The Grace Brethren head to Indian Wells, Calif., this summer for the annual family reunion, Vision2020 West (also known as national conference). The event follows the theme set last year in Wooster, Ohio, Vision2020, and will focus on church planting, leadership development, and integrated ministries.
Beginning on Saturday, July 28, and continuing through Wednesday, August 1, the conference will feature challenges by various Grace Brethren pastors, opportunities for fellowship over meals hosted by national organizations, and plenty of time to take in the sites of the Coachella Valley location.
Following a series of day-long seminars and roundtables sponsored by CE National, Vision2020 begins Saturday evening with an evening of worship led by Jeremiah Olson, worship pastor at Grace Community Church, a Grace Brethren church in Goshen, Ind. The rest of the conference will be highlighted by Grace Brethren speakers such as John Teevan, Keith Minier, Dave Guiles, Randy Smith, and Tim Boal.
The only guest speaker on the schedule will take to the podium on Wednesday. Larry Osborne is senior pastor at North Coast Church in Vista, Calif., and is widely recognized as one of the most innovative and influential churches in America. His books include: Sticky Church, Sticky Teams, 10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe, Spirituality for the Rest of Us, and The Unity Factor.
One of the items on Wednesday’s business meeting for the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches is the welcoming of new churches. As of press time, 10 congregations had applied to the FGBC, including:
- Eastgate Bible Church, Ashland, Ohio, Nathan Wells, pastor
- EastGate Church, Mansfield, Ohio, Andy Shank, pastor
- El-Elyon Haitian Evangelical Ministry, Inc., Miramar, Fla., Henock Joseph, pastor*
- Grace Brethren Church, Jacksontown, Ohio, Tony Webb, church planter/pastor
- Grasslands Church, Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, Oliver Edwards, pastor
- Iglesia Cristiana La Cosecha, Durham, N.C., Oscar Chavez, pastor*
- Menominee Grace Brethren Church, Menominee, Mich., James J. Burke, pastor*
- Neighborhood Church of Tracy, Calif., Matthew Cripe, pastor*
- Village Community Church, Milton, Ontario, Canada, Rob Stanley, lead pastor
- White Stone Community, Columbus, Ohio, Tony Webb, church planter/pastor
The setting for the conference is the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa in Indian Wells. Part of the Marriott family of hotels, the resort is complete with swimming pools, fine dining, golf courses, and other amenities. Rooms for conference are available at just $89 a night.
*Pending recommendation by the Fellowship Council.