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Ashes to Go and Diocesan Lenten Offerings

“I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.”

-The Book of Common Prayer, page 265

In addition to Ash Wednesday services, the congregations included in the link below will be offering Ashes to Go at the times and locations listed today.

Click this link for a list of congregations, times, and locations for Ashes to Go.

Find diocesan offerings throughout the season of Lent.

Clergy and Lay Leaders Protest Slate of Hate

Bishop Jennifer, together with lay and ordained leaders from multiple congregations throughout the diocese, gathered at the Statehouse on Monday, February 20 to protest legislation that leaders are calling a Slate of Hate. These laws would censor LGBTQ-related discussion in schools, and would prohibit gender-affirming care for trans youth. More than 150 faith leaders from throughout the state of Indiana signed a letter condemning this legislation. Read the letter here. See Bishop Jennifer's interview with WTHR about these initiatives at this link.

Young Adult and Campus Ministry Grant Award Grace Village at Ball State University

Grace Village Campus Ministry at Ball State University applied for and has been awarded a grant of $5,000 from Young Adult and Campus Ministries (YACM) of The Episcopal Church. Grace Village will use the award to refresh Wild Card Cafe, their Wednesday morning breakfast ministry. Wild Card Cafe was started back in 2017, and later upgraded with another grant from YACM, in order to provide a free outdoor "grab and go'' breakfast option to students at BSU facing food insecurity. Grace Village will use the grant money to purchase new equipment to serve the students they feed every Wednesday.

Lent Madness

Lent Madness, an opportunity to learn more about the lives of the saints (and share in some good-natured competition), begins on Ash Wednesday. This year the Rev. Heidi Haverkamp of Indianapolis is one of the celebrity bloggers! Learn more about Lent Madness here. Find more information about this year's saints and materials available at this link.

Lenten Day Retreat at Trinity, Indianapolis

February 25

Demarius Walker, Associate for Spiritual Formation at Trinity, Indianapolis, will be joined by Lakshmi Piette, from the Rose Castle Foundation, to host a one-day Lented retreat at Trinity, Indianapolis on Saturday, February 25. The retreat will explore the 12 Habits of a Reconciler and ways to incorporate those habits into our daily life and the life of our communities. Lunch will be served, so please register if you plan to attend. Walk-ins are also welcome. Plan to wear comfortable clothes, and bring a notebook and a pen or pencil. Cost is $15, and scholarships are available.

Learn more here. Register at this link.

Ukrainian Easter Egg Decorating at Church of the Nativity, Indianapolis

February 25

Members of the Church of the Nativity, Indianapolis, invite you to join them in the church's Parish Hall on Saturday, February 25, 2023, 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Eastern to learn the art of Pysanky, Ukrainian Easter Egg decorating. Participants will learn how this activity can be a practice of prayer for Lent, and then design and dye their own creations. Adults and children at least 8 years old who are accompanied by adults are welcome to take part. The cost is $10.

Contact Dontie Fuller to reserve your spot.

Lenten Quiet Day at Church of the Nativity, Indianapolis

March 4

Join the Church of the Nativity, Indianapolis, for a time of silence, prayer, and contemplation on Saturday, March 4, from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Eastern. Nativity will provide stations for silent prayer, devotional exercises, meditative walking, music, and more. Fr. Ben Wyatt will be available onsite for anyone desiring spiritual conversation, and he will offer a talk from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Eastern. The event is free, with a suggested donation of $10.

A Plea for Healing: Interfaith Prayer Service at St. Paul's, Indianapolis

March 7

St. Paul's, Indianapolis invites you to A Plea for Healing on Tuesday, March 7 at 6:30 p.m. Eastern. This interfaith prayer service is convened by Angela Brown and the Faith, Justice, and the Arts initiative of St. Paul's Indy. Civic, arts, and faith leaders from across Central Indiana will lead a one-hour service of prayer, music, spoken word, and dance to unify the community and promote healing together. Admission is free.

Learn more about A Plea for Healing at this link.

Lay Eucharistic Visitor Training offered Online

March 15

Registration is now open for on-line LEV training to be held on Wednesday, March 15 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Eastern/5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Central. 

Lay Eucharistic Visitors (LEVs) extend the hospitality of the Sunday Eucharist to those who cannot be present with the gathered community. Clergy or the person charged with pastoral oversight in a congregation extend invitations to people called to serve in the LEV role. Those seeking to be licensed as LEVs must attend this virtual training and complete Safe Church requirements, including a background check. Learn more about requirements at this link.

Additional trainings are scheduled June 17 and September 7.  Registration for those dates will open following the March training.

Contact the Rev. Mary Taflinger with questions. Register here.

Arab Indianapolis: A Hidden History

March 15

Come explore stories and sites of Arab history in Indianapolis through food, health, religion and more. This special screening of Arab Indianapolis: A Hidden History is followed by a facilitated discussion to help Hoosiers connect our shared pasts. The film will be hosted at Christ Church Cathedral on March 15 at 6:30 p.m. and was produced with funding from Indiana Humanities. 

RSVP at this link.

Faith and Activism through Revolutionary Love at Christian Theological Seminary

March 20

Grace Unlimited Campus Ministry invites you to an evening with Valerie Kaur on Monday, March 20 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern, in Shelton Auditorium at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. Kaur is a renowned civil rights leader, lawyer, award-winning filmmaker, educator, innovator, and is the best-selling author of See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love. This event is free and open to the public.

Learn more at this link. RSVP here.

Nominations for 2023 Honored Women Project

Due March 24

Episcopal Women’s Ministries (EWM) asks leaders from each parish to choose one lay woman to represent them as an Honored Woman. A congregation's nominee should be someone who stands out as a leader and a shining light for her faith. A letter containing information about the project, the Guidelines for nominations, and the Nomination Form can be found online at this link. These Honored Women will be celebrated at the Spring Tea online on Saturday, April 15, 2023. The EWM Council will select one woman from this group to be the Distinguished Woman representing our diocese at the 2024 Episcopal Church Women (ECW) Triennial Meeting in Louisville, KY.

Nominations are due Friday, March 24.

Find the online nomination form here.

Contact Lisa Matucheski or Beverly Ruebeck with questions.

IndyDio Pride Swag Contest

Submit Designs by April 2

We’re looking for some new designs for the Diocese of Indianapolis’s presence at Pride celebrations around the state this summer! In recent years we have had t-shirts that communicate the message of God’s inclusive love as preached in our churches, and help create a unified visual impact in Pride parades. If you have ideas for other kinds of swag to hand out along the parade route and at the booth, send them in. Designs may include words and images. Design submissions are welcome from all people, whether or not they are Episcopalian. Winning designers will receive bragging rights and a $200 honorarium.

Net proceeds of any sales of Pride items will support Trinity Haven, a cooperating ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis.

Learn more about the contest at this link.



Submit your design here by April 2.

Episcopal Women's Ministry Online Spring Gathering

April 15

Bishop Cate Waynick will speak at the Episcopal Women's Ministry spring gathering, entitled Rest and Self-Care: God's Sabbath Gift to Us. It will take place Saturday, April 15 from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Eastern/12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Central. The gathering will focus on sabbath living, and prioritizing time for God, for rest, and for self-care. Registrants will receive a welcome packet with both serious and playful resources in preparation. All are welcome to participate. Registration is free.

Register at this link.

Spring Men’s Weekend Retreat at Waycross

May 5-7

The theme of this year's men’s retreat, May 5-7 at Waycross Camp and Conference Center, is Growing our Relationship with God. It will focus on fellowship, sharing our stories, and learning new spiritual practices. We will have several sessions with Dan Hoffman, a retreat leader who is a Spiritual Director. There will also be plenty of spontaneous time for hiking, reading, relaxing, conversations, or reflection. We will have opportunities for community prayer time, music, spiritual reflection, Labyrinth walking, and a fire circle at night. Accommodations range in price from $170-$280 per person.

Learn more and register at this link.

A New Tool for Communications Requests

Sharing the stories of how we are living into our diocesan mission across central and southern Indiana is one of the most important things we do. In order to help us do that more effectively, please complete this link with your submissions for events happening in your congregation or neighborhood. If you have an idea for a feature story, please email [email protected].

2022 Parochial Reports

Due March 15

The annual parochial report is a summary of the life of a congregation, collecting data about a church's ministries, finances, and membership. While no one document can express the whole of a congregation's story, the parochial report records data over time, allowing congregational and diocesan leaders, and future historians, to identify trends and inflection points. As in recent years, the statistical data on the parochial report is supplemented by narrative questions. Congregations are required to file their 2022 parochial reports by March 15, 2023. The parochial report is filed online at this link; detailed instructions can be found here. For help logging in, please contact Canon Brendan O'Sullivan-Hale.

February 26: St. James, New Castle | The Rev. Brown Mulimi Mujete

March 5: St. Paul’s, Evansville | The Rev. Holly Rankin Zaher

In February, please pray for Creation Care agencies and their efforts.

In March, pray for the work of the Commission on Ministry of the Diocese.

See the Cycle of Prayer.

Prayer for Youth Ministry

Gracious and loving God, you created all people in your image. Grant that youth in the Diocese of Indianapolis may grow to know your love so deeply, that by it they are transformed. Grant courage and wisdom to those who work to create and support ministries through which these youth may encounter you. All this we ask through your son, our savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

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