Pastors and Chaplains Appreciation Breakfast
Mark your calendars! You are invited to an Appreciation Breakfast for Pastors, Chaplains and their Spouses on Tuesday, December 8, 8 – 10 a.m. at Towamencin Mennonite Church. An inspiring program meant to bless each minister and spouse is being planned. Watch for more information and your personal invitation.
Franconia Conference’s School for Leadership Formation presents:
The November Pastors’ and Leaders’ Breakfast, “Human Sexuality and Communities in Conflict” will be held on Thursday, November 19, 8 – 10 a.m. Come to talk together about sexuality, to hear how conference and congregational leaders are working at current issues like the Columbus resolution on communities in conflict and the Open Letter to Franconia Conference. Please register by Friday, November 13 for this event to Jessica Walter at jwalter@franconiaconference.org or call 215-723-5513, Ext. 114. A $5 donation will be requested to cover the cost of the meal. The breakfast location is to be determined.
The Mennonite Education Agency appreciates your continued prayer support of Mennonite education. The November “Prayers for Faith and Learning” document has been posted at www.MennoniteEducation.org/PRAYERS. Thank you for your help in strengthening the church through education.
Grief, Spirituality and Sexuality: Life after Losing a Spouse is a weekend retreat for widowed individuals and those who walk alongside them at Laurelville Mennonite Church Center on December 4 – 6. Rachel Nafziger Hartzler will explore themes of suffering, lament, and hope. Included in the weekend will be“A Decembered Grief”, a ritual service addressing grief during the holiday season. For information and registration visit www.laurelville.org, call 800-839-1021 or email Rachel at rach@maplenet.net.
All are welcome to Evening Song and Prayer in the Taizé tradition at Perkasie Mennonite Church on Sunday, November 8, 7 - 8 p.m. Using music from the Taizé community in France, as well as hymns of the church, we gather in a candlelit atmosphere for scripture, song, silence, and prayers for our world, communities and loved ones.
A Photo Club is being held at Wellspring Church at Skippack on the first Thursday of each month. The club will meet in the church Fellowship Hall. The next meeting is Thursday, November 5 at 6:30 p.m. Come for mutual support, do monthly photography projects, and receive constructive critique of each other’s work. There will even be an occasional field trip. All are welcome!
Three Christopher Dock Seniors are Named National Merit® Commended Students. Christian Allebach, Nicholas Martin and Madeleine J. Ruth have been named Commended Students in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program. About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Commended students placed among the top 5% of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2010 competition by taking the 2008 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). Christopher Dock, in partnership with the family and the church, seeks to develop the God-given abilities of students in preparation for responsible stewardship of life as members of God’s people in a global society.
Coal Country is a stunning new documentary that reveals the devastation of mountaintop removal coal mining to the forests, streams and communities of Appalachian residents. This Sierra Club sponsored documentary reveals the shocking true cost of America’s over-reliance on coal. A 40 minute sneak peek of the film will be shown at Blooming Glen Mennonite Church on Tuesday November 10 at 7:30 p.m. The free viewing is open to the public. Contact Sarah at 215-510-2979 with questions about the event.
The December Mennonite Central Committee Material Resource Project is Comforters. Last year MCC distributed move than 7,600 comforters. Comforters were sent to countries around the world including Bosnia, Honduras, North Korea, Ukraine and Zambia. MCC is looking to restock their supply of warm comforters and you can help.
Comforter specifications:
Please use new or nearly new sturdy, washable, colorful fabric. Avoid white fabric and use limited amounts of black fabric.
Single or twin-size comforters are preferred (60in x 80in) Double or full-size comforters are accepted (82in x 90in) Crib sizes comforters are not needed at this time.
Knot comforters with crochet cotton, spacing knots 4 – 8 inches apart.
Winter weight comforters filled with quilt batting or blanket filler are requested. Light weight comforters are being accepted; however the current need is for winter weight comforters.
Children can be involved by using fabric markers or fabric crayons to draw pictures on blank muslin or solid fabric comforter tops.
Mennonite Central Committee is grateful to all who labor on these comforters. We know that they will be put to good use. As you craft the comforters, remember those who will be using them. Give them your best!
Volunteer Opportunities
Mennonite Disaster Service is in need of short term volunteers to serve for 1 – 2 weeks during November in Ramona, California. The work will include foundations and framing. Workers are currently being scheduled for the fall and winter Mennonite Disaster Service projects. Call Sarah Yoder at 800-241-8111 for information.
Damascus Road Training
Registration is open for the 11th Annual Damascus Road Anti-Racism Analysis Training for the greater Philadelphia region, February 26 – 28 at Partners for Families, Norristown. The training, derived from the Damascus Road Anti-Racism Process of Mennonite Central Committee US, is designed to equip participants with a biblical basis and an analytic framework for dismantling systemic racism in the church and church related organizations and ministries.
The School for Leadership Formation is a co-sponsor of the event, which is recommended for all conference, congregational, Conference Related Ministry & Partner In Mission leaders; it is open to everyone interested in this work. Dismantling systemic racism is an integral part of Franconia Conference’s vision to be missional, intercultural, and transformational in every aspect of ministry.
The Damascus Road Process (www.mcc.org/damascusroad) of Mennonite Central Committee US provides antiracism educating, organizing, and consulting through congregational and institutional antiracism teams throughout the United States. Additional training and spiritual retreats are available for new and current teams.
For more information, in English and Spanish, on this training; including registration, directions, schedule and lodging; visit damascusroad.franconiaconference.org. For additional information or for comments or questions please contact the event coordinator, Sharon Williams at 610-277-1729 or sharonw@cavtel.net.
Registration is open for the 11th Annual Damascus Road Anti-Racism Analysis Training for the greater Philadelphia region, February 26 – 28 at Partners for Families, Norristown. The training, derived from the Damascus Road Anti-Racism Process of Mennonite Central Committee US, is designed to equip participants with a biblical basis and an analytic framework for dismantling systemic racism in the church and church related organizations and ministries. For more information, in English and Spanish, on this training; including registration, directions, schedule and lodging; visit damascusroad.franconiaconference.org. For additional information or for comments or questions please contact the event coordinator, Sharon Williams at 610-277-1729 or sharonw@cavtel.net.
On Sunday, November 1, author and educator David W. Shenk will be at Franconia Mennonite Church. David will share stories and insight from his work and ministry in global missions. The evening program begins at 6:30 p.m. and will focus on the challenge to be “Ambassadors of Reconciliation in a World of Many Religions.”
You are invited to Cultivating Healthy and Growing LEADers at Franconia Mennonite Conference Assembly 2009 on Friday, November 13 and Saturday, November 14 at Souderton Mennonite Church. Come participate in worship, fellowship with brothers and sisters from Franconia Conference, hear from Partners in Mission through workshops and see displays form Conference Related Ministries and church –wide agencies. This is an opportunity to experience where God is moving and leading in Franconia Mennonite Conference. For more information, visit www.assembly.franconiaconference.org.
The 11th annual Damascus Road Anti-racism Analysis Training for the greater Philadelphia region will be held at Partners for Families, February 26 - 28, 2010.
The training, derived from the Damascus Road Anti-Racism Process of Mennonite Central Committee US, is designed to equip participants with a biblical basis and an analytic framework for dismantling systemic racism in the church and church related organizations and ministries. This event will help participants lay the groundwork for the long-term work of dismantling racism in congregations, conferences and institutions by training teams, leaders, and supporters from those organizations.
The School for Leadership Formation is a co-sponsor of the event, which is recommended for all conference, congregational, Conference Related Ministry & Partner In Mission leaders; it is open to everyone interested in this work. Dismantling systemic racism is an integral part of Franconia Conference’s vision to be missional, intercultural, and transformational in every aspect of ministry.
For more information, in English and Spanish, on this training; including registration, directions, schedule and lodging; visit damascusroad.franconiaconference.org.
The Damascus Road Process (www.mcc.org/damascusroad) of Mennonite Central Committee US provides antiracism educating, organizing, and consulting through congregational and institutional antiracism teams throughout the United States. Additional training and spiritual retreats are available for new and current teams.
Other sponsors for this event include: Blooming Glen Mennonite Church’s Damascus Road Team, Eastern District Conference, Kingdom Builders Anabaptist Network, Mennonite Central Committee Philadelphia, Nueva Vida Norristown New Life’s Stand Together Ministry Team, Peace & Justice Committee of the Eastern District and Franconia Conferences, Philadelphia Urban Ministry Partnership (PUMP), White Anti-Racists Caucus East.
For additional information or for comments or questions please contact the event coordinator, Sharon Williams at 610-277-1729 or sharonw@cavtel.net.
Worldwide Evangelistic Ministries invites you to attend their Fundraising Banquet at Franconia Heritage on Friday, November 6 at 6:30 p.m. The featured guest speaker for the evening is Evangelist Joey Perez with special music by Donna Godshall. There is no charge for the banquet. A free will offering will be taken. To make your reservations contact Lisa Shields at worldwidemin@comcast.net or call 215-223-1022. For more information visit www.worldevangmin.com/.
Anabaptist Mission and Peace is a 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. 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.
All are invited to Ten Thousand Villages International Gift Festival at the Upper Milford Mennonite Church. The Festival will be held on Friday, October 30, 12 – 8 p.m. and Saturday, October 31, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Ten Thousand Villages provide vital, fair income to Third World people by marketing their handicrafts and telling their stories in North America. Artisans who would otherwise be unemployed or underemployed are insured income. All proceeds from the Festival will go to Ten Thousand Villages. Come and do your gift shopping knowing you are also providing sustenance for Third World persons. This event is handicapped accessible. Credit card payment is accepted. Call 610-966-2733 for more information.
Deal With It – Leading with Integrity is the theme for the Youth Leadership Retreat at Spruce Lake Retreat Center, November 20 – 22. Leadership requires us to deal with difficult people, situations and questions – whether we want to or not. Leonard Dow of Oxford Circle Mennonite Church will help retreat participants address these issues. Plan now to attend this weekend of fun, worship and learning. Cost per person is $125. Questions may be directed to Marlene Frankenfield at mfrankenfield@franconiaconference.org or call 215-362-7069.
Myron & Esther Augsburger will be speaking at Deep Run Mennonite Church East’s Fall Mission Weekend, October 31 - November 1. On Saturday, October 31 at 5:30 p.m. dinner will be served, followed by a program at 7 p.m. Myron will be speaking on “Our Core Beliefs” and Esther will be sharing about her sculpting ministry and work with youth in Washington D.C. There will be fun activities for children, Jr. Youth and Sr. Youth. Please RSVP for the Saturday evening meal by Monday, October 26 by calling 215-766-8380 or email dre@deepruneast.org. For more information and a full schedule of events, please visit www.deepruneast.org.
Worldwide Evangelistic Ministries invites you to attend their Fundraising Banquet at Franconia Heritage on Friday, November 6 at 6:30 p.m. The featured guest speaker for the evening is Evangelist Joey Perez with special music by Donna Godshall. There is no charge for the banquet. A free will offering will be taken. To make your reservations contact Lisa Shields at worldwidemin@comcast.net or call 215-223-1022. For more information, visit www.worldevangmin.com/.
Karen’s Place, the coffee shop ministry of Doylestown Mennonite Church, will be open on Saturday, November 7 from 7:00 - 10:30 p.m. featuring the blues-rock band Obadiah. There is no admission charge. Donations are still being collected for hurricane victims of the Gulf Area. Monies will be forwarded to Mennonite Disaster Service which is helping people to rebuild their homes. Bring canned fruit, vegetables, or soup for the New Britain Food Larder and get a free coffee or tea! Karen’s place offers 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.
Come to Penn View Christian School’s Fall Open House on Sunday, November 1, 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. There will be tours, refreshments and fun for families with children in early childhood through 8th grade! Come meet The Cat in the Hat in the Media Center for story time, visit classrooms and meet teachers. Please contact Sandra Harrell, Director of Admissions at 215-723-1196 x 1352 or email sharrell@pennview.org to register. For more details on the event, visit www.pennview.org.
Young adults, ages 21+, are invited to “Raught ‘n Apples” at Conestoga Mennonite Church on Saturday, October 31, 7:30 p.m. Jeff Raught and friends will be there along with table games, college football, food, and life-size video games. This FAITH AND FOOTBALL kick-off event is open to all interested young adults. For more information, call 610-286-9124.
Volunteer Opportunities Mennonite Disaster Service has an urgent need for roofing crew workers in Cheek Texas. Volunteer opportunities in this area are available at the end of October and the beginning of November. Short-term volunteers are also needed in Ramona, California during November. The work there would include laying foundations and framing. If you are able to serve in this way at this time, please contact Sarah Yoder at 800-241-8111.
Gateway Course 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.
The Role of Leadership in Equipping
Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Equipping Network invites all to attend The Role of Leadership in Equippingsession on Thursday, November 5 from 7 – 9 p.m. at Franconia Mennonite Church. This session will explore the role we play in leading the value of equipping. Equipping must be championed from a leadership level if it’s to have an impact on the culture. While leadership may not be our primary gift, we can lead others through the power of influence. Many say leadership is influence, so we’ll look at the concept of “3-D” leading. We will spend some time just getting to know one another during the first half hour since this is a vital part of what we hope to accomplish in our meetings together. This network is not just about information but about relationships and how both of these can work together to build up the Kingdom in area of educating the Christians in our area on their vital role in doing the work of the ministry.
Deal With It – Leading with Integrity Youth Leadership Retreat at Spruce Lake Retreat Center, November 20 – 22. Leadership requires us to deal with difficult people, situations and questions – whether we want to or not. Leonard Dow of Oxford Circle Mennonite Church will help retreat participants address these issues. Plan now to attend this weekend of fun, worship and learning. Cost per person is $125. Questions may be directed to Marlene Frankenfield at mfrankenfield@franconiaconference.org or call 215-362-7069.
Spruce Lake Retreat’s Young Adult Retreat will be held December 4 – 6. Speaker John King and worship artist Megan Isaacson offer energy, insight and relevance for Christian young adults. Brad Todd will be on stage Saturday night for a live standup comedy performance. The weekend is for young adults ages 25 - 40. The individual package cost is $199 / person, or register your young adult group from church and get a special group rate. Call 800-822-7505 or find Spruce Lake on Facebook.
Methacton Mennonite Church will host a Free Movie and Pedal Train Night on Friday, October 16 at 6:30 p.m. Ride the pedal train, then enjoy a Veggie Tales double feature, Dave & The Giant Pickle and Esther, The Girl Who Would Become Queen. Fun for everyone! Popcorn and drinks provided.
Make plans to attend Rockhill Mennonite Community’s Craft Fair and Bake Sale on Saturday, October 31, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Activity Center. The Gift Shop will be all decked out and ready for the holiday season. There will be a variety of crafters and tables laden with delicious home-baked goods! Please join us and get a head start on holiday decorating and gift giving! For more information, please call Edie Landis at 215-257-2751, ext 210 or Renee Patterson at 215-257-2751, ext 211.
Join local historian and author, John Ruth, on Sunday, October 25 at 1:30 p.m. for an informative and entertaining historical talk and grave yard tour at Methacton Mennonite Church. See the great ‘Methacton Oak’ (circa 1634) and other points of interest at this old historical meetinghouse.
The Adventure of Parenting Teenagers. Parents of Jr. High and Sr. High Youth come hear youth expert, Duffy Robbins on Wednesday, November 4, 7 p.m. at Franconia Mennonite Church. This free presentation is open to the public. To register for free childcare, please call 215-723-3220.
Deep Run Mennonite Church East will host the Ten Thousand International Gift Festival on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, October 22 - 24. The festival hours are Thursday, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., Friday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. A breakfast buffet will be available on Saturday 8 – 11 a.m. Come support Ten Thousand Villages where your gift is truly a gift to the world.
Bellaccord will perform at Plains Mennonite Church, on Saturday, November 7, at 7 p.m. Bellaccord is a 13-member, male accapella group from Eastern Mennonite University. The group which started two years ago is made up of juniors who enjoy singing all styles of music. Members include Ben Bergey from Blooming Glen Mennonite Church, Steven Rittenhouse from Souderton Mennonite, Andrew Derstine from Plains Mennonite Church, Wilson Roth, Drew Kirk, Braydon Hoover, Matt Dean, Mike Bruner, Steve Kniss, Dustin Good, Alec Burkey, Michael Swartzendruber, and Michael Spory. A free will offering toward the group’s travel expenses will be taken.
Correction: Please note the corrected time in the following announcement.
You are invited to Christopher Dock Mennonite High School’s Fall Open House on Sunday, October 18 from 1 - 3 p.m. Prospective students and their families will have the opportunity to meet faculty, staff and other students, tour the school’s picturesque 75-acre campus, and learn about the school’s financial aid programs. Come experience the “Dock Difference.” For more information on the Fall Open House contact Lois Boaman, Director of Admissions, at 215-362-2675, ext. 106 or email laboaman@dockhs.org. You can also learn more about Christopher Dock at www.dockhs.org.
This course explores redemption and reconciliation as the heart of Anabaptist-Mennonite response to God’s call to mission. Students will study the Biblical foundations of mission as the invitation to God’s shalom revealed in the mission of Jesus Christ and the formation of the church through the power of the Holy Spirit. The course probes the Anabaptist story of a people called into mission and peacemaking, as well as detractions from that calling. Special focus is on contemporary challenges and examples of mission and peace.
Instructor: David W. Shenk
Dates: October 30-31 and December 11-12, 2009
Friday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Location: Conestoga Mennonite Church
2779 Main Street
Morgantown, Pa 19543
Cost: Graduate credit for two (2) semester hours- $734 , Non-credit cost- $195 (Textbooks and field trip transportation not included)
Church members, pastors, youth, Sunday School teachers and any who think learning is fun are encouraged to register.
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The 11th annual Damascus Road Anti-racism Analysis Training for the greater Philadelphia region will be held at Partners for Families, February 26 - 28, 2010.
This course explores redemption and reconciliation as the heart of Anabaptist-Mennonite response to God’s call to mission. Students will study the Biblical foundations of mission as the invitation to God’s shalom revealed in the mission of Jesus Christ and the formation of the church through the power of the Holy Spirit. The course probes the Anabaptist story of a people called into mission and peacemaking, as well as detractions from that calling. Special focus is on contemporary challenges and examples of mission and peace.