A Harleysville-based organization known as Peaceful Living hosts a conference later this week to explore the divine power of friendship. Executive Director Joe Landis says the agency provides home-based services for people with disabilities and also operates two group homes, and it will highlight the faith community as a source of support and friendship.

“Our goal is to integrate persons with disabilities into the community.  A strong component that we have is to integrate people into the faith community, so that’s why we have the congregational services, and the conference coming up is to look at educating congregations about including people with disabilities into their congregations.”

Landis says families alone do not always have the resources to draw out the special gifts of people with disabilities, and the faith community can help to draw them out.  The conference on the divine power of friendship is being held Friday and Saturday at Souderton Mennonite Church.  For registration fees and more information go to peacefulliving.org on the internet.