“A rooted Anabaptist congregation willing to do whatever it takes to connect with our neighbors, so they feel at home and grow in Jesus.”
Franconia
Delegates commit to waiting, hoping, discerning at Assembly
by Emily Ralph, associate director of communication “Waiting on God is expectant and hopeful,” declared Marta Castillo, Franconia Conference’s outgoing assistant moderator, at the opening of the United Franconia and […]
Franconia congregations partner to fight human trafficking
by Sheldon C. Good, for Franconia Conference As debate around human sexuality continues to leave many church leaders wondering what binds together people with diverse beliefs, at least four Franconia […]
Everence awards scholarships to three conference students
Three students from Franconia Conference were named recipients of Everence college scholarships for the 2014-2015 academic year. Everence, a financial, insurance and banking services organization rooted in faith and values, offers […]
Delegates discuss collaboration in time of anxiety
Franconia Conference delegates gathered February 8 at Franconia Mennonite Church, Telford, Pa., to brainstorm ways of building relationships and collaboration in ministry and mission as part of a two-year direction toward growth and discernment as a community.
After a time of worship and reflection, delegates prayed for their congregations, the conference and denomination, and institutions of the church that are in difficult processes of discernment recognizing the tensions across the denomination related to human sexuality. Conversation then turned to identifying areas for mutual support and engagement; sharing ways that the conference community can strengthen relationships to open possibilities for healthy conversation and collaboration.
Reflections from Impact: Holy Land conference
I tend to be fairly cautious about most Christian conferences. At the risk of sounding overly-skeptical, I’m not thoroughly convinced of the long-term benefit of such events, and wonder if they don’t play into a kind of consumerism within the Christian sub-culture of the West: lots of marketing, lots of money, lots of “celebrity Christians,” lots of glossy pamphlets and slick websites. They’re not all bad, of course, but I generally feel uncomfortable with many aspects of “the big conference machine.”
Ministerial report (September 2013)
A report from the September 4 meeting of the ministerial committee.
Successful Conference, Seminary partnership concludes
Theological educators believe headfirst immersion into unfamiliar cultural terrain is a requirement for preparing church leaders in the context of the twenty-first century. For students at Biblical Theological Seminary (Hatfield, Pa.), a lifelong commitment to intercultural ministry begins at the second year mark of their LEAD Master of Divinity Program.