Assembly will explore Making Disciples As We Go!

What will you enjoy most when attending VMC’s annual Assembly this July in Charlottesville? The robust singing in the evening worship service? Animated discussions around your delegate table? A new idea for your congregation garnered from a workshop? Sitting around the supper table with friends you rarely get to see? Or, perhaps, just basking in the presence of brothers and sisters who share your Anabaptist views of church and theology?

This summer’s Assembly at Trinity Presbyterian in Charlottesville, July 24-26, will provide all of the possibilities listed above—and more. Trinity Presbyterian is a large church with adequate accommodations for a crowd so there is more than adequate space for delegate sessions, worship, child care and fellowship. Meals will be catered by a local business.

Southern District churches are hosting the Assembly and they extend a welcome to all. Hopefully some of their famous toe-tapping country and bluegrass music will brighten our gathering times.
Making Disciples As We Go! is the Assembly theme. Our work, worship and reflection will be guided by Jesus’ Great Commission.

You will have the opportunity to listen to the new conference leaders, Clyde Kratz and Aaron Kauffman, speak about their visions for Virginia Mennonite Conference. Clyde, the new executive conference minister, will speak at Thursday evening’s worship, and Aaron, newly appointed president of Virginia Mennonite Missions, will speak Friday evening. Both leaders are excited about their fresh responsibilities and this opportunity to make contact with many members of VMC.

Bible study has always been part of the Assembly schedule. This year the co-pastors of Charlottesville Mennonite Church, Roy and Maren Hange, are the Bible study leaders, Roy on Friday and Maren on Saturday.

Each workshop will be offered twice; participants can attend two. Ervin Stutzman, executive director of Mennonite Church USA, will lead “Communal Discernment in the Face of Strong Disagreement.” Isaac Villegas, pastor of Chapel Hill Fellowship (NC), and Dave Nickel, prison chaplain, will coordinate a workshop on “Us, Them, and Prison Ministry.” Lana Miller, undergraduate campus pastor at EMU, will lead “Young Adults and the Church: Why Such a Puzzling Combination?” Skip Tobin, VMM USA Ministries Director, will lead the workshop on “Discipling Jesus-style.”

Speakers for the women’s and men’s breakfasts on Saturday morning are Laura Campbell, VMM worker in Montenegro, and Richard Alderfer, retired family physican from Waynesboro.
Details for all the events, such as meeting times, locations and directions to Trinity Presbyterian Church, are available here. Registration is now open online.

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ASSEMBLY SPEAKERS

Clyde G. Kratz is Executive Conference Minister of Virginia Mennonite Conference. He will bring the message during the Thursday evening worship, July 24.

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Aaron M. Kauffman is President of Virginia Mennonite Missions. He will bring the message during the Friday evening worship, July 25.

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Roy and Maren Hange are co-pastors of Charlottesville Mennonite Church. Roy will lead Friday Bible study; Maren will lead the Bible study on Saturday.