About Franconia mennonite conference
Franconia Mennonite Conference: A Missional, Intercultural, and Formational Community
Franconia Mennonite Conference is a community of Anabaptist churches located in the eastern part of Pennsylvania. The conference was founded in 1847 by Swiss-German immigrants who sought to establish a faith community that would be faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ and committed to living out those teachings in their daily lives.
Today, Franconia Mennonite Conference is a diverse and vibrant community that includes over 40 congregations representing various ethnicities, cultures, and languages. The conference's mission is to empower its member churches to be missional, intercultural, and formational communities that embody the love of Christ in their local contexts.
Missional: Living Out God's Mission
At the heart of Franconia Mennonite Conference's identity is its commitment to being a missional community. This means that the conference seeks to live out God's mission by proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ through word and deed. The conference encourages its member churches to engage with their local communities by serving others, sharing their faith with those who do not know Christ, and working for justice and peace.
One way that Franconia Mennonite Conference supports its member churches in this mission is through its Missional Operations Grant program. This program provides funding for innovative ministry projects that seek to reach new people with the gospel message.
Intercultural: Celebrating Diversity
Another key aspect of Franconia Mennonite Conference's identity is its commitment to being an intercultural community. This means that the conference celebrates diversity as a gift from God and seeks to create spaces where people from different backgrounds can come together as equals.
The conference recognizes that cultural differences can sometimes lead to misunderstandings or conflicts within communities. To address this challenge, it offers resources such as cross-cultural training programs for pastors and lay leaders so they can better understand how culture shapes our perspectives on life and faith.
Formational: Growing Together in Faith
Finally, Franconia Mennonite Conference emphasizes spiritual formation as an essential aspect of Christian discipleship. The conference believes that following Jesus requires ongoing growth in our relationship with God through prayer, Bible study, worship, service, fellowship with other believers.
To support this emphasis on spiritual formation within its member churches' lives', Franconia offers resources such as retreats for pastors or lay leaders seeking renewal or deeper understanding about what it means "to follow Jesus." Additionally there are opportunities like "Faithwalking" which helps individuals grow spiritually while also developing leadership skills needed for effective ministry work both inside & outside church walls!
Conclusion:
In conclusion,Franconia mennonite conference has been around since 1847 when Swiss-German immigrants founded it; today it has grown into a diverse group representing various ethnicities & cultures across more than forty congregations! It remains committed towards empowering these congregations so they may become missional (proclaiming good news), intercultural (celebrating diversity) & formational (growing together). With programs like Missions Operations Grant Program providing funding opportunities towards innovative ministry projects aimed at reaching new people; Cross-Culture Training Programs helping pastors/lay leaders better understand cultural differences shaping perspectives on life/faith; Retreats/Faithwalking Opportunities supporting spiritual growth while developing leadership skills needed both inside/outside church walls - there are plenty ways one can get involved!
franconiaconference.org
