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GENEROSITY IN ACTION | Q1
2024, what a great year we are entering! Celebrating our 150th anniversary, learning to Be God’s Light by studying the Old Testament and how it points to Jesus, kicking off the establishment of our Endowment Fund to allow us to do ministry for another 150 years and expanding God’s Kingdom in the world through our Multiply Ministry fund.
We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago
Ephesians 2:10
We are excited to share with you what the generosity in the giving of your time, talents and treasure have been doing at Fishers United Methodist Church!
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Greg Arnott Generosity Team | |  |
Mike Cooke Chairman Finance Committee | |
Tiffany Frash Co-Lay Leader | | |
Julie Rockwood Co-Lay Leader | |
150th Anniversary of Fishers United Methodist Church
How exciting it is to be able to celebrate 150 years of existence and to look back through the history of our church and see all the generous people and groups over those years that have done Kingdom work for God and have given us the strong foundation upon which we stand today.
There were stories about growth of our community and how our church worked through its members to create programs to make disciples and provide for the needs of the those coming to Fishers. The generosity of time, talents, energy, and money made these programs possible as well as several significant building programs to allow us to accommodate more people and programs.
What a blessing to be a part of this church and be a recipient of the legacy of Christ’s love that has been poured out on Fishers over the last 150 years!
Where do we go in the next 150 years? If you looked through the history of our church, there were many people or groups that started different ministries for our congregation and the community. Some of them only lasted for the season of a specific need and others lived on for a long time. How do we as a church continue and expand upon that legacy? We need disciples that are living into their calling by God to do his work and be his hands and feet. There is a great book called Find Your Place by Rob Wegner and Brian Phipps that tells us that followers of Jesus are called in some way to his ministry and to have an impact on the world. They use the concept of using GPS (your Gifts, Passion, and Story) to find your calling to be where God wants you to be. It may be what you are already doing, or it may help you to find something that excites you and gives you energy. If it is a currently existing ministry of the church or community organization, go for it. If it is something you feel needs to be started, then you can join others in our history that saw an unfilled need and worked toward bringing God to that situation.
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Endowment Fund
The story of our new Endowment Fund was shared with many groups so far. Now that the church has been able to pay off its debt and fund its operating budget we are on better financial footing. Now is the time then to start looking to the future and creating that legacy by creating the Endowment Fund to build up financial resources to fund future ministries. This fund will grow slowly over the years as it may be included in the legacy giving of our members as they pass on their financial blessings to others in their estate plan. If you have any questions about this fund or how to give to it please send your questions to Endowment@fishersumc.org, or visit fishersumc.org/endowment.
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Multiply Ministry
One very significant new initiative that is starting in our church is the Multiply Ministry. This was started by the calling of Pastor Mark and some of our church members and grew into a substantial outreach from the gifts given during 2022 and 2023 of $750,000 by our congregation to create a Multiply Ministry fund along with the giving of another $750,000 which retired our mortgage. That is a tremendous amount of generosity of giving above the support we already receive weekly and monthly for our operating budget. It is also an opportunity to give generously of your time if your calling by God aligns with the many programs that could be supported by this fund. The following summarizes what has been happening with the Multiply Ministry and what the Multiply Team has been doing to define this ministry and how it is to be used to further God’s mission.
We are excited to share how the Multiply Fund is supporting ministries in Fishers and around the world!
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FIRST KOREAN UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH
First Korean United Methodist Church has been worshipping on Sunday afternoons since fall of 2023. Pastor Lee and his congregation are committed to bring Jesus to the expanding Korean community of Hamilton County and beyond. In addition to Sunday worship, beginning in May 2024 they will be adding a Wednesday night bible study to their ministry. You are always invited to join First Korean UMC in worship on Sunday’s at 2:00 PM in the Family Life Center (273b).
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KAFAKUMBA
TRAINING CENTER
On June 6, 2024, Pastor Mark will be embarking on a journey to the Kafakumba training center in Zambia. The Pastors School at the training center provides a seminary-type education for more United Methodist pastors than any other educational facility in Africa. Mark will be working directly with these pastors by training, coaching, and encouraging them in their ministry. Fishers UMC has a long-standing relationship with this mission and we are thrilled to send out our exceptional pastors to support it two years in a row. The multiply fund provided up to $4,000 for this effort.
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PASTORAL TRAINING: EKERENYO, KENYA
In July 2024 members of our congregation will be accompanying District Superintendent Saneta Maiko to Kenya. The primary focus of the trip will be supporting the community that resides in and near the village of Ekerenyo, which includes the Greenhill Amani School. During this trip Saneta, along with several United Methodist Pastors, will be conducting pastoral training to support ministry development in Western Kenya. Similar training was conducted in 2023 which contributed to a new United Methodist church in the village. This church now directly supports spiritual growth and teaching at the school and plays an important role in the community. The Multiply fund provided $4,000 to support room and board for the pastors attending this training.
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PASTORAL TRAINING:
JASON GREENLEE
Jason Greenlee from our congregation is studying to become a Licensed Local Pastor in the United Methodist Church. This involves several courses to obtain this certification and the Multiply fund is providing $3,500 to offset half of his tuition cost.
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MULTIPLY TEAM
On May 6, 2024, the Multiply Planning Team will be traveling to Naperville Illinois for the third and final installment of Exponential training. The previous trips to Nashville and Austin have given the team insight in prayerfully considering a ministry plan that creates a culture of multiplication. This culture includes making disciples that make disciples, developing leaders who develop leaders, and planting churches that plant churches. Once this final session is complete the team will work this summer to develop a long-term plan. Please pray for our Pastors and team members Marci Curtis, Tiffany Frash, Jeff Chaney, Ed Brown, Milton Pressler, and Mark Stebbe as they craft this strategy. The multiply fund provided approximately $10,000 in travel and conference registration expenses for all three events.
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Our Multiply Ministry also helped fund the hiring of Ben Beeks as an intern for a year to give him experience and let him live into his calling to start a series of micro-churches. Ben shared the following as to how that process has been going since leaving our church.
Just over a year ago, Emily and I set out to begin a micro church in our home called The Gathering. The dream was to create a network of micro-churches across the greater Indianapolis area to reach the "nones" and the "dones" with the Good News that Jesus offers us all. Now, 14 months in, we hope and believe that we're seeing the beginnings of that dream coming to fruition.
What began as a few 20-somethings meeting monthly in our home has begun to multiply. We now meet weekly in our home with as many as 11 people from our neighborhood and surrounding communities. We are praying desperately to make more connections with our immediate neighbors, and are actively looking for ways to B.L.E.S.S. them, with the goal of bringing them into our micro-church. We're doing little things like taking prayer walks and big things like baking 500 cookies to distribute to every house on our block, hoping to see a major breakthrough soon.
But it's no longer just Emily and I trying to bring more people in. We sent our first people out to an intentional mission field as they serve in an apartment ministry in downtown Indianapolis. They host multiple events each month in their apartment complex and have already begun a Bible study with their neighbors that we hope will soon turn fully into a micro-church. Another man in our group has begun ministering to his friends that he plays video games with and has started a weekly Bible study that's reaching a dozen or more unchurched friends each week. I (Ben) have sat in on that Bible study and have gotten to witness firsthand the powerful (and sometimes comical) questions and conversations that they have, with some people reading the Bible for the very first time.
I could go on and on about the new connections we're making, new people we've brought in, the new dreams that are springing up, the Seder meal that we're hosting that is pushing the limits of the space capacity in our home, the monthly gatherings that we're having in different homes and everything else that is happening. Suffice to say for today, God is at work in the life of The Gathering, and we are so excited for what the future may hold. We covet and appreciate your continued prayers and support!
Amen, we have helped plant a church that is planting churches and reaching people for Christ!
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Please see a summary for the three months ended March 31 for the operating fund below: | |
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| March 31, 2024 | March 31, 2023 | | Revenues | $311,700 | $301,200 | | Expenses | 334,400 | 308,200 | | Excess Expenses over Revenues | $(22,700) | $(7,000) | | |
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The above numbers are for the operating fund which do not include any amounts received or spent for any of the separate designated funds of the church. The revenues for 2024 are slightly higher than for this same period in 2023. Expenses for 2024 are higher than 2023, which was expected, and are less than the 2024 budgeted expense amount for this period.
As with any organization some expenses are regular and predictable such as payroll and others can change substantially each month such as repairs and maintenance. Revenue for the church consists primarily of contributions which also vary as to when they are received from year-to-year. Additionally, the church uses the cash-basis of accounting meaning that it records its revenue and expenses when cash is either received or paid rather than when revenue is earned or expenses are incurred which can affect the comparability of amounts, between years.
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Generosity comes in all shapes and sizes.
Explore these upcoming opportunities.
Perhaps you'll find one that speaks to you!
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Vacation
Bible School
//June 9-13, 6-8:30p//
Scuba Vacation Bible School takes kids ages 4 to 4th grade deep into an amazing undersea adventure! VBS cannot happen without our amazing volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, please tap the link.
| Did you know VBS is free to attend? Would you consider donating a few items to help support this ministry? Tap the link below to view the Amazon Wishlist. Or Donate money to help offset costs. | | |
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Intergenerational
Mission Trip
//June 23-28//
Everyone over the age of 8 is invited to be a part of the Intergenerational Mission Trip travelling to St. Louis June 23rd through June 28th and serve in the city Monday-Thursday that week. Serving days will be from approximately 9am to 3/3:30pm. Our evenings will have some free time, dinner together, a few adventures, and an evening time of vespers. Cost is $200/person, financial aid is available. Tap the link below to find out more and to sign up. Please sign up by June 5th.
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To Make Disciples of Jesus Christ For The Transformation Of The World. | | | | |
