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Important This Week
- The position has been posted for an Interim Associate Conference Minister for Search and Call.
- Sign up for Communities of Practice.
- Share safety tips for winter weather and holidays.
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From the Conference Minister: On 'Year A' Advent
I am not a fan of Year A Advent scriptures. We are three weeks into this season, and half way into Matthew’s gospel. My movement toward the manger is blocked again by the presence of John the Baptist. His wonderment about Jesus does, however, mirror my own. Wonderment and even lack of confidence. I am not locked in a prison as is John but there is something suffocating about a holiday season that has driven out Christ (or any holy mystery) for a culture of consumerism. I try to inject a little Christ light with ‘Merry Christmas’ wherever I go (in the most care-filled, gentle manner possible) and wince at what might be the response.
I resonate with Rev. David Lose’s words (former President of Philadelphia Lutheran Seminary and Wheatland Junior High classmate of mine), “so try as we might to deny the darkness of the season and our spirits by adding candles to the wreathe or presents under the tree [and ‘Merry Christmas’ all around], all it takes is the loss of a friend or a job or a loved one [or a presidential impeachment hearing] to prick our good-cheer bubble and leave us in a funk as dark and dank as John’s prison cell. And when this happens, we too are at best concerned and far more often disappointed. Disappointed with ourselves, with the world, and even and especially with God, which feels all the worse at Christmastime.”
I also appreciate David’s prescription, “If we don’t speak to people's disappointments as well as to their dreams, we fail to take their lives seriously. Maybe that’s why the beloved Christmas carol sings that
“the hopes and fears of all the years are met in him tonight.”
And that is why John the Baptist, confined in his confusion as we are in ours, is the perfect guide to the manger. If he can speak his disappointments and doubts and still find the Christ light in his darkness, then we can find it in ours.
I pray that before you speak to the disappointments of others (as well as your own), God, who is still speaking, will whisper a word of assurance and comfort to you.
Happy Advent and (almost) Merry Christmas,
Pastor Bill
Rev. Bill Worley
Conference Minister
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Position posted for Interim Associate Conference Minister
Last week, we shared news of Rev. Sharon Morris’s resignation from our Conference Staff. If you missed that, you can
find it here
. Conference Consistory posted yesterday a denomination-wide invitation for candidates interested in serving as the Interim Associate Conference Minister for Search and Call. You can see that
here
. We expect to have an interim candidate in place no later than March 1, 2020. Consistory anticipates a year-long interim process while Conference leaders discern the current and future needs of our ministry related to this position. Check back each week for regular updates during this time of transition and as always, please keep Sharon, our staff and our Conference in your prayers.
Ms. Jennie Strauch, Moderator
Rev. Bill Worley, Conference Minister
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Staying safe in snowstorms, extreme cold, through holidays
While winter is not until Dec. 21, the threat for winter weather begins now. Winter is a killer, and while dangerous road conditions are one of the deadliest hazards during winter, other winter hazards include brutal cold, heavy snow and ice, dangerous flooding, extreme wind and fog.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
encourages you to be a force of nature: prepare and stay safe. For tips, toolkits, and information on staying safe in snow and extreme cold,
click here
.
The start of winter also means holidays. It's important to recognize hazards in cooking, decorating, shopping online and traveling.
Click here
for holiday safety tips.
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Sign up: 2020 Communities of Practice around PSEC
PSEC started its first Communities of Practice groups in 2014. The program gives clergy a chance to come together for support and learning. The groups meet monthly to “check-in” and learn and share about a chosen topic or issue. There is an annual $250 fee for participants to cover the cost of the facilitator and any other program costs. We ask that congregations pay this fee. (Scholarships may be available for churches/pastors with financial difficulties.)
The program has been very successful and each year we create more groups. This year, sign ups are open for:
- an existing group that meets in Fleetwood and has some openings;
- a re-forming group in Philadelphia;
- a new group on Christian spirituality and direction (this will be the second such group).
Additionally, there is an open call for people who would like to join a new group in a yet-undetermined location. For that, just select “Interested in new group” and comment with your preferred time and location. We will look at the results and set groups accordingly.
If you are interested in being part of a Community of Practice and are looking for life-sustaining friendships, a new perspective, a renewed calling, a time for reflection, then sign up today.
Click here
to register before Wednesday, Dec. 18. If you have any questions about Communities of Practice or joining a group, contact Rev. Sharon Morris at
morris@psec.org
or 484-949-8774 ext. 302.
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PSEC providing daily Advent reflections on Facebook
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PSEC 2019 financial giving deadline announced
The PSEC financial books will close for 2019 on Jan. 17, 2020. All OCWM contributions and pass-throughs for 2019 must be received by our office by the close of business Friday, Jan. 17 in order to be counted as a 2019 contribution.
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LGBTQIA+ workshop approved as Diversity Training
The Covenant, North Penn, Schuylkill, and Ursinus associations approved the Faith-based LGBTQIA+ Cultural Competency Training that Boehm's UCC is hosting on Jan. 11 as meeting the requirement for Diversity Training (or continuing education hours). The Philadelphia Association Committee on Ministry plans to address this in December. The training will be from 9:00a-12:00p and costs $5. This is open to everyone.
Registration
is now open.
Click here
for a flyer to share.
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Lehigh Presbytery sets 2020 Boundary Training workshops
The Pennsylvania Southeast Conference has a reciprocal relationship with other local judicatories to accept one another's Boundary Awareness Training workshops. In 2020, the Lehigh Presbytery will be offering training. Workshop and registration information is
available here
. If you need Boundary Training in 2020, please save these dates now:
- March 12 in East Stroudsburg
- May 21 in Bethlehem
- October 14 in Reading
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Save the date: Mark your calendar for these 2020 events
Did you know PSEC has scheduled more than three dozen events so far for 2020? Read
this news story
for a complete list of events on our website.
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Shop AmazonSmile to benefit the PSEC this holiday season
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AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon that gives customers the same selection of products and the same prices, but the foundation donates a percentage -- usually 0.5% -- of eligible purchases to the charitable organization selected by the customer. If you haven't attached your Amazon account to PSEC, please consider doing so now!
Support PSEC Here
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Recommend something to the conference reading list
Have a book to recommend for other clergy and lay leaders? Send an email to
brea@psec.org
with a 100-200 word description of the book and why you're recommending it and we'll add
your recommendation
to the PSEC reading list and share it in eNews.
Check out all of the recommended books at
psec.org/booklist.
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Classified Ads
Submit Classified Ads
here
View a complete list of Classified Ads
here
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Church Events
Submit Church Events
here
View a complete list of Church Events
here
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Educational Opportunities
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Church Openings
- Calvary UCC, Barto (part-time interim)
- St. John's UCC, Orwigsburg (half-time designated)
- St. John's UCC, Pottstown (part-time interim)
- St. Mark's UCC, Reading (10 hrs/ week)
- St. Paul's UCC, Pottstown (part-time settled)
If you’re interested in a position, contact Rev.Sharon Morris:
morris@psec.org
or 484-949-8774 ext. 302.
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Missed a week? Read past eNews here:
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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!
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