September 14th, 2022

Featured Articles

You and your church are invited to participate in the upcoming International Friends Church Multiplication Conference (IFCMC), November 9-11, 2022! The first IFCMC in 2020 stirred the hearts of many Friends worldwide, with participants from 26 different countries. They anticipate even more participants this year! The continued purpose in this online gathering is to inspire, encourage, and equip us to do our part as Friends to fulfill the Great Commission and to plant churches. We are praying that God will pour out His Spirit and give birth to a multiplication movement through us in the towns, communities, and regions wherever Friends live, and in many parts of the world where no Friends exist yet!

Information and registration can be found at friendsmultiply.org

World Quaker Day

FWCC has again named October 2 as World Quaker Day, with the theme "Becoming the Quakers the World Needs." This is a day for Friends to realize that Friends all over the world are worshiping. FWCC encourages intervisitation and this year is making it easier for churches to offer their electronic method for Friends from around the world to join their worship or perhaps for you to join Langata Friends Church in Nairobi, Kenya, Nairobi YM or an Australia Yearly Meeting unprogrammed worship.

Email susannam@fwcc.world to get your church on the list and sign up at worldquakerday.org to do an on line visit to another Quaker group.

Kaleo Academy

Kaleo Academy is offering to pay for the first ten people that want to attend a ½ day Fuller Youth Institute virtual workshop on September 20. The topic will be ‘Post-Pandemic Youth Ministry’.

Contact Katy Moran (katy.moran@barclaycollege.edu) with any questions.

Find more information - Click Here

Even if you did not get into the first ten, this will be worth the $69 price tag. Please pass this information on to youth leaders at your church and in your area.

Josiah White's Pastor Breakfast

All pastors are invited to Josiah White's upcoming Pastor Breakfast on Wednesday, October 26 at 8:30 am! Come enjoy breakfast and fellowship and be encouraged as Pastor John Trimble, Director of Spiritual Life, shares on "Staying the Course." Click here to learn more about the event and to register. We look forward to seeing you there!

IYM Church News

Amboy Friends Food Pantry Ministry is partnering with the Military Family Research Institute from Purdue University to participate in a program called Reaching Rural Veterans. RRV is an appreciation Fair for underserved veterans in rural areas. The Fair will be during Food Pantry distribution hours on the 2nd Friday of each month until May. Local agencies along with the military county officer will have information to distribute during the event.

Join Hemlock Friends this Sunday, September 18, at 10:30 for

"Back to Church Sunday!" Dress casually and join a growing number of friends and neighbors returning to church.

Join Farmland Friends this Saturday, September 17, for their Eight Annual Fall Festival from 4-7pm.

Lynn Friends will hold a fundraiser spaghetti dinner on September 25 at 12:15 for a member in need. Lynn Friends is sending an invitation to anyone who would like to attend. A freewill offering will be taken.

Charlottesville Friends had a very successful Hymn Sing, September 11, and they invite you to their Revival, September 25-30, with Dr. Vic Reasoner, Executive Asst for Francis Asbury Institute. Meetings held at 10:30 and 6 pm on Sunday, and at 7 pm the other services. Musicians will be Fred Powers, JD Akers, Janet Shutt, and Rowena Holliday.

West River Friends has books that they would like to offer to any of you in Communicator land. They have inspirational books, Sunday school books, books for teenagers, etc. Some are written by Quaker authors. If interested, please contact Anne Smith at 765-993-0835 or annesmith1947@gmail.com.

*If you want to see news and highlights for your church in the Communicator, send your information to iymcommunicator@gmail.com

Committee Days/Nights

Dates for Days/Nights Committee Meetings:

December 10 - Committee Day (9:30 am - Marion First)

March 4 - Committee Day (9:30 am - Marion First)

May 9 - Committee Night (6:30 pm - Marion First)

Committee News

From the Advancement Committee:

Friends, we have much to be thankful for as we walk through these final weks of summer. Please pray for our farmers as they prepare for harvet. Our fundraising efforts for the IYM 2024 budget are moving along. So far, we have received $8,840 along with $12,700 in pledges.Please let us know if you have any questions regarding fundraising for 2024. You can contact damon at dseacott@gmail.com and/or call him at 517-204-5348. Keepon serving well, friends!

Below is the 2023 budget information.

$ 120,422.68 Cash Received

$ 500.00 Pledged

$ 120,922.68 Total

Below is the 2024 budget information.

$ 8,840.00 Cash Received

$ 12, 700.00 Pledged

$ 21,540.00 Total

From the Christian Service Committee:

We have had a Mom's Day Out near Christmas in the past. It's a time to drop off children and go do whatever she wants for a few hours. We have a Christian movie, Bible time, and crafts as well as a snack for the children.
Van Wert has a wonderful Chrisitan organization called The Pregnancy Life Center. It is a place for women to go get pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, and they can take classes on parenting to earn points to spend in the center "store." The store has clothing, diapers, baby items of all kinds, including car seats and cribs. It is my understanding that everything is free to the mom. It is run through donations from local organizations, businesses, and people in the community.
There is an annual fundraiser every September called the Walk for Life. Individuals get sponsors for their 2-mile walk. PLC, as it is called, is working on plans for a full facility clinic in the future. They are in the planning stage after raising almost all the funding needed to build.

IYM mourns the loss of Rich Davis who passed away last Saturday, September 10. Rich was the Director of Josiah White's for many years and he and his wife, Sandy, spent time on the mission field at Friends Theological College in Kaimosi, Kenya. Rich and Sandy also served on staff at Wabash Friends. The funeral is Thursday, September 15 at Wabash Friends Church.

Upcoming IYM Events

October 27

Pastor Gathering @ Bethel Friends, 10 am

November 5

Growing Young Workshop @ Maple Run, 9-3 pm

November 15

Pastor Gathering on Zoom, 10 am

November 19

Representative Council @ Hemlock Friends, 9:30-12:30 pm

Visit our Website

A Message from our Superintendent

Good Morning,

I was at Georgetown Friends recently for a Sunday morning worship service. Pastor Jim Hollingsworth’s sermon was about something ‘new’. One piece he challenged the congregation with was this…”We only have services on Sunday mornings, and the majority of the rest of the week, this building is empty. What are the ‘new’ things we are called to do to keep this space,

this community, active in the pursuit of Christ?"

I came away from this challenged in how I might answer a similar question for myself. What is

the ‘new’ thing I am doing in my life to keep an active pursuit of Christ alive? What is the ‘new’ thing you are doing?

As I have reflected on Jim’s sermon, I was led to this passage in Psalm 40: I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit,

out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord

and put their trust in him.

Psalm 40:1-3

-Pat Byers