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Important This Week
- TODAY is the deadline to register for Annual Meeting.
- From the Conference Minister: How pastors can thrive as leaders
- Save the date for an educational series on Consistory/Council 101
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How pastors can thrive as congregational leaders
What enables pastors to thrive as pastoral leaders and lead congregations effectively? I recently joined several ministry colleagues in conversation with faculty and staff of Lancaster Seminary around this question. That group was working to shape a more practical training program for lay leaders and potential authorized minsters. From those conversation I learned about the work being done through of the “Thriving in Ministry Initiative” of the Lily Foundation.
There is some really helpful information at one of the web sites
(
http://lillyendowment.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/thriving-in-ministry-initiative-2018-rfp-final.pdf
). They report recent studies which examine the demands placed on pastoral leaders. The “Flourishing in Ministry” research project (directed by Dr. Matt Bloom at the University of Notre Dame), surveyed thousands of pastors across the United States who serve congregations in many Christian denominations to learn, ‘What are the differences between pastors who thrive and those who struggle?’
According to their research, clergy who are flourishing as pastoral leaders share four common characteristics:
- the pastor establishes a clear sense of his or her pastoral and professional identity;
- there is an alignment between the pastor’s gifts and skills and the demands and expectations of the local congregation he or she serves;
- the pastor receives mutual respect and support from clergy peers; and
- the pastor has relationships with role models and exemplars who serve as mentors and who can guide him or her through common professional challenges and transitions. The last characteristic is particularly important.
There are no surprises here. Clergy who actively cultivate ongoing connections with colleagues thrive in ministry and lead congregations effectively. There are countless ways to do that (some in this eblast) including carving out time to come to Annual Conference meeting. Registration closes today! I hope I will see you there.
Prayers for your ministry,
Bill
Rev. William P. Worley
Conference Minister
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Today is the last day to register for Annual Meeting 2018
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Join us for Annual Meeting June 1-3 at West Chester University as we work to deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ and each other and to strengthen our gifts to ministry in service to God’s people. Friday, Conference Minister Bill Worley hosts a conversation, “Reconciling Past and Future”, for laity and clergy to both experience and engage the possibilities beyond attempting to “fix” the church to an orientation of God unfolding new possibilities before us.
Rev. John Dorhauer, General Minister & President, will preach Friday evening. Conference business will be handled Saturday morning followed by an afternoon of workshops, including one with Jeff Chu who will be the speaker for the Saturday evening program. There will be Celebration Worship Sunday morning with guest preacher, Rev. Dr. Bonnie Bates, followed by lunch and fellowship to end the meeting.
- Annual Meeting info, including an agenda and workshop descriptions are at psec.org/annualmtg18
- To register now and get early registration rates, click here.
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URGENT help needed for Puerto Rico hurricane recovery
The UCC Disaster Ministries has put out an urgent call for work teams in response to 2017 hurricanes. Starting June 1, groups of up to 15 volunteers can travel to Puerto Rico to help clean up and repair homes and church properties. To schedule your group or for more information, visit
ucc.org/disaster_puerto_rico
.
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Webinar: Best practices for allowing offenders in church
On Wednesday, May 23 at 2pm, the UCC General Counsel will lead a free webinar on "Sex Offenders in Your Congregations: Recommendations and Best Practices," sponsored by the Insurance Board.
The webinar is directed to Local Church pastors and lay leaders. It is open to anyone, including those who are not participants in the Insurance Board program. Registration is required.
Click here
to register. The webinar will be recorded for anyone who cannot attend.
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PAM Offering Consistory/ Council 101 Educational Series
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The Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry will be conducting a 3-part educational series called
Consistory/Council 101
on Sept. 15, Oct. 6 and Oct. 27 from 10a to 12 noon. The 3 sessions are titled: (Sept. 15)-
Making Our Church Meetings Effective
, (Oct. 6)-
Pastor and People Working Together
and (Oct. 27)-
Connecting Beyond Ourselves
.
We are asking all Consistory/Council Presidents to place this educational opportunity on their upcoming agenda for consideration. We are looking at presenting this course via LIVE STREAM to locations in EACH of the Penn Northeast, Penn Central and Pennsylvania Southeast Conferences where groups of laity can join together in viewing the presentations and participate in discussion questions.
Click here
for a registration form so your group can receive the link to the LIVE STREAMED event. A subsequent email will be sent to all registrants indicating locations where groups can be found in your area and all groups will receive discussion questions with their link to the webinar. In a climate where churches are struggling to remain open or remain financially secure, we know that a well-educated leadership is crucial to that goal. We hope that you will consider this course for your Consistory or Council so to encourage vitality and strengthen an already vibrant leadership in our local churches.
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PSEC represented at national disaster response conference
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Rev. Karl Jones, PSEC Disaster Coordinator, attended the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster conference in Providence Rhode Island last week. The picture above shows everyone who attended representing the United Church of Christ: (from left) Joshua Lawrence (Texas), Zach Wolgemuth (UCC Executive), Roger Dart (Illinois), Karl Jones (PSEC), Amanda Sheldon (UCC Program Associate), Alan Coe (Florida), and Michael Kern (FEMA VAL).
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Free webinar set for churches considering going solar
As part of the monthly Creation Justice Webinar series, the UCC has teamed with GreenFaith to offer a webinar designed to assist churches who are interested in going solar. On May 30, the Rev. Fletcher Harper will address issues related to technology, finance, physical plant, communications, and more.
Sign-up today
for this webinar! Also, look up
past webinars or subscribe for monthly updates
on future webinars.
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Help for churches with building and maintenance contracts
Churches in the Insurance Board program: Did you know the Insurance Board reviews contracts for Local Churches that involve building and lot maintenance (for example, snow removal) and repair (for example, roof repair or replacement)? IB can make recommendations as to the indemnification provisions in the contract and recommend appropriate levels of insurance that should be carried by the vendors/contractors, as well as recommend limitations on liability. A professional set of eyes on contracts can make a difference should a loss arise out of the contract. Churches in the program can contact Loss Control at 800-437-8830.
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Classified Ads
Submit your Classified Ads
here
View a complete list of Classified Ads
here
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Upcoming Church Events
Submit your Local Church Events
here
View a complete list of Church Events
here
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Educational Opportunities
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Missed a week? Read past eNews here:
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