As we discussed from the beginning at Indy Metro and during the 40 Days of Prayer specifically, we’ve always been a church for the whole city. Both during our 40 Days of Prayer as a pastoral team and reviewing the many responses we received from the Indy Metro community, it became clear that we are to move forward increasing our commitment to Indy’s eastside.

With great passion and a shared burden by many we are moving forward in faith! The pastoral leadership has begun to make plans towards increasing our emphasis on Indy’s east side initially focused on Community Heights, Emerson Heights, Little Flower, and Irvington.

We want to answer the very basic questions of how we currently are planning to move forward. How will Indy Metro move to expand our presence on the eastside?

The east side needs to see the church in action through SMALL acts of service with a LARGE amount of love! The people of Indy Metro committing to specific acts of service together to be visible servants of the east side’s multi-generational multi-ethnic community. Beginning January 2010, through engaging local artists, serving families and marginalized residents we will serve together as a church. We encourage everyone at Indy Metro, whether residents of the eastside or not, to consider being involved in some form. For our friends online, I certainly hope you will begin to follow us and consider how to support as well.

Establishing a Sunday evening weekly public gathering by Easter, April 4^th, 2010 will be a critical component of expanding our presence on the east side. Our first Sunday evening gathering will be Sunday, January 10^th with location to be determined. Initially, we will be focused on simply building our relationships together as a CityGroup through learning, playing, and serving together on the eastside.

For people who want to be involved on the eastside with Indy Metro what is your next step?

1. Cultivate your spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting and meditating on Scripture. Our commitment to corporate prayer and fasting must continue as a house of prayer of the Lord. Please begin to pray for clarity on how to serve, seeking a potential weekly gathering, identifying the needed resources to prepare the way and provide the needed discipling for the team, and for the Lord to cultivate the hearts of people far from Him to be open to the Gospel.
2. Identify yourself to the pastoral leadership before the end of the year. No secret servants, but instead we are establishing the initial team to prepare together. Our desire is to identify 20-25 people who will focus to Indy Metro’s eastside presence in January 2010. If you’re genuinely committed to the east side movement and want to be an intricate part of it please let me know directly. Contact me at aaron@indymetro.org to confirm your commitment or share questions you may have still as we move forward.

Regardless of your own personal involvement, perhaps you know a small business owner, resident, or someone with roots in or near the eastside communities we’re focused on who doesn’t have a church family already. Pray and consider how you might make people aware of Indy Metro’s eastside commitment in January 2010.

If you are passionate about this movement I invite you’re responsive posts. What are your thoughts?