South Carolina Conference Communications

Candler Conference to Focus on Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations

Come discover how your church can experience congregational health, vitality and fruitfulness by practicing radical hospitality, passionate worship, intentional faith development, risk-taking mission and service, and extravagant generosity.

These will be the topics as Bishop Robert Schnase, author of Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, leads Candler School of Theology’s Fall Congregational Conference Oct. 11-13 at Gainesville First UMC and at Candler on the Emory campus in Atlanta.

The three-day conference features workshops and firsthand instruction by Schnase, who weaves theological insight, practical advice and exemplary stories to inspire pastors and laity. His goal is to help churches discover how they can demonstrate health by focusing on the five practices and how—by repeating and improving them—your church can fulfill its mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

All events on Sunday, Oct. 11, will be held at Gainesville First United Methodist Church, where Schnase will also preach at the morning worship services. Monday and Tuesday’s events will take place at Candler School of Theology.

Schnase serves as bishop of the Missouri Conference of The United Methodist Church. He was elected bishop in 2004. In addition to Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, he has authored Ambition in Ministry: Our Spiritual Struggle with Success, and Achievement and Competition, and Testing and Reclaiming Your Call to Ministry.

For more information or to register for the event, visit www.candler.emory.edu. or
Contact: Candler School of Theology, Laurel Hanna, 404.727.4481, laurel.hanna@emory.edu

About Candler School of Theology

Candler School of Theology, Emory University, is an intellectually vital, internationally distinguished, and intentionally diverse university-based school of theology. Candler is committed to educating ministers, scholars of religion, and other leaders. Candler is dedicated to expanding knowledge of religion and theology, deepening spiritual life, strengthening the public witness of the churches, and building upon the breadth of Christian traditions, particularly the Wesleyan heritage, for the positive transformation of church and world. It is one of 13 United Methodist Church seminaries, and its enrollment includes more than 500 students from more than 50 denominations.