Important This Week

• Register for Annual Meeting
• Join 'How American Got Mean' discussion on Thursday
• Register for New Church Development workshops
• Register for Keystone town halls

Thursday: 'How America Got Mean' discussion on Zoom

with Conference Ministers Bill Worley and Carrie Call

"How America Got Mean" is excellent and provocative article by David Brooks. Conference Ministers Carrie Call and Bill Worley are hosting an hour-long conversation about it this Thursday at 6:30pm. You may not have time to read the article, but we still hope you will join the discussion. Here is a short Word document with excerpted quotes and discussion questions that will guide our reflection. Register here to receive the article and Zoom link.

New Church Development Series from Central Atlantic Conf.

The Central Atlantic Conference UCC, is holding a "New Chruch Development Series", including a workshop from PSEC Associate Conference Minister for Congregational Development.

Thought about starting a new congregation? Does the idea of starting a new congregation intrigue you, even a little? Would you like to learn more? Do you want to reach out to people who have felt excluded from churches in the past because of their race, ethnicity, or language, sexual orientation, age, preference for a different worship style, 'nones' and 'dones,' or those who describe themselves as 'spiritual but not religious'?

The CAC New Church Development Committee of the Central Atlantic Conference (UCC) has created an opportunity for you this spring. The opportunity is co-sponsored by the Christian Church – Capital Area (Disciples of Christ). On three Thursday evenings you can attend a quick course in new church development and get many of your questions answered. The events will be held on Zoom from 7-8:30p with an opportunity for Q and A afterward. They are free and open to all interested clergy and laity.

• April 18 – “How and Why to Start a New Congregation” - Rev. Cean James, Senior Pastor of Salt & Light Church (PCUSA & UCC) and the Associate Conference Minister for Congregational Development, Pennsylvania Southeast Conference, UCC. 
• May 16 – “How to Fund a New Congregation” - Rev. Dr. Aaron Wade, Minister for Congregational Leadership Development, Granting and Scholarships in the UCC National Offices and Founding Pastor of the Community Church of Washington, DC. 
• June 6 – “Stories from the Front Lines: A Panel of Recent Church Planters” - Pastors of recent successful new UCC congregations or established congregations that recently affiliated with the UCC will share their stories and discuss what worked and what didn't. 

To RSVP to attend one – or all three of the workshops – please click here.

Lay Leadership Convocation share information and register

The Lay Leadership Convocation will be held Saturday, April 6 from 8:30a-3:00p in Boyertown on the theme Sharing Leadership. Click here for agenda, registration, and workshop descriptions.

Workshops include:

• "Differ We Must": Steps to engage congregations in overcoming differences
• The Spiritual Life of the Church Choir
• Sharing Leadership
• The Keystone Conference: what is it and why does that matter to the people in the pews
• Why Telling Our Faith Story Matters
• Accompanying Our Aging Selves: Being Present with Older Adults
• Small Sunday School
• Engaging the Fringes of the Church
• How Does the UCC Work
• Stewardship & Generosity Impact
• Churches Sharing a Pastor: An Ancient Model of Ministry for a Contemporary Church

Conversation on change leadership for clergy and lay

Enjoy an afternoon with Rev. Dr. Sarah B. Drummond while she leads a workshop on her book Dynamic Discernment: Reason, Emotion & Power in Change Leadership. This workshop is designed for both clergy and lay leaders to be engaged in practice application for their own settings. The event will be held Sunday, April 7 from 2:00-4:00p. To register, click here.

Webinar: Addressing the Plastics Crisis

Plastic surrounds our food, makes up our technology, and is a standard element in our household items. Unfortunately, it is also overflowing from our landfills, floating in our waters, and polluting our soil. More and more, we can even find it in our own bodies and those of other living creatures. In preparation for Earth Sunday, a new resource -- "Plastic Jesus: Real Faith in a Synthetic World" -- has been produced to help congregations think more deeply about the ways that plastics impact our lives and God's creation. Join us for a webinar April 10 at 1:00p to hear from Derrick Weston, the lead author of the resource. Register now!

Tonight: Theology with a Twist on 'A Theology of Protest'

The next Theology with a Twist will be held Tuesday, April 2 at 7:00p on the topic "Facing the Abusing God: A Theology of Protest." Join Rev. Kevin McLemore for a deep dive into the book, “Facing the Abusing God: A Theology of Protest” by Dr. David R. Blumenthal. We’ll learn more about Blumenthal’s post-Holocaust theology and his argument that God is certainly merciful and kind, loving and fair, but God is also capable of acts so unjust that they can be considered abusive. For more info, click here.

From the Spiritual Exploration Project: April events

In the midst of the Christian Holy Week, I am reminded that the celebration of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday and later next month the Jewish Passover are both occasions that mark renewal. They celebrate the opportunity to begin again in another form of existence, to change our perspective on our life's journey, and to recognize that we are constantly in a state of becoming. Our Spiritual Exploration Project in April will offer new ways of looking at that which could have meaning in our lives.

Join the Spiritual Exploration Project this month for:

• Astrology: Uses and Abuses with Dianne Seaman Poitier. Contemplative Spirituality will be held Thursday, April 11 at 10:30a at St. John's UCC in Kutztown.
• The Brothers Karamazov: A Judicial Error. The conclusion of the Book Discussion Group will be Thursday, April 11 at 9:30a at St. John's UCC in Kutztown.
• The Practical Wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita with Swamini Shraddhananda Saraswati. Soul Cafe will be held Tuesday, April 16 at 9:30a at West Lawn United Methodist Church.
• The Immoral Bible: Reading the Bible with Ethics in Mind with Dr. Greg Carey. Spirit on Tap will be held Tuesday, April 16 at 7:00p at the DoubleTree Hotel in Reading.

For more information, click here to see the April Spiritual Exploration Project monthly email. You can also get more information from the PSEC events calendar.

From the Addiction & Recovery Taskforce: Please Register Now

Register now: Annual Meeting in State College

For the first time, all four UCC Pennsylvania conferences will gather for a shared Meeting, June 7-9, 2024, at The Penn Stater in State College, PA. We will examine the exciting possibilities of our four Conferences uniting as one. We will share worship, workshops, and meals. Each conference will also meet Saturday morning to conduct their own separate business meeting.

Below is a letter from the four PA UCC Conference Ministers about the meeting:

The planning committee for the Keystone State UCC Conference Summer Meeting has been working diligently to prepare for our June 7-9 meeting. The Keystone Working Group in collaboration with the Conference Ministers have been seeking grants and additional funding to assist with the costs of the meeting.

We want you to know that YOUR attendance is vitally important to us. We need you to help us plan for the future of our conferences. Our General Minister and President, the Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson will be with us on Saturday and Sunday, and we hope you will be with us to meet her and worship with her on Sunday.

The costs for this meeting will be significantly higher than our usual conference meetings. For one thing, this is a 3-day meeting and incorporates the extensive use of technology and the Penn Stater multiple room assignments for our gathering. We do not want the cost of the event to prevent anyone from attending.

Therefore, we are increasing our scholarship funds to cover ½ the cost of the registration. The registration materials (which are available here) include some links for additional hotel locations, should you choose to utilize them.

Also, we want you to know that our meetings as a Keystone Conference will likely be shorter and less costly.

Please make plans to join us in State College in June and celebrate the work we are doing together, because we believe “Together We Are Stronger.”

Rev. Patrick Morris installation at Zion Blue Mountain UCC

Click the invitation below to download a PDF to share.

Town Hall Discussions scheduled on Keystone study

There are three upcoming opportunities to attend a Town Hall Discussion on the Keystone Study Group. These will provide a chance to share questions and observations. Please make sure you have viewed the Keystone page on our PSEC website prior to joining the meeting. Each of the Town Halls will share the same information. Click the date below to register for the one you would like to join:

• April 11 at 7:00p - Facilitated by Associate Conference Minister Rev. Cean James
• April 16 at 2:00p - Facilitated by PSEC Vice-moderator and member of the Keystone Working Group Rev. Melissa Burkhart
• May 2 at 2:00p - Facilitated by Associate Conference Minister Rev. Kevin McLemore

Treat your church admins: Register for annual luncheon

Secretaries, assistants, and church administrators are invited to the annual PSEC Admin Luncheon on May 1. We will check in, fellowship over lunch, and enjoy a presentation by Conference Minister Rev. Bill Worley on creating your own job description, self-evaluations, and more. Click here for information and to register. We hope churches will pay the $22 cost of the event. 

Understanding the Hopes of Our Donors to Create Change

On April 24 at 7:30p, Rev. Andrew Warner, Generosity Outreach Officer for the UCC, will lead an online workshop on "A Good Pitch: Understanding the Hopes of Our Donors to Create Change".

Once a upon a time, donors gave out of a sense of obligation and loyalty. Today, most donors care about the impact they make in the world. How do we understand the motivations of our donors? What kind of change do they want to make in the world? Andrew Warner will talk about five basic ways donors look to create change. We will discuss ways to discuss your congregation's impact on your community. For more info and to register, click here.

Chaplain in the Park: Locust Lake State Park

Do you love the outdoors? Do you enjoy worshipping surrounded by God’s creation? Consider becoming a summer campground minister at Locust Lake State Park! Every summer, chaplains lead Sunday worship in many State Parks through the Campground Ministry program of the PA Council of Churches. Chaplains can be, but need not be, ordained ministers.

The chaplain visits folks in the campground, welcomes them, answers questions about God or where to go for firewood or which trail is the hardest. The chaplain invites campers to worship and conducts a Sunday worship service each week from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekends. Wonderful ministry happens every summer! If you are interested, you can learn more and apply here. You can also contact Rev. Maureen Duffy-Guy for more info: mduffyguy@hotmail.com or text at 717 619-8337.

Boundary Training: When confidences can be broken

This advanced boundary training will explore the moments in ministry when the confidential conversations between pastors and congregants must be broken for the safety of others. The training will explore PA Mandatory Reporting laws and UCC Ministerial Code. (NOTE: this is NOT a replacement for state mandated requirements for Mandatory Reporting Training). This training will be offered on May 16 at 9:00a on Zoom or completed as a "view on your own". For more information, click here.

Join PNEC for Faith Formation Leadership Retreat in May

A Faith Formation Leadership Retreat will be held May 3-5 at Spruce Lake Retreat Center in Canadensis. Cost is $195 and includes all programming and three meals on Saturday and Sunday breakfast. Click here for an event flyer. To register, email pattyr@pnec.org or you can register here. Any questions, contact Rev. Janet Newett at pastorjanetn@gmail.com.

Navigating Interfaith Relations in the Midst of Global Conflict

Global Ministries is hosting a webinar titled 'Navigating Interfaith Relations in the Midst of Global Conflict' on April 10 at 11:30. This workshop is in response to many conversations they’ve had with local church leaders about the challenges they’re facing in their communities in this regard, especially since the war on Gaza began. The panel will include local UCC church leaders. Click here to register. 

Training program for churches with older buildings

Partners for Sacred Places is offering a New Dollars/New Partners training program to congregations with older buildings. This program, over the course of several months, builds the capacity of churches to maintain and raise capital funds for their buildings. The program will include two virtual training sessions and one full-day session in Philadelphia. Click here for a flyer. A free orientation will be online April 10 at 6:30p. The link for that session is https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82651019951.

This email is brought to you by your generous gifts to OCWM (Our Church's Wider Mission)! Thank you!