Notes to Pastors

Who I Am As A Leader
If you feel alone in trying to shift your church culture . . . from maintenance to mission . . . from committees to ministry teams . . . from spectators to active ministers . . . from an inward focus to an outward focus . . . from tradition-based to Spirit-based . . . from an organization to an organism . . . Then join ministry leaders from various Indian Valley area churches on Thursday, September 3, 12 – 1:30 p.m. at Hopewell Christian Fellowship, 601 Hunsicker Rd., Telford, for a conversation on Who I Am As A Leader. All members of church leadership teams are welcome to attend this fun and informative training that will help to develop life-changing ministry. No RSVP is needed.

Health care access conference calls
You are invited to join a one-hour conference call with Mennonite experts giving a Christian viewpoint of the United States health care access debate. The health care access conference calls will be held on Thursday, September 3 at 10 p.m. and Tuesday, September 8 at 8 p.m. There is space for 1000 attendees. All attendees will be on mute. The attendee dial-in number is 712-432-1001 and the access code is 477952371#. Attendees are responsible for any applicable long distance charges. The conference call costs nothing extra.

Participating speakers will be: Tammy Alexander, Legislative Associate for Domestic Affairs, MCC Washington Office; David E. Cockley, Associate Professor of Health Services Administration (James Madison University) and Adjunct Professor (Eastern Mennonite University); Keith Harder, who leads Mennonite Church USA efforts for a health care plan for congregational workers; Susan Mark Landis, Mennonite Church USA peace advocate and Tim Stoltzfus Jost, professor at the Washington and Lee University School of Law and primary author of the national health care resolution passed at the 2009 Mennonite Church USA Delegate Assembly.

Questions before September 1 and comments after the conference call may be directed to SusanML@MennoniteUSA.org.

Pastors invited to take FREE resources
The Resource Library at the Mennonite Conference Center has been closed due to general usage decline over the past several years. During the process of closing the library many resources were moved to Nueva Vida Norristown New Life, and you are welcome to call 484-322-0442 to inquire about borrowing items from their library. The small collection of resources that remain are available free to pastors and congregations. You are invited to use these books, videos, or choral music in your church libraries! Come to the Mennonite Conference Center on Monday, August 24 through Wednesday, August 26 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to pick up any resources you’d like. Please call 215-723-5513, ext. 110 with any questions. Thank you!

Reminder – RSVP to attend “A Day Apart” for Pastors
Pastors and credentialed leaders of Franconia Conference are reminded to RSVP for “A Day Apart” by Wednesday, September 2. “A Day Apart” will be held on Wednesday, September 9 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., at Camp Men-O-Lan as a way for pastors to come away and spend time with God in a beautiful, relaxed setting to be refreshed and restored. There will be opportunities for guided prayer, worship, being alone and being in a small group, as well as personal prayer ministry with a prayer team. Lunch will be provided. Send RSVPs to Sandy Landes.

Fall Workshop on Congregational Peace Building
Pastors are invited to the Peace and Justice Fall Gathering “Seeking Peace:
A Conversation to Encourage Congregational Justice and Peace Education and Action” on Saturday, October 10 from 8:30 a.m. – noon at Franconia Mennonite Church. The program will include reports about peace and justice work in local congregations and introduce new peace resources for preaching and teaching. For more information or to RSVP, email seekpeace@ppjr.org or visit efpjc.ppjr.org. Questions can also be directed to James C. Longacre at 610-845-7686 or Robert Walden at 610-861-0653.

“A Day Apart” for Pastors
Pastors and credentialed leaders of Franconia Conference: You are invited to “A Day Apart” planned just for you by Franconia Conference on Wednesday, September 9 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Camp Men-O-Lan. The purpose of the day is to provide a space and time for you to come away and spend time with God in a beautiful, relaxed setting to be refreshed and restored. There will be opportunities for guided prayer, worship, being alone and being in a small group, as well as personal prayer ministry with a prayer team. Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP by Wednesday, September 2 to Sandy Landes.

Healthcare Resolution Update
Mennonite Church USA has provided extensive information on the healthcare resolution passed at convention 2009.  Pastors and church leaders are encouraged by MC USA to help congregational participants connect their faith to the healthcare resolution passed at Mennonite Church USA Convention 2009 and the current health care issues in our country. Featured on the website are easy to access congregational handouts as well as printable copies of the Mennonite Church healthcare resolution. Pastors can gain practical sermon helps and suggested actions steps at www.MennoniteUSA.org/peace.

Footwashing Resource
The worship planning team at Swamp Mennonite Church in conjunction with Mennonite Media will be developing an informative, newcomer-friendly video on footwashing. Currently there is not a resource of this type available that explains the practice of footwashing in a meaningful way. Churches interested in partnering with Swamp in this endeavor may contact Emily Ralph, Minister of Music & Worship, at emily@swampmennonite.org.

Reminder to Update Mennodata Profiles
Pastors are reminded and encouraged to update their profiles on the Ministerial Leadership Registration System at www.mennodata.org. You can do this by visiting the website and entering your ID and password. Once logged in, go to “Personal Information”, where you can update contact information, continuing education, history of ministerial positions, etc. Please take time to assure that your ministerial positions are up to date. Any updates entered online will automatically be filled into your MLI for future use. If you are not sure of your ID and/or password, email DebR@MennoniteUSA.org, and that information will be mailed to you via the US Postal Service. You can also contact Melissa Landis at mlandis@mosaicmennonites.org with any questions.

Holy Land Study Tour
Glenn Witmer, director for MennoJersusalem Bible Land Tours, has set aside a time slot for a tour group to be formed from the Franconia and Eastern District Mennonite Churches, October 2010. This study tour is especially designed for pastors, teachers and leadership, but is open to all interested persons. Informational documents have been distributed in the church conference mailboxes located in the Franconia Mennonite Conference center. The informational packet includes detailed daily itineraries, biographical information on Glenn Witmer and endorsements from previous tour members. A letter containing important dates and people to contact if you are interested in participating is also part of the packet.

Spiritual Guidance Training Offered
For the first time, Kairos: School of Spiritual Formation is offering a one year spiritual guidance training seminar for pastors and congregational leaders in the Souderton, PA area. Classes will begin on Wednesday, September 9, at the home of Jim & Beth Styer, 104 Cowpath Road, Telford, PA. The purpose of this seminar is to provide a contemplative context for pastors and church leaders to grow spiritually and to enhance their ministry in the practice of spiritual formation. This seminar encourages personal, spiritual growth, introduces spiritual guidance as a ministry of the congregation, and prepares the leaders to promote a ministry of spiritual formation and spiritual guidance in their congregation. Classes will be held once a month for 9 months. For a brochure, syllabus, or more information call 717-669-2957.

Gateway Course offered in Fall 2009
Anabaptist Mission and Peace is the next Gateway course being offered by Eastern Mennonite Seminary in collaboration with Mennonite Conferences in southeastern Pennsylvania. David W. Shenk, writer, mission leader and educator, will lead the course, exploring redemption and reconciliation as the heart of Anabaptist Mennonite mission. This course will be offered for two semester hours of graduate credit. Dates for the course are October 30 – 31, and December 11 – 12 at Conestoga Mennonite Church in Morgantown, PA. For more information and registration, visit www.emu.edu/lancaster/seminary/gateway.

Conference Center Hours During Columbus
The Mennonite Conference Center will be open for reduced hours from June 29 – July 3 due to the Mennonite Church USA Convention in Columbus. Office hours will be as follows:
Monday, June 29 – Thursday, July 2 : Open 9 a.m. – noon
Friday, July 3 : CLOSED for the Fourth of July

Abundant Life: Economic Justice for All Campaign
Mennonite Central Committee invites congregations to participate in its Abundant Life: Economic Justice for All Campaign. The campaign is focused on four areas of U.S. policy. During this time of economic crisis, please consider taking one or more of the following Sundays to pray, reflect and act for economic justice for all.

July 19, 2009 – And Many Were Healed: Health Care for All
October 25, 2009 – Proclaim Jubilee: A New Beginning
January 31, 2010 – Secure Dwelling Places: A Home for Everyone
April 25, 2010 Let Justice Roll Down: Trade for the Common Good

For additional information visit washington.mcc.org/life or call 202-544-6564.