Southport UMC Newsletter

Dear Friends, I have some exciting news to share with you.   As most of you know, the south side of   Indianapolis, particularly in the general vicinity of the church, has a large Myanmar (Burmese, Chin) population.   A large percentage of these individuals are Christian, and many have fled their home country due to religious persecution.   Many of the Myanmar residents came with intact Christian communities.   Some of this is due to the many dialects of their language.   They often group together according to their dialect and then form Christian communities or churches around that commonality. At Southport United Methodist Church we have often asked this question, “How can we serve this growing segment of our community?”   To be quite honest, that question has been difficult to answer. We certainly didn’t want to make the mistake of offering ministry that was what we thought the Myanmar community needed rather than what would truly be helpful. Recently, God answered the q

Ministry to Homecroft Elementary children, families and staff is only one of our outreach   ministries that focuses on “sharing God’s love and grace through Jesus Christ in our everyday 24x7 lives.”   (By the way, that is the vision for Southport UMC.) With school back in session soon, it is time to think about how we all can partner with   Homecroft in their mission to have an impact on their community which by the way, is very similar to our mission (to have a transforming impact on the community in the name of Jesus Christ). Here are some ways that we are currently involved at Homecroft.   If you would be interested in serving the children and families of our community at Homecroft through one of these ways (or in a new way), please contact the church office.   ·   After School Achievers club:   Tuesday and Thursday (you don’t have to serve both days) from 3:45 – 4:30.   We help children with their homework but also simply build relationships with them. ·   H.O.P.E.

I hope you have been waiting for news about a new round of Journey Groups for the fall. This would mean that you look forward to continuing to grow in your discipleship of Jesus and you use Journey Groups to do that. We are taking a short Sabbath (rest) from Journey Groups for the summer as we prepare for Journey Groups in the fall.   In the fall, we want to offer Financial Peace University (FPU) to as many church families as we possibly can.   If you are not aware of Financial Peace University, during the nine sessions, in short, we learn to manage money according to God’s plan.   Please be prayerfully considering being involved in one of the many groups that will be going through FPU in the fall, and watch for more information coming soon. In the meantime, a good way to continue your discipleship of Jesus is to use the journal to go deeper in the message from each week’s sermon.   You can find the journal online (www.sumc.org) or pick up a paper copy in the Gathering Pla

CHRISTMAS IN JULY We are blessed by our continuing partnership with Homecroft Elementary and the ways God guides us in ministering with the staff and families of this community. Preparations for “Christmas in July” have begun and we are grateful to the school staff for their input on some of the daily needs of our Perry Township Families. The Jubilee Team will be at the Next Steps table July 7/10, 14/17, and 21/ 24 to answer   questions and share information about Christmas in July and how you can participate. Tag boards with suggested needs will be available starting June 30 and July 3 with a request that all donated items be returned by July 24 for delivery to Homecroft before the first day of school on the 27th.  There will be tags for a variety of clothing and miscellaneous items and for gift cards. There is always a great need for gift cards which allow the school staff to shop for items that are needed in emergency situations.   COMMUNITY FESTIVAL AND MOVIE

UNITING WITH THE CHURCH— Wednesday, July 20 Would you like to make Southport your church home? Pastor Mark shares the mission and      vision of Southport United Methodist Church, the difference between being a “member” and being a “Disciple,” and how each person is called to ministry. Please plan to attend the next “UNITING WITH THE CHURCH” session on Wednesday, July 20 at 7 p.m.   Child care is   provided by request. Call the church office,   784-9508, or indicate your desire to attend on your registration card. COMMUNITY FESTIVAL AND MOVIE NIGHT— Friday, August 5 Save the date for this year’s Community Festival on the Homecroft Elementary campus Friday, August 5, starting at 6:30 p.m.   We will have a great opportunity to serve with our Homecroft partners in providing a free festival for the children and families in our neighborhood.   Food, games, bounce houses, door prizes, and of course surprises.   The evening will end with a     family movie and treats.   More in

As we continue Southport’s journey towards becoming debt free families and congregation, we will offer Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University (FPU) this fall.  One key concept of the FPU class is to realize that our finances reflect our priorities and our relationship with God.  In fact, Jesus taught more about money and our attitude towards possessions than any other topic.  This is why “GIVE” is part of our discipleship path at Southport. Some results from past classes include: ·         One family paid off $14,000 in debt during the class and said FPU “placed our personal goals within reach.” ·         Several families established a $1,000 emergency fund for the first time. ·         One family said the course has “given hope for retirement.” More information on classes, cost, and opportunities to help others begin to live and give like they’ve always desired will be coming over the next couple months.  We look forward to    everyone being a part of this journey.