Atlantic Area Assembly 2019

​Regional Fraternity of Eastern Canada
Atlantic Area Fall Assembly
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Holy Family Parish Church/Hall,
63 Church St, Amherst, NS 
 
  Theme: “Bridging the generation gap“

​
Greetings: The planning for a 2019 Fall Area Assembly is in progress. This year’s topic was suggested at the end of last year’s assembly “bridging the generation gap, connecting with people beyond baby boomers where issues like social justice and care of creation are of greater concern….” 

Fraternities across our Region are suffering from declining membership. Membership across Canada has dropped by approximately 90% since 1992.  There are various reasons: the drop in Church attendance, aging members and health problems, church scandals and so on. At this assembly we will explore varying questions such as, how do we interest the younger folk in the way of St. Francis and the life as a secular Franciscan; are our fraternities really welcoming; are we too set in our ways to accommodate young adults with different ways of thinking; how do we become more visible; what does a visitor expect to experience when they come to a meeting, and many more questions?

This assembly proposes to use a panel format and with the help of the panellist explore ideas for reversing membership decline. Time will be allocated for open Q&A. The goal is to end the day with a toolbox of ideas from which fraternities can draw to help grow the call to the Franciscan way of living.

The assembly will again be held in the hall of the Holy Family Parish in Amherst. The facility is fully accessible. Please reserve Saturday September 21, 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. Let us come together for fellowship and to learn how we may more fully serve the Lord. Encourage your members to come, participate and meet fellow Franciscans.

As in previous assemblies, we will also take time to share with each other what is happening in our fraternities, share our Franciscan journeys and identify where we need support. Ministers please prepare a short report of your fraternity’s activities. At noon we will share a meal together with our traditional potluck meal.

If you have any questions or concerns please email George Guimond or call (506) 894-2453. Mark your calendars: September 21. We look forward to seeing you there