EMC church leaders from Regions 7 and 8 gather for encouragement and discussion
Our Conference staff created a valuable opportunity for pastors and leaders from Regions 7 (Winnipeg area) and 8 (Steinbach area) to connect and engage in discussions about relevant ministry challenges that EMC churches may be facing. The events took place at Heartland Community Church in Landmark on Friday (Jan. 31) and Saturday (Feb. 1).
Church leaders connect at Heartland Community Church on Feb. 1, 2025.
Pastors and their spouses gathered for a wonderful night out featuring a catered meal, uplifting worship, and a beautiful communion experience together. It was lovely to see pastors from half of our Region 7/8 churches joining in this special gathering. Mo Friesen led in a heartfelt worship time while Andy Woodworth’s message about the shepherds trusting the Shepherd encouraged pastoral couples to guard their hearts above all else. The evening concluded with a time of reflective communion led by Emery Plett. It was truly a night to rest and enjoy the company of fellow labourers in Christ.
On Saturday, the Leadership Forum attracted representatives from 14 of our 20 churches in Region 7/8. The five current EMC directors gave a brief overview of their respective areas of responsibility within the Conference’s wider work and then prompted discussion among the participants around key questions from each area.
Executive Director, Emery Plett, shared the EMC’s stated mission and vision and engaged the leaders in discussing its relevance and effectiveness in today’s church culture. A conversation about how to practically support churches and resource local leadership to help advance the work of the local church and the conference led to several suggestions on how to improve the working relationship between churches and the conference.
Director of Global Outreach, Gerald Reimer, discussed the important role of missions within the EMC and responded to questions that churches had about the overall work. There were conversations about how the local church can recognize and nurture an individual’s call to missions and how we can work together to equip and support our current missionaries.
Director of Communications, Erica Fehr, reminded the participants of the many EMC resources available for our churches and their intended purposes. Participants were encouraged to weigh in on matters that the EMC should address in its written publications, things we should move on from, and ways in which we could communicate with greater clarity to a broader group of people (e.g., through social media).
Conference Pastor, Andy Woodworth, shared the strategy being implemented to encourage our EMC ministers to engage more consistently in the Conference’s work. The main question proposed to the participants centred around the effectiveness of our churches in advancing the Great Commission and ways in which the Conference can better promote local evangelism and outreach.
Director of Next Gen, Mo Friesen, closed the day by discussing the challenges and opportunities we face in the quest to reach and equip the next generation for kingdom work. Participating leaders discussed some common challenges in their churches related to children and youth ministry and the ongoing struggle to adequately equip volunteers for effective ministry to the next generation. Innovative ideas were shared about how the Conference and the local church can work cooperatively to raise committed followers of Christ.
The next Regional Leadership Forum is scheduled for the weekend of February 6–7, 2026, for Regions 3–6.
