Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Luke 3:8

At some point, all the men I meet have reached the outer limits of their own capacity to live differently and have come to call on a power greater than themselves. Father Richard Rohr once defined addiction simply as our refusal to ask for help. If that is true, and I believe it is, then we are all addicted — not just to coffee or consumerism or cell phones but to a self-reliance that keeps us locked in isolation and loneliness — two seeds of addiction. The gift of the pandemic (or of addiction), if we can call it that, has been to pull back the vail of carefully constructed lives (and systems) that aren’t life giving and, in some cases, life taking. Its not a gift easily received or appreciated.

Enter John the Baptist who in his own way attempted to pull back the vail of carefully constructed lives (We have Abraham for our ancestor!) that weren’t necessarily life giving. His prescription was to let go of things, to honor limitations and invite God into that space— three seeds of sobriety. Left to ourselves, this is hard medicine to swallow. The men at Caron, who reside there for up to a month, draw strength, courage and grace from each other in supportive community. They often lament having to come to treatment and eventually, having connected in life giving ways with others, fear having to leave those connections behind.

My deepest hope for the church has always been that we can receive and appreciate John’s message that pulls back the vail of carefully constructed lives that aren’t necessarily life giving. That we can help each other take his prescription to let go of things, honor limitations and invite God into that space. That we can drawn strength, courage and grace from each other. Connect meaningfully and never have to fear leaving those connections behind. I am convinced that in so doing, “all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

Rev. Bill Worley

Conference Minister

The Susquehanna Area Mission Council of the Penn Northeast Conference will be submitting a Disaster Relief challenge to all churches in the Pennsylvania Southeast and Penn Northeast Conferences during the season of Epiphany. This challenge will benefit both conferences and many who are in need. We hope you’ll join us and be on the look out for a HIGH FIVE this Epiphany! Click here for a bulletin insert with more information.

Gale Bupp, or Wyomissing, died last month. Gale was the wife of the late Rev. Martin Bupp II. Gale and her husband were significant participants in the life of the Conference and the wider church. To read the obituary, click here.

Women's Clergy Retreat, "Un-program Yourself", will be held Jan. 18-20 at Mariawald Retreat Center in Reading. Join us for the Women's Clergy Retreat, a minimally scheduled and relaxing retreat for Clergy Women of the PSEC. Proof of vaccination against Covid-19 is required as is a negative Covid test within 72 hours of the beginning of the event. For flyer, click here. To register, click here.

The program has been very successful and each year we create more groups. This year, sign ups are available for traditional groups, as well as for clergy that fit into specific categories. For more information, click here. If you are interested in being part of a Community of Practice, then sign up today. The deadline to register is Dec. 14. If you have questions contact Rev. Dr. Susan Minasian at minasian@psec.org or 484-949-8774 ext. 302.

The Southern New England Conference Disaster Response team compiled this resource on wintertime and snowstorm readiness. Winter can bring extended periods of extreme temperatures and snowfall. Even short periods of exposure to this extreme cold can cause serious health problems. Heavy snow can lead to roof collapse and dangerous driving conditions. While it is true that there is little you can do to avoid a winter snowstorm, there is plenty you can do to prepare, to mitigate the damage after a winter storm and to save lives! Take a few minutes to read this comprehensive resource and to share it with your church members.

The New York Conference will be offering an online UCC History and Polity course in Jan./Feb. Click here for the Course Announcement. The course runs on four Saturdays from 9:30a-3:30p. Cost is $495.

The Penn Central Conference will be offering an online UCC History and Polity course starting Feb. 11. Registration is open now and spaces are limited. The cost of the course is $150.

Books of the PSEC will close Jan. 17. All OCWM contributions for 2021 must be in our office by that date or they will be counted towards 2022 contributions. Please mail your contributions as soon as possible due to possible mail delays.

This week: The Sacred Side Hustle: Embracing Your Multivocational Calling, Dec 9–11. A virtual conference to encourage the unique calling of multivocational ministers, co-hosted by Newleaf and the Briercrest Centre for Leadership Studies. Cost: $29. Register

Online class: The Future of Multi-vocational Ministries, April 7-May 17, instructor Darryl Stephens. Six-week class offered through the PA Academy of Ministry, 2.5 CEUs. Study and discussion of the forthcoming volume, Bivocational and Beyond. Cost TBD. For info, contact pam@lancasterseminary.edu.

SAVE THE DATE: International Consultation on Multivocational Ministry, Saturday, May 14, 2–5pm. A virtual follow-up to the November 2020 consultation that led to the creation of Bivocational and Beyond. This online conference of researchers, educators, and reflective practitioners will feature presentations and conversations with book contributors, judicatory leaders, and others. If you would like to join the planning team for this event, contact dstephens@lancasterseminary.edu.

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 Jan. 11, 7:00- 8:00p. You can get a link for that meeting by emailing Brea@psec.org.

The Incarnation Institute for Sex & Faith (IISF) announces that registrations are now open for religious professionals (with one year of seminary training) and sexual health professionals for Professional Leadership training who desire tools to help parishioners and clients heal from problematic religious teachings and the Purity Culture. This is an 8 week (virtual) training that is co-facilitated by a clergy and sex educator that starts in February. For more information and testimonies from previous attendees check out the IISF website. Partial scholarships are available.

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:

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.

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.

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”.

Not everyone has an equal voice and vote in our democracy when campaign contributions make the playing field of electoral races vastly uneven. Currently, the fossil fuel industry has an enormous impact on Congress through campaign donations. This is a matter that relates to core values of fairness, justice, and love of neighbor in the face of powerful forces that continue to damage and threaten people and planet for the sake of profit. This free webinar will feature three panelists from some of the leading organizations addressing the influence of fossil fuel money on Congress: Sarah Bryner from OpenSecrets, Tyson Slocum from Public Citizen, and RL Miller from Climate Hawks Vote. Even if you can’t make the scheduled time of 1:00p on Wednesday, Dec. 8, still sign-up, and we will send you a recording. Register now!