September 6, 2023

Hello Allisonville!

Our journey together in "Isaac's Insights" continues, and this week, we are invigorated by the wisdom from Pastor Joyce's recent sermon. She ignited our hearts, urging us to dismantle the roofs and the fences that obstruct the flow of God's love. As we weave our way through the intricate tapestry of faith, compassion and community, we must continue to imagine the ways we can work together to build a more loving world.

Our faith compels us to oppose racism, champion equal rights, and pursue the well-being of all. These are not just ideals; they are the heartbeat of faith woven into action.

To address these monumental tasks, we must organize ourselves, both as a congregation and as a coalition of kindred spirits within our community. An outstanding way to start is by participating in Shalom Zone events, generously offering your time, and gleaning wisdom from the folks at Second Helpings. Alternatively, consider joining us for the upcoming Faith in Indiana training at our church this Saturday.

In the spirit of Pastor Joyce's stirring sermon, this Saturday presents a unique opportunity. We can commence by taking small, deliberate steps towards evolving into a more organized congregation and a coalition of faith-driven individuals striving for a more just Indianapolis.

If you are unable to attend this Saturday or any of the upcoming events, please do not lose heart. Think about connecting with someone who did attend. These gatherings are fertile grounds where we can mutually share, learn, and plan to take actions that align with God's will on Earth, as it is in Heaven.

Let us remember that, as a united community, our actions possess the power to move mountains, demolish barriers, and erect a more just and compassionate world for all.

With faith in action,

Isaac

Question: The Old Testament speaks of a covenant between God and the Jewish people; it seems exclusive because God says something like “you shall be my people.” In the present day I think most people have a more inclusive view of God embracing all people. How did we get to this point? 

Answer: While I'm far from an expert in this area, I think this question hints at the way monotheistic religions claim a God who is both transcendent and particular. There's one God who has called a special people into community. Christians have transferred this idea onto the Church, as we see this global community existing in a unique relationship with God.

Tribalism and group identity is nothing new, but it can be a more intense challenge for faith communities that want to emphasize their distinctive character and - at the extreme - claim themselves as having "the corner" on Truth. 

Clark Williamson, the (now deceased) Disciples theologian who taught at CTS, informs my thinking here. In talking about anti-Semitism historically rooted in Christianity's persecution towards Jews, he wrote that the Holocaust makes clear the imperative "to become the church with and for the people Israel. It is the task of guarding and protecting the well-being of the stranger and of welcoming the stranger to become a friend."

In other words, claiming a special relationship with God does not automatically imply an exclusive status. Our increasingly pluralistic world - and the encounters that more frequently occur between people of different faiths - promotes a more generous stance towards those who might believe differently. That doesn't require us to compromise what it means to be Christian, but it does demand that we practice what it means to be Christian in relation to all those who carry the Image of God. 

-Rev. Beau

Blessing of the Backpacks

On Sunday, September 10, we will have our annual Blessing of the Backpacks! Whether you are a student of any age, a teacher, or other school staff person, you are invited to bring your backpack (or briefcase or tote bag, etc.) to worship that Sunday for a blessing and a gift to start this new school year.

Linwood Food Pantry

Because of the Labor Day weekend, the pickup date will be this coming Sunday, September 10th!

For those of you planning ahead here are some requests for the September Food Pantry Collection:

• Chef Boyardee-type canned meals
• Canned peas or veggies other than corn or green beans
• Diapers: newborns, 1, 5
• Kids snacks
• Cat food
• Tampons, 
• Sanitary napkins
• Canned soup

Coffee Cafe

There's a special celebration in coffee cafe this Sunday! We are excited to be celebrating Max Auble's baptism with some yummy cake. Come, enjoy and celebrate with Jordan and Tyler and the whole Auble family.

Men's Breakfast

Our next breakfast is this Saturday at the Metro Diner (3954 E. 82nd St.) at 8:30 am.

Please call or text Don B at 317-697-6011 by Friday to reserve your spot!

Prime Timers Picnic

Now is the time to sign up

Date: Wednesday, September 13th

Location: Sycamore Shelter, Fort Harrison State Park

Time: Arrive near 11:30, Lunch at 12:00, end about 2:00

Cost: $5.00 (covers grilled pork tenderloins, drinks, rental

cost)

Fee to enter the park: $7.00 (consider car pool to split the cost)

Bring: Food to share for potluck lunch, lawn chair for after

lunch fun & activities

SIGN UP BY SEPT 10: We need to plan for meat and drinks.

See Don or Barb Burrell at church or call Barb 317-697-6031

Casa Anniversary Celebration

Thank you to everyone who has agreed to help us with the Casa Celebration! We would still like a few more volunteers! Information is below.

Our sister congregation, Casa del Alfarero will commemorate their 20th anniversary in September. ACC will be extending hospitality for their celebration dinner, and we need volunteers to help. If you are available from 5 - 8 pm (or a portion thereof) on Saturday, September 16th and willing to bless Casa with your time, please let Isaac know by emailing [email protected] or calling the church office.

Youth Group Meal Signup

Now that youth group is back, we are looking for people to provide lunches for the youth group each week! You can click the button below and sign up for a date (or two). This is a great way to help support our important faith formation ministries. If you have any questions, please reach out to Josh. We're still looking for someone for September 17th!

Family Promise Dinners

During the month of October, ACC will be delivering a meal to a family in the Apartment Shelter Program. We will deliver a meal every Thursday around 6pm. This is a way to get to know the family and see if they have any special needs. They may have a birthday in their family during that month, or there might be some activity going on at ACC during the month that you could invite them to or let them know that we care for them and if they have any prayer needs. You can just drop off their meals at the door or if they welcome you into their home that is OK as well. Please contact Sherilee or Linda Belding to volunteer to make and deliver a meal. Meals will be delivered on the following dates:

October 5

October 12

October 19

October 26

Thank you for your participation. We feel that you will find it a rewarding experience.

Sherilee Mclain and Linda Belding are the coordinators.

Allisonville Friendship Meals are Back

ACC's Membership department is bringing back a favorite fellowship activity and we want you to be a part of it! Everyone is invited!

What is a Friendship Meal? Members of the church volunteer their homes as hosts for a meal. Other members sign up to attend whatever time or day is best for them - and voila! Meals are pitch-in style and decided among those who are attending.

Our meals this year are being held November 3, 4, and 5. There will be meals for Friday Dinner, Saturday Lunch, Saturday Dinner, or Sunday Dinner. Check your calendars to see when you are available. You can host a meal, attend a meal - or both! That's the benefit of having several options. The behind-the-scenes crew will match people up and try to keep the numbers even. We will also try to make sure to help everyone meet new friends while still being comfortable. Children are invited and we will be sensitive to preferences for pets and sides of town. Look for the sign up sheets in the Narthex starting on September 17. You don't want to miss this! See you soon!

Faith Formation Ministry Resumes

Sunday, September 10 is also our starting date for Sunday School for all ages at 11:00, Exploring Worship at the 9:30 service, and Worship and Wonder in both services! If you are interested in any Sunday School class or other faith formation opportunity, please reach out to Josh. This fall, here's a brief rundown of our offerings:

• Worship and Wonder (9:30 and 11:00 in Room 12): Open to kids 3 years old through 1st grade

• Children's Sunday School (11:00 in Room 1): Open to kids in 2nd through 5th grade

• Youth Sunday School (11:00 in the Retreat House): Open to youth in 6th through 12th grade

• Adult Sunday School (11:00 Faith Class in the Fireplace Room, LIFE Class in Room 15, and Pathfinders Class in the Chalice Room)

September 9 — Shalom Zone Event

Shalom Zone, the ecumenical group of 5 faith communities, ACC, Cross & Crown Lutheran, Epworth United Methodist, First Friends Meeting, and St. Pius X, will once again participate in a handicap ramp build with the organization Servants at Work.

SAWs is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that builds handicap ramps to provide persons with disabilities and conditions of aging with the freedom to remain in their homes and reconnect with their communities.

The event will take place on Saturday, September 09, 2023, from 8AM to approximately 12PM. Location will be available closer to the scheduled date. Volunteers must complete the volunteer form before their first build. This form can be found on the SAWS website at the following link:

https://sawsramps.volunteerhub.com/vv2/lp/indiana

No experience is required!

If you would like more information about the event, please contact:

Dave Tatum 317-371-7500 | [email protected]

OR

Jean Tatum 317-626-8625 | [email protected]

September 9 — Faith in Indiana

Hi friends,

One of the organizations we've been engaging with about putting our convictions into action is Faith in Indiana. They are a network of religious communities organizing across Indiana to create positive social change at the local and state level. Some of you had the chance to meet one of their organizers, Bailey Schwartz, who was in worship with us a couple of Sundays ago. 

Faith in Indiana is holding a training session here at ACC on Saturday, September 9th from 12-4:30 pm. It's a chance to learn more about how the organization operates and some of the issues they'll be focusing on in the months ahead. 

All the best,

Beau

September 10 — 2023 Festival of Faiths

We are reaching out to extend an invitation to the faith communities across Central Indiana to join us in celebrating the diversity and richness of our beliefs at the Festival of Faiths.

The Festival of Faiths aims to promote unity, understanding, and mutual respect among different religious and spiritual traditions. It is an opportunity for us to come together, share our faith traditions, and learn from one another. We believe that, together, we can create a harmonious environment that celebrates both our shared values and unique traditions.

September 12 — Damaris Circle

The Damaris Circle meets around 6 pm to eat (bring your own meal) inside door 1 at ACC. We visit and catch up on what is happening with each other. At 7 pm we will start discussing our study.  We are doing Anne Lamott's book Plan B Further Thoughts on Faith. We are on chapter 14 - Joice to the world and 15 Holding on. We try to finish around 8 pm.

If you have any questions, please contact me Janet - [email protected] - Damaris.

September 13 — Sarah Circle

The Sarah Circle will meet Wednesday, September 13 at 7 pm at the home of Rosemary Ervin. We will be reading and discussing the book Dessert First by J. Dana Trent. Come join us! If you have questions you can email Susan York.

September 15 — Young Adult CookOut

The young adult group has rescheduled their August cookout to September 15th at 6 pm! Come to the retreat house for group food and good friends! Bring food if you are able to share, and have a great evening.

September 23 — Indy Habitat for Humanity Interfaith Build

Calling all builders or anyone not afraid to swing a hammer! ACC will be participating in the 2023 Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity Interfaith Build. This will be a great opportunity to serve alongside individuals/volunteers from more than 20 faith communities here in Indy to work together and make an impact on the lives of Habitat homebuyers and their families.

 The first part of this effort is a Panel Build. Many of you will recall the Panel Builds which were held in our parking lot in previous years.

This one will be on Saturday, September 23 at Second Presbyterian Church. ACC has 6 slots reserved on the early shift, (8-10:30 am) for this Panel Build, so if you want to participate, hurry to sign up below!  (All volunteers must be 16 or older. No experience is necessary and all tools, materials and safety gear is provided.)

A portion of the Outreach Ministry budget will be supporting this effort, but if you are also interested in contributing, you may do so via the fundraising page.

September 26 — Book Club

When: September 26

Where: ACC in room 14 with the option to join on zoom

Outlawed by Anna North

"Featuring an irresistibly no-nonsense, courageous, and determined heroine, Outlawed dusts off the myth of the old West and reignites the glimmering promise of the frontier with an entirely new set of feminist stakes. Anna North has crafted a pulse-racing, page-turning saga about the search for hope in the wake of death, and for truth in a climate of small-mindedness and fear."

If you’d like a library copy of the book, contact Audrey Pelsor ([email protected])

Our October meeting is 10/24, location TBD

September 26 — Performance

When: September 28 through the 30th at 7:30 pm and a 2:30 matinee on October 1st



Where: The Switch Theatre in Fishers

The performers of Waiting For Godot have been practicing in Allisonville and have kindly shared a discount code for 50% off their tickets.

The discount code is ACC23

You can buy tickets and see more information here: https://www.hyperionplayers.com/tickets/

September 28 — Mary Martha Circle



Mary Martha Circle meets Thursday, September 28th at 1 pm! Join us at Allisonville Christian Church to discuss chapter 9, Listening as Self-Discipline. We look forward to hearing from each of you on this topic. Sue Feltner will lead us.

October 3 — Anti-Racism Book Study

Christian Theological Seminary is hosting their Faith and Action fall event on Tuesday, Oct 3 at CTS. The featured speaker will be Heather McGhee an economist and author of the book The Sum of Us. There will also be a chance for you to participate in a book discussion. Book discussions will take place virtually and in person. 

There are several of us attending this free event. You may register through the following link: https://www.cts.edu/faith-action/fall-event/

If you are planning on attending please let Cindy Coble know at [email protected] so we can try to sit together as a group. 

You can find more information about similar events here!

Seeking Virtual Scripture Readers

Virtual scripture readers are needed. Please contact John Quick (317-294-2709, [email protected]) to sign up!

Arts at Allisonville

Calling all music and drama lovers! It’s time to get Arts and Allisonville rolling again. We are in the planning process for the next 12 months or so. Won’t you join us? If you love the arts, we want you. Contact Steve Caress ([email protected]), Shari Jacobs ([email protected]), or Chris Higgins ([email protected]) and let us know. We want to start meeting soon to discuss/plan some exciting events.

Exploring Worship and Worship & Wonder Volunteers for 2023

Would you like to be involved in our children's ministry next year? We are seeking volunteers for both Exploring Worship and Worship & Wonder. Here are brief descriptions of the roles we are needing to fill:

W&W Greeter - The Greeter helps to welcome the kids to Worship & Wonder and assists the Storyteller in crowd control and keeping the ministry flowing. 

W&W Storyteller - The Storyteller leads the lesson directly from the Worship & Wonder curriculum. We have access to the official W&W training. 

EW Teacher - The Teacher leads the activity for the day, such as the sharing of joys and concerns, reading the scripture for the day, etc.

EW Shepherd - The Shepherd assists the Teacher in getting the kids to the EW space and keeping the activity going smoothly. 

If you are interested in any of these roles or if you would like more information about them, please reach out to Josh!

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