You re Invited! South/Central Indiana District NEWSLETTER Pre-District Conference Continuing Education Opportunity.

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1 South/Central Indiana District NEWSLETTER 2015 You re Invited! Friday, September 18, 2015 Manchester Church of the Brethren Pre-District Conference Continuing Education Opportunity --Beth Biblical Understanding of Covenant with Steve Schweitzer, Dean of Bethany Theological Seminary 12:00 noon registration with class beginning at 12:30 Workshop costs $15.00,.5 CEUs is an additional $10.00 Pre-registration is not required and everyone is welcome! Leadership Dinner All pastors, district leaders, workshop attendees, retired ministers and their families are invited! There is no charge. 5:30 Gathering 6:00 Dinner Please join us for a time of fellowship and dinner together, an opportunity to share my gratitude for your work throughout the year. After-Dinner Program Bringing the Vision Statement to Life with David Sollenberger and the video presence of Peter and Paul we will look at the value of the Church of the Brethren vision statement: Through Scripture, Jesus calls us to live as courageous disciples by word and action: To surrender ourselves to God, To embrace one another, To express God s love for all creation.

2 You are also invited to the 45th Annual District Conference of the South/Central Indiana District! As of August 20, 115 delegates are registered from 33 congregations. Even though the August 1 deadline is past, it s not too late to register. The congregations we have not heard from are Akron, Andrews, Arcadia, Bethel Center, Buffalo, Christ Our Shepherd, Hickory Grove, Logansport, Loon Creek, Pike Creek, Portland, and West Eel River. Please let your Brothers and Sisters in those congregations know that we want to see them at District Conference! Non-delegates are very welcome to join us as we worship, do business, and celebrate the work of our district. Registration is $20 which includes breakfast and lunch. You can find a registration form on the district website, or call S/C Indiana District Conference 2015 September 19 Manchester COB 7:30 Registration & Continental Breakfast 8:30 Singing and Worship 9:30 Business 11:30 Lunch 12:30 45-Second reports from each congregation and pie auction 1:30 Business 3:30 Adjournment Please join us for this day under the leadership of Moderator Ed Johnson. Breakfast served by the West Eel River congregation; lunch served by the Manchester congregation. 2

3 ADDITIONAL DISTRICT CONFERENCE INFORMATION 45 SECONDS FROM 45 CONGREGATIONS The Program and Arrangements Committee is asking each congregation to talk about a ministry focus of their church. It can be any good news; just highlight one focus for 45 seconds. Short and sweet and easy. This sharing will take place after lunch. PIE AUCTION Administrative Assistant Rachel Gross recently dined at the Hoosier Mama Pie Company in Chicago. The pies were good, but she s sure that true Hoosier Mamas (and Papas) can do a better job! Each congregation is asked to bring ONE HOMEMADE pie. Please have it labeled with 1) the name of the person who made it, 2) what kind of pie it is, and 3) the name of the congregation. Please bring your pie to the registration table Saturday morning. Proceeds from the auction will be divided between and Minister s Education Fund and the general fund of the District. CONFERENCE BOOKS Conference books will be ready around September 1. They will be ed to all delegates (unless you have requested a paper copy); the book will also be posted on the district website. Nondelegates may order a paper copy for $5; electronic copies are free. EXHIBITS There will be at least ten exhibits in the Family Life Center, including Brethren Press books for sale. SCHOOL KITS This photo shows children in Haiti enjoying the contents of a Church World Service School Kit. The Program and Arrangements Committee set the ambitious goal of one kit/member - can we do it? The school kit contents list can be found in the July/ August newsletter, or on the conference page of the district website. DISTRICT PRAYER CALENDAR FOR SEPTEMBER Sept. 6 - Please pray with us for Hickory Grove COB. Sept Please pray with us as we gather for District Conference. Sept Please pray with us for Pleasant Dale COB. Sept Please pray with us for Huntington COB. We are asking you to remember our sister churches and denominational agencies in prayer this year. Those listed are merely suggestions for the week. 3

4 STAMP INSTRUCTIONS from Jim Mowrer, stamp collector Let me start by saying that I buy almost anything, but the money is better when stamps are done properly. First - the stamps should be on single paper, not double (like the corner of the envelope both front and back). Second - they should have about 1/8 of an inch of paper margin around the stamp [not 1/4 as you have been told before]. This gives enough clearance that the stamp is not damaged by cutting into it, and not an excessive amount of paper. Next - the stamps should be separated into three categories: Commemoratives, Definitives, and Foreign. Foreign is anything not of the US (easy). Commemoratives are US stamps that commemorate something specific. Definitives include all stamps printed just for general mailing and are not printed for specific commemoration. This group includes all Flags, Flowers, Presort, Bells, most Birds, Christmas, and Love stamps. Foreign - 38 cents per ounce Commemoratives - 30 cents per ounce Common (Definitive) - $1.00 per pound I will take the material and process it in any form. Stamps that are cut into might as well be tossed as they have no collecting value if they are damaged. Note from District Office: Thank you to Grace Voorheis, who sorts and prepares stamps to be sent to Jim Mowrer. Please follow the instructions above to make her work easier and to decrease the number of stamps that are discarded. One way we can raise more money is to use commemorative stamps rather than the common/definitive ones. Money raised from the sale of the stamps goes to Compañeros en Ministerio (Partners in Ministry); they use the money to buy food for the hungry in Tijuana, Mexico. Here are some excerpts from their Summer 2015 report: Thank you to all who are sponsoring students and supporting Compañeros en Ministerio. We are very thankful to God for unity, focus on Christ, and the calling of God on people s lives in Tijuana and the U.S.! Please lift up in prayer the Tijuana leaders, students, parents, and CeM Board as we discern God s voice for God s ministry in Tijuana. What is continuing with Compañeros in the New Millenium, Tijuana? Empowerment of local leaders to oversee the ministry which includes having Thursday and Sunday services Local leaders administering the scholarship program for students in school Outreach in four drug rehab centers Children s breakfast outreach plus adding Bible stories and music If you have questions and/or would like to be added to the CeM mailing list, contact them at PO Box 249, Richmond IN 47375, or kdjamison@voayger.net. Dick Fife from our district is a CeM board member. 4

5 Many thanks to the Liberty Mills youth and Manchester members who provided labor and funds for sprucing up the landscaping at the District Office. It looks great! And also many thanks to the Men of Mexico who re-sealed the ramp. And we are thankful for weekly office volunteer Gloria Garber, as well as all persons serving in various roles as the South/Central Indiana District continues the work of Jesus. DISTRICT FINANCIAL REPORT FOR JUNE & JULY item June July 2015 to-date cong. self-allocation $13,519 $1,843 $53,918 other income ($1,114) $283 $6,116 restricted income $535 $580 $1,565 TOTAL INCOME $12,940 $2,706 $61,599 district expense ($7,795) $5,888 $61,662 restricted expense 0 0 $970 TOTAL EXPENSE ($7,795) $5,888 $62,632 NET $5,145 ($3,182) ($1,033) District Fund Balance $20,944 Directory Updates p. 13 Buck Creek has a web page: pp. 19, 30, 46 Kurt Borgmann s address is rkborgmann89@gmail.com pp. 19, 35, 47 new phone number for William House: p. 35 new phone number for Sue House: , new address for Houses is 2004 S Geneva Ave., Marion. p. 50 new for Allen Weldy: akpalweldy@gmail.com Calling Purdue Students! Is anyone in your congregation at Purdue this fall? We'd love to welcome them to town and to our church while they're here! Please let us know any Brethren Boilermakers (undergrad or graduate) at Purdue. We will share God's love and cookies! Thank you! Lafayette Church of the Brethren annalisa144@gmail.com Anna Lisa Gross, Interim Pastor Website Updates The district website links page has been updated with links to the 2016 pastoral salary scale and guidelines. The link for start-up and renewal agreements will take you to the denominational Ministry Leadership page; scroll down to find forms for just about every possible configuration. When your congregation has completed forms for 2016, the district office will be glad to receive a copy. 5

6 This year we are inviting each congregation to develop a Peace Day prayer event designed around what is going on in our world and in your own communities. To learn more about planning your event, and post what you plan on doing this year we encourage you to join our Facebook group here. History about September 21 as a Global Peace Day September 21 is lifted up as a day when communities are called to turn away from participation in violence and toward what they can do for peace. Each year on September 21, the United Nations International Day of Peace takes place in parallel with the World Council of Churches International Day of Prayer for Peace. The United Nations International Day of Peace In 1981 the United Nations General Assembly passed resolution 36/67 declaring an International Day of Peace. In 2001, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a new resolution 55/282 declaring September 21 of each year as the International Day of Peace. The intention of the resolution is to have the entire world observe a day of peace and nonviolence. September 21 is held as a day on which armed conflict is meant to be stilled, a day for combatants to observe ceasefires, a day on which all people are invited to commit or reaffirm their commitment to non-violence and the peaceful resolution of disputes. Brethren Disaster Ministries is hiring folks for three new positions based at the New Windsor, Maryland, headquarters. One is office manager for BDM. Another is program assistant with Children's Disaster Service. The other is a program assistant with the rebuilding arm of BDM. Interested persons should contact Office of Human Resources, 1451 Dundee Ave, Elgin, Il Phone is , extension 367 or at <humanresources@brethren.org>. We are asking for volunteers for Greeley, Colorado, the week of November Would you like to be part of a team assisting with rebuilding post-flood? Lots of openings and lots of needs! Give me a ring. Blessings of peace to you! Bethany Seminary s seventh Presidential Forum weekend, scheduled for October 29-31, 2015, will feature internationally known speakers, Bethany leadership, and presenters from the peace church traditions on the theme A Pilgrimage of Just Peace. Registration and complete information on the event is available at Watch for information about matching pastor appreciation grants -- coming soon!! Cliff Kindy, District Disaster Coordinator, Phone:

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10 Peacefully, Simply, Together. South/Central Indiana District Office Church of the Brethren phone; fax Beth Sollenberger, District Executive Minister Office Hours Monday & Tuesday 8 am - 12 noon Rachel Gross, District Admin. Asst. scindcob@gmail.com Office Hours Tuesday & Thursday; 1st & 3rd Wednesdays 8 am - 12 noon District website: Denominational website: South/Central Indiana District Church of the Brethren 604 N Mill St North Manchester IN 46962