The Pike Central Swing Choir will be here tomorrow evening at 6:00 PM to minister to us in music. Come join us to hear the best swing choir in Southern Indiana! (Yes... we may be a bit biased...)
News from the Pews
Prayer Revival Services in February at VFMC
I am most excited about the opportunity that lies before us to host prayer/revival services at Vincennes Free Methodist Church. We have come to realize that everything God does He does through God's people in prayer. Being resolved to wish to be deeper and more passionate about this need we are hosting prayer/revival services. Our guest speaker is Manny Mill, CEO of Koinonia House National Ministries, which works to connect Christian inmates to the local church. Author of two books, "Radical Redemption" (featuring Manny's testimony about being saved while in prison and then set on fire for God's mission to both those in prison and to God's people in local churches throughout America, and even globally), as well as his most recent book, "Radical Prayer," featuring Manny's challenge for God's people to boldly ask for God all things that are impossible for us but possible for God... and especially those who seek to hallow His name!
Having known Manny and his wife Barbara for over 24 years, I have witnessed the powerful impact of this passionate man of God, particularly in his willingness to be a humble servant, mixed with his desire to greatly glorify God. His passionate and contagious life has marked me and many others.
The primary purpose of our gatherings Feb. 7-10 are to assemble and work in concert with the Holy Spirit for a movement of prayer in our congregations and throughout this region. Nothing less than radical prayer can affect today's descending slide resulting in secular hopelessness and nominal absenteeism in our local churches. We don't need more programs. We don't need better facilities. WE NEED MORE OF GOD. So, our gatherings will reflect this humble admission and genuine seeking.
Thank you, God bless you.
Pastor Dr. Michael Ewert
Sr. Pastor Vincennes Free Methodist Church
Society Meeting
The annual January Society Meeting will be held on Sunday, January 24, at 6:00 PM. The items on the agenda include the 2016 Budget and electing of the Lay and Alternate Lay Delegates for 2016.
The Finance Committee will be meeting on Monday, January 18, in order to prepare their proposed budget.
Church is cancelled today
Due to the icy road conditions the decision was made to cancel all church services today.
2015 Midyear Society Meeting Results
The Society met this evening to elect faculty & staff for the 2015-2016 year. The results can be viewed under the Useful Files menu at the top of the page or you can click here to see the results. Once the new Board meets I will get the final names listed in the Committee seats.
Free Ice Cream and Concert in the Park!
One last reminder about tomorrow:
TOMORROW, August 9, at 4:00 PM, we will be having an Ice Cream Social at Hornady Park including music by Katy Kinard! Katy is a singer, songwriter, pianist, and guitarist who has won multiple awards for her music and has worked with many well-known artists in the Grand Ole Opry. To read her personal testimony and learn more about her music check out http://katykinard.com/testimony/
You can also check out her music online (Spotify is where I listened earlier this afternoon).
We will be at the large shelter house down by the cabin, so there will be plenty of space, and there's never any worries about us having plenty of food. As of right now it is predicted to be in the eighties with almost no chance of rain. If there is rain? No problem - we can relocate to the church.
So... you really have no excuses, right?
Come join us for an afternoon of fellowship.
Wednesday Night Program Resumes!
Our new season for the Wednesday Night Program will begin on Wednesday, September 9, at 6:30 PM. This is open to preschool through high school and we fill up our buildings every Wednesday with kids from all over town.
Come and join us for an hour and a half of music, ministry, fellowship, and fun!
Ice Cream Social & Katy Kinard Concert
Next Sunday, August 9, at 4:00 PM, we will be having an Ice Cream Social at Hornady Park including music by Katy Kinard! Katy is a singer, songwriter, pianist, and guitarist who has won multiple awards for her music and has worked with many well-known artists in the Grand Ole Opry. To read her personal testimony and learn more about her music check out http://katykinard.com/testimony/
We will be at the large shelter house down by the cabin, so there will be plenty of space, and there's never any worries about us having plenty of food. As of right now it is predicted to be in the eighties with almost no chance of rain. If there is rain? No problem - we can relocate to the church.
So... you really have no excuses, right?
Come join us for an afternoon of fellowship.
Nationals Day 3
Today was the day this has all led up to. The team was seeded into their double-elimination bracket for final competition. While we didn't make it into the regular bracket for Young Teen Vet, they did get the opportunity to compete in a Mixed Veteran Division. This bracket combined both Young Teen and Senior Teen Vets into one bracket. The boys pulled off their strongest day yet, including two wins, increased pre-jumping skills, recalled quotes, and completing cross-chapter questions.
In the end they did get eliminated today, but - true to form - they have had an awesome attitude about the experiences. They have already begun talking about new ways to study and compete next season and Samuel has even started memorizing the first book of Acts for the next season's material!
Thursday evening at Nationals has always been a night where the Quizzing Community gathers in the sanctuary and provides the teens with the chance to give their testimonies concerning Bible Quizzing. We got to hear from nearly two-dozen kids who wanted to tell what Quizzing had done for their lives. This was followed by a time of worshiping in music and the taking of communion. It was a powerful final night of quizzing.
One other side note: we were especially proud of Tyler this morning. The quiz teams from the Wabash Conference got together to do the morning devotions as a group. Our Conference Director, Brad Anderson, was led to ask Tyler to share a favorite passage from the Bible in front of the whole group. Despite his nervousness, Tyler stepped out of his comfort zone and picked out an extremely appropriate passage from Psalms to share with us all.
We also got the opportunity to hear from Rev Daniel from our Kenyan churches, Rev Dosay from our church in Togo, and greet Mike and Vickie Reynen - our own church's sponsored missionaries!
It had been a very exciting day full of blessings and glowing with the evidence of God's presence.
Nationals Day 2
Day two of Round Robin Quizzing is done and tomorrow morning the boys will get to find out if they made it into the Final Bracket for their division. The top sixteen teams from their division will be competing in an elimination-style tournament tomorrow to determine the finalists.
They came at today's Quizzes with a stronger determination and - despite the stiff competition - maintained their positive attitudes throughout the day and made some impressive improvements in their strategies and tactics. This week has definitely been a learning experience and it is already showing in their quizzing styles. I'm also proud to say that when they had an extended break this afternoon due to back-to-back Bye Rounds, they were self-motivated enough to spend that break helping each other study for the afternoon's Quizzes.
This evening coaches Annita and David went to the Annual Coaches Meeting to learn of the upcoming material, rule changes, and general comments and discussion from their fellow leaders. The meeting closed the coaches separating into smaller groups and spending a lot of time praying over different aspects of the Quiz program, the quizzers, their friends and family, their impact on their community, and the need to expand the program further.
We ask that you keep Free Methodist Bible Quizzing in your prayers. There are Conferences within our denomination in which the Quizzing program is slowly fading away. It is hard to imagine from our perspective in the Wabash Conference - the most-represented conference at Nationals - but many of the churches and teams are concerned with the lack of participation in their area.
Pray that we can find a way to reach the hearts of the individuals in each church necessary to light the fire within their own body of believers.
The photos are starting to be posted on the FMQuizzing website and can be found at http://www.fmquizzing.net/gallery2/v/finals15/
Look closely and you will find your own Quiz Team hidden away in some of the photos - and there is even a Team photo!
Thanks again for your prayers and support.