The Indiana e-Christian

220 worshippers crowded into Eastwood Middle School in north Indianapolis for the opening worship service of New Revelation Christian Church on September 20, 2009.  Richard Reynolds serves as the lead planter for New Revelation. 

Reynolds is a graduate of Christian Theological Seminary and was ordained in July at Light of the World Christian Church. 

New Revelation currently holds worship services at Eastwood Middle School, located on the north side of Indianapolis, just east of Allisonville Road on 62nd St.  Services begin at 12:30 p.m. each week.

Pastor Reynolds initial message launched a sermon series on “Birth of a Nation” with a sermon entitled “The Delivery Room.”

New Revelation is jointly sponsored and supported by Light of the World Christian Church and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Indiana.

Join retreat leader Kathy Light on a spiritual exploration of Mary from a Protestant perspective during a retreat for women, Messages from Mary, at Lindenwood Retreat Center, November 20-21, 2009. Kathy is a licensed minister of spiritual care, serving First Christian Church in Valparaiso, Ind.

Kathy Light will lead women in Messages from Mary at Lindenwood, November 20-21

The retreat will offer a closer look at Mary, Jesus’ mother. Discover the lessons Mary offers through scripture, prayer and art. Experience Mary in a sacred setting where she plays a dominant part. Times for reflection and meditation will be included within the program time. Allow Mary to help you prepare for Advent this year.

Check-in begins Friday, November 20 at 4:00 p.m. EST, and the program concludes on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. The registration fee includes three meals and the overnight stay at Lindenwood. Lindenwood Retreat and Conference Center is located in Donaldson, Ind.  Registration for single occupancy is $75 per person. Double occupancy is $60 per person.

The retreat is being offered by Kathy through First Christian Church. Registration for Messages from Mary is not being handled through the regional office. Use this link to download a flyer and registration form.  For more information, contact Kathy by email.

Hazelwood Christian Church in Muncie dedicated a substantial addition to its sanctuary in 1991. Included in the addition were an expanded kitchen, a library, classroom space (since used to establish a preschool), and a meeting area designed to accommodate 350 people in meetings and 225 for meals.

The meeting area was named “The Common Room” at the suggestion of the senior minister at the time, Dr. David Cartwright. Dr. Cartwright had been familiar with that term from his student years at Yale University, where the dining area was known as “The Common Room.”

Dr. Cartwright retired as Senior Minister at Hazelwood in 2006. At the time of his retirement, the congregation bestowed the title Minister Emeritus.  He and his wife, Susan, returned to Hazelwood in 2008, and they continue as active and involved members.

As a recognition of Dr. Cartwright’s ministry and to honor his wife and their children, the board of Hazelwood Christian Church voted to rename The Common Room as Cartwright Hall.

The renaming became official at a dedication service held on Sunday, August 9. Rev. Colby Smith, who currently serves Hazelwood as senior minister, led the service. Dr. Cartwright responded on behalf of his family, all of whom were present.

Children from First Christian Church, Lafayette, prepare boxes for Operation Christmas Child

Children and youth at First Christian Church, Lafayette, have been actively involved in outreach ministries.  They recently completed their annual “Tools For Schools” program. ”Tools for Schools” helps to provide school supplies for local children.

Children and yout at First Christian will soon begin stuffing boxes for “Operation Christmas Child.”  The boxes will be sent to children around the world in hopes of sharing God’s word with them.  The youth of the church have also helped the congregation reach out to the community, serving lunch to the homeless as well as raising money for the “Hunger Hike.”  The youth are able to share excitement and gain valuable insight by serving their downtown neighbors. 

Michelle Schluttenhofer serves as Director of Children  and Youth Ministries at First Christian. Greg Eberhard serves the congregation as senior pastor.

Disciples Home Missions has recognized Northwood Christian Church, Indianapolis, with the Excellence in Evangelism Award.  This award is given to Disciples churches among the top ten percent of congregations in their size category for their evangelistic efforts. 

In a letter to the congregation, R. Wayne Calhoun, the Minister of Evangelism and Executive for Congregational Transformation with DHM, writes: “[DHM's] desire is to encourage you and let you know that someone has taken note of your accomplishment. Please accept this small token of recognition for your efforts in evangelism and striving to be a 21st century congregation.”

The Regional Board of the Christian Church in Indiana met in retreat at Camp Camby on September 1-2, 2009.  The purpose of the retreat was to follow up on a proposal for a process leading to regional transformation that the Board approved the previous April.

During a brief business session, the Board received and approved a report from the Nominating Committee.  The Board approved the nominations of Kay Koenig to chair the Regional Assembly Time and Place Committee and Rebecca Zelensky to chair the Regional Assembly Planning Committee.  After the business session was concluded, the Board put its nose to the graindstone on transformation.

At its March 30 meeting, the Board voted to begin a journey toward transformation.  (Read the proposal presented to the Board in April.)  As a first step the Board acknowledged that an outside voice was needed to guide us along.   Alan Roxburgh of the Roxburgh Missional Network has been working with Disciples congregations in Indiana in a transformation process since 2007.  The Board felt Alan was the best fit for the Region in its transformation process as well.

Three processes needed to begin.  The first was to have the five ministerial staff persons begin working with Alan to explore their leadership through an Executive 360 and follow-up coaching.  The ministry staff is also working with Alan through a process that examines how they function as a team.

The second process had Alan to interview a representative sample of people within the life of the Region to get a sense of what needs to take place for transformation to come about.  That report laid the groundwork for the Board’s work during the retreat.  (Read a copy of the report.)

The third piece was for Alan to bring those insights to the Board at the retreat.  After spending time in retreat digesting and discussing the content of the report, the board agreed to form a pro temp executive team to work with Roxburgh in developing a starting point for the region.  Team members are Pam Ditson-McCall, Mark Calvert-Rosenberger, Travis Hacker, Brenda Truax and Will Jewsbury.  The team will report back to the Regional Board on November 16.

Regional Moderator Pam Ditson-McCall had these observations about the retreat and the process that the board will engage again at its next meeting.

I came out of our time together with a realization that our first big obstacle will be our natural desire for a map that has a definite route laid out, steps to follow, and a guaranteed outcome.  We will have to acknowledge that isn’t the reality for real and effective transformation. 

This is what I do know.  There needs to be, has to be, a great deal of listening and honest conversation within the Region.  We need to discover again or for the first time who we are as Disciples in Indiana, as a community held in relationship through our common bonds, Jesus Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

This isn’t about us and them.  The Indiana Region is more than the office in Indianapolis; the Region is you and I, who are members of the 180 Disciples churches in Indiana. This is a time for flexibility and adaptability.  Your Board is seeking to be proactive not reactive to the rapid change, challenges and realities of being church today.

We will keep you informed along the way as we journey together and live into transformation. I ask for your patience, your passion and your prayers.

Marge Galbraith, left, receives the Valiant Woman Award from Marilyn Porter.

Church Women United of Indianapolis presented the Valiant Woman Award to Marge Galbraith at their annual meeting on September 18, 2009.

Marge is a member of Geist Christian Church.  She graduated from Phillips University and received a master’s degree from Butler University.  Marge is married to Les Galbraith and they have two children and six grandchildren.

Marge taught in the Indianapolis Public Schools and was a Reading Specialist in Washington Township before her retirement in 2001. 

She has served the church in many capacities.  While a member of Northwood Christian Church, she was active in that congregation’s Christian Women’s Fellowship.  She was also a member of the diaconate, an elder, the children’s librarian, a member of the church board and the Faith Development and Outreach committees.  She frequently worked in the church’s food pantry.

Marge is active in Bread for the World and serves as treasurer of Bread for the World in Indiana.  She has regularly volunteered at Wheeler Mission, and, with Les, served as mentor for a family while they were getting a home through Habitat for Humanity. 

She has been active in Church Women United, serving as secretary for a four-year term.  Among those standing in support with Marge were past Disciples recipients of the Valiant Woman award, Sue Warrick from Westview Christian Church, Alice Langford from Northwood Christian, and Marilyn Porter from Central Christian.  Also standing with Marge for the presentation was her mother Dorothy Temple.

Church Women United is a racially, culturally, theologically inclusive Christian women’s movement, celebrating unity in diversity and working for a world of peace and justice.  Founded in 1941, CWU is a movement representing 25 million Protestant, Roman Catholic, Orthodox and other Christian women.

Rev. Jack Wachenschwanz receives the Honored Minister’s Pin. His wife, Virginia, pinned it on him during the service.

On Sunday, August 30, Rev. Jack E. Wachenschwanz was honored with a retirement celebration given by Central Christian Church in Marion, Ind., where he had served since 1991.

Jack’s ministry began in 1954 at Whitewater, Mo., where he was a student pastor for two years. He was ordained on July 8, 1956. After his ordination he served as a youth pastor in Columbus, Ohio for two years. Following a on-year ministry in Detroit, Mich., he moved to South Milford, Ind., where he served for ten and a half years.

Following his ministry in South Milford, Jack continued to serve in Indiana at Parkview Church of Christ in Fort Wayne, Smartsburg Christian Church in Crawfordsville and First Christian Church in Alexandria.

Jack began his ministry at Central Christian Church as a two-year intentional interim and retired from there after nearly 18 years of ministry. Long pastorates were characteristic of his ministry. He served the First Christian Church in Alexandria for 13 years.

Jack was blessed to have his son, David, present from California, along with his son, Mark, and grandson, Brandon, from Fort Wayne present in the service. Jack was touched when Mark and Brandon played Amazing Grace during the offering.

Associate Regional Minister Carolyn Reed attended the service and celebration to present the Honored Minister’s Pin.

Carolyn Reed, Associate Regional Minister, will commence a three-month sabbatical on Monday, October 5. This sabbatical follows the May 10 completion of ten years of service on the regional staff. Her primary focus during this period of rest and renewal is transformation.

Carolyn will continue reading and study on issues related to congregational and judicatory renewal. A portion of this time apart will include work with Alan Roxburgh as he engages denominational systems that are reimagining their lives as middle judicatory expressions of church.

Alan is currently serving as consultant to the Christian Church in Indiana as it addresses issues of transforming our life. For more information on Alan and his work, visit www.roxburghmissionalnet.com.

Carolyn will also spend time vacationing with friends in Northern California, as well as a planned family trip to England over the Christmas holiday.

During her sabbatical, coverage of her ministries will be provided by several individuals. Members of the regional transformation team are partnering with the current cohort of congregations in the transformation process and will work with them this fall. Lee Huckleberry, pastor of Howard Park Christian Church, Clarksville, is serving as facilitator of the pastors’ group for this process.

Jennifer Steele-Lantis, associate pastor at Southport Christian Church, Indianapolis, will coordinate the fall CYF Assembly at Camp Camby. Other regional staff will cover ministry areas as needed.

Iglesia Hermandad Cristiana (IHC) (Discípulos de Cristo) in Indianapolis, Ind. has had a very full summer.  In the spring of this year, the congregation wrote a grant proposal to the Regional Commission on Reconciliation for funds that would allow them to send their junior and senior high students to the Indiana Region’s camp programs during the months of June and July. 

Youth and other members from Iglesia Hermandad Cristiana pose with Associate Regional Minister Carolyn Reed following the celebration on August 23.

As a result of the grant being approved and additional regional camp scholarships being secured through the Regional Office, 18 youth were able to attend the summer camp programs offered at Camp Barbee and Bedford Church Camp.  In addition, one of the young adults from IHC, Francisco Pérez, was also able to serve as a counselor for the Bedford CYF Camp in July.

On Sunday, August 23, IHC held a special celebration in recognition of the youth that were able to attend, the congregation’s leadership that provided transportation to and from the camps and Carolyn Reed from the Regional staff. 

Alejandra Alpizar represented the youth of IHC and expressed the appreciation for the experience. He indicated that the time at camp is now motivating the youth from IHC to become more involved not only with the local church youth program but also with other opportunities that will be offered by the Region throughout the year.

The youth, mostly Hispanic with one Vietnamese member, were first time attendees to such an event.  One of the purposes of the camp experience, as it was outlined in the proposal to the Commission on Reconciliation, was to provide and share a multicultural experience to the  youth of IHC for this summer’s camp program.

IHC is grateful to the whole Regional staff for their collaboration throughout this process.  We are especially thankful to Cheryl Cloar, who presented the request before the Commission on Reconciliation, Carolyn Reed, who had major responsibility for working with registration and assignments for the campers, and Vonnie Cloud and Enid Colón who worked with finalizing registrations through the Regional Office.

Following the camp programs, the congregation was also involved with different aspects of the General Assembly which met in Indianapolis, IN from July 29 to August 2.  On Sunday, August 2, IHC, together with Meadlawn Christian Church and Casa del Alfarero, served as host to over 150 in worship, primarily Hispanic delegates to the General Assembly, at the Meadlawn Church facility.  The Reverend Héctor Méndez, one of the founding pastors of IHC, was the guest speaker.

IHC is grateful to all who have helped to make this a very memorable summer and commit to working towards other such experiences that can unite us as one Church in Christ.