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WEDNESDAY WORDS

FROM METRO MINISTRIES, INC.

_________________________________________________

to support Metro Ministries, Inc.'s 2021 Grants Programs

January 27, 2021


Wednesday's Words - On Thursday...

My apologies! I just went to check the statistics from yesterday's newsletter and realized that the message did not actually get sent! Please enjoy Wednesday's Words on Thursday!


What Would You Have Said?

During last Wednesday's presidential inauguration, it may have been the first time we had seen or heard of Amanda Gorman. If you watched any live coverage or saw any of the highlights on TV or via social media, then you know that Amanda Gorman is the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. History, who delivered her poem "The Hill We Climb" during the ceremony. The contemporary style of spoken-word poetry that she used was more of a performance than a simple recitation, and she captured my attention.

She must have captured many others' attention too, as the next day her words were played back and lines were quoted througout news and social media outlets, such as the image above taken from USA Today. I have since both watched recordings and re-read the printed poem several times. For me, her words and her delivery of those words generate feelings of hope, lament, concern, determination, encouragement and many other emotions all at the same time.

I have wondered what I would have said. I wonder what I would have said to a whole country watching, a country in the midst of a pandemic, coupled with extreme political divisiveness. Would I have sought words to inspire, to uplift, to comfort, to unite? Or would I have chosen words that divided, alienated, angered or dismayed? Would I have encouraged or discouraged? I know I would have wanted to encourage everyone, but I'm not sure I would have been successful.

What would you have said? What message would you send, if you were speaking to our country right now? What message would you seek to deliver to your church or your community?

If you would like to watch the full recording of Amanda Gorman's recitation, click HERE. The full transcript may be downloaded HERE.


Society of St. Andrew Current Volunteer Needs!

The following volunteer opportunities are available in Marion County within the next week:

Saturaday 01/30/2021: Apple Crop Drop

  • Help bag and distribute 12,000 of apples donated by a local apple orchard, 9:30 am - 1:30 pm on Indy's Far East Side

Thursday 02/04/2021: Food Box Distribution

  • Help to distribute USDA Food Boxes to loacal area food pantries, 8:00 - 10:00 am in Beech Grove

Please sign up by 5:00 PM the evening before the events. An email with location information will be sent out the evening prior to the event.

Follow this link to register for the above events


Lenten Season 2021

The season of Lent begins this year on February 17, a little over a month from now.  With the risks of COVID-19 still very real and with vaccines availability for everyone likely months away, Metro Ministries will not be hosting a Lenten Kick-off Breakfast this year. We are, however, working on plans for connecting with you all throughout this Lenten season in unique and fun ways. Stay tuned for more details!


Central District Book Study

The Central District's anti racist commitment continues with a new study around the book Be the Bridge: Pursuing God's Heart for Racial Reconciliation. The sessions will be via ZOOM and will convene during February, Black History Month. Meetings will be held from 6:00 - 7:30 pm on Sundays, February 7, 21, and 28. The ZOOM link is here or you may dial in via phone 888 788 0099 US Toll-free, Meeting ID: 937 710 6582.


Upcoming Conference Workshops

The Effective Small Church Workshop

The Church Development Team has designed this virtual workshop intended for churches with 70 or fewer weekly worshippers, to assist smaller churches for coming back to worship settings stronger than ever. There are multiple sessions during the month of February  to choose from, see details HERE.

This free workshop zeroes in on enabling each congregation to focus on their own particular ministry context. In other words, this is not a “cookie-cutter approach”. The time spent will focus on the necessary components smaller congregations can utilize in their particular settings to carry out their vision in accomplishing the mission.

2021 Staff/Pastor-Parish Relations Training (S/PPRC)

Three date and time options remain for this year's S/PPRC training, which will be held via ZOOM. All clergy, S/PPRC chairs and members and Administrative Council members are strongly encouraged to attend a session.

  • Saturday, January 30, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
  • Sunday, January 31, 3:00 - 5:00 pm
  • Saturday, February 6, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Zoom Link is here or you may dial 888 788 0099, Meeting ID: 937 710 6582.


Highlighted Resource: KIDS COUNT Data Book

Indiana Youth Institute released the 2021 Indiana KIDS COUNT Data book earlier this week. If you are not familiar with this resource, it contains a host of data indicators to provide a detailed picture of child well-being in Indiana, with actionable suggestions on how to leverage the data. This is a great source to support grant and other funding requests for children and youth programming and often used by leaders to help identify areas most in need of programs. 

The Data Book is formatted into sections on Family & Community, Economic Well-Being, Education and Health. While not all data is from 2019, this year's edition does include COVID-19 Impact statements throughout the sections.


Indiana Summit on Out-of-School Learning in April

Here is a shared learning opportunity for all current before/after school care providers, summer youth program providers and anyone who is considering such programs. Indiana After School Network will be hosting this two-day virtual event on April 20 - April 22. Most of the sessions will be pre-recorded and can be viewed at any time after, and there will also be Live Breakout Sessions throughout. Click HERE for an agenda.

This summit is designed exclusively for out-of-school time program providers and is a chance for program leaders, schools and community partners to connect, learn new ideas, access valuable resources and transform learning beyond the school day for Indiana's children and youth.

This the 10th annual summit and is hosted by Indiana Afterschool Network in partnership with the Indiana Department of Education.

Participant registration is $50.00 for both days. Participants who register by March 1 will receive a RE:LAUNCH Summit Swag Bag.

Click here more details about the Summit and for information on being a Presenter, Sponsor or Exhibitor.


Here are Children and Youth resources shared in prior weeks:

Please let us know if you have resources to share!


These Food Resources will continue to be shared weekly here and will also soon be available on Metro's website. Please note the information on these linked pages is subject to change frequently. For the most current information, use the links rather than printed documents.

For Food Pantries and Community Meal information in Marion, Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Johnson, Morgan and Shelby counties, click HERE.

Note: Mt. Olive United Methodist Church in Morgan County January pantry dates are January 15 and January 27, 4 - 7 pm.

 

Metro Ministries, Inc.   2560 Villa Avenue   Indianapolis, Indiana 46203
metrodirector1923@gmail.com    (317) 452-4786   www.indymetroumc.org
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