Bonnie's Letter

Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)

Dear Friends,

This week I have been asked once again “what does the Conference do for us?” I thought I might reflect for a moment on the work of the Conference. There are three full-time staff members in the Conference, Barbara, Patty, and me. We do the administrative, legal, communication, and bookkeeping work of the Conference. Martin, our treasurer, manages the rest of the financial work of the Conference. We support all the ministry teams of the Conference: the Committee on Ministry and its three working groups (Authorization, Oversight, and Local Congregational Support), the Congregational Vitality Team, Racial Justice Team, Disaster Response Team, Spiritual Development Team (focuses on religious education, youth and young adults), Amigos de Guatemala Team, Generosity Team, Coaching Team, Conference Meeting Planning Team, Ecumenical Relations Team, Mental Health Ministry Team, Search and Call, and our funding support teams, GEM, YEA, and GTW.

We support and manage church transitions, church conflicts, church mergers, closures, and planting of new churches (although we have not done this in a while). We provide Ministry Day, boundary training, continuing education events, and ongoing support and answering questions about legal, financial, and administrative needs of our congregations. We participate in the Lehigh Conference of Churches, the Pennsylvania Council of Churches, and judicatory gatherings of leaders from the PCUSA, ELCA, Moravian and Episcopal Church. We provide electronic communication through our website, Facebook page, and our This Week e-newsletter. We support Breeze for pastoral education and information recording and Tithe.ly for our event registration and contributions.

In short, the three Conference staff people spend their hours finding ways to support our local congregations, alongside the volunteers who staff our ministry teams, our Conference Board, and our other Conference Committees. We do the work that, at one time, was done by 11 staff members. And that is not all….

As a member of a UCC congregation, you, too, are a part of the Conference, as WE are the Conference together. Everything you do in your congregation and in your community is the work of the Conference, it is what the Conference is and does. So, as we approach the time of the year when church budgets are prepared, funding is allocated and decisions are made, please remember the Conference and “what the Conference does for you and for us.” Our Churches Wider Mission is the primary source of funding for the Conference, and we have made a commitment to tithe our OCWM gifts to the national setting in order to support the work of our denomination. By the way, to contribute to the support of the Conference is a covenant your congregation makes as a part of the UCC and it is covenant we make with the national setting. We do not have to agree in order to be in covenant with each other. This is why the UCC states clearly: “In essentials, unity. In nonessentials diversity. In everything charity.”  We are united together by our belief in God, our recognition of Jesus as the head of the church, and the belief that the Bible is the foundation of what we believe.

So, the next time someone ask you, “what does the Conference do for us?” You will know at least a part of the answer.

Blessings, Bonnie

Ministry Day 2023

Thursday, October 19, 2023

8:30AM - 3:00PM

UCC Greenawalds, 2325 Albright Ave., Allentown

$35/person

Click Here for Detailed Flyer & Registration Information

To Register and Pay through Tithe.ly, click on the link below:

https://tithe.ly/event-registration/#/7704329

Synod Seconds (Penn Central Conference)

You are invited to participate in a zoom conversation about how we bring synod resolutions to life back here in our local communities on October 16th at 6:30pm. This 90-minute session will discuss the resolutions on Guns to Gardens (#6) and the Church's relationship to Indian Boarding Schools (#2). If you were a delegate serving on one of these committees and would be willing to share a brief reflection, please contact the discussion facilitator at [email protected]. Register to join us at https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/m?oeidk=a07ejwzwkvm7b00893b&oseq=&c=&ch=

PNEC Folks are Invited to Attend PSEC's Annual Bookkeeper/ Treasurer Training (no cost)

Saturday, Oct. 14, 9:00-11:00 on Zoom

Do you have questions about 1099 reporting? How about financial reporting to your Board or Consistory? Do you understand housing allowance? Cash basis vs accrual basis? Do you have Balance Sheet or Income Statement questions?

Email [email protected] your intention to attend and bring your questions! Click here for a flyer to share.

Announcing...Episode One of our new series

"How to Church: I Wish I Knew... 'How to Be a Good Consistory Member"

“This video series is a cooperative project between the Local Congregational Support Working Group and the Congregational Vitality Team. The aim is to help our local PNEC churches by addressing and answering some of the frequently asked questions of congregational life and ministry, so that pastors and church leaders can utilize the videos for education and encouragement. This is the first of more to come, so be sure to subscribe to the conference’s YouTube page to stay up-to-date on new videos.”

Here's the link: https://youtu.be/oBqdiVgrMAE

Call to the 2023 Fall Meeting of PNEC

Saturday, November 4, 2023

In Person or Virtual

8:15 Registration; 9:00 Worship

Ben Salem United Church of Christ

1965 Church Road, Lehighton, PA 18035

Theme

Together We Are Stronger

The Keystone Conference

Scripture

Ephesians 4:1-6

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient,

bearing with one another in love. ...

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit

through the bond of peace.

Keynoters

Rev. Bill Worley

Pennsylvania Southeast Conference Minister

Rev. David Ackerman

Penn West Conference Minister

Rev. Nora Foust

Penn Central Associate Conference Minister

CLICK HERE FOR REGISTRATION FLYER & DETAILS

Click Here to Register through Tithe.ly

Hunger and Homelessness Week

Lehigh Conference of Churches

Click Here for Information

Meditation and Prayer Gatherings with Kris Snyder

Looking for some peace and ways to decompress?

We meet by zoom monthly for meditation and prayer.

Penn Northeast Conference Community

Thursdays at 12noon

September 28, October 12 and 26, November 9 and 30

Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81188127483?pwd=TzdmTFpIaXVtMjRQSHY1K1hOdkV2dz09

Meeting ID: 811 8812 7483 Passcode: 348630

NOTE: You can count this as continuing education credits.

OR

Union UCC Community

Tuesdays 7-8pm

October 10, November 14, December 12

Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87680378046?pwd=QmozYWJFemJOVENCdWJBbzRpbDVIUT09

Meeting ID: 876 8037 8046 Passcode: 954906

Together We Learn--CHHSM Discussion Group

Dear Friend, We would like to invite you to join us for CHHSM's next Together We Learn discussion group via Zoom, which will focus on the critically acclaimed book Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson. 

This will be our fifth "Together We Learn" offering. We chose this book because during the UCC’s General Synod this summer, CHHSM co-sponsored the Valerie E. Russell Lecture and Luncheon where Stevenson was the keynote speaker. Bryan Stevenson, the author of Just Mercy, is also a lawyer and activist who founded the Equal Justice Initiative, the Legacy Museum, and National Memorial for Peace and Justice and Justice in Alabama.

The group will meet every other Tuesday for one hour (1 pm Eastern/12 noon Central/11 am Mountain/10 am Pacific) from the second week in September to early December for seven sessions:

• Sept. 26: Introduction, Chapters 1 and 2
• Oct. 10: Chapters 3, 4, 5
• Oct. 24: Chapters 6, 7, 8
• Nov. 7: Chapters 9, 10, 11
• Nov. 21: Chapters 12, 13, 14
• Dec. 5: Chapters 15, 16, Epilogue

Like all of our Together We Learn programs, it is free, online, and you are not required to attend every session. 

If you are interested, here is what to do:

1. Get a copy of the book.

2. Sign up for the group, and we will send you calendar invitations for the group with Zoom instructions.

We hope you will join us as Together We Learn! Sign Up for Together We Learn

OFFERED by Penn Central Conference

Fifth Stream Conversations

Three fall conversations open to the whole church on the recognition of the UCC’s fifth founding stream, the Afro-Christian Convention. This will be exciting learning for us as we explore the Afro-Christian Convention together and refresh our existing knowledge around the Christian, Congregational, Evangelical, and Reformed traditions also present at our founding. The first two sessions will be largely the same with in-person and zoom options available and the November date will be sort of a deeper dive into the Afro-Christian Convention with some of the contributors to the new book Afro-Christian Convention: The Fifth Stream of the United Church of Christ available from Pilgrim Press, Amazon, and your favorite local bookseller.

3pm September 24^th Mt. Zion, York In-person and Zoom

3pm October 15^th St. Paul’s at the Farm, Lewisburg In-Person and Zoom

3pm November 12^th ZOOM for all Participants

 Register here: https://penncentralconference.regfox.com/the-fifth-stream

Trauma Training Program

Sept. 23rd and Sept. 30th

 (Offered by Pennsylvania Southeast Conference)

A partnership between The Welcome Project PA, Lakeside Global Institute, & PSEC

The Welcome Project PA [WPPA], in partnership with Lakeside Global Institute and the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference of the United Church of Christ , is pleased to offer professional trauma training modules for ministry leaders and volunteers in their respective contexts, to prepare them to better assist their constituents who have suffered trauma. The purpose of this program is to assist professionals in their caring for people who have suffered various forms of trauma, to create an awareness of the causes and consequences of trauma, and how it affects our human relationships and social interactions. Finally, this program strives to enable those who have suffered/continue to suffer from trauma, a path forward to progress and a way out of destructive cycles. Trauma 101 and 102 will cover the basics of trauma. The subsequent sessions with The Welcome Project PA and the PSEC will apply the trauma training to more specifically define, explore, and discuss religious trauma and its effects on both individuals and faith communities. For more information and to register, click here.

The Colors of Hope Conference

September 30 - 9AM to 5PM (doors open at 8:30AM)

held at First Presbyterian Church, 333 Spring Garden St., Easton

Presented By: Trinity Episcopal Church of Easton, First Presbyterian Church of Easton, and St. Brigid's Episcopal Church of Nazareth

Join us for a one day event as we explore and learn about leadership, faith, and allyship in the LGBTQIA+ community. This is perfect for those who want to learn more about the community or who want to strengthen their allyship skills. This event is free to the public and will include lunch, coffee, and beverages. Resource tables will be on hand to supply further information about each of the organizations present. Seating is limited, so please RSVP no later than September 20 - call Alison at 610-253-0792 or Jonathan at 610-253-3579. Click Here for detailed flyer.

Brit Olam (Everlasting Covenant) and the

Life-long Learning Committees of Keneseth Israel 

Invite You to an In-Person Conversation

 Building Bridges Across Difference: Creating Beloved Community

Sunday October 1, 4:00-5:30

 Rev. Dr. Gregory Edwards, Resurrected Life Community Church 

Rabbi Shoshanah Tornberg , Congregation Keneseth Israel and 

Dr. Hasshan Batts, Islamic Center of Allentown

 at

Resurrected Life Community Church

144 N. Ninth St., Allentown, PA

Light hors d'oeuvres to follow

RSVP: by Sept. 24th to Julie Thomases, [email protected] C:484-358-1200

Congregational Library and Archives

The Congregational Library and Archives is having a workshop on creating an inventory list for churches. Please feel free to pass this information along to your Local Churches or anyone else who may be interested. https://www.congregationallibrary.org/events/what’s-in-a-collection

Heather E. Kimmel (she/her)

General Counsel, United Church of Christ, National Ministries

1300 E. 9th St., Ste. 1100| Cleveland, OH 44114; 216-736-2138 | [email protected] | UCC.org

Quarterly Virtual Learning Series to Faith-Based Organizations

The Pennsylvania Office of Homeland Security (OHS), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, Pennsylvania State Police, the three Fusion Centers (PaCIC, WPAHFC, DVIC) across the Commonwealth, Faith-based Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (FB-ISAO), and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), is offering a quarterly virtual learning series to faith-based organizations on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. This learning series will focus on cybersecurity and developing your emergency action plan (1^st of a 6-part learning series).

AGENDA

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm:         Current Cyber Threats, Best Practices to Deter/Detect Cyber Incidents

and Review of Cyber Services Provided by CISA - Derek Mueller, Cybersecurity Advisor, Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

2:00 pm – 3:30 pm:          “Developing a Safety & Security Program for Your House of Worship”

                                            Allen Shoff, Homeland Security Program Manager

Guidance and further resources will be provided via handouts, and there will be time set aside at the end for Questions & Answers.

Registration is now open: Please see the attached flyer for additional information.

Billie J. Kauffman I Administrative Officer

Pennsylvania State Police I Office of Homeland Security, 1800 Elmerton Avenue I Harrisburg, PA 17110

Phone: 717-214-1290 I Fax: 717-214-1298; [email protected] I [email protected]

www.homelandsecurity.pa.gov

Congregational Library and Archives -- History Matters

The Historical Directory of the Christian Denomination and Afro-Christian Churches

RICHARD H. TAYLOR

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2023

1-2 pm EDT

This event will held live on Zoom with an interactive Q&A

Join us to celebrate the release of The Historical Directory of the Christian Denomination and Afro-Christian Churches in a virtual discussion with author Richard H. Taylor.

The event is free to all, but registration is required via this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JqcDpFUWRnGhK5chQVAWmA

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

For more information, please email [email protected].

Desert Garden UCC invites all clergy and laity to a free webinar on the topic of prayer on Saturday, October 14 from 10 a.m. to noon Arizona time

The Rev. Rachel Hackenberg will deliver the lecture Imaging God, Imaging Ourselves: The Exercise of Prayer. She will follow the lecture with a Q &A segment open to all registrants. The Rev. Hackenberg is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, serving as publisher for The Pilgrim Press. She is the author of several books, including Denial Is My Spiritual Practice and Writing to God. She regularly posts reflections and prayers at rachelhackenberg.com. The webinar will also feature Tina Datsko de Sanchez reading original poetry. She is the author of several collections including Swimming in God.

Save the date now. You can register by going to the church’s website at wwwdesertgardenucc.org. This is the fourth Sawitski Memorial Lecture in recognition of the Rev. Dr. Samuel Sawitski and his passion for teaching. Attached is a flyer. This event is approved through the Southwest Conference UCC for 2 hours of Continuing Education time available when registration opens later this summer. www.desertgardenucc.org  

PSEC/PNEC Clergy Men's Retreat

October 3-5, 2023

Clergymen, give yourself the gift of joining the PSEC/PNEC Clergy Men's Retreat, October 3rd through the 5th. Take a step back from all the demands that are placed on you, step out of your comfort zone with friends you can trust, rest and spend some time in nature. Engage in thoughtful conversation that will help give perspective on life's biggest obstacles and have some fun. Guys from the Retreat Planning Committee will facilitate conversation based on Richard Reeves book Of Boys and Men. You don't have to read the book to be on the retreat and our conversations will go far afield from that text. So feed your soul to strengthen your ministry this October at Kirkridge.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mens-clergy-retreat-2023-tickets-695588081677?aff=oddtdtcreator

Upcoming PAM Classes

Convenient. Affordable. Online Learning

Earn CEUs from The Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry at Lancaster Seminary

MORAL INJURY & VETERANS MINISTRY In November

INTRODUCTION TO PREACHING Starting in January

PREACHING & WORSHIP THROUGH THE YEAR In the spring

Click Here for Detailed Flyer and Registration Information.

 Cost Effective Apply online at PATHWAYStheological.org

6-week courses are $325.

The 12-week UCC History and Polity course is only $625.

UCC History & Polity

●     HT21206 UCC History & Polity (12-weeks) (Sept 6- Dec 8)

Fall II: 6-week Courses Begin October 2 or 9, 2023

●     BF10602 Understanding the Bible as a Progressive Christian (Oct 9-Nov 10)         

●     BF20602 Old Testament Hermeneutics (Oct 9-Nov 19)

●     TH30605 Ecological Theology (Oct 2-Nov 12)

●     MP30609 Practicing Our Faith in the Public Square (Oct 9-Nov 19)

●     HT10604 Stories of Christian Saints and Sinners (Oct 9-Nov 19)     

Our Fall courses include: Unpacking the Scriptures: Teaching with Rev. Roberta Kearney, Monday nights 9/11 - 10/30/2023 from 6-9 pm. This course covers teaching through the various ages and stages including how to give a Children's Sermon. 

Compass - Thursday nights 9/7 - 10/26/2023 from 6-9 pm. Participants in this course will explore their sense of call while brushing up on basic communication skills that leaders need including writing, researching, and presenting. Taught by several instructors.

All courses are taught in person at Moravian Theological Seminary or on Zoom. Participants choice. Go to our website for more information or to register.  www.moravianseminary.edu/crossroads

Disaster Ministries

SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH...Multiple agencies are pleased to share this resource guide for communities for National Suicide Month. The week of September 10^th-16^th is recognized as National Suicide Prevention Week, with Sunday, September 10^th marking World Suicide Prevention Day. 

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Ready PA Monthly - Click Here to Read

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Our Lutheran partners in the Lehigh Valley are hosting an event on September 10, 2023 to replenish hygiene kits and flood buckets that we used to respond to the flooding events of July 2023 in Berks, Northampton and Bucks counties. The event will take place at the Lutheran Center, 2354 Grove Road, Allentown, from noon to 3 PM. There are several ways you can help:

• Sign up to donate supplies for Flood Buckets  and Hygiene Kits
• Make buckets ahead of time and deliver them on Sept 10
• Come to learn how you can get more involved

See the attached flyer for more information. Questions? Please contact Heidi Shilanskas.

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