Metro Grant Recipient: North UMC's

The Healing Zone

North UMC received a grant from Metro's 2022 Focus on Mental Health grant cycle. These funds were used for the curriculum development and delivery of a mental health series, The Healing Zone, held at North UMC. This series was designed and facilitated by Alan Archibald, a licensed clinical social worker and certified family trauma professional.

Alan developed this interactive trauma-focused learning experience for all adults, with learning specifially targeting the needs of parents and caregivers of children and youth and those who provide services to children and youth, as well as for currently or previously incarcerated individuals. The program was designed as a four-session series. To-date the series has been held three times. A special session was requested by Warren Township Schools and is slated to be delivered to administrators, teachers and staff in the fall of this year, 2023. The series typically had between four and six individuals attending any given session, and Alan is planning for a larger audience at Warren Township.

The goals of the program were: undertanding of trauma's biological and emotional impact; understanding vulnerability and damaged trust as obstacles to healing; building on success to overcome past circumstances; and learning to grow in a healing commuity. I attended a session, where we participants were taken through a set of imagery exercises that demonstrated moving forward and beyond past negative experiences, toward acknowledgement and celebration of accomplishments and positive experiences. While the exercise was simple, our experiences as participants were profound. This is just one example of the kind of tools presented throughout this series. 

Metro Ministries is proud to support this mental health inititiave, and we thank North UMC for taking advantage of this opportunity, to make a positive difference in individuals' mental health!

Indy Hunger Network

Partnership Opportunity

If you did not have an opportunity to respond last week to the survey about interest in being a satellite host site for Cooking Matters classes, please provide your feedback by Friday, May 25. Indy Hunger Network is actively seeking organizations and churches outside of Marion County that have the capability to be trained on conducting these classes and have the capacity to do so in their local communities. We have created this SURVEY to both inform on and gather potential interest in being a satellite host.

While host sites outside Marion County are currenlty being sought, we invite everyone to complete this survey. Indy Hunger Network asks that host sites recruit participants and go through free training to facilitate the classes. Class sizes are to be fairly small, between 6 and 15 participants, and volunteer needs are low, no more than 3 volunteers for each class. Having onsite or nearby food pantries make great opportunities to recruit participants. If hosting and facilitating cooking classes at your church, at little to no financial cost to you, is at all appealing, please take just a few minutes to complete this survey. Feel free to share the link with others as well. Metro will be compiling survey results and sharing with Indy Hunger Network staff. 

Indy Hunger Network is working to expand their reach beyond Marion County, into Central Indiana and across the entire state. Your sharing and completing this survey will help in these efforts, while offering you a new opportunity to connect with your community.

This Week's Metro Memory

Do you know the individuals in this photo from Metro's Annual Celebration in 2011? Yes, we are repeating last week's photo, but there are still a few folks who were not identified last week.

If you recognize anyone and did not respond last week, please share your answers HERE!

We will share a different photo next week, along with the names of folks identified in this photo. Thanks in advance for your participation!

Southport UMC Community Event

Southport UMC's Harvest Table ministry is sponsoring a Container Garden Workshop on Sunday, June 4th at 11:45 am, following the contemporary worship service. The Harvest Table shares God's love by providing free locally grown produce to the Southport community. Part of their passion is is to educate others on how easy it is to grow your own food, even with limited space.

The Southport community and the Greenwood Farmer's Market are likely familiar with "Tomato Guy" Allen Davidson. Allen will be leading the workshop. 

This workshop will be beneficial for beginners as well as seasoned gardeners and will focus on growing in small spaces.  Everyone will leave with a plant to take home and nurture and an increased knowledge on how to grow their own food.  All are welcome at this free community event!

More Upcoming Events

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2023 Indiana Annual Conference

Annual Conference 2023 is just around the corner. Online registration closes TODAY! Note that registration for campus meals, housing or childcare will not be available at on-site registration.

This year's Conference is June 8 - 10, 2023 at Ball State University, Emens Auditorium, 1800 Riverside Ave. in Muncie.

You can find all the information you need and register by clicking HERE.  Those interested in attended who are not registered by May 23 will need to register on-site, beginning Wednesday, June 7, 3:00 - 6:00 pm, and continuing through Saturday.

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Global Leadership Summit at Grace UMC

Franklin Grace UMC will serve once again as a host-site for the Global Leadership Summit on August 3 and 4.. These high-powered two-days of teaching and learning will offer the opportunity to learn from a wide-variety of people from the church, education, business, and government. To learn more and to attend the Grace UMC site, go to www.globalleadership.org/global-leadership-summit and register. Or, if you have any questions, please call Grace UMC for assistance at 317-736-7962 and ask for Pastor Jenothy Irvine. Bring a team! Grace United Methodist Church is located one-mile west of I-65 on SR 44 in Franklin, Indiana. The event will take place in the Schrader Youth Center on the second floor (Door C1).

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Central District's The Great ReConnection

When: August 19, 2023, 10am - 3pm

Where: Christ UMC, 8540 S. Hwy 31, Indianapolis

More details coming soon!

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Metro Ministries, Inc.'s 100th Anniversary!

Get ready to celebrate the Past, the Present and the Future with us! 

Volunteer Opportunities

With summer just around the corner, Project Transformation Indiana is seeking volunteers for their Summer 2023 program to read with kids one or more morning, from 10am - 12pm, between June 5 and July 20. Volunteer groups are also needed to provide dinner for 8 interns on one or more Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday evenings between May 12 and July 25.

This year's program will be hosted by North UMC Monday - Thursday, May 31 - July 20, from 9 am - 3 pm.  Dinners will be served at 6pm Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings at University Heights UMC.

Society of St. Andrew Indiana is gearing up for gleaning at local Farmers Markets!

Gleaning volunteers are needed weekly at these Indianapolis area locations:

• Original Farmers Market – Wednesdays 1pm – 2pm, downtown Indianapolis
• Garfield Park Farmers Market – Saturdays 12pm – 1pm, south Indianapolis

It only takes about an hour, and is easy and fun.  At the end of the market, volunteers ask vendors if they have anything to donate.  If so, the donations are collected, weighed and recorded, and then delivered to a designated food pantry.  That’s it!

If you are in an organization that could commit to glean one of the markets for several weeks this summer, please email in-glean@endhunger.org. Please check the calendar and sign up. Click here to see the calendar and sign up!

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NeighborLink Indy has begun their season of supporting neighbors by providing volunteer teams to complete various external house and yard projects for Indianapolis homeowners who cannot get these projects completed on their own. To view available projects and sign up, visit www.nlindy.org/volunteering. The available projects list how many volunteers are needed for each project. Individuals or small groups may sign up or a larger group (more than 12) can request a project with a minimum of three months notice. 

Church & Ministries

Job Opportunities

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Part-time Choir Director

Avon UMC is seeking a part-time Choir Director. To express interest and to gain further details regarding this position, contact Kerry Locke at jlocke4@indy.rr.com.

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East 10th Children & Youth Center

East Tenth United Methodist Children & Youth Center is now hiring Full-Time Early Childhood Educators! We are an Early Head Start Child Care Partner and a Level 4 Paths to Quality Provider on the Near Eastside of Indianapolis seeking passionate and energetic educators with strong communication skills to join our team. They are also seeking Summer Camp Counselors. Apply online at www.east10th.org/careers.

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Christ UMC:

Director of Family and Children's Ministries and Witness

A Regular Full-time Exempt ministry position for a person gifted and equipped to direct/lead  educational ministries for all ages as well as guiding Witness Ministries giving attention to  developing and strengthening evangelistic efforts for the sharing of personal and  congregational stories of Christian experience, faith, and service. This person should evidence  Christian maturity and competence in resourcing and equipping the educational ministries of  the church for discipleship and mission (Ephesians 4:15-16). Job descriptioni and application link are HERE.

Facility Custodian

A position with direct and shared responsibility for the general cleaning and light maintenance of the church interior and the CUMC Preschool, apply HERE.

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