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GENEROSITY IN ACTION | Q2
Generosity Knows No Boundaries
God calls us to do his work at home, and around the world, too!
Fishers United Methodist Church is blessed with a congregation, pastors and staff who:
Love God | Love Our Neighbors | Make Disciples
When you give your time and resources to our church and its ministries, you play a vital role in carrying out our mission.
Beyond regular support of the church’s operating fund, your generosity toward special projects, such as the Multiply Ministry and the Food Pantry, is changing lives.
Praise the Lord for the things we can do together through Jesus!
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Romans 12:6-8
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
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Thank you for your generosity!
Continue identifying your gifts, listen for your calling,
then take the passion that God gives you to be a disciple for Him!
| | Greg Arnott Provisions Sub-Team Member | |  | Mike Cooke Provisions Sub-Team Leader | | Tiffany Frash Co-Lay Leader | | | Julie Rockwood Co-Lay Leader | |
MULTIPLY MINISTRY
The Multiply Ministry’s vision is to make disciples who know, love, and obey Jesus.
The projects of this ministry are funded by the Multiply Fund in which monies were raised a few years ago and is overseen by the Church Board. Requests for projects to be funded come from church members, our pastors and sometimes people outside of our church.
So far in 2025, the efforts of the Multiply Ministry were focused on doing God’s work around the world. Efforts this year have been directed to opportunities primarily in Africa, specifically Kenya based opportunities brought to us by our brother in Christ Saneta Maiko.
We were asked to fund tuition for four Kenyan pastors who are living in Kenya and attending United Theological Seminary in Dayton remotely. Not all pastors in Kenya get advanced theological training so this support was needed so that they could be better able to lead their churches and perhaps help train other pastors in Kenya. All four were interviewed by the Multiply Sub-Committee via Zoom. These were outstanding candidates and the funding for two years of tuition for them was approved.
We had a team of staff from our church that went to Kenya in July. Penny Walker and Mark Stebbe supported the Green Hill Amani School by soliciting input from teachers and staff on the needs of the school, giving each child a simplified version of Vacation Bible School, and partnering with local leaders in strategic planning. Pastors Mark and Ben taught a one-week pastors school. Most pastors in Kenya have no formal Bible or theological training. The hope is to get this pastor school started with the help of our pastors and other pastors so that it will eventually sustain itself. Our Multiply Fund has paid for the travel and lodging costs along with providing Bibles for the pastors attending this one-week pastor school. It has also funded the travel costs of part of our team’s travel to Kenya. Penny’s travel costs were funded from other donors. The stories from this team are included below.
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PASTOR'S SCHOOL
Remarks From Pastor Mark and Pastor Ben
Sixty Kenyan pastors and church leaders stepped away from their families, homes, and churches for a week to attend Pastor's School in Kisii, Kenya in July. Why would they do this? The answer is that they love the Lord, and they love their communities. They are hungry to understand the Word of God better and to have tools to share that with their neighbors.
| | Here are the last words of the Gospel of Matthew, just before Jesus ascended to heaven: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20). A few years ago, Fishers UMC created a Multiply Fund to help fulfill this Great Commission of Jesus. Kisii Pastor's School in Kenya is one of our ways to multiply disciples, leaders and churches throughout the world! | | Pastors Russ Abel (a DS from Ft. Wayne), Ben Greenbaum, and Mark Ellcessor taught at Kisii Pastor's School four days, seven hours a day. It was a blast! Russ taught preaching and church administration. Ben taught Paul's letters and practical theology. Mark taught discipleship and Old Testament survey. What a blessing! The sixty pastors and church leaders were eager to learn and share their deepening knowledge of God's ministry for them. One of Mark's highlights was teaching the pastors how to use the English NLT Study Bibles we gave to them. They ate it up! | | Mark's translator was a young man named Samuel. He is in his second year at Africa University in medical lab studies. Pray for Samuel, that he can attend his second year at Africa University. Our team paid for his four-day bus fare to get to Zimbabwe but know that he will have other needs along the way. | | Also, we connected with George and Matthews, two pastors who are online students getting their master's degrees in theology from United Theological Seminary in Dayton. Our Multiply Fund is helping to pay for their education. We are working on a plan to bring them to Fishers in January to deepen the connection, plan next year's pastor's school, and develop them as future teachers. We hope it all works out! Please pray that George and Matthews would be able to get their visas to come here. | | |
Matthews, George, Samuel, Nancy, Susan, Sarah, Cosmas, Peter, and many more people, eager to learn, prepared to share, and ready to serve their neighbors came together for this Pastor’s School.
Disciples making disciples.
Leaders developing leaders.
Churches planting churches.
God getting the glory!
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GREENHILL AMANI SCHOOL
Remarks From Mark Stebbe and Penny Walker
The Holy Spirit is doing very special things at Greenhill Amani School! We arrived on a Friday and were immediately greeted by the children, many of whom we had met on our last visit two years ago. These kids were still beautiful, bright, respectful, and caring. We were also surrounded by men and women from the community putting recent financial gifts to the school to work in forms of painting, landscaping, erosion control, and the final installation of a clean water system. The energy was palpable!
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Saturday: Penny and Mark returned to the school for meetings with the teachers and administrators. Mark finalized budget and strategy matters while Penny met with the teachers to determine what they needed to continue the top academic performance at Greenhill. There's one thing that none of them asked for: anything to benefit themselves personally. Everything on top of their mind was for the kids, especially nutrition and wellness. As a result, we are adding much more protein into their diets in the form of meat and eggs as well as a morning snack. Many of our students only eat at Greenhill Monday through Friday while school is in session. This set the stage for the remainder of the week.
Sunday: Penny traveled with Ben and Mark S with Pastor Mark in supporting their ministry as they preached - what a blessing!
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Monday: Mark and Pastor John McCullough from Hoagland, IN purchased tools in Kisii for a new carpentry ministry. Our hope is to begin building simple, repeatable furniture like desks and bookshelves while training local men and women in basic carpentry skills. This was sponsored by Fishers United Methodist Men and several churches in Northern Indiana. We completed a solid teacher's desk and fortified a relationship between Pastor John and Eric, a parent of a student who desires to be a carpenter. Penny introduced the entire travel group to the school and set about their mission work for the week!
Tuesday: Penny continued working closely with the teachers and staff in determining how we could best lend support. We also met with the Kenyan Ministry of Education Deputy Director at the local government center. They reinforced how much Green Hill was appreciated as a top academic performer!
| | Wednesday: Penny directed a mini version of a traditional VBS program for each grade level. Penny taught them new songs, completed amazing crafts, read stories, and shared her faith with the kids. We were amazed and overwhelmed how fast our kids learned the songs, engaged with the stories, and appreciated the crafts; even more impressive is their biblical knowledge. They know the fundamental lessons in scripture and begin memorizing verses as early as 3 years old. This is an example of the reciprocal nature of this ministry and how the Kenya kids inspire us to do great things in the US. | | Thursday: This was a day of celebration! Our students sang songs, recited memory verses, performed an amazing play of the good Samaritan, and generally impressed everyone! We were visited by the Chief of the Interior, a very prominent Federal official who shared with us how Green Hill was the finest school in the zone. The most impactful part of this day was interacting with the parents and loved ones of the kids. They are so proud of what their students are accomplishing and so appreciative of the partnership with the US. | | Friday: We dedicated an 80,000-liter water system which captures rainwater. This is equipped with solar powered pumps and filtration and can provide clean water for the entire school for up to a year in times of drought. This would also allow us to have flush toilets for the students and staff, which is a huge improvement for overall wellness. We then said our goodbyes, shed a few tears, and went to work determining how we can best partner with and serve this amazing community. | | Penny and Mark want to thank their Fishers UMC family for supporting us in this trip and the prayers that we felt every day. You are part of something very special at the little school on the Green Hill! | |
GENEROSITY MOMENT
The Multiply Fund is paying for four Kenyan pastors to attend United Theological Seminary. Below is a recap from interviews we had with them, and although the conversations were limited to 30 minutes, each encounter was deeply meaningful and rich with insight. Every story was unique, but together, they painted a powerful portrait of faith, resilience, and a calling to serve.
George Wachira Kimani
Opened his interview by declaring his love for the Lord. A devoted husband and father of three, George has been involved in ministry for over 20 years. As a pastor for Lavington United Church, Navasha, Kenya, he has planted three churches since 2013, one of which has grown to a congregation of 300. George believes people are hungry for truth and is passionate about sharing the gospel. With years of experience in Bible teaching, he would be highly effective in a teaching role and remains ready to go wherever the Lord calls him. “My greatest joy is to see lives transformed by God’s grace through preaching the Gospel.”
Daniel Deng
An extraordinary young man originally from South Sudan. He completed his high school education while living in a refugee camp—a place marked by hardship, but also where his faith grew strong. Having lost both parents and endured many challenges, Daniel remains steadfast in his love for God. “God has never abandoned me,” he said. Daniel currently works with youth as a youth pastor and is deeply passionate about evangelism. Though he lives a distance from the Pastor’s School, he could become a powerful ambassador for it. “God has called me to be the vessel to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.”
Matthews Kaburu Ageri
Encouraged to preach from the young age of 12. He has served as a lay preacher with the United Methodist Church, working in children’s ministry, church development, and more. He is chairman of the Methodist Church Land Commission. He brings a deep understanding of land ownership issues and how they affect church growth. Matthews is committed to giving God his best—spreading the message of the gospel and developing empowerment programs for his community. “I am willing to offer my time and skills … to teach and train others to become better ministers of the Word of God for effective service to humanity.”
Mary (Hiire) Rubiuka
A mother of one with another child on the way, brings a heart for counseling and theology. Her experience spans mentoring children, supporting the vulnerable, and providing guidance within both church and school settings. She provides counseling to those, particularly youth, who are addicted to drugs. Mary expressed concern over the rise of false teachings (heresies) in some churches, including the dangerous spread of prosperity gospel and extreme practices like prolonged fasting. She believes in the need for honest, Christ-centered pastoral care. Mary is deeply committed to educating others in the true message of the gospel and could be a strong advocate—and eventually a teacher—for the Pastor’s School. “(My) passion is to serve; (I) always anticipate instilling the knowledge God has impacted into (me) to all those who are ready to receive.”
| | | Please see a summary for the six months ended June 30 for the operating fund below: | | |
| June 30, 2025 | June 30, 2024 | | Revenues | $664,700 | $679,800 | | Expenses | 710,400 | 694,400 | | Excess Expenses over Revenues | $(45,700) | $(14,600) | | | |
The above numbers are for the operating fund which do not include any amounts received or spent for any of the separate designated funds of the church. The revenues for 2025 include an increase in offerings of 2.5%, but that increase was offset by decreases in programs and missions. Additionally, in 2024 we had received approximately $13,500 of one-time revenue from Employee Retention Credits under a government program for retaining our employees during COVID. Expenses for 2025 are higher than 2024, which was expected and budgeted. However, 2025 expenses in total are running slightly higher than the amount budgeted through June.
As with any organization some expenses are regular and predictable such as payroll and others can change substantially each month such as repairs and maintenance. Revenue for the operating fund consists primarily of contributions which also vary as to when they are received from year-to-year. Additionally, the church uses the cash-basis of accounting meaning that it records its revenue and expenses when cash is either received or paid rather than when revenue is earned or expenses are incurred which can affect the comparability of amounts, between years.
| | The church has several designated funds for money that has been given to the church for a specific purpose other than the operations of the church and therefore are not included in the operating fund information above. The two largest funds are for the Food Pantry and the Multiply Fund. A summary for those funds is below: | | |
| Food Pantry | Multiply Fund | | Fund Balance 1/1/25 | $191,800 | $772,600 | | Contributions & Interest | 98,800 | 30,700 | | Expenses | 84,700 | 48,500 | | Fund Balance 6/30/25 | $205,900 | $754,800 | | | |
The Food Pantry receives contributions from local churches, businesses and our congregation. Through June 30, 2025, there was $25,600 received in memorial donations for Linda Williams and Dave Lawson. Expenses for the Food Pantry are for the purchase of certain food items and payroll expense.
Most of the revenue received by the Multiply Fund is from interest on its funds that are invested in certificates of deposit and contributions are also being received. Expenses for this fund so far in 2025 are for the travel and lodging for those attending the Pastors’ School that we are supporting in Kenya. We are also sponsoring 4 Kenyan students attending United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH by paying part of their tuition for their graduate studies. These students are based in Kenya and taking classes through remote learning. The Multiply Fund also has paid the travel cost for most of our team traveling to Kenya to teach at the Greenhill School and for Pastor Mark and Pastor Ben who will be teaching at the Pastor School.
These funds also record their contribution/interest income and expenses on the cash-basis of accounting meaning that they record their revenue and expenses when cash is either received or paid rather than when revenue is earned, or expenses are incurred.
| | We also have our Endowment Fund that begun in 2024, as part of the celebration of our 150th anniversary as a church in Fishers. As you may recall an endowment fund is where cash and assets can be contributed currently, or future gifts can be made through planned giving such as through your estate planning. The money given will remain intact and the future earnings on those funds will be used to further the ministry of the church based on how it is designated to be used. We currently have a balance of approximately $18,000 in our endowment fund as of June 30, 2025. | | |
Generosity comes in all shapes and sizes.
Explore these upcoming opportunities.
Perhaps you'll find one that speaks to you!
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PANTRY FUNDRAISER:
SIMPLY GIVE
The Come To Me Food Pantry is partnering with Meijer with their Simply Give hunger relief program. When the Food Pantry purchases $10 gift cards from Meijer, they will receive bonus money, making their gift cards worth $30. You can donate money so the Food Pantry can purchase these Simply Give gift cards by tapping the link.
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BINGO PRIZES NEEDED:
FOR HAMILTON TRACE
Fishers UMC 5th through 8th grade students serve monthly at Hamilton Trace Assisted Living playing BINGO with residents. You can help support this ministry by donating prizes from an Amazon Wishlist, or funds to purchase prizes. Tap the links below.
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COMMUNION STEWARD
People are needed to prepare the elements for Holy Communion for all three worship services. If interested, please email Jennifer Pugh at jpugh@fishersumc.org.
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P.I.T. CREW
Pray for our Pastors and their families and be part of the P.I.T. Crew. Learn more and sign up by tapping links below.
| | To Make Disciples of Jesus Christ For The Transformation of The World. | | | | |
