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Bishop
Peggy
Johnson
announces
new appointments and retirements,
effective July 1 unless otherwise stated:
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Summer hours at the Conference Office begin this week. Our hours are 7:00 am to 4:15 pm, Monday - Thursday. The office will be closed on Fridays.
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The
Spring 2017 issue of
NEWSpirit!, our quarterly newspaper,is now ready to
read online. And it will be printed and mailed to subscribers by this weekend! Read it online, or
subscribe today for only $12 and we will send you a printed copy to enjoy at its full size. This new issue contains the
2016 Church Connectional Giving Report for all Eastern PA churches, plus articles about Annual Conference, the recent district conferences and much more!
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Register for Annual Conference by Saturday
Registration for AC 2017, which now includes a $50 late fee, will end at midnight on Sunday, June 4. Walk-in registration will be available at Annual Conference and will also include a $50 late fee.
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Cross-Racial, Cross-Cultural Appointment Workshop, June 3
This annual workshop, facilitated by representatives of the General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) is for clergy and laity in churches that are engaged in cross-racial, cross-cultural ministry
. It will take place June 3, from 9 AM to 3 PM, at Valley Forge: St. Matthew's UMC. Lunch will be Provided.
Who should attend? Leaders of every church are invited. But clergy and laity who currently serve or will soon serve together in cross-racial, cross-cultural appointments are strongly encouraged to attend.
Register today
(at:
etouches.com/250242).
For resources related to cross racial/cross cultural appoints, visit
gcorr.org/resources-search
. Look for "Filter by Topic" and click on "Cross-racial/Cross-cultural Appointments."
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Register for 2017 Academy for Laity
The 2017 Academy for Laity happens August 4 - 6 at Cedarville UMC, 1092 Laurelwood Road, Pottstown, PA. We have a new date, a new location and new courses.
Registration is open now until July 15. This is the perfect opportunity for you to start or refresh your Christ Servant Ministry journey.
Learn more.
Register By Mail:
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What's new on our website this week?
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Conference to highlight reports, guests, offerings
The Eastern PA Annual Conference, June 15-17, will offer a witness to all things Methodist in its inspiring worship, sermons, prayers, reports and presentations. There will also be acts of grace and generosity. Among several reports will be Bishop Peggy Johnson's update on the Council of Bishops' Special Commission on a Way Forward. She will show the Commission's new video, talk about interpretive resources, answer questions and "explain my heart's desire for unity in the church through Christ." There are plenty of other reports, special guests and offerings planned for the annual session.
Learn more...
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Liberty, justice, equality dominate conference resolutions
"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
The U.S. Congress adopted that Pledge of Allegiance to the nation and its flag 75 years ago (although the words "under God" were added in 1954). While we embrace most of it with little argument, the final six words seem to be under constant debate. That debate now spills over into our church of many nations, as we wrestle with competing values of liberty and equal justice under the laws of both church and state.
Religious liberty, civil rights, free political speech, equal inclusion and access, church unity or disunion-these values and aspirations are replete among the 27 resolutions that The United Methodist Church's Eastern PA Conference will consider and vote on at its annual session June 15-17. They address laws of both our U.S. Constitution and our church's Book of Discipline.
Learn more...
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Changing districts honor their legacy, welcome the future
Fittingly on United Methodist Heritage Sunday, May 21, there was much remembrance of ministry milestones and faithful heroes of the past at our six district conferences. There were speeches and songs, prayers of thanksgiving, old photos projected onscreen, and participation by past district superintendents. But it was also Aldersgate Sunday, honoring the night John Wesley learned to more deeply experience God's grace. And only days later we would celebrate Jesus' Ascension, when the risen, departing Christ assured his disciples they would receive Holy Ghost power to spread his gospel around the globe.
So there was much reason to also look and move ahead, even into the uncertain future of doing ministry in four newly configured districts. As the Rev. Alicia Julia-Stanley told the Northwest District Conference, paraphrasing poet Anthony Machado, "Paths are made as we walk them."
Learn more...
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Kingdom-building with Tools for Ministry
Leaders were teaching learners in six districts across our conference April 29, offering them tools for ministry to work not on houses of faith but on the people in them. Each year the multisite academies known as Tools for Ministry offer an expansive reach of knowledge to hundreds of church leaders, preparing them for disciple-making and Kingdom-building.
Unlearning and dismantling racism was a key theme in the Northwest and Southeast districts, as part of an ongoing, conference-wide anti-racism initiative. Other topics ranged from prayer ministries to church websites, from emotional intelligence to personal evangelism, from radical hospitality to restorative justice.
Learn more...
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Ideas for celebrating Pentecost at home
Pentecost, an important day in the life of the church, can be a wonderful opportunity for family worship, discussions about church and the Holy Spirit, and a celebration of our faith. On Pentecost Sunday, which we will celebrate June 4, we remember the day the disciples received the Holy Spirit in a special way. There was a powerful wind and tongues of fire (see Acts 2:1-41). With the gift of the Spirit, the disciples were able to tell people from all over the world about Jesus in ways each could understand. The Bible reports that about 3,000 people were baptized that day, creating the first church.
Creatively celebrating Pentecost in the home can be a wonderful addition to your family's devotional life, as you give thanks to God for the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the church.
Learn more...
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Read, reflect and rejoice in Bishop Peggy Johnson's colorful new
Faithfully Yours column in NEWSpirit newspaper, titled "PURPLE," which we have republished in our website's INSPIRE feature section. It's a beautiful sermon that will indeed, inspire you. It draws deeply from rivers of Scripture, tradition, reason and Christian experience, as it invokes the story of Lydia, an early church leader found in Acts 16-13-15. She went to the river to pray, met the Apostle Paul, and the power of the Holy Spirit was soon at work in her life and among the many lives she touched. What can we learn from Lydia that we can apply to our lives and to the life of our conference?
Read on...
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Methodists Make News:
St. James UMC
"As a house of worship that is literally building up its own community, St. James United Methodist Church spends more time outside in the streets being a church than it does inside" begins the article written by Samaria Bailey, Tribune Correspondent. "This focus, in addition to a contemporary service, has resulted in significant growth, suggesting a bright future ahead for St. James and anything else it touches."
The Rev. John Brice admits the church was about to close down, averaging six worshipers a Sunday when he arrived last July. Now they have 79 members, "but this increase doesn't compare to how St. James has grown as a ministerial force in the community," the article reports. Indeed, strategic planning, strong, active leadership and support from other churches in its East District are reasons behind this remarkable renaissance in progress.
Learn more...
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News in Brief
Used choir robes available
Downingtown UMC has 24 used choir robes that they would like to donate to a sister congregation that can use them. Sized to fit men and women of various sizes, they are a cream color with a burgundy collar piece and an embroidered UMC logo. Contact the church office at 610-269-1496 or e-mail them at
[email protected].
Chef Lucy returns to 'Chopped Jr.'
Remember Lucy Chelton, the 9-year-old chef from Sellersville, Pa., we
wrote about last August, who won first place on Food Network's children's television cooking show "Chopped Jr" and who shared part of her $10,000 prize with a local program that serves low-income families? Well she's back! Lucy, whose parents are on the ministry staff of Christ UMC in Lansdale, Pa., was invited to compete in a
Chopped Jr tournament with 15 other champions. Her episode will air on
Tuesday, June 13, at
8 PM, and during rebroadcasts.
Wear orange
on Friday, June 2, for National Gun Violence Awareness Day
More than 300 organizations will join together this weekend to
#WearOrange
for the third annual
National Gun Violence Awareness Day. The weekend includes rallies, vigils, picnics and family-friendly activities across the United States, in person and online.
The UMC's General Board of Church and Society urges us to wear orange
on Friday, June 2 and post pictures of ourselves, our congregations or our families on social media using the hashtags #WearOrange and #UMC to show that we stand against gun violence. Visit www.wearorange.org to take part in one of the over 250 events nationwide.
Church and Society launches new website
"After six months of hard work," the General Board of Church and Society has launched its new agency website. Check out their fresh, new look, name and feel at
www.umcjustice.org. They say they redesigned the site to better serve United Methodists passionate about working for justice and peace. "We needed a website that would allow visitors to learn about the positions of The United Methodist Church on issues of faith, justice and peace. We also wanted to ensure that there were clear opportunities for engagement and advocacy." They also switched their Twitter handle to @umcjustice. Let them know your thoughts and suggestions.
Phil Wogaman returns Elders orders
Philip Wogaman, a retired clergy member of the Baltimore Washington Conference and formerly of the old Philadelphia Conference, planned to celebrate the 60th
anniversary of his Elder's ordination next month. But
on Wednesday afternoon he unexpectedly turned in his clergy credentials to Bishop LaTrelle Easterling during the Annual Conference clergy session. Wogaman said his "heart breaks" for T.C. Morrow, a lesbian who was not approved for ordination as a Deacon in 2016 and who was not presented to the clergy session this year, and for "others like her" with the gifts and graces for ordained ministry "who have been excluded as a result of bad church law, applied legalistically and hurtfully."
Learn more...
Interpreter looking for personal anecdotes
Interpreter, the UM program magazine published by UM Communications, wants you to share your thoughts about personal encounters with diversity. They're asking readers to respond to the magazine's
"We asked ... you said ..." regular reader response feature. Sabrina Daluisio, Lay Leader of
Lima UMC,
was quoted in the current May-June issue, responding to the question "
Why are you a United Methodist?
"
The new question is "How did you first develop a relationship (social/friend, work or school, church, family or other) with someone of a different ethnic or racial group or from a different country?" Think and remember that experience and then
send them your answer in 50-75 words, being as specific as possible. A few responses will be included in the July/August Interpreter and more in Interpreter OnLine. Make certain your full name, local church and city/state appear below and indicate if you are clergy or laity.
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Annual Conference 2017 will 'Rise Up' in prayer
We have updated our website's Annual Conference 2017 advance coverage with new details about the plans for inspirational worship and celebration using a series of "Rise Up..." themes related to each event. Learn more... Also visit our Annual Conference 2017 webpage to see the following:
We'll publish summary articles about the resolutions, constitutional amendments and other of plans for Annual Conference on our website next week. These articles will also be in the spring issue of NEWSpirit newspaper, due out next week also.
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Celebrating 250 Years of Methodism in America
At Annual Conference in June we will celebrate the "Sestercentennial," or 250th anniversary, of the birth of
Methodism in America when a Methodist Prayer Society formed in Philadelphia in 1767. That society worshiped for two years before building a permanent meetinghouse in 1769. Historic St. George's UMC, is now the oldest church built by Methodists still in continuous use in the United States. Annual Conference will mark the occasion with special commemorative narratives, publications and displays. Conference members wearing colonial-era garb will portray several ancestors of our denomination. Meanwhile, Historic St. George's, which houses a museum and our Conference Archives, is already making plans to celebrate its 250th in 2019. Learn more...
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Come celebrate Africa University's 25th
Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Africa University with Mother African Zoar UMC 1204 Melon Street, Philadelphia, on Saturday, June 10, from 11 AM to 1 PM. The birthday party will feature presentations, several short videos, time for questions and answers, refreshments and even a dessert bar. Come celebrate and learn about the exciting, quarter-century adventure of this extraordinary United Methodist-supported university in Africa and also celebrate the supportive role the Eastern PA Conference has played in its development. Please let them know oyu are coming by calling the church office (215-769-3899) or call Betty Henderson (215-226-5268).
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Lancaster area UMs to visit Korean Methodists
A
Korea Service & Learning Team will travel to Seoul and Incheon, South Korea,
June 18-27. The team, led by First UMC Lancaster youth minister Kate Beiler, totals 18 youth and adults, including laity and clergy from five area churches and the Rev. BK Chung, Southwest District Superintendent. They will represent our conference, their churches and the outstretching "hands and feet of Christ." The pilgrimage with take them to the Naeri and Chungdong Methodist Churches, where the will learn, serve and experience Korean culture and the legacy of Henry Appenzeller, the First UMC Lancaster missionary who helped bring Protestant Christianity to Korea in 1885. First UMC will bless the team before their journey at all three of its services on Sunday, June 11.
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Congo missionaries report 'amazing blessings'
Enjoy monthly written and video reports from the Rev. Jonathan and Donna Baker, our dedicated
Global Ministries
Congo Partnership missionaries
serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Their May newsletter updates us on "God's amazing blessings" happening at the Mpasa Clinic and Nutrition Center, among other projects. "I
t's been a fabulous, exciting, often challenging and meaningful experience," they tell us, "as we continue to learn so much about what it means to serve God's children in a materially poverty-stricken country which has only been an independent and peaceful democracy since 2004." Our Southeast and Northeast districts are supporting the development of medical equipment and services in Mpasa as district mission projects. Read the Bakers'
May newsletter, plus an enhanced
YouTube video version
with music and more photos. Also, be sure to view the 6-minute video report they will present to Annual Conference.
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United Methodist Now: Inspiration for Daily Living
United Methodist Now
is a biweekly e-newsletter for church members to highlight examples of Christian living, share inspirational messages, and focus on what it means to be part of our connection.
CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE!
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Discipleship Ministries says 'See All the People'
What if we stopped "fixing" our churches and started seeing the people Christ calls us to reach? Discipleship Ministries has just launched a grassroots initiative called
SeeAllThePeople
, designed to inspire an outreaching disciple-making movement across the denomination. What if United Methodist congregations stopped looking for quick fixes to revitalize their churches," asks the Rev. Junius Dotson, General Secretary, "and started seeing the people right outside our doors that Christ called us to reach? What if churches recommitted themselves to focus on being in relationship with those around them and created an intentional system to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world?
"We cannot disciple people that we are not in relationship with. Discipleship begins with relationship." Discipleship Ministries has produced a discussion starter video and a free study booklet for congregations. Dotson urges church members to download, use and share the free resource at SeeAllThePeople.org and to start a conversation using the hashtag #SeeAllThePeople.
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Free church sacramental furniture available
When Bustleton UMC in Philadelphia
closed in 2010, a church member rescued the Communion table and Baptismal font, hoping to offer them to a nearby congregation that would be happy to receive them. So far, that search has not been easy. Now Cheryl Kaz wants to spread the word farther across the conference to interest any church in adopting and using these cherished items looking for a new home at no cost. The church that wants them must be able to come get them. E-mail Cheryl at
[email protected]
or call 267-253-0390.
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At our 2017 Annual Conference in June, we will focus on the spiritual discipline and gift of prayer, as we benefit from teaching by the Rev. Tom Albin, Dean of the Upper Room Chapel. What prayer ministries are you and your members engaged in, whether innovative or traditional, indoor or outdoor, involving small groups or the entire congregation?
In some of the church newsletters, bulletins and websites we come across, we see announcements of prayer services and vigils, community prayer walks, prayer chains and prayer shawl groups, healing services, Taize worship, and other experiences. Clearly, we have some strong praying churches in this conference, and many of them no doubt have testimonies of answered prayers.
We are looking for examples of how churches pray and how, like Jesus, they teach disciples to pray. We want to learn and share prayer practices of all types and stories of how those practices impact congregations, individuals and communities.
Learn more...
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Free Workshop on Church Marketing,
June 14
On the heels of our Building Effective Church Websites workshops, May 5-6, UMCom training specialist
Craig Catlett will return to our Annual Conference,
June 14-17, to address the session body and host a UMCom display in our exhibits area. (Be sure to drop by and meet him.)
But even better, he will arrive early and teach a
Workshop on Church Marketing on the eve of our Annual Conference,
Wednesday, June 14, from 6 to 8:30 PM, at the Conference Office. It's open to all. So come join us, bring your church marketing team, and gain some useful wisdom on promoting your church's ministry and message to your community and to the world. We'll even feed you.
You'll learn some basics on:
- Understanding and marketing to your target community's needs and interests;
- Building and launching a good church marketing plan with goals, strategies and action steps;
- How to develop, use and protect your church's brand; and more.
Please
register for free on our website today, so we can get an accurate count. Attendance may be limited to under 30, due to space considerations.
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School of Congregational Development offers scholarships
The annual School of Congregational Development (SCD) is "a premier event for equipping United Methodist church leaders, clergy and laity, to lead vital, dynamic, life-changing congregations." Sponsored by Discipleship Ministries, Global Ministries, and Path 1, this year's event,
August 17-20
, will happen at
Peachtree UMC in Atlanta, Ga.
, and be hosted by the North Georgia Conference, Candler School of Theology and Gammon Seminary. The 2017 theme is "At the Lord's Table."
DOWNLOAD the SCD "Quick Look" brochure
[PDF]
Of the three types of
scholarships available to participants of SCD 2017, two are relevant to Eastern PA Conference church leaders. Applicants can only apply for one of these two choices.
- Racial Ethic Scholarships from Global Ministries
- Small-Church Scholarships from Global Ministries for churches with under 150 in average worship attendance.
Click Here for Scholarship Application. To Register for the Full School go to
REGISTER.
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Registration open for Leadership Institute
Registration is open for Leadership Institute
2017 on
Sept. 27-29 at
The UM Church of
the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. Speakers include
the Revs. Olu Brown and Adam Weber, founding pastors of two of
the fastest-growing United Methodist
churches in
the United
States. Through
July 13,
the super early bird rate is $35 for
the pre-institute and $149 for
the Leadership Institute.
Learn more
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Learn to share your church with the world with online courses
UM Communications offers several online training opportunities to help your congregation more effectively share its story outside the church and welcome its community inside. Registration for these two current online courses ends June 11.
- Communicating Faith in the 21st Century is designed to teach you how to engage with your church and community digitally. You'll learn how to craft powerful, personal faith stories that resonate with your followers and beyond. Cost: $29.99
- Welcoming Ministry 100 will help you become a more hospitable congregation. Learn how to encourage members to participate in visitor ministry. Cost: $29.99
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United Methodist Prayer for Families
May is Christian Home Month in the United Methodist calendar.
A new reflective, photographic v
ideo and prayer at
umc.org
together remind us to pray for those closest to us and those whom we do not know but are still called to love.
UM Communications
invites you to view this video meditation, share the link with others and download the video for use in worship, Sunday school or other settings. View also on UMCom's YouTube channel:
United Methodist Prayer for Families
.
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Workshop for Transitioning Pastors, June 10
If you are a pastor changing to a new church appointment, be sure to attend the next Transitioning Pastors workshop on Saturday, June 10, from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM, at West Lawn UMC, 15 Woodside Avenue, Reading. For information, please contact Felicia Anderson at [email protected] or 484-762-8248.
Meanwhile, the
Lewis Center for Church Leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary has published (and republished) its usual, timely slate of brief articles about pastoral transitions. Check out their
helpful newsletter-with several articles written this year and others in 2015-that addresses relevant transition concerns. They include: "Challenges in Pastoral Transitions," "Why First Impressions Really Do Matter," "50 Ways to Improve Pastoral Transitions" and "Learn 50 Ways for Your Congregation to Welcome a New Pastor."
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Review your pension projection at Annual Conference
"Knowledge is power." Take control of your financial future. Sign up now for your chance to meet with Robert Christophel of Wespath for a half-hour at Annual Conference to review your pension projection and begin to make informed decisions about your retirement. Time slots are limited and fill up quickly! Be sure to choose a time slot between June 15 and June 17.
Register Now
Bob Christophel is a benefits educator who provides financial, retirement and other benefits education for clergy and lay employees. He previously worked in benefits communications and participant education in New York and was a licensed investment representative in a corporate retirement services division, where he focused primarily on participant education for national corporate 401(k) plans.
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United Methodist Days at Dorney Park, June 23-25
Eastern Pa members can join members of other, neighboring conferences for fun and fellowship at United Methodist Days at Dorney Park, June 23-25. Pick any day you want and come enjoy a full day of rides and shows, sunshine and snacks, laughter and glorious fun. Purchase your tickets now for only $31.50 on any of three days in June: Friday, Saturday or Sunday,
June 23, 24 or 25. $3.00 from each purchased ticket will go to support United Methodist Men's and Young People's ministries.
Get your tickets today at
dorneypark.com/methodist
Click on the ticket that reads: "United Methodist Day Members of Eastern PA, Greater New Jersey, and Peninsula-Delaware and Susquehanna Conferences." Please download and share the
colorful flyer to help promote UM Day at Dorney Park.
Learn more...
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United Methodist Night at the Phillies, July 29
United Methodist Night at the Phillies will be on Saturday, July 29.Come enjoy a thrilling game of baseball. Please join us with family and friends for fun and fellowship at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday, July 29, at 7:05 PM, when our Philadelphia Phillies host the Atlanta Braves. For group tickets contact Jen Leone at
[email protected]
or 215-218-5267.
" Please download and share the color flyer.
Learn more...
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Church responds to drug addiction epidemic
What is your church or mission connexion doing to learn about and address the heroin and opioid addiction epidemic that is damaging many lives, families and communities? Please tell us so we can report on your efforts. Quakertown UMC will host Unite Quakertown on June 10, 11 AM to 8 PM, (rain date: July 8) an interfaith public event to foster awareness and action in response to the "growing heroin and opioid addiction epidemic plaguing our communities." The Quakertown gathering will happen at the city's new Park at 4th and will offer worship, music with Christian bands, storytelling, education and efforts to combat this deadly epidemic through an interfaith alliance. For more information contact Patrick McGovern, event coordinator, at [email protected] or 267-373-8834. Download and share the flyer.
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Peace with Justice Sunday, June 11
Peace with Justice Sunday
is coming June 11. This Special Sunday of The United Methodist Church signifies and makes possible ongoing ministries of peace and reconciliation in our conference and beyond. UM Communications offers a helpful toolkit with all you need to lead your congregation to promote peace and justice.
Access your Pastor and Leader's Kit now!
. One-half of the special offering received churchwide supports exemplary ministries in the U.S. and around the world through grants administered by the General Board of Church and Society. The remainder is used to support ministries in our conference.
The Rev. Jessica Ross,
our conference's new Peace with Justice Coordinator, welcomes applications for conference Peace with Justice Grants, administered by the conference Church and Society Work Team in accordance with the United Methodist Social Principles.
Learn more about the grants
and submit an application if your project is eligible to
[email protected].
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Register now for upcoming Sexual Ethics Workshops:
Basic (Level 1) Sexual Ethics Workshop
: July 15, 9 AM to 3:30 PM, at Conshohocken UMC. Level 1 training is mandatory for all persons seeking certification as candidates in ministry, candidates for ministerial roles and for all other individuals beginning ministerial roles within the Eastern PA Conference. Training is available through the Peninsula-Delaware Conference, Lancaster Theological Seminary and Evangelical Seminary. Learn more.
Advanced Sexual Ethics-
"Click, Connect, and Love: The Impact of Social Media on Clergy, Congregations and Families": July 29, 9:30 AM to 3 PM, at New Life UMC, Drexel Hill.
Advanced Sexual Ethics-
"Sexual Boundaries" Oct 3, 9.30 AM to 3 PM, at St. Luke's UMC Bryn Mawr.
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Now get e-mail notices to follow the Bishop's Blog
Do you enjoy reading Bishop Peggy Johnson's
Bishop's Blog? Want to read her timely, thought-provoking, heart-touching essays as soon as they're published? Well, now you can. Right under her "About Me" brief profile in the right column, you'll find the words "Follow By Email." Just fill in your e-mail address, select "Submit," and you should receive an e-mailed notice whenever there's a new essay to read. Enjoy it right away and even respond to if you'd like. And beneath that field you'll find the Blog Archive, where you can find past essays to read again or for the first time.
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Young adult summer mission adventure returns to Reading
The
Rev. Nick Camacho at West Lawn UMC shares this news about a great-looking young adult outreach ministry returning to Reading, PA, this summer from June 7 to July 31. The QuadW Missional Internship is paid 8-week summer internship with all housing and living expenses taken care of, There are sites all over the country including in Reading. The program's goal is for college-level young people to relationally serve others, build bridges and be transformed, while serving communities in need. West Lawn's Alex Bryan participated in the program in 2015 described it as "an incredible, enriching, and fulfilling experience." Learn more about it in an August 2015 Reading Eagle article,
Berks County welcomes QuadW Missional Program interns.
"I am looking for candidates who have solid convictions," writes Nick, "who love to work with children and homeless persons, want to learn and grow as Christian leaders, and want to have a wonderful urban missionary experience." Those who choose Reading will find it a "wonderful, multicultural, poor city that needs a lot of our love!" Interns will lodge in the city in a home provided by Freedom Gate Ministries, a Christian halfway house for men coming out of prison. They will work primarily with children and homeless adults, while forming relationships with each other and those they serve and learning "a lot about our Lord as we together work on our relationship with Him and watch Him at work here in Reading."
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Changing Racism: Continuing the Conversation
The Conference
Commission on Religious & Race will offer a second opportunity for leaders who have taken the required Changing Racism course to share and extend their learning, as they continue the conversation on race and racism. The optional, informal gathering will happen on Saturday,
Jun
e 24, from 9 AM to 3 PM, at Grove UMC, 490 West Boot Road, West Chester PA.
Come, d
elve more deeply into the history, dynamics and ramifications of racism in the USA. Learn and practice behaviors and strategies for dismantling the damaging effects of racism and seeking equity.
Registration is online
by June 12, with a fee of $15. Lunch is provided. NOTE:
This workshop is open to all who have completed the Changing Racism Workshops or the Healing the Wounds of Racism Workshops at any time. For more information
contact the Rev. Susan Worrell at
[email protected]
or the Rev. Alicia Julia-Stanley at
[email protected]
.
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Update your Find-A-Church profile
Developed by United Methodist Communications, Find-A-Church helps your church connect with people who may be looking online for a church to provide worship, fellowship, spiritual nurture and other needs. If your church has a Website, having a church page in Find-A-Church doubles your local visibility to reach people searching by city, town or zip code. It is the official online directory of United Methodist churches in the United States and one of the most visited sections of UMC.org, averaging more than 1,000 page views a day. You'll achieve the best results from your Find-A-Church profile when you update your church's information. For video instructions on how, visit Video Tutorial: Find-A-Church Overview. |
Missed any past issues of NEWSpirit Digest?
You can still read or share informative, colorful back issues of our weekly e-newsletter on the Eastern PA Conference Website at www.epaumc.org/news-events/newspirit-digest. Share this link with others who might want to stay informed about our news, events, resources and concerns. And please encourage them to subscribe by e-mailing [email protected]. Thanks!
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2017 Academy for Laity
Aug. 4-6 (Fri.-Sun.) at Cedarville UMC Pottstown. New dates, new location, new courses. Theme: Embrace the Journey: Step Up, Step Out." More details to come.
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Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of The United Methodist Church
980 Madison Avenue, Norristown, PA 19403
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