We are pleased to announce that Dr. Derek Brown, VP for Academic Services at Barclay College, will be the Keynote Speaker for IYM Sessions 2022! Dr. Brown's most recent book is entitled 'On Quakers and Pastors' and it is available on Amazon.
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Bear Creek Friends is hosting a workshop led by Katy Moran of Kaleo Academy on Growing Young. This book and the workshop are results of a study by Fuller Seminary on what churches who attract and retain young people are doing. Plan to attend with the leadership team from your church! Email Zach Kennedy at zdkennedy@gmail.com today to secure spots for your church.
Center Friends will have their annual garage sale/bake sale on September 30-October 2, 9-5 Thursday-Friday and 9 to noon on Saturday. The proceeds will go for missions. Also, on October 3 at 6 pm, their annual Michael Wayne Smith Concert will be held. Michael is an award-winning Southern Gospel singer/song writer who loves to share the Lord with others through song. A love offering will be taken. Dr. Ronald Elie from Center Friends died at 75 on July 27. Ron served fifty years in the ministry pastoring churches in the US and was also a missionary in Haiti and South Korea. Ron and his wife Darlene served at Center Friends from 2001-2005.
Knightstown Friends has sent 70 hand-written invitations to people to participate in the National Back to Church Sunday on September 19. They will have special music, will take a group photo, and will have a pitch-in after church.
Sycamore Friends: After a long and fruitful tenure at Sycamore Friends, Jesse Vore preached his last sermon there on September 12. Jesse and his family will be moving to the Syracuse area as Jesse transitions into being pastor at Dewart Lake Community Friends Church. Please pray for Jesse and Erin and their family as they transition. Also, please pray for Sycamore Friends as they search for their new pastor.
Sycamore Friends will have a Fall Break Retreat/Mission trip to Quaker Haven, October 18-20.
West River Friends is hosting a 'drive-thru' Pork Chop Dinner on September 25, from 5-7 pm. A free-will donation will be taken.
We like to hear from you so please send your meeting's news to us to use in the Communicator.
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Family Camp at Quaker Haven took place over Labor Day weekend. John Trimble, Director of Spiritual Life at White's RFS, was the keynote speaker for the weekend. Brandon Dennis reports that at least ten IYM churches were represented in attendance this year. This is an annual event for families to gather, worship, play, and assist the QHC staff by removing the piers from the lakefront.
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The current quarter for the IYM Adult Sunday School Curriculum is available. If you have not ordered any for your church, there are still some available. Contact the IYM office to order!
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You are invited to White's Residential and Family Services 13th Annual Spiritual Life Benefit Dinner on Saturday, October 2! Join yhem for an evening of food, fellowship, inspiring entertainment by Lamar Campbell, and moving testimonies by those who have been impacted by the spiritual life ministry at White's. Tours of the newly built Compass Rose Academy will be available from 4pm to 5pm. Click here to RSVP and please contact Tonia Ray at tonia.ray@whitesrfs.org or 260-563-1158, ext. 1346 if you have any special dietary needs or to sign up for a tour.
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The Advancement Committee:
**The committee continues to thank those who support the IYM fundraising efforts. Please visit the IYM website for information on the 2023 fund-raising efforts. Click HERE to view or download the 2023 Budget Narrative and get a closer look at how IYM funds are used.
** The committee has also discussed the fact that no lasting spiritual movement happens without prayer. If you would be willing to be a part of a prayer team that will uplift the IYM Advancement efforts, as well as other yearly meeting endeavors, please contact the IYM office.
**The Advancement Committee announces the IYM 2023 Budget. Here is where we are right now --
$8,690.00 Cash Received
$13,600.00 Pledged
$22,290.00 Total
Please consider supporting this effort. If you need details on what we are doing and why we are doing this fundraising, please contact us. Committee members include: Ron Shugart, Susan Dennis, Steve McDonald, Pat Byers, Randy Dennis, and Damon Seacott. We are grateful for our yearly meeting community. THANK YOU!
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The Christian Service Committee:
**The committee put together a very successful series of webinars back in the winter/spring featuring leaders from the Wabash Friends Counseling Center and focusing on mental health through the pandemic. They are working on more of these webinars on various topics concerning Christianity and culture. The next webinar they are presenting will be on October 13 at 7pm. The topic will be understanding and dealing with human trafficking. The speaker will be Tom Cochran, National Director of Church Engagement at Destiny Rescue. Click HERE for the Zoom for the webinar.
**The committee asks for us to be praying for our communities surrounding each of our monthly meetings.
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A thought on Multiplication:
Pressure is what keeps tires inflated, causes ideas to be born, diamonds to be formed. In the Book of Judges chapters 6&7, pressure to feed his family is what caused Gideon to hide to threshed wheat. And then the Lord added to his pressure with an order; “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand.” Gideon did not ignore the pressure but acted on it. As a result the enemies of Israel were routed.
There are people in Indiana Yearly Meeting that in many ways have had the pressure of multiplication of IYM seemingly placed on them as Gideon did. They are moving forward in an effort to act on the pressure. The pressure given Gideon resulted in torches being raised high, trumpets blown, and the shouting of a word for the Lord. Would you consider how you might join this effort? Our pressure is from Lord and the outcome will belong to Him. -Sid Martin
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Pastor Gatherings for the 2021-2022 year will meet on the second Thursday of the month from 10-11:30 am. We will have studies inspired by Thom Rainer's books; Scrappy Church and Becoming a Welcoming Church. There is no need for pastors to purchase the books, but if you would like to pick them up, they are a quick read with a lot of practical information. The next gathering will be on Thursday, October 14 from 10-11:30 am at Fairmount Friends.
Barclay College is grateful to announce that they are offering LOGOS Bible Software to all their graduate students. Also Barclay announces that they now have on Online Criminal Justice, 4-year, accredited Bachelor of Arts Program.
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Upcoming Events:
October 14, Pastor Gathering - Fairmount Friends; 10-11:30 am
November 13, Representative Council - Bethel Friends; 9:30 am
December 11, Committee Day - Marion First Friends; 9:30 am
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Good Morning!
In Pat’s September 1, 2021 Communicator article, he shared the idea of shifting our focus from church growth to disciple growth. He wrote “…if more people are becoming mature disciples of Jesus Christ, then church growth would be a natural outcome.” I really like this idea of a shift to multiplication through growing disciples. And, I can see this has been happening at our Kennard and Cadiz meetings.
For years I’ve told the churches that I shepherd, that everything we do should focus on either “saving the lost or discipling the saved." Whether it’s VBS, Bible study, teaching or preaching, the focus should be on meeting one or both of those needs.
A couple years ago we had a husband and wife leave our Kennard meeting. But, it was a good thing for the Kingdom. He left to become a pastor of a Christian church. We have a 17 year-old young man who is being trained in various things, and will be filling the pulpit for me (for the second time) at Kennard next month.
At Cadiz we have a member of the congregation who is filling the pulpit when I’m gone. She has a gift for teaching, and lately we’ve given her opportunities to develop that gift. We also have a mature young girl who has a passion for young kids and is a major help with children’s church.
I could share stories of many others who are growing in Christ to serve in new ways. We are growing disciples at Cadiz and Kennard. The shift is happening.
I certainly can’t take credit for growing these, and our other disciples. I guess I’ve accidentally done some things right. I’ve just been focused on kingdom growth rather than church growth. It’s the Lord who has given the increase.
And, just like Pat mentioned in his article, church growth has happened. Both Kennard and Cadiz have gained new people. Specifically, Kennard had 15 people connected with the church when I became their pastor, nearly 10 years ago. Today, we have 80 people connected. Now our weekly worship attendance varies from 25-45 on Sunday mornings. But from a Kingdom perspective, we have grown disciples, who have grown the church. Getting folks to be more committed to consistent worship attendance is… well… a work in progress.
However, growing disciples is not just happening within the walls of our two meetinghouses. Our Taco Tuesday ministry at Ben’s Bar in nearby Shirley, is growing the Kingdom. This ministry, started 3 ½ years ago, has brought unchurched people into our worship services. Some of these new attenders have then invited family or friends, thus, growing the church. Even our “Facebook Friends Church” has been a Kingdom growth opportunity. A few hundred souls have tuned in to watch a sermon. But the result has been new attenders coming in person, a renewed interest in Christ, financial support, shepherding opportunities for me… and even salvation.
The hope is to continue growing. I believe if we keep our focus on “saving the lost and discipling the saved”, we will get there.
-Bob Lines, Pastor at Cadiz Friends and Kennard Friends
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