There wasn't too much snow last Saturday to keep folks from convening at Grace UMC in Franklin to pack more than 40,000 meals for Pack Away Hunger.
Over 120 volunteers gathered during this inter-generational event to package meal mixes that will be distributed to food relief agencies in Western Kentucky and in Haiti.
Pack Away Hunger coordinates these events in churches and organizations throughout Central Indiana. Visit their website for more information on partnering with Pack Away Hunger for a future event.
Grace UMC has hosted six packing events since 2011. Folks who participated in these events over the years have packaged a total of 294,196 meals! Congratulations, Grace UMC on continuing to bring the community together in service!
Lenten Kickoff Breakfast - Share with Your Congregation!
Join us on Saturday, March 5 at Castleton UMC for Metro's 2022 Lenten Kickoff Breakfast. The program will begin at 9:00 am, with the doors open by 8:45 am for informal fellowship ahead of the breakfast meal and program. Mask-wearing is encouraged.
We ask you to share this event with your congregation if you are able. Here are a few documents that may be helpful:
Contact Metro's office with questions about the event or registration, at (317) 452-4786.
The registration link is available HERE. There is no registration fee this year; however there is an opportunity to donate during registration. All donations for this event will be shared with Lucille Raines Residence.
Please register in advance for this event, so that adequate space is prepared and there is plenty of food. Please register by February 18, 2022.
We are grateful to Castleton UMW for sponsoring this year's event, and we are honored to have Carolyn Marshall, Executive Director of Lucille Raines Residence as our guest speaker. We cannot wait to see everyone!
If you do not plan to attend, you can still make a donation for this event HERE. Again, all donations will be shared between Metro Ministries and Lucille Raines Residence.
Breakfasts in Johnson County (all begin at 8:00 am):
March 12, 2022: Edinburgh UMC
March 19, 2022: Mt. Auburn UMC
March 26, 2022: Smith Valley UMC
April 2, 2022: Grace UMC
April 9, 2022: Greenwood UMC
Southeast Indy Group:
March 26, 2022: All-church breakfast at Christ UMC, beginning at 7:30 am. Guest speaker will be G.L. Woods.
Plainfield UMC:
Fat Tuesday Pancake Dinner and Concert, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, 6:30 - 8:30 pm. Musical guests will be The Tad Robinson Band Tad Robinson is a blues musician and gifted harmonica player. He and his band frequently perform in the Indianapolis area and recently returned from a European tour.
If your church is planning a breakfast and/or other Lenten season events, please let us know. We would love to share them in upcoming newsletters!
How Race Matters for Us as United Methodists: Stories about Our Past, Present and Future
When: Sunday, February 27, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Where: Grace UMC in Franklin, 1300 E. Adams Drive
Dr. Michael G. Cartwright will lead this workshop conversation for clergy and laity about the haunting heritage of racism in American Methodism. Examples from the past will be discussed to illuminate struggles in the present. Participants will also be invited to consider positive examples from Indiana and beyond that offer hope for our common future as Americans and United Methodists.
Michael is the Vice President for University Mission and Associate Professor of Philosophy & Religion at the University of Indianapolis. He is also an elder in the Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church.
Please contact Grace UMC at grace@franklingrace.org to indicate interest in attending this event.
The Faith and Action Project of Christian Theological Seminary hosts the seventh annual spring conference on Wednesday, March 9, 2022. This year's event will be in-person at Shelton Auditorium on Butler University's South campus.
The theme this year is Poverty and Mental Health: Examining the Connections. This event is an opportunity to join faith leaders, lay leaders, activists and nonprofit organizations from Central Indiana, to "Push Back Poverty".
Full details and registration information is available HERE.
Organizations planning to apply for a Faith & Action grant are strongly encouraged to attend the Faith & Action Spring Conference.
Did your church grow a garden in 2021? Did you share your harvest with your neighbors? If so, Rev. Jake Ohlemiller, the INUMC's new Creation Care Coordinator, wants to hear from you!
The Diversity, Missions and Justice Team wants to know how God used your investment to reveal hope and a future to the world around you. At the 2022 Annual Conference, three local churches will receive "Anathoth Awards", in recognition for their work through community gardens.
Click HERE to learn more about the award opportunity, including why the name "Anathoth" awards and how to submit your church's garden for consideration. Submissions must be made by March 13, 2022.
Apply Now for Bishop's Christmas Offering Grant Opportunity!
The Bishop's Christmas Offering is collected each year from Indiana United Methodist churches. This annual offering seeks to strengthen ministries by providing financial support of efforts to reach out and improve the lives of young people. One of the ways this happens is through the Bishop's Christmas Offering Grants program.
Ministries seeking this grant must have a connection to the work of the United Methodist Church either directly by use of church building, members or boards; or indirectly as partners with other faith-based community groups.
Applications for this grant will be accepted from February 1 to February 28, 2022. For the full criteria and to apply, click HERE.
(If the Apply Now link is not currently working, please try again soon, as the application window is officially open.)
Scott UMC wishes to invite everyone to help honor Dr. James Anyike, who has served as the senior pastor at Scott UMC since 2008, as well as having served in the Central District at University UMC and Wesley UMC as Associate Pastor in the past.
In addition to his servant leadership at Scott UMC, Dr. Anyike is the founder of radio show "Soul Liberation Radio" which airs Sundays at 9:00 pm on 95.1 FM and 1310 AM. He is also the organizer and leader of one fo the most successful Kwanzaa celebrations in Indianapolis.
Dr.. Anyike will be relocating to Zimbabwe, Africa later this year. The folks at Scott UMC are planning a Celebration of Ministry in support of his future work in Zimbabwe. The event will be Saturday, April 16. 2022, 6:00 - 9:00 pm at the Jewel Event Center in Indianapolis. Tickets are $65 for in person or $25 for virtual livestream participation and are available on Eventbrite or by contacting the church office at 317-925-1997.
The Indiana Annual Conference will be held June 9 through 11 in person at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion. More details on this year's Annual Conference will be shared in upcoming newsletters as they are available.
The deadline to submit petitions or resolutions for the 2022 Annual Conference Session is March 10, 2022.
More information on the 2022 Annual Conference is available HERE.
Did you know the Indiana Conference website has a job posting board of open church staff positions and beyond?
Did you know that churches can post staff job opportunities on the INUMC Conference Job Board?
View current openings HERE, and scroll down to the "Post a Job" button to add your church's open positions.
Did you miss the latest newsletter from Metro Ministries? Is there a specific article you are looking for? You can access past issues at www.indymetroumc.org/communications!
Community Compass is a tool created by Indy Hunger Network and has two key ways to connect individuals with food resources near them. The first is an app for smart phones that automatically provides food resources based on where the individual is. The second is the ability to text for food resources if an individual does not have a smart phone. Check out details of Community Compass. This very valuable tool now works in the donut counties as well as Marion County!
Listing of Central Indiana Food Pantries
We have updated the format of the food pantry list, making it easier to view when printed. You can download the updated listingHERE or from Metro's website's Resources Hub. Please let us know if you have food resources to add or update. We will make updates to this list on a quarterly basis.
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