NEWS OF THE DISTRICT

Dates and Events of Interest

PASTOR'S SCHOOL ...The CLD Pastor's School will be Feb. 8-9, 2005 at the
Covenant Community EMC in Greenwood, IN. A bulletin is being sent out to all
pastors of the district. Wives are also invited to the sessions. Dr.
Wesley Duewel is the guest speaker with the following also speaking: Dr.
and Mrs. Ed Williamson and Rev. Bob Baldridge. If you would like more
information please contact Rev. Gordon Johnson at: 317-865-9705 who is
chairman of the school.
Admission fee is only $15.00 per person.

DISTRICT CONFERENCE...will be held at the Higher Ground Conference Center as
last year. The dates are May 18-20, 2005. The guest speaker will be Dr. Al
Coppedge who is a professor at Asbury Theological Seminary. His wife, Beth,
will be the guest speaker for the ladies noon banquet. A great conference
was enjoyed last year at the very fine facilities of Higher Ground. Let's
have an even greater conference in 2005.

ANOTHER NEW CHURCH PLANT...Last year at District Conference we received Covenant Community Church into affiliation with the EMC. Rev. Ben Williamson is the pastor of this new church started by the Central Lakes District and as a daughter church of Community Church of Greenwood IN, where Dr. Charles Lake is pastor.

At this year's conference (May 2004) we received Rev. Bill Jackson into ministerial relations from the United Methodist Church. Bill will begin a new EMC work in Richmond, IN beginning October 3, 2004. Bill, Janet and family have been serving at the Mohawk UMC until June of this year. Janet will be teaching in the public school system of Richmond. Before entering the ministry, Bill spent eleven years in the banking business including six years as president of a bank. He has been in the pastoral ministry for ten years and received his theological training at Asbury Seminary.
May God richly bless Bill and his family as they reach out for God in the Richmond community.

ANNUAL CHURCH CONFERENCES...The District Superintendent will begin Annual Church Conferences in September. At this time the schedule is not ready for printing. If you have questions about the EMC please contact Headquarters or the DS. We will be happy to talk with you about what the church believes and how you can be a part.

 

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

THE QUESTION OF THE HOUR SEEMS TO ME TO BE, WHO IS IN CONTROL? Mankind is out of control and God seems to be put into a God-Box with the key thrown away. Listen to the news casts...FOX, ABC, NBC and CBS and there is no end of opinions and talk...talk...talk. It reminds me of the 1960's when the nation was at Civil War over the race issue. I reached a point then, that I am at now, to LISTEN, but let not NEWS RULE. Yes, man is out of control, but God is not. The Scripture says, "He puts one down and lifts another up." The hour is coming and may be here, that He will pull the plug on the wickedness of mankind and send fire and not water as the days of Noah. Eight persons were saved in the days of Noah when God wiped the earth clean, I wonder how many will be saved when the earth shall be burned and a new one created. JESUS SAID, "FEW."

There are two fires that burn...the fire of God that will wipe away mankind, and all things on earth of which Peter speaks in his epistle.
Then there will be the eternal fire that will judge every man's work and soul. Evil works will be burned as well as the souls of men committed to eternal punishment. The lake of fire is the final judgment of all men who refuse to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. YOU SEE, GOD WILL HAVE THE FINAL WORD...Man is out of control but God is not. He will judge the world in righteousness and true holiness by Christ Jesus. IF YOU CAN'T BUY THAT, THEN YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE OUT OF CONTROL. I find peace and happiness knowing that God is allowing the fullness of time to come to pass until the last person be saved before He sends His Son back to earth for his final mission. That mission is to remove all wickedness and set up His Kingdom of Righteousness. I highly suggest that you check out the control buttons of your life. If you are pushing them, a crash is coming...if God controls them, you will be safe even when the world burns. This is the glorious message of the Gospel of Christ... "I have come to seek and save those who are lost." Save from what??? Our sins
(wickedness) and judgment fires to come. This is our HOPE and ANCHOR while the world spins out of control with man at the helm...God will one day stop the spin and say, "your turn is up, now mine begins."

Rev. Floyd B'Hymer