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VOLUME TWO

ISSUE THREE

JULY 1998

SUMMER READING: ADDITIONS TO YOUR LIST

     There�s a myth that the long hot days of summer are a time for easy living and light reading. We have asked some friends about their summer reading, and the titles they recommend sound anything but lightweight:

     Vicki Cummings of The Polis Center is reading Three Gospels by Reynolds Price, The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston, and she is listening to a tape of At Play in the Fields of the Lord by Peter Mattheissen. These three authors will be in Indianapolis November 13-15 to participate in the Spirit and Place civic festival sponsored by The Polis Center and other metro institutions. You�ll hear more about the event this fall.

     Local clergy are taking to the books this summer. The Rev. Frank Alexander, pastor of Oasis of Hope Baptist Church on East 25th Street, is reading Steven and David Olford�s Annointed Expository Preaching. He has also picked up an older book by Henry T. Blackaby, Experiencing God.

     The Rev. Anthony Andrus of St. Christopher�s church in Carmel is going through Robert Capon�s trilogy, Parables of Grace, Parables of Judgment, and Parables of the Kingdom. He is also reading Arthur Herzberg�s Jews.

     The Rev. Jennifer Charles of the Brookside Methodist Church on the near Eastside is reading What Happens When We Pray for our Families by Evelyn Christianson, and the two volumes of The Mitford Years by Jan Kanon, a saga of an Episcopal family in the Carolinas.

     This summer is a good time to view Religion as a Window on Culture, the six-part video series produced by The Polis Center. The series, shot almost entirely in Indianapolis, examines themes common to all religions: sacred space, sacred time, sacred memory, and sacred journey. You can check out the videos at the Christian Theological Seminary�s Resource Center. You can buy the series on six VHS cassettes from The Polis Center for $79.95. Call 274-2455.

     If you want to learn about the fast-growing Calvary Chapel and Vineyard congregations, pick up Donald Miller�s Reinventing American Protestantism. Miller, who teaches at the University of Southern California, spent three years taking part in congregational life, interviewing members, and taking surveys. He calls the congregations he studied "new paradigm" churches, and believes they will influence the future of American

     Protestantism. Miller also served as an evaluator for The Polis Center�s Project on Religion and Urban Culture.

LOTS HAPPENING THIS SUMMER FOR KIDS

     Summer is also a time when pastors and parents are looking for ways to enrich leisure time for kids. Here are some places where you can get information:

     Stephanie Lowe at the Boner Center on the near Eastside (633-8230) has produced "Summer Street Sheet," an attractive eleven-page catalogue of youth recreation, learning, and employment possibilities. The brochure has listings for the whole city, not just the east side.

     Youth leaders who want to organize youth programs in neighborhoods can get help by calling Richard Gordon at the Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center (920-0330).

     The Marion County Commission on Youth (MCCOY) has printed a Youth Activity Directory for this summer. The book includes listings for camps (from sports to art to dance), classes (ceramics, computer, foreign languages, photography, soccer), and recreational activities in neighborhoods and parks. The book lists addresses, phone numbers, and fees, if any. Get your copy by calling MCCOY at 921-1288, or go to their office at 3901 N. Meridian (the United Way Building).

THIRTY-FOUR FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVE GRANTS

     The mayor�s office, through the Front Porch Alliance, made 48 grants totaling $100,000 for summer youth programs. Thirty-four of the successful applicants were faith-based organizations. For instance, the Interfaith Hospitality Network will use its grant of $1,850 to send boys and girls 5-12 to summer camp at the Fall Creek YWCA, according to Portia Radford, program director for the Network.

     Campbell Chapel on West Vermont received a $2,500 grant which they are using to buy supplies, furnish transportation, and help with a salary for their day camp program. They serve children living in public housing with a six-week session, according to Steve Bonds, director of youth and family services.