Staff Parish Relations Committee Visits 
John Groves, the new superintendent for the West District, will be visiting with all Staff Parish Relations Committees throughout the next couple months. A schedule has been set, and notifications were sent out last week to SPRC chairs and pastors. Please check with your pastor or your SPRC chairperson if you have not heard the date for this meeting. If you have any questions about this schedule, please contact Katie Swisher by email or by phone at 765-276-4797.
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What is the Role of the Lay Leader in the Local Church?
 Local congregations elect a lay leader each year, but what role does the lay leader serve? The answer to that question varies from congregation to congregation, but some responsibilities are vital in all churches. The Book of Discipline describes the lay leader as key in "linking the vision and plan of the congregation with the ministry of the Annual conference and in nurturing cooperation and coordination of the pastor and congregation in leadership." Major responsibilities include serving as an advocate for the laity in the church by: - recognizing, celebrating, and encouraging the ministry of the laity
- meeting regularly with the pastor to provide support
- providing a link between the pastor and the congregation
- serving on a variety of committees within the local church
- modeling faithful and responsible discipleship.
If you are the lay leader in your church and have questions...or stories to tell of how you live out your role...we'd love to hear from you. Questions, stories or concerns can be directed to the West District Co-Lay Leaders, whose role includes serving as a link among local lay leaders and the district and conference leadership teams: Nyle Riegle (n.riegle@comcast.net) - Linton First UMC Sharon Koehler (skoehler@indiana.net) - Brazil First UMC (Excerpts from Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation 2001-2012 Lay Leader/Lay Member.Copyright © 2008 by Cokesbury.)
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Cokesbury is partnering with the West District Office to offer you 20% off Hymnals and 15% off all Worship & Song materials. In order to receive the discount you must place your order through Chris Burkhart who is our Cokesbury sales representative for the state of Indiana. Just mention this ad when you call. Click here to download the flyer for this exclusive offer!
Contact Chris Burkhart, Cokesbury Sales Representative, to take advantage of this great deal!
cburkhart@cokesbury.com or 317-782-8633.
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Position Available
Executive Director of Day Care
Grace United Methodist Church, Lafayette, IN seeks an Executive Director of Grace Day Care. This full-time, salaried position is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of the licensed day care in our facility. Duties include but are not limited to: management and reporting of all state licensing requirements, staff supervision, general administration, curriculum oversight and evaluation and promotion to our community. A four-year degree in early childhood education or related field, one year of experience in a childcare facility, strong administrative and organizational skills, creativity and willingness to work as part of a larger church staff are qualifications. Salary is commensurate with experience, benefits available. Please apply by July 30 by sending a cover letter, your resume and references to Rev. Lore Blinn Gibson, lore.gibson@inumc.org. Email application is preferred.
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Local Church Events Calendar
In an effort to keep this newsletter as concise as possible, we are listing local church events only on the district web site. To view these events, simply CLICK HERE, and you will be directed to it. If your church has an event you would like featured on this calendar, please e-mail the details to Katie Swisher at west.district@inumc.org.
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| Cluster Training Event
Memorial UMC
2701 Poplar, Terre Haute
Sunday, August 12th 2:00 p.m.
Clergy and lay people are invited to attend this training event!
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District Superintendent Installation Service 
Rev. John Groves
Sunday, September 9, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.
Crawfordsville First UMC
212 E Wabash, Crawfordsville
All are invited to attend the Installation Service for our new District Superintendent, Rev. John Groves. There will be a special installation worship service followed by time for fellowship and refreshments. We look forward to seeing you there for this important service!
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Israel Trip
November 12-21, 2012
Hosted by Rev. Dave & Mary Marty
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