(UMH #202)
WEEKLY NEWS FROM THE EAST DISTRICT
INDIANA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
January 17, 2012
eAST dISTRICT cENTER
3645 N BRIARWOOD LANE, SUITE B
MUNCIE, IN 47304
(765) 282-2322 / EAST DISTRICT WEBSITE
Contents
year end reporting
postage rate to increase
cokesbury discount for um hymnals/worship materials
clergy tax workshops sponsored by rejuvenate
PASTORS – HAVE YOU ACTIVATED YOUR INUMC EMAIL ACCOUNT?
vital congregations goals
pastor-parish training 2012
local pastor workshops
free umc app for your iphone or droid
certification of trustees form
ABUSE PROTECTION POLICY RESOURCES
free cancer seminar
LOCAL CHURCH News and EVENTS
Winter LAY ACADEMY
LICENSE TO PREACH
bishop’s confirmation rally
YOUTH MINISTRIES
education debt reduction grant for spouses of active clergy
mission giving & rsource book 2011-2013
impact 2818 outdoor ministries
employment opportunities
ADDITIONAL DATES
2012 indiana annual conference
important links
2011-2012 educational opportunities
year end reporting
Year End Reporting for 2011 will again be electronic and the General Council on Finance and Administration will be hosting the process. We hope you find the process familiar and convenient.The Year End Reporting submission dates for the 2011 reporting year will be January 2 - February 15, 2012. You mayprint a worksheet from the GCFA website to use in preparing to submit your data online. (Google Chrome users need to use a different web browser when accessing these.)
We recommend that you prepare your worksheets before logging into the website to submit since the system times out after 30-45 minutes.
Your login is your church id number (GCFA#)which is printed on your mailing label on thepostcard that was mailed to you (on 12/14)and your initial password is password.
To access the GCFA website and Year End Reports you can go to and you will be redirected or go directly to
To request a paper copy of the forms please contact Carla Johnson at the Conference Center at 1-877-781-6706.
postage rate to increase
The United States Postal Service (USPS) will increase prices for First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, Express Mail, Package Services, Media Mail (Periodicals) and Extra Services on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012. The postage to mail a one-ounce First-Class business letter will rise by 1¢ to 45¢. The single-piece postcard rate will increase by 3¢ to 32¢. Previously purchased "forever" stamps will still be usable, however, new "forever" stamps will cost more to buy. While actual percentage price increases for various products and services varies, the overall average price increase across all mailing services is capped by law at 2.1 percent, the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index.cokesbury discount for um hymnals/worhsip materials
Cokesbury is partnering with the Indiana Conference to offer churches 20 percent off UM Hymnals and 15 percent off all Worship and Song materials. In order to receive the discount you must place your order through Chris Burkhart, our Cokesbury sales representative for Indiana. Just mention this ad when you call. Offer ends Wednesday, Feb. 1. Contact Chris at 317-782-8633 or by e-mail at .A flyer is available here.clergy tax workshops sponsored by rejuvenate
The Rejuvenate Ministry is partnering with David Bell to host a Clergy Tax Workshop for Clergy of the Indiana Conference. The Friday workshop will be held in multiple locations during 2012. The dates and locations are: Friday, Feb. 3 at Bethel UMC in Indianapolis; Friday, Feb. 24 at First UMC in Columbus; Friday, March 16 at First UMC in West Lafayette; Friday, March 23 at Covenant UMC in Fort Wayne; Friday, April 20 at Centenary UMC in New Albany; and Friday, May 11 at Grace UMC in Rochester. For more information, contact Rejuvenate Assistant Jody Patty at .PASTORS – HAVE YOU ACTIVATED YOUR INUMC EMAIL ACCOUNT?
Vital Congregations/GCFA will be using inumc.org email addresses for pastors exclusively. So now your inumc.org email is a necessity. Once activated you can have it forwarded to your personal email address. Eventually this will be the only email address used by the District as well. Carla (877-781-6706) at the Conference Center will be happy to help you if you experience problems.vital congregation goals
Your Vital Congregation Goals for 2012 which were reported on your charge conference minutes need to be entered on the Vital Congregations website.Now that your church(es) has/have set their Vital Church Goals at Charge Conference, it is time to enter these goals online.The goals should have been entered before the end of December. This allows the Bishop and Conference leaders to compile all of our churches’ goals and present them at General Conference.
The process of entering your goals online, to be followed by your weekly reports, is called Vital Signs. For step-by-step instructions on HOW to enter your goals online, click here How To Enter Goals Online.
Beginning the first week in January, you will receive a weekly email reminder from “The United Methodist Church” with instructions on how to enter your weekly reports. This reminder will be sent to each senior pastor, using your inumc.org email address UNLESS you have notified Ruth Ellen Needler differently.
Visit the conference website and select “Vital Congregations” on the left-hand side of the page to view additional resources. If you have any questions, please contact Ruth Ellen Needler at . You may go to the website by clicking here.
pastor-parish training 2012
The East District will this year offer Pastor-Parish Committee training in six locations by clusters. Please encourage your SPRC folks to attend.The dates, locations and clusters are listed below. If someone cannot make the training for their scheduled cluster they may feel free to attend one of the other sessions.
In this workshop you will …
- clarify the responsibilities and the role of the Pastor (staff) Parish Relations Committee
- explore how the Pastor, the Committee, and the church can work together to do positive ministry
- explore how to deal with conflict in positive and constructive ways
Please contact Bernie Jamison at the District Center by calling the district office at (765) 282-2322 or e-mail with your reservation. There will not be a fee for registration.However, the “Pastor-Parish Relations” Guidelines book will be available for purchase for $5.00 each. Deadline for registration is January 9th, 2012.
January 15, 2012, 5:00 p.m. – Richmond First UMC
Fayette Cluster – Alquina, Columbia, Connersville East Side, Connersville First, Connersville Grace, Connersville Grand Avenue, Orange
“X” Cluster – Brownsville, College Corner, Greenwood, Liberty Edwards Memorial, Old Franklin, Springfield
El Shaddai Cluster – Boston, Cambridge City, Centerville, Milton, Pershing, Richmond Central, Richmond First, Richmond Faith Trinity
January 22, 2012, 2:00 p.m. -- Pleasantdale UMC
Blackford Cluster – Hartford City Grace, Hartford City Trinity, Millgrove, Montpelier, Mt. Carmel,
Pleasantdale, Pleasant Grove
Sod Buster Cluster – Center, New Mt. Pleasant, Oak Grove, Pennville
Nor Del Cluster – Albany, Albany Bethel, DeSoto, Eaton, Muncie Morningside
January 22, 2012, 5:00 p.m. – Portland Asbury UMC
Blue Jay Cluster – Bellefountain, Fairview (Jay), Mt. Zion (Jay), Westchester, Portland Asbury, Portland Trinity
Wesley Cluster – Dunkirk Bethel, Dunkirk Calvary, Dunkirk Mt. Tabor, Fairview (Randolph), Redkey, Sugar Grove (Jay)
January 29, 2012, 5 p.m. – New Castle First UMC
Nettle Creek Cluster – Economy, Green’s Fork, Hagerstown
National Road Cluster – Carthage, Knightstown, Ogden, Salem, Spiceland
Believers Cluster – New Castle Christ’s, New Castle First, New Castle Trinity, Greensboro, Sugar Grove (Henry)
February 26, 2012, 2:00 p.m. – Muncie High Street UMC
Crossroads Cluster – Cammack, Corinth, Daleville, Gaston, Honey Creek, Middletown, New Burlington, Yorktown
South Muncie Cluster – Muncie Avondale, Muncie Fountain Square, Muncie Industry, Muncie Madison Street, Muncie Main Street, Muncie Normal City, Muncie St. Paul’s, Muncie Trinity
North Cluster – Muncie Center Chapel, Muncie College Avenue, Muncie Gethsemane, Muncie High Street, Muncie Riverside, Muncie Union Chapel, Selma Christ, Selma United
February 26, 2012, 5:00 p.m. – Parker City UMC
Randolph Treasure Hunters Cluster – Deerfield, Farmland, Parker City, Rehoboth, Ridgeville Calvary, Windsor
Cluster of Grapes – Losantville, Modoc, Union Chapel (Randolph)
Peanut Buster Cluster – Winchester, Saratoga, Spartanburg, Union City Wesley
No Name Cluster – Bartonia, Mt. Zion (Randolph) Fountain City, Hopewell, Richmond Webster, Middleboro, Whitewater
local pastor workshops
The East District will offer Local Pastor Workshops from January 29 through March 4, from 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at New Castle First UMC, 1324 Church Street, New Castle.Superintendent Dave Byrum will be teaching “A Methodism Refresher” on February 12th and “Worship What You Believe” on February 19th.
Associate Superintendent Dave Neckers will teach “Faith Coaching” on January 29th, February 5th, February 26th and March 4th. The book, “Faith Coaching” will be $5.00 to each participant.
Please contact Bernie Jamison at the district office by calling (765) 282-2322 or e-mail to make your reservation to attend.
free umc app for you iphone or droid
A tip from the Bishop’s Epistle: If you have an iPhone or Droid smart phone, there is a new UMC app which gives you daily devotions,news, church locator service, etc. It is free and a nice app to have with you while you travel. Do a search for UMC.certification of trustees form available
Questions have come regarding the form "Certification of Trustees" that was formerly handled at charge conference. Here are the details:IF YOUR CHURCH IS INCORPORATED:
The forms that your incorporation files every year for the Secretary of State fulfills the task of reporting your officers taking the place of filing the "Certification of Trustees."
IF YOUR CHURCH IS NOT INCORPORATED:
Your church's trustees must be recorded with the county each year. There is a form available for your use on the conference website, which you can download by clicking here. There is a fee required when filing items at the Recorder, so be sure to call ahead to check what that fee is. This form (along with a check for the fee) can be mailed to your Recorder, but if the Recorder's office is located conveniently, I strongly suggest taking the form in person. There are often items that need to be fixed on a form, and going in person prevents a lot of mailing back and forth. Please be sure to file a copy of the recorded form in a safe place in your church files.
ABUSE PROTECTION POLICY RESOURCES
Click here for policy resources. There is also “Safe Sanctuaries” material available through Cokesbury at .free cancer seminar
FREE seminar for clergy, parishioners, former and current cancer patients, caregivers and anyone who has been effected by cancer.It will be held on January 28th at Calvary Christian, "The Light House Church", 2101 N Walnut Street, Hartford City. Sign in and breakfast at 8:30 AM, training session will start promptly at 9 AM to 5 PM, lunch will be provided.
Cancer Lay Ministry Training...."Our Journey of Hope"presented by Reverend Percy W. McCray, Jr., Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America.
Goals are to equip you, to teach what spiritual outreach is and how to reach out and support cancer patients and their families within your own church and community. Gain invaluable tools and multiple resources for reaching out. Understand the special needs of cancer patients, what cancer is and what it isn't, do's and don'ts of hospital visitation, creative care tips, cancer prevention, the faith factor, fear, anger and control.Learn more about latest research concerning the effective role of spirituality in health recover and much more...
TO REGISTER: Please contact Pastor Chris Neel 765-499-1018or .
LOCAL CHURCH NEWS AND EVENTS
Covenant Partners Ministries – Community Day, providing bags of groceries and cleaning supplies for those in need, fourth Thursday of each month except November and December which will be third Thursday of each month. Sunday evening meals provided by local churches. Contact Pastor Linda McBride at (765) 284-2545Muncie Madison Street UMC– “In His Name” food pantry of the Madison St. UMC is going ‘Gang Busters’. In 2011 they averaged 96 clients/week and have served 1654 clients with family members of 5560 individuals. In 2010 they averaged 74 clients/week. Some local churches and individuals have been very faithful in supporting them with non-perishable food items and financial aid. We would like to extend the opportunity to your church to be a part of this ‘Growing Ministry’.
For Information contact the church from 9am to 1pm on Thursdays.
Madison St. UMC
1400 S. Madison Street, Muncie, IN 47302
Church Phone: 282-3946
Pastor Gordon E. Jackson
765-468-7779 Cell: 625-0986
Muncie Fountain Square UMC – Muncie Fountain Square UMC has an organ that was used in someone's home. It is now looking for a new home either in a small church or for an organist that needs one at home. The price of this is simply a donation to the church. If you have questions or would like to see the organ, please call Fountain Square at 284-0319.
Muncie College Avenue UMC – Open Women’s Study for the Muncie Cluster. Are you craving a practical and inspirational study? Do you desire to walk more closely with God and deepen your relationships with your sisters in Christ?
Join us in College Avenue’s Wesley Hall, beginning Monday, February 27th, as we remind one another that God will never give up on us. Together, we will explore how David’s life proves this through a Beth Moore study entitled “David: Seeking a Heart Like His”. This compelling study, designed exclusively for women and facilitated by Paula Gast, will begin each Monday at 6:30 p.m. with a video, followed by small group discussion. Sessions will conclude at 8:15 p.m.
Workbooks ($19.00 each) may be reserved by calling the church office (765-289-7337) prior to the first session. Paula will introduce the Lenten study on February 27th, and books will be distributed at that time. Bring your girl friends, and join us for what promises to be an enriching and enjoyable experience!
winter LAY ACADEMY
Learning and leading courses fulfill a two-fold purpose. They equip all of us to become better Christian leaders and they provide advanced courses for Lay Speaking Ministries.If you are not currently a lay speaker you may be interested in pursuing that office once you have experienced the courses. The emphases in Lay Speaking Ministries are LEADING, CARING and COMMUNICATING. We all need good communication skills to lead others and share our faith stories, but YOU ARE NOT EXPECTED TO PREACH (unless that is your desire) after taking a lay speaking or learning and leading course.
January 29 thru March 4
Muncie Riverside UMC
1201 N Wheeling Avenue
Muncie, IN 47304
2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
New Castle First UMC
1324 Church Street
New Castle, IN 47362
2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Print Registration
LICENSE TO PREACH
License to Preach Schools are for certified candidates seeking licensing as a local pastor. There are two options: The week-end License to Preach School and the two week resident Local Pastor Licensing. Click herefor dates and additional information.bishop’s confirmation rally
Noblesville UMC, 2051 E Monument Street, Noblesville, March 10, 2012, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Featuring UPROCK Jared Hall, Illusionist. G & A and Worship with Bishop Mike Coyner. On-line registration opens January 1, 2012, $15.00 Early Bird, $19.00 after February 10, 2012.YOUTH MINISTRIES
For resourcesEvents
To order brochures
education debt reduction grant for spouses of active clergy
Rejuvenate has expanded the Clergy Ed Debt Reduction Grant to include spouses of active clergy. At the October 18, 2011 Oversight Team meeting, the team approved to amend the Education Debt Reduction grant to include spousal education debt, too. Visit Rejuvenate’s website at and click “Grants” for the list of grant application requirements. This will apply to new grant applications.mission giving & resource book 2011-2013
This book is designed to be used as a resource by congregations in the Indiana conference who desire to reach out around the world supporting projects all over the worlds. For more information click here.impact 2818
With Impact 2818 Outdoor Ministries, each student spends an average of 5 hours reading the Bible during one week at camp. Make a difference in a child’s life this summer. Put a Bible in their hand at camp. Give online at Your gift qualifies as tax exemption. Impact 2818 Outdoor Ministries is a ministry of the Indiana Annual Conference of the United Methodist church and is tax-exempt as a 501c3 charitable organization.employment opportunities
Part-time Youth Director NeededThe Brookville United Methodist Church iscurrently seeking a paid part-time youth director.A complete jobdescription is available by going, online, to the church website at and clicking on the “positions available” link.
ADDITIONAL DATES