Penn Central Conference Weekly eNews

Weekly Update - February 13, 2019

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In This Issue...

Jerusalem Tables - NEW!

Resources

Calendar

Events and Training - NEW

Justice and Community Issues - NEW!

Clergy News

Prayers and Devotions - NEW!

Hartman Center

Open Positions

Previous eNews

Just a Reminder: February 17 is the recommended date for the Hartman Center Love Offering!

News from Penn Central Conference

Jerusalem Tables - NEW

In a moment of great change and growth in the early church, Paul and Barnabas went up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem with their testimonies. In Acts 15:7b-9, 12a Paul addressed this body, "Siblings, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed acceptance of them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as it was given to us. 9 God did not discriminate between us and them, for their hearts were purified by faith." The whole assembly became silent as they listened.

The Council at Jerusalem reminds us that from its earliest roots the Church had challenging conversations about the Church. And on February 7, we did just that here in Penn Central Conference.

Last week, at four locations throughout the Conference, pastors listened to testimony on building, mission, money or leadership and joined in round table discussion about what it means to BE the Church. Thanks to Pastors Dave Downer, Nate Druckenmiller, Sue D'heedene and our Lutheran partner, Karin Pejack, for sharing their testimonies.

Following that, clergy gathered for table discussion centered around:

Ways that Penn Central Conference congregations are BE-ing the church today and how those ministries excite their congregations.
Dreams for the church (in terms of building, mission, money and leadership) and exploring ways to make these dreams realities.
The testimonies heard as they looked for ways to recreate this renaissance (again in the areas of building, mission, money and leadership).
Critical areas of the church that need our focus... and ways to start that critical work.
And finally, a review of church mission and vision and how this ties to ministry and what is needed (in terms of support and resources) to revision that mission.

These discussions will continue at our MEF on April 11 (Back at the Table) and again with Healthy Church on September 14 (BE-in the Church Today). Next week, you will see our call to Annual Meeting and the theme this year is Renaissance Ministry: BEing the Church Today.

We invite you to start thinking about these topics now and we will continue to focus on BEing the Church throughout the year. If you need assistance or resources, please reach out to the Conference office.

Conference Updates

Pledge Forms

We are grateful for the monthly OCWM gifts and appreciate those churches that added OCWM as a line item in their 2019 annual budget. Please let us know what you have pledged to OCWM in the coming year by completing and submitting this online pledge form or by sending this paper form into Wendy via email or mail.

Yearbook

DataHub is open. It will close on March 6 at Midnight. In the meantime, please continue collecting data and information. As always, are happy to help in any way. Thank you, in advance, for all your hard work

Calendar of Events

Link to the PCC Calendar

Annual Meeting - June 7-8, 2019, Susquehanna University

General Synod, 2019 - June 21-25, 2019, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Join Our List

Resource Links

Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry

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Lancaster Theological Seminary

UCCR

UCC Homes

Events and Training

New UCC Manual on Ministry - NEW

MESA has just released a newly revised Manual on Ministry. Many thanks to the Habakkuk Group, a diverse committee of 17 UCC members from across the country as well as the 30 readers (including our own, Rev. Nora Foust) that made this possible.

Morsels of Excellence

JANUARY: A Sure Foundation: resources for the relationships between pastors and congregations

Discussion questions: Morsels Discussion

Evaluation Form - We greatly appreciate your feedback!

Additional details on Morsels of Excellence

February Morsels of Excellence Comes Out Tomorrow!

Healthy Church

Please Save the Date for Our Upcoming Workshops

March 2 - Creating Small Group Ministries at Your Church

May 4 - Shared (Cooperative) Ministry Conversations

September 14 - Being the Church Today

All sessions are 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM. See flyer for additional details.

Convergence Leadership Project

The UCC's Center for Progressive Renewal just opened registration for the next cohort of an online leadership development program called the Convergence Leadership Project.

Author and national faith leader, Brian McLaren, is the director of the program, supported by Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis from Middle Collegiate Church in NY, Diana Butler Bass, Bruce Reyes-Chow, Lindsay Andreolli-Comstock, Jim Keat and others. Living in the age of intersectional movement building, we need leaders and congregations prepared to lead the way. After two years of development, CLP has proven to be a very powerful program for helping congregations make the transition from being "organized churches" to "organizing churches."

Leaders (lay and ordained) must be nominated, interviewed and accepted into the program. They are looking for congregations with imagination, courage and capacity. Church size or location doesn't impact the outcome of the experience - it's more about an openness to change and awareness that a new kind of imagination is needed to move the progressive faith movement forward.

For more details...

Women's Summit

UCC Polity and Theology Course - Registration Deadline is February 15

United Church of Christ History and Polity will be taught at Lancaster Theological Seminary during Term III in Spring 2019, beginning Friday, February 22, 2019 and ending Friday, April 5, 2019.

The class will be held for 7 weeks on Friday afternoons from 2:00pm to 5:00pm.

Assignments include reading and writing, resulting in a History and Polity paper that can be used as part of the ordination paper requirement for authorization.

Successful completion of assignments in the class will result in a Certificate of Completion that may be shared with the individual's Committee on Ministry to designate completion of an approved course.

This class is non-credit. Registration is required. The course fee is $ 300.00.

Registration deadline is Friday, February 15, 2019.

Course Dates: Seven weeks - Fridays, Feb. 22 through April 12, 2019, from 2-5pm

Community and Justice Issues

Congratulations, St. John's, Boalsburg - NEW

St. John's UCC in Boalsburg voted overwhelmingly to adopt an Open and Affirming covenant statement on February 10.

Congratulations!

Plastic Foam Resolution Update - NEW

We received word yesterday that our plastic foam resolution was accepted by the sub-committee and it was recommended the resolution move to the next step. Now, the resolution will go to t he United Church of Christ Board which meets March 7-9. The UCC Board will make the final decision for the recommendation.

We have many churches that are currently living into our resolution and we would love to hear from you! Please u se this google doc to share what your church is doing to live into our resolution!

Green New Deal - NEW

Please read this statement from the Executive Leadership Team of the United Church of Christ.

New Eastern Region Disaster Recovery Specialist - NEW

UCC hires Ken Skalitzky as new UCC Eastern Region Disaster Recovery Specialist

Rescheduled: In the Executioner's Shadow

Rescheduled for March 17, 2019

4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

St. Paul's UCC, Mechanicsburg

626 Williams Grove Road - Mechanicsburg

Please RSVP to [email protected]. There is no cost to attend; however donations are accepted to cover pizza and speaker costs. Flyer

Does "All are Welcome" Really Mean ALL?

Open and Affirming Ministry Team

2019 Winter Gathering

Saturday, February 23, 2019

9:30 AM - 2:00 PM

St. Paul's UCC - 626 Williams Grove Road - Mechanicsburg, PA

See flyer for details, registration, etc.

Clergy News

Hellos and Goodbyes

Welcome ... new Pastors!

Dale Thomas - David's UCC, Hebe (a shared ministry with St. Matthew's, Spring Glen)

Jes Kast - Faith UCC, State College

Sue Oelrich - Locust Grove UCC

Brian Damrow - Penbrook UCC

Diane Kinley - St. John's UCC, Bellefonte

Rick Pulling (Interim) - Emmanuel UCC, York

Farewell ... and thank you!

Brett Myers (Interim) - Faith UCC, State College

Karin Stork-Whitson (Interim) - Penbrook, UCC

Rick Pulling (Interim) - Emmanuel, Freysville

Ministerial Excellence Forums, Spring 2019

Please join us on the following dates from 1:00 - 4:00 at St. Thomas United Church of Christ.

March 7 - Dr. Greg Carey, Pastoring Everyone in Divisive Times

April 11 - Rev. Jes Kast and Rev. Megan Malick, Back at the Table

May 9 - Rev. Dr. Carolyne M. Call, Emotional Intelligence

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Light refreshments will be served.

For Details and Presenter Bios

Cutting Edge Faith Formation Conference

Join us at MA-AUCE's annual Cutting Edge Faith Formation Conference and learn more about how to be anti-racist with Dr. Jennifer Harvey!

Flyer and Registration

Prayers for Penn Central Conference

Ephesians 6:18 (NLT): 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Beginning in 2018, we created a prayer list to invite you to pray with us as we pray for all. We will continue this each week in 2019 as we list names of various churches in Penn Central Conference and hope you will add them to your prayers.

Solomon's UCC, Chambersburg
Zion Reformed UCC, Chambersburg
Christ UCC, Cordorus
Salem UCC, Columbia

Hartman Center

Hartman Center News - Love Offering: February 17!

Hartman Center Legion

Lots of people committed to many different opportunities to serve in many different ways. And the organization of such a group needs "called out". And so in 2019, we are announcing a Hartman Center Legion. For details...