Important This Week

• Deadline Thursday to sign up for Communities of Practice for 2023
• Blue Christmas service available online
• Register now for the Women's Clergy Retreat for unplugging and rest

From the Conference Minister:

Dear Friends,

There are times when I read words that pluck the strings of my heart. My colleague and close friend, Wisconsin Conference Minister Rev. Franz Rigert, wrote the following reflection with brother and sister UCC Christians out west. Give yourself the gift of reading his words with my prayers for your Christmas: 

In December 1914, British and German soldiered were bogged down in trench warfare on the Western front of the First World War, the two sides dug in so close that they often shouted insults at each other. But in the dark quiet of that Christmas Eve, the Germans began singing Christmas carols. Soon jokes were exchanged, and weapons put down. The story is told of a lone voice shouting, “Tomorrow you no shoot; we no shoot,” and a British soldier answering, “You come halfway; we come halfway.”

On Christmas morning, the soldiers met in “no man’s land” to exchange handshakes, songs, cigarettes and cheer. They even played soccer. But that Christmas truce prompted by the spirit of God was quickly squelched by the generals. Imagine what could have been if the voice of the angels and the love of the Christ child rested in every heart on the battlefield.

This year we pray for a Christmas truce in Ukraine, and for the advent of peace talks rather than the escalation of nuclear threats. With Isaiah, we prophesy and advocate for a world where “nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” We join our voices with Christians and people of good will around the world, singing, “Let there be peace on earth . . . and let it begin with me.”

Lately I’ve been pondering the many Christmas truces that could come to pass if only we had the courage to be that one voice. If only we had the grace to meet in the middle.

In that sacred ceasefire space, we might find:

A truce in our political warfare.

A truce in our destruction of the Earth.

A truce in the endless lives lost to gun violence.

A truce in our family feuds and congregational squabbles.

A truce in discrimination and marginalization of every kind.

A truce in the telling of lies and the manipulating of minds.

A truce in the doubts and shame that too often consume us.

A truce in all that depresses and addicts and isolates us from wholeness.

A truce in the fighting of our inner demons.

A truce in the stresses and anxieties and exhaustion of life.

A truce in all that separates us from God and one another.

Christmas is a time for God’s shalom to dwell on Earth and to find a home in every heart. My prayer for you this season of Advent is to let it be so – to let the peace of God and the power of love be born anew in you.

In the hope of the Christ child who comes to us as the Prince of Peace, 

May it be so for us all.

Blessings,

Pastor Bill

Rev. Bill Worley

Conference Minister

PSEC office holiday break

The PSEC office will be closed from noon on Dec. 23 thru Jan. 2. We will be back in the office on Tuesday, Jan. 3.

Deadline this week: Sign up for 2023 Communities of Practice

Registration for the 2023 Communities of Practice close this Thursday. Please take advantage of this opportunity for a renewed calling, life-sustaining friendships, a new perspective, and a time for reflection and growth. Groups are open for:

• Traditional, in-person COPs
• Traditional COPs on Zoom
• Hybrid groups
• Interim clergy
• Designated-term Pastors
• Lay Ministers and continuing Licensed pastors
• Racial Justice Accountability
• Chaplains and clergy serving in non-church settings
• Clergy under 40ish
• Clergy nearing retirement
• Best Practices in Church Development

For more info and to register, click here.

Transportation to General Synod Summer 2023

Every two years, General Synod brings together thousands of faithful members of the United Church of Christ for formal church witness, inspirational worship, and fellowship with friends (new and old).

In 2023, General Synod 34 will take place in Indianapolis, IN from June 30 – July 4. The PSEC delegation is contemplating taking a bus to and from Indianapolis. Travel dates would be June 29 and July 5

If you are planning to attend General Synod and would be interested in traveling on the PSEC bus, please reach out to Susan Creswell at the PSEC office at susan@psec.org or 484-949-8774 x 312.

Save the date: UCC gathering for rural/small town churches

The Coalition for UCC Rural Ministries presents Nourishing the Seeds of Faith (Isaiah 55:10-11), a virtual national gathering of rural/small town churches and ministries in the UCC on Feb. 9-11. Registration will open in January. This event is hosted by Faith education, Innovation & Formation (Faith INFO), Justice and Local Church Ministry of the UCC. For more information contact Rev. Roberto Ochoa – ochoar@ucc.org.

Winter Insurance Board newsletter now available

The fall/winter issue of the Insurance Board's "The Steward" newsletter is now available. Topics covered in this issue include: winterization, slip and fall claims, holiday fire safety, and more. Click here to read the newsletter.

Global H.O.P.E. Blue Christmas worship available now

The United Church of Christ Global H.O.P.E. (Humanitarian. Opportunities. Progress. Empowerment.) compiled a Blue Christmas Worship Service that is now available online. The service was held to honor the experiences of persons aggrieved and displaced by disaster and forced migration. Click here to view the service.

From the Addiction & Recovery Taskforce:

Breathing Under Water

During this busy holiday season most of us could take the advice to keep breathing. We are about much: services, fellowship, shopping, visits, and so much more. Once all that is over and we collapse into 2023, the Addiction and Recovery taskforce invites you to slow down and take some time to reacquaint yourself with yourself.

In January we start a book study of Richard Rohr’s Breathing Under Water which is a wonderful book on spirituality and the twelve steps. It is a valuable journey for those of us in recovery from substances and also for those of us who just need to recover ourselves.

Please join us on Tuesday, January 10 at 7:30 on Zoom for the first session by registering here.

PATHWAYS announces winter courses available online

A new year brings new opportunities to learn and grow in faith! PATHWAYS Theological Education, Inc. is pleased to announce our January term online, asynchronous courses that are accessible and affordable for curious Progressive Christians. All courses are designed with the Marks of Faithful and Effective Authorized Ministers at their core, and are helpful to anyone who wants to develop spiritual and leadership gifts for use in the church and the world.

• United Church of Christ History and Polity, Jan. 11-April 7; this course is designed according to the content recommendations of the UCC History and Polity Network Teachers group (12 weeks, $625)
• Practicing Our Faith in the Public Square, Jan. 11-Feb. 21 (6 weeks, $325)
• Understanding the Bible as a Progressive Christian, Jan. 11-Feb. 21 (6 weeks, $325)
• The Art of Worship, Jan. 11-Feb. 21 (6 weeks, $325)

We will also offer a three week Introduction to Supervised Ministry for student ministers and their site supervisors who are participating in the PATHWAYS Supervised Ministry track.

For more information about PATHWAYS as an organization, our courses, and to register, visit pathwaystheological.org.

PSEC 2022 Giving Cut-Off

Books of the PSEC will close Jan. 16. All OCWM contributions for 2022 must be in our office by that date or they will be counted towards 2023 contributions. Please mail your contributions as soon as possible due to possible mail delays.

"When Does Closure Become an Option Workshop"

Since 2014, one PSEC congregation has closed, on average, every six months. This isn’t often talked about — partly because that news is filled with feelings of profound loss and grief. It’s the source of uncomfortable shame — that somehow church members failed to do all they could to maintain their sacred space. It provokes questions about the power and/or presence of God. Taken together, these things make it difficult to say what sometimes needs to be said: “It’s time for our church to close.” 

A workshop will be held Feb. 4 in Limerick to create a safe space where difficult questions can be asked and information shared with congregations facing decline and potential closure. You will receive resources and hear about church closure experiences. Click here for more information and to register.

Lay Leaders Support Group sets January meeting

A Lay Leadership Support Group exists for Consistory Presidents and those serving on Consistory. We gather once a month on Zoom – so please join us! We have found it to be a great place to form new friendships, to gain support, and to be educated on a variety of topics concerning our churches. The discussions are centered around sharing valuable information about what our churches are doing or maybe could be doing.

For more information and free registration for the Jan. 14 meeting, click here.

Register now for the

Women's Clergy Retreat

Attention all Authorized women clergy! Jan. 24-26, the Clergy Women's Retreat is back after COVID-19!  It will be held again at Mariawald Retreat Center in Reading. We have invited our women clergy friends from Penn Northeast to join us this year so we are hoping to fill the center! We would like to get as many people registered as soon as possible so the committee knows how many to plan for. Who doesn't need 42 hours or so of unplugging and resting after Advent and Christmas season? Join us and let us know by registering now! If funding is an issue, please reach out to Rev. Bill Worley. The deadline to register will be Jan. 9.

We are asking everyone to be vaccinated and to get a negative Covid test within 48 hours of the retreat.

Basic Boundary Training opportunities in 2023

PSEC is hosting three opportunities for Basic Boundary Training in 2023:



• Saturday, Jan. 14 in Quakertown
• Tuesday, May 2 in Norristown
• Thursday, Sept. 14 in Schuylkill Haven

Click here for more information and to register for the January training. Registration will open for the other trainings closer to the events.

Details on 3-hour Advanced Boundary Trainings will be announced at a later date.

Stewardship event: Generosity and Vitality in the NOW Normal

On Saturday, Jan. 21, the Southeastern PA and Northeastern PA Synods of the ELCA will host "Generosity and Vitality in the NOW Normal - a Stewardship Extravaganza." This in-person event will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lansdale. For more information, including workshop descriptions, registration link, and an event flyer, click here.

Addiction team hosting study on Richard Rohr book

Starting Jan. 10, the Addiction and Recovery Taskforce will host a book study on Breathing Under Water by Richard Rohr. The book is written within the framework of the 12 steps for those experiencing addiction. The number of sessions will be determined by the group. If you're interested in learning more about spiritual healing, click here to register.

Apply now: Ministers' Financial Vitality Initiative

Since 2017, the Ministers' Financial Vitality Initiative (MFVI) has worked to increase and improve financial wellness for more than 210 UCC authorized ministers who are overburdened with debt.

Each year, 60 authorized ministers commit to a three-year personal finance education that encourages participants to draw upon the expertise of an Ernst and Young financial planner to help meet their financial goals, as well as obtain free access to tools and educational resources.  

The program provides a yearly financial incentive of $3,000 for three years, which participants can use to alleviate their debt, or seed an Annuity Plan account to secure lifetime income. 

Active UCC authorized ministers interested in joining the MFVI program for the 2023 cohort can email MFVI@pbucc.org for instructions. Application deadline is Dec. 31. Applications will be processed on a first come, first served basis. Learn more by reading the Frequently Asked Questions.