As we continue to pray leading up to IYM Sunday, please ask God that He would reveal His plans for us as we consider how we minister to each other and to the lost. May we continue to find ways to be the Church of Jesus Christ in being and making Disciples.
Danville Friends will hold their Good Friday service on April 2 at 7 pm. Easter Sunday Sunrise Service will be at 7 am followed by breakfast at 8 am. An Easter egg hunt will be provided for their children after that.
Jonesboro Friends has completed work on their coffee café allowing their morning worshipers to enjoy refreshments and fellowship before church services. They thank all who worked so diligently to completely remodel their former church office. This has been dedicated in memory of their dear Pastor Mark, who was so supportive of this project. They continue to pray for a special blessing in their search for a minister to fill their pulpit.
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Shirley Friends will join with their community churches for the 2021 Community Good Friday Service held on April 2nd at 7 pm at the Shirley-Wilkinson Community United Methodist Church in Shirley. |
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The following items are resources that were collected from the recent Webinars that were presented by the Christian Service Committee and the Friends Counseling Center at Wabash Friends:
LONELINESS --
The Loneliness Pandemic:
SUPPORTING FOLKS AROUND YOU --
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma (Bessel Van der Kolk)
Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life (Henry Cloud and John Townsend)
GRIEF --
Kessler, D. (2020, February 3). Finding meaning: The sixth stage of grief [live seminar]. Renaissance Indianapolis North Hotel, Carmel, IN, United States. Kessler, D. (2019).
Finding meaning: The sixth stage of grief. Scribner. Kübler-Ross, E., & Kessler, D. (2005). On grief and grieving: Finding the meaning of grief through the five stages of loss.
Simon & Schuster. Lewis, C.S. (1961). A grief observed. Harper Collins. Sittser, J. (2004). A grace disguised: Expanded edition. Zondervan
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Hemlock Friends gave away free mini pies to community members in honor of Pi Day (3.14). The church was pleased to make new connections and renew some older ones with neighbors in the small town of Hemlock.
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From the Advancement Committee:
What is the Advancement Committee and why do we have an annual fundraising campaign? As a yearly meeting committee, the Advancement Committee is charged with raising financial support for the work of Indiana Yearly Meeting. We oversee the annual fund-raising campaign, which raises nearly one-third of the yearly meeting’s program revenue in a typical year. Without this campaign, yearly meeting program assessment would have to be DOUBLED in order to maintain services. The Advancement Committee greatly appreciates your continued support of this campaign. For more information about IYM’s budget, visit the IYM webpage at www.iym.org.
Here is an update in raising needed funds for the 2022 Budget
$ 40,032.10 Cash Already Received
7,500.00 Pledges still to be paid
$ 47,532.10
THANK YOU for your support and encouragement in accomplishing our task.
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This year, IYM Sunday is set for April 25. This is a Sunday set aside to highlight the work God is doing within IYM. Click HERE for an electronic version of the 2021 IYM Sunday packet including the following items:
-Cover Letter about IYM Sunday
-Planning Guide
-'IYM Sunday' Sermon ideas
-Background Information
-A possible Bulletin Insert for April 25
-A Copy of the 2021 Budget
-An updated video highlighting the 'value' of IYM
-A Power Point Slide with an IYM Sunday Graphic
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Evangelical Friends Mission offers annual materials centered around an Easter Offering.
This year's materials feature EFM’s Five-Year Goal to send 10 MISSIONARY HOUSEHOLDS to launch 5 NEW MISSION FIELDS in the next 5 YEARS.
We encourage you to use the lessons in small groups, in Sunday school classes, or even as individuals. They tell the stories that can help motivate people to participate in the Easter Offering. Whatever is given through this offering will be used for EFM’s work around the world.
May this offering not only inspire you, but also give clarity about the role the Lord of the harvest wants you to have in this still-unfolding story of Evangelical Friends and the Great Commission. LET’S GO TOGETHER TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH!
The materials can be found at this site:
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The Indiana Yearly Meeting Bicentennial History, Directory, and Scrapbook will be released this summer and includes more than 250 pages of information with hundreds of photographs! It will be hardbound and printed in color.
In order to avoid using yearly meeting monies to fund its printing, the Bicentennial Committee is seeking at least fifty sponsors to cover the cost of printing. Sponsorships are $100. If you are willing to sponsor in your own name, in the name of your local meeting, or in honor or memory of an IYM Friend, click HERE for a downloadable form to complete and return to the IYM office (iyminfo@iym.org).
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A Word from White's RFS: Teaching Humility for True Perseverance
The primary way each staff member continues to share Christ with those we serve is through prayer and study of God’s word. At our most recent Staff Chapel, Pastor John Trimble introduced the Letter of James, teaching staff that trials will come, and our response? Rather than turning away, we must “turn into them and know we will grow in them and through them in Him.” But, he said, we must expect God to show up and give us what we need to prevail. “It’s like ordering from a fast food restaurant,” he said. “I know what I want and I know who has it.” We don’t look to ourselves for perseverance, and this is where humility comes in. “It is humility,” he said, “that gives us a right recognition of who we are and how much we need Him.”
White’s RFS staff members thank each of the Friends Churches for holding us and those we serve in your hearts. Your prayers and support mean so much to us!
To see Pastor John’s message to the staff, see here.
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Monthly Pastor Gatherings: On March 18, we will be suspending our discussions on the book Canoeing the Mountains for a topic centered around Virtual Church/Maintaining Online Presence/Tools Necessary to maintain that Online Presence. All pastors are invited to join on Zoom at 10 am on Thursday, March 18. Click HERE for the Zoom link.
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Upcoming Events:
March 18: Pastor Gathering, 10 am, Zoom
March 30: Trustees, 6:30 pm, IYM Office
April 4: Happy Easter! He is RISEN!!!
April 15: Pastor Gathering, 10 am, Zoom
April 17: Representative Council, 9:30 am, Center Friends (In-Person)
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Good Morning!
The word ‘love’ shows up in the book of 1 John twenty-seven times. This is quite remarkable, especially given the fact that the entire book of 1 John is only five chapters. From this, one could surmise that John loved love (insert the awkward groaning here…).
One particular passage that stands out is, “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. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:16-18
It is hard to compare what we do and how we do it to the perfection of Christ. And yet, being able to model ourselves after that example is what the Christian life is all about. So, when the scripture speaks of Jesus laying down His life for us, we can allow this to be a motivator for us to lay down our lives for others as well.
Being able to act out of this kind of Christ-like love seems to be needed as much now in our society as it has ever been. There is so much that has brought deep division. We have all kinds of reasons to despise one another. And yet, here is one…even Christ Jesus…offering a different way.
Lord, would you help me to love like you do? Would You help me to further allow You to be my ultimate example? Would you show me how to best do that today, in action and in truth?
--Pat Byers
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