MirrorIndy’s Grassroots Journalism

Betty Brandt • October 1, 2025

The Future of Local News Is Us

The Indianapolis Star and other legacy newspapers’ decision to cover fewer local government meetings and events has created a news vacuum in Indianapolis and other metropolitan areas. A number of online not-for-profit news organizations have stepped up to fill that void, and MirrorIndy (mirrorindy.org) is among them.

On Tuesday, September 30, 2025, a group of concerned citizens gathered to hear Ariana Beedie, MirrorIndy’s Community Journalism Director, share how the outlet seeks to provide “community-based journalism that informs and empowers Indianapolis residents to shape our city for the better.” MirrorIndy publishes daily news about government, education, health, neighborhoods, and arts and culture.

Ariana also leads MirrorIndy’s unique Documenters program, in which ordinary citizens with no journalism background receive training in note-taking and photographing government meetings. The goal is to capture what happens at local public meetings across all nine townships of Marion County and create a public record of each. Documenters learn new skills, gain an inside look at how decisions are made in local government, help hold elected officials accountable, and get paid for their work. Some reports are published, and all are fact-checked and archived as part of the city’s public record.

For example, if you want to know what happened at the Lawrence Township School Board meeting on September 29, 2025, MirrorIndy’s resources can help you find out. If you want to know how much money the city has budgeted for road maintenance, you can check the minutes of the September 25, 2025, Indianapolis Department of Public Works meeting. Documenters attended both meetings and filed reports. So far, 350 people have been trained as Documenters—and you can become one, too. To learn more and sign up for training, visit: https://indianapolis-in.documenters.org.

The September 30 gathering was sponsored by Shalom Zone, a coalition of progressive northside churches including The Garden, Metanoia UCC, Allisonville Christian, Cross and Crown Lutheran, First Friends Meeting, and St. Pius X.

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Many Stories. One Table.

By Rev. Dr. Carolyn Scanlan-Holmes • September 30, 2025

World Communion Sunday 2025

Important Announcements

By Rev. Dr. Carolyn Scanlan-Holmes • September 24, 2025

Dear Friends, Please read these two important announcements: First: We’re excited to share that The Garden has now officially moved into our new home at 7171 North Pennsylvania Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46240. This is a joyful new chapter for our community, and we’re so grateful for the ways you’ve helped us grow into it. If you give to The Garden through your bank, IRA, or BillPay service, please take a moment to update our new address with your financial institution so your gifts continue to reach us smoothly. Second: We hope you will be with us for our Annual All‑Church Meeting on Sunday, October 5, immediately following the 9 a.m. service at the church. As a United Methodist congregation, this is one of those “official business” gatherings we hold each year. It’s short and simple—we’ll share financial updates, answer questions, and take care of the necessary business of being a church family. Even in our untraditional way of doing things, this meeting is a reminder that we’re in this together—tending The Garden with love, transparency, and care. With gratitude and joy, Carolyn and The Garden Leadership Team P.S. Please reply to this email if you have any questions we can answer!

Write for the Farm Bill

September 24, 2025

Your Voice Matters

Bridging and Bonding

By Rev. Dr. Carolyn Scanlan-Holmes • September 24, 2025

Twenty‑five years ago, sociologist Robert Putnam released his groundbreaking book Bowling Alone, in which he shed light on a troubling cultural shift from a society knit together by shared experiences to one increasingly dominated by individualism. In the decades since, isolating walls have grown taller, separating neighbors, friends, and often families. This Sunday at The Garden, we invite you to step into an informative exploration of how our faith may help us dismantle those walls and return to the heart of community. Together, we can engage with the incredible power of unity and how it nurtures love, encourages us, and draws us closer to Divine Spirit and to each other. As you may know, we chose the name "Together to Gather" as a nod to the strength and beauty of gathering with intention, with purpose. People joining together maintain their individuality while simultaneously creating something new and stronger than the sum of its parts: community. Let's explore what it means to belong deeply within a chosen family like The Garden. We’ll celebrate the joy of living in harmony, not as isolated individuals, but as a vibrant, interwoven community of faith and our shared desire to bring more love to the world. Come ready to be inspired, challenged, and renewed. We'll hear a couple of scripture passages and stories, reflect, and consider why gathering matters. Don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your connections, embrace the beauty of fellowship, and step boldly into the life God calls us to live—together.