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Reminder of Upcoming LEADership Assemblies
Pastors, congregational leadership chairs, leadership teams and stewardship facilitators or treasurers in all congregations are encouraged to attend one of the following LEADership Assemblies:

Tuesday, April 21, 7 – 9 p.m. at Perkasie Mennonite Church
Monday, April 27, 7 – 9 p.m. at Nueva Vida Norristown New Life
Thursday, April 30, 7 – 9 p.m. at Spring Mount Mennonite Church
Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m. – noon at Steel City Mennonite Church
Date and location in Vermont to be announced

These gatherings will roll out details for LEAD (Leading, Equipping and Discipling), a new direction and platform for missional oversight. The meetings will focus on the LEAD oversight model and are not related to the Corinthian Plan (healthcare access for pastors).

Sharing Prayer Requests
Pastors are invited to submit a prayer request for your congregation to Sandy Landes, Prayer Coordinator. Your prayer request will be shared with congregations in Franconia Conference via our weekly bulletin announcements. Let’s pray for each other and encourage one another. Ephesians 4:16 says “Under Christ’s direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”

April Pastors’ and Leaders’ Breakfast
On Thursday, April 16 from 8 – 10 a.m. pastors and leaders can gather to learn about Practical Approaches to Engaging and Training Congregational Leaders. Franconia Conference’s School for Leadership Formation has invited pastoral and lay leaders from Souderton Mennonite Church and Church of the Overcomer (Trainer, PA) to present practical approaches that both congregations are using to call out and train leaders from among the pews. Ertell Whigham, Director of Congregational Resourcing and Equipping, will lead the morning’s conversation. The breakfast will be held at the Mennonite Conference Center in Souderton.  A $5 donation will be requested to help cover the cost of the meal.

Save the Date!
Mark the dates for Anabaptist Vision and Discipleship at Hesston College! This year’s series entitled Learning the Bible in Lifegiving Ways: History, Hooks, and Heilsgeschichte is scheduled for October 30 to November 1. Join Marion Bontrager, Michele Hershberger, and special guest Ted Swartz (Ted and Company!) as they teach, laugh, and lead participants through Biblical Literature (Bib. Lit.) as taught at Hesston College. Discover how the Bible’s stories are connected to each other, and how God has worked in history to “solve the sin problem.” Watch for more details to come!

April Pastors’ and Leaders’ Breakfast
On Thursday, April 16 from 8 – 10 a.m. pastors and leaders can gather to learn about Practical Approaches to Engaging and Training Congregational Leaders. Franconia Conference’s School for Leadership Formation has invited pastoral and lay leaders from Souderton Mennonite Church and Church of the Overcomer (Trainer, PA) to present practical approaches that both congregations are using to call out and train leaders from among the pews. Ertell Whigham, Director of Congregational Resourcing and Equipping, will lead the morning’s conversation. The breakfast will be held at the Mennonite Conference Center in Souderton. A $5 donation will be requested to help cover the cost of the meal.

Pastors, lay ministers and chaplains are invited to the Pastoral Care to Seniors Seminar at Dock Woods Community on Wednesday, April 22 from 8:00 – 11:45 a.m. in the Fisher Auditorium. Drs. Carol and G. Peter Schreck will speak on “Aging Well: Recognizing Losses and Opportunities On the Last Stage of Life’s Journey.” The Schrecks are both practicing therapists and teach at Palmer Theological Seminary. They bring a family systems perspective to the topic of senior ministry. The seminar is FREE to those who pre-register by April 17. For more information or to RSVP contact Chaplain Merlin Hedrick at Dock Woods Community at 215-368-4438.

Reminder of Upcoming LEADership Assemblies
Tuesday, April 21, 7 – 9 p.m. at Perkasie Mennonite Church
Monday, April 27, 7 – 9 p.m. at Nueva Vida Norristown New Life
Thursday, April 30, 7 – 9 p.m. at Spring Mount Mennonite Church
Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m. – noon at Steel City Mennonite Church
Date and location in Vermont to be announced

The upcoming spring gatherings will roll out details for LEAD (Leading, Equipping and Discipling), a new direction and platform for missional oversight. The gatherings are intended for pastors, congregational leadership chairs, leadership teams and stewardship facilitators or treasurers in all congregations. LEAD follows the Equipping posture for congregational leadership and aims to cultivate healthy and growing Anabaptist congregations.

Franconia Conference Leadership Assemblies this Spring

Tuesday, April 21, 7 – 9 p.m. at Perkasie Mennonite Church
Monday, April 27, 7 – 9 p.m. at Nueva Vida Norristown New Life
Thursday, April 30, 7 – 9 p.m. at Spring Mount Mennonite Church
Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m. – noon at Steel City Mennonite Church
Date and location in Vermont to be announced

The upcoming spring gatherings will roll out details for LEAD (Leading, Equipping and Discipling), a new direction and platform for missional oversight. The gatherings are intended for pastors, congregational leadership chairs, leadership teams and stewardship facilitators or treasurers in all congregations. LEAD follows the Equipping posture for congregational leadership and aims to cultivate healthy and growing Anabaptist congregations. Plan to attend one of the gatherings with the appropriate lay leaders from your congregation. Come to learn, ask questions and explore the possibilities as we together share God’s healing and hope for all of the world.

A Call to Prayer
Congregations, Partners in Mission, and Conference Related Ministries: We are part of a body and want to support each other in prayer. What would be your prayer request of one or two sentences for the upcoming year of 2009 to share with your brothers and sisters throughout the conference? Each week the prayer requests of one or two congregations, PIMs or CRMs will be shared with congregations through bulletin announcements. Please forward your requests to Sandy Landes, Franconia Conference prayer ministry coordinator. We look forward to how God will use our prayers to empower us to embrace God’s mission.

Franconia Conference announces Leadership Assemblies

Tuesday, April 21, 7 – 9 p.m. at Perkasie Mennonite Church
Monday, April 27, 7 – 9 p.m. at Nueva Vida Norristown New Life
Thursday, April 30, 7 – 9 p.m. at Spring Mount Mennonite Church
Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m. – noon (location in Lehigh Valley to be announced)
Date and location in Vermont to be announced

The upcoming spring gatherings will roll out details for LEAD (Leading, Equipping and Discipling), a new direction and platform for missional oversight. The gatherings are intended for pastors, congregational leadership chairs, leadership teams and stewardship facilitators or treasurers in all congregations. LEAD follows the Equipping posture for congregational leadership and aims to cultivate healthy and growing Anabaptist congregations. Come to learn, ask questions and explore the possibilities as we together share God’s healing and hope for all of the world.

March Pastors’ and Leaders’ Breakfast

Stuart Murray Williams, chair of Franconia Conference Partner in Mission The Anabaptist Network, will be presenting at the March Pastors’ and Leaders’ Breakfast on Thursday, March 19, from 8 – 10 a.m. at the Mennonite Conference Center in Souderton. Stuart has a PhD in Anabaptist hermeneutics and has written several books on church planting, urban mission, emerging church, the challenge of post-Christendom and the contribution of the Anabaptist tradition to contemporary missiology. A $5 donation will be requested to cover the cost of the meal.