Nexus NewsFlash

News and IMPORTANT Information for and from

Churches, Clergy, Laypersons & Friends in Central Indiana

July 16, 2014

Important Articles!

For Our Prayers

Save the Dates!

Schedule Interview with the DS

SAWS' Growth Challenge

UM Gathering to Tackle AIDS

LOCAL CHURCH NEWS & EVENTS + Help Wanted

Nexus e-News is the Central District's PRIMARY form of communication to clergy and lay leaders in the District.

For Our Prayers

Concerns

Kaley Kite, 5 yr. old granddaughter of Rev. Bert and Debbie Kite

BJ and Darlene Kite, son and daughter-in-law of Rev Bert and Debbie Kite, parents of Kaley.

Rev. J Daeshner (retired elder) and Julie (Jeff) Buck's father, hospitalized. Jeff Buck is the new senior pastor at Mt Auburn.

Rev. Ted (and Lynn) Blosser, retired elder.

Rev. Wade (and Teri) Compton, senior pastor at Bradley UMC.

Rev. Jim Hertel, pastor at Mt. Auburn UMC.

Please pray for all of our Central District pastors, especially those in transition, moving or experiencing health issues.

Please continue to pray for The Branches, the new church start in Hendricks County, and their pastor, Alex Hershey.

Sympathies

CHARLES LOUIS BOWYER, SR., of Jeffersonville, Ind., 79, father of the Rev. Charles R. Harrison, senior pastor of Barnes United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, died Saturday, July 12, 2014. at A memorial service will be held at noon ET, Thursday, July 17, at Wesley United Methodist Church, 1201 Thomas V. Bryant Drive in Jeffersonville. Condolences can be sent to the Rev. & Mrs. Charles (and Fawn) Harrison, 3715 Watson Road, Indianapolis, IN 46205.

SAVE the DATES!

Save the Dates!

TRANSFORMission

July 20-25

Butler University

more information

Lion & Lamb Festival

Aug 8-10

Fort Wayne, IN

more information

revitup!

National Event for Young Clergy

Sept 15-17

Atlanta, GA

event information

Clergy Spouse Retreat

Sept 19-21

Holiday Inn North, Indianapolis

more information

NEW: Quarterly Clergy Meeting

October 6

10 am-noon at Avon UMC

Parish Nurse Health Seminar

Oct 10

Speedway UMC

click to request information

Fall Lay Servant Academy

Nov 1 at Southport UMC

Quarterly District Clergy Meeting

Dec 1, 10-12:30

includes lunch

Greenwood UMC

reservations requested

NEW:District Conference

Sunday, Dec 14, 3:00 pm

@ Southport UMC

Retirees Christmas Luncheon

December 15

11:30 a.m.

Franklin UM Community

reservations please

Our Life Together

Feb 23-24, 2015

St Luke's UMC

Clergy/Laity Event with Bob Farr

March 9-10, 2015

Indianapolis Christ UMC

Bishop's Youth Rally

March 14, 2015

Quick Links

Read the 3 Simple Rules for Social Media

Local Mission Opportunities

Conference website

General Board of Pensions and Health Benefits

United Methodist Foundation of Indiana

Central District email

Please share this with others you know would like to have information relating to the Central District as this e-newsletter is our primary form of communication.

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Pastors, subscribe to Leading Ideas. from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership. Click here to sign up and view past issues.

The summer months invite rest and relaxation in the warmth of the sun, family time, vacations and just a break from all the activities of a busy spring. It seems to me that instead of the lazy, hazy days of summer, the pace continues and activities tend to escalate with trying to accomplish everything before going back to school, fall star-up programs, and ending vacation time. It is only mid-July and the calendar is filling up again.

We welcome pastors to new appointments, summer programs for youth and children abound, mission trips close to home as well as in foreign countries flourish, new or different worship experiences welcome vacationers and members alike. God is good! And God continues to bless our endeavors whether or not we are on vacation or worshiping differently or welcoming newcomers or taking the mission into the fields because our God is never "on vacation" or slowing down!

We thank God for the beautiful summer weather, the warm sunshine, the soaking rains, the longer daylight hours, more time with our friends and families and the opportunities we have to share the love of God with others.

As you plan the balance of your summer, please also keep in mind the opportunities available through Conference and District events and be sure to check out the "Save the Date" column for things coming in the months ahead.

For the only cause that matters,

M. Bert Kite, Superintendent

Full Time Pastors - Remember to Schedule Your Interview with the District Superintendent

Summer conversations with the District Superintendent will continue in late July and August for all FULL TIME pastors serving local churches in the Central District. Please call or email Heather to schedule your time if you have not so. All full time pastors (as of July 1) are expected to make an appointment. The Central District phone number is 317-924-4140.

ALL PASTORS: Be sure to send in your self evaluation and your SPRC ministry evaluation
which were due prior to annual conference. If you are one of the 25 pastors or 24 SPRC chairs who have not completed your evaluation, we ask that you PLEASE do so as soon as possible.

DS Bert Kite must have these completed and submitted as soon as possible. Please request a Word document if you cannot work with the PDF document.

UMW News

Mission U

The statewide United Methodist Women of Indiana Mission U at Depauw University in Greencastle dates for the regular school are Tuesday-Friday, July 22-25, with Sampler Day on Saturday, July 26.

Mission U is for everyone - women, men, youth, children, laity, clergy - you! Mission U is where people of all ages come together to grow in understanding of the mission of the church in the current world context through study, fellowship, worship and fun. Each year, three tracks are featured at the school. This year's studies are:

Spiritual Growth: "How is it with your Soul"
Geographic: "The Roma of Europe"
Social Issue: "The Church and People with Disabilities"

The regular weekday Mission u will be held Tuesday, July 22 through Friday, July 25. Registration deadline is July 1. Click here for more information and registration.

An all day Mission u Sample School will be held Saturday, July 26 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET.Registration deadline is July 21. Click here for more information and registration.

Volunteers in Mission Training

Hagerstown church to host next VIM Training, Aug. 2

HAGERSTOWN, Ind. - The next Volunteers In Mission Training will be held at the Hagerstown United Methodist Church, 199 South Perry Street in Hagerstown. The VIM Training is intended for all those volunteers interested in learning more about the United Methodist connectional system, volunteer resources, team leader responsibilities, cultural awareness and project selection. Local, conference wide, U.S. and International mission opportunities will be discussed. The cost is $15 per participant with optional manual with $25 each additional cost. Registration deadline is Wednesday, July 23. Registration check-in begins at 9:30 a.m. EDT with the class from 10 a.m. through 3 p.m., including a working lunch. The training is open to all and will be presented by Beth Stickles-McDaniel, INUMC VIM Coordinator. If you have questions about this training or mission opportunities, contact Stickles-McDaniel at vim@inumc.org or 317-705-1870. Register here.

Lion & Lamb Festival

The Lion and Lamb Festival is a space to come together as the community of God to engage in conversation about faith and justice, to celebrate through music and art to learn, to grown, to find hope. We believe God is alive and active in our world, if only we keep our eyes open. Come, be inspired. We are thrilled to welcome speakers Alexia Salvatierra and Roger Wolsey and musical guests Rend Collective Experiment and Amy Cox. This year, we are working hard to make the festival affordable and accessible to all people. The event is August 8-10 at Praise Park, Ft. Wayne. Early bird tickets are only $15! Children 12 and under are free again this year. Registration is now open. For more information and to register click here.

New UM Handbook Available

The new United Methodist Handbook is now available in an easy-to-read and share digital format.

The Handbook is among the best resources for laity providing leadership, people new to The United Methodist Church and clergy who occasionally get stumped by a question. It includes:

* United Methodist teachings,
* church structure and organization,
* denominational initiatives,
* what it means to be a worldwide church,
* connectional giving information,
* a glossary of United Methodist terms ... and much more.

You can also download the Handbook for off-line reading, print pages for new member classes, leader training and other events and send it to others.

GBOD Free Seminars

Here is a list of General Board of Discipleship free webinars for local church leaders on a variety of topics within congregations. Each webinar runs for one hour. Most, but not all, begin at 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT. Advance registration is required. For more information and registration, visit www.gbod.org/webinars.Here's the list with dates:

Finding Treasure: The Story of Our Newest Stewardship Resource - July 10
What's the Job of Conference and District Lay Leaders? - July 16
Congregations as Discipling Communities - July 22
Pastors Read: Ten Commandments, How Our Ancient Moral Text Can Renew Modern Life - Aug. 20
Stewardship: Show Me the Mission! - Sept. 25

Basic ERT Training at Indy St Luke's

St. Luke's UMC, 100 W. 86th Street in Indianapolis will host the Basic Early Response Team (ERT) from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23. The purpose of ERT Training is to prepare people to provide a caring Christian presence in the aftermath of disaster. ERTs are participants of Volunteers In Mission, who have been trained by the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) trainers and are required to deploy as part of an ERT at least once during their three years, UMCOR-certified period to qualify for recertification. The trainer for this class will be the Rev. Jim Byerly, Indiana Conference Disaster Response Coordinator. Lunch is included in the registration fee of $32 and the registration deadline is Thursday, Aug. 14 or until participant limit is reached. Minimum class size is 14 participants for the training to be held. Registration is limited to 35 participants. All participants must download and complete a background check form, which must be turned in when you check-in for the class. To download the background check information and form click here. Click here to register.

Glory Sighting

Over 40 persons from [Franklin] Grace Church walked in the parade and passed out info about the Preschool and Church!

Life Line Screening Offered @ Glenns Valley

Glenns Valley Church is pleased to offer a preventive health event. Life Line Screening, a leading provider of community-based preventive health screenings, will host their affordable, non-invasive and painless health screenings on July 25, 2014. Five screenings will be offered that scan for potential health problems related to: blocked arteries which is a leading cause of stroke; abdominal aortic aneurysms which can lead to a ruptured aorta; hardening of the arteries in the legs which is a strong predictor of heart disease; atrial fibrillation or irregular heart beat which is closely tied to stroke risk; and a bone density screening, for men and women, used to assess the risk of osteoporosis. Register for a Wellness Package which includes 4 vascular tests and osteoporosis screening from $149 ($139 with our member discount). All five screenings take 60-90 minutes to complete. In order to register for this event and to receive a $10 discount off any package priced above $129, please call 1-888-653-6441 or visit www.lifelinescreening.com/community-partners.

SAWS' Growth Challenged to Meet Demand for More Ramps

UM Gathering to Tackle AIDS Crisis

Every Annual Conference is being urged to send a representative to Countdown to Zero with the goal of equipping leaders to help further educate about and advocate for AIDS elimination and ways United Methodists can make a difference. REGISTER TODAY.

Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey from Louisiana will provide a clarion call to action to those gathered at the 5th United Methodist Global AIDS Fund Conference "Countdown to Zero: Just Save One" Sept. 11-13 in Denver, Colo. She is the episcopal leader in a conference that believes the AIDS pandemic must be eradicated and has taken action to make that happen.

For information on scholarships, contact Linda Bales Todd, joylab47@yahoo.com. Deadline for accepting scholarship applications is July 25.

Deadline for registering for the conference is Aug. 15.

To register or for an event flyer, go to: www.umglobalaidsfund.com.

LOCAL CHURCH NEWS and EVENTS

There are lots of events, special activities, classes and studies happening around the Central District. Due to space constraints, they are listed in full on the District web site. For all local church news and events go to the District web page by clicking HERE.

(Please submit only items with broad appeal beyond your local congregation.)

Details of these events are on the District web page

Bethel UMC - register for summer session

Edgewood UMC - Lead Like Moses 7/18; Discipleship workshop 7/19

Maple Hill - Officer Higdon speaks 7/25

Bartlett Chapel - Men & Boys event 7/26

Help Wanted - check out the new positions

St Luke UMC, Omaha, Neb. - full-time Director of Children's and Youth Ministries

Franklin Grace - Director of Children's Ministry

Lawrence UMC - PT Preschool lead teacher (4-5 yr olds)

IN Conference - Communications director

Danville UMC - administrative assistant

Bethel UMC- Certified child development associate

Wesley UMC - certified teachers

Roberts Park - PT choir director

Movie Theater Church - PT Family Ministry Director

Bethel UMC - certified child development associates

Asian Help Services is in need of a few volunteer English teachers who have teaching experience, or retired school teachers. We meet at Epworth UMC in the morning from 9:30 to 11:30 a m. Once a week or twice a week is enough. If interested or want more information, please contact Sungboon Baik (317) 924-4827.

Free: Imagistics color copier, 35 ppm, with supplies. Needs service call. Call the district center at 317-924-4140. Pick it up and it's yours!

Chuck Knows Church!

Seen Chuck Knows Church? Check out the latest online video series at: ChuckKnowsChurch.org.

Contact information for the Central District:

Office Hours: 8:30-4:30 Monday-Friday

3901 N Meridian St, Suite 210

Indianapolis, IN 46208

317-924-4140 or toll free: 877-781-6707

fax: 317-924-4007
District website

Confernce website: www.inumc.org general email: central.district@inumc.org

Remittance Address for District and Conference payments:
Conference tithe is 10% and District tithe is 1.5%
INUMC

PO Box 6089

Carol Stream, IL 60122-6089

Central District - The United Methodist Church

Bert Kite, Superintendent (please note correct email address, above)

Bob Coleman, Associate Superintendent (relates to DCOM and clusters)

Charlie Rownd, Associate Superintendent (relates to local churches for security and risk management)

Karen Devaisher, Associate Superintendent (relates to clergy and clusters)

Brad Miller, Associate Superintendent (relates to Clusters)

Joe Bottorff (relates to extension ministers), Jacquie Reed (relates to clergy spouses): Assistants to the Superintendent (volunteer)

Robin Brown, District Assistant

Heather Cress, Receptionist

Lisa Morris, Executive Director, Metro Ministries, Inc.

If you have a submission for the NEXUS NewsFlash, please send the article in Word format to Robin Brown at central.district@inumc.org by Monday of each week. PDF documents cannot be published. Not all articles will be published, and all articles are subject to editing and review.