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A note from the bishop's desk | |
You bring us such great joy! It's hard to believe this September was the 5-year anniversary of our present Susquehanna Conference Leadership Team, and we continue to reflect on what a joy it is to serve alongside such amazing pastors, boards, ministry leaders, and congregations.
What a five years this has been! Starting with COVID's closures, masks, and hard decisions, an era of leadership challenges ensued. We are living in an age marked by tension, uncertainty, and strained political and personal relationships. Many leaders have at some point during the past five years expressed feelings of fatigue, frustration, and bewilderment.
Yet, even in the midst of these challenging times, we celebrate your commitment to the cause of Christ! We have experienced victories with you – many new baptisms and testimonies of life change by the power of the Holy Spirit. We praise the Lord for the ways you are serving your communities and implementing cooperative peace-making initiatives that impact the lives of those within your circle of influence. We take great joy in seeing the fruit that your congregations are bearing in the name of Jesus.
This October, we especially want to thank the pastors of the Susquehanna Conference. You are deeply appreciated and celebrated! Thank you for your passion, perseverance, and commitment to your calling and your congregations. It truly is a joy to serve alongside each of you!
Blessings,
Bishop Heather & the Susquehanna Leadership Team
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We would love to see pictures or hear stories of your celebrations! Here are a few ideas if you are still looking for ways to bless your pastor this month (or this year) :
Send a card
Bless them with a little gift
Throw a party
Make them a favorite treat or meal
Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brothers and sisters, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people. Philemon 1:7
| | There are a few important events coming in the next few months. Please make sure they are on your calendar. | |
Sider Institute
November 14, 2025
Join Pastors Luke Embree and Jon Carlson at this year's Sider Institue as they explore questions like:
- How can we better understand the historic approaches to discipleship within the Brethren in Christ Church?
- What are challenges to authentic, meaningful discipleship in our twenty-first-century contexts?
- What are practical strategies we can learn, practice, and embody as we consider Christian discipleship in our local contexts?
- How can we apply these practical strategies in meaningful ways to help build the Body of Christ in our congregations?
Details and Registration
This conference qualifies for Lifetime Learning credit for credentialed pastors.
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BIC Prayer & Fasting
January 4-11, 2026
Join us for the 2026 Week of Prayer and Fasting! We expect daily devotionals to be available on the BIC US website by early December. Printable copies will also be available at that time.
This year, we will once again host an in-person prayer gathering to kick off the new year together. Anyone in the Susquehanna Conference is welcome to join us at the Grantham Church on Tuesday, January 6, from 10:00 -11:00 a.m.
If there are specific ways we can be praying for your congregation, please send those by the end of December to the Susquehanna Office: bicsusquehanna@bicus.org or you can respond to this email and share requests with us now. We will look forward to praying over those together in January.
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Ministry Development Day
Thursday, Feb. 19, 9:00 am
Mechanicsburg BIC Church
Please mark your calendar to reserve this date in February for a Ministry Development Day as we delve into "Navigating Trauma in the Church." We have seen a noticable increase in the abuse, mental health, and general trauma situations that pastors and churches face.
How do we know when an issue is beyond out scope and we need to seek or recommend professional help? How do we maintain appropriate boundaries? How do we build and maintain a strong foundation spiritually, emotionally, and physically from which we can minister to others?
This is a required MDD for all lead pastors, but you are also encouraged to invite others from your team - ministry leaders, board members, or other staff.
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BIC U.S.
General Assembly
July 24-27, 2026
General Assembly 2026 is coming up next summer. This is an important event for credentialed pastors, so save the date and plan to attend with your elected delegates this July.
Please remember to include the selection of delegates at your annual meeting and approve budgeted funds for travel, meals, and registration.
If your congregation will struggle financially to send delegates, please reach out to the Susquehanna office to inquire about grant funds.
We anticipate more registration details to be coming soon.
General Assembly Announcement
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Introducing
Jay and Melinda Brubaker
Jay and Melinda Brubaker are delighted to begin their ministry at Big Valley BIC Church. Married for 41 years, they’ve raised four children and now cherish time with their five grandchildren—one girl and four boys, ages one to five—whether in person or through lively video chats.
Jay brings over 50 years of experience as an electrician and is a trained aircraft mechanic, now stepping into his calling as a fourth-generation pastor at age 63. Melinda is known for her country cooking, generous baking, and happy hours spent working in their garden. She also heads up the peanut butter egg making tradition for Saville BIC. Together, they’ve run an electrical business for 18 years and make fresh cider—up to 750 gallons a year—which they sell from their front yard.
They are enjoying their service to the people of Big Valley and are grateful for the warm welcome from their new church family. As they look ahead with hope and anticipation, they hold fast to the promise of Philippians 1:6—“being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
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Two churches in the Susquehanna Conference are still in the hiring process.
Cedar Grove BIC in Mifflintown, and Hanover BIC in Hanover are at various stages in the pastoral search process as their lead pastor has retired or will soon retire.
Please pray for Hanover and Cedar Grove churches as they continue to search for new lead pastors. Pray for God to send the right pastor for each church and for the discernment of each search committee as they evaluate applicants. Pray for clarity, unity and patience in the process and that God's church would grow stronger in each of these communities.
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October
Impact Seminar
Wed., October 29 at 9:00 a.m.
Location: The Meeting House, Carlisle
OR by Zoom on November 8 with Midwest if you missed the registration deadline for 10/29.
Info and Registration: https://bicus.org/training/impact-seminars/
November
Sider Institute
Friday, November 14,
Location: Grantham Church
Register Here
Carlisle Pastors' Cluster
Wednesday, November 26 at 8:30 a.m.
Location: Carlisle Panera
December
Susquehanna BOD Meeting
Wednesday, December 10 at 9:00 a.m.
Location: TBD
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January
Week of Prayer and Fasting
January 4-11
February
Ministry Development Day
Thursday, February 19 9:00 am
McBIC, Mechanicsburg PA
April
Susquehanna Conference Annual Meeting
Evening of Prayer and Worship
Fri., April 10, 7:00 pm
Location: LAE, York Springs
Sat. April 11, 9:00 am
Location: Mountain Ridge Church Dillsburg, PA
July
BIC U.S. General Assembly
Friday. July 24 - Monday, July 27
Miami, Florida
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English Core Courses
(Registration is Open)
English Core Courses
Theology of Salvation
Virtually by Zoom
April 13,16,20, 23, and 27, 2026
7:00 – 9:30 pm ET
BIC History and Values
Location: Manor Church
(Lancaster, PA)
June 1-3, 2026
8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Theology of the Church
Location: Roxbury Conference Center (Roxbury, PA)
June 15-17, 2026
8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Leadership and Structure
Location: Mechanicsburg BIC (Mechanicsburg, PA)
August 10-12, 2026
8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Click here for registration.
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Spanish Core Courses (Registration is Open)
Historia y Valores de la Iglesia de los HEC
Location: Iglesia Rescate (Hialeah, FL)
Nov. 13 & 14 7:00 - 9:30 pm & Nov. 15, 2025 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Teologia de la Iglesia
Location: La Roca
(Roanoke, VA)
Feb. 26 & 27 6:30 - 9:30 pm & Feb. 28, 2026 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
De Teologia de la Salvacion
Virtually by Zoom
April 16-17, 2026, 6:30 - 9:30 pm ET & April 18, 2026, 10:00 am - 4:30 pm ET
Click here for registration.
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Susquehanna Conference of the Brethren in Christ US
431 Grantham Road
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
Phone 717-461-2230
Email bicsusquehanna@bicus.org
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