Local Mission Opportunities 

Yesterday was a wonderful day for our Central District Staff Team!  We gathered early in the morning for prayer & devotions, during which time we sang of the love of Jesus for his friends, and we reflected on the John 15 passage where Jesus reminds us he no longer calls us servants, but friends.  And, we thought about how the gift of one another as friends has bound us together in Christ.

 

Then for the balance of the day, we lived out our love and friendship for one another, building the fabric of our strong team into an even stronger, more durable one. We enjoyed the Indiana Historical Society Museum together, and Joe Bottorff and I discovered our families both hail from the same county, Jackson County, near Seymour Indiana.  Others talked about learning of their roots, and we shared many thoughts of how five of us gathered were Hoosier natives, and five of us hailed from other states, but now call Indiana home.

It was fun!

 

Then Robin surprised our team by taking us to a wonderful west side restaurant, where we shared stories of seafood, favorite travels, filled with bursts of laughter, together.  After the delicious meal which everyone said was wonderful, one of our team members joked that we should enjoy several different desserts, so we ordered a few different desserts, and we each sampled each one, together.  In my mind's eye, it was a delightful meal which was similar to the many meals which  I imagine Jesus and his friends enjoyed by the sea of Galilee, together. 

 

Like those of so many generations of faith who have gone before us, it was a delightful day of worship, togetherness, sharing love, faith, laughter, and good food!  As I drove toward home, I uttered a breath prayer, "Thank You, Lord, for such a great team who laugh, live, love, and serve...together."

 

For the only cause that matters,

 

M. Bert Kite, Superintendent 

There is a great need to raise up mature disciples in the Church today. The very reason we exist is to make Disciples.

This seminar provides a step-by-step discipleship process for your ministry"

For reservations call 1-800-222-4930; more information and registration: click here

 

District Superintendent Bert Kite has announced that the Central District Conference will be held on Sunday, December 14 at 3 p.m. at Southport UMC, (1947 E Southport, Indianapolis, IN). At this meeting the 2015 District budget and District leadership will be reviewed/approved, as well as other business conducted.

 

In order to involve leadership from many parts of the conference, the election of delegates to General and Jurisdictional Conferences shall begin in local congregations, continue in districts, and conclude at Annual Conference.  Local congregations may submit names of potential lay delegates to either of our District Lay Leaders, Doris Clark or Anthony Swinger.  Potential clergy delegates may submit their names to Bert Kite.  There will be a Willingness to Serve form which will need to be submitted along with the name.  

 

The printed information mailed to pastors has the incorrect date printed on it. 

Over the past few months I have discussed numerous fraud schemes that target unsuspecting victims. Today I would like to discuss one of the most common online fraud schemes to date. Overpayment fraud is a common fraud scheme which begins when a victim advertises a product for sale (generally a high-value item such as a car, computer, or electronic good) on the internet. An individual claiming to reside in a foreign country contacts the seller to purchase the item. The purchaser sends the seller a counterfeit check or money order for an amount greater than the price of the item. The purchaser instructs the victim to deposit the check or money order, deduct the sale price, and return the overpayment.

In some cases, scam artists have convinced sellers that circumstances have arisen that require the cancellation of the sale, and the victim is asked to return the remainder of the money. Oftentimes the "buyer" explains that the additional funds will be used for shipping and handling and have included the additional amount in the check. When the payment turns out to be counterfeit, the victim is often held responsible by his or her financial institution and is required to pay the entire amount back to the bank.

You should never take payment for an item that you have listed for sale that is in excess of the agreed upon price with the intent of returning additional funds to the buyer. You should also verify if the funds provided to you are legitimate before sending your merchandise to the buyer. If you have any questions concerning the source of the funds, please talk with your banker before making a costly mistake to you or your family. If you have any questions concerning overpayment fraud or any other frauds, please contact me at Charlie.Rownd@inumc.org.

New Pastor Orientation on September 6, 2014 from 9 am until 4 pm at Carmel St. Marks is for all pastors serving in their first appointment (supply, local pastor, Elder, Deacon) and all pastors new to the Indiana Conference. Pastors who should have attended in the past but were unable to attend should also register. 

 

The registration deadline is September 1, 2014 at 11:59 pm.  There is no cost to attend and lunch is included. Register online

Local churches who would like to have a speaker come to their church to inform their congregation about Africa University and the Indiana A.U. Campaign can contact Ruth Ellen Stone at ruthellen1@juno.com or 317-839-8837. For more information, please click here.

 

The Indiana Annual Conference committed to support Africa University through a $1.6 million campaign to endow scholarships and a Chair in the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources. We thank those churches that made a commitment to support the campaign during Annual Conference, and would like those churches to now indicate the amount of their pledge. We are also asking churches who have not made a commitment to prayerfully consider making a pledge. 

 

During a visit to Africa University in March 2015, Bishop Coyner will report on the progress we have made with the Indiana Campaign. Our goal is to have the $1.6 million pledged before Bishop Coyner visits Africa University. 

 

If your church has not already completed a card and would like to make a pledge, please complete this  Church Pledge Card and turn it in to your District during your Charge Conference meeting.