2010 Plan Update #52: July/August 2007

2010 Plan's Objective: Enlisting the conference and its churches to reach new population groups for Jesus Christ.

Key Developments Since Last Update:

1. SENDING OF THE SAINTS.

   A number of churches began a discernment process to decide how their churches will participate in the conference’s Sending of the Saints effort. Three dozen churches reported their specific outreach plans to Ed Fenstermacher, who has shared them with those who have agreed to pray for the effort.

2. AREA CHURCH DEVELOPMENT PLAN.

   The Church Development staff and Connectional Ministry Directors from both the North and South Indiana Conferences, as well as the Bishop’s Executive Assistant met together in July to talk about developing a coordinated Church Development plan between the two conferences. The directors empowered the CD staff to create a team to develop such an Area-wide plan. This team began its work in August. It is anticipated that the resulting plan will be shared with the Imagine Indiana Design Team, which is working on the design of an Indiana-wide UM conference.

3. COACHES TRAINING.

   Last year the Church Development Ministry Team set a goal to double the number of revitalization coaches for NIC churches. It had four besides its staff person and they primarily were coaching through the Redevelopment Venture Process. Thanks to the work of Rev. Heather Olson-Bunnell, and her Reach, Teach, and Serve ministry, there are now approximately 15 people who have been trained. These people have been apprenticing with the original coaches, as well as receiving training through group coaching session via phone and on-site workshops taught by L. Cecile Adams from Creative Coaching, who is a former UM staff person of the Detroit Conference.

4. VIDEO PREACHING.

   Muncie Union Chapel UMC shared a video-preaching concept with the Bishop and Cabinet where the church would provide smaller churches with Rev. Gregg Parris’s sermons to use in their weekly worship services. With input from national consultant Lyle Schaller, Union Chapel has been in such a relationship this past year with a UM church in rural New York state and has had very positive results. Rev. Dale Mendenhall, Union Chapel’s DS, reports that the Cabinet is supportive of the concept and would like to see it tried with a UM church in the conference.

5. REGIONAL CHURCH REVITALIZATION.

   With input from Rev. Cindy Reynolds (Warsaw District), Rev. Craig LaSuer (Marion District), and revitalization coaches, Rev. Dean Fager and Ed Fenstermacher developed a possible regional church revitalization plan. The two above district superintendents as well as a third are considering using it.

Prayer Concerns:

1. Pray for NIC churches as they each determine how they will participate in the Sending of the Saints effort.
2. Pray for the Sending of the Saints workshops to be held in September and October.
3. Pray for those people being trained as Hispanic Lay Missioners this fall.
4. Pray for those working on regional and area Church Development plans.
5. Pray that God would make our hearts--ache for the lost!