June 18, 2021
NEWS & VIEWS
Juneteenth now a federal holiday
St. Daniel's UMC leads Chester’s celebration

The U.S. Congress this week approved a bill to make June 19 a national holiday to celebrate Juneteenth National Independence Day. Although arguably misnamed, the bill, which celebrates national freedom not independence, was signed into law by President Joe Biden today, June 17. 

Many communities throughout the nation have celebrated this day of historic importance for decades. But many citizens don’t know its history, which commemorates the abolition of U.S. enslavement of African American people on June 19, 1865. That abolition came two months after the end of the Civil War (and two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation), when slaves in Galveston, Texas, received welcome news of their freedom. 

Chester is the largest city in Delaware County and the oldest city in Pennsylvania. It has partnered with the Ray of Hope CDC (Community Development Corporation), to host Chester’s Juneteenth Festival annually since 2010, except for 2020, when it was canceled due to the pandemic. St. Daniel’s UMC started the Ray of Hope CDC. Their 10th celebration will happen on Saturday, June 19, from noon to 6 PM, at Memorial Park. Learn more...
June 13: A joyful day of dedications
Two churches celebrate their new homes
The Garden Church & Simpson Gardens II
The Garden Church completed a 10-year journey into its new Lansdowne home that combines places for worship and fellowship with affordable housing for senior residents. The historic church dedicated its new worship space on the bottom floor of Simpson Gardens II, adjacent to Simpson Gardens I.

In dual ceremonies, Bishop Peggy Johnson and the Rev. Evelyn Kent Clark, South District Superintendent, joined church leaders in dedicating the church, after speaking and helping to cut the ribbon on the already occupied new apartments, along with leaders of Simpson Senior Services and state and local officials.
El Buen Samaritano
Bishop Johnson and the Rev. Clark also helped dedicate la neuva casa of El Buen Samaritano UMC. After 20 years of sharing space at West Chester UMC, the congregation has moved into the former home of the recently discontinued Gradyville UMC. The joyous, outdoor celebration was held in the church's parking lot, with colorful decorations, inspiring music and prayers, gifts and testimonies. And the bishop preached in Spanish.

Read coverage of both historic events on our website next week. But you can view scenes now in two new photo albums on our Flickr page. See:
Conference launches Dismantling Racism online Facebook group
The Eastern PA Conference Commission on Religion & Race (CORR) has launched a timely new Facebook Group with a page aptly titled Dismantling Racism. It’s timely because it launched just as the U.S. Congress and President Joe Biden approved Juneteenth on June 19, also long known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, as a national holiday.
 
June 19 was the day in 1865 when the last slaves in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free—two months after the Civil War officially ended and over two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to free slaves in Southern states.
 
CORR has been planning to launch the Facebook group for several months; and now members are busy posting information, events, comments and resources to the new page. They are also inviting friends and colleagues to join who resonate with the anti-racism values and interests it communicates. Learn more...
Conference hires Brawner to lead Youth and Young Adult Ministries
The Eastern PA Conference has hired the Rev. William Brawner as its new Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, effective July 1, 2021. The coordinator works with the Conference Council on Youth Ministries (CCYM) and with youth and young adult ministry leaders conference-wide, and also serves as Executive Director of the Wesley Student Foundation and Campus Minister at Drexel University.
 
Brawner has been the conference’s Coordinator of Urban Ministries since September 2017. Coordinator positions are part-time. He is also the pastor of African Zoar UMC in Philadelphia and is earning a Doctor of Ministry degree at United Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia.

The conference has posted the Coordinator of Urban Ministries position opening for in-house applicants initially, in accordance with conference policies. If no one is hired from among current staff over the next week, the position will be advertised for applicants publicly.
 
Brawner will succeed the Rev. David Piltz, Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Ministries since 2014, who leaves to serve as the pastor of St. Andrews UMC in Warminster. Learn more: June 15--NEWSpirit Alert
Connecting with people through prayer
“How can I pray for you?” That simple question changed the Rev. Jacqui King’s entire approach to prayer. The longtime United Methodist leader and trainer found a new ministry praying with strangers and helping people reconnect with God and each other. That gift becomes all the more important now, as pandemic restrictions lift and people are reconnecting in public spaces. 

KIng, formerly an executive at the UMC Discipleship Ministries agency, is now a church leadership coach and consultant. She has introduced to Eastern PA Conference members at two Connectional Ministries leadership visioning and training events her take on praying with people publicly, not just for them privately. She was also the Laity Session keynoter at our 2021 Annual Conference in May. Learn more...
Cicadas show up for church, testing clergy
The Rev. Bonnie Scott recently preached an online sermon titled “The Cicadas Are Humming.” She did it in the style of spoken-word poetry, and she included the sound of cicadas in the background. 

Asked what technology she drew on for the special effect, Scott — pastor of Trinity UMC in Germantown, MD — replied that she hadn’t used any. “I just opened the window,” she said.

This is a Brood X cicadas year, meaning billions of the red-eyed, flying insects have noisily emerged in parts of 15 states and the District of Columbia, after spending 17 years underground. United Methodist clergy are finding inspiration in this miracle of nature. They’re also having to cope. Learn more...
MISSION & MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES
Mission u deadline extended
The deadline to register for the UM Women’s annual Mission u learning academy, July 22-30, has been extended to June 22. 

Join the UMW at Mission u, an annual mission education program that offers study of biblically ground curricula for women, men and youth. The studies are intended to motivate, inform and enrich our commitment to be in ministry for a more just and equitable world, locally and globally.

Cost: $25/person – Register online at https://na.eventscloud.com/2021-missionu. Deadline June 22. For more information: Dean of Mission u Linda Youngstrom, 267-789-6386, lindayoungstrom@verizon.net.


Open to youth, women, men, laity and clergy. CEUs available upon request.
Cost $25.00. No cost for grades 7 to 12 for any class. For information contact the registrar at susandziuk1969@gmail.com. 
LEARNING EVENTS
The Bible With and Without Jesus taught by scholar/author Amy-Jill Levine, Wednesdays
Author and scholar author Amy-Jill Levine captivated well over a hundred listeners June 9 in the first of four sessions of the Eastern PA Conference Congregational Development Team's new book study. We heard her explore the subject of her new book, The Bible With and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently, co-authored in 2020 with Marc Zvi Brettler.

The CDT Book Club study meets on Wednesdays, at 11 AM to 12 PM, on Zoom. Join us to hear Dr. Levine's fascinating and fast-paced teaching for two more weeks. A highly respected biblical scholar, she is University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, and Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt.

On June 9, she explored the virginal conception and the pregnant young woman. (Isaiah 7:14). Her upcoming topics are:
  • June 23: Adam and Eve—original sin and original opportunity.
  • June 30: The “cry of dereliction” (Psalm 22) spoken by Jesus and by Esther 
Advanced Sexual Ethics course to examine pornography link to child sex trafficking 
The next Advance Sexual Ethics course will study The Impact of Pornography and the Intersection with Child Sex Trafficking and Abuse, Sept. 29, 10 AM to 1 PM, on Zoom. The cost is $35. 

The workshop will delve into the world of pornography and its impact on congregants, children, communities and ourselves. The workshop will focus on common types of pornography, trends in the use of porn and its impact on the human brain, and connections between pornography and the growing problems of domestic child sex trafficking and child sexual abuse.

Prior to the workshop, registrants will receive links to two videos to view and worksheets to complete. The facilitators are from Safe Communities Lancaster PA, including Linda Crockett, founder and director. Contact the Rev. Jacqueline Hines for more information at pastorjacquelineumc@gmail.com or 410-963-1721. Learn more…
Weekly Preaching Forum to end June 22
The conference-wide, weekly Preaching Forum on Zoom, meeting weekly via Zoom on Tuesdays at 2 PM, will break for the summer after June 22. It will resume Sept. 7, at 2 PM weekly with the Rev. Jeff Raffauf as our lead-off batter...uh, preacher. Come learn and enhance your sermon prep and preaching every Tuesday, with a profitable exchange of ideas, inspiration and information about preaching resources.

Gifted presenters share their notes on each week’s chosen text and then lead the forum in conversation. We explore each text’s historical circumstances and present-day perspectives, plus ideas for application and initial thoughts for sermon movements, etc. 
August Book Club to feature Woolverton's new book
The Congregational Development Team’s next CDT Book Club selection will be the Rev. David Woolverton's newest book, Mission Rift: Leading through Church Conflict. Woolverton, who frequently teaches courses on overcoming church conflict in Eastern PA, will lead the four-week study on Wednesdays, August 11 to Sept. 1, at 11 AM. Once again, the first 25 registrants will receive the book’s Kindle version for free.
Rev. David Woolverton has been an ordained Elder within the Eastern PA Conference for over thirty years, serving and consulting in congregations of various sizes. In addition to serving as Lead Pastor at St. Paul’s Church, Elizabethtown, he also is Affiliate Professor of Leadership and Program Director for the Masters of Arts in Leadership as well as the United Methodist Student Advisor at Evangelical Theological Seminary in Myerstown, PA. He also is a Faculty Mentor in the Kairos Project at Kairos University. David lives in Lancaster, PA with his wife, Kristine, and their rambunctious two year old Bernedoodle.
Calling all Youth: Get Ready to Rally August 28!
There’s a time for everything Ecclesiastes 3 tells us, and August 28, from 9 AM to 6 PM, will be the perfect time for the Eastern PA Conference’s next Youth Rally. It will be a youth rally like no other, promises the Rev. David Piltz, outgoing Coordinator of Young Peoples Ministries.

Covenant UMC in Bath, Pa., will again be the perfect place for a bit of northern exposure and a return to this late-summer youth outdoor rally for its second year. Its debut in 2019 was titled Camping at the Crossroads, but COVID-19 shut down the 2020 plans. Now, all current CDC guidelines and protocols on COVID-19 safety will be maintained.

The day will have games, speakers, music, prizes and much more. There will be youth speakers and musicians including CCYM’s very own Sarah Mott and Covenant UMC’s praise band S.O.U.L.7:17. A speaker from the National Alliance on Mental Health will share a personal testimony about overcoming and living with mental illness.

We will also hear from Egypt Speaks (https://www.egyptspeaksofficial.com/) a renowned poet, spoken word artist and musician. Ending music and a concert will be provided by Tribe Collective (wearetribeco.com). In the middle of the day professionals actors from Without a Cue (www.withoutacue.com) will lead the attendees in an innovative improv based competition!

Finally, throughout the day we will hear from and support two amazing ministries. One is New Bethany Ministries (www.newbethanyministries.org) who provides a variety of support services to those in need. The other is CareNet of Carbon County (www.carenetcarbon.org) who work with “at-risk” youth and young people and providing services that create positive choices.

This is a day youth won’t want to miss! Registration beings at 9 AM, and the program launches at 10 AM. Lunch is on your own, but there will be food trucks available on site.
Healing Communities Training on Zoom in Sept.
Co-sponsored by the Conference Prison Ministry and Restorative Justice Team and the West Chester Mission Link. 

3 ZOOM sessions in September:
  • Tuesday, Sept 21, 6:30 - 8:30 PM
  • Saturday, Sept 25, 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
  • Tuesday, Sept 28, 6:30 - 8:30 PM
  • 2 additional hours of homework to be completed outside of the Zoom sessions

1.0 CEU to be provided for CSM, CLM, and clergy, upon completioin of all 3 Zoom sezzions and the 2 hrs of out-of-class work. Cost: $10
RESOURCES
Bivocational & Small Church Network to meet July 13
The new Bivocational & Small Church Network will have its next meeting fro conversation and resourcing on Tuesday, July 13, at 6:30 PM via Zoom. Members will explore “Finances and the Small Church,” led by the Rev. Steve Morton, North District Superintendent, and James Brown, Conference Treasurer. 

Brown will announce a 35 percent-off discount for churches participating in Paychex through Wespath. The support group will share information about grant opportunities for small churches in Eastern PA and how to find and possibly share a church treasurer when there is no one in the church who has financial knowledge. Members will also learn about potential partnerships with other small churches across the conference. Anyone with questions about small-church finances to be addressed should send them to the Rev. Denny Emrick at dennyemrick@gmail.com.  Register for the meeting on Zoom.
Urban Summit Mini-Series resumes July 24
The conference Urban Commission's Virtual Urban Summit Mini-Series will continue July 24 with a session at 10 AM to 12 PM via Zoom. Subsequent online sessions will be offered Sept. 25 and Nov. 20. More information coming soon.
Weekly conference prayer meetings in June
Join the dozen or more prayer warriors who show up each Tuesday at noon for a half-hour of personal sharing and compelling intercessory prayer. It’s a supportive community of believers in the power of prayer. Some sessions have featured meditative music, wisdom readings and poetry to stimulate creative reflection.

Upcoming Schedule of Prayer Leaders:
  • June 22: Judy Ehninger, CLM Coordinator
  • June 29: John Coleman, Conference Director of Communications

Here is the Zoom access information: Join at: https://epaumc.zoom.us/j/591129374?pwd=dElpMUdVd09VTTBoRDZxTm9zejVqdz09 
Meeting ID: 591 129 374 Or Call in: +1 646 558 8656 
AROUND THE UM CONNECTION
Former bishop remembered for 'reconciling spirit' 
By Heather Hahn
June 10, 2021 | UM News

James E. Dorff, a former United Methodist bishop remembered for his ability to bring people together, died June 7 after a three-year struggle with pancreatic cancer. He was 73.

As bishop, Dorff helped lead the formation of what is now the Rio Texas Conference — bringing together the formerly separate Southwest and Rio Grande conferences into a single, bilingual regional body. 

Dorff, called “Jim” by his friends, also guided various denomination-wide ministries. He helped launch Imagine No Malaria — the United Methodist initiative to combat the deadly disease in Africa. He also served as president of the denomination’s Board of Higher Education and Ministry for nearly four years. Learn more…
REMINDERS
Lessons we can learn: The painful history of Native American boarding schools
The dark atrocities of the Native American boarding schools are coming to light in recent years. Last week in the news, we learned of a mass grave with over 200 First Nations children. It was discovered at the site of one such school in Canada. There have been similar revelations of abuse in boarding schools in this country for many years as well.  

What were these boarding schools? They were part of a widespread scheme to intentionally assimilate tribal peoples into European culture. Indigenous parents were forced to give up their children to these educational institutions by white people whose goal was, in the words of one administrator, to “kill the Indian, save the man.” 

But many did not endure in this long, sad history, dating back to the mid-1800s. Many of the children died from abuse, disease, despair and inhumane conditions in these schools. Bigotry and ignorance were at the heart of it all. Many of these schools were founded by Christian institutions, including the Methodist church. 

What are some lessons from our boarding school experience? Learn more…
Sunday, June 20, is World Refugee Day
UMCOR’s work with refugees began in the 1940’s and remains a strong focus today. Together with ecumenical partners, UMCOR’s work is rooted in the biblical mandate to welcome the stranger.
 
Join us in honoring the strength and resiliency of those forced to flee from home after civil unrest or natural disaster. Commit to support the four rights of migrants: the right to stay, the right to safe passage, the right to welcome and belonging, and the right to return.
 
An ecumenical event – “Virtual Vigil for World Refugee Day” – is being held on Monday, June 14, 7-7:30 p.m. ET for faith leaders, asylees, and refugees. It will be a time to reflect, pray and listen to the powerful stories of those who have journeyed so far. UMCOR is a co-sponsor of this event. Please sign up here to receive the link to this vigil. Learn More
Retirement celebration for Bishop Peggy Johnson, July 26, on Zoom
Eastern PA Conference leaders are planning a retirement celebration to bid a fond farewell to Bishop Peggy Johnson, after her 13 years of providing service and leadership here. The virtual farewell fete on Zoom is scheduled for Monday, July 26, at 6:30 to 8 PM, and will include greetings from members of the conference and the NEJ College of Bishops, among others.  

To attend the farewell webinar click on the Zoom link. Webinar ID: 966 9511 7530. Passcode: 891085.  Or join by telephone: US: +1 646 558 8656. Also, we are requesting the submission to communications@epaumc.org
of photos of our bishop from across the conference

In addition, we have created a Kudoboard where members and friends can post messages of gratitude for Bishop Johnson. Please visit the online board at  Expressions of Gratitude from the Eastern PA Conference to read some messages and add your own. You can add a note of gratitude and/or a picture: https://www.kudoboard.com/boards/x2ms73OK

Also, save the Date!
A Welcome Celebration is being planned for Bishop John Schol as our new episcopal leader on Saturday, Sept. 18, at 10 AM, onsite and online at West Chester UMC.
Conference to offer two Laity Academies
in 2021: August 6-7 online; Oct. 1-2 onsite
It’s been over a year of shutdowns and lockdowns; learning to live differently in our homes; attending meetings, classes and worship services on Zoom; and ordering many more consumer goods online. We depended on essential workers to serve and take care of us, while some of us learned how to take better care of each other. “Handle With Care” became not only a cautionary box label but a way of being human together. 

In John 13:34, Jesus commanded us to not only care but also love one another. “As I have loved you,” he said, “so you must love one another.” The pandemic has reminded us that life is precious. How we live our lives is precious. And how we care for one another and Love one another is precious. 

Acknowledging that we are not fully back to normal, the annual conference Laity Academy will host two learning events in 2021. The theme is “Handle with Care Love.”

The first academy is August 6-7, Friday evening and all-day Saturday, using Zoom video-conferencing. The second will be on October 1-2, when in-person classes will be hosted at several churches across the conference. 

There will be one Basic course for lay ministry servants; three Caring courses (one in Spanish); four Leadership courses; and three Speaking courses (two in Spanish). These courses will teach about preaching, Bible study, pastoral care, church communications, emotional intelligence and other topics. Learn more...
Registration for the August Zoom courses is now open. Register now.

Registration for the October in-person courses will open by mid-August. Course descriptions for October will be posted soon.

Watch a heart-lifting Laity Academy 2021 video by Sabrina Daluisio.
Training helps churches be good neighbors
Discipleship Ministries, as an extension of its #SeeAllThePeople movement, has formed a partnership with the Good Neighbor Experience to help congregations discover new ways to be in ministry. The Good Neighbor Experiment is a nine-month training process for congregations that want to be better neighbors in their communities. Read press release Learn more
Engaging the Community for Social Transformation
A new monthly webinar series, Engaging the Community for Social Transformation, is set to begin Thursday, June 24, from 12 to 1 PM. Are you seeking ways your congregation can more fully engage your community and work for justice? Are you getting stuck thinking about what steps to take, in identifying the issues, or wondering where to start? 

Events over the last year and a half have continued to highlight systemic inequality and poverty that are perpetuated by power structures of politics and economics. From access to adequate health care, to financial hardships, to racial injustice – the challenges that we face are daunting and can be overwhelming. But local churches and their partners can be excellent resources for finding best practices, discerning action steps, and offering wisdom in overcoming obstacles as we seek to partner with God and engage the community. Learn more…
Discipleship agency partners with Good Neighbor Experiment
Discipleship Ministries, as an extension of its #SeeAllThePeople movement to reach people with intentional discipleship, is partnering with the Good Neighbor Experiment to help congregations discover new ways to be in ministry with their communities.

The Good Neighbor Experiment is a nine-month training process for local churches that want to be better neighbors in their communities. Jeff Campbell, Acting General Secretary at Discipleship Ministries, said the Good Neighbor Experiment, a nonprofit established by a United Methodist pastor in Kansas, can transform communities. Learn more...
BMCR to greet new scholarship awardees online
Philadelphia Black Methodists for Church Renewal (BMCR) will host a virtual gathering with its 2021 BMCR Scholarship recipients on Zoom June 26, at 12 PM. That annual gathering is traditionally a luncheon; but the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic prevents the caucus from continuing that tradition again this year. “It is important that we still gather to recognize and celebrate this year’s awardees,” said the Rev. Eric Carr, caucus coordinator and pastor of St Daniel's UMC in Chester. For more information contact him at bmcrphila@gmail.com
Giving to Annual Conference offerings still needed 
Each year conference members and churches give to special offerings to help fund Eastern PA Annual Conference higher education scholarships, Board of Ordained Ministry scholarships for clergy education, Camp and Retreat Ministry Centers, and Youth Ministries. Because our Annual Conference met online and not in-person in 2020 and 2021, those offerings relied on mail-in and online donations. Thus, giving to them has declined significantly.

But the need for this support is as great as ever. So, we are inviting everyone to continue giving to support these worthy causes through our website’s Giving Page throughout the year. We will promote and accept gifts online (and by mail) to support our college students, clergy, campers and youth in the hope that you will give generously and encourage others to do so, too. Thank you!
Zoe Empowers on Virtual Mission Trip, June 22-24
The Eastern PA Conference is partnering with ZOE Empowers, an organization which in 2021 introduced Virtual Mission Trips in order to introduce folks to its incredible, international program of serving children in poverty. ZOE’s entire approach is based on “Empowerment, not Hand-outs,” and it has demonstrated success among more than 100,000 children of the world, so far.  

International mission trips are transformational for many local churches and their mission-minded members. Severe COVID-related restrictions on travel have prevented such trips from happening for the past year. But ZOE Empowers have found a solution in Virtual Mission trips. A free, three-day visit to Rwanda, Kenya, and India awaits you on the mornings of June 22-24 (9:30-11:00 AM each day). Learn more.
Scholarships available for chaplaincy students   
The United Methodist Higher Education Foundation invites students preparing for chaplaincy in any branch of the U.S. military to apply for the Samuel Grover Powell Scholarship. Applicants must be enrolled at an accredited theological seminary and meet other requirements. The deadline to apply is July 1. 
College scholarships up to $3,000 available   
A limited number of United Methodist Dollars for Scholars awards are still available for the 2021-22 academic year from the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation. The scholarships are for United Methodist students attending United Methodist higher education. To learn more and apply
View recordings of recent important events
Visit our Event Recordings web page to view and benefit from dozens of recordings of recent, worth-watching Zoom meetings, classes and webinars. That includes Tools for Ministries classes offered online in March and the dynamic Becoming the Beloved Community: Preaching for the Pentecost Season, a valuable resource for planning justice-oriented worship and preaching for the current season of Pentecost.  
Pastors and worship leaders convened in a webinar April 27 to share ideas and plans for creative, inspirational worship for the season of Pentecost (not “after Pentecost”), using the Revised Common Lectionary Year B. They explored concepts of celebrating Pentecost not as a day but as a season of six Sundays, including Trinity Sunday.

Listen and learn from three engaging seminar leaders—three Elders and one Deacon who are scholars and activists–as they help participants explore biblical studies, homiletics, worship, and incarnational social action for redemptive justice.  

View and share this Zoom recording of this interactive Seminar on Preaching, Worship and Mission for Pentecost Season. Download the flyer. 
North District clergy families to picnic at Knoebels July 10 
The Great North District's 2021 Clergy Family Picnic will again happen at Knoebel's, “America's Largest Free-Admission Amusement Park,” on Saturday, July 10, 11:30 AM. Members will enjoy fun, food and fellowship together. REGISTER online by June 21.  
New puzzle helps clergy families navigate pastoral transitions
Jigsaw Journey is a puzzle with a discussion guide, online videos, and other tools, provided by Artos Retreats (“Bread for the Soul”), to help clergy families navigate the emotional journey of pastoral transitions. It’s a good conversation-starter to help families reveal and share thoughts and feelings about the experience.

“The game opened a doorway for my family to talk about some challenging issues related to our upcoming transition,” said one clergy spouse with two teenage boys. “We may have never talked unless we were working on the puzzle.” 

The full set costs $55 and would be a great church gift to clergy families. Discounts are available upon request for clergy families feeling a financial pinch during the pandemic. Discounts for EPA clergy families are made possible by the generous support of the EPA Conference Board of Pension and Health Benefits. Contact: Julie@ArtosRetreats.org. Learn more
Racial Ethnic Local Church grants available this fall
Grants up to $10,000 will be available this fall from Discipleship Ministries to strengthen leadership training, small groups, worship, stewardship and spiritual formation in racial-ethnic local United Methodist churches. The application deadline for Racial Ethnic Local Church Concerns (RELCC) grants is Sept. 1.

RELCC grants are available each year, with priority given to new programs. Funds are not provided for personnel, equipment or ongoing building costs.  

For more information, go to https://bit.ly/3vSgb5G or contact Naomi Hope Annandale, director of research and strategic evaluation, by phone at 615-340-1743 or by email at nannandale@umcdiscipleship.org.
 
Applicants must apply online at https://ypm-umc.smapply.io / and are encouraged to consult with Discipleship Ministries staff for guidance in preparing the application. Learn more about grant qualifications.
Conference Leadership Opportunities for all!
The Conference Leadership Committee asks all clergy and lay members to use this Leadership and Service Interest Form to indicate how and where they are willing to serve on. Learn more...
Visit our Local Church Resources webpage
Do you find yourself wondering where you can obtain a 501(c)3 letter? Clergy W-2s? Various other bits of information that is crucial for churches? Look no further than the Local Church Resources page under the Administration tab on the EPA website and you can answer these questions.
Let's stay connected. Send us your newsletters
Please add our Communications Office to your church newsletter's digital and/or print mailing lists. We find much of our news in church newsletters (when we find time to read them), and we try to report local church news and events as much as possible. (We also love seeing Conference news reported in your newsletters. Thanks!) However, we want to receive only your church newsletters please, not other e-mailed church announcements. Thanks!
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 communications@epaumc.org. Thanks!
SAVE THE DATES
June
  • June 19: Basic Sexual Ethics Workshop, from 10 am – 1 pm on Zoom. “Where do I Draw the Line: Maintaining Boundaries in a Digital Age”. Register.
  • June 22 - 24: ZOE Empowers - Virtual Mission Trip. 9:30 - 11 AM each day, on Zoom. Learn More. Register
  • June 22: Conference-wide Weekly Prayer Meetings. 12 Noon. Join.
  • June 22: Weekly Preaching Forum. Tuesdays at 2 PM. Register.
  • June 23: CDT Book Club: The Bible With and Without Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine. Register
  • June 29: Conference-wide Weekly Prayer Meetings. 12 Noon. Join.
  • June 30: CDT Book Club: The Bible With and Without Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine. Register

July
  • July 13: Bivocational & Small Church Network. Every other Month, on the 2nd Tuesday of Month, at 6:30 PM, on Zoom. Register.
  • July 22 - 30: 2021 Mission u, virtual. Sponsored by Eastern PA Conference UMW. Learn More. Register
  • July 24: Urban Summit Mini-Series
  • July 26: Farewell fete for Bishop Peggy Johnson. 6:30 PM - 8 PM. Zoom webinar. Join.

August

September
  • September 18: Welcome Celebration for Bishop John Schol, 10 AM, at West Chester UMC.
  • September 25: Urban Summit Mini-Series
  • September 22, 25, 28: Healing Communities Training on Zoom. Sept. 21 & 28 at 6:30-8:30 PM. Sept. 25 at 8:30 AM-12:30 PM. 
  • September 29: Advanced Sexual Ethics, on Zoom. 10 AM - 1 PM. “Impact of Pornagraphy and the Intersection with Child Sex Trafficking and Abuse.” Register.

October
  • October 1-2: 2021 Laity Academy - In-Person Sessions, at several church locations TBA. Learn more.
  • October 15 & 16: Domestic Violence Workshop. Friday October 15 from 7 PM – 9 PM & Saturday October 16th from 9 AM – 12 PM. Further details TBA.
  • October 23:  Faith Sharing Evangelism Training with Rev. Olu Brown
  • October 23:  UMW Annual Celebration
  • October 29 - Nov 1: Dismantling Racism, Level 1, Virtual. Register.
Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of The United Methodist Church
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