A Note from DougShoemaker |
Andrew & Jessica Heald, associate pastor at Fairmount Friends, welcomed their new daughter, Kaylin Jane Heald, born on Wednesday, July 29, weighing 5lbs 10oz and 18 inches long. Congratulations!
Cultivating Generous Congregations, an interactive seminar presented by Everence and Friends United Meeting, will be offered online in six 90-minutes sessions offered on every other Tuesday evening, 7:30 pm-9:00 pm, beginning September 15. Congregations with a team of 3-5 participants may participate for just $50 which includes a manual and book. Registration is requested by August 25. For information contact Colin Saxton at colin.saxton@everence.com or 503-550-1599. To watch a video go to https://www.everence.com/resources/stewardship-education#2-churches
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2020 QHC Camping Season:
It was a very different camping season in some aspects, but it was very much the same in other ways. The obvious differences were the dates (we had to condense the season to fit into the month of July), the social distancing aspects, and the overlying concern that despite the efforts to curb it, the coronavirus could invade the camp and force us to shut down. Thankfully, at this writing, we have not had any reports of any sickness (other than allergy related issues) spreading from Quaker Haven this summer What was the same was how the Holy Spirit came upon each of the camps and showed us, yet again, how much our God loves us and desires to see us build His Kingdom. He is All-In with us, and when we can go All-In with Him, we are better and the world is better. Please continue to pray for the campers, counselors and staffers that what was started at camp will ripple through our Yearly Meeting and beyond.
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2021 Office Staff:
IYM is seeking to fill two part-time office staff positions (12-15 hours a week) for the year 2021. One will be in the area of Youth and Camping Ministries and the other will deal with Finances. Contact Pat Byers with inquiries or for a job description.
From the Advancement Committee:
Friends, when you get the chance, head to YouTube and search for the Zach Williams & Dolly Parton music video -- There Was Jesus. Even if you are not a country music fan, this song is good for the soul, especially in these days that we are now walking through. Your dedication, generosity, and encouragement of the IYM ministries and community continue to give hope, courage, and joy. Let's keep at it! Here are the amounts we have raised for the 2021 & 2022 budgets. Astounding & humbling!
2021 Budget
$ 93,808.50 Cash Already Received
120.00 Pledges still to be paid
$ 93,928.50
2022 Budget
$ 7,258.00 Cash Already Received
13,100.00 Pledges still to be paid
$ 20,358.00
THANK YOU!
Friends Multiplication Conference:
The International Friends Multiplication Conference scheduled for November 11-13 has not been postponed, but the format is changing in response to the pandemic. Originally scheduled to be held in Kansas with satellite gatherings in multiple locations, the conference is now being planned as an exclusively online event that can be experienced by anyone with internet access in one’s own home. Be watching here for times, schedule, and log-in information as it becomes available.
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Barclay College announces regular start to fall classes with safety precautions in place.
August 5, 2020 —Haviland, KS – “Barclay College is looking at a record enrollment for this fall,” according to president, Dr. Royce Frazier, “Our dorms are full, and we have started overflowing into our campus apartments. Safety precautions are in place for the college community to start classes August 17 as scheduled.”
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Sunday School Curriculum for adults! The fall booklets have been printed and shipped. Churches from North Carolina to Oklahoma are using IYM produced curriculum. We have already run out of this quarter’s study guides but contact the yearly meeting office if you would still like to order by August 16. A special printing is planned for early next week.
Online Lessons taught by Pat Byers and Doug Shoemaker will return beginning with the September 6 lesson. Watch the IYM Facebook page, the IYM home page, or your inbox for links to these weekly videos designed especially for those who may not be able to attend a Sunday School class in person, but available for all to view and enjoy.
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Our sympathy and prayers are extended to the family of Shirley Harper who died on August 6. Shirley was an active member of Sycamore Friends and Indiana Yearly Meeting. A memorial service was held August 10. Memorial contributions may be made in Shirley's memory to Quaker Haven Camp or Sycamore Friends Church.
IYM Upcoming Calendar:
TBA 6:30 pm; Program Committee at IYM Office
08/25 6:30 pm; Committee Day at South Marion Friends
09/14 6:30 pm; Executive Committee at IYM Office
09/29 6:30 pm; Trustees at IYM Office
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Good Morning!
In the early days of our marriage we lived in a parsonage sharing a single telephone line with the church. Some farmers in the congregation, concerned that a power failure might cause tragedy in their hog barns, installed an alarm system that called to alert them of a power outage. In case an outage occurred while they were at church, they set up the alarm to call the church phone too. I lost track of how many times we were awakened from a deep sleep with a call reporting an outage in a hog barn. This is an example of the downside of living in a parsonage.
Parsonage living has benefits, though.
I lived in parsonages for nearly 25 years, living in homes far nicer than I could have afforded otherwise. I was not required to pay income tax on this benefit, although pastors are required to pay self-employment tax on the fair rental value of a parsonage. To paraphrase Acts 6:2, it doesn’t seem right for a pastor to neglect the ministry of the word of God to do home maintenance. Many pastors have benefited greatly from parsonage living.
There are also benefits to pastor-owned home living. Pastors owning their own home build up equity that sure comes in handy later in life. There is also something liberating about not having to wait on a committee to decide if the kitchen can be re-painted or waiting on the church (not-so-) handy man to repair the back door that doesn’t shut right. There is a boost of self esteem that comes with taking care of one’s own needs. What does your pastor need most? -Doug Shoemaker
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