I have been swirling around the often-shared quote by Meister Eckhart that, “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is “thank you”, it will be enough.” You are on my mind and heart this week as I pray that prayer.

Thank you to friends in every ministry setting around our Conference who have been sources of patient grace and persistent faith. Thank you for every sermon preached, for every prayer said, for every hand held or every moment of COVID awareness that has simultaneously kept people safe and in the presence of all that is Holy. Thank you for your non-anxious presence in a world overdosing on anxiety. Thank you for the ways you have inspired others while struggling to find inspiration for yourself. Thank you for inspiring generosity in all its forms when the presence of fear and scarcity tempt us to hold onto more and give less.

Thank you to the members and friends of our congregations and faith communities who have looked out for each other, prayed for each other, followed the spiritual and biblical lead of your pastor or chaplain, and loved him/her/them for their service and their sacrifice. Thank you for loving their family and for being kind to them and to each other in a world where kindness now seems almost heroic. Thank you all for your commitment to unity in a diversity where people who don't look like us, think like us or act like us still come together to love each other by Jesus’s example and prayer ‘that we all may be one.’

I pray that Thursday's Thanksgiving celebration will bless you and the people you love in ways great and small, and that Sunday’s beginning of our Advent season will draw us closer to the Christ light that shines in even in the darkest of these days. May you be safe and well in the care and keeping of the Holy Spirit.

Thank you. Amen.

Pastor Bill

Rev. Bill Worley

Conference Minister

Check out the November newsletter from UCC Disaster Ministries. Get info on the Global HOPE Blue Christmas Worship on Dec. 1; read about the Volunteer of the Month; and check out which churches have been approved for UCC Global HOPE grants -- including two from PSEC! To read that newsletter, click here.

May 3-5, join PSEC and PNEC for a time of collegiality, spiritual renewal and education for authorized ministries and members in discernment... Clergy Convocation 2022! Rev. Emily Heath will join the group as the Presenter. For more information and to register, click here.

Introduction to Pastoral Care, Jan. 6-Feb. 10. This class provides an introduction to pastoral care with attention to trauma histories, healthy boundaries, self-care, and social justice. You will be introduced to pastoral care practices in a variety of settings, including organizing caring ministries within the congregation, and attend to particular circumstances of ministry, such as loss and grief, illness, marriage, and family. Learning activities include use of role play and analysis of case studies.

Fundraising Fundamentals: Churches and Other Non-Profits, Feb. 22-March 29. This class provides essential fundraising tools for lay leaders, pastors, and other ministerial leaders. Whether working in a congregation or not-for-profit, all ministerial leaders need to be able to raise money. Taught by an experienced fundraising consultant, this class helps participants hone their skills in developing the fundraising “ask,” writing letters for fundraising, and leveraging networks to grow your ministry.

Each six-week class is offered online. 2.5 CEUs. $325. Deadline to register for Pastoral Care is Dec. 21.

As you are making preparations for Advent, the Racial Justice Initiative is again offering the wonderful Advent Candle Lighting liturgy crafted by the Rev. Becky Hoover. It incorporates the tensions we are experiencing in our nation and offers healing and hope as we seek the dawning of Christ anew. Click here to download the liturgy.

This month's PA Emergency Management Agency's ReadyPA Monthly includes info on snow squall safety, winter weather awareness, and how to sign up for PA alerts. Click here for the newsletter. Please share this information with your congregations to help keep everyone safe and prepared.

Author, Nikole Hannah-Jones, writes “Four Hundred years ago, in 1620, a cargo ship lowered its anchor on the eastern shore of North America. It had spent sixty-six grueling days on the perilous Atlantic Ocean, and its 102 passengers fell into praise as they spotted land for the first time in more than two months.

These Puritans had fled England in search of religious freedom. We know all their names, names such as James Chilton, Frances Cook, and Mary Brewster”…. “They arrived on the Mayflower, a vessel that has been called ‘one of the most important ships in American history.’” …. “ But a year before the Mayflower, in 1619, another ship dropped anchor on the eastern shore of North America. Its name was the White Lion, and it, too, would become one of the most important ships in American history.” Read more.

This workshop will explore the various ways that churches are, 1. Creating new connections, 2. Reconnecting with those who fell away, 3. Maintaining connection with the faithful, during this pandemic. Bring what has worked for you and hear what is working for others. This workshop, facilitated by Associate Conference Minister for Congregational Development, Rev. Cean James, will take place twice. For an event flyer, click here. To register, click the links below:

For those who would like to do a deep dive into Dr. Drew Hart’s powerful witness and call on the Christian church to a discipleship that embodies God’s love, justice and deliverance, the Racial Justice Initiative of the PSEC will be offering an Advent book study featuring “Who Will Be A Witness?” on Tuesdays at 3:00p and 7:00p from Nov. 30-Dec. 21. This training has been approved for Diversity Training. For information and to register, click here.

Well, I thought we had our last Computer-Side Chat! However, some people would like to have just one more and this time have lay people share their experiences around Shared Minister/Ministry contexts.

So, if you are a lay person who is currently a member of a congregation that is sharing a minister with another congregation OR a congregation intentionally sharing ministry with another congregation… EMAIL ME at miniasian@psec.org.

So back by popular demand… the LAST LAST Computer Side Chat will be Tuesday Dec. 7, 7:00- 8:00p. You can get a link for that meeting by emailing Brea@psec.org.

Pastors are you weary? Is the yoke of pastoring in this extended season of COVID heavy? Share your burdens and joys as we pray together on Thursdays at noon during the season of Advent! A brief period of facilitated check-in will be followed by curated poems, prayers, and silence. Light a candle and feed your spirit this Advent by gathering in prayer with colleagues from Penn Central, Penn Northeast and Pennsylvania Southeast conferences and prepare for the inbreaking of Emmanuel once again! Join us Dec. 2, 9, 16 and 23 at noon https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88299554125?pwd=cU90LzZhS2lOU05qVFo5QWhjK2p3UT09. We will end promptly at 1pm.

Dec. 7, 4:00–5:00p OR Dec. 14, 4:00–5:00p (Click the date/time to register): This training walks ministers and MIDs through registration and use of the new Ministerial Profiles Portal. Staff from Suran Systems (who built the site) and MESA will answer questions about the completion and use of the Snapshot and the Profile. The training is about 45 minutes and recurs twice with identical content. It will be recorded for the UCC website.

For those who are able, we are suggesting a love offering of $70 per banner (image of the 4’x10’ Vinyl Banner with grommets below) and $7 per yard sign (image of the 18’’x24’’ Yard sign above right). The love offerings will go to further our efforts in this sacred ministry of racial equity and justice. To order, please email Anne Cormier at annecormier@comcast.net. Include in the subject box “banner” or “yard sign”.