UMM Purpose: Helping men to grow in Christ, so others can know Christ.

Men striving to Make Christ the Center of Their Lives 




 It's no secret.  Almost twice as many women as men belong to United Methodist Churches, and the absence of men affects the spiritual health of families, congregations and communities.

Assisted by your gifts to the World Service Fund, the General Commission on United Methodist Men is trying to change that statistic.  One way is by providing resources and sponsoring retreats that enable men to touch lives for Jesus Christ.  Concerned about future generations, we help churches to reach youth through Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Camp Fire, 4-H and Big Brothers/ Big Sisters. In partnership with the Society of Saint Andrew, United Methodist Men annually provide nearly 10 million pounds of food for hungry people in the United States. We support the Upper Room Prayer LIne that receives 36,000 calls a month. The commission sent 350,000 copies of Strength fo Service to God and Country, a book of daily devotions, to U.S. troops. Every one of these examples illustrates your World Service dollars in mission! Thank you!

In Christ,
The Rev. David Adams
General Secretary,
General Commission on United Methodist Men

Isaih 12:2,3

HOOSIER UNITED METHODISTS Mission Opportunities
FOR THE LATEST IN DISASTER NEWS AND RECOVERY LOG ON TO
 www.disasternews.net and www.gbgm-umc.org

“INDIANA ANNUAL CONFERENCE SESSION Emens Auditorium on the campus of Ball State University in Muncie, Ind.

Theme: RETHINK CHURCH

Thursday, June 25 – Day of Teaching Featured speaker – Adam Hamilton – 3 sessions “Effective Church Leadership” “Ideas for Preaching and Worship” “Strategies for Reaching the Unchurched” Clergy Session Laity Session

Friday, June 26 – Day of Organizing and Remembering Bible Study led by Dr. David Bell “Extravagant Generosity” Remembrance and Resurrection (Memorial) Service

Saturday, June 27 – Day of Outreach and Mission Bible Study led by Dr. David Bell “Extravagant Generosity” Muncie community outreach and mission projects by 10 new districts

Sunday, June 28 – Day of Celebrating Ministry and Sending Forth Celebration of Ministry Service (Ordination and commissioning worship service)

A more complete agenda is available online. Visit www.inumc.org, click on Annual Conference in left column then click on 2009 Annual Conference Agenda draft.

Indiana Annual Conference, June 25-28 at Ball State University, Muncie Registration packets have been sent to clergy and lay members of annual conference. Conference members also will need to indicate if they plan to participate in the Day of Mission and Outreach on Saturday, June 27. If members forgot to sign up for the “Mission Community Outreach” meal on Saturday lunch, they need to contact Mary Arledge or call toll-free 800-783-5138 to indicate they need to be included in Saturday lunch. Registration is available online. Having problems with online registration, contact Mary Arledge. 2009 FOCUS NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CHILDREN’S MINISTRY JULY 21-24 Pre-Conference: July 20, at Indianapolis Marriott East, 7202 East 21st Street The conference is being held: July 21-24 Standard Fee $290, received by May 31 deadline Late Fee $330, received June 1, 2009 or later Available: $100 scholarships for registration fees. For more information about applying for a scholarship or volunteering, visit www.cefindiana.org and For more information, visit www.gbod.org/focus2009.

[e-hum] An E-pistle from Bishop Mike‏
From: e-HUM mailing list (e-hum@lyris.nicumc.org)
Sent: Mon 4/27/09 8:53 PM
"Voting on Constitutional Amendments"  - April 27, 2009 This is much information and some confusion about the amendments passed by the 2008 General Conference which must be voted on by all Annual Conferences in 2009.  These amendments are available for your review in many places, including our Indiana Area website at www.inareaumc.org  (that site also now lists a draft schedule of our Annual Conference).  I encourage you to read and study those proposed amendments so that you can make a good decision as you vote on each amendment. Several of the amendments deal with proposals to change language about the annual conferences in order to allow future General Conferences to consider a restructuring of our denomination.  Bishop Scott Jones served on the committee which helped author those amendments, and he has released a U-tube video to help explain their purpose.  You can view that video at this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml4Id1sDbu0
 I remind you that we are voting on all of these amendments as INDIVIDUALS.  This is not a vote of our Indiana Conference, but rather this is a vote of all United Methodist full-member clergy and lay members of all the Annual Conferences around the world  Your individual votes will be counted later and submitted to the Secretary of the General Conference.  We will not be providing a  tally of those votes while we are at Annnual Conference, but of course that information will be provided later once they are all counted.  Ultimately the tally of all votes from all the Annual Conferences are submitted to the Council of Bishops, and we must verify which amendments have been approved. I also remind you that these amendments are not up for amendment, referrals, etc. by members of the Indiana Conference.  In fact, I hope that we will not have many speeches about these amendments, so do your "homework" before you come to Annual Conference and make up your own mind about these amendments.   Voting on amendments is a big responsibility, and it is our United Methodist way of checking to see if these actions of the General Conference are supported by a large majority of Annual Conference members, too.  from Bishop Michael J. CoynerIndiana Conference of The United Methodist Church 



‘CREATING A HUNGER-FREE AMERICA ACTION’ WEB SITE NOWONLINEAmerica’s Second Harvest, the nation’s food banknetwork, has a “Creating A Hunger-Free America” action Web site. It canbe found atwww.hungeractioncenter.org. NEWS AFRICA UNIVERSITY ISSUESURGENT PLEA FOR FUNDING Operating amid economic and political turmoil inZimbabwe, Africa University at Mutare, Zimbabwe, has issued an urgentplea for United Methodist congregations to fulfill their 2008 financialobligations to the school. Fanuel Tagwira, interim vice chancellor of the UnitedMethodist-related university, made the plea Sept. 3 in a letteraddressed to United Methodist leaders across the globe. “As I write you, our 1,300 students are on the campusof Africa University for the 2008/2009 academic year. … While AfricaUniversity has not missed a day of classes during this difficult time,we are now facing a crisis,” Tagwira wrote. The core of the university’s worsening financialsituation is Zimbabwe’s hyperinflation, tagged by the government at arate of 11 million percent in June. The country’s currency loses valueby the hour on many days.One key source of financial support that comes from aspecial United Methodist church-wide fund is an apportionment tocongregations. In 2008, that fund’s target is $2.5 million. Tagwira is urging congregations to pay their entireAfrica University apportionment early to help the university throughthe crisis. “As our reserve accounts dwindle as a result of thenation’s dire economic situation, we need your immediate financialsupport through the apportionments that come from the Africa Universityfund,” Tagwira wrote. To contribute to Africa University, visit the AfricaUniversity Development Office Web site or call its Nashville office at615-340-7348. – UMNS

.         "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Lev. 19:18) calls for individual and corporate responsibility. John Wesley wrote, "The gospel of Christ knows of no religion, but social. No holiness but social holiness. Faith working by love is the length and breadth and depth and height of Christian perfection" (Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1739, ¶ 5).         As we pray and reflect this Lenten season, may we embrace life with hope, expectancy, and the assurance that God through Christ Jesus is calling us to prepare our hearts, minds, and hands to work for the New Creation. And may we nurture and care for one another and for those to whom we are inextricably connected by God's grace around the world.         With expectancy and hope,         Bishop Gregory Palmer President, Council of Bishops   Neil M. Alexander Chair, The Table of General Secretaries   Bishop John Hopkins Chair, The Connectional Table        
www.umc.org/focusareas