Here in the IYM office, we are working on streamlining communications. In order to have all information for the Communicator go to one central place. We are now asking everyone to send that information to a new email address. From this time forward, please send all information for the Communicator to media@iym.org. Let us also take this opportunity to ask you to please send us what is happening at your IYM church. We would love to let others in IYM know about the wonderful things our God is doing in our IYM churches through the Communicator newsletter.
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The Christian Education committee is setting up a Zoom entitled Coffee and VBS for anyone to join to talk about collaboration amongst IYM churches when it comes to VBS programs. Contact CE member, Nikki Drage (ned120608@live.com) with any questions.
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IYM Church News:
Danville Friends is helping supply needs for Afghan families who have been settled in the Indianapolis area.
Farmland Friends is seeking to fill the part-time position of Worship Ministry Team Leader. Responsibilities require sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit, musical proficiency, and ability to ready the Worship Ministry Team to be “lead worshipers.” For more information please email Keith Huffman at pastorkeith@farmlandfriends.org. Thank you!
Marion First Friends is hosting a Chili Cookoff with proceeds to go to Quaker Haven Camp scholarships. The cookoff will take place on Sunday March 6 after Sunday worship in the fellowship hall. The best chili wins a trophy! Go to marionfirstfriends.org for more information.
Bethel Friends has called Shane Brown (wife Adele) as their new pastor. Shane is in the process of moving back to Indiana from Kansas. Doug Haag’s last Sunday will be on February 20.
In a recent report from Friends Church of Louisville, one of the African congregations we have been in relationship with for many years, report numerical growth to the point where they are in a search for a bigger space to worship. They also report needs in looking for ways to promote discipleship, train youth and youth leaders, and for transportation to help folks get to church.
Wabash Friends is sponsoring a Michigan Ski Trip (skiing, snowboarding, and tubing.) on March 6.
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IYM Sunday:
Electronic packets for IYM Sunday were sent last week. If you did not receive one or would like to view or download one, click HERE. If you would like to receive a hard-copy of the packet, contact Betty Ison in the IYM office. |
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From the IYM Advancement Committee:
Fundraising efforts to support the IYM 2023 budget have raised gifts and pledges totalling $43,482.68 since this past July. We continue to work toward our goal of $120,000. The Advancement Committee is available to meet with you to discuss the fundraising and what these funds will go to support for the 2023 budget. Please contact Damon at dseacott@gmail.com or call 517-204-5348. THANK YOU for your generosity and care for Indiana Yearly Meeting.
From the Christian Service Committee:
We are excited to have John Trimble, Josiah White's, join us for a webinar on Tuesday, March 15 at 6:30 pm. Information and the link for the zoom gathering will be available for IYM. As you serve your community, please share with us what is happening. What a privilege we have to share Jesus Christ our Lord.
Here is the link to the March 15 webinar:
Join Zoom Meeting
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Josiah White's:
Growing up at Wabash Friends and being part of IYM has been a major piece of my discipleship and desire to follow God wherever he leads. Some of you may already be familiar with my family as we served for ten years on the mission field in Belize. Through this journey, we have seen and felt the blessing of IYM, and I’m excited to continue in this partnership serving God with you through my new position as Director of Donor Relations at Josiah White’s!
“God has declared one principle; two principles I have heard:
God is strong, and you, O Lord, demonstrate loyal love.”
Psalm 62:11-12
This verse stood out in my daily reading today as I began to think about writing this letter to introduce myself and my new position at Josiah White’s. I love how God is ever present (if we look) and leads us with His Spirit. I have been blessed to see God’s loyal love and His strength as I begin a new season in His ministry.
My new role will look similar to that of our missionary role — to encourage the Body of Christ to join into His service. Much like connecting people to God’s work in Belize, my desire is to help connect people to the mission field started by Josiah White in Wabash, Indiana. I’m excited as this new role doesn’t entail long travel to foreign places, but instead allows me to empower the Body of Christ to show God’s strength and loyal love to those being served in my hometown at and through Josiah White’s.
In my new role of donor relations, I hope to provide encouragement by visiting with each of you and sharing how God is moving and working in the lives of the students and staff. I look forward to continuing our partnership! Andy Stout
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Friends Summit is an event for young adults aged 16-25 and older adults who come along-side those young adults. It is billed with the thought that at the Summit, these young adults may have, "Conversations that will change their lives." The event happens every four years. The next one is set for December 28, 2023-January 1, 2024 in Houston, Texas. Click HERE for a full press release about the event.
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Plans are coming together for the youth summer camping season at Quaker Haven Camp. Registration will be open soon. If you have questions, contact Ross Smedley at mfcfamilyministry@gmail.com.
Contact form for Counselors: Attention, any returning or new counselors interested in involvement in Quaker Haven this summer. A new digital counselor form will be available very soon. Please fill out the file at the link so we can gather contact info for interested counselors.
Saturday, March 12--5K Sap Run at Quaker Haven Camp. $30 includes breakfast and a T-shirt. Register online at quakerhaven.com. Breakfast at 7:30 am. If you want to go with a runner and just have breakfast (and wait for your runner), it’s $8.
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Upcoming Events:
March 5, Committee Day, Marion First Friends, 9:30 am
March 14, Executive Committee, IYM Office, 6:30 pm
March 15, Christian Service Committee Webinar, 6:30 pm
March 19, Coffee and VSB Webinar, 10:00 am
April 24, IYM Sunday
May 10, Committee Night, Marion First Friends, 6:30 pm
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Good Morning!
For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
1 John 3:11
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
1 John 3:16
From these two verses in John’s first letter, we get both a command and an argument for that command. The command…love each other! Seems simple, right? We live in community. We have families. We have church communities, work communities, social communities. There are other people in our lives who affect what we do and how we do it. We affect the lives of others by how we live.
Even though this command seems very simple, sometimes it is hard to do. We have differences. We have our ways of doing things. We see and understand the world differently. And yet, the command still stands…’love each other.’
And what does it mean to love each other? The 16th verse gives us that answer. Love like Jesus loves. True, Jesus' kind of love comes with a sacrifice. It means discerning what it looks like to lay our lives down for the sake of others. Is it putting someone’s desires before mine? Does it mean factoring in someone else’s needs along-side my own needs? And, who are our brothers and sisters? How are we discerning who we are laying our lives down for as we relate to and love people?
-Pat Byers
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