Important This Week

• New church added to Ministry Opportunities
• Celebration of the Resurrection service for Rev. Dr. F. Russ Mitman this week
• Complete your church's yearend reporting

Announcing the passing of Rev. John R. Weiler

Rev. John R. Weiler who served several congregations in the Philadelphia area early in his career, passed away on Jan. 19. Click here to read his obituary.

Church yearend

reporting is now open

Earlier this month, emails were sent to church offices and pastors with information on year-end reporting. If you should have received that information and didn’t, please contact the Conference Registrar, Brea Rarick, at brea@psec.org or 484-949-8774 ext. 311. Also, you may visit psec.org/reporting for more information on this year’s reporting.

Thanks so much to the churches that have already completed their reporting:

• Christ Church UCC, Trumbauersville
• Grace UCC, West Point
• Old First Reformed UCC, Philadelphia
• St. John's UCC, (Gibraltar) Birdsboro
• St. John's UCC, (Pricetown) Fleetwood
• St. Vincent UCC, Phoenixville
• Shenkel UCC, Pottstown
• Solomon's UCC, Bedminster
• Tabernacle United Church, Philadelphia
• Trinity Reformed UCC, Holland
• United Christian Church, Levittown

Reporting is open until March 1.

Facilitators sought for table discussions at Spring Meeting

In the evaluations of last year’s annual meeting there were requests for time to bring together like-minded individuals.  

The planning team has heard this request and although our schedule is already extremely tight, it was decided that lunch time, and the round tables in the dining hall, would make for perfect, relaxed spaces to begin these conversations.

The next step is finding individuals with passions they want to share by leading these conversations. So, we are seeking anyone who is willing to take a topic and lead open discussions around that topic over lunch Saturday afternoon.

Topics could range from “pastors under 40”, “how do I help my church become ONA”, “LBGTQ”, “Consistory Presidents”, etc. There is no limit.

IF YOU have a topic and you are willing to lead that discussion during the lunch hour, please reach out to Susan at the PSEC office at susan@psec.org.

Resource to help kids learn about climate change

This is a fantastic resource for children and youth to learn more about environment protection. The government website, Climate Kids, is all about climate change. This website includes information about green occupations, as well as discussions of what climate change is and what can be done to assist. Children may learn even more by playing an entertaining game here.

UCC delegation in Europe to track Ukraine response

The UCC has collected almost $3 million through an emergency appeal for the people of Ukraine. On Jan. 27, almost a year after the Russian invasion displaced 13 million, church executives are traveling to the region to see what their needs are and how faith partners are responding using UCC gifts.

The UCC delegation, led by Associate General Minister Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson, will spend 14 days abroad, much of that time with historic partners and churches in Hungary, Greece and south- west Ukraine. To read more, click here. 

Celebration of life service set for Rev. Dr. F. Russell Mitman

The Rev. Dr. F. Russell Mitman, former Conference Minister for the churches of the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference died on Saturday, Jan. 7. To read his full obituary announcement, click here. A service of celebration of the Resurrection will be held on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 11:00a at Church of the Good Shepherd in Boyertown. Those who are not available to attend are invited to register to receive a link to view the service online.

UCC 2023 Stewardship Theme Materials available to order

“Because of You, Our Church Changes Lives” is this year's UCC stewardship theme, making the connection between generosity and the ministry and mission of your church. Materials include worship resources, sermons, and faith formation for children, youth and adults. The materials provide tools such as logos, commitment cards, bulletin inserts and letters. Guidance for every step of your campaign helps you make the best use of these materials. Click here to pre-order materials.

Lay Leaders Support Group sets February 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 info and free registration for the Feb. 18 meeting, click here.

UCC webinar: The Indigenous Land Back Movement

The Land Back Movement has been succinctly described as the generations long struggle to put “Indigenous lands back into Indigenous hands.” In this webinar, organizers and practitioners within the movement will place the struggle within the context of dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery and the ongoing work of reparatory justice. Speakers will include Katerina Gea from the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery, Angie Comeaux from Hummingbird Springs Farm, and Sarah Augustine who authored “The Land Is Not Empty: Following Jesus in Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery.” Even if you cannot make the webinar at its scheduled time on Feb. 8 at 1:00p, still sign up, and we will send a link to the recording. Register now!

From the Addiction & Recovery Taskforce: Words to ponder

"To finally surrender ourselves to healing, we have to have three spaces opened up within us-all at the same time: our opinionated head, our closed-down heart, and our defensive and defended body."

Richard Rohr, Breathing Under Water, p8.

Youth opioid awareness and Narcan training event planned

Welcome Project PA will host a "Youth Opioid Awareness and Narcan Training Event" on Feb. 18 in Hatboro. This is a free educational event for youth, parents, teachers, and school administrators. Click here for more information.

Thank you!

Thank you for the difference you have made in the lives of people, communities, and pastoral leadership over the last year through your OCWM (Our Churches Wider Missions) financial support. Whether you offered what you collected or included OCWM and other givings in your annual budget, you and your church extended the reach of the United Church of Christ.

As we close the books on 2022, PSEC congregations and individuals contributed $738,627 OCWM dollars toward the work of our Conference. With those funds, the PSEC connects our church’s various and diverse ministries both locally and globally. Together, we provide our local churches, pastors, and congregations with the training and inspiration they need to carry out our church’s wider mission. We are stronger together; therefore, we embrace diversity, and above all, we spread God’s love!

Although $33,000 short of our OCWM goal of $771,700 the Conference was able to hold the line on expenses and ended the year with a positive cash flow! Your generosity in giving, besides supporting the work of the Conference, has also impacted many lives all over God’s creation. We were blessed to be able to pass through $77,170 of your OCWM dollars to the National UCC office for their work.

Through OCWM and the other special offerings of the UCC, disaster relief collections, and pass throughs, $258,819 was sent through the Conference office in 2022 to support causes including disaster relief, Lancaster Seminary, Bethany Children’s Home, E&R Historical Society, Phoebe Homes, etc.

God bless you and thank you! Here’s to a meaningful and prosperous 2023!  

Church Admins CoP

All Admins Welcome

Join with other "Assistants and Secretaries of the PSEC Conference for our "Community of Practice". On Feb. 15 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. 15. Register free, by clicking here.

Antoinette Brown award nominations deadline extended

What outstanding clergywomen can you nominate? Celebrating the life and ministry of Antoinette Brown and all women in ordained ministry, nominations for the Antoinette Brown Award are open until Feb. 14.

Nominees for Trailblazers will be ordained clergywomen in the UCC who honor Antoinette Brown’s vision of women’s calling to leadership in church and society. We seek to honor exceptional current work as well as lifetime achievement, with an emphasis on forging a path for women in ministry. Nominees for Catalysts will be projects, collectives, congregations, or organizations that provide a provocative space that advances and empowers women in ministry. A persuasive nomination will offer a detailed account of the nominee’s leadership; use additional pages as needed. A minimum of three letters of support, as well as any supporting documentation, may be attached to the nomination form, which can be found here or as email attachments to accompany the nomination. Visit the ABS webpage for more information and to support the work of the Antoinette Brown Society. Awardees will receive recognition at General Synod and provide leadership at a Clergywomen’s Gathering in Spring of 2024.

One Great Hour of Sharing: Order materials, prepare now

March 19, the fourth Sunday of Lent, is the recommended date for the "One Great Hour of Sharing" offering. Unlike previous years, OGHS promotional materials will NOT be automatically mailed to your churches this year so that you may order only the quantities you need from UCC Resources. For your newsletters and worship planning purposes, graphics, videos and other resources are available for download on the OGHS website. Additional resources will be added soon.

Support/join Friedens UCC, Oley's mission trip to Peru

Friedens United Church of Christ, Oley is sponsoring a two-week Mission Rebuild Trip to Peru Aug. 5- 19 to help the Fuller Center for Housing build houses. Interested people, contact Sue Henne: s.henne73@icloud.com, 601-451-3209.

To support the Mission Trip Friedens UCC, Oley, is undertaking a shoe collection fundraising event. They are collecting shoes from now until April 30. They will accept any kind of shoe that can be worn on a person’s foot so long as it’s a pair and they are new or gently used. The goal is to collect 5000 pounds of shoes. For every pound they collect, they receive $.50 per pound. The shoes are refurbished and are sent to Third World countries. A poster is here. Shoes can be dropped off at Friedens UCC, 337 Main St., Oley PA 19547 at any time, including their Saturday drive-through drop off collections on Feb. 11, March 11, and April 15 between 9:00a and 11:00a in the church parking lot.

Attention retirees and

soon-to-be retirees!

The Penn Central Conference, in conjunction with the UCC Pension Boards, is planning a Convocation for Retired Clergy and Spouses and for those planning retirement on May 9, 10 and 11 at the Doubletree Inn in Willow Valley, PA, just south of Lancaster. Cost for the three-day event, double-occupancy, will be $119 per night per room and meal costs are $125 per person for the weekend. If you are interested please contact Rev Rick Luciotti at rluciotti@gmail.com or 717-679-0001.

"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. 18 (Please note, the date has been changed.) 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.

Rev. Nathaniel Mahlberg installation at Valley Forge

Click the invitation below to download a PDF to share.

UCC response to flooding, tornadoes, severe storms

The deadly tornado outbreak across the southern United States last week resulted in at least 35 destructive tornadoes and 9 deaths across Alabama and Georgia. Among the devastated communities was Selma, Alabama, which took a direct hit from one of the tornadoes. The scale of the tornado's destruction in the city was immense. Click here to read more about the disaster, how the UCC is responding, and how you can help.

Wednesday's cyclone was the latest in a series of high-intensity storms to hammer California since New Year's Eve, leading to thousands of homes without power, thousands of families evacuated due to flooding and at least 14 deaths. For more information about the disaster, reports from the UCC churches that have been affected by this disaster, how the UCC is responding and how you can help, click here.

Climate Justice Team offering Green Grants for 2023

Would your church like some seed money to kick-start a new season of climate-saving activities? The Climate Justice team of PSEC invites applications for grants of up to $250, to be matched by the churches themselves. Please apply by April 1 at psec.org/green.

• Could you use $100 for seeds and soil for your community garden? 
• $100 to buy the books on climate activism and theology you’ve been meaning for your study group to read? 
• $200 toward the $400 needed to replace every light bulb? 
• $250 to add to your $250 for a $500 jump-start on replacing a drafty window? 
• $250 toward the $500 for food, books and activities for your environmental summer outdoor school for the neighborhood? 
• A couple of hundred in sight so you can go to an individual donor and ask them to match it?

Questions: Marian Shearer (uccrev77@gmail.com), Liz Brunton (lizbrunton2462@gmail.com).