Saturday Jolynn and I flew out to Philadelphia. We spent the Memorial holiday time with a cousin and her family in northern New Jersey. The family R&R was a welcome joy after the hectic schedule of recent weeks and a nice rest before the next round of travels.
On Wednesday we will arrive in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania for the meeting of the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference. I will be the conference preacher there. The Greater New Jersey Conference focused on the first three vows of Methodism – prayers, presence, gifts – last year. They have asked me specifically to address the twin themes of Service and Witness.
Next Saturday we will fly back to Fort Worth, grab a quick change of clothes and then head down to Waco for the Central Texas Conference. It should be a great time of learning and worship with Dr. Joy Moore and Dr. Gil Rendle leading us.
The following Thursday, June 7th (the day after the CTC Conference closes), I will fly back out to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to speak to the Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church. Their Conference theme is “the river flows through us and beyond us.” My first address is on the transformation of the local church following the theme “The River Flows Through Us.” The second address is on the importance of new church development and is entitled “The River Flows Beyond Us.”
All across the country, Conferences of the UMC are spending more time in worship and learning as we lean into a new future. I look forward to sharing with and learning from our colleagues in Christ serving in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. I’ll see you in Waco!