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Sunday morning, August 25, Rev. Don Bayne and the team at New Carlisle Wesleyan Church welcomed me to bring greetings from our district team. Pastor Don has been faithfully serving New Carlisle since 1995. Andrew Colaw is also on staff leading worship and youth.  It was encouraging to hear how they’re reaching out to their community. The director of the local seniors’ center was present in the service to invite the congregation to an appreciation dinner in gratitude for the impact NCWC has had on their residents. The church family hosted a “back-to-school” event to provide 300 students with backpacks and school supplies. Following the service, I met with the LBA (Local Board of Administration) and then hosted Pastor Don and Ty (his son) for lunch. While out for lunch, Pastor Don showed me the warehouse from which the church has blessed 1600 families with donated home furnishings.  Sunday afternoon, I met with the congregation at Monon Wesleyan Church. Dr. Brad Snyder is completing his service to the church and they are having the difficult conversation about whether they still have the capacity to continue on. I’m grateful for the small but faithful group of believers who maintained this ministry over the past few years.  Last Monday, I had the privilege of presenting a Clifton StrengthsFinder workshop with the Taylor University School of Business. As many of you know, Dr. Sherry Gorveatte joined the Taylor faculty as Assistant Professor of Accounting, so it was fun to meet and serve her colleagues in the department.  I dropped by The River Church to catch up with the leadership cohort that Pastor Matthew Trexler leads each month. God is writing some exciting stories of Kingdom impact through these cohorts and I’m grateful that Dr. Chris Williams will also be leading cohorts this fall. The last meeting of the day was back with the leaders at The Branch in Lafayette. They are prayerfully considering a bold step to increase their impact in their region. Tuesday morning, I was back on the road for coaching conversations. My first stop was with Pastor Josh Fox over coffee at Common Grounds in Hartford City. It was encouraging to hear how God is at work in his growing family (8th grader, 4th grader, and kindergartener) and also blessing the church. My next stop was with Pastor Dan Van Cise in Marion. God has been answering the faithful prayers at West 8th Street. Pastor Dan has been calling the church to a Saturday morning prayer meeting each week for the past 3 years. Attendance this summer is up 10 per week over last summer and here’s a picture from their baptism yesterday!  My last meeting of the day was with Dr. Eddie Shigley. Professor Shigley is a tremendous blessing to our IWU students, but he also has a passion for encouraging pastors in the local church. He and Esther, his wife, have provided marriage and family seminars for area congregations and we’re exploring ways to partner in the future. Wednesday, I met with Michael Wood in Arcadia to sign documents before heading on to Avon to meet with Rev. Seth Bye for our annual coaching conversation. Pastor Seth and Kassidy (along with Sonora) are pressing forward in relaunching ministry in Avon as 317Church. Thank you to those churches who have added 317Church to your multiplication budget. Pastor Seth was celebrating the 3 professions of faith so far this summer and looking forward to continued growth as they move into the fall.  My next appointment was a Zoom call with several of our chaplains. We have 11 currently under appointment to this category of service in our district and many more who serve in part-time employed or volunteer chaplain roles. These chaplains serve in a variety of roles including law enforcement, long-term and hospice, correctional facilities, and educational institutions. The team is working to develop a day of orientation, training, and fellowship for those who currently serve and for others who would like to learn more about these ministries. If you’d like to be on their list for additional information, send a note to the district office. Rev. Grace Lopez, our Assistant District Superintendent for Hispanic Ministries, (along with her husband Rev. Neftali Lopez) met with me to provide an update on her activities this summer and plans for the fall. I am especially grateful for the leadership Pastor Grace provides to our Spanish-speaking ministerial students in the FLAMA program. Thursday morning, I joined Pastor Noah Farmer and his team at Gas City Eastview Wesleyan Church for their 21 Days of Prayer gathering. The church was also hosting an IWU staff breakfast so the building was hopping. Rev. Tony Bye and I met at Lola’s Coffee for our ACC (annual coaching conversation). Pastor Tony shared a good report from Brookhaven Wesleyan Church with growth in their young adult ministry, especially with young married couples. They’re also rejoicing with 11 baptisms so far in this conference year.  My last stop of the day was with Dr. Chris Williams for our ACC and to catch up on district work as Chris serves us well as Assistant DS and ViceChair of the DBA (district board of administration). I also dropped in at Lakeview Wesleyan Church on Saturday morning as Dr. Williams affirmed the congregation for their strong participation in the 21 Days of Prayer. Saturday also provided an opportunity to check in with Pastor Scott Rhyno and the team at Waterline Church as they are finishing last minute details on their new facility in Ingalls. They had another great crew of volunteers and, while I didn’t know all of them, I did recognize one of the team. You know him as Dr. Wayne Schmidt, General Superintendent, but if you know Pastor Wayne well, you would know that it was almost General Contractor. Thank you, Dr. Schmidt for leading by example in your own local church!  Sherry and I were in Lapel on Saturday evening for the beautiful wedding of Noah and Jaci (Cole) Colaw. Proud parents of the bride, Rev. Andy and Elicia Cole, hosted the festivities in the wedding venue they’ve renovated just north of Lapel. Rev. Michael Colaw, proud father of the groom, officiated with assistance from Rev. Andy Cole and from the grandfathers, Rev. Richard Cole and Rev. Joe Colaw. Noah and Jaci will be returning to the IWU campus this fall as they continue to study for pastoral ministry. Our best wishes and prayers for God’s blessing on their life and ministry.  Nothing brings more joy than to hear the stories of lives being transformed by the Gospel! Pastor Ron Forsythe (Lancaster Wesleyan Church) had the privilege of baptizing two young men this past Sunday!  Pastor Scott McDermid had the joy of baptizing another young lady last weekend as part of the special day when the youth ministry at Six Points Wesleyan Church took responsibility for the worship service. God is on the move in Sheridan!  Pastor Walter Martir and the team at Indianapolis Monte de Sion Iglesia Wesleyana celebrated an outdoor baptism on Saturday afternoon, August 24, and three young adults publicly professed their faith in Christ. Pastor Walter was also excited to share that five more people prayed to receive Christ on Sunday morning!  Two more Sundays until we gather for the Celebration of Ministry on September 15, 5 p.m., at Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion. The ordained ministers will meet promptly at 4:30 for our group photo and directions for our participation in the service. The service begins promptly at 5 p.m. led by our General Superintendent, Dr. Wayne Schmidt. We will also celebrate retiring ministers and those who have achieved decadal milestones in their ministry. The ordination service will be followed by a reception to greet those newly ordained and for a time of fellowship. Plan to join us!  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. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing several of those reports for you to enjoy. Every ministry matters and we’re grateful for the outstanding ministers who generously provide point leadership for these initiatives. This week’s excellent report is from Rev. Dr. Chris Williams, Assistant District Superintendent. Click here to read his report. Thank you for all you do to make a difference for eternity! Your servant in Christ, Mark Gorveatte Crossroads District Superintendent P.S. COURAGE TO LEAD – Shawn Lovejoy is bringing his one-day leadership training event for pastors and business leaders to Indianapolis on September 17. Shawn has been both a successful commercial real estate developer and an effective church planter. We’re grateful for Shawn’s willingness to offer a 30% discount for our district pastors. Sign up early and use the discount code “Wesleyan” when you register and let’s learn to be more courageous leaders. https://www.couragetolead.com/oneday Comments are closed.
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