* February 11 

- Grand Board Retreat and Executive Board

  in Canton, Ohio.

* March 18-20 

- Reconnect 

retreat for youth workers at Orange Friends Church in Columbus, Ohio. Download the brochure here. 

* April 22-24  

- Soul Blast  

in Battle Creek, MI. Visit www.soulblast.org for registration and details. Check it out the promotional video here: https://vimeo.com/148521620.

Canton First Friends held a debt-free celebration on January 31st after paying off the mortgage on the new building. To celebrate God's faithfulness and the generous giving of members, the morning service included a video of the history of the church (to watch it, click here:  https://vimeo.com/153698771 ), prayer and worship, cardboard testimonies, mortgage shredding, and a debt-free celebratory yell with confetti poppers. In the evening, a dinner was served to over 700 people, and fun activities included a photo booth and balloon animals. We continue to pray for guidance as they consider the future. 

 

Mount Carmel Friends Church paid off their final loan in December and are now also completely debt free! One loan was paid off last January, and the final one this December. The photo above shows Stewardship Commission members, Mike Rucker and Lowell Kennedy holding the stick with a copy of the mortgage papers on it, Stewardship Elder (and retired Friends minister) John Morris overseeing, and Presiding Clerk David Turner lighting the carefully-controlled fire.