The Indiana Conference Office family sends you Christmas greetings and wishes you a season of peace and hope as we celebrate out Savior's birth.
Pastor Christmas Lunch Pastors and their families from the northern part of our state celebrate with conference administrators at a Christmas lunch in Mishawaka. The conference is grateful to all of our pastors for their hard work and dedication throughout the year, and for the work of our retired pastors who faithfully served our conference for many years.
President Vic Van Schaik invites you to participate in the Indiana Conference Virtual Prayer Summit on January 15.
To see the video CLICK HERE.
Pastor Joseph and Jamila Capeles
Pastor Capeles and his wife, Jamila, met while they were both attending the seminary at Andrews University. Joseph Capeles began serving as pastor of the Lafayette/Frankfort district on October 1. Originally from Ohio, Pastor Capeles comes to Indiana after a decade in business development. He was Cuba’s first long-term missionary in over 50 years where he spent a year pastoring young adults, preaching a number of evangelistic series, giving Bible studies, and developing outreach ministries. He completed a Master of Divinity degree from Andrews University in 2020.
Jamila, from Palm Springs, CA also graduated from Andrews University with a Master of Divinity degree and a Master of Music degree. They were married in September 2021.
We are thankful that God has called and equipped Pastor Capeles and Jamila to serve in the Indiana Conference, and we extend to them a warm welcome.
The 20th annual walk-through Journey to Bethlehem at the Cicero Church took place on December 4 & 5. Many families in the surrounding communities make this a Christmas tradition, and this year was no exception with full reservations as well as walk-ins for both nights. Although highlighting the wisemen, King Herod, shepherds, angel choir, and manger scenes, the story of Jesus was told in its entirety, including the cross, the tomb, the sanctuary, and the second coming.
The experience begins in the church when your tribe is announced. You are then escorted to the Jerusalem village where you can interact with the merchants, eat some lentil soup, and pet the donkeys and sheep. Walking along the lighted tiki path, the story unfolds as your guide narrates between the 12 stations with live actors portraying the story at each stopover. Roman guards demanding to see “papers” and a leper colony crying out “unclean” helped keep the guides on their toes!
Enacting the birth of Jesus is a special story that Christians of all denominations can come together and celebrate. “We thought that Journey toBethlehem was awesome and well done. We absolutely loved it and appreciated the hard work that was put into it. "Praise God,” said one community attendee. Including the cast, the coordinators, and support staff there were 184 participants this year. God willing, the Cicero church plans to hold this event each year on the first weekend of December as part of its outreach program.
Kathy Griffin
Cicero SDA Church
(Left to right: Former Lake Union President Don Livesay; Herb Wrate; Lake Union Education Director Linda Fuchs)
Longtime educator, Herb Wrate, dies at 83 (E-Herald, 12/7/2021)
Former educational superintendent for the Wisconsin and Indiana Conferences, Herb Wrate, passed away on Nov. 15, 2021, at age 83. In a Facebook post, his son Steve Wrate, wrote that his dad "leaves a rich legacy of love for God, dedication to family, a passion for education, and a life of service to others."
For 10 years as a teacher and 30 years an educational superintendent, Wrate dutifully served the Northern New England, Indiana, Iowa-Missouri, and Wisconsin Conferences of Seventh-day Adventists.
Following retirement, he was called back to interim superintendent work four times. His influence has reached around the world through his teaching, supervision, and mission work.
Be looking for your copy of the December Conference Connection that will be in mailboxes mid-December. Merry Christmas!
Indiana Adventist Christian Fellowship
This past Sabbath the Lafayette SDA Church hosted Public Campus Ministries Director, Pastor John Leis, to learn how to better reach and support students on the Purdue University campus. Purdue has over 41,000 students from 135 countries, and members are enthusiastic to reach this rich mission field. Currently, the church sponsors Adventist Christian Fellowship Purdue (ACFP), a student-led ministry to the campus, but are eager to do more. Please pray for the Lafayette SDA Church as they plan to be the hands and feet of Jesus at Purdue as well as their local Ivy Tech campus. If you know a student who will be attending Purdue University next year or if you would like to learn how you can support Adventist students on non-Adventist campuses please let Pastor John know at 765-318-3138.
John Leis III, MA Pastor, PCM Director
Bloomington SDA Church
Sabbath, November 20th, was a high Sabbath for the Bloomington SDA Church family as they held a baptism and dedication. Pastor John baptized Harold Hargrave and dedicated his daughter Emma Hargrave. Harold started coming back to church about six months ago and gave his life to Christ. In his testimony Harold said that God knows what we need when we need it and then shared how he had witnessed this fact in his life. Welcome Harold and Emma into the Bloomington family!
John Leis III, MA Pastor, PCM Director
Bloomington SDA Church
John 3: 16-17 (NKJV)
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world through Him might be saved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version(r). Copyright (c) 1982 byThomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
God, Creator of all, your love for me is beyond words.
Thank you for sending your only Son to die for the very depth of all my sins.
I truly believe in you, and seek eternal life with you.
And I know this amazing act of love was not done to condemn me,
