and we appreciate you!
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This has also been a week of celebrations of new life in Christ. CrossRoads Church in Union City is one of our newest congregations. They launched last year and continue to see new believers stepping forward to follow Christ in baptism. Pastor John Hannan shared the good news that they baptized two more new believers yesterday.
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Pastor Scott Rhyno shared the wonderful report of 9 baptisms yesterday at Waterline Church in Fishers. Yesterday also marked the 11th anniversary since the church was planted by John and Danielle Freed. There’s no better way to celebrate any church’s anniversary than with fresh redemption stories of lives #MadeNew by the grace of God!
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The Crossroads District Youth All-Nighter is back and open to all of our 100+ churches and youth ministries across the district. The All-Nighter will be held this Friday, February 18, in Fort Wayne at Pathway Community Church with registration beginning at 6:30 pm. For more information and to register, visit: https://districtallnighter2022.eventbrite.com
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PRAYER! We’re looking forward to our next Crossroads District (Region 2) Prayer Gathering on February 20, 6 p.m., at Circle of Hope Church, 396 Park Street in Noblesville. Dr. Rich and Rev. Carol Schenck will be our host pastors. Assistant DS Mike Colaw and Rev. Neftali Lopez will also be joining me in leading our service. We would love to have you join us for this hour of unified prayer as we seek God and His anointing on our leaders, our ministries, and our nation.
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Just a reminder that the funeral service for Rev. Dr. Wayne Caldwell will be held this Friday, February 18, at 10:00 a.m. at Trinity East Church, 11721 Olio Road, in Fishers. Visitation will be held prior to the service (9:00 - 10:00 am). Dr. Caldwell’s obituary and arrangements may be found here:
https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/23902950/wayne-e-caldwell
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​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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P.S. – The 2022 FUEL Conference that was snowed out last week is still coming to Muncie but is now rescheduled for April 21-22! Please encourage your youth and children’s ministry leaders to invest in their personal & ministry development by attending. For questions, email District Youth President Jessica Folz at [email protected]. For more info on FUEL, visit:
www.wesleyan.org/fuel