2010 Plan Update #54: November/December 2007

2010 Plan's Objective: Enlisting the conference and its churches to reach new population groups for Jesus Christ.

Key Developments Since Last Update:

1. SENDING OF THE SAINTS.

   More NIC churches have identified their outreach focus, just under 200 of the nearly 400 reporting. Most of the remaining report that they are praying for their communities or are going through a discernment process to discern God’s will.

   The Bishop and Cabinet affirmed that they see the Sending of the Saints continuing as a conference effort, whether or not the NIC and SIC form a new conference or not. Ed Fenstermacher has been working with NIC leadership on developing the next iteration of SOS. Three districts are considering pilot testing it early in 2008.

2. NEW WORSHIP SERVICES.

   Lafayette Trinity, Plymouth First, and Riverside (Warsaw District) and received Church Development matching grants of between $1,000 and $5,000 to help them launch new worship services targeting the unchurched.

3. CHURCH DEVELOPMENT GRANT.

   Pendleton First UMC received an additional sixth-month grant of $12,000 to help it to continue to develop its new congregation that it’s planted in Ingalls, Indiana. help the church, which is averaging over 150 each week in worship, add some additional key ministry staff.

4. NEW CHURCH PLANTING.

   Church Development was put on notice by the pastors of FW Sonrise UMC and Hartford City Grace that both churches are seriously considering the development of new off-site congregations. This would be Grace UMC’s third site (including its main site).

   Bishop Coyner and key leaders in both North and South Conferences discussed calling together church planters and senior pastors of potential church-planting churches in order to expand church planting in both conferences.

5. BLACK LEADERS HAVE CONSULTATIONS.

   Rev. Gene Blair--Church Development staff person for the Detroit Conference and a former consultant for the GBGM-- met with Black United Methodist Pastors (BUMP) to discuss church planting. The NIC’s Strengthening the Black Church Team held a consultation with Dr. Doug Bailey, from the Center for Urban Ministry and professor at Wakeforest Seminary. The team is hoping to develop an urban ministry plan for cities such as Gary.

Prayer Concerns:

1. Pray for NIC churches as they reach out through the Sending of the Saints effort.
2. Pray for Pendleton First’s new Ingalls’s congregation.
3. Pray for those who completed the training for Hispanic lay ministry.
4. Pray that we will be free from fear, racism, and other sins that prevent us from being effective witnesses of the Good News of Jesus Christ.
5. Pray that God would make our hearts--ache for the lost!