The Indiana e-Christian

The Regional Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Indiana met for the first of its biennial meetings on Monday, March 30, 2009. The Board met at the North Campus of Geist Christian Church in Fishers.

Rev. Travis Hacker makes a comment during the Regional Board meeting on March 30.

During the course of the meeting, the Board received and approved the audited financial statements for 2008, which showed an increase of $43,156 in unrestricted net assets for the year. At the same time, the investments of the region lost 25% of market value in 2008. Regional Treasurer Mike Srbljan reported that, in spite of those losses, the Region is in solid financial condition.

The Board also received and approved a proposal to engage the Region in a process of transformation. The proposal is based on the learnings gained from the pilot group of congregations that have worked with Alan Roxburgh since 2007. It reflects the combined efforts of the regional ministry staff, the Transformation Team and the Personnel and Pastoral Relations Committee. A copy of the proposal is available at www.indianadisciples.org.

The process that was proposed includes a 360 feedback evaluation for all ministry staff. The intent of the evaluation is to assess readiness to lead the church in change. As a result of this evaluation, ministry staff will be able to identify and receive coaching on specific leadership challenges. The regional ministry staff will also receive coaching on their ability to function as a team and to lead the church during times of change and transformation.

The Regional Board, in its role as the administrative governing body, will participate in late summer 2009 to design a process and develop action plans for regional transformation. This retreat will utilize help from an outside consultant. The board will also evaluate progress toward transformation and will incorporate elements of the action plan in its future financial and staffing plans.

The Region will engage Alan Roxburgh, who has worked with the pilot group of congregations in transformation and has trained Carolyn Reed to continue giving leadership to the transformation process, to provide evaluation and coaching for both the staff and the board during the transformation process.

Emmaus Christian Church presents "Thank God It’s Friday (TGIF): The Return of an Anointed Evening of Word and Worship" on Friday, April 3, at the church, located in Lafayette Square Mall. Doors open at 6:30 and services begin at 7:00 pm. For special reserved seating call (317) 388-1466. Admission is free and open to the public.

This installment marks TGIF’s return after winter hiatus and will highlight return of Indianapolis’ own national recording artist Lamar Campbell to the city. Dr. Dave Martin, the guest preacher from Orlando, Florida, will deliver an uplifting word from God. The evening will also feature Leonard Carver and New Harvest as guest psalmists.

TGIF is the vision of Pastor Henzy Green and Lady Nicole Green, Senior Pastor and First Lady of Emmaus Christian Church, (Disciples of Christ). "This series is a way people who are un-churched or de-churched can experience the presence of God like never before, without form, pretense, or politics," Pastor Green notes.

"Everybody needs some church and Emmaus has been called to be an instrument to encourage people to live abundantly—in their health, career, family, emotionally, and financially, through personal relationship with God."

Emmaus Christian Church holds its services at 9:00 a.m. every Sunday, at Lafayette Square Mall, 3919 Lafayette Road in Indianapolis. This special installment kicks off a power packed weekend for the church, leading into Passion Week. Saturday, April 4 from 4:30 – 6 Emmaus will host NU Church.

For more information, call Emmaus Christian at (317) 388-1466.

Bedford Christian Camp needs your help.

Trees at the camp need to be taken down, some because of wind damage from tornado winds a couple of weeks ago, and others because of decay or location. Leila Dailey, Camp Committee Chair for bedford, is appealing to Indiana’s Disciples to find a tree trimmer who would come and take these trees down as a mission project. Volunteers would be available to assist.

One of the trees that suffered wind damage is directly over the vespers area. The top of the tree split in two and is lying on trees on either side. If the branches fall on their own, they will land on the limestone benches in the vesper area, so a person with tree trimming skills is needed to guide their fall.

Most of the trees are large and will require a bucket of some kind to reach. In addition to taking the trees down, we will need other volunteers to cut the branches into logs and stack them.

Bedford Christian Camp is owned and operated by First Christian Church of Bedford. All maintenance and management is done with volunteer labor, except for a part-time manager.

Please help Bedford Christian Camp find help in removing these trees and cleaning the woods.

Leila Dailey can be reached by phone at First Christian Church, (812)275-4497, or by email. Interested volunteers can also contact Carolyn Reed at the regional office, (317)926-6051.

The economic outlook for religious giving and fundraising in 2009 is uncertain, if not downright sobering, but in the words of Barbara Wheeler, President of Auburn Theological Seminary, we should not "waste a good recession!"

To that end, the Lake Institute would like to invite you to learn what research data, your local congregational peers, and religious nonprofits have to say about coping with today’s financial challenges.

The Religious Giving in Uncertain Times Conference, sponsored by Christian Theological Seminary and the Lake Institute for Faith and Giving, will be held May 4, 2009, 9:00am – 2:00pm, in the Shelton Auditorium at Christian Theological Seminary.

The conference will include a presentation by staff members from the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy and Lake Institute, in which they will share research and anecdotal data relative to religious giving in recessions.

Two panels—one representing clergy and leadership from Catholic, Evangelical, Baptist, United Methodist, Presbyterian, and Jewish congregations, and another composed of nonprofit CEO’s and managers from the United Way of Central Indiana, Catholic Charities, Shepherd Community Center, the Jewish Federation, and the Islamic Society of North America—will discuss how they are learning from the current crisis and moving forward in these uncertain times.

At the end of the program, participants will have the opportunity to engage their peers in dialogue about ways to translate these learnings into a proactive plan for their own congregation.

Register by following the “Religious Giving in Uncertain Times” link at the top of the Lake Family Institute website to reserve your space. The $25 registration fee includes lunch.

CTS and the Center on Philanthropy look forward to this opportunity to learn together, exploring new options and opportunities amidst these challenging economic times.

The Association of Disciple Musicians is pleased to announce its 2009 conference, We Your People, Ours the Journey. Conference dates are July 25-29 and the location is DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. Clinicians and event leaders include:

• Dr. Bryan Feille, Worship
• Dr. Eric Stark, Choral
• Carolynne Mathis, Handbells
• Carla Edwards, Organ
• Rev. Eugene Fisher, Clergy Self-Care
• Rev. Warren Lynn, Native American Spirituality

Other offerings include Chapel Choir, Reading Sessions, Sound Studio, Instruments in Worship and much more!

ADM membership is open to clergy and musicians of all denominations. This summer’s conference promises to inspire and enrich the lives of all who attend, both musically and spiritually. A wonderful prelude to General Assembly!

A limited number of scholarships for first-time participants are available for musicians, clergy and worship leaders to attend this conference. For complete registration information, please visit the ADM website at www.adm-doc.org.

For more information, contact:
Rev. Kristi Hill
Minister of Music
First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Huntsville AL 35802

Disciples of Christ Historical Society, in partnership with the Craddock Center, announced today the creation of The Fred Craddock Award for Excellence in Preaching. The award will be conferred annually or biennially to a Disciples minister under the age of 35 exhibiting outstanding skills in the pulpit. Included in the award will be a certificate of accomplishment, a trophy, and a cash gift ($500). Nominations are specifically requested from Regional Ministers.

"This is an opportunity for us to recognize younger ministers who are gifted in preaching," said Glenn Thomas Carson, president of the Historical Society. "The proclamation of the Word is central to who we are as Disciples and Dr. Craddock hopes this award will encourage new ministers to give their very best in preaching."

The first award will be given at the General Assembly dinner co-hosted by the Historical Society and the Council on Christian Unity, Saturday, August 1, 2009 in Indianapolis.

Nominations for The Fred Craddock Award for Excellence in Preaching may be sent to Glenn Carson. For more information on the ministry of the Craddock Center visit their web site at www.craddockcenter.org. Visit the Historical Society on the web at www.discipleshistory.org.

Nominations for preachers from Indiana should be directed to Regional Minister Rick Spleth.

The Indiana Region and Mbandaka District (Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC) of the Disciples of Christ have designated the third week in May to celebrate the first anniversary of the signing of the Partnership Agreement on May 25, 2008, in Mbandaka, DRC.

Congo Partnership Week will be observed May 17-24.  The Region sees the week as an opportunity for all Indiana churches to lift up the partnership. Several options for lifting up the partnership are possible.  These include:

• Show the “Partners in Mission” video during a worship service
• Contact Cheryl Cloar in the regional office to invite someone from the Congo Task Force Speakers’ Bureau to present at a fellowship dinner or special Sunday School hour
• Launch the publicity for the Congo Connection! (Vacation Bible School or Rotation Church School curriculum)
• Lift up our partnership in congregational prayers
• Show pictures from the Congo on your bulletin board or video announcements screen;
• Put an article about the partnership in your newsletter. Regular updated information is available on the Region’s website; and
• Go to the Global Ministries Democratic Republic of Congo website for additional ideas.

Two Indiana congregations in formation showed the highest per capita giving to Disciples outreach in 2008.  Iglesia Cristiana Casa del Alfarero contributed over $6,000 to Disciples causes in 2008, and Living Water Christian Church contributed almost $5,000.

Casa del Alfarero (Potter’s House) is led by Rev. Daphne Arias.  The congregation started in 2003 and is currently nesting at Allisonville Christian Church in Indianapolis.

Living Water is led by Rev. Charles Webb, Jr.  The congregation started in 2007 after the closing of Faith United and University Park Christian Churches.  Living Water is currently holding its worship services in the chapel at Robin Run Village in Indianapolis.

Allisonville Christian Church showed the highest total contributions to Disciples outreach and also showed the largest dollar increase.  Rev. Bob Riester serves Allisonville as senior minister.

East Christian Church in Markleville demonstrated a significant percent increase from 2007, as did Centenary Christian Church in Indianapolis.  These churches are served by Rev. Mike Srbljan and Rev. Gregory Bryant, respectively.

Other highlights from 2008 giving reports include:

• Five congregations gave to Disciples outreach in 2008 that did not in 2007.  These gains equal $2,529.
• Seven congregations did not give to Disciples outreach in 2008 that did in 2007.  These losses equal $6,219.
• 84 congregations increased giving in 2008 over 2007.  The total increase from these churches was $156,757.

Total Disciples outreach includes all giving to Disciples causes through the DMF office, including Disciples Mission Fund, blessing boxes, special day offerings, Week of Compassion, Reconcilation, designated giving and Heartbeats of Faith.

The Christian Women’s Fellowship of North Christian Church, Fort Wayne, has designated a mission project for each month’s meeting. This year the women coordinated their January/February project with Week of Compassion giving. 

Rev. Peggy Edge dedicates the flood buckets from North Christian Church during worship on February 22.

Using donated buckets, church members filled 25 flood buckets for Church World Service. This was a project above and beyond the regular offering for the Week of Compassion. The buckets were dedicated February 22, as part of the morning worship service.

The buckets provided a visual aid to the morning service as the Church began it’s study of Martha Grace Reese’s evangelism program, Unbinding Your Heart. The women were hoping to fill at least 10 buckets and were excited and gratified to have such an outstanding response to the project.

Dr. Sam Young, pastor of Central Christian Church, Huntington, Ind., received the Honored Minister Pin in recognition of 42 years of pastoral ministry at a service celebrating his retirement Sunday, January 25, 2009. The pin was presented by his wife, Judy Young. Participants in the service included Rev. Richard Spleth, Regional Minister in Indiana.

Dr. Sam Young receives the Honored Minister pin from his wife, Judy.

Dr. Young has served the Huntington church since January 1, 2002. He spent his entire ministry in Indiana, also serving as senior minister at East Lynn Christian Church in Anderson, Ninth Street Christian Church in Logansport (now River of Life Christian Church), and Providence Christian Church in Bargersville. Mrs. Young has played the organ and sung in the choirs of the four churches they have served.

Dr. Young received his education at the University of Indianapolis and Butler University. He earned the Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees with honors from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis.

Dr. Young served as Adjunct Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Anderson University in 1992 and 1993. He and his wife, Judy, sang in a Gospel Quartet from 1991 until 2001.

While serving as senior pastor of four congregations, he received 329 new members by transfer of membership and conducted a total of 317 baptisms, 358 weddings, 668 funerals, and 48 baby dedications.

Dr. Young and his wife, Judy, have four children: Cheryl Brandt of Logansport, Indiana; Lynn Fogle of Anderson, Indiana; Eric Young of Wheaton, Illinois, and Damon Young of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The couple has seven grandchildren.