Notes to Pastors

October Pastors and Leaders Breakfast
Remember to RSVP for the upcoming Pastors and Leaders Breakfast on Thursday, October 16 from 8 – 10 a.m. at the Mennonite Conference Center. For more information on the breakfast entitled The Faith Walk of a Child: An Intentional Journey click here.  A $5 donation is appreciated towards this hot breakfast.

Opportunity to Support Haiti
The recent hurricane season has left the people of Haiti devastated. Tens of thousands have been left dead or homeless and without a way to provide for their families. In addition to support through prayer, churches who want to do more can collect money, non-perishable food, summer clothing, heath kits and school kits. The Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Material Resource Center of Harleysville has agreed to serve as a collection point for these items and will prepare them for shipment. Items should be marked for Grace Assembly Network and delivered to the MCC warehouse at 461C Indian Creek Road, Harleysville, PA.

Day of Renewal at the Brooklyn Tabernacle
Pastors, prayer leaders and students are invited to a day of renewal at the Brooklyn Tabernacle, NYC, on Tuesday, October 21. Speaking will be Pastor Jim Cymbala and Daniel Henderson of Strategic Renewal Ministries. The day will include morning and afternoon sessions, lunch and the evening prayer meeting at the Tabernacle. Dinner is on your own during a break in the late afternoon. The cost of the registration is $65 plus transportation costs and dinner. To register for this event and to learn more about the day of renewal, please check the website for Strategic Renewal International at www.strategicrenewal.com/brooklyn-tabernacle.aspx.

There will be a group traveling from this area, which will plan to leave by 6:30 am and will return home after the prayer meeting which is scheduled to end at 9 pm.

Partners in Mission available to speak
With the emphasis on Partners in Mission at Conference Assembly this year, a number of our partners would be available to speak in congregations on Sunday, November 7.

https://mosaicmennonites.org/2008/10/09/1856/

Peace and Justice Committee Conversation
The Peace and Justice Committee of the Franconia and Eastern District Conferences invites you to a conversation on “Keeping Faithful to the Biblical Vision and the ‘Politics of Jesus’ without being Politically Partisan.” This conversation will take place on Tuesday, October 7 from 9:30 – 10:45 a.m. at the Mennonite Conference Center. The Committee hopes that such a conversation among pastors and others interested will help all of us constructively navigate in the midst of competing, and at times conflicting, opinions and feelings in our nation, communities and congregations. James C. Longacre will moderate the conversation.

Learning Community Opportunity
The learning community called “Deepening the Spiritual Lives of Congregations and Leaders” will meet on Wednesday, October 8 from 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. at Nueva Vida New Life Plaza, 25 East Marshall Street, Norristown. This office building is located right next to the church, with a walled-in parking lot. Everyone is invited to come and learn how to “be” instead of just “do”. Bring members of your congregations. Below is the schedule for the morning:

8:30 a.m. Coffee and refreshments
8:45 a.m. 45 minutes of lectio divina or “Dwelling in the Word”
9:30 a.m. Barbara Shisler will talk about her journey into listening prayer.
10:00 a.m. End with some discussion of further plans and next steps for the learning community

October Prayer Gathering
You are invited to the October prayer gathering of Franconia Mennonite Conference at Rockhill Mennonite Community’s Activity Center on Saturday, October 25, 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. The focus will be the role of forgiveness in prayer and prayer ministry. Speaking will be Ray Yoder, who has a heart for seeing the healing power of God released through the church today—healing of mind, body and spirit. Come and be blessed through worshiping, learning, praying and fellowshipping together.

Volunteer with MDS
Mennonite Disaster Service invites pastors to get involved with MDS projects! Through a generous grant, MDS is offering travel cost reimbursement to constituent pastors volunteering at an MDS project site for a week or more. For more details call Lois at 866-261-1274.

October Pastors and Leaders Breakfast
All are invited to the October Pastors and Leaders Breakfast on Thursday, October 16 from 8 – 10 a.m. at the Mennonite Conference Center entitled The Faith Walk of a Child: An Intentional Journey. Several years ago, Franconia Conference began thinking about spiritual formation from the cradle to the grave. Recently, as part of a joint strategic plan, Quakertown Christian School, Penn View Christian School, and Christopher Dock Mennonite High School developed a spiritual framework called “Passing on the Faith: A Community Work.” Marlene Frankenfield, Sharon Fransen, and Mary Benner will share this framework with you, which asks, how do we as families, churches and schools work together to encourage and guide the faith formation of children and youth so they become radical followers of Christ Jesus?

Peace and Justice Committee Conversation
The Peace and Justice Committee of the Franconia and Eastern District Conferences invites you to a conversation on “Keeping Faithful to the Biblical Vision and the ‘Politics of Jesus’ without being Politically Partisan.” This conversation will take place on Tuesday, October 7 from 9:30 – 10:45 a.m. at the Mennonite Conference Center. The Committee hopes that such a conversation among pastors and others interested will help all of us constructively navigate in the midst of competing, and at times conflicting, opinions and feelings in our nation, communities and congregations. James C. Longacre will moderate the conversation.

Opportunity to support Haiti
The recent hurricane season has left the people of Haiti devastated. Tens of thousands have been left dead or homeless and without a way to provide for their families. According to Pastor Lesly Bertrand, of Grace Assembly Network, a Franconia Conference Partner in Mission, in the next few months his country “will be found in a misery without name” as the resulting poverty and symptoms of such devastation rise. In response to this tragedy Franconia Conference invites all conference congregations and ministries to designate World Communion Day, October 5, as a day of prayer and fasting for Haiti.

Save the Date!
The Annual Pastor/Chaplain and Spouse Breakfast is planned for Tuesday, December 2 from 8 – 10 a.m. This time of fellowship and blessing with Franconia, Eastern District, and Philadelphia Mennonite pastors/chaplains and their spouses will be held at Zion Mennonite Church in Souderton. Please place this among your holiday celebrations and watch for additional details.

Prayer Life Seminar
Pastors: Are there persons within your congregation who are struggling in their relationship with God and need encouragement? The Prayer Life Seminar being offered on Saturday, September 27, 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at Souderton Mennonite Church could be a helpful resource to offer them. Taught by Paul Miller, some of the topics covered will be learning to talk like a child with your Father in heaven, prayer as relationship and problems in prayer. The teaching is both practical and meaningful. You are encouraged to tap a few persons on the shoulder within your congregation and invite them to the seminar. The cost is only $29 and includes lunch and materials. To register or get more information visit www.seejesus.net or call 215-721-3113.

Integrity Worship Seminar
Hope Valley Community Church in Red Hill, PA and Finland Mennonite Church in Pennsburg, PA are coordinating efforts to host an Integrity Worship Seminar. Plan now to attend Integrity’s Worship Summit 2009 Live Simulcast on Saturday, March 7, 2009 from 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at Hope Valley Community Church. Bring your church’s worship team and receive teaching and training from top worship artists through Integrity Worship. Worship teams will gather together via satellite from across North America to learn from Paul Baloche, Lincoln Brewster, Brian Doerksen, Israel Houghton, Ross Parsley and more. This will be an opportunity you won’t want to miss! There is also a special concert opportunity featuring top worship artists on Friday, March 6 at 8 p.m. Additional information is coming soon at www.worshipsummit.com.

Attendee Ticket Prices
$49 Group Rate (10+ people)
$69 Early Bird – Register by February 2, 2009
$89 Regular – Register after February, 2, 2009
Ticket price includes free drinks, snacks and a free lunch. To register call 215-234-4045.
Space is limited! Make plans now to attend this encouraging time of worship and teaching.

9/18/08

Anabaptist History and Theology course offered
Anabaptist History and Theology: A Living Story is a Gateway course being offered by Eastern Mennonite University and area Mennonite Conferences. Mark Wenger and Karl Landis will teach the course meeting on two Friday and Saturdays, September 26 & 27 and November 21 & 22. The location is Frazer Mennonite Church, Frazer, PA. It can be taken for credit. This is a key course for those credentialed persons moving toward ordination, but all persons are welcome. Check www.emu.edu/lancaster/seminary/gateway or contact Franconia Conference for further details and registration and costs.

September Pastors’ Breakfast
A breakfast with the topic “Health Resources for Pastors” will be held at the Mennonite Conference Center on Thursday, September 18 from 8 a.m. to noon. This breakfast, led by persons from MMA, will provide pastors with resources on engaging the topic of health in congregational settings whether in church business meetings or preaching and teaching. Please register for the Pastor’s Breakfast by September 15 by contacting Jessica Walter at jwalter@mosaicmennonites.org. A $5 donation is appreciated toward this hot breakfast.

Pastors’ Day at Christopher Dock
Christopher Dock Mennonite High School invites all pastors and youth pastors to attend Pastors’ Day on Wednesday, September 24. Pastors may also feel free to pass on this invitation to senior high youth leaders who might like to join their youth group for lunch. Regina Shands Stoltzfus will be the Spiritual Life Emphasis speaker during that week at Christopher Dock. More information will be coming soon. Save the date!

Child Safety 101
Franconia Conference School for Leadership Formation presents Child Safety 101: Child Protection for Congregations on Thursdays, September 11 and 25 and October 9 and 23 from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Mennonite Conference Center, Souderton.
This is a practical workshop series for congregational Child Safety teams/committees that will provide space for the teams to create their action plans for child safety in their churches. Julie Prey-Harbaugh will serve as the instructor.