Notes to Pastors

To the Franconia Conference Community
March 5, 2010
We wish to continue communicating regarding the planned process that is underway and the additional face-to-face meetings that are forthcoming.

After the March 8 and March 9 meeting for all Credentialed leaders of Franconia Conference, additional meetings will be planned for all Franconia Conference Delegates, Conference Related Ministry leaders, and open meetings for interested persons as discerned. We will be in dialogue with leaders and ministries who are at much greater geographical distance from the Conference Center in Harleysville regarding face-to-face meetings.

We again extend heart felt thanks to everyone who has and continues to express deep care, concern and to be in prayer for all involved. Peace.

Franconia Conference Board

Franconia Conference Board
March 3, 2010
The Conference Board is deeply saddened with the confusion that has been created in parts of the Franconia Conference Community and beyond. We take responsibility for not communicating quickly enough and with clarity.

• The news has gone out that Franconia Conference Board has made a decision to dismiss all the staff.
• The reality is that the staff has been informed that in the coming year the direction the Board is calling for requires a mid-course correction, to come into a greater alignment of fulfilling our mission to Equip Leaders to Empower Others to Embrace God’s Mission.
• A smaller Conference staff to include LEADership Ministers, will continue, but will be narrowly focused on equipping congregations to becoming missional.
• We lament the deep pain and suffering that this decision has caused staff and others by not including the staff directly in the decision-making process.
• We will work towards a healthy ending process and seek to build upon the hard work and creativity by which the staff has carried out their work to date.

The Conference Board will be facilitating public meetings to engage in further dialogue regarding all that has transpired. The following times and dates have been set as follows:

• Monday, March 8, 2010 from 7-9 pm at Towamencin Mennonite Church for all Credentialed Leaders of Franconia Mennonite Conference;

• A second meeting will happen on Tuesday, March 9, 2010 from 9-11 am at the Mennonite Conference Center.

Summer Classes

Eastern Mennonite Seminary aims to provide resources to pastors and leaders. Several classes being offered this summer that might be useful or of interest to you. Those classes are as follows:

Distance Learning Course – Money, Ministry and Me
Professor Beryl Jantzi
May 3 – June 26
This course involves an exploration of stewardship education resources alongside an exploration of financial tools and services needed in today’s world. It is designed to serve the needs of pastors and other church leaders in the congregation.

Summer Institute for Spiritual Formation
June 14 – 25
This two-week institute offers courses in spiritual formation, and spiritual disciplines and their application in individual and congregational life.

Cross-Cultual to the United Kingdom
Struggle and Hope in Post-Christendom
Instructors: Steve Kriss and Stuart Murray Williams
May 1 Orientation, May 16 – 24 Travel, June 25 – 26 Debriefing
This course is designed to offer a reflective and engaging pace in the post- Christendom context in the UK while attempting to investigate the difference and similarity of North American context.
For more information visit www.emu.edu/seminary/courses/summer_institute/

3/4/10

Haitian Medical Evacuees Update
Thank you to those who responded with interest and open hearts to assist Haitian medical evacuees and their escorts. At this point Pennsylvania is no longer on call to receive medical evacuees. The majority of medically needy persons were evacuated to Florida. There are still persons affected by the earthquake who are arriving in our community. You are encouraged to keep your ears open to the local Haitian community who may still be impacted with persons leaving Haiti. Thank you for you willingness to share Christ’s love in this way.

SPECIAL NOTICE: Due to inclement weather, Building Ministry Alliances That Benefit Each Other, scheduled for February 11 at Frederick Mennonite Community, will be re-scheduled. Thank you for your interest in this resource. We will be in touch with the new date and time.

The registration deadline for the Conrad Kanagy luncheon at Biblical Seminary in Hatfield has been extended to Thursday, February 11.

Conference Board Communications Update
January 25, 2010

The Conference Board met in retreat and addressed the following agenda items:

Dwelling in the Word – Seeking to continue the practice of gathering around the word, the Board proposed various scripture for consideration as the text to dwell with for 2010.

Envisioning 2010 – The board talked about the changing context we are living in. Questions that we wrestled with included how to tend to leaders and churches along the 113 corridor in ways that empower a missional vision. As part of this envisioning, the board engaged with staff to hear more details of the ministries, challenges and fruit that is occurring.

Financial budget – With the changing economy, significant cuts had to be made to the budget. 2010 will be a year of ongoing discernment and potentially significant changes in the way the conference is organized and configured. The board wishes to extend deep gratitude to all the congregations, individuals, related ministries and partners who gave generously not only of their finances, but their time, energy and talents as well. Thank you. The board approved a budget for FYE January 2011.

Other items:
• The board tabled for another time the agenda item: Clarifying Living Hope Farm and Conference Board Involvement.

Finally, the Board wishes to communicate the following statement:

As anxiety and discussion continues to stir both in the Mennonite media and locally, we as a conference board thought it may be helpful to communicate the following statement. While it is not an ongoing practice to communicate in this way, the board offers the following:

• We affirm our commitment to the Mennonite Confession of Faith as well as the statements on sexuality.
• We will continue to follow the polity of Mennonite Church USA for credentialing persons for ministry.
• The results of the November 19, 2009 pastors and leaders breakfast regarding the Resolution to Follow Christ growing out of Columbus 2009, was that the majority of pastors and leaders in Franconia Conference are supportive of our current Confession of Faith.
• We are waiting for further resources from Mennonite Church USA and call upon all to wait until further resources are made available to healthily address ongoing conversations and processes.
• We encourage all to be humble and focus attention on following Jesus.
• We pray our churches, Conference Related Ministries, and Partners in Missions will stay focused on the missional journey of inviting others to follow Jesus.
• We have communicated this vision with staff and expect them to be aligned with it.

The above was discussed and passed at the board meeting on January 25, 2010.

Blaine Detwiler
Moderator

Noel Santiago
Executive Minister

Pastors’ and Leaders’ Breakfast

“Pastoral Care for People with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder” will be the topic of the next Pastors’ and Leaders’ Breakfast on Friday, February 12, 8 – 10 a.m., at the Mennonite Conference Center. Special guest speaker, Carolyn Heggen will lead in a conversation on examining some of the common spiritual issues and core questions for victims of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Carolyn, a psychotherapist specializing in trauma recovery, is an international trauma consultant and trainer. She is affiliated with the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University as director of the Healing the Wounds of War project and authored the book Sexual Abuse in Christian and Home and Churches. A $5 donation will be requested to cover the cost of the meal.

Luncheon with Dr. Conrad Kanagy

Biblical Seminary and Franconia Mennonite Conference’s School for Leadership Formation invite area Mennonite pastors to join Dr. Conrad Kanagy for lunch and conversation, Wednesday, February 17, 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. at Biblical Seminary, Hatfield. Dr. Kanagy is a professor at Elizabethtown College and author of Road Signs for the Journey: A Profile of Mennonite Church USA. Dr. Kanagy will be leading a course through Biblical Seminary, February 15 – 18, entitled Entering the Missional Conversation.

Urgent Message to Pastors:

Pastors, if you know of people in your congregation who might be open to the following opportunity, please forward the information to them as soon as possible. If possible, it would also be appreciated if you could share this information with your congregation as a verbal or bulletin announcement, as appropriate in your context. Thank you!
Gay Brunt Miller, Franconia Conference Partner in Mission coordinator for Haiti.

Franconia Mennonite Conference has been contacted by Janet Panning (Plains Mennonite Church) who works for Lutheran Children and Family Service. They were contacted by the state refugee coordinator with a request for emergency housing for Haitian medical refugees.

Haitian trauma victims and their escorts will be coming to PA, about 50 per
day. Of the 50, half will be trauma victims and go directly to the
hospital. Half will be escorts who will need housing and resettlement services.

Victims will be of all ages. Some will be coming in under temporary tourist
visas and others will be coming in under humanitarian parole (which means that they are eligible for refugee benefits).

We have very few details but are trying assess interest in helping to provide emergency housing and food for escorts. It is possible that people could begin arriving as early as next week. Those wishing to assist should expect to offer this hospitality for a time period of 90 days (although this number could vary widely either way).

There are many questions to be answered. Indicating your interest does not
obligate you in any way. If you do have an interest in housing Haitian
trauma victim’s escorts, please email your name, contact information
(email and phone), and physical address to Julia Menzo, Lutheran Disaster Response Coordinator, Liberty Lutheran Services, jmenzo@libertylutheran.org,
215-430-1299 (cell). If you would like more information, feel free to contact Janet Panning at 215-747-7500, Ext. 209.

1/28/10

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) URGENT NEED!

In addition to donations of money, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is asking the public to supply 20,000 relief kits, 10,000 heavy comforters and 10,000 sheets to be sent to Haitian earthquake survivors.

The supplies will help relieve the discomfort and suffering of Haitians who are sleeping on streets and open areas because their homes are destroyed or because they don’t trust the safety of the buildings that remain.

Relief kits include personal hygiene supplies, laundry soap, towels and bandages. MCC asks for complete kits with only the specific items on the list of relief kit supplies. Please see the list of relief kit supplies below or visit mcc.org/kits. Relief kits can be packed in a box or bag. MCC will then repackage the kits in new, five-gallon buckets.

Heavy comforters and sheets are also needed. Comforters must be new and filled with quilt batting or a blanket for extra warmth. Twin-size comforters are preferred, but double/full-size comforters are accepted. New, cotton, light-colored queen or king size sheets, with at least a 300-thread count, may be donated.

Donations of relief kits, comforters and sheets may be taken to MCC Material Resource Center, Harleysville or any other MCC Material Resource Center, by Sunday, February 28.

MCC is grateful for the generous financial gifts that people have given to MCC for the people of Haiti; starting just hours after the 7.0 earthquake devastated the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. MCC is airlifting 70,000 pounds of canned meat and 1,000 water filters into Haiti as soon as possible. Another shipment of at least the same amount of meat will be sent by sea. MCC is also purchasing thousands of tents and tarps.

Monetary contributions to MCC’s response in Haiti are welcome. They should be designated “Haiti Earthquake”. Donations can be made online at www.mcc.org or by telephone, 1-888-563-4676. By mail, donations may be sent to MCC, P.O. Box 500, Akron, PA 17501.

Relief kits
•4 large bars bath soap (leave in wrapping)
•1 plastic bottle shampoo (13 – 24oz; place bottle in a re-sealable plastic bag)
•4 large bars of laundry soap (Fels Naptha, Sunlight or Zote brands)
•1 squeeze-tube toothpaste (minimum 130ml / 6oz; leave in box)
•4 adult-size toothbrushes (leave in packaging)
•4 new bath towels (medium weight, dark or bright colors)
•2 wide-tooth combs (6” to 8” length)
•1 fingernail clipper
•1 box adhesive bandages (minimum 40, assorted)
•1 package sanitary pads (18-24 thin maxi)
Place contents in a box or bag and deliver to one of the drop-off locations in Canada or the U.S. MCC will repack the kits in a new 5-gallon plastic pail with lid.

Comforter specifications
•Use new or nearly new material
•Single/twin-size preferred (60in x 80in). Double/full-size accepted (82in x 90in)
•Winter weight requested (containing quilt batting or a blanket for filler)
•Knotted with crochet cotton (not more than 4” – 8”apart)

Sheet details
•New, double-, queen- or king-size, flat sheets
•300 thread count or higher
•Cotton
•Light colors

Please visit www.mcc.org/kits/dropofflocations to find the MCC drop-off location nearest you.

Transformation 2010
Pastors, prayer leaders, prayer teams and interested persons: You are invited to participate in Transformation 2010, an experience of prayer, fasting, meditation and worship during the upcoming Lenten season, February 17 – April 3, to unite the church in the region. We will seek God for transformation in our homes, churches, communities, nation and world. Joining together with believers from many denominations, you are invited to participate in several ways:
•Reading and meditating on scriptures and daily email devotionals written by pastors and prayer leaders from churches in the region
•Choosing a way to fast during this time in order to foster a growing intimacy with God
•Setting aside time to pray for transformation
•Attending regional prayer and worship events
If you and/or your congregation are interested in participating by receiving the daily emails, receiving a bulletin insert, and other information about regional events, please contact Sandy Landes, Prayer Ministry Coordinator, by Wednesday, January 20. Celebrate Lent in a new way this year by anticipating how God will bring forth transformation in our homes, churches, communities, nation and world.

Congregational Participation in Installation Service
Congregations of Mennonite Church USA are invited to participate in the installation service for Ervin Stutzman, the new executive director for Mennonite Church USA, by sending a prayer of hope for the worship service. The installation is set for March 7 at Park View Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, Va. The worship theme will be from John 15:1-5, where Jesus says to his disciples, “I am the vine, you are the branches.” Three elements of this image—roots, branches and fruit—represent God’s faithfulness in the past, present and future, both in Ervin’s life and in the church. Your congregation is invited to express its hopes and dreams for Mennonite Church USA in the form of a single prayer. Please write the prayer on a leaf (click here for sample) or make your own. Return the leaf by February 15 to Prayers, Park View Mennonite Church, 1600 College Ave. , Harrisonburg , VA 22802 . Your prayer, along with prayers from other Mennonite Church USA congregations, will be physically attached to a “vine and branches” constructed at the front of the sanctuary and, on behalf of the church, offered in prayer to God. We are praying that this will be a meaningful exercise for your congregation as it works to articulate a prayer for the future fruitfulness of Mennonite Church USA under Ervin Stutzman’s leadership. You may want to ask all of your congregation’s members to suggest what should be included; you may choose to ask your congregation’s leaders to create the prayer; or you and your pastoral team may choose to create the prayer. However you choose to capture your congregation’s hopes and dreams for the wider church, we ask for a single prayer from your congregation as a whole. If you wish, make your congregation’s leaf uniquely your own—decorating it, adding details that represent your congregation or even making a different leaf altogether. The congregations in Mennonite Church USA come in many shapes, sizes and color.