“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 at slandes@franconiaconference.org.
Healthcare Resolution Update
Mennonite Church USA has provided extensive information on the healthcare resolution passed at convention 2009 at www.mennoniteusa.org/Home/Members/HealthcareAccess/tabid/73/Default.aspx. 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.
All are invited to the August Prayer Gathering of Franconia Mennonite Conference. This event will be held at Plains Mennonite Church in their outdoor pavilion on Wednesday, August 12, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. We will worship, pray, and learn together as we explore how prayer can be a vital part of a missional church outreach.
Vincent Mennonite Church will hold their annual Arts & Crafts Day on Saturday, August 22 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. The day will feature: chicken barbeque, antique tractor show, free family activities, crafters, bumblebee train, moon bounce, horse drawn wagon rides and live music. Parking is free. For more information, please contact Ron Long at 610-327-4496.
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 August at www.MennoniteEducation.org/PRAYERS. MEA appreciates your help in strengthening the church through education.
Children ages 3 through 4th grade are invited to attend Catch the Spirit vacation bible school at Methacton Mennonite church, August 3 – 6, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. For more information contact Methacton Mennonite Church at contact@methactonmennonite.org.
All are invited to attend a free Organ Concert at Zion Mennonite Church on Saturday, August 15 at 4 p.m. Organists Daniel Bishop of the Liverpool Cathedral and Keith Ellison of St. John’s Cathedral, Portsmouth UK will be featured. The concert will be followed by a reception and a good will offering will be received. For more information contact the church at 215-723-3592 or visit www.zionmennonite.org.
Please join Liberty Ministries for their 29th Anniversary & Fundraising Banquet on Saturday, October 17 at 5:30 p.m. The family style dinner will be held at Franconia Heritage Restaurant. In addition to dinner there will be ministry updates, personal testimonies and an offering of support for Liberty Ministries. Please call 610-287-5481 for tickets.
Employment / Volunteer Opportunities
Care and Share Shoppes has a September 1 opening for a part time Accounting Manager. This position requires a hands-on, organized individual with strong computer abilities. Considered applicants will need the ability to apply principles of accounting to analyze financial information and prepare financial reports by compiling information, preparing profit and loss statements, and utilizing appropriate accounting control procedures. Experience working with non-profit organizations is preferred. Applications will be accepted until August 21. For more details contact Sarah Bergin, Executive Director at sbergin@careandshareshoppes.org
The Fellowship at Souderton Mennonite Homes is seeking people to play piano and lead singing for their Sunday morning worship services. You are invited to serve once a month, once a quarter, or even once a year! For more information about these opportunities contact Pastor Mark Derstine at 215-723-2182 ext. 236.
The Volunteer Department at Souderton Mennonite Homes is in need of persons to help transport residents to Sunday services in the Summit View Auditorium. Volunteers are asked to report at 9:15 a.m. to transport residents from Skilled Nursing and Park View. Services begin at 9:45 and end at 10:45. Volunteers are then asked to return residents to their rooms following the service. For more information contact Lynne Allebach at 215-723-2182 ext. 289.
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.
In early June, Carla Ferrier, of Doylestown Mennonite Church, joined the Franconia Conference staff as Administrative Services Assistant.
Melissa Landis, administrative services manager, has already noticed Ferrier’s gifts. “She has a conscientious and thorough approach to her work,” Landis said. “Her welcoming and gracious spirit is a real asset to the office setting.”
“She brings gifts that will enhance and expand in complimentary ways the gifts of others on staff, board and committees,” Noel Santiago, executive minister for the conference. “She also has a deep conviction and belief that prayer is central to helping bring the unfolding reign of God into a greater measure of manifestation.”
Ferrier is excited to share the reign of God with others. “The Lord brought me here,” Ferrier said. “God has a plan. His ways are not ours.”
Where do local shoppers go during challenging economic times? Care & Share Thrift Shoppes in Souderton! Care & Share needs your help, now more than ever – from sorting to stocking to sales – your volunteer time benefits shoppers as well as those who receive aid through Mennonite Central Committee. Contact the Director of Volunteers at 215-723-0315 x 113 or skolb@careandshareshoppes.org
How well do you know the Bible? Take in the whole story in a single weekend, October 30 – November 1, at Hesston College’s Learning the Bible in Life-giving Ways. Marion Bontrager, Michele Hershberger and Ted Swartz will lead you laughing and crying through “The Greatest Story Ever Told.” Register at www.hesston.edu, or call Elaine Schmidt at 620-327-8290.
Dock Woods Community is looking for a pianist or organist who would be willing to play during their Sunday Worship Services. Persons could volunteer once a month or once every other month. Worship Service hours are 9:15 – 10:15 a.m. and 10:45 – 11:45 a.m. Contact Julie Moyer for further details at 215-368-4438 or email at jamoyer@dockwoods.com
Mennonite Disaster Service has a current need for volunteers in the following area: Project Caretaker – Diamond, Louisiana. Any amount of time may be served during July through October. Scheduling for fall projects will begin on August 10. Fall Projects will run from October 5 to December 11. To serve as an individual or as a group, contact MDS at (800) 241-8111.
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@franconiaconference.org with any questions.
A Holy Land Study Tour is being formed by Glenn Witmer, director for MennoJersusalem Bible Land Tours, for people of the Franconia and Eastern District Mennonite Churches in October 2010. This study tour is especially designed for pastors, teachers and leadership, but is certainly open to all interested persons. To see an informational packet, visit your church office. 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.
The annual Fall Seniors Retreat will be held at Spruce Lake Retreat Center on September 14 - 16. The retreat will feature fellowship with kindred spirits in Christ, in the natural beauty surrounding Spruce Lake. A gospel concert will be presented by musician and guitarist Bruce Burgess. Mark Fly, Director of Development at Spruce Lake, will be the song leader. The all-inclusive rate for the Fall Seniors Retreat is $165.00 per individual or $325.00 per couple. For reservations, call 800-822-7505.
All ladies are invited to attend the Women’s Retreat at Spruce Lake Retreat Center on September 18 - 20. The week-end will feature inspirational speaker, recording artist and songwriter Bonnie Keen and worship leader Jackie Swartley. Don’t miss out on this opportunity for sisterly camaraderie, plenty of fun and time for nurturing your relationship with Christ. The all-inclusive package is $179.00 per person. Register by August 1 to receive a 10% lodging discount. For reservations, call Spruce Lake at 800-822-7505
Wellspring Church of Skippack’s Restorative Justice ministry at the State Corrections Institution at Graterford is in need of volunteers. Graterford inmates are responding very positively to the Restorative Justice principles, practices and values. If you think you might be interested in a challenging but exciting ministry of this kind, please contact Pastor Mike Meneses at 610-489-2688 or 215-393-9836. You will be blessed!
The Vegetable Basket Program for the summer season has begun! Bring your vegetables by 9 a.m. on Monday mornings to one of the following drop-off locations: Deep Run East Mennonite Church, Blooming Glen Creamery Apartments, Franconia Mennonite Conference Center, Indian Valley Mennonite Church and Plains Mennonite Church. Thank you for helping local food pantries supply fresh produce to those who are in need! For more information, contact Moriah Zimmerman at 215-575-0444.
All are invited to the July Pastors’ and Leaders’ Breakfast, Working together: Building relationships across racial and citizenship lines, Thursday, July 23, 8 – 10 a.m. at the Mennonite Conference Center, Souderton, PA. Join us for a conversation on engaging and building relationships with the growing immigrant populations in our communities. Franconia Conference’s School for Leadership Formation has invited Maria Byler, Goshen College ministry inquiry program (MIP) participant, to share of her work with New Sanctuary Philadelphia. Come learn how communities of faith across southeastern PA are working together to better understand immigration issues and support families and individuals in need. Please register by Monday, July 20 for this event to Jessica Walter at jwalter@franconiaconference.org or call 215-723-5513, Ext.114.
On Sunday, August 2 at 7 p.m., Benjamin Bergey will be leading a hymn sing at Blooming Glen Mennonite Church, using the newest supplement to the Hymnal, Sing the Story. If you are not familiar with this supplement, this will be a great introduction to new and wonderful hymns. Bring friends and family who love to sing, and a copy of Sing the Story. If you don’t have a copy, some will be available at the church. All are welcome to attend!
Donella Clemens, PerkasieWhen I first became involved “in the center” of Franconia Conference as chairperson of the Nurture Commission in the early 1980s, the Conference leadership governing body was quite different than it is today. A conference council consisted of the chairs of each of six commissions and their staff plus the conference administrator. The organizations relating to the conference, now known as Conference Related Ministries, and the congregations were connected to the conference through the commissions. The six commissions were nurture, education, brotherhood, stewardship, leadership and mission. Each commission consisted of congregational members who were appointed by vote at the annual business meeting of Conference Assembly.The conference staff was responsible for the administrative work of these commissions and the conference board.When these commissions were first established in the early 70s, they were all chaired by ordained men, and yes, the ordained persons were all men at that point. Consequently the first Conference Councils consisted of only ordained persons. Additionally, for many years all the members of the school board at Christopher Dock were ordained preachers. Might that be a reason that the work of all organizations in those early years was seen as ‘blessed’ by the pastors and thus the conference?As time moved onward, patterns of behavior and structures changed in conference organizations. I personally felt those changes when my husband, Wayne, and I became part of the changing patterns. Wayne was the first non-ordained person to chair a commission, Stewardship Commission, and I was the first woman to chair a commission, Nurture Commission.How did we get from there to where we are now? Let me jump to the time when I became moderator of Franconia Conference in November of 1996. Organizations and congregations were somewhat restless. Conference leaders were considering how the structures of the conference needed to change in order to better to give leadership and serve the needs of pastors, congregations and organizations. The six commissions were disbanded which over time resulted in reduced numbers of committees and thus, less involvement of congregational members in the work of conference. While this change seemed necessary, I wonder what structures or programs might have been created that could have enhanced support for the work of conference.In what ways was the need for change evident? First of all, in the congregations—Overseers, who were pastors of congregations themselves working on a volunteer basis, were finding that congregations were asking the overseers to deal with issues of concern that they did not feel they were equipped or gifted to handle. Pastors were also asking for more assistance due to the difficult challenges they were encountering in their ministry. In an effort to develop healthy pastors for healthy congregations, the Conference Ministry Team was formed to provide support and assistance to pastors in their work. Currently congregations are seeking more direction from conference for leading––both for pastors and congregational leaders.Second, change was also happening for the Conference Related Ministries. State and national bodies that provide accreditation and legal status for these organizations were increasing and continue to increase their inspection and regulation requirements. Denominational associations have developed that provide relationships for support, mutual association and encouragement. By example, our schools are closely tied to Mennonite Education Agency; the retirement communities are members of Anabaptist Provider Group and Mennonite Health Services Alliance (MHSA). While the church relationship provided through conference association is critical, the professional resources and mutuality that are necessary to the Conference Related Ministries are increasingly found through denominational associations.These changes exist and are real. As CRM’s find support and resources for their ministries beyond the conference, but within the church, conference leaders are giving primary focus to congregational life and mission. The current emerging direction with the LEAD oversight model and LEADership ministers is intended to provide nurture, support and relationships that respond to the call for training of leadership, both lay and credentialed persons. We are beginning to hear of new training opportunities through programs such as Gateway courses, the conference’s School for Leadership Formation, and extension courses offered by Eastern Mennonite University and Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary.It is very rewarding to see the way in which we have changed into a significantly more multi-cultural people. Our identity can no longer be that of a group with one cultural heritage but rather a people that are part of a worldwide Anabaptist communion. We are gradually giving up the mentality of a rural people. We now have a significant group of women pastors and the number keeps growing.It has been very rewarding for me to serve as a member of the Christopher Dock board of trustees for 16 years and as chair of the board for eight of those years. Satisfaction and gratitude describe my feelings for those years working in partnership with Elaine Moyer, administrators and many board members to shape Anabaptist education with a focus on preparing leaders for service in God’s Kingdom.In my work as a member of the Conference Ministry Team, I have had tremendous joy in witnessing the unique journey of congregations in following God’s Spirit to new spiritual vitality. Each journey has been unique, and at times was not easy, but people and congregations have responded to God’s prompting for change and spiritual growth. A special, treasured gift to me has been working with our congregations, pastors and leaders in Vermont. Even though they live miles from us, I have found them to be diligently carrying out the mission and goals of our conference in their communities. I would wish that more congregations would create times of fellowship with our sisters and brothers in Vermont.In recent months I have overseen the process of congregational search committees in finding pastors. While this is intense work that sometimes covers many months, it is very heartwarming to participate with a search committee in that unique holy moment when the needs of the congregation and the gifts and calling of a pastoral candidate come together.It has been exciting to experience God at work—whether defined at the “center of conference” or on the “edges.” I frequently ponder why it is that so many among us (even though we are not living in Vermont or Northern PA) feel “on the edge” of conference and that “the center” is elsewhere! These sentiments are expressed in comments such as “we don’t think like others in conference” and “those people at conference…” Perhaps it depends on how one defines “center.” For me being at the center or on the edge in relation to conference is not important. What is important is to be at the center of God’s work, where people choose to be God’s people, fully engaged in the mission of the church! From my experience over these 25 years I have found that center to be in all the congregations and organizations of which I have had the privilege to serve. Thanks be to God!Donella Clemens retired from Franconia Conference on June 1, 2009. In response to her retirement Executive Minister Noel Santiago wrote, “Donella has been invaluable in her service to and with Franconia Conference. She has raised up an excellent team of persons who lead pastoral searches, helped numerous congregations move toward their vision and mission in spiritually vibrant ways, served in a volunteer capacity in order to allow for younger female leaders to have the opportunity to serve in conference leadership and she has encouraged and empowered multiple leaders, pastors and persons on their journey with God. We thank her for all she has given and for sharing of herself.”
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In early June, Carla Ferrier, of Doylestown Mennonite Church, joined the Franconia Conference staff as Administrative Services Assistant. 
How did we get from there to where we are now? Let me jump to the time when I became moderator of Franconia Conference in November of 1996. Organizations and congregations were somewhat restless. Conference leaders were considering how the structures of the conference needed to change in order to better to give leadership and serve the needs of pastors, congregations and organizations. The six commissions were disbanded which over time resulted in reduced numbers of committees and thus, less involvement of congregational members in the work of conference. While this change seemed necessary, I wonder what structures or programs might have been created that could have enhanced support for the work of conference.In what ways was the need for change evident? First of all, in the congregations—Overseers, who were pastors of congregations themselves working on a volunteer basis, were finding that congregations were asking the overseers to deal with issues of concern that they did not feel they were equipped or gifted to handle. Pastors were also asking for more assistance due to the difficult challenges they were encountering in their ministry. In an effort to develop healthy pastors for healthy congregations, the Conference Ministry Team was formed to provide support and assistance to pastors in their work. Currently congregations are seeking more direction from conference for leading––both for pastors and congregational leaders.Second, change was also happening for the Conference Related Ministries. State and national bodies that provide accreditation and legal status for these organizations were increasing and continue to increase their inspection and regulation requirements. Denominational associations have developed that provide relationships for support, mutual association and encouragement. By example, our schools are closely tied to Mennonite Education Agency; the retirement communities are members of Anabaptist Provider Group and Mennonite Health Services Alliance (MHSA). While the church relationship provided through conference association is critical, the professional resources and mutuality that are necessary to the Conference Related Ministries are increasingly found through denominational associations.These changes exist and are real. As CRM’s find support and resources for their ministries beyond the conference, but within the church, conference leaders are giving primary focus to congregational life and mission. The current emerging direction with the LEAD oversight model and LEADership ministers is intended to provide nurture, support and relationships that respond to the call for training of leadership, both lay and credentialed persons. We are beginning to hear of new training opportunities through programs such as Gateway courses, the conference’s School for Leadership Formation, and extension courses offered by 
It has been very rewarding for me to serve as a member of the 