Important This Week

• Rev. Barbara Pence installation Sunday at St. Andrew's UCC, Perkasie
• Register for PSEC Fall Meeting
• Second Keystone Project and Fall Meeting 'Town Hall Meeting' next week
• Support PSEC as part of Giving Tuesday

Tuesday, November 28 is your chance to join a global generosity movement – GIVING TUESDAY

Giving Tuesday restores some balance to the flurry of buying sprees around Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is a “giving day” to the causes you and I care about that make for a Jesus inspired just and compassionate world. It’s a day to proclaim that hope is alive and well, despite the many forces of cynicism, division, and destruction.

Our Conference is part of this Giving Tuesday movement!!

Through our network of churches, three working groups (the Addiction and Recovery Task Force

the Environmental Justice Team, and the Zachariah Walker Racial Justice Initiative) and the countless ways we connect, WE deepen relationships between churches, among clergy, and within communities, to extend the reach of God’s love for the world. This is our life’s mission. And it’s our church’s wider mission.

We hope you will strengthen the mission on Giving Tuesday, as we try to reach our goal of 50 gifts. To inspire our generosity, a lead donor has committed to matching dollar-for-dollar the first $3,000 offered. 

TOGETHER we do justice.

TOGETHER we love kindness.

TOGETHER we walk humbly with our very giving God!

We hope you will share this opportunity with your congregation, and support PSEC on Giving Tuesday or donate early! Visit the PSEC Donate page (https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZJ53/home) and click “Giving Tuesday.”

Register now for PSEC 2023 Fall Meeting

The 2023 Fall Meeting will be held Nov. 12 as a hybrid meeting — join us online OR we would love to have you in person at St. Paul's UCC in Amityville. Come together with clergy and delegates for worship and to do the business of our conference. The agenda includes OCWM 2023 report and approval of the 2024 Spending Plan and a presentation from the Keystone Study Group. Click here to register.

Registration opens at 2:00p. Refreshments will be available as you visit tables hosted by some of the PSEC Committees. The meeting will be from 3:00-5:00p.

One more Town Hall on Keystone Project, Fall Meeting

Prior to Fall Meeting we are offering two opportunities to join Rev. Bill Worley and others in presentations about the work of the Keystone Study Group and the Fall meeting. There will be opportunities for questions. One was held on Monday, the other will be Nov. 8 at 2:00p. (Click the date to register.)

Rev. Barbara Pence installation at St. Andrew's UCC, Perkasie

Click the invitation below to download a PDF to share.

Peter Schmiechen celebration and portrait unveiling at LTS

You are invited to a celebration and portrait unveiling of Lancaster Theological Seminary President Emeritus Peter J. Schmiechen on Friday, Nov. 3 from

4:00-5:30p at Santee Chapel at Lancaster Seminary, 555 W. James Street, Lancaster. Remarks and reminiscences from: Rt. Rev. Dr. Nathan Baxter, Dr. Lee Barrett, Dr. Greg Carey, President Emerita Rev. Dr. Carol Lytch, Dr. Julia O'Brien, and Dr. Anne Thayer. Followed by refreshments in the Rt. Rev. Dr. Nathan D. Baxter Room. RSVP: bsauder@lancasterseminary.edu.

From the Addiction & Recovery Taskforce: Innovative Programs

For those in rural counties, access to health care is a problem. Those in need of SUD services or in recovery often do not have transportation to the services they need. Here is one solution that is being used in central PA.

Gaudenzia’s Driving Recovery for PA is an innovative mobile substance use disorder (SUD) treatment initiative offering services to Central PA. Supported by our Outpatient Division and community partnerships, Driving Recovery for PA offers evidence-based care in different locations weekly to help increase Central PA access to SUD care. Services include: Assessments Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Harm Reduction Services K Co-Occurring Mental Health Support Motivational Interviewing (MI) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Peer-Based Recovery Support Services.

Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry courses coming up

Moral Injury & Veterans Ministry

Community Training for Advancing Veterans' Whole Health. Building the capacity of spiritual leaders and faith communities to welcome those who have experienced war and military service. Free online training, Nov. 9, 11, and 14. CEUs available for a nominal fee. Register by Nov. 1.

Introduction to Preaching

Connect with your congregation, make Biblical text come alive, and learn breathing techniques for a more compelling delivery. Your congregation will thank you! Six weeks online, Tuesdays, 7:00-8:30p, Jan. 2 – Feb. 6, 2024. $325 for 2.5 CEUs. Information and Registration.

Online Boundary Training for Retired Clergy

The UCC's Ministerial Excellence Support and Authorization (MESA) Team will host Boundary Training for Retired Clergy on Monday, Nov. 6 from 5:30-8:30p.

Join them for a focused conversation on boundary topics faced in retirement – identity, leaving well, Exempt Status, as well as a refresher on the Ministerial Code, power, and accountability. Click here to register.

You're invited to join a

PA UCC Virtual Choir

In 2020, during the Covid epidemic, the Penn Central Conference started a Virtual Choir, to provide choral music for remote services. In the years since this choir has continued and has provided wonderful music for services throughout the years. We would like to invite musicians throughout the state of Pennsylvania to join us for our 2023-2024 season. You won't need to leave home; and you won't need any special equipment.

The choir works remotely and sings 4-5 pieces per year. Setup is simple, and we walk you through the process. Our first piece this year will be a new Christmas Carol by John Rutter. We will be having a series of Zoom orientation sessions the week of Oct. 29-Nov. 4, and guide tracks will be available by Nov. 5, with recordings due back by Nov. 26. Singers in all voice parts are welcome, as are instrumentalists.

All churches are welcome to use the resulting choir performances, which are available on the Penn Central Conference's YouTube Channel, and are available for download.

For more information on joining the choir, or using the music, contact Julie Holm, bvfofmusic@gmail.com.

Addiction & Recovery Taskforce holding Winter Clothing Drive

Note: more drop-off locations have been added since last week:

• Zwingli UCC, 350 Wile Ave., Souderton
• PSEC Fall Meeting, Nov. 12 in Amityville

Nov. Theology with a Twist: Can the Church Survive?

The next Theology with a Twist will be held Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 7:00p at the Kutztown Tavern. Join Dr. Jill Peters as we tackle the questions: What is the future of the local church? Who would miss us if we were gone? What about our current church culture has pushed us toward extinction? Dr. Peters is the Crossroads, Missional Leadership Developer at Moravian Seminary. Click here for more information.

PBUCC Annuity Plan Beneficiary Designations

Effective Sept. 1, 2023, Recordkeeping Services for the Lifetime Retirement Income Plan for the UCC also known as the Annuity Plan, moved to Fidelity Investments. Existing annuitants are NOT impacted by the transition.

There have been several mailings about this change for current members, but we wanted to highlight this: Beneficiary elections did not transfer to Fidelity. It is important to designate your beneficiary at Fidelity. To update your beneficiary designations, go to: PBUCC.org > Member Account > Access Fidelity NetBenefits > Profile > Beneficiaries. You can also contact Fidelity for a form. Contact Fidelity through PBUCC Member Services at 800-642-6543, 8:30a to 12:00a, Monday-Friday.

Apply now: Ministers'

Financial Vitality Initiative

UCC authorized ministers interested in joining the Ministers’ Financial Vitality Initiative for the 2024 cohort, follow this link to apply. Spaces are limited and requests will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis. MFVI is a three-year Faith and Finance program of the Pension Boards to Address Economic Challenges Facing Pastoral Leaders, which seeks to empower UCC ministers with financial tools and strategies to better manage their personal finances so they can serve their ministries more effectively. To learn more, read our Frequently Asked Questions.

Webinar: From Greenwashing to Environmental Justice

The President of the upcoming UN Climate Conference is the CEO of the one of the world's largest oil producers and is currently working to aggressively expand his company’s production. In this webinar, panelists will provide a critical assessment of the greenwashing and corporate capture of this conference, and also cast an alternative vision and pathway forward. The world deserves and desperately needs a UN process dedicated to the advancement of all peoples, a core principle of the UN Charter. Even if you cannot make the webinar at its scheduled time on Nov. 8 at 1:00p, still sign-up, and we will send you a link to a recording of it. Register now!

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