SMALL HEADER
August 13, 2013
WEST DISTRICT NEWS
A weekly newsletter to keep you connected.

Virtual Office Calendar Now Online

VO Calendar  

On the West District website www.inumc.org/westdistrict, you will notice the VIRTUAL OFFICE CALENDAR Button.  Click on it.  This will lead you to a screen that displays John Groves, John Davis and Katie Swisher's Calendars for a week or two in advance.

 

It is our hope that when you notice where we are planning our "office for the day" you will join us for conversation and share what exciting events are taking place in your places of worship and ministry.

 

This office time is open to the laity and clergy.

 

Blessings and Prayers,

The West District Staff

 

 

Charge Conference Schedule Published
Calendar
The 2013 West District charge conference schedule is now published on the West District Center website.  Please click here to view the schedule.  Make sure to mark your church and personal calendars for your particular charge conference date!
 
Information about the charge conference forms will be released in the coming months.  Please begin planning for your charge conference by setting meetings now to have the proper information gathered at that time.  There are many changes coming to the charge conference forms this year.  

One way your church needs to begin preparing for these changes is to have ALL PASTORS begin using the INUMC.ORG e-mail account provided by the Conference.  Access to the new charge conference forms will be granted using this e-mail account, so it is vital that these accounts are set up now.  If you have questions about setting up your INUMC.ORG account, please contact the Indiana Conference Center at 317-924-1321.

 

EVENTS
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 [email protected].

Safe Sanctuaries Training and Q&A Sessions Scheduled for West District Church Leaders
August 17, 2013

Two sessions have been planned for church leaders to learn more about creating and updating abuse protection policies for their churches.  Both sessions will be held on Saturday, August 17, 2013 at Gobin Memorial United Methodist Church in Greencastle, to allow both new and experienced persons to participate in one or both of the sessions. 

 

9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.    Safe Sanctuaries/Abuse Protection Policy Training          

(for new clergy and laity abuse protection leaders who have not yet attended an initial training held previously in the West District)

 

11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.  Lunch

(lunch will be on your own, to provide for a break for participants and leaders to process ideas, needs, and questions for the afternoon session)

 

1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.                   Abuse Protection Policy  Q & A Session            

(for those clergy and laity previously trained in the West District, those who are presently reviewing and updating their church's policies,  and those who attended the morning session who would like more information)

 

Sessions will be led, once again, by the West District Abuse Protection Policy Team including Rev. Michael Baker, Rev. Andrew Charnstrom, Ms. Teddy Shuck, and Rev. Diane Menke Pence.

 

A link to the West District Abuse Protection Guidelines can be found here.  Please plan to bring a copy of this policy with you to the training and Q & A sessions.

 

Please reserve your place at one or both of these sessions by emailing Katie Swisher by August 8.

 

 


Lion & Lamb Festival - Registration Now Open
August 31 - September 1, 2013

 

 An exciting new ministry event, and you are invited!  The Lion and Lamb Festival is a community of hope gathering to share gifts, inspire authentic conversation, and passionately follow God in the world.  It will gather August 31-September 1, 2013, at Praise Park, a property of Saint Joseph UMC in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  Through art, music, and word, the festival will encourage attendees to reflect on issues of spirituality, faith, and justice in their everyday lives.  2013 festival keynote speakers include Rachel Held Evans and Bruce Reyes-Chow, and currently booked musicians include Andrew Peterson, Heatherlyn, John Tibbs, Amy Cox, and Elle/the Remnant.  A joint effort of the INUMC Young Adult Ministry Team, the Social Advocacy Team, and Saint Joseph UMC, the festival is open to everyone of all ages.  More information at www.lionandlambfestival.org.

 

Clergy Spouse Retreat
September 20-22, 2013        Holiday Inn Indianapolis North 

Recovering Joy All clergy spouses of every age and gender and in every stage of ministry are invited to attend this weekend retreat.  Churches, please consider sponsoring your clergy spouse's registration fee. This is a wonderful time of worship and fellowship with clergy spouses from all over the state. 

Online registration is open now - click here to register!

 

West District Operation Classroom News
The next Operation Classroom Packing Day is scheduled for Thursday, October 3rd at 8:30 AM at Breden Memorial UMC in Terre Haute.

Operation Classroom

After ten years of coordinating Operation Classroom efforts in our region, Bill Green will be stepping down this year.  October 3rd will be his last Packing Day.  If you are interested in taking over this responsibility, please contact Bill at [email protected]. If a new Operation Classroom coordinator is not found, the West District Operation Classroom program will have to be put on hold.  Please be praying about this project. 
 
Operation Classroom gets no financial support for the General Board of Global Ministries - we get no financial support from any other mission agency. Every nickel that we receive has to be raised from local churches and individuals.

 

In the past, the shipping operation has often operated "in the red" - that is, people who provided materials to be shipped to West Africa DID NOT provide the funds to ship it there. We simply aren't in a position to do that any longer. Please see the policies listed below related to shipping (copied from off of our web-site.) If our churches and individuals in Indiana (and elsewhere) aren't willing to provide the funding, then sooner rather than later the shipping program will cease to be a part of OCI. It costs us about $10,000.00 each time we ship a container to West Africa - and that doesn't include the warehousing and receiving costs here in Indiana.

 

Shipping Costs

Listed below is the schedule of MANDATORY contributions for shipping. We're sorry, but if material shows up at the warehouse or at in-gatherings without arrangements having been made to cover these costs, IT WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED for shipment.

    � Box 12x12x12= $10

    � Box up to 12x12x18 -$15

    � Box over 12x12x18 up to 18x18x18 =$ 20

    � Over 18x18x18 to a computer sized box = $ 30

    � Computer sized box = $ 40

 

The donation for the shipping costs is the responsibility of the local church or individual who donates or secures the items, unless you or your district has made other arrangements. These charges cover:

    � The leasing and of the container

    � Clearing customs

    � Freight forwarding (Truck and Ocean-going vessel)

    � Customs clearing in-country

 

Make checks payable to OPERATION CLASSROOM. Shipping costs are tax deductible.

 

If shipping costs are sent through the conference to GBGM in New York, use the advance number:  Africa Operation Classroom: 12922Y

 

If you have questions, contact John Barker (765.346.0979) or Bob Coolman at

219-464-8055 (O) 219-464-2702 (H) 219-405-5821 (C).  

 

Extravagant Generosity Workshop with David Bell
Bloomington St. Mark's UMC
October 25-26, 2013

Rejuvenate

The first Extravagant Generosity workshop this fall will be October 25-26, 2013 at Bloomington St Marks UMC.  The Friday workshop is from 8:30 am - 4:00 pm and is for clergy and their spouses.  Saturday's workshop is from 8:30 am - 12:30 pm and is for clergy and their Lay Team members.  
 
Anyone interested in attending these workshops please contact Jody Patty by phone at 1.877.391.8811 (toll-free).  The registration cost of the workshop is: 
  • Clergy - $65 (Friday & Saturday), spouse attends at no cost   
  • Clergy and Lay Team - $100                     
  • Clergy couple (husband and wife are both pastors) - $130
  • Clergy couple and Lay Team - $165
  • Lay Team only - $35     (Saturday only)
NEW Groves
NEW Davis
NEW Swisher
Rev. John Groves
Superintendent
765-51-UMCDS
(765-518-6237)
Rev. John Davis
Associate Superintendent
(office) 765-276-4797 
Katie Swisher
District Assistant
(office) 765-276-4797
(mobile) 765-276-7UMC
(mobile) (765-276-7862) 
Preferred Telephone Hours:
Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays - 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
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704 South SR 135, Suite D379, Greenwood, IN 46143 � 765.276.4797