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Important This Week
  • Register now: Racial Justice Team Lenten Book study
  • David Fehr ordination and installation Sunday in Pine Grove
  • Deadline this week: PAM course on fundraising fundamentals
From the Associate Conference Minister for Search & Call:

This past Monday marked two weeks serving the Conference, and I find myself continuously grateful to be serving you as your settled Associate Conference Minister for Search and Call. Thank you for entrusting me with this work and know that I, along with Brea and others, will do my very best to help churches and ministers find each other as they seek new pastoral leadership.

Many of you have already read the outline of my biography, and where I have served the church in the past, but I wanted to re-introduce myself in a slightly different way. I’m often asked by my friends who have left the church or who were never involved in the church to begin with about why I stay, why I remain, when it seems obvious to them that the church has no real use or any real relevancy. I understand why people leave the church, and I certainly have plenty of “church hurts” to share with others, but I have remained, I have chosen the church again and again, though, admittedly, it hasn’t always been an easy choice.

Nowadays, my reply is simply this: churches, congregations, communities of Christian faith, are the only places and spaces that I know whose primary work is to learn how to love, to love God and to love each other. It’s not surprising that a religious organization would ask people to learn how to love God, but there really isn’t any club, organization, institution that any of us belong to that invites us to learn how to love others with others who are seeking to do the same. We learn how to love by accident in other places – family, workplaces, organizations – but the church is the one place where the sole work is to learn how to love. And so I am here in the church, with all of you, to learn the work of love together. May God bless us in our work of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ, in words and acts of kindness and justice, but also in our intentional work of learning how to love each other, over and over again. 

Rev. Kevin McLemore
Associate Conference Minister for Search and Call
Register now: Racial Justice Team offering Lenten Book Study
David Fehr ordination and installation this Sunday
 
Click the invitation below to download a PDF to share.
Tonight: Spirit on Tap on Christian Nationalism

Tonight Dr. Greg Carey will lead a Spirit on Tap event on "Understanding Christian Nationalism" at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Reading. Click here for more information.
Rev. Steven Myren installation at St. John's, Richlandtown
 
Click the invitation below to download a PDF to share.
From the Addiction & Recovery Taskforce: New program

Trinity UCC in Telford has begun the process of being a pilot program designed to bring community members together with persons struggling against the disease of addiction for simple, nonjudgmental, non-therapeutic good old-fashioned fellowship and fun. They have recognized that church buildings, like theirs, have plenty of space available that can easily be offered as safe and sober environments where people may gather and partner with our bothers and sisters in hopes of rising to new levels of comfort joy and peace.

They are working with an organization called “The Phoenix” which will help with organization, networking, insurance, and outreach. Why is Trinity becoming involved? Because as disciples of Christ, love for our neighbors, as love for ourselves and our God is our calling. If your church is interested, contact the PSEC Task Force for the Template.
Deadline this week: PAM Church Finance Classes

The Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry is pleased to announce a new program, Financial Basics for Church Leaders. The program consists of four, six-week PAM classes and a half-day conference during 2022.

The four classes are:
  • Fundraising Fundamentals for Churches and Nonprofits, Feb. 22-March 29
  • Understanding Multi-vocational Ministries, April 19-May 24
  • Personal Finances for Ministers, July 12-Aug. 16
  • Budgets and Spreadsheets as Tools for Ministry, Oct. 11-Nov. 15
PAM has obtained grant funding to subsidize the registration costs for participants. We are offering all four classes for the price of one. Along with the half-day conference on Multi-vocational Ministry on May 14, the entire program will cost only $350 per participant. Successful participants will earn 10.3 CEUs. The registration deadline for the first class is Feb. 17. More information.
Thank you to PSEC from Phoebe Ministries

Through financial support of Phoebe Ministries, you help reach the heart and soul of residents. Click here to read a thank you from Phoebe Ministries.
Summer ministry opportunity at Locust Lake State Park
The Schuylkill Association has a ministry opportunity for a part-time chaplain at Locust Lake State Park near Tamaqua. If you are a Christian (Clergy or lay) who can function in an unstructured situation and who has a love of God, God’s creation, and God’s people, then this might be the opportunity for you. Click here for information.
Register: Trauma trainings for clergy and ministry leaders

The Welcome Project PA, in partnership with Lakeside Global Institute and the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference, is pleased to offer professional trauma training modules for ministry leaders in their respective contexts on Saturday, Feb. 26 from 9:00a-2:00p. 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. For more information click here. To register, click here.
MA-AUCE Christian educators conference announced
 
Mid-Atlantic Association of United Church Educators is inviting pastoral, faith formers, and ministry leaders to share in a time of healing and inspiration. The MA-AUCE Conference is being held as a hybrid event from March 28-30 at the Tuscarora Inn & Conference Center in Mt. Bethel. For more information, click here.
Save the date: Spring Annual Meeting in West Chester

June 2-4 at West Chester University
“Living the Jesus Life — Contemplatives in Action” is the theme of this year’s Annual Spring Conference meeting. We intend to meet in person for a time of soulful recovery and revival amid the exhaustion created by the pandemic and the new realities to which we’ve had to adapt. Spiritual practices (prayer, meditation, scripture study) and active living (ministering to the needs of our communities) unite us for a weekend of living together the Jesus life. 
Theological Roundtable: Kingdom of God

The Penn Central Conference will be hosting a Theological Roundtable on the Kingdom of God on Thursdays from 3:00-4:30p Feb. 24 - March 17.
 
In this Roundtable we will explore and discuss various interpretations and definitions of the Kingdom of God. We will begin with Biblical references and move through historical theological approaches, including contemporary uses of Kin-dom as an alternative approach. The Kingdom of God is a theological concept (and spiritual reality) that is believed by many, without much discussion of its contents. What is included? Who is included? What did Jesus say it was? How does one come to live in this kingdom? We will reflect on these questions and much more.
 
Participants will be sent a short reading or selection of scripture each week in preparation for the gathering. These roundtables can be fun as well as intense and the group strives to reflect together as a community of diverse theological backgrounds. Therefore, enrollment is limited and commitment to attend all sessions is important. Register now.
Active Shooter Preparedness webinar coming this month

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is hosting a two-hour security webinar to enhance awareness of an respond to an active shooter event on Feb. 23 at 1:00p. Click here for more info.
Disaster Relief Challenge in PSEC & PNEC is wrapping up

The Susquehanna Area Mission Council of the Penn Northeast Conference is inviting all churches in both PNEC and PSEC to share in its annual mission project. If your congregation is willing to participate in this offering supporting our common disaster relief ministry, please include this insert in your Sunday bulletin, along with information about how gifts should be made in your congregation. A short video explaining this Challenge can be found here. Donations received should be forwarded to your Conference office at the conclusion of the campaign, marked "High 5 for Disaster Relief". 

There will be a virtual worship celebration to end the campaign on Sunday, Feb. 27 at 3:00p. The livestream and Zoom link will be provided at a later date. Featured speakers will be the Rev. Nancy Hardy, chair of the Susquehanna Area Mission Council, Rev. Dr. Bonnie Bates, PNEC Conference Minister, Rev. Kevin McLemore, PSEC ACM, and Lesli Remaly, UCC Minister for Disaster Response and Recovery. 
Church Openings
Many openings are on UCC's Ministerial Opportunities page. Especially note:
  • Barnesville-Delano Tri-Charge, Schuylkill County (full-time settled)
  • Bern Reformed UCC, Leesport (three-quarter time settled)
  • Christ Church UCC, Norristown (full-time designated)
  • Glenside UCC, Glenside (full-time settled)
  • Huff's Union Church, Alburtis (full-time settled)
  • New Goshenhoppen Reformed UCC, East Greenville (settled senior pastor)
  • St. Peter's UCC of Wilshire (3/4-time interim)
If you’re interested in a position, contact Rev. Dr. Susan Minasian: 484-949-8774 ext. 302 or minasian@psec.org .
Classified Ads
Organist Needed in Hatfield


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PSEC is the link that connects our church’s various and diverse ministries both locally and globally. Together, we provide our local churches, pastors and congregations with the training and inspiration they need to carry out our church’s wider mission. We are stronger together; therefore, we embrace diversity, and above all, we spread God’s love!