Installation Service
The Bally Mennonite Church community, friends and family will celebrate the installation of Klaudia Smucker as pastor of the congregation Sunday, September 12. Smucker began her service August 1. Worship begins at 9:30 a.m., with pre-service music by the congregation’s worship team starting at 9:15. A reception time then a carry-in meal will follow. Preaching will be Firman Gingerich, lead pastor of the Blooming Glen Mennonite Church, a former colleague of Smucker. Ministers Noah Kolb and Jenifer Erickson Morales, congregational support staff from the Franconia Mennonite Conference, will formally confer conference credentials. A native of Morgantown, PA, Smucker served until mid-summer this year on the pastoral team at College Mennonite Church, Goshen, Indiana, specializing in pastoral care. Klaudia and her husband Bob reside in rural Fleetwood and have two young-adult daughters.
You are invited to a Hymn Sing Sunday, September 12, 6:00 p.m. at the historic Schwenkfelder Meetinghouse. Sponsored by the Mennonite Heritage Center, the hymn sing will be led by John Ruth, Hiram Hershey and others. Life Song #2 Hymnals will be provided. For information, contact the Mennonite Heritage Center, 215-256-3020, www.mhep.org or info@mhep.org.
Karen’s Place the coffee shop ministry of Doylestown Mennonite Church will reopen on Saturday, September 18, featuring the blues-rock band Obadiah. Karen’s Place will continue to donate a percentage of the proceeds to the New Britain Baptist Food Larder. Bring a canned fruit, vegetable, or soup {no baked beans or tomato soup please} for the Food Larder and you’ll get a free coffee or hot tea. Enjoy a great time of Christian fellowship, music, coffee, cappuccino, cold drinks and snacks all in a laid-back coffee shop setting. For information please call the church office at 215-345-6377 or visit www.karensplace.org.
The Spiritual Life Committee of Dock Woods Community invites you to a Hymn Sing on Sunday, September 19, 7:00 p.m. in the Chapel. Featured will be special music by a mens’ quartet. Ivan Derstine will be the song leader. Entrance to the Chapel is located on Woods Drive.
Workshop on Singing in Community. Two sessions will be offered Sunday, September 19 and Sunday, September 26, 7:00 p.m., at the Mennonite Heritage Center. Well-known song leader and pastor Michael Bishop will lead singing and provide insight into the foundations of congregational / community song. There will be lots of singing in a room with great acoustics. Come and bring friends! Ability to read music not required. Admission by donation. Visit www.mhep.org or call 215-256-3020 for more information.
Germantown Mennonite Church, Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust, and Rittenhousetown invite you to a Historic Mennonite Tour and Hymn Sing, Sunday, October 3. The day’s schedule will feature a tour beginning at 2:30 p.m., Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust. (suggested cost per person, $5). 3:45 p.m. meet at Rittenhousetown (cost per person, $5). 5:00 p.m. enjoy a light meal of soup and bread at the new home of Germantown Mennonite Church. A Hymn Sing at led by musicians from Germantown Mennonite Church, Perkasie Mennonite Church, Plains Mennonite Church, and others will begin at 6:00 p.m. You are welcome to attend some or all of these events. Please register by calling the church office 215-843-5599 or by emailing office@germantownmennonite.org.
Volunteer Opportunity
Child Care Opportunity: Ripple congregation is in need of volunteers to provide child care (craft, songs, games, Bible story) during their gatherings every Sunday afternoon from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. There are about 5 children ages 2 – 7. Sign up for once a month or for an entire month. Ripple is an urban ministry in Allentown ministering to many single moms and homeless folks. This volunteer opportunity could be viewed as your call to serve! For more details, visit www.meetup.com/ripple. Please contact Carolyn or Tom Albright, 610-433-2014, carolyna61@gmail.com if you are willing to help.
Webinars bring workshop content to you Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary announces a new emphasis on using webinars to make workshop resources more accessible. These events, scheduled about once a month, require only a reliable high speed internet connection and a land-line telephone.
The first webinars of the school year are:
Five approaches to preaching a biblical story
Ryan Ahlgrim, pastor of First Mennonite Church, Indianapolis, Ind.
September 9, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Advent planning—An unexpected hour
Marlene Kropf, AMBS professor; Rosanna McFadden, free-lance artist and AMBS student
October 21, 7:30 – 8:45 p.m.
The Naked Anabaptist
Stuart Murray, chair of the United Kingdom Anabaptist Network and author of The Naked Anabaptist
October 27, 2:00 – 3:15 p.m.
No more church as usual! No! More church as usual: Young adults and the church.
Presenter: Sara Wenger Shenk
November 18, 2:00 – 3:15 p.m.
Apocalypse and Allegiance
Presenter: J. Nelson Kraybill
December 2, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Connecting to a webinar requires at minimum a computer with reliable, high-speed internet access, and computer speakers or a telephone. A computer microphone (or headset) and/or a telephone with speakerphone capabilities can also be helpful in ensuring your participation runs smoothly. After registering online, participants receive an email prior to the start of the webinar with a web link and password to access the webinar.
Questions may be directed to the Church Leadership Center, 574-296-6269 or ChurchLeadership@ambs.edu. The full list of webinars includes many that will be of interest to a wide variety of people: www.ambs.edu/webinars.
HARRISONBURG, Va. - “This is a book about killing.” That’s the opening descriptive line in Eastern Mennonite Seminary grad Rob Arner’s new book.
Arner, of Holland, a village in Bucks County, Pa., is a 2007 master of arts in religion graduate of the seminary. His recently- published Consistently Pro-Life: The Ethics of Bloodshed in Ancient Christianity is an extension of his master of arts in religion thesis at EMS. Arner is a member of Doylestown Mennonite Church.
The book was chosen for publication by Pickwick Publications, a division of Wipf and Stock.
Arner, who grew up United Methodist, came to EMS hoping to better understand pacifism.
Pacifism attracts author to EMS “I chose EMS because I wanted to explore the peace church trajectory as a faithful calling of Christian discipleship,” said Arner.
“During ‘Christian Tradition’ class my first semester, I heard about the Constantinian shift,” he said.
“I learned that one of many changes during this time was that the ancient Christian church changed from being pacifist and opposed to war to embracing violence. This intrigued me, and I began reading the works of the ancient Christian church find out more,” Arner continued.
“A theory began to suggest itself to me- no matter which century in the early church, or which part of the empire, every early Christian author that I encountered denounced human bloodshed in a variety of contexts - from abortion, to killing in war, and everything in between, espousing and living a consistently pro-life ethic.
Book challenges both liberals and conservatives “In this book I want to challenge both liberal and conservative readers on their assumptions about the taking of human life,” Arner stated. “The gospel of Jesus is neither liberal nor conservative, and I make the case in this book that the Christians of the first three centuries consistently maintained that ALL killing is incompatible with the teaching and example
of Jesus.”
In a review of the book Mark Thiessen Nation, professor of theology at EMS, said, “No one has reminded us as clearly as Arner, in this compelling and wonderfully written book, that if we are to be true to the substance of the teachings of the Ancient Church, true to the Spirit by which it was animated, then we must recover their commitment to a Consistently Pro-Life theological ethic.”
Arner is currently working on his PhD at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He is also an adjunct instructor at Chestnut Hill College and Eastern Mennonite Seminary’s Lancaster campus.
Arner’s 152 page book is available through Wipf and Stock online at wipfandstock.com for $13.60.
Eastern Mennonite Seminary is a graduate school of theological education on the campus of Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Va., offering three-, two- and one-year programs of study.
The Refuge is a coffee house at Rocky Ridge Mennonite Church. It is a monthly coffee house on the last Saturday of each month. Saturday, August 28 will feature Heaven Bound, Saturday, September 25 will feature James Harvey and Saturday, October 30 will be a Chosen 300 fundraiser. Starting time is 7:00 p.m., $3.00 - $5.00 donation at the door. Coffee, food and drinks are also available by donation. For more information call 267-377-5649 or visit www.rockyridgechurch.org.
Finland Mennonite Church invites you to Fall Frenzy 4 on 4 Grass Volleyball Tournament. Gather a team and come out to enjoy some fall volleyball at Finland Mennonite Church Fields, Saturday, September 18. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and play at 9:00 a.m. Cost per team is $40. Register by September 12 and each team member receives a FREE drawstring sports pack! Prizes for champion teams in each bracket; beginner, intermediate, and advanced! Visit www.finlandmennonitechurch.org. or call 215-679-8980 for registration and more information! Concessions will be available all day. Proceeds benefit Finland Young Adults Missions Trip.
Everyone is invited to a Pancake & Sausage Breakfast at Providence Mennonite Church, September 25, 7:30 – 11:00 a.m. Proceeds from this breakfast will be for revitalizing hospitals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Menno-Sante is a major Mennonite Central Committee effort to support hospital staff members in the Congo who are courageously caring for patients despite ageing facilities and few resources. Come and enjoy your breakfast with Providence!
Thank you for your prayer support of Mennonite education. The Mennonite Education Agency has posted new Prayers for Faith and Learning for the month of September at www.MennoniteEducation.org/PRAYERS. Thank you for the many ways you support Mennonite education.
You can help improve living conditions for church families in Zimbabwe, Africa, through a project headed by Gwab Mpofu a native of Zimbabwe and a member at Perkiomenville Mennonite Church. He is collecting clothing, household items and money for a shipment this fall. A container of similar relief items shipped two years ago provided great assistance. Visit the church web page at www.perkmc.com or contact Gwab at gwampofu@yahoo.com to help with this needy project.
Christopher Dock Mennonite High School is pleased to welcome a 9th grade student from Nations Worship Center, the Philadelphia Mennonite Indonesian church pastored by Beny Krisbianto, for the 2010-11 school year. This male student would like to stay in a local host home from Monday after school through Friday morning each week. No weekends of hosting are required. The host family would provide breakfasts and dinners, and would be compensated a monthly stipend. Please consider this opportunity of outreach if you might enjoy the hosting experience but would not wish to commit to a full-time obligation. Contact Lois Boaman, Dock’s Admissions Director, at 215-362-2675, ext. 106, with your interest or questions.
Mennonite Church USA — Ervin Stutzman, who began Jan. 1 as executive director of Mennonite Church USA, has named his new leadership cabinet. This team will focus its work on the four churchwide priorities approved by the Executive Board in 2006: witness, anti-racism, leadership development, and global connections. Team members will work out of five states—Kansas, Texas, Indiana, Ohio and Virginia.
“It’s a new thing to focus the roles of the cabinet members around the stated priorities of the church, while also maintaining the core services,” Stutzman said. “This is a very dedicated, committed team, and I really look forward to working together with them to make a significant contribution to the life of our church.”
These appointments conclude a comprehensive workplace review that Stutzman initiated in the spring as part of a six-month process of “listening around the church.” The review included all Mennonite Church USA staff members employed directly by the offices that Stutzman supervises, but did not include agencies of Mennonite Church USA, which conduct their own reviews. Stutzman’s goal was to complete the appointments by Sept. 1.
The new cabinet consists of:
-Shelley Buller—executive assistant. Buller coordinates Stutzman’s schedule and plans logistics for the Executive Board and Constituency Leaders Council. She works as part of a six-person team to plan Stutzman’s travels, particularly those involving church relations. Buller has served in her present position as executive assistant for 32 years (formerly serving the General Conference Mennonite Church). She has an associate’s degree in business from Emporia (Kan.) State University and is a member of Tabor Mennonite Church, Newton, Kan.
- Glen Guyton—associate executive director for constituent resources. Guyton oversees the Finance, Convention Planning, Information Technology, Intercultural Relations, and Resource Advocacy departments. He will relate with Mennonite Publishing Network. He also will give leadership to the churchwide priority of anti-racism work.
Guyton felt a call to ministry after completing four years as an officer in the United States Air Force. His participation in the Mennonite Church moved him to withdraw from the military as a conscientious objector. With his wife, Cynthia (Cyndi), Glen served as youth pastor and in other ministry roles for more than 17 years at Calvary Community Church in Hampton, Va., before joining the staff of Mennonite Church USA as denominational minister for intercultural relations in 2009. He has worked with Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Va., to create mentoring programs to promote theological training for high school youth. He also has worked with the former Warwick District of Virginia Conference to develop peace and justice programs for urban youth and to provide students with alternatives to military service.
Guyton holds a bachelor’s degree in management from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., and a master’s of education from Regent University, Virginia Beach, Va. He recently moved to San Antonio, Texas, and will work from the DOOR house.
- Marty Lehman—associate executive director for churchwide operations. Lehman oversees the Church Relations, Communications, Development and Human Resources departments. She also works with The Corinthian Plan, Church Extension Services, and the Historical Committee. She is responsible to coordinate alignment among the various churchwide agencies.
Lehman has worked for Mennonite Church USA since 2004, serving in areas including funding, stewardship and finance. Prior to that she was the President and CEO of Adriel, a Mennonite Health Services (MHS) Alliance organization in West Liberty, Ohio. Lehman earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s degree in public affairs with an emphasis on administration of non-profit organizations from Indiana University – South Bend, and has taken courses at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Ind.
Lehman works out of the Elkhart, Ind., office, and is a member at College Mennonite Church in Goshen, Ind.
- André Gingerich Stoner—director of holistic witness, director of interchurch relations. Stoner will help nurture a web of evangelism, justice and peace witness throughout the church, working closely with Mennonite Mission Network staff. He will give leadership to the churchwide priorities of witness and the interchurch dimension of global connections.
Stoner has served as director of interchurch relations for Mennonite Church USA on a part-time basis since 2005. He has been part-time pastor of missions at Kern Road Mennonite Church in South Bend, Ind., since 1994, where he provided leadership for the congregation’s varied and numerous outreach and witness efforts. He will end that role in October as he transitions to full-time work for Mennonite Church USA.
Stoner, who was born in Luxemburg to missionary parents, attended Bethany Christian High School, Goshen, Ind.; and Eastern Mennonite High School, Harrisonburg, Va.; and he holds degrees from Swarthmore (Pa.) College and Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart. From 1984 to 1991, he served with Mennonite Central Committee in peace ministry in West Germany and helped found the Military Counseling Network. Stoner works out of the Elkhart office.
- Terry Shue—director of leadership development.
Shue will give attention to the leadership development priority, seeking to invigorate the Culture of Call and develop connections with ministry training programs as well as business leaders. He also will oversee the ministerial calling system and supervise a denominational ministry team.
Shue served as pastor at Kidron Mennonite Church for 13 years; prior to that he pastored at Pine Grove Mennonite Church, Stryker, Ohio. He also has been on the Executive Board of Mennonite Church USA and on the board of Goshen (Ind.) College. Shue studied at Hesston (Kan.) College; Bethel College, North Newton, Kan.; and Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart. He will work from an office at the Central Christian School at Kidron.
We came to Phoenix as a step in the discernment process as to whether or not the Mennonite Church USA Convention 2013 should be held in Phoenix as planned. Our delegation was committed to listening deeply to each other, to the people with whom we met, and to the Spirit of God. Initially, our specific concern was AZ Senate Bill 1070 and the hostile environment it seems to have created. We are appreciative of the mayor, police chief, members of area faith communities, a representative of BorderLinks, and others who met with us to help us understand the situation and to respond to our questions. We particularly celebrate a meeting at Trinity Mennonite Church, with about 100 persons in attendance from local Mennonite congregations, and the positive way everyone engaged in honest, helpful conversation and discernment.
Together, as a delegation, we arrived at the conclusion that more important than the question of the location of the convention was the question, “How do we as one church walk together in solidarity and unity?” In the following months, further discernment will be needed to make the decision about the location of the 2013 convention.
We offer the following guiding principles for discernment and decision-making whether we go to Phoenix or not.
1. The decision needs to be made in the context of honoring our commitment to be one church in solidarity with each other.
2. We believe that:
a. The convention will need to help us grow in our commitment to be an anti-racist church.
b. The convention will need to be structured so we engage local communities around ques-tions raised by current immigration policies and racism present in our church and country.
c. The convention offers opportunities for education, service and action for youth and adults so that we are further equipped with skills and practices to be one church in solidarity with each other and that we are equipped to engage our local communities with this witness.
In addition, we believe, there is a need to review the purposes of our biennial assemblies and to make changes necessary so that the delegate body is more fully reflective of the membership of the whole of our church.
As a delegation, we desire and are committed to take concrete steps to be one church that lives the biblical vision of the Lamb of God gathering persons from all tribes, nations and ethnic groups into one inclusive church. Thus we recommit ourselves to follow Jesus and to grow as communities of grace, joy and peace so that God’s healing and hope flow through us to the world.
Delegation members included the following:
Executive Board members:
Elizabeth Soto Albrecht, Lancaster, Pa.; Tina Begay, Bloomfield, N.M.; Ed Diller, moderator, Cincinnati, Ohio; Charlotte Hardt, Spokane, Wash.; Juanita Nuñez, Ocoee, Fla.; Dick Thomas, moderator-elect, Ronks, Pa.
Iglesia Menonita Hispana representatives:
Nicolas Angustia, Brooklyn, N.Y.; David Araujo, Valparaiso, Ind.; Yvonne Díaz, Ligonier, Ind.; Madeline Maldonado, Lehigh Acres, Fla.; Juan Montes, Reedley, Calif.
Intercultural Relations Reference Committee members:
Leslie Francisco III, Hampton, Va.; Kuaying Teng, St. Catharine’s, Ont.
Mennonite Church USA staff:
Glen Guyton, San Antonio, Texas; Susan Mark Landis, Orrville, Ohio; Marty Lehman, Goshen, Ind.; Rachel Swartzendruber Miller, Phoenix, Ariz.; Ervin Stutzman, Harrisonburg, Va.
Racial Healing Task Group representative:
Lloyd Miller, Goshen, Ind.
Other representatives:
Gilberto Flores, Dallas, Texas; Saulo Padilla, Goshen, Ind.
Over 100 Franconia Mennonite Conference leaders and representatives gathered at Christopher Dock Mennonite High School near Lansdale, Pa, on August 12, 2010, to hear a report from the Conference’s Review Steering Committee; to pray with and for newly elected moderators and board members; to hear a financial update and to ask questions. The meeting began with an acknowledgment from the Review Steering Committee Co-chair, Mike Derstine (Plains congregation), “this is an unusual and difficult time for our conference—and our coming together this evening might be viewed as the first step of a long process of further understanding and conversation—a process that we hope and pray ultimately leads to broad ownership and support of our conference vision and mission.”
The Review Committee was appointed earlier this year to provide a space for feedback and follow-up for the consulting work and recommendations of LaVern Yutzy from Mennonite Health Services Alliance, who was commissioned by the Franconia Conference Board to conduct a review and set recommendations after a conflict over decision-making related to staffing, finances and future Conference earlier this year. The committee includes Donella Clemens, Perkasie congregation; Mike Derstine, Plains congregation; Beny Krisbianto, Nations Worship Center; Jim Laverty, Souderton congregation and Joy Sutter, committee co-chair from Salford congregation. Sutter outlined the Review Steering Committee’s goals and work over the last months.
Following up on the recommendations from Yutzy’s report, the board approved near-term steps to reconfigure itself which then included this summer’s nominating and affirming process of the following Conference board members: John Goshow (moderator, Blooming Glen congregation); Miriam Book (assistant moderator, Salford congregation); Randy Nyce (finance committee chairperson, Salford congregation); and at-large members—Marta Beidler Castillo (Nueva Vida Norristown New Life congregation), Joe Hackman (Salford congregation), Beny Krisbianto (Nations Worship Center), and James B. Longacre (Bally congregation). The seven new board members join remaining board members Jim King (Plains congregation), Jim Laverty (Souderton congregation), Rina Rampogu (Plains congregation) and Nelson Shenk (Boyertown congregation). Donella Clemens introduced the board and led in a commissioning prayer while the committee also sought to recognize the pain that led to the resignations of four board members including moderators, Blaine Detwiler, Lakeview congregation and Randy Heacock, Doylestown congregation along with at-large members Karen Moyer, Rocky Ridge congregation and Yvonne Platts, Nueva Vida Norristown New Life congregation.
Randy Nyce, newly affirmed finance committee chairperson, led in a brief overview and conversation that highlighted several ongoing issues with the Conference budget—including a long-term decline in congregational giving; the delayed sale of the development rights of Indian Creek Farm located near Harleysville, Pa, as was outlined in the Conference’s Vision and Financial Plan; and clarification on the integration of the Conference’s mission agency (formerly Franconia Mennonite Conference Board of Missions and Charities) to create “a missional conference” rather than a conference with a mission agency.
At the meeting’s outset, review committee co-chair Mike Derstine recognized that there were many tensions within the Conference at this time. Noting this he said, “Within our conference system, at a basic level, there has been a breakdown of trust. We have yet to hear and understand the deeper themes that tug at our Conference. We do know that there is suspicion and fear under the surface, and there are powerful voices on various sides, there is a naming of money and Mennonitism, in some cases tradition is pitted against mission. For some this new Conference Board represents a new day and fresh hopes for renewed mission and vision—and for others it feels like a step backwards into a maintenance mode that seeks to preserve the status quo.”
He continued, “As a conference, we are not all of one mind regarding these recent events and in the steps we’ve taken to move forward. And no one of us has always expressed our positions and oppositions in positive, Christ-like ways. We confess tonight that it isn’t easy for we who emphasize peacemaking and discipleship, to practice what we preach—especially when it comes to agreeing and disagreeing in love. Along the way we will all need more opportunities to listen and to speak—and we will certainly need ample time for confession and repentance—as well as large doses of God’s grace, forgiveness and healing. But tonight we begin the process forward with a small step. We know we need healing, we know we need more time to listen closely to each other, and we know all this is going to require more time and space than one meeting here in August—and yet here is where we need to start.”
The evening featured open times of question regarding the Review Steering Committee’s work along the future process of the new board. Responses included further calls to repentance and expressions of grief over the actions of the last months, more specifically letters were read and submitted to the Conference Board by Charlie Ness (Perkiomenville congregation) and Sharon Williams (Nueva Vida Norristown New Life congregation). In the questions and comments, there was a general acknowledgment that there is much work ahead that is both personal and communal; spiritual and incarnational.
The gathered community ended with a prayer of hope and commitment, led by Beny Krisbianto and Jim Laverty, “We commit to move forward in hope, loving you and growing in love for each other. Give us direction so we may know which way to choose and which to reject, which course to claim and which to refuse. Lead us to that which you will bless and that which brings honor to your name, God our Vision and our Guide.”
Souderton Mennonite Homes 15th Annual Golf Classic will be held on Monday, September 20 at the Indian Valley Country Club. Golfer fee is $150 per golfer and includes lunch and evening banquet. Registration begins at 9:15 a.m., followed by a buffet lunch and putting contest. Shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. Benefits the Souderton Mennonite Homes Agape Fund, the resident benevolent care fund. Call Betty Kulp, 215-723-2182, ext. 223 for reservations.
Worship Arts Training at Laurelville Mennonite Church Center, September 24 - 26. Explore various elements of worship and learn how to tie all of them together, so that worship reflects both God’s oneness and diversity more faithfully. Groups of 4 or more save $35 per person. Visit www.laurelville.org/worship_arts_training.html or call 800-839-1021 to sign up today.
A Community Yard Sale with lots of independent sellers will be held on Saturday, September 25, 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Plains Mennonite Church. Reserve a space for $10 to sell your own items. To reserve a space call 215-362-7640 or visit www.PlainsMennoniteChurch.org for more information.
Christopher Dock Mennonite High School will hold several Open Houses and Visitation Days this fall. These events offer students and families an opportunity to visit Dock’s campus, meet faculty and staff, and learn about all that Dock has to offer. Fall Open House dates are Thursday, September 30, from 3-5 p.m., and Sunday, October 17, from 1-3 p.m. Visitation Days are October 11, November 19, and December 13. Call the Admissions Office at 215-362-2675 or e-mail lboaman@dockhs.org for more information.
Save the date! Bring the whole family (and invite your friends and neighbors!) to participate in Deep Run Mennonite Church East’s 4th Annual Strides for Mission 5k Race on Saturday, October 2 at Deep Run Mennonite Church East. The event will begin with registration from 8:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m., and the race will begin at 9:30 a.m. – rain or shine! Awards and refreshments will follow. All proceeds from the 5k Race will be donated to support mission work in Haiti through Tree of Life International, a local organization working to develop resources for education and economic development, to bring communities in Haiti greater self-sufficiency. For more information or to register for the 5k Race, visit www.deepruneast.org/5k or email stridesformission@deepruneast.org.
Job Opportunity
PT foodservice position
Christopher Dock Mennonite High School has a part-time foodservice assistant position available. Contact Jeff Ambrose at 215-362-2675, ext. 113 for more information.
Pastors’ & Leaders’ Breakfast Thursday, August 19, 8:00 – 10:00 a.m. at the Mennonite Conference Center, Jim Ostlund (Blooming Glen Mennonite Church) and Steve Kriss (Philadelphia Praise Center and Franconia Conference Staff) will lead in a presentation and conversation titled, “An Anabaptist/Mennonite Future in Turbulent Times.” Paradigms, perspectives and populations are changing both within and around the Mennonite community. Both Jim and Steve are Generation X leaders borrowing Mennonite roots to find a way of following Jesus that extends peace, grace and hope. They invite you to hear a bit from their experience, both formally and informally, in navigating toward a hopeful future in disorienting times. This work is rooted in listening and leading alongside young adults as well as emerging Anabaptist voices both inside and outside of the Mennonite Church.
Please RSVP your attendance by Monday, August 16, to office@franconiaconference.org or by calling 267-932-6050, Ext. 110.
Preview of Upcoming Pastors’ & Leaders’ Breakfasts: A variety of interesting topics are being planned for the fall. Be sure to mark the following dates on your calendar so you can be part of these conversations!
Wednesday, September 29 – Conversation about immigration issues and legislation and how they impact our Franconia Conference congregations and ministries.
Thursday, October 21 – Celebrating Shared Leadership Across Gender Lines: How do men and women work together effectively in ways that utilize our God-given gifts to the fullest?
Thursday, November 4 – The Naked Anabaptist: conversation with Stuart Murray Williams, leader of the Anabaptist Network U.K., regarding his recent book by this title.
Too far to drive? Franconia Mennonite Conference leaders would also like to make these conversations available to leaders who do not live within an easy driving distance. We are currently considering the best and most cost effective ways to accomplish this. If you would be interested in participating via computer hookup or viewing a recording of these events, please contact Gay Brunt Miller (gbmiller@franconiaconference.org) to help discern the best way to meet your needs.
Director of Pastoral Care Services Needed Living Branches, a small system of Mennonite-sponsored retirement living communities in southeastern Pennsylvania, seeks a compassionate Anabaptist leader with an ecumenical approach to ministry to serve as Director of Pastoral Care Services. The Director will lead a team of chaplains/pastors to meet the spiritual needs of residents of Dock Meadows, Souderton Mennonite Homes and Dock Woods. Five years of pastoral and/or chaplain ministry required, and masters-level training and CPE preferred. To learn more, visit www.livingbranches.org or call Russell Mast at 215-368-4438.
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