IFI Dinner with John Stonestreet

This year, we’ll be joined by the one and only John Stonestreet. John is the president of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview and a nationally recognized writer, speaker, and presenter on areas of faith and culture, theology, worldview, education and apologetics. John is the daily voice of BreakPoint, the nationally syndicated commentary on  the culture founded by the late Chuck Colson. He is also the voice of The Point, a daily one-minute feature on worldview, apologetics and cultural issues.

Before coming to the Colson Center in 2010, John served in various leadership capacities with Summit Ministries and was on the biblical studies faculty at Bryan College (TN). John has co-authored four books: A Practical Guide to CultureRestoring All ThingsSame-Sex Marriage, and Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview.

John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN). He and his wife, Sarah, have four children and live in Colorado Springs, CO.

Connect with John at BreakPoint.org, or follow him on Twitter (@jbstonestreet).

Tickets are only $25 and tables start at $200. The VIP Reception will begin at 5 PM.

Don’t delay in getting your seats! John Stonestreet always draws a huge crowd and we’d hate for you to be left out.

Thank you, as always, for your support!

Curt Smith & Ryan McCann
Indiana Family Institute

IFI Dinner with John Stonestreet

We’re excited to announce details for this year’s IFI Banquet, and we hope you’ll make plans to join us.

Monday, September 23rd | 6:30 to 9PM
IMMI Conference Center in Westfield (18880 N. East St., Westfield)

This year, we’ll be joined by the one and only John Stonestreet. John is the president of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview and a nationally recognized writer, speaker, and presenter on areas of faith and culture, theology, worldview, education and apologetics. John is the daily voice of BreakPoint, the nationally syndicated commentary on  the culture founded by the late Chuck Colson. He is also the voice of The Point, a daily one-minute feature on worldview, apologetics and cultural issues.

Before coming to the Colson Center in 2010, John served in various leadership capacities with Summit Ministries and was on the biblical studies faculty at Bryan College (TN). John has co-authored four books: A Practical Guide to CultureRestoring All ThingsSame-Sex Marriage, and Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview.

John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN). He and his wife, Sarah, have four children and live in Colorado Springs, CO.

Connect with John at BreakPoint.org, or follow him on Twitter (@jbstonestreet).

Tickets are only $25 and tables start at $200. The VIP Reception will begin at 5 PM.

Don’t delay in getting your seats! John Stonestreet always draws a huge crowd and we’d hate for you to be left out.

Thank you, as always, for your support!

Curt Smith & Ryan McCann
Indiana Family Institute

Pursued by a Holy God | Dinner & Discussion

“Sanctification is not getting rid of our temptations, but pursuing holiness in the midst of them.” — Christopher Yuan

Sunday, October 23, 2016 | 5PM | 5236 E. 72nd St., Indianapolis

What would it look like if God’s people held out clear answers to the questions that stymie our society today—questions like, “What if my son is biologically male but psychologically female?” “What if God made me this way?” and “Shouldn’t I be able to love anyone I want?”

Enter Christopher Yuan. If meaning and purpose were the apex of the homosexual lifestyle, he would have found it. For years he gave himself over to the pursuit of the perfect man to complete his dream of homosexual fulfillment. Instead, he found only one man who loved him completely and who could reach into his AIDS-ravaged life and reclaim the years the locusts had eaten. His name? Jesus.

Join us as we hear Christopher’s video testimony and discuss how the mercy of Christ reaches into our world today, especially in the realm of identity, redeemed sexuality, Godly singleness, and purpose.

We’ll be meeting at the home of Cindy, who, along with Tyler and Hannah, coleads Afikomag, our local Summit community.

Come hungry! We’ll have dinner before things get rolling! Questions? Call or text Hannah at (765) 438-1228 or email info@afikomag.com!

For a few examples of Christopher’s refreshing perspective on thorny issues of our day, check out the following:

christopheryuan.com

Leaving Behind a Double Life

A Response to the Supreme Court

Out of a Far Country, Christopher’s autobiography

Pursued by a Holy God | Dinner & Discussion

“Sanctification is not getting rid of our temptations, but pursuing holiness in the midst of them.” — Christopher Yuan

Sunday, October 23, 2016 | 5PM | 5236 E. 72nd St., Indianapolis

What would it look like if God’s people held out clear answers to the questions that stymie our society today—questions like, “What if my son is biologically male but psychologically female?” “What if God made me this way?” and “Shouldn’t I be able to love anyone I want?”

Enter Christopher Yuan. If meaning and purpose were the apex of the homosexual lifestyle, he would have found it. For years he gave himself over to the pursuit of the perfect man to complete his dream of homosexual fulfillment. Instead, he found only one man who loved him completely and who could reach into his AIDS-ravaged life and reclaim the years the locusts had eaten. His name? Jesus.

Join us as we hear Christopher’s video testimony and discuss how the mercy of Christ reaches into our world today, especially in the realm of identity, redeemed sexuality, Godly singleness, and purpose.

We’ll be meeting at the home of Cindy, who, along with Tyler and Hannah, coleads Afikomag, our local Summit community.

Come hungry! We’ll have dinner before things get rolling! Questions? Call or text Hannah at (765) 438-1228 or email info@afikomag.com!

For a few examples of Christopher’s refreshing perspective on thorny issues of our day, check out the following:

christopheryuan.com

Leaving Behind a Double Life

A Response to the Supreme Court

Out of a Far Country, Christopher’s autobiography

LifeFest 2016

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” — Jesus

God created life, and He gave us countless ways of enjoying it! Join us for some fun in the Son!

• Worship with music
• Watch the film “Faith Like Potatoes
• Play volleyball
• BYOBook and come ready to share some of it
• Bring a talent to share (the sky’s the limit!)
• Brainstorm ideas for the future!

Meat will be provided. Please bring a side to share!

Questions? Call or text 765.438.1228!

Discuss Faith, Politics, and Public Service with Michele Bachmann

Wednesday, March 9

Join us for the March Summit Forum, live from the set of the Summit Adult Conference, featuring former Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. Together we’ll discuss “Faith, Politics, & Public Service.”

If you have questions you’d like to ask (before or during the webinar), ask them on social media using ‪#‎SummitForum‬ or email them to alumni@summit.org.

Since the forum will be recorded, if you can’t watch it live, be sure to catch the recording on our website, summit.org/alumni!

Reserve your spot today!

Note: This event will take place at 4:30PM EST, which is 2:30PM MST.

Summit Forum with Michele Bachmann

​Join us for the March Summit Forum, live from the set of the Summit Adult Conference, featuring former Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. Together we’ll discuss “Faith, Politics, & Public Service.”

If you have questions you’d like to ask (before or during the webinar), ask them on social media using ‪#‎SummitForum‬ or email them to alumni@summit.org.

Since the forum will be recorded, if you can’t watch it live, be sure to catch the recording on our website, summit.org/alumni!

Reserve your spot today!

Note: This event will take place at 4:30PM EST, which is 2:30PM MST.

The Crux | February 16, 2016

“Why is God landing in this enemy-occupied world in disguise and starting a sort of secret society to undermine the devil? Why is He not landing in force, invading it? Is it that He is not strong enough? Well, Christians think He is going to land in force; we do not know when. But we can guess why He is delaying. He wants to give us the chance of joining His side freely.” – C.S. Lewis, The Case for Christianity

It’s easy to criticize God for His way of doing things, until we try to improve them! Take the end of the world for instance. Why is God leaving us here so long? Why not end it all and take us up to Heaven?

One reason is that the moment Jesus returns is the moment when the window of choice for all humanity closes. I know that for those around me who don’t know Christ, I want that window to remain open as long as possible. As much as I want the Lord to return, I also want my brother, my sister, my unsaved friends, and each person who doesn’t yet know Him to learn His ways and surrender their lives to Him!

So there it is: we are to live and act in a way that we are ready for Jesus to return at any moment, and yet be patient if that doesn’t happen during our time on earth! In the meantime, we have the opportunity to creatively share God’s mercy and love with our lost and dying world.

So we work… and worship!

THIS WEEK

Tuesday, February 16 • 6:30PM | Tuesday Night Online Small Group – We meet weekly on Tuesday nights at 6:30PM. If you’re in the Kokomo area, feel free to swing by Criterion Water Labs (329 E. Firmin St., Kokomo). Otherwise, tune in online at https://zoom.us/j/7115556611 We’ll be studying the book of Romans, and discussing the news of the day! (You will need a free Zoom account; you can sign up for one at zoom.us) See more on Afikomag & Facebook!

Wednesday, February 17 • 4PM EST | Dr. Jeff Myers Webcast – Starting something? Tune into Dr. Jeff Myers’ free webcast on leadership. Reserve your spot today!

Thursday, February 18 | “Risen” Movie (and Dinner!) – In each and every generation, God’s word rings true: “[T]hose who seek me find me.” Join us as we watch the film Risen, which traces the fictional history of a Roman soldier intent on disproving the disciples’ claim that Jesus was raised from the dead. It is rated PG-13 for Biblical violence, including some disturbing images. You may recognize the main actor, Joseph Fiennes, from his role as Martin Luther in the film Luther!

Learn more about the film on The Blaze as well as on Facebook and Twitter!

SCHEDULE
5:30PM – Meet for dinner at Criterion Water Labs (329 E. Firmin St., Kokomo); bring a dish to share!
7:00PM – Meet at the AMC Showplace Kokomo 12 (1530 E. Blvd., Kokomo) to watch Risen

Check it out on the events page & on Facebook!

UPCOMING

Thursday–Saturday, March 31–April 2 • $50-65 | Midwest Great Homeschool Convention | Duke Energy Convention Center, Cincinnati, OH – The Great Homeschool Convention is a fantastic weekend for believers of all ages. This year’s midwest conference starts March 31st in Cincinnati and will feature stellar speakers like John Stonestreet and a massive exhibit hall where ministries like Wycliffe Bible Translators will gather. Thinking about going? Dr. Jay Wile is offering a special discount that expires at midnight on Wednesday, February 17th! Read more about the Great Homeschool Convention on their website!

Saturday, April 16 • 9AM-5PM • $25 | ReMix | Indian Creek Christian Church, 6430 S. Franklin Rd., Indianapolis – ReMix is a collaborative gathering for anyone and everyone involved in creating the worship experience in your local church. Senior ministers, worship arts staff and volunteers, tech folks, band members, vocal worship leaders, choir members, and other creatives are invited to join us. We long to see worship thriving in the local church and this conference is where that can begin. Come join us for a high quality, low-cost, one-day, intensive team experience and see how your worship ministry can flourish! For more information, visit the conference website. Lunch is included in the registration cost. Reserve your spot today!

Thursday, April 21 • 6:30-9PM • $60 | David Limbaugh in Indy | JW Marriott Downtown Indy • 10 S. West St., Indianapolis
Join David Limbaugh in person at the annual Celebration of Life Banquet. This banquet is hosted by Life Centers (Indianapolis’ faith-based pregnancy resource centers) and will include dinner, ministry updates, client testimonies, as well as the keynote speaker David Limbaugh. Pete Heck will once again be the emcee and Tom Shevlot, Executive Director of Life Centers, will give his annual update on the ministry and share some exciting news about the future of Life Centers. See more on Afikomag & Facebook!

Thursday, April 21 | Christian Medical & Dental Association (CMDA) National Convention | Ridgecrest, NC – This convention provides great opportunities for healthcare professionals to “Transform Our Culture” by fellowshipping with other professionals, learning about current health and social issues, renewing their faith through worship, and networking with exhibiting organizations. See their website for more information!

Thursday–Saturday, April 21-23 • 9AM-5PM | Be in Health | Kalahari Resort, 7000 Kalahari Dr., Sandusky, Ohio – Be in Health is a ministry that helps people renew their minds by overcoming accusation, bitterness, rejection, and other entrenched attitudes. For more information, check out their website!

Friday & Saturday, April 22-23 | Blush | Oakbrook Church, Kokomo – Face it…who doesn’t enjoy receiving a great gift, especially one that’s beautifully wrapped! Have you ever considered that God’s love for you is that perfect gift? BLUSHand Ashley Hicks share a passion to encourage, empower and educate young girls in understanding what a precious gift they truly are!  Because of God’s love for us, He desires us to seek purity in all areas of our lives and to understand that purity is a lifestyle.  The way we communicate, the way we dress, and the way we relate to others is a reflection of our heart. Join us for THE GIFT as we unwrap age-appropriate, practical teachings and tools girls need for living out a life of purity and experiencing God’s gift of love. The evening will also include a fun fashion show, high energy music, sweet treats, and more. Interested in volunteering? See more on their website and on Facebook!

Thursday–Sunday, June 2-5 | Colloquium on C.S. Lewis & Friends | Taylor University, Upland, IN – This colloquium will feature keynote addresses by top scholars from both sides of the Atlantic, workshops, panel, performances, and, most importantly, original scholarship and creative work from scholars, teachers, students, fans, and friends. Paper proposals on any topic related to C.S. Lewis and/or his friends are also welcomed, as well as creative work–poetry, fiction, essay, drama, film, visual art, musical composition, etc.–that responds to or is influenced by the Lewis Circle. Read more!

CHECK IT OUT

The “If You Prove God, Then I’ll Believe Him” Nonsense – Indiana native Peter Heck takes on a common objection to faith in God

Prolife Doritos Ultrasound Commercial – If God can use a chip commercial, He can use anything!

The Secret is Contentment – Financial guru Dave Ramsey shares what he’s learned after a few decades of financial coaching!

Believers Should Not Forget These Words – We grieve, but not as the world does. We know that God will raise up His children on the last day. In the meantime, here’s a tiny smidgen of Justice Antonin Scalia’s immense Christian legacy

Purdue Professor who Allegedly Targeted Pro-Life Women Resigns – Gideon’s army is alive and well, because the God of Gideon is alive and well!

Would a Good God Send Anyone to Hell? – Minister and author Dr. Robert Jeffress talks with Dr. James Dobson about God’s character

If You Want to Lead, You Have to Read – Books are life preservers; read one today!

Does God Care about Our Emotions? – You better believe it! Even better, He can transform them!

GET INVOLVED

Calling All Favs – Got a favorite book or movie you’d recommend to others in Afikomag! Send it to info@afikomag.com with a blurb explaining what you like about it!

“Like” Summit on Facebook! – The Summit Alumni Network has 2,125 members and is going strong! Jump into the discussion online!

Submit an Event – Know about an event you’d like to invite others to? Send it our way!

The Crux | January 24, 2016

“He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14)

Have you ever played Capture the Flag? It’s one of the most fantastic games I’ve ever played. There’s a multitude of variations, but the concept is the same for all of them: there’s two teams, and the first team to steal the other team’s flag and take it to their home base wins.

It sounds so simple, but that’s why it’s so fun. Because the rules are so simple, there’s endless variations. One of the rules is that if you cross into enemy territory, anyone from the opposing team can tag you and escort you to jail. The only way you can escape from jail is if someone from your team has mercy on you, grabs your hand, and runs with you across the boundary line without the opposing team catching you. Talk about an adrenaline rush!

After playing this for umpteen years, I made an interesting discovery. Some teams got so hopped up on the action that they forgot about their POWs. This really stank if you were a POW. You’d see your teammates rushing past you in the thick of the action and you were stuck there, mired in the POW camp.

Sometimes a team that got wise to this would focus their strategy primarily on making the other team into POWs. If the fastest players on one team were so excited about grabbing the flag and winning victory that they didn’t notice what was happening to their teammates, they might all the sudden look around and notice that their team had thinned to almost nothing.

Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever been giving your heart and soul to a ministry, wondering when the reinforcements would arrive, only to realize that they were the people you took for granted were nowhere to be found?

It’s time to stage a jail break. We have brothers and sisters who are being taken captive by our enemy. We may have been busy with good things, even great things, but it’s time to take a look around and see how we can help others.

Before this becomes a sad treatise on the state of the church, let me remind you of this: there is no greater joy than in finding and freeing a POW. Even in that simple camp game, I remember the time when I was the POW. I’d watched my teammates running past me, intent on the action. I’d tried yelling to get their attention, but no one seemed to hear me. I’d pretty much given up hope. “They can do it without me,” I reasoned. Then, out of nowhere, someone grabbed my hand and hauled me down the field. I was back in my home territory before I could say a word. I went from a listless POW to being right back in the action because someone care enough to haul me out.

That hasn’t just happened in a simple camp game. It’s happened in my spiritual life. Family, friends, and even total strangers are certain key points of my life have cared enough to haul me out of spiritual POW camps.

How about you? Have you ever been a spiritual POW? Have you ever freed one? How can we as a Local Summit Community help one another in this?

I firmly believe that it is no accident that Summit is activating its alumni network “for such a time as this.” God has rescued us from the dominion of darkness, and through His power He’s helping us rescue others!

So let’s get at it! A HUGE thank you to each one who voted on the night that would work best to meet for our online small group! Based on the votes, we’ll be meeting on [drumroll, please!] Tuesdays!

Online Small Group Launch

Our online small group will meet Tuesdays at 6:30PM! To meetup this Tuesday (1/26), at 6:30PM, email info@afikomag.com for more information.

It’ll be a fun time hearing what everyone’s been up to, discussing a topic from a Biblical Christian perspective, praying, and making plans for the future! If you have any problems connecting, send me an email or call/text me!

Speaking of prayer, here’s a few things we can be praying about as a Local Summit Community:

  • How can we encourage one another?
  • What aspects of Summit can and should we bring here to Indiana?
  • How can we best reach our culture?

Other Upcoming Events

We R the CHRCH Night of Worship

Sunday, January 31st • 7:30-9PM
Indianapolis (exact location TBA)

We R the CHRCH is hosting an incredible evening where upwards of 80 people are slated gather to worship God through songs and testimonies. This is not like going to a concert where you watch others worship; this is like a house church where you can just pour your heart out to God through song and share what He’s been doing in your life! The location has not yet been announced; let me know if you’re interested in going and I can keep you posted on details as I hear about them! You can check out the Facebook event

Rock & Roadshow

Sunday, February 14th • 5:15PM
Bankers Life Fieldhouse • 125 S. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis, IN ($10 at the door; no tickets required)
Compassion International is sponsoring Rock & Roadshow, a night of worship with Newsboys, Jeremy Camp, Mandisa, and others! No tickets are required: admission is just $10 at the door. I’ve signed up to volunteer. If you’re interested in meeting up there, let me know!

Have other events you’d like to share? Email ’em to me! I’ll add them to our website and post ’em on Facebook

And More!

How’s Your Spiritual Life?

The beginning of a new year is a GREAT time to stop and take a spiritual inventory. This article has several questions to reflect on as we go into 2016!

Are You Second?

I am Second captures stories of how God is transforming real lives TODAY! You can search by topic, or by name. There’s a whole host of names you might recognize, such as Alex Kendrick, Mike Huckabee, or Brian Welch. But poignantly, there are also names we might never have known if those sharing their testimonies had not been willing to share how God reached into their lives and transformed them!

What ministries would you like other Summit alumni to know about? Let us know and we’ll feature them in upcoming newsletters!

The Spreadsheet You Love to Love

I’m sure you already know and love Summit’s Worldview Chart. But did you know it’s digital? It sure is! In this version, when you hover over any term in the chart, it’ll define it for you. You don’t even have to copy and paste it into a dictionary. Nifty, eh?

Write Off!

If you have a friend who differs with you on a topic, challenge them to a write off! You write about it and they’ll write about it. We can post both perspectives at afikomag.com and have others weigh in! You could write about a point of doctrine (e.g. infant baptism), or a key difference between worldviews (e.g. creation versus evolution). Who knows who you might reach!

Get Plugged In!

Whatever creativity looks like in your life, you can totally use it for God through Afikomag! This year, our goal is to syndicate 16 Christian authors. What does that mean? To use Afikomag as a platform for creative folks to reach other Christians. Maybe you write a blog or maybe you make videos for your church. Or maybe you have a friend who does! By syndicating with Afikomag, you can do what syndicated authors have done for years: broaden your impact by sharing your content in multiple arenas. Want more info? Let’s talk!

Here’s three other ways you can get involved:

  • Share articles with others in the Facebook group!
  • Let us know about events coming up!
  • Discuss questions that come up in your church or family. We’d love to weigh in!

Speaking of questions…

Question of the Week

What’s the hardest question you’ve ever been asked?

Defy Geography! Join an Online Small Group

We’ll be kicking off the new year with ReFrame, a short series Summit Ministries recommends for drilling down into what it means to be a Biblical Christian: “We’re trying to inculcate God’s story in you so deeply that when something happens, you just instinctively react with the character of God… You don’t have to think about it because it’s who you are!”

Since we come from quite a few different cities, we’ll be doing ReFrame as an online small group. Please answer the following information so we can pick a night that works best for you!