CELEBRATING 4 YEARS IN MINISTRY!
JUNE 2015 – JUNE 2019
MARIE MILLER REMEMBERS:
It was in April 2015 when God impressed on my heart that I was to begin a new ministry offering support for those who live with chronic illness. The call was clear, the vision was big, and the passion is still strong. Within days I contacted Pastor Jim Boher at Hope Community Church in Brownsburg, IN, and he was very supportive. I searched online and found restministries.com, a treasure trove of resources for chronic illness support. The founder, Lisa Copen, has Rheumatoid Arthritis, and established Rest Ministries in 1996, when she could find no Christian support group for chronic illness. Rest Ministries now has over 300 small-groups called HopeKeepers®.
- We purchased resource books from Rest Ministries.
- We set up our email address, hopekeepersindy@yahoo.com.
- We launched our website, hopekeepersindy.wordpress.com.
- We set up a public Facebook site, facebook.com/hopekeepersindy
- We set up a chronic illness Pinterest site: pinterest.com/hopekeepersindy/
- We set up a private group Facebook site for our small-group members.
- We visited two other chronic illness support group, so we could learn from them.
- On June 13, 2015, we held our First Meeting at the Brownsburg, IN, School District Building.
- On September 12, 2015, a sweet HKI member graciously agreed to host our meetings in her fully accessible home.
- On February 18, 2017, we added a second HKI chapter at The Reserve at Hamilton Trace, a senior community in Fishers, IN.
- We published a monthly newsletter “Words of Hope” for two years.
WHERE WE ARE NOW – NOTE FROM MARIE
Due to the nature of living with long-term Multiple Sclerosis, I am now in the Secondary Progressive Phase. I no longer have relapses and remissions. I am in a slow decline, with increasing loss of function. The most significant limitations are steadily worsening double vision, imbalance, and exhaustion. I never know from one day to the next if I will have enough energy to leave my recliner, or if pain and muscle spasms will keep from leaving my home for weeks at the time. This necessitates a change in the way we will do HopeKeepers®Indy ministry in the future.
- On January 17, 2019, after two years with precious senior community residents, we tearfully closed our HKI chapter at The Reserve at Hamilton Trace in Fishers.
- On June 8, 2019, we held our last on-site meeting at our HKI member’s home in Brownsburg. It was a bittersweet time with friends we have loved for four years.
- But HopeKeepers®Indy is not closing down our ministry! We are praising God, who has given us a fresh vision!
OUR MINISTRY VISION FOR THE FUTURE:
HopeKeepers®Indy Will Transition to an Online Ministry!
- Our vision is to have more interaction between HKI members locally, as well as outreach to a much wider community through the internet.
- We have set up a brand-new companion site for online Bible Studies, with topics relating to chronic illness: HOPE FOR THE HURTING.
- Our Bible Studies will be open to Chronic Illness Sufferers across the nation.
- Our HKI website and HKI Facebook pages will have cross-links to the Bible Study posts.
- We are researching the best way to do online conference meetings.
(More to come on that.)
OUR FIRST BIBLE STUDY WILL BEGIN ON JULY 15, 2019!
REGISTRATION WILL BEGIN JULY 1, 2019
For more information, click
NEW! BIBLE STUDIES
in the menu above.
or
To visit our companion site, click:
HOPE FOR THE HURTING
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YEARLY THEMES
2015-2019
2019
January 12 – June 8
Lessons from In Spite of My Illness by Robin Dix
January 12, 2019 – “Paradigm Shift: Can Pain Be Seen As a Gift?”
February 9, 2019 – “How Can We Actually Embrace Our New Normal?”
March 9, 2019 – “When It’s Okay to Say No”
April 13, 2019 – “What If I Can’t Go to Church?”
May 11, 2019 – “How Can I Educate Others About My Chronic Illness?”
June 8, 2019 – “Summer CRAFT Session”
July 15 –September 28
Online Bible Study SICK & TIRED by Kimberly Rae
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2018
January 13, 2018 – “Isolation in Chronic Illness”
February 10, 2018 – “When the ‘YOU’ You Know Seems to Disappear”
March 10, 2018 – “Life Hacks and Tips for Living With Chronic Illness”
April 14, 2018 – “Helping Yourself by Blessing Others”
May 12, 2017 – “The Struggles of Living With Chronic Illness”
June 9, 2018 – (Meeting Cancelled)
July 14, 2018 – “Are You a Silent Hero in the Battle of Pain?”
August 11, 2018 – “No-Sew Rice Bags Craft”
September 8, 2018 – “Chronic Illness Is Very Hard Work”
October 13, 2018 – (Meeting cancelled due to Marie’s foot stress fracture)
November 10, 2018 – (Meeting cancelled due to Marie’s foot stress fracture)
December 8, 2018 – “Cinnamon Stick Candle Craft”
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2017
Our discussion topics this year are from Kimberly Rae’s inspirational book
Why Doesn’t God Fix It?
January 14, 2017 – “Why Does God Let Bad Things Happen?”
February 11, 2017 – “Bribing God”
March 11, 2017 – “The Feelings of Our Infirmities”
April 8, 2017 – “Not Enough Faith?”
May 13, 2017 – “Why Didn’t Jesus Heal Everybody?”
June 10, 2017 – “The Annoying Voice Inside My Head”
July 8, 2017 – “God, I’ll Trust You If…”
August 12, 2017 – “Illness and Depression”
September 9, 2017 – “The If Onlys and What Ifs”
October 14, 2017 – “Hurting Alone”
November 11, 2017 – “When The Mountain Won’t Move”
December 9, 2017 – “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made”
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2016
In January 2016 we complete our Bible study lessons from Lisa Copen’s book
When Chronic Illness Enters Your Life.
Then in February 2016, we begin her book
Learning to Live With Chronic Illness.
Each month we will be discussing a chapter from our book and emphasizing positive ways to deal with our chronic illnesses and physical conditions.
January 9, 2016 – “My Friends Just Don’t Understand”
Study 5 Discussion – PERCEPTIONS OF CHRONIC ILLNESS
February 13, 2016 – “I Can’t Do It Alone”
Study 1 Discussion – ISOLATION IN CHRONIC ILLNESS
March 12, 2016 – “I Feel So Guilty”
Study 2 Discussion – EMOTIONS IN CHRONIC ILLNESS
April 9, 2016- “Everything Is So Out of Control!”
Study 3 Discussion – STRESS IN CHRONIC ILLNESS
May 14, 2106 – “My Body Image Is Hurting”
Study 4 Discussion – BODY IMAGE IN CHRONIC ILLNESS
June 11, 2106 – ‘”How Do I Cope With This Depression?”
Study 5 Discussion – DEPRESSION IN CHRONIC ILLNESS
For the remainder of 2016, our discussion topics will be based
on pamphlets written by Joni Eareckson Tada.
**SPECIAL GIFT**
In July-December, each person attending will receive
a beautiful 14 page laminated pamphlet written by Joni.
July 9, 2106 – “Making Sense of Suffering”
Discussion – WHY?
August 13, 2106 – “God’s Hand in Our Hardship”
Discussion – GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY
September 10, 2106 – “Where’s My Miracle?”
Discussion – UNANSWERED PRAYERS
October 8 , 2106 – “Aim in the Right Direction”
Discussion – ANGER
November 12, 2106 – “A Thankful Heart in a World of Hurt ”
Discussion – INGRATITUDE
December 10, 2106 – “Speaking God’s Language”
Discussion – PRAYER
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2015
In 2015 our Bible study lessons will be from Lisa Copen’s book
When Chronic Illness Enters Your Life.
June 13, 2105 – “Opening Session”
Let’s Get Acquainted! – POSITIVITY WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS
July 11, 2015 – “Where Is God When It Hurts?”
Study 1 Discussion – PRAISING IN CHRONIC ILLNESS
August 8, 2015 – “Lord, I Don’t Understand”
Study 2 Discussion – PURPOSE IN CHRONIC ILLNESS
September 12, 2015 – “The Exhaustion Is Taking Over”
Study 3 Discussion – PERSEVERING WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS
October 10, 2015 – “I Am So Scared About the Future”
Study 4 Discussion – POWER OVER FEAR IN CHRONIC ILLNESS
November 14, 2015 – “My Friends Just Don’t Understand”
Study 6 Discussion – PERCEPTIONS OF CHRONIC ILLNESS
December 12, 2015 – ‘Pitch-In Dinner & Gift Exchange”
Let’s Celebrate Together! – PITCH-IN, PRESENTS & PRAISES
HopeKeepers® Indy 