West Weekly
January 07, 2022
|
photo by James Donovan
"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."
~Henry David Thoreau
|
|
|
Rev. Bumkoo "BK" Chung
Mailing address:
West District
Eastern PA Conference UMC
PO Box 820
Valley Forge, PA 19482-0820
|
|
|
Best Safety Practices during Increasing COVID Transmission
Jan 04, 2022
|
As of January 4, 2022, the Eastern PA Conference Office will be on modified lockdown, out of an abundance of caution for our staff due to the ongoing Omicron wave of COVID-19 cases in Montgomery County and beyond. Most staff will continue their work virtually, rather than onsite, for the foreseeable future.
The EPA Conference places the health and welfare of our members and the surrounding community as our first priority in making decisions around building occupancy. Therefore, we must also suspend our hosting of meetings at the Conference Office until further notice.
Recommendations for Churches:
Congregations that reopen or remain open must be committed to the goal of resisting spread of the virus by following all state and city guidelines. And they should responsibly implement a safety plan approved by their church council. Please continue to monitor COVID pandemic-related information on both the www.PA.gov and CDC websites for their latest guidance.
Due to the increase in the Omicron variant among communities, the EPA Conference leadership recommends masking in populated spaces or with vulnerable populations. Worship and work from home options are recommended for vulnerable populations and in communities with high COVID transmission. Read more.
|
|
|
2021: Notable church members remembered
Dec 22, 2021 | By Heather Hahn | UM News
|
United Methodists over the past 12 months have marked the passing of influential church leaders, the inventor of a beloved children’s toy, and the woman believed to be the last remaining U.S. Civil War widow.
|
|
|
Read and share NEWSpirit Newspaper’s Fall/Winter 2021 issue now online |
The new Fall/Winter issue of NEWSpirit newspaper is now online!
Read and share this informative and inspirational issue, with articles about…
Bishop announces 2022 Cabinet transitions; seeks 2 new superintendents
EPAUMC receives UMCOR Disaster Recovery grant (with updates on our Disaster Response efforts and challenges)
Latino Commission celebrates growth, new ministries in 2021)
… and much more. Read it now!
|
|
|
Featured Event Recordings |
|
"Doing Church Differently (TM)" Faith-Sharing Event with Rev. Olu Brown
Honoring Native American Boarding School Children
Honoring Victims and Co-victims of Violence: An Urban Mini Summit
|
|
|
Church Statistical Reports (EZRA) due Feb. 28, 2022 |
Church Statistical Reports (EZRA) due Feb. 28, 2022
The mailings for the Statistical Reports were processed and mailed om Wednesday, Dec. 22.
Churches should be able to enter their 2021 data starting Thursday, Dec. 23.
|
|
|
- 2021 Fund Balance Report
- This report is to be completed between January 1 and January 31. This report should not be included with your other charge conference forms.
|
|
|
West District EPAUMC Calendar
● January 7 & 8, 2022: Implicit Biases Workshop. Friday from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM, and Saturday from 9 AM to 12:45 PM, on Zoom.
● ↻ January 11, 2022: Bivocational & Small Church Network. Every other Month, on the 2nd Tuesday of Month, at 6:30 PM, on Zoom.
● ↻ January 12 - February 9, 2022: Weekly Book Club: Being the Church in a Post-Pandemic World by Kay Kotan. Wednesdays at 11 AM. Sponsored by CDT.
|
|
|
Revealing, Acknowledging and Transforming Our Implicit Biases
January 7 & 8, 2022
|
The Eastern PA Conference Committee on Religion & Race presents: Revealing, Acknowledging and Transforming Our Implicit Biases, The Human Dilemma: What we don't know, we think; What we think, we do; So, what can we do about it? Friday, January 7 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM on Zoom Saturday, January 8 from 9 AM to 12:45 PM, on Zoom.
|
|
|
Featured Event:
The Fundamentals of Church Statistics
Tuesday, Jan. 11, at 6:30 PM, on Zoom
|
The Fundamentals of Church Statistics—counting what counts—will be the topic of the EPAUMC’s Bivocational & Small Church Network’s next meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 11, at 6:30 PM, on Zoom. And while the network typically comprises small-church pastors and laity, this session, which should be of interest to all churches, is open to everyone.
Lawrence A. Lee, MBA, is Comptroller and Senior Accountant in the EPAUMC Conference Treasurer’s Office and a former church treasurer. (He also is a Christ Servant Minister and just retired Dec. 11 from the U.S. Coast Guard with the rank of Chief after 30 years.) Learn more...
|
|
|
Advanced Christ Servant Ministry course
Preaching CAREfully
|
Friday, January ,14th 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Saturday, January 15th 9:00 AM -12:00 PM
Saturday, January 22nd 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
*Attendance at all 3 sessions is required to receive CSM or CLM credit
Instructor: Rev. Lloyd Speer
|
|
|
January 2022 Book Club: Being the Church in a Post-Pandemic World
January 12, 19, 26; February 2, 9 (5 weeks)
|
Focused specifically on how to help churches as we emerge from the pandemic. This will be a dynamic, interactive study that you and your church leadership will not want to miss!
|
|
|
2022 EPAUMC Congregational Development Team (CDT) |
Place article copy here. Be sure to make the articles short and concise as people tend not to read much more than a couple of paragraphs. Place article copy here.
|
|
|
The Eastern PA Conference’s half-hour prayer meetings, held on Tuesdays at noon by video-chat on Zoom, welcomes a new cadre of prayer leaders in March.
Here is the Zoom access information:
Meeting ID: 591 129 374. Or Call in: +1 646 558 8656
|
|
|
WEEKLY PREACHING FORUM for SERMON COLLABORATION
(EVERY TUESDAY @ 2)
|
12 Preachers from Across the Conference will lead us. Come as you are able (it's ok if you can't make every week). Each week we will look @ the text for Sunday. We will also collaborate on sermon ideas, illustrations, liturgy and more. Hope you will join us.
|
|
|
Bivocational & Small Church Network |
Every other Month, on the 2nd Tuesday of Month, at 6:30 PM, on Zoom
“This is a group designed exclusively for church leaders of smaller churches, welcoming part-time, bivocational, retired and all other small-church leaders, both clergy and lay,” said the Rev. Dawn Taylor-Storm, Connectional Ministries Director. “Small churches are the backbone of The United Methodist Church, and we want to provide a bimonthly small group for conversation that relates to the unique opportunities found in our small, vital churches."
|
|
|
Engaging the Community for Social Transformation |
Local churches, non-profits, and community organizations can be excellent resources for finding best practices, discerning action steps, and offering wisdom in overcoming obstacles as we seek to partner with God and engage the community.
Our first webinar session features Dan Billingsley, Chief Strategy Officer at Community Service Council in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Dan has twenty-two years of experience in the non-profit world with the focus areas of institutional advancement, leadership positioning, and public policy change in community services, education, and the arts as well as in diversity, equity and inclusion, mental health, and civic engagement. With a strong faith background, Dan offers insight from a non-profit lens on how the local church can engage the community and build relationships in ways that bring about tangible change.
The webinar series is offered monthly through the end of the year at 11 a.m. Central Time.
Dates are Sept. 23, Oct. 28, Nov. 18, and Dec. 16.
|
|
|
St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, Mount Joy
seeks a full-time administrative assistant to serve the church and preschool ministry. The preferred candidate will have skills in graphic design, website maintenance, social media management and database management, as well as proficiency in Microsoft Office applications. Benefits are included.
Contact Senior Pastor Helen Adams or Rob Stoner, pastor of congregational care and administration, 717-653-5493, email [email protected] or [email protected], by Dec. 15.
Columbia United Methodist Church Church Administrator
Columbia UMC is hiring a part time 10 hours a week Church
Administrator. The individual will work directly with the Lead Pastor
and key volunteers. Must have Microsoft office experience. Hours are
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00-12:00 pm. IF interested please
email a cover letter, resume and three references to Pastor Tom Grubbs
Columbia UMC Att: Pastor Tom Grubbs 510 Walnut Street Elizabethtown, PA 17022
St. John's UMC is looking for an organist/pianist for one or more Sundays each month. If anyone is interested or knows of someone who might be interested, please contact the pastor, Matthew Whayland, at 717-202-5215 or [email protected].
Ludwig UMC Bainbridge, PA
Seeking a pianist or organist 1-2 Sundays a month.
Please contact Pastor Jeff Snyder at 717-449-9387.
Children’s Ministry Director, First UMC, Ephrata, PA
Ephrata First United Methodist Church is looking for an enthusiastic individual who has a heart for children and a desire to see them learn to love and follow Jesus. This is a 20-hour part-time position that provides leadership for the various ministries for children from birth to sixth grade, including nursery, Sunday school, children’s church program, and Vacation Bible school.
This individual must have a strong and growing relationship with Jesus Christ. She/he must have excellent leadership, interpersonal, recruiting, equipping, and organizational skills. This should be a “people person” since it will be important for this person to communicate and relate well with the children, parents, volunteers, and fellow staff members. Experience in childhood/Christian education is preferred, and a degree in education is helpful. Familiarity with the United Methodist church is a plus.
Qualified persons should forward a resume to: Lead Pastor, First UMC, 68 N. Church St., Ephrata, PA 17522 or email [email protected].
Preschool Teacher Assistant, Ephrata: Hope
We are looking for qualified Preschool Teacher Assistants to join our team of dedicated childcare providers. We work to prepare small children for kindergarten by easing them into organized education. You will teach them important elements that they will need in and outside the classroom. A preschool teacher assistant must have a great love and patience for children. Qualifications needed to teach them effectively include knowledge of best practices and preschool educational methods, as well as the ability to engage them and earn their trust and attention. The goal is to contribute to the healthy mental and emotional development of the child so they can more easily acclimate in the next level of education.
__________________________________________________________
|
|
|
West District Resource Center |
|
Rev. Elaine Bortman, Chair of Committee on the District Superindency - [email protected]
Mrs. Lynn McCord, District Christ Servant Minister Coordinator,
Conference Office - 610-666-9090 / 800-828-9093
Latest UMW Newsletter:
Request For Clergy Photos
All clergy are encouraged to submit photos in for preparation for the Episcopal transition.
Link to submit clergy photos:
MISSION CENTRAL HUBS IN OUR DISTRICT
1) Elizabethtown: St. Paul’s (Liz Helm, coordinator), 398 N. Locust Street, Elizabethtown, PA. 717-367-1889 **call to make sure someone will be there**
2) Lebanon: Covenant (Mariellen Lantz, coordinator), 346 N. 9th Street, Lebanon, PA. 717-272-0672
3) Cleona: Immanuel (Jeanne Earnshaw, coordinator), 29 E. Maple Street, Cleona, PA. 717-926-2305 **call to make sure someone will be there**
Pulpit Supply List
If you would like to be added to this list, please contact the district office with your name, which category you're in, phone number and area you can cover. We have limited names for the Lebanon area, if you are interested, please contact us as soon as possible!
Willing Servants Needed for 2021-2022 Conference Year
Would you like to shape the financial life of our conference? Do you have a passion for racial justice & reconciliation? Can you use your gifts for long-term care of our clergy pension program? Are you interested in serving on CCFA, Board of Pensions, Commission on Religion & Race, Camping Board or other conference teams? If so, please fill out the information form at the link below.
Questions?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
