Presented at UMC Valparaiso District and UMC Lafayette District Pre-Conference Briefings (UMC Valparaiso First and UMC Lafayette Christ) 2007.

3. What is God seeking to do in and through The United Methodist Church in Indiana ?

4. “ God, by the power at work within us, is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine.” Ephesians 3:20-21

5. “ abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine ”

6. prayer imagine study

7. Laity and Clergy

8. Since 1968

9. Transportation

10. Communications

11. Diversity

12. Economic Centers

13. High School Consolidations

14. Public Education

16. one vision one leader one voice

17. Momentum Energy The time has come with God’s leading to make a positive difference

18. laity and clergy Local Congregations building up the body of Christ

19. personal discipleship Local Congregations prayer and worship transformational witness

20. Local Congregations

21. Local Congregations

22. A cluster is a network of United Methodist congregations

23. A cluster will be composed of laity and clergy

24. Each local congregation will be part of a cluster

25. John Wesley

26. Horizontial Accountability a covenant of prayer cooperation collaboration and evaluation

27. Pastors will participate in clusters for mutual support encouragement and accountability

28. Laity will also participate in clusters led by God to transform their community and world

29. Clusters will be connected in regions

30. Resources for program support supervision education

31. Regions economic centers population concentrations transportation routes

32. believers congregations clusters regions conference

33. Annual Conference celebration worship inspiration training and engagement with host communities

34. Affinity Groups self-selected partners coming together for ministry

35. Multi-Site Ministry Campus Ministry Prison Ministry

36. Implementation Team will be formed to work out details in the coming year

37. Benefit Programs pensions insurance health

38. common data base coordinated communication system

39. greater effectiveness in the deployment of clergy

40. increase in roles for laity

41. New Conference energizing

42. New Conference but worth it ! bring challenges take time

43. Sunrise God is doing a new thing. Join us in this ongoing journey of faith.

44. Our recommendation is as follows:

45. A new conference be created in the state of Indiana to meet for the first time in the year 2009 as the legal successor to each of the existing conferences.

46. A formal request be made to the 2008 North Central Jurisdictional Conference for permission to create one conference in Indiana.

47. An authorization be given to the bishop to name a team to develop a detailed plan of implementation to be brought to the 2008 sessions of the North Indiana Conference and South Indiana Conference for approval.

48. The new conference be formed in accordance with these guiding principles .

49. A recognition of the local congregation as the most significant arena in which disciple-making occurs

50. A shared ministry in which individual believers are connected to local congregations , local congregations are gathered into geographical clusters , geographical clusters are partnered with one another in regions , and regions are linked together as the conference

51. An expectation of collaboration that encourages the natural formation of partnerships based on shared affinities

52. An expectation of excellence in the formation of leaders, both lay and clergy

53. A willingness to be held accountable , both personally and corporately, to our covenant relationships to God and one another for the redemption of the world

54. A spirit of openness to explore new ways, models, and methods of being the church, with the expectation of learning from both successes and failures

55. An administrative professional staff that serves to centralize common tasks (for example, finance, communication, technology), and programmatic professional staff that serves to resource congregations, clusters, and regions

56. A central location for the bishop's office and a centralized system for the administrative needs of the conference

57. An annual conference session designed around prayer and worship, inspiration, training, and witness through activities and engagement with host communities as a transforming presence

58. A continuation of clergy and staff benefits based on fairness and equality of eligibility with current levels of benefits serving as the base line

59. A relationship with our affiliated institutions , both current and emerging, that is mutually beneficial

60. A continuous process of evaluation and realignment of structures, programs, institutions, and personnel in order to increase the effectiveness of the church in its mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world

61. Sunrise

62. Dialogue

63. A new conference be created in the state of Indiana to meet for the first time in the year 2009 as the legal successor to each of the existing conferences.

64. A formal request be made to the 2008 North Central Jurisdictional Conference for permission to create one conference in Indiana.

65. An authorization be given to the bishop to name a team to develop a detailed plan of implementation to be brought to the 2008 sessions of the North Indiana Conference and South Indiana Conference for approval.

66. The new conference be formed in accordance with these guiding principles .

67. A recognition of the local congregation as the most significant arena in which disciple-making occurs

68. A shared ministry in which individual believers are connected to local congregations , local congregations are gathered into geographical clusters , geographical clusters are partnered with one another in regions , and regions are linked together as the conference

69. An expectation of collaboration that encourages the natural formation of partnerships based on shared affinities

70. An expectation of excellence in the formation of leaders, both lay and clergy

71. A willingness to be held accountable , both personally and corporately, to our covenant relationships to God and one another for the redemption of the world

72. A spirit of openness to explore new ways, models, and methods of being the church, with the expectation of learning from both successes and failures

73. An administrative professional staff that serves to centralize common tasks (for example, finance, communication, technology), and programmatic professional staff that serves to resource congregations, clusters, and regions

74. A central location for the bishop's office and a centralized system for the administrative needs of the conference

75. An annual conference session designed around prayer and worship, inspiration, training, and witness through activities and engagement with host communities as a transforming presence

76. A continuation of clergy and staff benefits based on fairness and equality of eligibility with current levels of benefits serving as the base line

77. A relationship with our affiliated institutions , both current and emerging, that is mutually beneficial

78. A continuous process of evaluation and realignment of structures, programs, institutions, and personnel in order to increase the effectiveness of the church in its mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world

79. Sunrise