Dear Friends of ECC,
My name is John Collins. I am Sr. Pastor at First Church of Christ in Altoona, PA. and President
of the Eastern Christian Conference for 2016. I am so excited to be a part of what God is doing in and around the Northeast. The Eastern Christian Conference has a rich heritage of drawing churches together as we serve the Lord in our region. Last year, the ECC joined with ICOM (International Conference on Missions) for their great gathering in Richmond, VA. If you were there you know what a great blessing it was to be a part of that inspiring event. But we’re even more excited about our coming event this year!
Our conference for 2016 will meet November 11 – 13 at the wonderful Hershey Lodge in beautiful Hershey, PA. I hope you are already planning to join us. Our theme is: Becoming: Living BY and Growing IN the Fruit of the Spirit!
Have you ever noticed how most people are concerned about FINDING things. They are trying to find the right job. They are looking for the right person to marry. Everyone is trying to find the perfect house or the right car to drive. Basically, everyone is trying to FIND happiness and contentment from outside sources. And while they don’t find happiness in those places – they often discouragement…and lose their way in life.
At the ECC this fall we are going to focus on this thought: it’s not about FINDING but about BECOMING! I believe that BECOMING the right person is the key to finding everything you want in life and ministry. But what does that look like? God’s word says in Galatians 2:22-23 (NLT), “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
Our time together at the 2016 ECC will be spent examining on how we can live BY and fully express the fruit of the Holy Spirit. You’ll be glad you set aside the weekend! The worship will be dynamic and heart felt. I am so excited to hear from Eddie Lowen, Sr. Pastor, Westside Christian Church, Springfield IL and Daniel Overdorf, Professor of Preaching at Johnson University and Daryl Reed from the DC Regional Church. They will develop the big ideas of our theme.
On Friday Afternoon, Eddie and Daniel will also share for our annual
pre-conference for church leaders. Make sure you sign up and come early for that.
We have a great lineup of workshop leaders and we’re pleased to host Chiz Rider, trumpeter extraordinaire, to entertain us for our President’s Luncheon on Saturday.
It’s going to be a great conference!
Join us in Hershey as we Become….
Blessings to all,
