Bishop Peggy Johnson announces new 

Friday, March 20: Last day for discount tickets to UM Night at the Lehigh Valley Phantoms game, April 14. 

300 plus to attend March 21 Faith Sharing Event

Advance registration for Saturday's annual, conference-wide Faith Sharing Training Event at New Hanover UMC has exceeded 300, surpassing attendance for the previous two years. And there will no doubt be onsite registrants to add to that number. Excitement is buzzing among church leaders eager to witness the radical teaching of Thom and Joani Schultz, co-authors of the provocative book Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore: And How 4 Acts of Love Will Make Your Church Irresistible.

They will bring alarming findings and insights about churches that, while vital to their faithful members, are not growing, nor faithfully fulfilling the Great Commission. They will also bring ideas, proven strategies and ample encouragement that just might inspire and equip attendees to seek and find new ways of being and doing church. For example, the Schultzes developed Lifetree Café, a growing national, beyond-church-doors ministry that attracts the "unreached with the love of Christ in a fresh, new way."

So be sure to arrive by 8:30, sign in, pick up your materials, buy their book(s), grab your seats and prepare to "rethink" your church and reimagine its future. The workshop is from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM.

Location: New Hanover UMC, 2211 Swamp Pike, Gilbertsville, PA 19525. Cost: $10 per person including all materials & meals.

Still time to register for Disability Ministry Conference, March 28

Youth Call to Ministry Retreat, April 10

Deacons Day at Drew Theological School, April 11

Are you-or do you know-an exploring ministry candidate considering theological education? Someone interested in doing ministry beyond the pulpit or even outside the local church? Then ordination as a UMC Deacon may be the best career path. Drew Theological School in nearby Madison, NJ, invites exploring candidates and persons interested in the study and practice of theology to come learn about this promising career path of Deacons on Saturday, April 11. On Deacons Day, you'll learn about Drew's Master of Arts in Ministry program, the benefits and challenges of earning Deacon's orders or leading ministries in communities beyond the local church. Hear from the Drew admissions staff, the Rev. Victoria Rebeck of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry and other deacons serving in diverse appointments.

Register online at http://www.drew.edu/calendar/event/deacon-day-drew/. Questions? Contact Amy Jones, Interim Director of Lifelong Learning, Drew Theological School, [email protected], phone: 973-408-3084.
 

George Dennehy returns to Jillian's Café, April1 1
Phenomenal musician George Dennehy returns to Jillian's Café at Conshohocken UMC, April 11, at 7:30 PM. A gifted performer George sings and plays guitar skillfully with his feet because he has no arms. This is his second concert at Jillian's Café, which is Conshohocken UMC's celebrated fellowship hall/café, next to its sanctuary, offering great acoustics, a coffee and snack bar, and outstanding monthly performances. There are reserved and open seating prices for this performance, from $10 to $30. Learn more on the café's Facebook page, and download the flyer!

Contact Anna Hoffman at [email protected] for more information or for reserved tickets. Or order by mail at CUMC, 20 W. 6th Avenue, Conshohocken, PA 19428 (ATTN: Jillian's Café). Also, a pre-concert pasta dinner will be served from 5:30 to 7 PM.  Seating is limited; so make dinner reservations in advance for donations of $10 per person or $20 per family. A nursery is also available, where the concert will be televised.  

Seminars for large-membership church pastors, April 15-16

Vocational Intern Program: Inside look at ministry careers
The Vocational Intern Programoffers an ideal way for people to explore where a serious call to ministry may lead them. Being embedded for 10 weeks in various types of ministry vocations will expose interns first-hand to many situations they may face and to inner gifts they may possess. The intern receives a $3000 stipend. Apply by the May 15 deadline. For more information, contact Pastor Matt Heckman of the sponsoring Board of Ordained Ministry at 717-273-0525 or  [email protected] or 1109 Kochenderfer Road, Lebanon PA, 17046.

Encore mission trip for middle school students
Yardley UMC, in Bucks County, will again host a three-day, four-night summer mission trip for middle school students, July 13-17. Last year's experience was an adventure; so again they are inviting youth from other churches to join them. Reports Yardley UMC youth coordinator Denise Harris: "During the day we will work on construction projects like building a ramp, painting a home, leading a VBS and more! We also have ministry projects like organizing a food pantry and organizing a donation center. We have skilled adults leading each project. Each day the students would go to a different site to experience a full range of missions. In the evening we will have dinner, worship, games and free time."  The cost is $150, but there are scholarships available. To find out more visit their Website: yumycalling.com. Watch their video from last year. Youth groups with a mixture of high school and middle school members are welcome. Contact Denise Harris at [email protected].

Video honors women who created Mother's Day
In honor of Women's History Month, and the upcoming Mother's Day in May, UM Communications again features our own Historic St. George's UMC in Philadelphia in another historical video now viewable on the denomination's official Website, UMC.org. It's about two Methodist women, mother and daughter members of St. George's, who gave birth to Mother's Day. The video spotlights Ann and Anna Jarvis, who labored to create a day of observance to honor a mother's love and to emphasize how important a mother's role is in building a peaceful world.  Ann Jarvis taught mothers about caring for babies and then recruited nurses for military hospitals during the Civil War. After the war she formed friendship clubs and "Mothers' Friendship Day," when mothers would gather with former Union and Confederate soldiers to promote peace and reconciliation. 

When they later joined St. George's Church, daughter Anna taught Sunday school. But she's best known for her successful efforts to get a national Mother's Day established.  Harriet Olson, CEO of United Methodist Women, and Donna Miller, archivist at Historic St. George's UMC, share insights about this dynamic duo, including Anna Jarvis' strong displeasure with the commercialization of Mother's Day. Watch the video and then video scroll down the page to see links to other UMCom videos that feature three historically related Philadelphia UM churches: St. George's, Mother African Zoar and Tindley Temple.

UMM Looking for church Scouting leaders
Conference UM Men's President Ross Brightwell is looking for leaders from our UM churches that have Scouting ministries. If that's your church please contact him at [email protected] or by phone at 215-643-1269 or by mail at 1050 Limekiln Pike, Maple Glen, PA 19002. There is a 2015 Scouting in the United Methodist Church Conference, July 19-25, a training and resource building event for both people who are new to scouting and those who have years of experience in it. 

Other Events

Power Up! Energy Conservation Webinar Series   
A free, three-part Energy Management Training Webinar on Thursdays, March 19 and 26 and April 2, each from 3 to 4 PM. This Webinar series is a partnership between GreenFaith and Drew Theological School. Participants will learn energy management strategies from leaders who have experience working with faith communities on these issues. You'll learn three no-cost steps that reduce most congregations' energy bills by at least 10 percent, how to benchmark your energy usage and carbon footprint and to measure the improvements you make, and a host of other strategies and practices. Yes, the March 19 session is past, but there will be two more worth checking out.   Details.

Healing Communities Training Event, May 9

There are many ways groups and congregations can engage in creative prison and restorative justice ministry, not only inside prison but in churches and communities, too. With scores of inmates being released and returning as citizens every day, the need is urgent for churches to reach out to them--and also to victims--to offer help, hope and restorative healing. A valuable ministry that has seen success nationally is now coming to the EPA Conference to help churches respond to this need.

Our first Healing Communities Training Event will take place Saturday, May 9, from 9 AM to 4 PM at St. Matthews UMC of Valley Forge. "This is a great opportunity for people to learn how to offer restoration and healing to everyone impacted by the criminal justice system," said Marilyn Schneider, chairwoman of the conference Prison Ministry and Restorative Justice Committee, which will cosponsor the training with the Board of Church and Society and Healing and Wholeness Teams. Learn more... 

"A Century of Commitment, A Legacy of Love." That reverent theme will mark a joyous celebration of the former Delaware Annual Conference, the segregated but beloved conference of black Methodists in our region from 1864 until it merged in 1965. Philadelphia-born Bishop Gregory Palmer, Bishop Ernest Lyght of New Jersey, the Rev. David Briddell and the Rev. Herbert Palmer, all sons of the old Delaware Conference, will remember highlights, honor heroes and challenge attendees to continue building the "beloved community" and making disciples of Jesus Christ. Bishop Peggy Johnson will greet hundreds of members and guests for an uplifting morning of music, dance, spoken word, and inspiring testimonies, followed by a fellowship reception.

Churches to learn responses to domestic violence 

EPA Conference church teams chosen from each district will receive training on"Faith Community Responses to Domestic Violence" Saturday, June 6,from 8:30 AM to 5 PM, at West Lawn UMC in Reading. The training will partner local churches with the national offices of United Methodist Women, United Methodist Men, and FaithTrust Institute.  A selection committee will choose teams from two churches per district or region for training, with consideration given to achieving diversity in ethnicity, church size and other criteria. Teams will represent churches that passionately desire to become informed sources of aid to victims and perpetrators of domestic violence and to train other teams in their districts. See the event page to download the information flyer and the paper registration form, or the fillable PDF application.

Education Society college grants available
The EPA Conference Education Society will offer grants to help deserving students defray the costs of higher education during the 2015-2016 school year. The attached pages describe the opportunity and method of application. All grant applications received in the Conference Office May 1-16 will be considered. Qualified applicants will be randomly selected. Please be sure to share this information with church members who may plan to attend institutions of higher learning this coming fall. Questions? Contact Al Adey, Education Society Chairperson, at [email protected]. 

Save the Date! Nov. 14, at Hempfield UMC in Lancaster.An official announcement with more details will follow in April.

Brain scientist explores reducing conflict

The Center for Clergy and Congregational Health and Wholeness at Drew Theological School will host the Rev. Dr. Wesley Wildman as keynoter on Clergy Health Day, April 9, from 8:30 AM to 3 PM. Discussing his findings in brain research, he will explain not only the thinking differences between liberals and conservatives, but why the two need each other. "Conflict and the Brain" is based on his work in neuroscience that offers ideas about reducing emotional responses that escalate conflict. Using principles of "Empathy through Understanding," Dr. Wildman examines how the workings of people's brains relate to their strongly held views and how they can become better listeners and more compassionate responders. His presentation will be live-streamed. Registration is $10, and CEU credit is available for an additional $17.50. Learn more about registration, watching the live stream or viewing an archived copy of the presentation.

Annual Conference 2015

The deadline for Annual Conference resolutions to be received is also March 10. Follow the specific guidelines provided on our Website to submit your resolution successfully to the Conference Secretary, the Rev. Lloyd Speer, by e-mail at [email protected]. If you have questions call him at (O) (215) 943-2343.

Exhibit tables are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact Lori Henning at (610) 544-1400 or [email protected] to reserve tables. The Conference Center Office will not take reservations for tables.

You can find other information on the Annual Conference page of our Website about reserving exhibit tables and helping us to facilitate media requirements for those making presentations to the conference.

Check out our Local church Events page 

We have lots of great local church events listed for you on our Web site at www.epaumc.org/events/localchurchevents. Please take time to peruse them and try to attend events of interest to you. It's part of being a connectional church. So check out our listings, and send us your special church events too, so we can add them to the page.