Plainfield UMC’s men, young men, and guests gather at the church on the third Saturday of the month at 8:30 a.m. for food and fellowship.
We meet in Clayton Hall/Worship Annex. Bring an empty stomach, a friend, and your Bible! Be ready to be nourished through delicious food and the word of God! Hope to see you there!
Looking for a small group to join? Check out our new “Groups” page at pumc.org/groups. All of PUMC’s small groups, book studies, and more will be listed. We just launched the page, so groups and descriptions are still being added. Contact information is listed for all the groups if you want more information.
If you are a group leader, and your group is not listed and/or would like to learn how to use Groups, please get in touch with Eiric Shriner at eshriner@pumc.org.
Good morning. My name is Kimberly Meyer, and I am the chairman of Transforming for Tomorrow.
Today I wanted to give you a brief tour of our kitchen, which is in sore need of a refresh and new appliances. You will see that the video clips are showing a working kitchen. The team for Last Saturday Lunch is preparing the meal and what you see is typical for Second and Last Saturday Lunches. My thanks to the team for allowing me to video their busy morning.
Let’s talk appliances. While the appliances are working today, they are approaching the end of their useful life.
Our dishwasher is original to the 1983 build, and being 40 years old, we have been told there are no longer parts available for repairs. Through prayer and skill, the dishwashing team successfully caresses it to work “just one more time,” and while needing a “nap”every now and then, we’ve been lucky.
We aren’t quite sure of the age of our ovens, but we are sure one of them was purchased used. We are usually successful in figuring out the right temperature, but there are times when 350 degrees is really 250 degrees. And if the pilot light goes out, that means someone is laying on the floor with a match to bring the oven back to life. We have more than enough burner space, but oven space is always tight when cooking for 200, so the purchase of a double deck convention oven will eliminate the need to cook some casseroles at home.
Have you met our refrigerator? He is loud and moody. At times he doesn’t like friendly conversation, so he roars his fan to make you talk louder. And when he’s really feisty, he’ll freeze what ever is on the bottom.
Our baby ice machine is cute, but she’s not good at putting out a lot of ice. When we had to replace the old large one a few years back, the thought was that the little one would suffice until we were able to afford a full-size model. It’s now time for a full-size ice machine.
Our stainless sinks and our stainless counters are in great condition, so we are keeping them, and the garbage disposals and sink faucets will be replaced.
We will add a stainless table to the two existing tables and will add locking wheels which will allow them to be moved as needed for efficiency. New dish carts will enable dishes to be stored under the tables which will give more open floor space to move around. And the silverware will go to drawers so we can ditch the ginormous silverware and tray holder.
The stainless counter under the serving window will be kept, but we will swap out the tired cabinets with new cabinets with doors and drawers.
We are pleased that our coffee machine continues to make amazing coffee, and we look forward to more efficient storage for the coffee making corner.
Our wire shelving is also in great condition, and it will be reused.
I’ve been told our pantry area holds the cabinets from the original kitchen from 1958 that was located in what is now the Bell Room. The cabinets are inefficient for today’s use and will be replaced with wire shelving on wheels.
With the refresh will also come a good scrubbing, ceiling to floor, wall to wall, and new paint before everything is moved back in.
As of this recording, we are short about $100,000 to do the work in the kitchen, purchase additional main lobby furniture, and install wayfinding. If you would like more information on the cost of these projects, flyers are available on the easel holding the big Fork in the main lobby.
If you have donated, Thank you! If you have not yet had a chance to contribute, you may do so at any time, although sooner is better than later. If you prefer to spread your contribution out over one or two years, please contact our Financial Administrator, Rebecca Blackwelder.
This project will not move forward until we have reached our full funding. The folks who prepare meals for the Monday night Downtown Homeless ministry, the Second and Last Saturday Lunches, Bereavement meals, and all those special meals in between, thank you for generosity.
Everyone is welcome to join Bridgeport United Methodist Friday night and Saturday night (June 2 & 3) for A Weekend of Hope. Come listen to music, worship, and camp out or any of the above. An evening meal will be available on Friday and Saturday evenings. Bring your lawn chairs and have a great time!
A Weekend of Hope will be held at Bridgeport United Methodist Church, 1305 Bridgeport Road, Indianapolis, IN 46231
Festivities Schedule:
June 2, 2023
6:00 pm Hamburgers and Hotdogs.
7:30pm- 9:00pm Live Music and Worship featuring Bobby Hayden’s Cardboard Box Ministries with live music provided by Milk and Honey.
June 3, 2023
Fun and games all-day
6:00 pm Pork Roast
7:30 pm Live music with Milk and Honey
June 4, 2023
Worship will be with Bobby Hayden’s Cardboard Box Ministry at 10:00 am.
If you have any questions, contact Pastor Ken Loudenback at kloudenback@pumc.org. We look forward to seeing you all for a fun and inspirational weekend!
“Change is the only constant in life.” -Ben Franklin
When I started in 2014, I was tasked with moving Plainfield United Methodist Church (PUMC) technologically forward. Some changes have been easy and barely noticeable; others were challenging, causing a lot of consternation. But all in all, you all were fantastic with the changes and providing feedback.
With that said, more changes are coming, mainly to the website and how end users interact with the Next Steps, groups, and service opportunities.
What are the Next Steps without a plan? Wandering. While not all who wander are lost, it is easier to get lost without a plan. When we introduced the concept of the Next Steps, there was no path for users to follow. We are creating the Next Step plan for new people to follow and become involved with life at PUMC.
“Meet PUMC” is a 30-minute introduction to PUMC. Attendees will meet others who are new and leave with a Next Step to help find their place at PUMC. “Meet PUMC” will occur at 11:15 a.m. roughly every other month in the Worship Annex. After that, starting on the third Sunday of September, we will offer “Meet PUMC” every other month on the third Sunday.
You can connect with others at PUMC and grow your faith by joining a Small Group. The small group experience will help you see your faith story, understand how we live out our Christian faith at PUMC, and find ways to grow in your faith in this church community.
Become a member of PUMC. You promise to faithfully support the congregation’s ministries with your prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. In return, you will gain an entire community willing to walk beside you in Christian faith.
Next Steps live on pumc.org in the next few weeks.
Sitting on a back burner since 2019, the idea of getting small groups on the website is something that needed to be done sooner than later. As many of you may know, our groups are VERY active, and I could easily spend most of my week making changes to the listings. So how do we fix this bottleneck? With Planning Center Online. We created a listing of the groups in this church (28 at the writing of this article), and it is available at pumc.org/groups. While those groups have been created, after a brief training course, group leaders will take over and add events, manage membership & communications, take attendance, and more. The training classes will start May 15 at 6:00 p.m. and run until the leaders complete them. If you are a leader, you can register for the courses at pumc.org/registration.
Much like groups, PUMC has a LOT of missions. When you include Internal, Local, and Global opportunities, we have 27 chances to serve at PUMC in the local and even global communities, and the list will keep growing! We will be working with these leaders (many are the same as the group leaders) to help use this page to benefit their members and those they help. Check out the ways you can serve at pumc.org/serve.
Have you noticed them? They have become trendy among content providers to help connect people with important (sometimes unimportant) information. In the coming weeks, QR Codes will become a bit more pervasive at PUMC. You can access the worship folder on your phone using the QR Codes on the screens during the countdown. Soon, an insert will be placed in the seatbacks with QR Codes and instructions on how to use them to quickly access and fill out a connection card, view the Next Steps, securely give online and submit prayer requests.
Some exciting changes are afoot at PUMC! If you have any questions about these changes, don’t hesitate to contact me at eshriner@pumc.org.
Stephen Ministry is a lay caring ministry used by thousands of congregations to increase care and outreach to hurting people.
Through Stephen Ministry, congregations can equip and empower a team of laypeople—Stephen Ministers—who provide one-to-one, Christ-centered care to people experiencing grief, unemployment, hospitalization, divorce, financial stress, a terminal illness, or other life difficulties.
Visit www.stephenministries.org or contact Gloria Bowman at heraclesb1@aol.com to learn more about Stephen Ministry and watch online video stories about the difference Stephen Ministers make in people’s lives.
Our weekday programs are busy with exploration and play. People often ask me what they can do to help our weekday programs. There are a few items you might be throwing away or have that we can use.
I invite you to look into the classrooms and see what is happening during the week. It will bring a smile to your face.
The annual PUMC Youth Online Auction starts August 25, 2023 and your support is needed!
By supporting PUMC youth, you will make a difference in their spiritual growth and development. Your prayers and your donations will make a difference in the programs and outreach available to the youth.
You can help the vibrant youth ministry at PUMC thrive! Here’s a list of some things you can contribute to the Youth Online Auction:
For more information and to donate to the 2023 Youth Online Auctions, visit pumc.org/youth-auction.
Contact Diane Preusch or Brenda Barnett at auction@pumc.org if you have any questions or need more information on how to donate items for the 2023 Youth Auction.
Thank you for your prayers and support.
Join us on the last Saturday of the month for a free lunch. Pass the word and bring a friend. Everyone is welcome! Door 14 will be open, and we will serve from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
In recent years there has been a lot of activity and debate in the United Methodist Church as a denomination, especially around homosexuality. I work closely with Indiana Bishop Julius Trimble and our Superintendent, Rev. Dr. Fulbright, as I chair the Indiana Conference Committee on Episcopacy. Our church rules (the Book of Discipline) are reviewed and amended by the General Conference (GC) when they meet, which is generally every four years. GC delegates are elected from every Annual Conference (like Indiana). Representatives from all over the world are comprised of equal numbers of clergy and laity. This is the only body that speaks for the United Methodist Church. The next GC is scheduled to convene in 2024.
No. Churches are not required to vote to remain or discontinue (disaffiliate) to be United Methodist. The GC has never taken action that forces or invites churches to take such a vote. Our Book of Discipline (BOD) has always had provisions for congregations to disaffiliate. There always will be such provisions. The Special Called GC of 2019 established a temporary provision for disaffiliation that expires at the end of 2023. This temporarily grants permission for churches to disaffiliate and retain their buildings and grounds. There is still and always will be a financial cost for disaffiliation. Even if GC allows the 2019 provision to expire, churches may negotiate for disaffiliation while retaining their property. This practice was already occurring before 2019 in some circumstances.
Yes. In Indiana, over twenty churches have acted to disaffiliate, and others are planning to do so. Many Indiana churches that are disaffiliating want to affirm traditional views regarding homosexuality. They anticipate the UMC eventually becoming progressive on this issue. In some parts of the country, churches are disaffiliating in protest to the current traditional rules regarding homosexuality in the BOD.
Not likely. Nearly every GC since 1972 has handled motions and proposed legislation on homosexuality. No matter how GC may act in 2024, action on the issue may still come to future sessions of GC.
Our core and central theology statements are in the BOD and protected by the UMC’s Constitution. Changes in these basics require more than GC action. Such changes are difficult and complex, requiring each Annual Conference worldwide to act. Visit this link on the UMC website to find “What We Believe” http://www.umc.org/en/who-we-are/what-we-believe.
We are United Methodists. That does not mean that we all must think alike. We do not. Never have. Never will. But, as John Wesley suggested, we certainly may all love alike.
I would be open to discussing this further with you or a group of which you are a part at PUMC.
Go in peace. Go with God. And be well.
Shalom,
Charlie
Plainfield UMC Today 