Plenary 1: Going Up the Mountain
“Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob.” (Isaiah 2:3).
Our focus in the first plenary will be going up the mountain, the ascent to connect with the Lord our God, with the worshiping, repenting, reading, and praying that it entails. Through written responses, recorded video interviews, and live speakers, we will hear from people around the New Church about what having a relationship with the Lord means to them. We will reflect on some passages about the Lord; we will speak candidly about the challenges and blessings of trying to follow the Lord; we will be challenged and inspired to grow in our relationship with the Lord.
Facilitated by Rev. Malcolm Smith
Plenary 2: Coming Down the Mountain
“He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths” (Isaiah 2:3)
All of us are called up the mountain to connect with the Lord, and all of us figuratively go down the mountain to return to our day-to-day lives. This plenary is about the central calling to put our faith into practice and live according to spiritual principles. How do you express your faith in action? What do you most appreciate in the examples and strengths of others? In what ways can we support each other by means of this church to live up to the Lord’s charge? This plenary will feature testimonials from several people illustrating how they respond to the Lord's call.
Facilitated by Bishop Peter Buss, Jr.
"What does having a relationship with the Lord mean to you?" "How has your relationship with the Lord changed and evolved over the course of your life so far?" "Do you have any favorite stories from the Word about the Lord or any favorite quotes from the Lord?" These are the kinds of questions that we'd like you to respond to in this survey. Read through the survey and pick one or two questions to respond to. It will be a great help. Thanks! - Malcolm
Additional Plenary Guest Speakers
Carey Foord
Carey Foord resides in Westville, South Africa. She works at New Church Westville in a multi-dimensional position called Secretary and Newsletter Editor (which stands for “does everything”). Her church focus emphasizes volunteer coordination and connecting. I asked Carey to speak from the perspective of a choice to engage extensively in service to the church and to invite others to do the same.
Dawn Wadsworth
Dawn and Wayne Wadsworth reside in Atlanta, Georgia. Volunteering is a theme in their life, including service on the General Church Board--Dawn for six years, and Wayne as a current Director. Dawn and Wayne have also championed New Church education for their children, sending them to the Academy, and proudly seeing them through to graduation and beyond. I asked Dawn and Wayne to share a perspective about volunteering and about parenting from a New Church perspective.
Howard Thomson
Howard Thomson is a pastor within the General Church, currently on loan to the Australian Association. He serves the Roseville New Church in Sydney. Howard chose to enter the priesthood mid-career, after a successful career in the insurance industry. He brings a thoughtful, not-raised-in-the-New-Church perspective to his work, and a dedication that has led him and his family to serve in three countries so far. I asked Howard to talk about his decision to join the priesthood mid-career.
Landon Elder
Landon Elder resides in Richmond, Indiana. He works for a division of Vandor Corporation called Starmark Local - an Elder family company supporting funeral service throughout North America. He has a background in teaching and social work. I asked Landon to join this plenary as a speaker because of his passion for community service and making a difference in people’s lives through service.