GIDA Habitat: Ten Years of Building Continues

2010 marks the 10th anniversary of the participation of GIDA (Greater Indianapolis Disciples Association) Habitat in building homes with Habitat for Humanity.

GIDA Habitat’s first meeting to discuss funding and timing of this year’s build was held recently. Natural disasters and economic problems at home and abroad have impacted funding in recent years.

Volunteer workers install siding on a recent GIDA Habitat build.

The need for affordable housing in the city continues to increase. The indigent population in Indianapolis has risen greatly during the past couple of years; it was up 78% in 2009. The homeless population in some Indiana cities has doubled.  

GIDA Habitat would like to help provide homes for these needy families on a continuing basis, and the organization seeks help from Disciples congregations in Greater Indianapolis. Congregations are asked to consider donating to GIDA Habitat from their local mission budget or holding a fundraiser. Recycling funds are another possible source of raising funds to support GIDA Habitat.

Churches can also participate in building a home for a Habitat family. Skilled and unskilled workers are always needed. Congregations can also support the work by providing meals during a Habitat build.

This year GIDA Habitat is looking at building a home in the late summer. The group may also participate in a Habitat home recycle on a home that has been donated and needs extensive rehab work.

GIDA Habitat will endeavor to have a “GIDA Habitat Service Week” where all the work days are held in one week. They are excited about the possibility of evening shifts for GIDA Habitat during this week of service so more people can participate.

Churches are also invited to consider GIDA Habitat as a mission opportunity for youth groups.  These groups may work in a home recycle or rehab situation, which often requires only painting or cleaning. Interested churches can contact Stephen Craig, the Development Manager at Habitat for Humanity of Greater Indianapolis, by email at scraig@indyhabitat.org, or by phone at (317) 921-2121, Ext.121.

GIDA Habitat needs the help of Indianapolis Disciples to make the dream of home ownership a reality for one hardworking family this year! If you would like more information, contact Chris Wittenmeier at christy.wittenmeier@gmail.com or Sarah Murphy at sarah.murphy@prodigy.net.

Lewis Wright Installed at Central Christian, Seymour

Lewis Wright received a call to serve as senior minister to Central Christian Church in Seymour, Ind., and began his ministry with the church on January 3. Lewis and his wife Karen come to the congregation from Madison, Ind., where he was the senior pastor at First Baptist Church.

Lewis and Karen Wright

Prior to serving the church in Madison, Pastor Wright and his family lived in northern California.

The call concluded a 28-month search process at Central Christian. Throughout the search process, Jon Carlstrom served the congregation as interim minister.

Wright graduated from Ball State University with a degree in social work and then moved to California to attend the International School of Theology in San Bernadino, Calif., where he earned the Master of Divinity degree.

Karen Wright teaches 6th grade social studies at Madison Junior High School. She enjoys music, working with children, reading, and conversation with friends over coffee or tea.

She also attended Ball State University, where she and Lewis met. She finished her education degree at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill.

Lewis and Karen Wright are the parents to three children, Luke, Karis and Kavan. Luke and his wife, Nellie, live in Indianapolis; Karis and her husband Aaron live in Eureka, Calif.; and Kavan is a student at University of Southern Indiana.

The installation service for Lewis Wright was held on Sunday, January 31, during the 9:00 a.m. worship service at Central. Regional minister Rick Spleth will delivered the morning message, “Feed Them Along the Way,” based on 2 Timothy 4:1-5.

CTS Offers Free Services for Couples in February

It’s Valentine’s Day all month long at the CTS Counseling Center

Couples can celebrate Valentine’s Day all month long by attending a free 50-minute Couple’s Check-Up or an initial Pre-Marital Prep session offered by the Counseling Center at Christian Theological Seminary. Both free services are offered on Monday evenings throughout the month of February.

The Couple’s Check-Up will help couples identify areas where they can enhance their communication and understanding. Each session begins with both members of the couple completing a questionnaire. A resident or intern at the CTS Counseling Center meets with each couple and, using the information from their questionnaires, will provide suggestions to enhance their relationship.

The six week Pre-Marital Prep group will help those soon to be married build a strong foundation for their partnership. CTS is offering the initial consultation for Pre-Marital Prep free of charge. Based on a proven model called Emotionally Focused Therapy, the program is designed to strengthen bonds and give each partner the tools needed to work through any bumps the marriage may encounter.

Couples should call (317) 924-5205 to schedule an appointment for either program. The CTS Counseling Center is open Monday – Thursday 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., Friday 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., and Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. The CTS Counseling Center is located at 1050 West 42nd St. in Indianapolis. More information is available at www.cts.edu/counseling.

The CTS Counseling Center values diversity and is accredited as a training center by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy and by the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC). CTS is a fully-accredited ecumenical seminary related to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) offering eight graduate-level degree programs. More information is available at www.cts.edu.

Royer Funds Education Scholarship at Manchester

First Christian Church, Rochester, will administer the scholarship fund. Form left, church officials Glen Boade and Helen Enyart, donor Dee Royer and his wife Margaret Royer, interim minister Fred Dorisse.

Dee Royer is helping students enter the career his late wife, Mildred Stackhouse Royer, pursued for 25 years. In her memory, Royer has established a four-year scholarship to Manchester College for students pursuing a degree in elementary or secondary education.

Royer annonced the scholarship at a meeting of First Christian Church, Rochester, Ind. The congregation will administer the scholarship fund. The scholarship is open to students from Fulton, Wabash and Cass Counties in Indiana.

Mrs. Royer taught in Cass County and in the Indianapolis area. She enjoyed school as a child and was encouraged by her teachers to pursue an education degree.

Beacuse her family did not have the money to pay for college, Mrs. Royer worked to fund her education. She was assisted by a benefactor from her workplace, who gave her $100 to help her get started.

A scholarship team has been appointed by the church to oversee the fund and select recipients. Criteria for the scholarship were set by Royer.

For more information contact Deb Miller in care of First Christian Church, P.O. Box 357, Rochester, IN 46975.

Two Children Worship and Wonder Trainings to Be Held March 5-7

First Christian Church in Martinsville and First Christian Church in Sheridan will both host  Children Worship and Wonder Story Teller Training on the weekend of March 5-7, 2010. The training sessions in Sheridan were originally scheduled for the first weekend in February but had to be rescheduled.

Susan Sanders from Westfield, Ill., will lead the Story Teller Training at Sheridan. Sanders is a member of First Christian Church in Casey, Ill.

Heather Roberts will lead the Story Teller Training sessions at Martinsville. First Christian Church of Martinsville is also Roberts’ church home.

The registration fee for either session of Children Worship and Wonder Story Teller Training is $120 if received or postmarked prior to February 19. After that date, a $20 late fee is added. Participants are also required to purchase a copy of the book Young Children and Worship ($24.95) by Sonja M. Stewart and Jerome W. Berryman and bring it to all sessions.

Registration material and other information is available on the Indiana Disciples web site, the Disciples Home Missions web site and at Worship Woodworks.

Hartford City Church Calls Kincaid

First Christian Church of Hartford City has called Keith Kincaid to serve as pastor to the congregation beginning February 1. Kincaid comes to First Christian Church following the 19-year ministry of Bill Pieper, who retired last year. Audrey Borschel had been serving the congregation as interim pastor.

Prior to  accepting the call at Hartford City, Kincaid served pastorates in Rensselaer and New Castle, Ind.

Living Water to Celebrate Third Anniversary

Living Water Christian Church, a congregation in formation located in Indianapolis, will celebrate its third anniversary on Sunday, February 7 during the 10:00 a.m. worship service. Ron Degges, president of Disciples Home Missions will be the guest preacher that morning.

Charles Webb, Jr. has served as pastor to Living Water Christian Church since its launch in 2007. The congregation meets in the chapel at Robin Run Village, 5354 W 62nd St., Indianapolis.

Coffeehouse at Allisonville for Haiti Relief

A mission team from Allisonville Christian Church, Indianapolis, had planned to leave soon to work in Haiti.  This week’s earthquake abruptly and tragically changed those plans. Inspired by a message from the midst of the chaos, however, the church found a creative way to support the relief and recovery effort.

The message said, “Huddled together in solidarity with nowhere else to go, singing hymns.”

The music may or may not include hymns, but Allisonville Christian Church, located at 7701 Allisonville Road in Indianapolis, had put together an impromptu Fair Trade Coffeehouse at the church this Friday, January 15, at 7:00 p.m.

Several local entertainers will perform along with members of the church.  Fair trade coffee will be served, and all proceeds will support relief efforts in Haiti through Week of Compassion. A free will offering will also be taken to raise relief funds.

Haiti Earthquake Response

The Christian Church in Indiana joins in prayerful support for the people of Haiti as they deal with extreme devastation to their country following this week’s earthquake.

Haiti is the location of 20 Disciples congregations. The region asks that churches and individuals pray particularly for them in these days, along with the 100 Haitian Disciples congregations in the U.S.

Kim and Patrick Bentrott are Disciples of Christ missionaries, a physician and a teacher, working the on behalf of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). They are safe and well along with their son, Solomon. News from the Bentrotts can be found on their blog.

Also in Haiti at this time are a group of eleven Tennessee Disciples including Tennessee Regional Minister Glen Stewart. They, too, are safe and have made it to the U.S. Embassy in Port au Prince for consultation there on evacuation. They slept outside there last night. They will be transported to the Dominican Republic where they will be able to fly home.

Here is a message from one of those travelers:

Everyone is well and are at the US Embassy in Haiti. I was evacuated to the Dominican Republic last night because I did not have my meds. Glenn and the rest of the team hopefully will get out today. The airport in Haiti was closed yesterday for commercial flights and I am not sure if American Airlines will go into Haiti today.

I do know that the Coast Guard is going to airlift about 100 people out today (at least that was the plan when I left) to the Dominican Republic and from there back to the states. When I get back to the states I will contact you with more details.

Keep praying for our mission team and all the wonderful people of Haiti.

Other U.S. citizens in Haiti at this time include a mission group of Indiana Methodists from Indianapolis and Rushville who have not yet made contact with their families here. Please pray for their safety.

How You Can Help

Indiana Disciples congregation are encouraged to take a special offering for Haiti and contribute those funds through Week of Compassion. Week of Compassion is the ministry of our church that is organized to provide support and care for victims of natural disaster around the world and organize rebuilding efforts.

Funds may be sent to the Church Finance Council, P.O. Box 1986, Indianapolis, IN 46206 with the appropriate designation.

Rev. Amy Gopp, Executive Director is in motion consulting with our ecumenical partners about our coordinated response. Disciples minister, Rev. Don Tatlock, who is Church World Service’s liaison for Central America and the Caribbean is on his way to Haiti to assess the situation and help coordinate the response on the ground. Pray for his safe travel and the efficiency and effectiveness of his work.

This emergency situation will exhaust the current supply of health kits maintained by Church World Service. Congregations can get information on how to put together these life saving kits at this link.

Because our Indiana Disciples congregations contributed generously to the regular Week of Compassion offering in February 2009 providing over $150,000 your gifts are already assisting this emergency. Congregations are reminded of the need to take their regularWeek of Compassion offering in February to provide the necessary funds for assisting with emergency needs throughout the year in addition to this special designated offering for the Haiti earthquake response.

Ruth Lilly Remembered by CTS

Christian Theological Seminary joins with the Indianapolis community in remembering Ruth Lilly.  Ms. Lilly, the great-granddaughter of Eli Lilly, passed away on December 30 at age 94. Her memorial service was held January 11.

CTS President Edward L. Wheeler said, “Ruth Lilly was a woman of deep faith.  Her gracious spirit helped improve the world around her through her charitable giving.  Christian Theological Seminary is thankful to be among the organizations touched through Ms. Lilly’s generosity. We will strive to always live up to her noble standards and high ideals.”

True to her love of language and learning, Ms. Lilly’s gifts to CTS supported the seminary library.  The Ruth Lilly Library Acquisition Endowment continues to sustain the seminary and the larger community by providing the needed funds to update the library’s holdings. This gift has and will continue to shape the men and women who come to CTS to learn, explore, and grow as they become leaders formed in faith. 

For this, and for the myriad ways Ruth Lilly improved the community, Christian Theological Seminary is profoundly grateful.