REACH 2025 (March 13-14)

[mike]

I doubt that Pittsburgh ever saw that many conservative Anabaptists in its entire history.

Some of us were musing that a visitor to downtown Pittsburgh might assume that this was an enclave of Amish and other conservative Anabaptists. The Home Show going on in the same building drew a lot of Amish to the area as well.

As vendors?

[Ernie]

I've been wondering the last couple days how we could leverage this presence in Pittsburgh for the good of the Kingdom. Numerous ones of us had people asking us about our faith and it seems that with a bit more coaching, we could take this to a whole other level. In fact, it would make sense to me to have an "information booth" on the sidewalk just for the purpose of addressing the questions of the curious and seekers.

[Ernie]

I doubt that Pittsburgh ever saw that many conservative Anabaptists in its entire history.

Some of us were musing that a visitor to downtown Pittsburgh might assume that this was an enclave of Amish and other conservative Anabaptists. The Home Show going on in the same building drew a lot of Amish to the area as well.

As vendors?

Both as vendors and event attendees.

[Southerner]

It was a very successful convention in my opinion.
Food was expensive. Parking was expensive. Parking and travel were nightmarish. But a lot of great topics and lots of good connections.

Attendance today was around 2800.

It was good to meet Dan Freed, Mike, R7ehr's brother, and maybe more of you who read MN but don't post much.

The next REACH is planned for 2027.

It seems a conference like this is straying far from how Anabaptist gatherings have typically been conducted, and it is becoming much more like a “corporate” conference. Expensive conference facilities, expensive mass produced food. Gone are the days of volunteers preparing simple but healthful meals. Expensive parking instead of youth boys with orange cones directing parking. Staying in pricy hotels instead of each other’s homes.

Such is the way many things turn before the dying gasps of dying institutions.

Maybe you could host the event at your property???

[JohnH]

It was a very successful convention in my opinion.
Food was expensive. Parking was expensive. Parking and travel were nightmarish. But a lot of great topics and lots of good connections.

Attendance today was around 2800.

It was good to meet Dan Freed, Mike, R7ehr's brother, and maybe more of you who read MN but don't post much.

The next REACH is planned for 2027.

It seems a conference like this is straying far from how Anabaptist gatherings have typically been conducted, and it is becoming much more like a “corporate” conference. Expensive conference facilities, expensive mass produced food. Gone are the days of volunteers preparing simple but healthful meals. Expensive parking instead of youth boys with orange cones directing parking. Staying in pricy hotels instead of each other’s homes.

Such is the way many things turn before the dying gasps of dying institutions.

Maybe you could host the event at your property???

If there were interest I would be glad to do so.

[danfreed]

I've been wondering the last couple days how we could leverage this presence in Pittsburgh for the good of the Kingdom. Numerous ones of us had people asking us about our faith and it seems that with a bit more coaching, we could take this to a whole other level. In fact, it would make sense to me to have an "information booth" on the sidewalk just for the purpose of addressing the questions of the curious and seekers.

I appreciate your creativity, Ernie, in reaching people with the gospel message. I am specifically praying that God places more church planters in Pittsburgh as a result of this meeting.

So happy to meet you, Mike and Dan Z, and many others this week. I loved the conversations over dinner, prayer opportunities, hearing stories, and seeing the variety of ministries represented. The enthusiasm of both youth and older folks was invigorating. Breakout sessions by Dan Z and Allen Roth gave me new tools for witnessing.

Faith Builders and the convention staff did an amazing job with meeting organization, in my opinion. I saw many positive interactions between attendees and hosts, both at the convention center and at the hotel where I stayed.

Let's join in this prayer with the Faith Builders team...

"We pray that this gathering of people and the resulting outflow of ministry will bring glory to God and see the furtherance of His purposes for our time."

Until everyone, everywhere knows Jesus, to the glory of God.

[Southerner]

Acts 2 network has a vibrant congregation in Pittsburgh. I know some of the members and highly recommend checking out the congregation.

[JohnH]

Acts 2 network has a vibrant congregation in Pittsburgh. I know some of the members and highly recommend checking out the congregation.

This brings up a good question; is REACH going to remain focused on plain / conservative Anabaptism, or is it expanding to the non-plain world as well?

[Dan Z]

Acts 2 network has a vibrant congregation in Pittsburgh. I know some of the members and highly recommend checking out the congregation.

This brings up a good question; is REACH going to remain focused on plain/conservative Anabaptism, or is it expanding to the non-plain world as well?

REACH is targeted at the moderately-conservative Anabaptist constituency that also supports FaithBuilders. This would include New-order Amish, German Baptist, and Old Order River Brethren as the most plain, to Keystone, Southeast Conf, and BMA as some of the least plain - a constituency of about 34,000 people in total according to demographer Edsel Burge. Virtually all the participants at the event, and all of the ministries represented, were from non-conformed Anabaptist churches of some kind or another. I don't see that changing any time soon.

It was a treat to fellowship with DanFreed (thanks for supper!), Ernie, MikeF, and many non-Mennonet friends we have gotten to know over the years. My wife and I took the train into town from Minnesota. The hotel, train station, and convention center were all within 1/2 mile of each other so very convenient, with no car to rent or park.

Once again I was impressed by the amount of resources and sacrificial mission conviction that exists within this group of moderately conservative Anabaptists. This relatively small constituency invests an impressive amount of resources (personal and financial) into the work of the Kingdom!

[Southerner]

Acts 2 network has a vibrant congregation in Pittsburgh. I know some of the members and highly recommend checking out the congregation.

This brings up a good question; is REACH going to remain focused on plain / conservative Anabaptism, or is it expanding to the non-plain world as well?

I know nothing about Reach except from what I read here. I only know the Acts 2 network and their campus ministry.