Alinoti Malebo (pictured here leading IYM students in worship at Winter Sneak last year) is a member of the African Friends of Louisville Church. Click HERE to read a letter he wrote a while back as a response to both the COVID situation and the tension in our country due to racial injustice.
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How Is the Pandemic Re-shaping the Church? This will be the topic of the next Pastors Toolkit scheduled for October 15 at 6:30 pm via Zoom. Pastors will receive an invitation with a Zoom link next week. This will be the last Toolkit led by Doug Shoemaker.
Ron Forsythe has announced his resignation as pastor of Back Creek Friends. He and Rita plan to move to Florida soon where he has a hospice care job in the Tampa area.
Dave Phillips of Wabash Friends was involved in an accident when he was struck by a car as he was biking. It was reported at Wabash Friends on Sunday (by his daughter-in-law, Natalie) that he suffered a concussion and required a few stitches, but no broken bones. He is home recovering. Letters and cards of prayer and encouragement are welcomed. Those can be sent via Wabash Friends Church (3563 S. St. Rd. 13, Wabash, IN 46992).
Danville Friends Youth are going to Quaker Haven, October 23-24, to help with the needs of the camp.
Knightstown Friends participated with other congregations in a time of prayer on their town square, September 26, the day of the Prayer Walk in Washington D.C.
Long Lake Friends celebrated their 140th anniversary with a special service on September 27. The service included worship, a scripture reading by Bob Revnell, historical highlights by pastor Jared Ingle, and a message by Doug Shoemaker. Excerpts of the service are posted on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/longlakefriends/posts/207537214049315
A catered meal was enjoyed by all who attended.
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Kansas City, Missouri, is miles from the nearest IYM congregation but a group of Congolese refugees have been settled there and have reached out to our yearly meeting. Pat Byers and Doug Shoemaker were able to visit with them recently as they returned from a Barclay College Board meeting. The group includes around 60 members. Centered in the Independence area, these African Quakers travel 20-30 minutes each week to worship with Willow Creek Friends on the south side of Kansas City. Willow Creek is a Mid-America Yearly Meeting congregation that has opened their doors and their hearts to their African brothers and sisters. Transportation is a problem for these Friends, however, since most of them have large families and must leave someone at home each week because even a seven-passenger van isn’t large enough for several of the families. These Friends send their greetings to IYM. Let’s be praying for them as well as our own African Friends Church of Louisville.
From the Advancement Committee: Take a minute to reflect back on how IYM has cared for youth at our vital ministry sanctuary, Quaker Haven -- Barb Kolp, Phil Compton, Edith Odom, Delbert Brown, Pam Cooper, Bill Brewer -- just a few of our saints who served tireless to take good care of kids through our camping ministry. Who poured into your life and your kids? Never forget! Always follow in their footsteps. We are grateful for your giving toward the IYM 2022 Budget. Please, keep at it!
$ 10,158.00 Cash Already Received
12,400.00 Pledges still to be paid
$ 22,558.00
From the Christian Service Committee: In 1821 Indiana Yearly Meeting established the "Committee on the concerns of People of Color." 1821! IYM is about paying close attention to those around us and proceeding to take action in caring for our communities and ensuring people witness the reality of Jesus Christ's character lived-out. Let's keep moving forward in demonstrating the dynamics of our Christian faith. Please, as you serve, email dseacott@gmail.com and share your heart and stories with us.
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Multiplication Conference Information for IYM: Registration is OPEN for the Virtual International Friends Multiplication Conference at friendsmultiply.org. IYM is offering this free of charge to anyone who signs up before October 31 (up to 35 people). Contact doug@iym.org or pat@iym.org to get the IYM registration code.
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Adult Sunday School Curriculum:
It’s time to order study booklets ($6) and large-print Teacher Guides ($10) for the winter quarter (December – February.) Contact the yearly meeting office before November 1 to place your order. Several congregations have a standing order and we would be glad to set up one for your church too. Click HERE to view or download a video of this week’s lesson written by Greg Hinshaw and taught by Pat Byers.
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Evangelical Friends Mission is raising funds for missionary families on the field. Go to www.friendsmission.com to get familiar with those who are serving on the front lines on the Mission Field.
Missions Giving: Our IYM missions goal for 2020 is $107,500. IYM Churches have already given over $79,250, which is about 74% of our goal. Your missions giving through IYM supports several FUM projects including Quaker Haven, White’s, Kickapoo, and Mesquakie Friends Centers, short term missions scholarships, EFM Bible training in northern India, and other projects designated by you.
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Compass Rose Academy seeks to effectively meet the increasing need for access to therapeutic services for families in crisis by offering an expanded, uniquely Christian and Clinical environment for teen girls. The Board of Directors for the parent organization for Compass Rose Academy, White’s Residential and Family Services, has approved the approximately $8 million project, committing $4 million in self-investment, and relying on philanthropy through the “A Place to Heal, A Place to Grow” campaign to raise the remaining funds to complete phase one of the expansion. To learn more about the A Place to Heal, A Place to Grow capital campaign, contact the Advancement Department at 260-563-1158 or visit the website www.compassroseacademy.org.
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IYM Youth Ministry Events: A virtual Youth Invasion will take place on Facebook Live through the Quaker Haven Facebook page on October 11 starting at 6:30 pm. Follow this link to the live stream from the Quaker Haven (official) Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/quakerhc
As of now, Fall Impact and Winter Sneak are scheduled to happen, in-person, at Quaker Haven. The dates for these events are: -Fall Impact – November 6-8
-Winter Sneak – February 5-7
A Note from the Barclay College Chancellor, and Director of EFCI-NA, Adrian Halverstadt: Dear Friends, I am honored to be in relationship with you and blessed to be in partnership with your great yearly meeting through Barclay College and Evangelical Friends Mission. With God's help we will see our mission accomplished in each of these organizations. Your prayers, participation, and financial support has helped to shape Barclay College in so many ways; for the good of our mission and the glory of God. Thanks for all you do! In Christ's Love.
Our prayers and sympathy to the family of Grace Merrill, wife of Joe Merrill, retired pastor in Indiana Yearly Meeting, who died on Sunday. Grace was a member at Bear Creek Friends Church and worked in the FUM Central Office for many years in the 1980s and 1990s. Both with her parents and with her own family, she was on the Central Yearly Meeting mission field in Bolivia.
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Upcoming IYM Events:
10/11 6:30pm; Youth Invasion (via Facebook Live)
10/15 6:30 pm; Pastors Toolkit via Zoom
10/27 6:30 pm; Program Committee via Zoom
11/6-8 Fall Impact at Quaker Haven
11/11-13 Friends Multiplication Conference
11/14 9:30 am; Representative Council at Bethel Friends
11/23 6:30 pm; Program Committee
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Good Morning!
We have found the vaccine! No, we don’t yet have the vaccine to solve the Covid-19 crisis. Neither do we have the solution for the resulting economic crisis. What we do have is an effective “treatment” for the mental health crisis that doesn’t get as much publicity but is just as much a threat to our well-being. Most have avoided “the virus” but few have avoided anxiety in these challenging days. Paul George of the LA Clippers indicated his sub-par performance in the first three games of a recent playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks was due to his struggles with depression and anxiety. He attributed the support of his coach, Doc Rivers, and other teammates for helping him rise above his struggles. “Shout-out to the people that were in my corner, that gave me words. They helped big time, help get me right, [get] me back in great spirits. I can't thank them enough." “Clippers' Paul George says he dealt with anxiety, depression inside bubble,” ABC News (8-26-20)
A recent internet search on “mental health” yielded these first four articles that came up: (1) Anxiety is Now Our Most Common Mental Health Issue, (2) Staggering Increase in Mental Health Issues among Young Adults, (3) Mental Health Needs are Rising at Colleges, and (4) Studies Show Religion’s Positive Impact on Mental Health.
If we have a vaccine for mental health it may be the words of Philippians 4:4-9, but this medicine is best administered in the context of Christian community. It’s likely there are members of your congregation struggling with depression and anxiety – maybe it’s you. Let’s reach out and be there for one another.
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