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Thanks to IYM for their support of our students and adult leaders who attended the Urbana Missions Conference in Indianapolis December 28-31! The Urbana Missions Conference has a rich history of drawing students into deeper commitments to Christ and God’s mission to the nations. This year’s conference was no exception! Our student group, along with Friends from Iowa, joined together with over 6.000 other students from around the country for worship in multiple languages, compelling and challenging teaching from the book of Acts, and powerful testimonies from missionaries, students, and Christian leaders from around the world. Our group had their minds opened to the breadth of the Global church and God’s heart for the nations (one student remarked on the impactful experience of worshiping in another language for the first time!). We were called to greater submission to God, recognition of our dependence upon Him, and to be bold and effective witnesses. Throughout the conference, students were challenged to identify and say “yes” to a next step in obedience to Christ, culminating in completing commitment cards at the end of the conference. Please pray for our students, that they may remain firm in their commitments, and continue saying “yes” to God however He may lead in their lives!
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We are preparing to produce another quarter of the IYM Adult Sunday School curriculum. We feel like it has been well-written by authors within IYM, with good insights that lead to meaningful studies of the Scriptures. If you have been using it, thank you for your continued support. If you have not used it, this is as good a time as any to give it a try. The current quarter runs through February 2023, so we are early in this quarter and we can get copies to you. If you want to try it at the new quarter, contact Betty in the IYM office and we will get you on our order list. | | |
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In an attempt to follow Jesus’ command in Matthew 28 (‘Go and make disciples of all nations’), the IYM Missions Committee is on board with the EFM Luke 10 Initiative. This initiative is to send ten new missionary families into five new missionary fields in five years. As a response to this, IYM is sending a team to India in the spring of 2023 to explore and listen to the Holy Spirit
in order to discern God’s will, and if IYM should take further steps towards this area as a mission field. Over the next months, we will be posting reminders, asking all of IYM to join together to pray. We want to pray for the individuals going (for safety, for finances, for a smooth process when it comes to obtaining visas, etc.). We will also ask for prayer for those on the ground there that the team will encounter ‘persons of peace’ as they explore and see how God may be leading.
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The Growing Young Workshop that had to be postponed has been rescheduled for February 18 at Maple Run Friends. | |
The Colson Center National Fellowship will be held in Indianapolis this year! The IYM E&O Committee is recommending it for any and all IYM folks. Click HERE for information on the conference and how to register. | |
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Sycamore Friends will hold a helping hands event at the Hometown Restaurant in Greentown on January 17 at 11 am.
Farmland Friends is helping a blood drive on January 17. If you feel inclined to do so, sign up to give on redcrossblood.org.
Marion First Friends is currently developing a new facebook page. If you would like to keep updated with their happenings, stay tuned for their new page!
Are you interested in learning more about the Friends Church or becoming a member of the Friends? Join Dewart Lake Community Friends for an eight-week course, starting Sunday, February 5 at 9 am in the Meetinghouse or on Zoom, Thursday, February 9 at 7 pm. The same message will be presented on both days. If you want to join via Zoom, please message your email address to us via messenger.
*If you want to see news and highlights for your church in the Communicator, send your information to iymcommunicator@gmail.com
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The annual Winter Sneak youth retreat will take place at Quaker Haven on February 3-5. More news coming soon!
Plans are in motion for Summer Camp 2023 at Quaker Haven. Check out the Youth Ministries tab at iym.org for camp dates.
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Mark your calendars now for 2023 Indiana Yearly Meeting Annual Sessions from July 27-29 at Quaker Haven Camp.
The annual Mid-Winter Pastors and Spouses Retreat will be held at the Clifty Inn in Clifty Falls State Park on January 27-29. Pastors, if you have not yet registered, please do so now.
The first of three discussion meetings regarding our relationship with FUM will be at Fairmount Friends on January 12, starting at 6:30 pm. The others will be held at Knightstown Friends on February 7 and at Lynn Friends on March 23.
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The Executive Committee will meet with the Advancement Committee for the annual Executive Committee retreat on Saturday, January 7, 9:30 am at Bear Creek Friends.
From the Advancement Committee:
As we jump into 2023, let's give thanks for God's love for us. IYM has the privilege of helping folks understand, realize, and experience God's love. What an amazing opportunity we have each day. In the midst of serving, we are blessed to have the support of one another in Indiana Yearly Meeting. Our generosity and support is incredible. For the 2024 budget, here is where we are with fundraising efforts:
$50,765.06 Cash Received
$ 9,550.00 Pledged
$60,315.06 Total
Glory to God! Praise our Lord Jesus Christ!
From the Christian Service Committee:
As IYM goes about the business of caring for our communities, we are encouraged by some incredible efforts. In Indianapolis, Second Helpings is doing tremendous work. Since 1998, they have accepted donated perishable and overstocked food to prepare nutritious meals for thousands of hungry children and adults every day, and distributes them free of charge through local social service agencies in Greater Indianapolis. Second Helpings also trains unemployed and underemployed adults for meaningful careers in the culinary industry. They are a community kitchen. They don't just collect food - they rescue food because they refuse to waste food when others have none. They are not just teaching people to cook - they are providing an avenue for people to transform their own lives. Today, the need is so much greater than they ever imagined when they began - so they will go on undeterred. Be inspired - check out Second Helpings!
Damon Seacot
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January 7
Executive Committee Retreat
Location: Bear Creek Friends
Start: 9:30 am
End: 3:00 pm
January 12
FUM Discussion Session #1
Location: Fairmount Friends
Start: 6:30 pm
End: 8:00 pm
January 27-29
Mid Winter Retreat for Pastors and Spouses
Location: Clifty Inn - Clifty Falls State Park
Start: Jan 27, 6:00 pm
End: Jan 29, 12:00 pm
February 7
FUM Discussion Session #2
Location: Knightstown Friends
Start: 6:30 pm
End: 8:00 pm
February 18
Growing Young Workshop Location: Maple Run Friends
Start: 9:30 am
End: 3:30 pm
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A Message from our Superintendent | | |
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Good Morning,
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is
here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5: 17-21
I usually start my day with the ‘Verse of the Day’ from Biblegateway.com. I have the app on my phone, and I am not sure if this makes me spiritual or lazy, but I often read it before my feet even hit the floor in the morning.
For January 1st, the verse of the day was from 2 Corinthians 5:17.
With this being the beginning of a new year, the ‘new creation’ piece is timely. And…let us not overlook the rest of this chapter.
Us being a ‘new creation’ is based on this fact…our God is a God of reconciliation. He wants us to be with Him. He wants to be with us! And, the only pathway to this recon-ciliation is through Christ.
So, we get to be ‘Christ’s ambassadors’ as we live out this reconciliation to our God.
Let us take seriously the ‘ministry of reconciliation’ we have been called to. Let’s begin 2023 will a renewed commitment to that ministry.
-Pat Byers
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