On Saturday, September 17, Indiana Equality will hold a statewide “Stop The Amendment” Summit hosted at LifeJourney Church from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. The purpose is to discuss strategy for defeating efforts to amend Indiana’s Constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage. All interested persons are welcome. To register, email lponterio@indianaequality.org.
We now have 32 billboards sponsored, enough to allow us to stagger the start dates of our billboards to stretch the campaign from four weeks to eight. Here is some key info:
If you want to sponsor a billboard, but haven’t yet, fill out this form. Meanwhile, let’s all be praying that this outreach campaign will give hope to many who have felt excluded from Christ — while causing many others to re-think how they present Jesus to the world.
On August 28 we announced a new billboard outreach campaign: Who Stole Jesus? Our goal is to highlight the gap between the Jesus of the Bible and how Jesus is often presented by institutional Christianity. See this document for details.
We believe our campaign will cause many who’ve been turned off by institutional Christianity to take another look at the real Jesus — loving, kind, flexible, merciful, joyful. We also want to challenge churches across central Indiana (and beyond) to step back and examine how they are presenting Jesus.
Already nine billboards have been sponsored by individuals or groups of friends within our church — and we anticipate receiving more sponsorships this Sunday. We hope to reach at least 20. Next Sunday, September 4, is the deadline to sponsor a billboard.
Yard signs will also be a key component of the campaign. If you plan to place yard signs, we need to know now, so we can order the right number. We also need to know how many bumper stickers and t-shirts to order.
If you want to sponsor a billboard, or plan to participate with yard signs, t-shirts, or bumper stickers, please fill out this document and bring it to church on Sunday or return it to the office. Our campaign will begin the week of September 19!
Brown County is THE place to be in the fall and that is exactly where families with children will be headed for our first fall retreat! The Brown County Inn will host LifeJourney Church parents and children October 14 –15, Friday 4:00 pm to Saturday 4:00 pm.
This retreat is more than just a great getaway from the stress of everyday life; it is also a chance for parents to connect with other parents and gather the tools necessary to be the spiritual leaders their children need them to be. Both children and parents will enjoy the Inn’s amenities, including the covered pool, a game room, miniature golf, horseshoes, and more!
The cost for each room (2 queen beds) is $125 + tax, and meals will be served in the Inn’s restaurant. For more information or to reserve your spot please complete the form in Sunday’s Weekly News, or contact Melody Merida. All reservations must be made by September 4.
On September 11, LifeJourney Church will participate in an Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Peace and Unity coordinated by St. Luke’s United Methodist Church.
Twelve different faith traditions and congregations will each provide prayers in a style fitting their tradition to remember the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
If you would like to be part of the LifeJourney group from 8:00 to 9:00 am, please contact Melody Merida. You’re welcome to attend any portion of the Vigil.
On Sunday, August 21, our Church turns 20 years old. We’ll celebrate this milestone at worship.
Also as a part of that celebration we will hold our Annual Church Picnic on Saturday, August 20 from noon to 5:00 pm right here at the church. The church will provide hamburgers and hot dogs, and we can all bring a dish and a soft drink to share. There will be a bounce house for the kids and games for all ages. Bring your lawn chair to sit outside and enjoy the fellowship of our church family!
Black Pride Sunday is August 14, and will feature our special guest Rev. Samuel Offer from Baltimore, a dynamic preacher and gifted singer. We’ll also enjoy our own LifeJourney Gospel Choir, and a soul food potluck! Once again this year, our church is the official Black Pride worship event!
Rev. Offer and the Choir will be featured at both the 9:30 and 11:00 am services, and the potluck will follow the 11:00 am service, around 12:30 pm.
For the soul food potluck, we’re asking all who come to bring a side dish or dessert to share.
Eastern Africa is in the midst of a famine that is wreaking havoc on the people of Somalia, Kenya, and the Horn of Africa.
Life Journey Church tries to respond with the love of Christ when emergency situations such as this occur. Because of your generous giving, we have been able to provide $2,000 in desperately-needed assistance. $1,000 is going to CARE, a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE’s efforts include emergency aid to individuals, especially children, who are suffering from malnutrition and other medical problems. Families are given food and other essentials including tents, kitchen sets, firewood, fuel-efficient stoves and access to general food distributions in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya.
Another $1,000 is going to Oxfam, which is providing water and sanitation for displaced people and giving life-saving equipment to Somalia’s only children’s hospital. In Kenya and Ethiopia, Oxfam is giving people money through cash-for-work projects to build water tanks and reservoirs and is trucking in water supplies and treating water for drinking, cooking, and washing.
We’re also responding to hunger and poverty here at home. Next Sunday (August 7) we will collect donations for the food pantry at the Damien Center, which assists people affected by HIV/AIDS. They especially need:
You can bring these items to the collection point in the social hall on Sunday, August 7.
The Children’s Ministry has some exciting news to share about the upcoming fall season. Because the rotation model of learning has proven so effective in our VBS program, we are planning to adapt that same model to our weekly children’s ministry. Each week the children will rotate to a different “workshop” where they will learn by engaging in things like storytelling, cooking, computers, puppets, crafts, drama, exercise, geography, etc. It’s Sunday school that speaks to the learning styles of all children! An added bonus of the workshop format is that it allows volunteers to serve in their area of giftedness.
When the rotation model begins on August 14, each child (Preschool to 5th grade) will be checked in to their classroom before the start of worship and checked out of their classrooms at the close of worship by the adult who brought them. With our increasing numbers it is important that we make these changes to ensure all children are exactly where they should be.
Because there is so much information to share about this exciting transition, we will hold an information session for all parents, families, and volunteers on Sunday July 24, right after the 11:00 am service. If you want to know more about the model and how it will impact your children, please plan to attend the session! Questions? Contact Melody Merida at (317) 722-0000 × 102 or send her an email.
In June, David Zier appeared before an MCC panel in Chicago and was formally approved for ordination and licensure as an MCC Pastor. David’s ordination ceremony will take place at LifeJourney Church on Sunday evening July 17 at 6:00 pm. All are invited!
Several years ago, David felt called to step away from his career as a biomedical engineer to go to seminary. In May of 2010, David graduated with an M.Div. from Earlham School of Religion, where he was recognized as a Tom Mullen Merit Scholar. After seminary, David turned his attention to completing several additional requirements for MCC ordination, including an internship at another Church (West Richmond Friends, Richmond, Indiana), and a chaplaincy internship at an Indianapolis hospital. Those requirements were completed in May of this year.
In June, David began serving full-time at LifeJourney Church as our Minister of Outreach and Development. Since David is married to Pastor Jeff, he serves without pay, and his work is reviewed and evaluated by the Personnel Subcommittee of the Board of Directors. Having a full-time professional volunteer pastor is an extraordinary opportunity for our Church, and we are extremely grateful for David’s generosity!
Along with Jeff, Melody, and Vivian, David now carries the full responsibilities of a pastoral staff member, including worship leadership, pastoral care, spiritual counsel, teaching, and occasional preaching. David’s responsibilities include oversight of our SoulShift Program, chairing our Missions Board, staff liaison to our Outreach Ministry Teams, developing healthy living programs for our congregation, overseeing a new house church program for people who live far from our Church, and providing spiritual direction for clergy trainees. David is developing an expertise in spiritual direction in a two year training program offered by the Indianapolis Benedictine Monastery.
David will preach at our morning services on Sunday, July 17. The Rite of Ordination will take place that evening at 6:00 pm. The ordination ceremony will include remarks from two of David’s professors, video presentations, special music, and refreshments.
We are excited to celebrate the beginning of David’s tenure as pastoral staff at LifeJourney Church!
This short, focused class is for couples who want the opportunity to practice communication skills. The class will meet on July 11, 18, 25, and August 1 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm in Room 1 at the church.
Learning will involve practical tips and feedback while getting hands-on experience practicing communication skills in a group setting. You will learn ways to talk to each other, listen, and develop a better understanding of yourself and your partner.
Open to all couples, registration is required. Donations to the CTS Counseling Center will be accepted, but you are welcome regardless of your ability to pay. Referrals to therapists will be available if issues arise that are beyond the scope of the class or if couples want to continue their work after the class ends.
You can register with the form in Sunday’s Weekly News, or by contacting Melody Merida.
This week our Board of Directors voted unanimously to present an employment offer to Vivian Wyatt, and Vivian accepted! She begins Sunday, June 19!
In February, we set an ambitious goal to bring Vivian on staff to increase the loving care provided to our congregation and expand our ministries and outreach. We launched the Great Pioneer III Campaign to increase weekly giving to make this possible. Thanks to the incredible generosity of many, our goal has been met!
This is a monumental achievement. Way to go Church! The Directors want to say a special thanks to all who are participating in Great Pioneer III!
Most of us came to know and love Vivian when she served as a clergy intern at our Church for nine months during the 2009-2010 school year. Last month Vivian graduated from seminary with a Master of Divinity degree. She also holds a Master’s degree in spiritual counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University. Before that, Vivian had a successful career as an accountant.
Vivian’s new title is Minister of Care and Business Administration. As the title suggests, she will have two primary areas of responsibility. She will oversee our pastoral care work, including Deacons, pastoral care team, member tracking, grief support, weddings, funerals, and more. Drawing on her business background, Vivian will also oversee various business operations of the Church, including office volunteers and building operations.
For a complete list of Vivian’s duties and the duties of other staff, see this document. This staffing analysis highlights all the new and expanded activities that will be made possible by the addition of Vivian, together with the recent addition of David Zier’s volunteer position. To be part of Great Pioneer III, download this form.
People regularly contact us from across the globe to say how much they love our sermon webcasts, daily devotionals, books, and other published materials. We’ve received emails and letters from all over the United States, England, Australia, Saudi Arabia, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and on and on. Many say that we are their Church — their spiritual lifeline — because they don’t have a viable option where they live.
In response to all this feedback, we feel called to provide more intentional support for our “global members.” So we’re developing a complete package of spiritual resources that will include:
Our goal is to go as far as possible toward providing our global members with the same level of connection and support as members living in Indianapolis.
To accomplish this, we need your help! In recent weeks, we’ve challenged our local members to increase their weekly giving to enable us to implement the plan described above.
Now we’re turning to our remote users — people like yourself — to ask if you will help us reach and maintain this goal. If you are blessed by the resources our Church provides, and if you would like to help us increase the support we offer people like yourself, please consider becoming a regular electronic giver — at any level.
Just go to www.LifeJourneyChurch.cc/donate. Electronic givers can always adjust or stop their giving, at a moments notice, at that same link.
If we reach our financial goal soon, we will be able to implement most of the pieces of our remote membership plan this summer. Let’s make sure LGBTQ people everywhere can get the spiritual support they need! Thank you for considering this important ministry outreach.
In Christ,
Pastor Jeff
We are unveiling our brand new pastoral training program, which has been developed in partnership with our denomination, the Metropolitan Community Churches. This new program is a key objective in our 25-Year Strategic Plan. The 25-Year Plan calls for us to become a center for training clergy who want to lead churches like ours — i.e., Emerging Churches that attempt to blend the best of both Progressive and Evangelical Christianity.
Our program is meant to supplement, not replace, traditional academic preparation for pastors. Those accepted into our program will spend two years with us, learning patterns for successful ministry in an intensive hands-on apprenticeship. Admission will be limited to a few select students who can demonstrate exceptional potential and strong leadership skills. Upon completion of our program, students will be eligible for ordination in MCC and receive job placement support from our Church.
We have already begun active recruiting throughout MCC and at schools like Anderson University, Wheaton College, and Earlham School of Religion, and will soon begin efforts at other schools. Our goal is to admit our first students and launch training by the end of 2011.
You can help by spreading word about the program. If you know someone who might be interested, please direct them to the LifeJourney Pastoral Training section of our website: LifeJourneyChurch.cc/pastoraltraining.
First Lady Wanda and Pastor Davis share a wonderful marriage and a thriving church. But when the stresses of an upcoming women’s revival looms, secrets, lies, and redemption take center stage in this joyful musical.
June 3 and 4, 7:30 pm, at LifeJourney Church.
Written and directed by Michael Drain; original music by Stephen Martin.
Starring Vanessa Waters, Michael Drain, Tina Johnson-McCrackin, Stephen J. Martin, and Dawn McCrackin. Accompianed by Carol Upshaw.
If giving holds steady, we are now less than 15 days from hiring Vivian Wyatt as a staff minister!
Since we launched the Great Pioneer III Campaign, average weekly giving over the past 3 months has increased to $9,641, slightly exceeding our goal of $9,500. Even post-Easter giving has remained at that level. This is a major accomplishment! So far, no summer slump! But June will be a major test. Last year it was our lowest-giving month.
Remember, electronic giving is the best way to ensure that your giving is steady, even when you’re away on travel. Almost half our offering every Sunday now comes electronically, and that is making a HUGE difference for our Church’s financial stability. If you’re a regular giver, please consider making the switch to electronic giving. It’s easy to start and can always be adjusted by you at a moment’s notice. Just go to LifeJourneyChurch.cc/donate.
Registration for both Camp Forust Summer Camp and Pandamania Vacation Bible School are underway!
Pandamania VBS is free and open to children 3 to 13. It will take place June 20 to 24 from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm at the church.
Camp Forust is $225 per child and is open to children aged 8 and older. Camp will be July 11 to 15 at a campground near Spring Mill State Park.
Registration forms will be available at church this Sunday. Questions? Please contact Melody Merida, Minister of Congregational Life.
The Indianapolis Pride Parade and Festival is on June 11, and we’re going to work together to make it better than ever! Here are some ways to participate:
If you want to be part of any of these activities, please fill out the form in Sunday’s Weekly News, or contact David Squire. We’ll get more details out to you as the date approaches.
We’ll be traveling to the Navajo Nation in New Mexico September 24 – October 1, to share the love of Christ by building new homes for Navajo families who are in great need. The home building project includes activities such as framing, drywall, insulation, painting, and flooring.
We will be working at the Southwest Indian Foundation (SWIF) warehouse in Gallup, New Mexico. We’ll be staying at the Sacred Heart Retreat Center, just a few miles from SWIF, for the duration of our trip.
The total cost of participation for this trip is $875 per person, which includes airfare, ground transportation, food, and lodging. Thanks to the incredible generosity of the congregation and the growth of our Missions program, the church will be able to fund part of the trip cost ($350) for each missionary.
Applications with deposit ($300) and background check forms are due May 22! To request an application or get more info, fill out the form in Sunday’s Weekly News, or contact Donna Hays via the church office.
What does love look like in action? This new Oasis will explore that question by using the Going Deeper guides each week as a foundation for exploration. This group will connect their learning with doing; there will be active work in the community to put love into action. The Oasis leader is Tommy Chittenden.
Please join us and discover what “Love Looks Like”! The group will meet each Thursday evening beginning May 5 at 7:00 pm at the church. If you need more info, please contact the church office.
For a list of all Oasis groups, see this page or the flyer at the info kiosk.
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