Penn Central Conference Weekly eNews

This past weekend's #pccuccannualmeeting17 was a beautiful gathering of 370 followers of Christ (303 delegates) with 49 people attending for the first time. Photos from the Annual Meeting are available on the Conference Facebook page.

There was plenty of room for more, especially with the change back to Weber Chapel. If you missed the meeting this year, please plan to join us at the next meeting June 8-9, 2018.

Penn Central Conference is truly blessed to have many gifted people share their gifts to build up the body of Christ, as the Apostle Paul exhorts us to do:

"...Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." --- (Ephesians 4:12-13)

The collective gifts were evident across various capacities, some served as:

liturgists, choir members, musicians, singers, bell ringer and hymn writer
teachers facilitating workshops and sharing information about their organizations
technology gurus, videographer, photographer, and so on

During the 2017- 2020 Strategic (Missional) Plan presentation we highlighted the local talent of a Pennsylvania winery by using their wines at the wine and cheese reception. The reception was sponsored by the generosity of the UCC Insurance Board.

The Missional Plan was developed to focus on strengthening the ministries and mission of our local churches, including small and rural congregations. The plan generated several questions and very rich conversations that I hope will continue over the next three years. A couple of Association leaders have offered reflections on the plan,and one of our new Board members shared news that her church recently added the four missional goals to their website banner. I am thankful for their collective and connectional leadership!

If you are interested in reading the Strategic (Missional) Plan, it is available here.

May we begin to walk in the light of our new vision:

United in Christ's love, we are Connected... Engaged...Transformed

In Christ,

Monica

Rev. Dr. Monica Dawkins-Smith

Conference Minister and President

Monica's Message as a Bulletin Insert

Monica's Message Now Available as a Bulletin Insert so you can share.

8.5 x 11 insert and 8.5 x 14 insert

Annual Meeting Recap!

NEW - Thank you for attending our 55th Annual Meeting!

Several delegates requested copies of the information that was presented. Links to the information are available below and on our Web site.

Budget presentation - Deck
Strategic Plan presentation - Deck
Evaluation form - a link to the evaluation is available for those who didn't complete the green evaluation form at Annual Meeting
New Church Resource Offering (resources offered through the Conference office)

NEW - Thank you to ALL our Volunteers!

Thank you to ALL volunteers

for all your hard work and dedication making Annual Meeting a success!

Herb Bomberger - 33 Years!!

Worship Team - Rev Ann Graves, Kara Young, Rev David Tietje and Eric Dundore

Medical Staff - Stephanie Page and Bonita Zobeck

Golf Cart Coordinator - Sally Lauer

Golf Cart Drivers - St. Paul's, Selinsgrove

Child Care - Becky Boone

Tech Managers - Jennifer and Mike Swank

Conference Photographer - Rachel Emmons

Conference Videographer - Lou Waleff and Megan Waleff

Youth Service Team and YST Directors - Roxanne and Jack Davenport

Strategic Planning Task Force - Ann Graves, David Downer, Eric Dundore, Geraldine Fritz, Joel Risser, John Miller, Judy Maust, Kendra Snyder, Nadine Ziegler

Packet Assembly Team - Hummelstown UCC

Packet Preparation - Richard Heiss and Martha Keith

Hearts and Minds - Byron and Beth Borger

Choir Director - Eric Dundore

Organist - Scott Siciliano

40+ Workshop Facilitators

PCC Board of Directors

NEW - Outreach Success!

THANK YOU PENN CENTRAL CONFERENCE FOR YOUR OUTREACH!!

Thank you all for your contribution to our toiletry and quarter collections.

We donated a whole 8 foot table full of toiletries to varying food pantries, kitchens and homeless shelters.

We also want to thank EVERYONE and EVERY CHURCH that helped with the "Quarter Project" for Hartman Center. The conservative estimate (since some people forgot to bring their quarters to Annual Meeting but said they would mail in a check) is $3,200.00. This will more than pay for the new washer and dryer in the new Administration Building/Infirmary. It will also help us buy some needed furnishings for the new building.

General Synod - Baltimore!

Bus Trip for General Synod Sunday Worship

4 Bus Trip Options for General Synod Worship Service - Sunday, July 2 at 2:30

Leaving from Harrisburg Area:

Bus leaves at 12:00 pm from Penn Central Conference Office

Parking for the bus trip at the conference office is free

Round trip bus cost is $30 per person

Click to Register for Harrisburg Bus

Leaving from Lancaster Area:

Bus leaves from Church of the Apostles at 12:30 pm and returns after worship

All are invited

Cost for the round-trip bus ticket and a sack lunch to eat on the way is $30 per person. ($21 without lunch)

Send this form to register - Lancaster

Leaving from York Area:

Bus leaves from Faith, York at 12:15 and returns after worship.

Cost $24.

Please call Pastor Ron to register 717.870.3620 and mail check to:

Faith UCC, 509 Pacific Avenue, York, PA 17404

Hurry, York registration ends on June 18!

Leaving Waynesboro Area:

Bus leaves from Trinity at 12:30.

Cost is $25 adults, $15 for children.

Call the Trinity office for more information - 717-762-7191.

Penn Central Conference General Synod Dinner

PCCUCC General Synod Dinner

Saturday, July 1

5:30 - 8:00

The Pratt Street Ale House

206 W Pratt Street

Baltimore, MD 21201

410.244.8900

Buffet dinner includes house salad, BBQ salmon, Chesapeake chicken and prime rib. There will be a cash bar.

Cost $45 per person.

Please RSVP to by June 15.

If you are coming down for Sunday worship, please feel free to come early and have dinner Saturday evening!

Church Vitality

Vitality Workshops Start June 25!

Have you noticed a drop in worship attendance?

Are you wondering how to get more visitors to show up on Sunday morning?

What kinds of changes to worship can be made that will have the biggest impact ?

This workshop walks pastors and leaders through the process of reaching out to the community and attracting new people to attend worship. Once they are attending worship, three changes will be recommended to ensure their return . We will explore Web sites , visitor tabs and using the Smart Phone as a device for evangelism. Key learnings will be around worship days and times, how to make Holy some of the secular Holidays and how to do small groups in the middle of worship.

There is no cost to attend. Please read Transforming Worship: Changing Lives through Religious Experience by Laurene Beth Bowers (available on Amazon). This will prepare you to ask questions and have a conversation about how to incrementally grow your church.

All workshops are 1:00 - 4:00

June 25: Vitality Workshop "How to Increase Worship Attendance"

(St. John's, Boalsburg)

July 16: Vitality Workshop "How to Increase Worship Attendance"

(Colonial Park, Harrisburg)

August 6: Vitality Workshop "How to Increase Worship Attendance"

(Apostles, Lancaster)

August 20: Vitality Workshop "How to Increase Worship Attendance"

(Dreisbach, Lewisburg)

September 24: Vitality Workshop "How to Increase Worship Attendance"

(Hayshire, York)

Would You Like a Mystery Visitor to Come to Your Church?

The conference has trained 12 Mystery Visitors who are willing to visit your church on Sunday morning and give you a detailed report. Pastors can request a visitor (and they are the only ones allowed to do so) and they will receive the report to do with it as they see fit.

These visitors will assess the website, curb appeal and hospitality (as well as the coffee!). They will not be evaluating the pastor or the service itself. While most of the mystery visitors are churched, we also have a few seekers. To request a mystery visitor, contact Laurene Bowers LBowers@pccucc.org

What can the Rural Church offer a Declining Community?

HOPE...

Read more here.

Events, Training and Resources Available

UPCOMING CONFERENCE EVENTS

Transitional Ministers Gathering - June 14

Mystery Visitor Training - June 14

Personnel Committee - June 15

General Synod Meeting - June 17

Hartman Center Golf Outing - RESCHEDULED for June 17- 1:30 pm

Vitality Workshop: How to Increase Worship Attendance - June 25, St. Johns, Boalsburg

General Synod UCC - June 30 - July 4 in Baltimore

Click to see our Web site for more details.

SAVE THE DATE!

Clergy Breakfast - July 27

Hartman Center

Clergy Convocation - January 30 - February 1, 2018

Doubletree by Hilton - Willow Valley, Lancaster PA

Mid-Atlantic Regional Youth Event - July 19-22, 2018

California University of Pennsylvania

Parish Resource Center Summer Workshops

Register for Summer Workshops!

The Science and Experience of Chanting
What's Working Well in your Children's Ministry
Worship Design: Using Visual Arts to Enliven Your Space
Understanding How the Holy Spirit Uses Emotions in Our Lives

UCC Disaster Ministries

We are being asked to help the UCC with Disaster Recovery in Volusia County, Florida, and in Naplate and Ottawa, Ill.

Please read the information below and then open the link to each Disaster Recovery site's specific information.

Disaster Ministries

You are encouraged to share this request with your home church, your PCC Association and throughout Penn Central Conference!

2016 Was a Great Year for UCC!

"What Unites Us Is Greater Than What Divides Us"

Check out the 2016 UCC Highlights

NEW - PCC UCC eNews

Our eNews is designed for clergy, congregations, parishoners and all who are members and friends of Penn Central Conference. We have over 1000 readers each week and continue to grow weekly.

Please forward this along to those who might be interested and encourage them to subscribe so they can see and hear about Penn Central Conference each week .

Join Our List

Church Events and News

NEW - Church Administrator Needed

Church Administrator (Mountville)

Trinity Reformed UCC is looking for a detail oriented part-time Administrative Assistant to work 20 hours per week in the church office. Responsibilities will include answering phone and email inquiries, coordinating with the Pastor on the bulletins and newsletters and typing them for distribution, updating social media and the website, and maintaining church records.

The ideal candidate must be organized, courteous, have the ability to work independently, and be able to keep information confidential. The candidate should be proficient in Microsoft software. Background check will be required.

We offer a competitive wage with paid sick time and vacation time. EOE/m/f/d/v

Interested candidates should reply with resume to: trucc@mountvilletrinityucc.org

NEW - Director of Music Needed

Grace UCC in Lancaster is looking for a Director of Music. Additional details below...

Position Details

Unbinding Your Heart Books Needed

Shiloh United Church of Christ will be doing the "Unbinding" program by Martha Grace Reese and are hoping that other churches who have gone through the program might be willing to give / loan / sell your books to us.

We are specifically looking for Unbinding Your Heart, (the purple one, ISBN 978-0-8272-3805-3).

If you have books we might use, please contact Shiloh United Church of Christ, Danville ... Rev. Mary Schmotzer (570-275-1943, mschmotzer@shilohucc.org) or Al Shulski (ajshulski@gmail.com). The church would like to have the books by August 13th.

NEW - Trinity, Mercersburg Celebrates 225 Years!

Trinity United Church of Christ, Mercersburg PA, is celebrating its 225^th Anniversary (1792 - 2017) by hosting a worship service, catered celebratory picnic and program on Sunday, July 23, 2017.

The event will be held at the Lion's Club Park in Mercersburg PA; worship service at 11:30 a.m. and meal and program beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Members, church participants, local clergy, friends and special guests have been invited.

Northern UCC Cluster Pig Roast

Sunday, June 25, beginning at 5pm, the Northern Cluster of UCC Churches will host a free pig roast and concert at MYO Park in Millersburg.

The Saving Grace Band, a Christian group from Mifflinburg, will share wonderful Southern and Country Gospel Music with us. Bring a covered-dish to share, and a lawn chair.

See Flyer for more details!

Clergy News

June - July

June 18: George Martz, 50th anniversary of his ordination on June 18 (50th anniversary of his graduation from LTS was May 19-20)

June 25: Dave Longenecker Installation at Homestead Village 3:00 PM

July 2: Marian Anderson Ordination at St. John's, Lewisburg - 3:00 PM

July 23: Kenna Meko Korssa Ordination at Wisdom's Table at St. Peter's, Lancaster - 3:00 PM

July 30: Jeff Kardisco Ordination at Trinity, Waynesboro - 3:00 PM

Community Events

NEW - Operation Christmas Child

It's early but never too early to be thinking about Operation Christmas Child. Simply pack a shoe box for a child with a wow toy, small gifts (toys, hygiene items or school supplies), pray for the child and include a $9 donation for shipping costs.

National Collection Week - third week in November.

For more info, visit Samaritan's Purse Web site.

Hartman Center

ONE More Camper Campaign

As of June 7 we have 230 campers registered for summer programs. We need more than 300 (ideally 350) campers for the summer program to operate in the BLACK.

Can your church provide a CHRISTMAS IN JUNE OR JULY for a child/youth in your church or in your community?

If every PCC congregation could send just ONE MORE CAMPER that would make a world of difference to Hartman Center BUT EVEN MORE to those children/youth that get to experience the blessings of a week at summer camp.

The best way to experience camp for the first time is to come with a friend, or a parent, or grandparent. Intergenerational camps are offered each week.