The February meeting was hosted by Westside Community Ministries, in the Frame Nursing Home building, 373 North Holmes, from 12:00noon – 2:00pm. The following were in attendance: Eldon Kibbey, Neil Cox, Tia Nielsen, Gary Kirschman, and Bill Bean, Bob Amon, Jason Ward, Rev. Mel Jackson, and Dave Putman. New attendees were Robert DeBruin and Dan Goller, and David Scott.
Regular attendees minimized their introductions in order to hear more details from the newcomers. Robert DeBruin came from The Netherlands, and became a United States citizen on Nov. 1, 2002. He is the Indiana Director for Child Evangelism Fellowship. Dan Goller is in the banking business in Carmel, and heads up The Great Banquet for Hamilton County. David Scott is the pastor of Circle City Christian Center, and is active in the inner city on the eastside of Indianapolis. He wants to see unity through involvement with other churches and cities, which is the heartbeat of Transform Indiana.
Rev. Mel Jackson and Jason Ward were asked to share their transformation story. They met several years ago when Rev. Jackson was managing a public housing project in Haughville, across the street from Jason’s tavern. Jason got involved with Rev. Jackson in helping to bring about positive changes in the neighborhood, and eventually attended a Bible study. God’s Word transformed Jason’s life; he transformed his tavern into a Youth Drop-in Center, and is now involved in the transformational work of Westside Community Ministries. The housing project has been replaced by single family homes. An IPS teacher in that area testified to the moderator that, since 1995, she no longer sees prostitutes and drug dealers on the streets of that neighborhood.
This is the essence of Transform Indiana: changing lives, neighborhoods, and cities, through the transformational power of Jesus Christ.
Neil Cox reported on the first Innovation Forum, which met on January 20, at the Urban Collaborative Center. This group could be the Technology Team for Transform Indiana.
Tia Nielsen shared the idea of gathering articles, essays, testimonies, and transformation experiences. She will be happy to edit these, do interviews, and help write these stories, so that we will have information to share with those who want to know more about Transform Indiana. These will be placed on our Internet site, and may, eventually, be produced in pamphlet, or book form, for distribution. She requested that these items be sent to her.
We discussed the need to develop a database for Transform Indiana to facilitate the connections that are an integral part of the effort.
Action steps:
Develop a Prayer Team – pray for a leader for a statewide effort
Continue to invite others who are involved in transformational ministry
Pray for the development of an Internet database
Submit articles, testimonies, and transformational stories to Tia Nielsen
Our next meeting: Tuesday,
March 11, 2003, 12 noon – 2:00 pm
Location: Unleavened Bread Café, 30th &
Central
Host: Rev Shirley Baker, Central City Ministries
April meeting: Tuesday, April 8, 2003, 12 noon – 2:00 pm
Our standard meeting day is the 2nd Tuesday of each month.
(Please mark your calendars.)
Location & Host: To be determined at March meeting
Respectfully submitted
Eldon E. Kibbey
Moderator