Important This Week

• Registrations open for: anti-racism book study and forgiveness book study.
• PA UCC mid-day Lenten Prayer Gatherings and evening Lenten study
• Register for the 2024 Lay Leadership Convocation

Pennsylvania UCC Noontime Lenten Prayer Gatherings

The 4 PA UCC Conference Ministers and UCC Staff Members will lead weekly prayer gatherings during Lent on Wednesdays from 12:00-12:30p. The first prayer time is Wednesday, Feb. 21 and will follow each Wednesday until March 20. To register, click here.

Leaders will be:

• Feb. 21: David Ackerman
• Feb. 28: Nora Foust
• March 6: Carrie Call
• March 13: Bill Worley
• March 20: Bonnie Bates

'Where Have All the Clergy Gone?' with Rev. Dr. Carrie Call

On Jan. 24, at 10:00a and 6:00p, Rev. Dr. Carrie Call (Penn Central Conference UCC Conference Minister) will lead "Where Have All the Clergy Gone?". We know the church is changing. One of the most obvious shifts is the availability of clergy for our churches. What has happened and how did we get here? Join us for a Zoom presentation that will cover the trend in clergy numbers in the UCC and what affects them. We will discuss what might come next and what we can do to help our local churches. Click here to register.

Sign up for book study with the

Racial Justice Initiative

The PSEC Zachariah Walker Racial Justice Initiative is offering a six-week book study on Faithful Antiracism: Moving Past Talk to Systemic Change, by Christina Barland Edmondson and Chad Brennan. This book speaks directly to Christians who may feel ill-equipped to recognize and respond to racism. The authors use research analysis, theology, history, and social-political ethics to create interventions that challenge and resist racism in our institutions and everyday lives. There are two different time slots available for this exciting six-week book study:

• Thursdays from 7:00-8:00p, Feb. 1-March 7 (hosted by Rev. Ann Therese Ortiz and Liz Brunton)
• Tuesdays from 2:00-3:00p, Feb. 6-March 12 (hosted by Rev. Geneva Butz and Rev. Stephen Ohnsman)

Anyone is welcome to participate. To register, click here.

Registration open for 2024 Lay Leadership Convocation

On Saturday, April 6 from 8:30a-3:00p, PSEC will hold the 2024 Lay Leadership Convocation in Boyertown. This year's theme will be Sharing Leadership. For agenda, workshop descriptions, and registration, click here.

3-hour Boundary Training for Clergy in Specialized Settings

On Monday, Jan. 29 from 6:00-9:00p, the UCC's MESA (Ministerial Excellence, Support, and Authorization) Team will host Boundary Awareness Training for Ministers in Specialized Settings. This training, hosted by Revs. Tara Barber and Anissa Glaser-Bacon, is open to ministers serving in specialized settings throughout the UCC. Serving in specialized settings requires particular attention to boundaries within the ministry setting and home church that are challenging and different from those serving as local church pastors. This training will focus on matters that relate specifically to issues that these ministers face, providing opportunities for clergy to reflect on best practices and growth in their practice of ministry.*Note - This training completes individual requirements for boundary training ONLY WHEN authorized by a local Committee on Ministry. To register for this training, click here.

UCC Scholarships and Grants

Click here to check out the brochure of United Church of Christ Scholarships and Grants. The traditional timespan for applications is Dec. 1-March 1.

From the Addiction & Recovery Taskforce:

Small gift with big impact

We don’t think about the impact a small gift can have for someone who has very little. If you have any calendars for 2024 that you will not be using, you can donate them to prisoners who will greatly appreciate them. You can drop them off at New Goshenhoppen UCC, East Greenville or Zwingli UCC, Souderton or bring them to the spring conference meeting. The prisoners take great care in choosing the calendar they want when they come into the facility. A small act of kindness they will see every day. Collections continue throughout the year – No end date!

Weekly virtual Lenten study from PA conferences

The Penn West, Penn Central, Penn Northeast, and Pennsylvania Southeast conferences of the United Church of Christ invite you to join in this virtual Lenten opportunity! Meeting each Wednesday in Lent at 7:00p, this Bible Study explores the foundations of our identity as Christians and members of the UCC as we explore what the future may hold. Each week is unique so if you cannot attend every date you can still participate in as many as you are able. If you have questions, or you would like to participate in this study, email pattyr@pnec.org to receive the link.

Topics will be:

• Feb. 21: Unity and Foundation
• Feb. 28: United Church of Christ
• March 6: Lent in Context
• March 13: The Priesthood of All Believers
• March 20: Communion

Next Theology with a Twist: Faith Formation and Families

The next Theology with a Twist will be held Tuesday, Feb. 6 at 7:00p on the topic "Faith Formation and Families." The evening will include discussion on faith formation, programs that work and don't work, and how the church tends to be one step behind what families want and need in their faith lives. The panel includes Marjorie Hughes, Kimberly Berenotto, and Sara Hertzog. For more information, click here.

Book Study on Simon Wiesenthal's The Sunflower

Tuesday evenings in February, PSEC will hold an online book study for clergy and laypersons on the book The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness by Simon Wiesenthal. Participation is free and will constitute 3.75 hours of continuing education for clergy. Click here for more information and to register.

Church Admins CoP

All Admins Welcome

Join with other "Assistants and Secretaries of the PSEC Conference for our "Community of Practice". On Feb. 7 at noon, the Church Admins will fellowship over lunch (via Zoom this time) and take time to share resources and connect with one another. All admins welcome. If you haven't joined us in the past, you are more than welcome to join us on Feb. 7. Register for free, by clicking here.

Registration open now for

2024 Clergy Convocation

Registration is now open for Clergy Convocation, May 7-9 in Lancaster. Open to UCC clergy in Pennsylvania, our time together will focus on rest, renewal, connection and healing. Healing in our ministries and our world often begins with healing within. We know how important it is for clergy to have time away from their ministry settings and to find support. There will be time dedicated for worship, reflection, gathering of affinity groups, and free time. Click here for more information, a tentative agenda, and registration.

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