Message to the Conference | |
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Greetings members and friends of Penn Central Conference,
One of the things that I love about this calling of mine is being out among our churches in worship, in fellowship, and in mission! It is a beautiful moment when the true synergy of being more together than we can possibly be on our own is realized. When associations bring together their member churches, there is greater capacity for the UCC value of CHANGING LIVES.
When I was in the local church, we packed meals for Rise Against Hunger one Saturday. We were so proud of our 1,500 meals! When I see the Northern Association planning to come together for 20,000+ meals, well, that’s CHANGING LIVES! Yes, my local church’s project changed lives too, but the synergy of an association has a greater impact that cannot be denied.
Whether your association might choose a local project like York Association and Mr. Sandy’s a few years ago or a global project like Rise Against Hunger in the Northern Association, look for partner’s in the building up of God’s realm among us. You might even consider joining Northern’s mission with volunteer hours or a donation. Keep reading to find out how!
The Northern Association of the Penn Central Conference (about 15 churches and total average attendance of about 600 folks) is once again partnering with Rise Against Hunger as our community outreach project.
Rise Against Hunger is a nonprofit group founded by U.S. Marine veteran Ray Buchanan who during his military service, recognized the dire need for food assistance around the world. Over the past thirty years, his mission has been to eliminate world hunger by the year 2030.
It is hoped that this very worthwhile project will bring the Northern Association churches together following the isolation experienced during the Covid 19 pandemic. Throughout the meal packaging event, volunteers work closely with one another to assemble the packages. This will be our third year as a partner with Rise Against Hunger. The response from participants of the previous events has been extremely positive.
We plan to package 20,000+ meals on Saturday, July 29 at the Lion's Club in Centre Hall. Our morning shift has been filled, but there are still 20 slots open for the 1-3:00pm shift. We will provide pizza and water. If you wish to register to volunteer for the afternoon, please go to: http://events.riseagainsthunger.org/Centrehall2023 or, you can contact Susan Rudy at 814-349-8334 and she will take care of the registration. Please leave a message if Susan does not answer and include your email address if you have one.
Each meal consists of rice, dehydrated vegetables, soy protein, and eighteen essential vitamins and minerals. The meals have a two-year shelf life and are sent around the world to support school feeding programs and crisis relief. Each meal costs 38 cents and will feed 5-6 people.
WE NEED YOUR FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION to help fund this very important project. To date, we have received almost $4,000; we still need approximately $3,000. We are very much aware of how tight finances are; but if your church and/or church members are able to contribute to this worthy cause, please make checks payable to Northern Association with a note in the memo line "Rise Against Hunger" and send to
Bob Rumbaugh
P.O. Box 212
Centre Hall, PA. 16828
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU in advance for any help you can provide. God Bless.
Nora & Susan
Rev. Dr. Nora Foust
Associate Conference Minister
Susan Rudy
Northern Association
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Scheduling notes:
July 16 - Trinity UCC, Palmyra - Rev. Rick Luciotti preaching
July 16 - St. John's Blymire's UCC, Dallastown - Rev. Dr. Nora Foust preaching
July 16 - Willow Street UCC, Willow Street - Rev. Dr. Carrie Call
July 23 - St. Luke's UCC, Lititz - Rev. Dr. Nora Foust preaching
July 30 - St. John's UCC, Red Lion - Rev. Rick Luciotti preaching
August 13 - September 4 - Rev. Dr. Nora Foust on sabbatical
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Prayers for Penn Central Conference
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)
This week, we pray for each other as we continue to live into God's calling...
St. John's UCC, Bellefonte
Peace UCC, Berrysburg
Zion UCC, Blain
St. John's UCC, Boalsburg
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Printable eNews are available. Pastors and secretaries, please feel free to share with your congregation members that don't get this weekly email. Download and print this PDF with the weekly message to the conference, prayers for Penn Central and brief list of events. | |
Recap: General Synod 34 elects new leadership, changes frequency, witnesses justice
by Maic D'Agostino | published on Jul 18, 2023
The United Church of Christ’s 34th General Synod had it all.
A new leader and a historic vote. A change from biennial to triennial. And giving witness to some of the most urgent issues — trans dignity, reproductive rights, racial justice, creation care and much more — through resolutions, special speakers, prayer and action.
Indianapolis and the Indiana-Kentucky Conference played hosts from June 30-July 4. It was the UCC’s first in-person national gathering since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides the business side of this “family reunion,” delegates and visitors came together to worship, break bread, embrace and shed tears of joy.
Read the full coverage — all news stories together in one place — of General Synod 34 here.
To hear directly from our delegates in their own words, check out the reflections from Kathy Brown, Andrew Boyer and Jerry Thomason.
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Fifth Stream Conversations - Rev. Dr. Nora is planning three fall conversations open to the whole church on the recognition of the UCC’s fifth founding stream, the Afro-Christian Convention. At Synod the Historical Council made a formal report that the Afro-Christian Convention has been named the “fifth stream” alongside the Congregational, Christian, German Reformed, and Evangelical Synod. The Convention was always a part of the denomination but had been lumped in with the (white) Christian stream. There were, as Rev. Dr. John Dorhauer put it in his official apology, “always five.” He shared his grief of how so many children and adults had learned that there were only four theological streams/traditions present at our founding and this fifth tradition had been willfully subjugated, rather than lifted up for recognition.
This will be exciting learning for us as we explore the Afro-Christian Convention together and refresh our existing knowledge around the Christian, Congregational, Evangelical, and Reformed traditions also present at our founding. The first two sessions will be largely the same with in-person and zoom options available and the November date will be sort of a deeper dive into the Afro-Christian Convention with some of the contributors to the new book Afro-Christian Convention: The Fifth Stream of the United Church of Christ available from Pilgrim Press, Amazon, and your favorite local bookseller.
3pm September 24th Mt. Zion, York In-person and Zoom
3pm October 15th St. Paul’s at the Farm, Lewisburg In-Person and Zoom
3pm November 12th ZOOM for all Participants
Register here: https://penncentralconference.regfox.com/the-fifth-stream
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Full slate of fall educational options, including Boundary Awareness and Anti-Racism Training, Synod Seconds and Ministerial Excellence Forums is now available. See the full listing with dates to add to your calendars here, registrations links coming soon! | |
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Human Trafficking in our own backyard
On July 23rd, you have the opportunity to learn more about how our communities are impacted by human trafficking and the ways we can help. As long as human trafficking exists, our communities are at risk to the injustices of modern-day slavery. At 5pm on Sunday, July 23, representatives from the Greenlight Operation will be sharing stories and resources at Colonial Park UCC, Harrisburg.
Greenlight Operation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit located in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, and exists to disrupt human trafficking and see survivors restored. We’re a group of everyday people who are on a mission to strategically combat human trafficking through educational initiatives and serve sex trafficked women through a continuum of restorative care. Learn more at https://www.greenlightoperation.org and join us in our Chapel or Fellowship Hall (depending on the size of the group) for an evening of learning, conversation and action. It is open to our congregation and community, so share the word!
| St. Thomas UCC, Harrisburg is having their 17th Annual Golf Tournament on Friday, August 4, 2023 at Manada Golf Club. Register by July 23rd. See the brochure here. | |
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Carol Dieffenbach Kantner of Bernville will speak at Himmel’s Church, 107 Covered Bridge Road, Dornsife on Sunday, August 6, 2023 at the 9:00 a.m. service. Kantner is a church organist and a direct descendant of Christian Dieffenbach who was an organ builder from Berks County. In 1818 after the stone edifice was built at Himmel’s, there was $800 left in the building fund. That money was used to purchase a pipe organ for the church. Because no other local churches at that time had an organ, Himmel’s became known as the “organ church.” That organ was in use until about the 1940s and was destroyed in the 1959 fire in the frame church at Himmel’s. Kantner is also a member of the Dieffenbach Organ Preservation Society.
The Dieffenbach family came to America and settled in Schoharie, New York in 1709. In 1723 along with ancestors of the Kobel, Reed and Schneider families at Himmel’s, they sailed down the Susquehanna River and settled in the Tulpehocken area of Berks County. John Jacob Dieffenbach built his first organ between 1776 and 1778. He made wagons, furniture and coffins and wanted to build an organ. When he heard that a pipe organ had been purchased by a church in Philadelphia, he stuffed his pockets with dried beef and bread, a notebook and measuring stick and walked 75 miles to Philadelphia to learn about it. Thus began the Dieffenbach Organ builders’ story. Christian Dieffenbach was a son of John Jacob Dieffenbach. Ms. Kantner will share the story of the organ builders during her talk. For those who cannot attend in person, you can watch later on the Himmel's Church Facebook page.
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Looking for a good choice for a book club or book discussion group in your church? Try Learning to See: A Memoir of Southern Africa, by the Rev. Dr. Rich Christensen, long-time pastor, missionary and church historian. Taking the reader on a journey through an African culture where magic spells are a reality, tribal meetings gather for as long as eight hours to resolve community problems, and vibrant singing in four-part harmony overwhelms visitors with its beauty, the book relates the story of Rich and his family as they lived and worked in the early 1980’s at a secondary school in Botswana. It’s a story of family, genuine hospitality, and the gospel that keeps hope alive in difficult circumstances.
Professor Lee Barrett of Lancaster Seminary describes the book as “a rare combination of spiritual insight, theological reflection, poignant interpersonal anecdotes, and political passion. It provides a nuanced critique of the implicit colonialism in many missionary movements in southern Africa without minimizing the value of spreading the gospel in word and deed.”
The book is available through wipfandstock.com or amazon.com or support your local bookstores like Hearts and Minds.
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This year, the churches of the Northern Association of the Penn Central Conference are hosting an Outreach Mission Event to fight world hunger. The Association is working with the organization "Rise Against Hunger", a group striving to end world hunger in our lifetime. Rise Against Hunger is a program that packages nutritious dehydrated meals of rice, soy, vegetables, and 23 essential vitamins and minerals. The packaged meals are then sent to developing countries and areas affected by natural disasters as needs dictate.
The Association meal packaging event will be held on Saturday, July 29, 2023 at the Centre Hall Lion's Club beginning around 10 am. WE NEED YOUR HELP! Please consider contributing to this event either by volunteering to help package the meals and/or donating to the event (each meal costs 38¢).
This is a great fun activity and no special skill or equipment is required. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Volunteers can vary in age from 5 years old to 99 years old. The goal is to package 20,088 meals--meaning we need to raise $5,850 to cover the meals and transportation expenses of the Rise Against Hunger Team traveling from Pittsburgh. We will also need approximately 60 volunteers. We are looking to run two shifts 10 am to 12 noon; and 1 pm to 3 pm. and 30 volunteers for each shift. If you feel comfortable you can sign up for both shifts. You may register online at http://events.riseagainsthunger.org/Centrehall2023 or you may contact Susan Rudy at 1-303-349-3028 and provide her your information and she will register you. We are also looking for a few strong arms to lift 50 pound bags when the truck arrives to unload. They would need to arrive around 8:30 am that day July 29, 2023.
To make your tax deductible donation please make checks payable to Northern Association and mail them to:
Trinity United Church of Christ
ATTN: Bob Rumbaugh
PO Box 212
Centre Hall, PA 16828
(please note in memo line "Rise Against Hunger")
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Events with our partners at Lutheran Camping Corporation
Summer Camp with Lutheran Camping Corporation - use code PENNCENTRAL2023 to use a 50% campership from PCC's Outdoor Ministries!
Hartman Center Homecoming week
July 31 through August 5, 2023
We will be returning to Hartman Center Campground in Milroy, PA as guests.
Camping experiences for all ages, including intergenerational camps.
2 night camps - Monday, July 31 at 4PM through Wednesday, August 2 at 4PM
Getting Started - Grades 1 and 2 ($125)
Intergenerational Camp ($125)
3 night camps - Wednesday, August 2 at 4PM through Saturday, August 5 at 11AM
Intergenerational Camp ($190)
Camp of the Heart ($250)
5 night camps - Monday, 31 at 4PM through Saturday, August 5 at 11AM
Elementary - Grades 3 - 5 ($300)
Junior High - Grades 6 - 8 ($300)
Senior High - Grades 9 - 12 plus ($300)
Leadership - Grades 9 - 12 plus ($300)
If you'd lole
For more information, contact Rev. Alice Rauch alirauch07@gmail.com (director)
or Rev. Amelia Price aashivers@gmail.com (registrar)
Register here and print a brochure here
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From our Friends and Partners | |
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Bethany Children's Home
Celebrating 160 Years
Summer Concert Series
July 14th - Flamin' Dick & the Hot Rods - 5:00PM, $5.00 per car
August 19th - Anniversary Day Returns: Raffles, Live Music, Carnival Games, Food & Ride - $5.00 per car & additional costs for activities
Jeff Krick Jr: Elvis Tribute - 12:00PM
The Celtic Martins - 3:00PM
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UCC Trailblazer, the EPA, and New Grant Programs
Charles Lee, the lead author of the UCC’s landmark report on toxic waste and race as well as the lead organizer of the historic First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit, will be one of two featured speakers on environmental justice at the EPA. Lee is now the Senior Policy Advisor for Environmental Justice at the EPA. He will be joined by Jacob Burney who directs the Environmental Justice Grants Division at the EPA. In the past year, the EPA has been in the news due to significant institutional changes that have prioritized funding and staffing for environmental justice. Even if you cannot make the webinar at its scheduled time on August 9th at 2 pm ET, still sign-up, and we will send you a link to a recording of it. Register now!
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Rev. Dr. Aaron B. Wade, Minister for Congregational Leadership Development,
Granting & Scholarships, is delighted to share the exciting news that the 2023 Justice and Local Church Ministry Common Application is NOW OPEN. I encourage you to share the link provided below with individuals and churches who may be interested in applying for Operational support, Neighbors in Need, CASA New and Renewing Church, and Pension Board New Church Start Benefit Support grants.
Link to the application: https://app.smarterselect.com/programs/89418-United-Church-Of-Christ
This convenient link allows applicants to either print the application or start filling out the common application for any of our four grant offerings. Please note that all applications will require a reference from their respective Conference Minister.
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Our Whole Lives training
In addition to an increasing number of in-person trainings across the country, Our Whole Lives trainings will continue to be offered online in 2023 for UCC and UUA members, at a cost of only $250 plus curriculum.
Registration applications will be accepted from Aug 21-Sept 5 for an Elementary (Grades K-1 and 4-6) Training in October
Registration applications will be accepted from Sept 11-Sept 25 for an All Adult Levels Training in November
More information about these trainings, in addition to information about upcoming in-person trainings, can be found here.
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From our friends and partners | |
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2023 Festival of Biblical Storytelling
AUGUST 2,3, AND 4, 2023
At the Maritime Conference Center near BWI and Baltimore, MD
Learn more and register here.
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Phoebe Ministries is hiring a Full-time Regional Director of Pastoral Care and Education for our Allentown Campus.
Responsible for directing the pastoral care program and clinical pastoral education program. Promotes the relationship of Phoebe Ministries with its supporting churches and conferences.
Conducts and supervises a variety of religious activities and provides for the spiritual needs of residents, families and Phoebe staff; coordinating this work within the department as well as with other departments. Responds to inquiries and requests from residents, families, and staff.
Reports pertinent information to the ED of Marketing and External Relations. Hires, directs, and supervises pastoral care staff, and provides periodic reports. Develops, implements, and achieves annual goals and objectives as established in the annual coaching form.
Read more here.
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Directory
Rev. Dr. Carrie Call, Ph.D.
Conference Minister
email: ccall@pccucc.org
Phone: 717-433-3196
Rev. Dr. Nora Driver Foust
Associate Conference Minister
email: nfoust@pccucc.org
Phone: 717-433-2587
Rev. Rick Luciotti
Coordinator of Care to Clergy & Clergy Families
email: rluciotti@gmail.com
Phone: 717-433-6306
C. Paul Keller
Office Manager
email: pkeller@pccucc.org
Phone: 717-652-1560
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