Once again, we are meeting in the midst of the global pandemic. One thing this devastating disease has taught is the blessings of meeting by Zoom. All of the insight sessions and Saturday business are being conducted via Zoom again this year, allowing everyone in the district to engage in them and permitting the sessions to be viewed for months to come. The exciting part about gathering virtually is that additional Sisters and Brothers can participate while at the same time practicing the Brethren value of living simply by avoiding a tiring, resource-consuming journey to La Verne.

There are sixteen exciting insight sessions to enjoy this year, offered from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m., Sunday through Wednesday evening prior to the conference gathering itself. Although you can participate in only one live session per evening, you can later watch the ones you missed at your leisure on YouTube. Preceding the opening Sunday insight session at 5 p.m. on November 7 is Virtual Social Gathering/Fellowship Time. This is an opportunity to greet virtually together and chat and perhaps also eat. Since I am a historian, there is plenty of history included among the insight sessions.

The worship sessions all include multiple perspectives on Acts/Hechos 2. In both the Friday and the Saturday worship, two different preachers will present short messages. On Saturday one of them will be in Spanish and, like the others, it will be simultaneously translated. At both worships, and, in fact, during the business sessions as well, exciting music will be shared from our diverse PSWD congregations. An especially meaningful special feature of the conference will be the Conversation circles on “multi-cultural together” led by Darla Kay Deardorff at the Saturday afternoon business session.

Thank you for your decision to come together with your district.

Peace,
Al Clark, Moderator