Messenger 6-14.indd - Indiana North District of the Wesleyan Church

Indiana North
Wesleyan Messenger
Summer 2014
Volume 69, Issue 4
Investing in Others
The Indiana North District exists solely to create a culture for pastors and local churches to fulfill
the Great Commission. Our best definition of a healthy church is one that fulfills the purpose for
which God created the church. However, essential to this task are healthy pastors. Moreover, a local
church requires effective leadership. The greatest resource in the local church, apart from Divine
empowerment, is pastoral leadership.
Recently, through the capable assistance of a district task force, we developed a plan and funding
projections for strengthening pastoral leaders in their calling to cultivate missionally effective churches.
I will be highlighting some of these planned initiatives at district conference.
As I reviewed the work we had done, I couldn’t get away from the “what else?” It was a Holy Spirit
“coaching moment.” It gradually dawned on me that the Spirit of God was reminding me to remember the “others.” The
“others” are fellow ministers and churches serving around the world and in dire need of our investments.
Through a sequence of God-appointed encounters, I was made aware of the need for pastoral training in Mozambique. After
seeing the Jesus Film, thousands of new converts have converged on hastily built churches throughout this country. Training
pastors to lead these churches is a prerequisite. As I reflected on this, the “Macedonian” image of a pastor beckoning with the plea
“come and help us” became fixed in my mind.
Field workers have developed an ingenious and economically viable method for educating the pastors. Instead of displacing
the newly called ministers from their villages and bringing them to a conventional Bible School, the training (“COW” or
“College on Wheels”) is being taken to them in their seing for a fraction of the cost. Instead of costing approximately
$2,400 a year for conventional training, COW can accomplish the same objective for roughly $240 a year. At present 75 who
are called have stepped forward to begin pastoral training.
I will be challenging every church in the district to provide the financial support to train at least one pastor in Mozambique
for the next three years for a three-year ministerial training certificate. I’m asking that some of our churches take on more
than one pastor so we can provide for all 75 pastors. This is our “Bread of Life” project as a district.
If our churches are generous, and we exceed the amount needed each year to train all the pastors, I will ask for permission to
take the surplus funds and apply them toward drilling desperately needed wells for clean water. Much of the preventable
disease and deaths, particularly for small children, can be accomplished through clean water in this part of the world.
World Hope is making this possible at the cost of approximately $9,000 per well.
If we can train 75 pastors each year and drill at least one well we will make this our “Bread of Life and Cup of Cold Water
Project.” Another exciting challenge has come to us that I am asking the ministers of the district to help with, but I will save
that story for another time.
There is a wonderful sense of missional urgency being awakened in our district. The numbers of people being converted
and transformed are increasing. New growth is happening in churches. Healthy churches are partnering with less healthy
churches for greater fruitfulness. Pastors are stepping up to gain new masteries as leaders. However, perhaps one of
the most positive signs of recovering health is the urge to invest in others. A new wind is blowing in the district. Let’s
collectively, pastors and churches, ride it to the new heights God wants to take us and bless others as we do!
—Dr. Aron P. Willis, District Superintendent
INDIANA NORTH
WESLEYAN MESSENGER
(USPS - 262-520)
Official Publication of the
Indiana North District of
THE WESLEYAN CHURCH
Published quarterly
Being Missional Works!
Our two youngest churches are Keystone Community
Church in Auburn and Impact Community Church in New
Haven. Both churches launched this past year (Keystone
in November; Impact in August). Both churches have a
missional focus. Let me share their updates with you.
Periodicals Postage paid at Marion, IN
District Superintendent: Dr. Aron P. Willis
Editor: Roxene Lo
Office: 401 W. 39th St., Marion IN 46953
Phone: 765/674-8593
Postmaster: Send address changes to
Office: 401 W. 39th St., Marion, IN 46953
Phone: 765/674-8593
Church News
Under the direction of Pastor Bob
Schroeder, Bryant Wesleyan’s youth
group continues to be active and strong.
They just enjoyed their annual on-site
campout retreat. There were over 40
youth at the Friday night concert and
25 that camped and enjoyed the great
activities. Seth Bye, an IWU ministerial
student and son of Pastor Tony Bye,
was the featured speaker. The group
recently formed a teen leadership board
that plans all the activities and events.
They regularly help at a free meal the
church serves monthly to the Bryant
Community. They will be an important
part of the church’s VBS June 11-14.
Pastor Trevor Wright (Keystone) reports: “I had a
student that was part of the CHANGE Academy (Juvenile
Corrections Program). He was a student that liked to ask a
lot of questions. He took a liking to me and really had a ‘want to change’ a!itude.
He worked so hard that he graduated early at the age of 17. We had just started a
new ministry that was focused on pregnant teens. I found out that his girlfriend
was pregnant. After he left the program I was able to talk to him about our new
ministry and our church. He came to church with his dad the very next Sunday.
A couple Sundays after that, he gave his life to Christ and was baptized. The
Sunday he was baptized, his younger brother accepted Christ. He also brought
his older brother and his sister-in-law. They are all part of Keystone now. That
entire family has been changed.”
Pastor Kory Christensen and Impact Church are preparing to partner with Vincent
Village (a homeless shelter in south Fort Wayne) to do a summer sports program
and/or a VBS in the community. Vincent Village is also asking Impact to do a
Sunday service. Impact will start with doing some community building first, with
some small group ministry included. In addition, Impact is developing a global
focus and is partnering with Level 13 on a well project through World Hope.
I ask you to join me in applauding both of these planters and their families for the
progress they are making in their communities. I also ask you to join the front
lines of support by praying for their ministries and their families daily. If you or
your church are looking for a missional opportunity, give Pastor Trevor or Pastor
Kory a call and see if they have an upcoming project that you could partner with
(they do, and you are welcome to jump in!).
Thank you for your gracious support of church planting!
—Rev. David Dignal
Director of Church Planting
Welcome, New Babies!
Sweetser Wesleyan has had a great year
of moving forward. Our a!endance
continues to climb. We are only $5,500
away from being debt-free. Our Bible
quizzing team just won the North
Central Area competition at IWU on
May 10 and went undefeated.
Page 2
Faith Renee Hubbard was born on April 28 to Stephen
and Courtney Hubbard. Faith weighed 10 lbs. 4 oz. and
was 23” long. Steve serves as assistant pastor at Fairmount
Wesleyan.
Callen Oliver Eugene Nelson was born
on January 16 to Ryan
and Sarah Nelson.
Callen weighed 7 lbs.
1 oz. and was 19 ½”
long. Sarah serves
as assistant pastor
at Level 13 in Fort
Wayne.
Indiana North Wesleyan Messenger
Kaiden Gage Norem
was born on May 9
to Gage and Charissa
Norem.
Kaiden
weighed 7 lbs. 4
oz. and was 19 3/4”
long. Gage serves as
pastor of Silver Lake
Wesleyan.
Summer 2014
Sensitive to God’s Leading
Wisdom and Weakness
When I started out in ministry
I told people that I did not see
myself as being a teacher. I could
perhaps see myself as a youth
pastor or definitely as a behindthe-scenes minister. However, I
definitely could not see myself as
a teacher. How can God use one
whose hands get freezing cold
even on the hoest of days when
he is nervous . . . or who gets tongue-tied and stuers and
speaks a mile a minute?
While in Africa, however, I was encouraged and, out of
necessity, required to teach. I do not claim to be the greatest
teacher around, and I know I am not the most “polished.” If
you want to sit under the ministry of polished teachers, sit
under the teaching of professors in the School of Theology
and Ministry at Indiana Wesleyan University. I have been
blessed by the teaching of Drs. Bud Bence, Chris Bounds,
Keith Drury, Steve Horst, Steve Lennox, David Vardaman,
Wilbur Williams, and others.
Down through the years God has opened up opportunities for
me to teach, both in America and overseas. In His wisdom He
has seen fit to use a weak vessel. In May I had the privilege of
going to Jamaica to teach at the Caribbean Wesleyan College.
I was nervous, but I also had a sense of peace, knowing that
many were praying for me. I also went with the assurance
that the Lord uses weak vessels!
During DBMD interviews I sometimes hear the ordination
candidates say, “I feel so unworthy. I feel too weak to do
God’s work!” I think this is a good “thing.” It becomes a
reminder that we need to always depend upon God for the
results. In fact, He is the One who gets the credit. If we are
too weak to accomplish the work, then logic tells us that it was
therefore accomplished by God working in and through us.
We need to continually remember that God, in His wisdom,
is willing to use the weak!
—Rev. Dr. Jim “Umfundisi” Lo
Director of Ministerial Development
Today as I pulled up to the hospital
a lady was walking slowly in the
driveway. There was a sidewalk. There
was a great deal of traffic. Yet she was
completely oblivious to the fact that
I was behind her and that she was
stopping all of the traffic. My mother
and I both chuckled as she walked
approximately 50 yards without a clue
that there were five cars following her!
When it comes to the moving of the Holy Spirit for the
building of the Kingdom of God, I do not want to be oblivious.
Am I in tune with the Lord’s will in such a way as to make a
real difference for the Kingdom today?
Isaiah 43:19 says, “See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs
up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and
streams in the wasteland.” God is always doing something
fresh. The question is, am I content with yesterday’s almost
moldy bread?
I am grateful for the godly followers of our church who are
more devoted and commied than the world can understand!
I am so impressed the way the Holy Spirit uses those who will
be completely commied because they see the importance of
the task and the goal to which we are called.
I must be sensitive to God’s gale force winds or still small
breezes bringing change on the large landscape. Part of my
pastoral/shepherd role is to follow God where he wants to
stir things up and to ask uncomfortable questions frequently
enough that God’s voice can be heard speaking in fresh ways
and charting fresh directions. One of those questions I’ve
been asking recently is, “Where are the fresh, new ways of
connecting God and our community?” The question emerges
from the old bread and His new work that is springing up.
I have asked God to keep me open and to open others to the
great moving of His Holy Spirit. May you see the new thing
He is doing, and may you be extraordinary in Him and for
His Kingdom!
—Rev. Mark Atkinson
Church Health Director
District Conference & Ordination 2014
The ordination service this year will be held in conjunction
with a creative and celebratory worship time during district
conference. District Conference will be held at Brookhaven
Wesleyan (2960 E. 38th Street in Marion). District Conference
still begins at 8:30 a.m., with registration beginning at 8 a.m.
Anyone coming in only for the ordination service should
arrive no later than 10 a.m. Lunch will be provided this year
at Brookhaven Wesleyan, but an RSVP will be required from
those wishing to eat lunch on site (whether they are delegates
or friends or family members of those being ordained).
Page 3
Golf Scramble 2014
The annual Wesleyan Men’s Golf Scramble will be held
Saturday, July 12, at 8:00 a.m., at Arbor Trace Golf Club.
The cost of $45 includes golf, cart, lunch, and prizes. Every
year 80-100 guys from all over the district get together to
play golf. Form a team of your friends and family. Go to
Upcoming Events on www.indiananorth.com to print out
your registration. The registration deadline is July 1st.
Indiana North Wesleyan Messenger
—Rev. Rob Tippey
Summer 2014
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Page 5
Indiana North Wesleyan Messenger
Summer 2014
“Return to Glory”
In Memory
In the beginning man was in unity with God
He stood naked, unashamed and nothing was odd.
In the Garden of Eden they lovingly walked
And face to face in earnest they talked
He loved His Creator with all of his heart, mind and soul
And then came the tempter looking for a loophole
And one he did find of the grandest design
That would cause the newly-weds the blame to assign
He promised to elevate man to the throne
But instead caused his blessed life to be blown.
So man was made to leave the Garden of Eden
And cursed they became because of the demon
For the woman in childbirth there would be much pain
And the earth tilled hard to produce li$le grain
Now everything created was subjected to the curse
The good creation of God was now perverse
All of humanity was left to man’s care
We messed it all up and we were left in despair
But God did not leave them in depravity’s place
No, instead He showed them His Saving Grace
God let them nail his Son to a tree
So that by His love we would be set free.
Mrs. Ann Glenn passed away on March
28, at the age of 82. Her husband,
Rev. Don Glenn, is a retired ordained
minister. In the Indiana North District,
Ann served as a lay member of the DBA,
as a lay delegate to General Conference,
and as District Director of Wesleyan
Women. She also served as Assistant
General Director, Area Director, and
District Director of Wesleyan Women
in two other districts. In addition, she served as Director of
Children’s Ministries for The Wesleyan Church.
Mrs. Zylpha Hoover passed away on
April 11, at the age of 88. Her husband,
Edwin Hoover, is on the IWU Board of
Trustees. Their children include Rev.
Stan (Debbie) Hoover – former pastor at
Sonlight Wesleyan in Bluffton and current
Chesapeake District Superintendent;
Reenie (Rev. Dan) Bickel (Wisconsin
District Superintendent); the late Vida
(Rev. Joel) Gearhart (assistant pastor at
Brookhaven Wesleyan), and Reva (Rev. Mike) Schul".
Rev. Ermal L. Wilson, a retired ordained
minister in the Indiana North District,
passed away on April 28, 2014, at the
age of 97. His 67 years of active ministry
include service as a missionary in
southern Africa (16 years), as a pastor, as
an evangelist (25 years), and as assistant
secretary (3 years) and general secretary
(14 years) of Wesleyan World Missions.
He is survived by his wife, Gloria, and
three adult children.
God calls us to Him by His prevenient grace
So that we would desire to seek His face
And if we would believe and place Him in our heart
All of Satan’s schemes we would outsmart
In front of God we can stand justified.
If in His Son we completely abide
The great love of Jesus is more than ample
To change our life to His perfect example
For by His grace we strive to be holy
To be more Christ-like and to do so boldly
The Spirit within urges us to yearn
To be more like Christ we pray to learn
Right now I strive but with much distress
Toward perfection in you I must progress
But a bent toward evil I cannot eject
Accept a gift from God to His elect
We continually seek God’s will and pray
To be exactly like His Son someday
Help us to grow in all of your mercies
Until everything You say my spirit agrees
Oh great joy has been bestowed upon me
The promises of God has set me free
This outward pouring of the Spirit inside
Tells me God as made me sanctified.
Until that day when our love is complete
And rebellion is in complete retreat
My entire being I give you control
To be restored wholly to you is my goal
Now to Him I wholly and completely belong
His will is mine and I am no longer headstrong
Lord give me the strength to boldly stand strong
And never again choose to do You wrong
I ask and I pray for this precious gift from you
To receive a complete cleansing that is true
I long to stand in your presence again
Naked, unashamed as before the sin
Page 6
Indiana North Wesleyan Messenger
—Pastor Robert Schroeder
Bryant Wesleyan
Advanced Theology Assignment
Summer 2014
Events on the Calendar
JUNE 2014
DBMD – 8:00 A.M., District Office
DBMD – 8:00 A.M., District Office
Paul Borden event – 9:00 A.M.,
Warsaw Wesleyan
12
South #2 Regional Council
3:00 P.M., IWU Alumni House
13-14 Camp Work Days
15
Annual Reports Due
16-20 Junior High Teen Camp
19
South #1 Regional Council
3:00 P.M., College Wesleyan
23-27 Senior High Teen Camp
24
DBMD – 8:30 A.M., District Office
30
Camp Blast begins
3
4
12
JULY 2014
Camp Blast ends
DBA – 9:00 A.M., District Office
Junior Bible Camp
Golf Scramble – 8:00 A.M.
Arbor Trace Golf Club
19
District Conference & Ordination
8:30 A.M., Brookhaven Wesleyan
20-27 Family Camp
25
WMCR Committee
3
8
7-11
12
1-2
8-10
9
20-24
25-30
AUGUST 2014
Wesleyan Youth Cedar Point trip
Camp-n-Craft
IWU Graduation
Old Time Camp Meeting
Camp WOW
SEPTEMBER 2014
1
WMCR Committee (work day)
12-14 WMCR, Fairmount Camp
21
Pastors/Spouses Gathering
5:00 P.M., Honeywell Center
OCTOBER 2014
FIRE camp
Wesleyan Women event
Lakeview Wesleyan
13-14 ReEquip ‘14
8-10
11
8
NOVEMBER 2014
Pastors’ Wives’ event
Hey there, Fairmount Camp friends,
Summer is almost here, and we are geing very excited about what God has in store
for Fairmount Camp this year. Many children, youth, and adults will be walking
these grounds and taking in the Word of God throughout the summer. He already
knows who those people will be and everything that will be said. You now have
to do your part. The Camp Board and I have been making lots of decisions about
the facilities and what Fairmount Camp will look like going forward, but none of
that is as important as the decisions for Christ and the life change that many will
experience. You and I have to pray for God’s protection, provision, and His will for
those who will be coming to camps and services this summer. Your prayers are an
eternal investment in the lives of those unaware of your prayers, and they maer.
This summer will mark 119 years that God has been using these grounds to bring
people together to hear from Him. As most are aware, we have had to make a lot
of changes to the camp grounds this year, and this summer will look quite a bit
different than in years past. Just to highlight a few things, we are working on a
new prayer closet, a coffee shop, a new dining hall, and a new floor in Dorm 11,
and we are scraping and painting two dorms, and much more. These are all things
that we are trying to get done as soon as possible. We put out the schedules for
the summer programs through your church; if you missed it or need one, please
call the camp office at 765-948-4836.
We still need your help. If you can give of your time and talents or you see
something that you can care for on our “to do” list, which is also posted on our
web site (www.fairmountcamp.org), please feel free to give the camp a call. Many
of you cannot give a week of your time to minister to teens and kids, but you can
give a day or extra money God has blessed you with to help prepare a great place
for these campers to enjoy. We will have work days on Friday and Saturday, June
13-14. I know this is coming up quickly, but we could use all hands on deck this
year. Thank you for all your support and prayers. We are growing towards Him
and each other.
—Ma Landis
Fairmount Camp Director
WMCR 2014
We are geing very excited for WMCR 2014!!! Larry &
Heather Wilson, from Fall Creek Wesleyan, will be our
speakers this year. Larry and Heather have been married
for nine years and have a blended family of six children.
Both have wrien several books, including Larry’s book
When Life Doesn’t Turn Out the Way You Expect. Heather
has wrien over twenty books! Thomas & Bethany Hall
will be back to lead worship/music. We have several new
things in store for this year’s married couples’ retreat. If
you haven’t registered yet, go to fairmountcamp.org or
see our booth at District Conference or Family Camp. See you September 12-14!!
—Ron & Karen Hershberger
WMCR Chaircouple
Page 7
Indiana North Wesleyan Messenger
Summer 2014
Indiana North Wesleyan Messenger (USPS 262-520)
401 West 39th St. • Marion, IN 46953
Periodicals Postage
Paid at Marion, Indiana
Making Missions a Priority
Probably none of us need any reminders that the cost of just about everything has gone up in recent years, while wages have
stayed the same or have declined! Job uncertainty is at an all-time high as companies seek to lower their costs primarily
through reducing labor costs. In our churches this has been manifested by lower levels of giving, but where we see it most
apparent is in the amounts given to missions.
Unfortunately, the first place that seems to get cut in the church budget is the missions budget. For many churches that
rely upon “faith promise giving” for their missions support, this amount has also fallen on hard times. The boom line is
that when budgets get tight, so does our giving. The end result is that missionaries who are counting on the support from
home are caught in the financial pinch.
Chapel Pike Wesleyan, where I pastor, is no different from most other churches. This past year, we found ourselves with
a shortfall between what we had commied for missionary support and what was commied from our people. We were
faced with the challenge of either writing to our missionaries to tell them that we could no longer fund them or that their
funding would be greatly reduced, or trusting God to help us come up with other ways to fund our missionary support.
We chose the laer option, since we feel that we have made an obligation to our missionary families and they are counting
on us.
I am glad to report that by the end of the church year, all of our support has been paid for our missionary families. How
did we do it? It really was a cooperative effort with the Lord opening doors and our people being willing to go through
them. There was a kitchen remodeling project that our men took that helped get us started. Another project with Habitat
for Missionaries was undertaken, which helped provide additional support. Someone else donated a car that was then sold,
and the funds were placed in the missions offering. Another small remodeling project became available, and our men took
it on. All told, over $7,000 was raised for the support of our missionary families.
The challenge of reaching our world with the good news of the gospel is great. Raising the funds to support our missionaries
is equally as challenging. Perhaps your church also finds itself in the position of being short on missionary funds. Before
you write a leer to the missionaries cuing their support, how about asking the Lord to open some doors of opportunity
for you and your church to increase your funding? Maybe you could gather some interested folks together to brainstorm
some ideas as to how you could raise additional funds. I believe that Lord might be willing to unlock some doors for you
if you are willing to push them open! If your church has some creative ideas that have been helpful, I would love to hear
them and to share them as well.
One final note, don’t miss out on our Missions Moments this summer at Family Camp, as we have several of our missionary
families sharing during the services. This is a wonderful time for you to meet them and to hear their heart for reaching the
world for Christ.
—Rev. Steve Colter
Global Partners Director
Page 8
Indiana North Wesleyan Messenger
Summer 2014