Important This Week
  • Worship service from PSEC staff
  • PSEC staff off Monday for holiday; no Conference Minister chat
  • Survey results from last week's PSEC virtual worship survey
  • New online resource for sharing/ getting content for streaming worship
Survey results, what's happening in our churches, worship service from PSEC, and more!

Last week, a survey was sent to all of the churches and church pastors in the Conference with questions about your virtual worship services, finances, and re-opening plans. Thank you so much to the 95 churches (out of 155) that responded! This information is helpful to conference staff as we continue to provide resources and training to support the missions of your churches.

We used the information in the surveys to update the list of churches worshipping online this fall. That link is below. We hope that information is being used by:
  • Churches that are not equipped to provide online services
  • People who don't feel comfortable worshipping with their congregations in person
  • Pastors who need a Sunday supply and can find other congregations that are meeting online at the same time as their church

The information from the surveys was also helpful to Rev. Cean James, our Associate Conference Minister for Congregational Development, when he led a workshop this weekend on holding virtual and in-person worship at the same time. If you missed that workshop, you can find a link to a video of the training later in this email.

Several churches asked for more worship resources: music for live-streaming, worship components, and services from the Conference staff. In response to that, we have created a Google Drive for churches and pastors to share worship components. If you or your congregation has recorded a service, sermon, musical selection, children's sermon, order for communion, or liturgy that you would like to allow others to use, please upload that video to the Google Drive. If your congregation is in need of any of those resources, they're there for you to download. Please note: each congregation needs to take responsibility for its own copyright requirements. Visit the Google Drive (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/18wnxvyEEbyEaVhx0Tonj0DU_j2TbZ_by?usp=sharing) and read the document "PLEASE READ: Requirements" for more information.

One of the videos that you'll find on the Google Drive is a service recorded this week by Conference Minister Rev. Bill Worley and Associate Conference Minister Rev. Cean James. Churches are encouraged to use this service in the next few weeks to give your pastors a much-needed break.
Finally, the results from the survey may also be helpful to your church's leadership to see what other congregations are doing at this point. Below are some of the result highlights.
  • 87.5% of churches reported holding some sort of virtual services at this time
  • 64.2% of churches are sharing their services on multiple platforms
  • Top platforms include:
  • Facebook -- 64.3%
  • YouTube -- 54.8%
  • Zoom -- 33.3%
  • Email -- 28.6%
  • 33.3% of churches reported similar online attendance to in-person services
  • 47.6% said attendance is higher than average when sharing online
  • 19.1% said attendance is lower than average
  • 44.8% of churches are not having in-person worship at all at this time
  • 27.1% are meeting inside the church
  • 13.5% are holding outdoor worship
  • The remaining churches reported some combination of indoor, outdoor, and/or online services
  • Of the churches that have resumed meeting:
  • 16 returned to in-person worship in June
  • 20 resumed in July
  • 8 resumed in August
  • 1 never stopped worshipping for the pandemic
  • Of the churches that have not resumed yet:
  • 14 expect to meet in person in September
  • 11 in October
  • 4 in November
  • 4 do not expect to meet in person until 2021
  • 2 plan to wait for an effective vaccine to be widely available
  • 1 is waiting for less than 10 cases per day in their county
  • 1 is waiting until two weeks after the state lifts restrictions for 100-person indoor gatherings
  • The remaining responses were churches that are unsure or are assessing monthly at consistory/council meetings.
  • In response to "How have your church's contributions and offerings during COVID compared to recent years:
  • 52.1% responded that giving has stayed about the same
  • 25% reported giving has decreased
  • 14.6% reported an increased giving
  • Others were unsure
  • 58.3% of responding churches received a PPP loan
  • 2.1% received other financial assistance (Cornerstone Fund, Small Business Loan, etc.)
  • 17.7% of churches do not expect to reach their pledged OCWM contribution to PSEC this year.
Updated list available: PSEC churches online this fall

If your church isn't currently worshipping or you are not able or comfortable attending services, we have compiled a list of churches in PSEC that are holding digital/ virtual worship experiences. Share this with others that might not have another option for worship. Click here for an updated list.
Upcoming continuing ed. opportunities from PNEC

Dimensions of isms
(Anti-Racism Training)
On Saturday, Oct. 3, PNEC will host an online anti-racism training from 9:00a-4:00p. The cost of the event is $100. The training will cover "Defining Racism," "How Do We Undo Racism," and "Challenging the Isms." (Please check with your Association COM before registering if you would like to apply this training toward your Diversity Training requirement.) For more information, click here.

Ministry Day: Caring For Our Mental and Spiritual Health
On Saturday, Oct. 24, PNEC will host an online Ministry Day from 9:00a-3:00p. The cost of the event is $25 and will focus on the topics of "Mental Health and the Church" and "Listening to the Spirit." Guest speakers include Lee Barrett, Megan Snell, and Bruce Stevenson. For more information, click here.

The Story of Worship
(open to both authorized ministers and lay worship leaders)
On Saturday, Nov. 14, PNEC will host "The Story of Worship", led by Rev. Dr. Matthew Gorkos. Cost of the event is $50. For more information, click here.
Recording from workshop on virtual/in-person worship

On Saturday, Associate Conference Minister for Congregational Development Rev. Cean James, led a worship on "Virtually Present - Combining Virtual and In-Person Worship." If you missed that training (or want to look back at what you learned!) a recording is available here.
Coronavirus resources available for churches, pastors

For resources churches and pastors may find helpful in practicing ministry during the pandemic visit ucc.org/coronavirus or psec.org/coronavirus. New to PSEC.org this week is a list of resources from the UCC Financial Ministries, sample prayer for prayer concerns, and sources of prayers and resources for praying.
PRC offering Virtual Choir webinar series this month

Practical Resources for Churches (formerly the Parish Resource Center of Long Island) is offering a Virtual Choir: Webinar Series throughout September with webinars on: Creating Connection Through Song, What do you need to get started, Selecting Music and Preparing Lead Tracks, Preparing Your Choir to Record, and the use of different video editing and sound mixing technology. For more information, click here.
Monday Meetings with the Conference Minister continue

Each Monday at 11:00a, authorized ministers and church leaders are invited to check in with the Conference Minister, Rev. Bill Worley, on a Zoom call. Share your experiences with ministry in this season of COVID with other clergy, ask for advice, and be in community together. Click here to join the call on Monday. (Use this link every Monday through Oct. 6.) There will be no meeting on Sept. 7 for Labor Day.
PSEC climate team challenges churches to commit to change
The Working Group challenges 50 PSEC churches to make a commitment to do something to mitigate climate change in the coming months.
September is upon us. This is a good time to renew your church’s commitment to the 50-50-50 Green Church Initiative.

The PSEC Climate Justice Working Group invites you to celebrate the Season of Creation, which begins Sept. 1, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. It concludes Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology. For more on The Season of Creation go to seasonofcreation.org. The Season of Creation is a monthlong prayerful observance that calls Christians to pray and care for God's creation. The Season of Creation is an ecumenical initiative and “a time to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation through celebration, conversion, and commitment together.” We are called to join our sisters and brothers in the ecumenical family in prayer and action for our common home. 

The theme this year is "Jubilee for the Earth: New Rhythms, New Hope." Jubilee, in biblical terms, refers to a period of restoration every 50 years, when the land rests and justice is restored. The theme recognizes 2020 as the 50th celebration of Earth Day, so it fits nicely into our 50-50-50 Green Church Initiative. There is still time for churches to do something for both the Season of Creation and the PSEC Challenge:
  • Hold a special service that reflects the sacredness of creation
  • Hold a service to honor those working on environmental protection and sustainability
  • Create a special bulletin insert with information and prayers for the season
  • Hold a service to bless the animals
  • Take on projects like recycling, composting, tree planting
  • Preach about caring for the earth.
For a list of churches that have made a commitment, more suggestions for actions your congregation can take, and a form you can use for your church to accept the challenge, visit psec.org/green.
'The Ally Virtual Tour' for women of faith set for October

Registration is now open for "The Ally Virtual Tour: Women to Women on Faith, Gender & the Future of America" on Oct. 5, 12, 19 and 26. The event will include four nights of conversation including seven incredible women: Lisa Sharon Harper, Jen Hatmaker, Brenda Salter McNeil, Nadia Bolz Weber, Alexia Salvatierra, Kirsten Powers, and Sarah Holland. For more info -- including registration -- click here.
Search & Call: Computer-Side Chat scheduled for Sept. 8

The next Computer-Side Chat will be on Sept. 8 about Call Agreements. Join us at 7:00p via Zoom and learn more about what a Call Agreement is, what needs to be in it and why this is not just a negotiated contract but another covenant of how an authorized minister and a congregation appreciate all that is shared in ministry. This meeting would be valuable for search committees, consistory/council members of churches in the search process (or who anticipate a retirement or search soon), and pastors. The link to join that call is here. If you need information to phone in, email brea@psec.org.
Save the USPS Toolkit from UCC Justice and Witness

The USPS is an essential service that should be protected and any changes to service or reduction in access is harmful to our communities. Furthermore, we need to shore up the USPS to make sure mail-in voting is accessible to all (especially in the age of COVID). Every effort should be made by federal, state, and local entities to make voting as accessible and easy as possible, and anything but that is voter suppression. Here is the link to the toolkit with a sample action alert, sample tweets and action steps you can share with your network.
Church World Service buckets and kits needed for disasters

Looking for hands-on ways to help people affected by COVID-19, hurricanes and other disasters? Assemble Emergency Cleanup Buckets and Hygiene and other Kits – packets of essentials that make a difference to people in times of need. Get guidelines here for safe assembly in groups or at home, and news of CWS's reopening of "Safe Depots." UCC Disaster Ministries offers Matching Grants of up to $250 for UCC congregations assembling CWS Emergency Cleanup Buckets and Kits. Get more info here.
Pension Board shares 2021 insurance changes

The Pension Boards have let us know that the 2021 medical and dental insurance rates for clergy and lay employees will change as follows:
  • Non-Medicare Plan: 5% increase (no change to co-pays and deductibles)
  • Pharmacy co-pays: No change
  • Dental Plan: No change
  • Vision Plan: No change
  • Life and Disability Plan: No change
When the new rates are available online, we will share that information here.
Save the Date: Building Church Differently webinar series
The UCC Church Building & Loan Fund is hosting a 2020 web seminar series on "Building Church Differently." The cost is $25 total for three webinars from 2:00-3:30:
  • Make an Impact (Sept. 17)
  • Lead with Technology (Sept. 24)
  • Transform Communities (Oct. 1)
Registration will open soon.
Registration open for Men's Clergy Retreat in October

"Releasing Your Inner Warrior" will be the theme of the Men's Clergy Retreat at Kirkridge Retreat Center. The Oct. 6-8 event will be a mixture of worship, small group discussions and relaxation! Click here for more information and to register.
Church Openings
Many openings are on UCC's Ministerial Opportunities page. Especially note:
  • Allegheny UCC (Sunday supply)
  • Calvary UCC, Barto, and Pennsburg UCC (full-time designated-term)
  • Glenside UCC (full-time interim)
  • St. John's UCC, Orwigsburg (full-time settled)
  • St. John's UCC, Pottstown (part-time interim)
  • St. Paul's UCC, Birdsboro (half-time interim)
  • St. Paul's UCC, Pottstown (part-time settled)
  • Salem Hetzel's UCC (shared ministry; full-time interim)
  • Trinity UCC, Rehrersburg (part-time settled)
  • Wyomissing UCC (part-time settled)
  • Zwingli UCC (full-time associate)
If you’re interested in a position, contact Rev.Dr. Susan Minasian: minasian@psec.org or 484-949-8774 ext. 302.
Church Events
Submit Church Events here
View a complete list of Church Events here
Educational Opportunities
View more events on the PSEC Calendar
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Worship Leader needed in East Goshen

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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!