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Important This Week
- Join a Computer-Side Chat on Shared Ministry models TONIGHT
- Sign up for a Community of Practice
- Register: Spirituality of Generosity
- Join discussion on Handling Objections on Monday meeting
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From the Conference Minister:
But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. John 1:12-14 (NRSV)
The list of this year's missing Incarnation celebrations is long. Christmas cantatas, children's pageants, handbell festivals, and much anticipated Christmas Eve candlelight services among the rest. Still, we live by the hope and the promise that the Incarnation does not pass us by despite pandemic challenges that keep us distant.
My attention to all things incarnational grew during the time I sat in the chair of Rev. Dr. Henry Harbaugh, at First Reformed UCC in Lancaster, PA whose fondness of the season helped usher in Christmas Eve traditions we still hold sacred. Henry took seriously the council given him by John Williamson Nevin that the “cardinal principle” of Mercersburg Theology, “[I]s the fact of the Incarnation. Christ saves the world, not ultimately by what He teaches or by what He does, but by what He is in the constitution of His own person." ("Letter to Dr. Henry Harbaugh", pg. 498. Catholic and Reformed Selected Theological Writings of John Williamson Nevin, 1978). Henry turned that principle into the practice of midnight Christmas eve services that are still pivotal to many congregations.
In that same incarnational spirit but more recently, Michael Spencer wrote that “... without the incarnation, Christianity isn't even a very good story, and most sadly, it means nothing. 'Be nice to one another' is not a message that can give my life meaning, assure me of love beyond brokenness, and break open the dark doors of death with the key of hope. The incarnation is an essential part of Jesus-shaped spirituality” (Mere Churchianity: Finding Your Way Back to Jesus-Shaped Spirituality).
This is serious stuff far removed from the consumer-driven, fear-driven climate we’ve come to endure. “The incarnation,” said Fredrick Buechner,” is "a kind of vast joke whereby the Creator of the ends of the earth comes among us in diapers... Until we too have taken the idea of the God-man seriously enough to be scandalized by it, we have not taken it as seriously as it demands to be taken.”
People are hungry to be with each other in the incarnated presence of the Holy One. Hugh Halter and Matt Smay, in their book, The Tangible Kingdom, tell of a conversation with “Don” who grew up in a non-practicing Catholic home. He loved God but wasn’t so much about organized church. They asked him, ‘If Christianity was only about finding a group of people to live life with, who shared openly their search for God and allowed anyone, regardless of behavior, to seek too, and who collectively lived by faith to make the world a little more like Heaven, would you be interested?’
‘Hell yes!’ was his reply. He continued. ‘Are there churches like that?'”
Yes, Don, there are. Thankfully, more than a few are in southeast Pennsylvania.
May the Word become flesh that lives among us bless your every incarnation celebration.
Pastor Bill
Rev. Bill Worley
Conference Minister
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Response work from Tropical Storm Isaias receives UCC grant |
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The response in southeast PA to COVID-19 and TS Isaias have merged some of the Conference priorities. The PSEC Disaster Ministry team is at work with our colleagues in the Southeast PA Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (SEPA VOAD) in the Eastwick section of Philadelphia to help that community recover. This ministry is bringing together disaster ministries, racial justice, and climate justice. This section of Philadelphia was built on a “superfund” site, has seen more than its share of racial disparities, and now has been hit hard by a natural disaster. It is in that context that we work to “create a just world for all.”
The need has been recognized by elected officials and community leaders, as well as disaster recovery specialists. The national setting of the UCC is providing a Long-Term Recovery grant of $5,000 to the Unmet Needs Roundtable of SEPA VOAD. This grant will be used to help provide heat and other essentials to the homes damaged by Isaias. Other denominational and non-profit colleagues are also providing support, as we work with the City of Philadelphia to bring positive change to the community. Representing the PSEC on the Unmet Needs Roundtable are the Rev. Denise Statham and the Rev. Karl Jones.
The need in this community, and elsewhere in the Commonwealth, has gotten the attention of the elected officials in Harrisburg. Governor Wolf held a press conference on Dec. 2 where he announced a new long-term initiative to build more resilient communities. The work that PSEC is doing in Eastwick was recognized, as well as what we have done in Schuylkill County. You can learn more about the Governor's plan here.
The picture above comes from the NBC10 coverage of Tropic Storm Isaias's damage in southwest Philadelphia. Click here to watch that footage.
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Sign up:Community of Practice including retirees, chaplains
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 retirees or 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:
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existing groups with a few openings for authorized ministers (all groups are currently meeting via Zoom; the previous meeting location is listed on the sign-up page in case they decide to meet in person later in the year)
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group on Christian spirituality and direction
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group for retirees and those who plan to retire over the next year (The group will read Parker J. Palmer’s book “On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old.”)
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newly-formed group of chaplains and ministers serving settings outside the church
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 Tuesday, Dec. 22. If you have any questions about Communities of Practice or joining a group, contact Brea Rarick at brea@psec.org.
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Tonight: Computer-Side Chat on Shared Ministry models |
The December Computer Side Chat will be a conversation about Shared Ministries. We have several congregations in our Conference and throughout the denomination that have made a shift from a full-time pastor to a part time pastor. Sometimes those congregations partner with another congregation who made the same shift. The pastor is then full-time serving two congregations.
For a variety of reasons congregations that reach a certain number of members are hesitant to consider merging with another congregation. One of the solutions I have seen is that of SHARING ministry with another congregation. Sometimes it is only sharing one pastor who serves two congregations and sometimes it is an actual sharing of not only a pastor but a sharing of ministry while maintaining two locations.
If you are interested and your congregation is considering this possibility or if you are just curious in the conversation, please join me on Dec. 8 at 7:00p for an hour of conversation about Shared Ministries. The link to join that call is here. If you need info to phone in, email brea@psec.org.
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Bigotry Paraded Through Our Churches and Our Streets
Author and researcher Robert P. Jones, in his book White Too Long, reveals that racism and Christianity have a positive correlation; a white person is more likely to be racist if they are church-going Christians.
Jones writes, “We white Christians must find the courage to face the fact that the version of Christianity that our ancestors built…was a cultural force that, by design, protected and propagated white supremacy. We have inherited this tradition with scant critique, and we have a moral and religious obligation to face the burden of that history and its demand on our present.” (pg. 234, emphasis mine)
To bring this closer to home within the PSEC, the Rev. Jay Meier, who served as the assistant librarian with The Historical Society of Montgomery County, recently presented me with a folder full of newspaper clippings and articles documenting the widespread activity of the KKK in Evangelical and Mainline church communities within Montgomery County and surrounding areas.
What struck me was how casually the Klan activities of meetings, parades, recruitment events, and attendance at services of worship were advertised in local newspapers as if seemingly innocuous, and the general presence of the Klan and the formal welcome its members enjoyed in local churches. Some of these churches are now part of the PSEC. Click here to read more.
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Sign the PSEC
Anti-Racism Statement
The Zachariah Walker Racial Justice task force of the PSEC of the United Church of Christ is inviting individuals and entire congregations to join our anti-racism initiatives and sign this anti-racism statement. Please click here to sign: ipetitions.com/petition/psecucc-antiracism-statement.
The statement with signatures will be released to the media on Jan. 15, the start of the weekend of MLK Day.
It is our hope that as we circulate this statement during Advent and Christmas-tide it promotes both reflection and discussion. Together, with courage in our hearts, we pray that Christ gives us the ability to understand this as a white problem that mars the soul of Christianity and our nation.
"As disciples of Jesus, we are all called to follow the mandate to love one another completely, regardless of race, creed, gender, culture or difference."
Click here to read the entire statement and add your signature. Click here to share the statement to your Facebook page (or a page you manage).
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Read the Insurance Board Fall/Winter newsletter
The Fall/Winter issue of The Steward, the Insurance Board newsletter, is available now. Read about "Churches: Our Everyday Superheroes", working with contractors and vendors, HR year-end wrap-up, and more. Click here to read the newsletter.
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Special topic for Monday Mtg: Handling Objections
Each Monday at 11:00a, authorized ministers and church leaders are invited to check in with Conference Minister Rev. Bill Worley on a Zoom call, share experiences in this season of COVID, ask for advice, and be in community. This week's meeting will focus on "Handling Objections."
Perhaps now more than ever, Pastors and consistories are having to make tough decisions that can create strong responses from parishioners. Leaders who understand how to handle objections are proven to be more effective and are able to foster healthier communities and avoid unnecessary alienation. By taking a page out of a business playbook, Pastors can learn a few skills that will make their job easier and less stressful in these difficult situations. Please join us as we explore seven techniques successful sales executives use to handling objections and how we can apply them in our church settings.
We encourage you to join this opportunity for theological and practical reflection and discussion. Click here to join the call on Monday.
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Zoom UCC History and Polity course starting in February
Lancaster Theological Seminary will partner with Rev. Dr. Carrie Call (and Penn Central Conference staff) to offer UCC History and Polity via synchronous Zoom sessions in 2021. This course satisfies the UCC History and Polity requirement for authorization by association Committees on Ministry across the church. Join us live on Zoom each Friday from 2:00p-5:00p Feb. 12-March 26. Cost of the course is $100 and you can register now. The course is fun and informative and will change the way you think about the UCC.
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Spiritual First Aid Online Training & Certificate Course
The Humanitarian Disaster Institute is offering a new online training: "Spiritual First Aid Online Training & Certificate Course". The goal of the course is to help people make a difference in this time of COVID. They say that you don’t have to be a professional psychologist to offer support. If you complete the course there is a certificate offered. You are also invited to join the Humanitarian Disaster Institute for a webinar Friday, Dec. 11, at 1:00p that will discuss "Resilience for a COVID Winter". Get all the details on these events here.
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Churches commit to change;
PSEC 50-50-50 Challenge
The PSEC Climate Justice Working Group has started the 50-50-50 Green Church Initiative, challenging 50 PSEC churches to make a commitment to do something to mitigate climate change in the coming months. Churches can hold a special service, share educational materials, take on a project of recycling or composting, or many other things. One is example is here:
First UCC, Schuylkill Haven: In 2019, we converted to LED lighting inside the building and for the parking lot lights. For our fellowship time after worship, several years ago we converted from insulated disposable cups for hot beverages to ceramic mugs, but early this year we also dropped paper cups for cold beverages and introduced glasses. For communion Sundays, we reclaimed the tradition of the church from years ago as we pulled glassware out of storage and reduced our use of disposable plastic. We strive to unplug electrical appliances when they are not in use. This fall, as COVID19 permits, we will introduce a small group to explore the congregation's interest in addressing our continuing stewardship for God's gift of creation.
For a list of all 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.
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Social isolation meetings scheduled for seniors in PA
If you are working with seniors let them know about this program. The PA Council on Aging’s Social Isolation Task Force is holding virtual, small-group, interactive sessions designed to help older adults safeguard their mental, spiritual, and physical health. Now more than ever, these tips and reminders are critically important.
SOLO: Strengthening Older Lives Online can be viewed in a self-guided way from a computer or smart device by clicking here. Here are the session days and times:
- Tuesday, 12/15 1:00-2:00
- Thursday, 12/17 10:00-11:00
- Tuesday, 12/22 11:00-12:00
- Thursday, 1/7 5:00-6:00
- Tuesday, 1/12 10:00-11:00
- Thursday, 1/21 1:00-2:00
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Spirituality of Generosity webinar coming next month
On Jan. 20, Pennsylvania Southeast, Penn Northeast, and Penn Central conferences will co-host a seminar on the Spirituality of Generosity. Jesus talked about money second only to the kingdom of God, yet many in the church today treat money as a non-spiritual topic. We can theologically engage questions of money, wealth, and giving. Teaching and preaching about generosity and the use of our financial resources can deepen the faith life of our congregations. For a flyer on this event, click here. To register, click here.
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Webinar: EPA and Prioritizing Moral Accountability
Over the past four years, Harvard’s Environmental and Energy Law Program has tracked all of the federal environmental rules and protections that are being rolled back. This list of rollbacks is now over 100. It includes weakened limits on CO2 emissions, the removal of protections for more than half the nation's wetlands, and the undoing of restrictions on mercury pollution from power plants. The EPA's stated mission is to protect human health and the environment. What needs to happen in 2021 to repair and advance this mission? What do faith communities need to know to hold the EPA morally accountable? Caitlin McCoy from Harvard’s Environmental and Energy Law Program will join us for this discussion along with Vernice Miller-Travis who was a contributing author to the UCC’s historic Toxic Wastes and Race report. Even if you can't make the webinar’s scheduled time on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 1:00p, still sign-up, and we will send you a recording of it. Sign up now to join the webinar!
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PSEC 2020 Giving Cut-Off
Books of the PSEC will close Jan. 18. All OCWM contributions for 2020 must be in our office by that date or they will be counted towards 2021 contributions.
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Mid-Atlantic Association of United Church Educators event |
This has been a truly strange year and continues to be so. We were forced to cancel our gathering in 2020, and missed the valued time of being together and sharing successes and challenges. Providing Christian Education has never been more mystifying whether you are a pastor, youth minister, children's program coordinator, or lay leader. We need each other and the sooner the better. So our 2021 retreat is going virtual – like everything else. We've changed the dates from a mid-week event to a Friday-Saturday event hoping to make it accessible for more of our churches' part-time leaders. Workshops will include an opening presentation, small group reaction/ sharing, and large group report outs. All of our conversations will include ideas for virtual, in-person, and hybrid situations.
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Webinar on digital strategies for reaching new communities
On Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 4:00p, the UCC and the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving will host a webinar on Digital Strategies for Reaching New Communities. To register and for more information, click here.
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Coronavirus resources available for churches, pastors
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Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry at Lancaster Seminary
Nondegree classes are ideal for:
- Lay Ministers already pastoring churches
- Pastoral Leaders in part-time or bi-vocational ministries
- Individuals in discernment
- Laity serving Christian denominations and independent churches
Theology: “Leadership and Community,” Jan. 9-Feb. 18. Rev. Holly MillerShank offers a six-week online class through the PA Academy of Ministry at Lancaster Theological Seminary. The class provides an introduction to Christian theology, focusing on the human condition, Christian hope, the church, ministry, and mission. This 2.5 CEU class starts Saturday, Jan. 9, followed by five weeks of asynchronous online instruction. Cost $325. Registration deadline is Dec. 21. Apply online.
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PSEC furniture available as office space is downsized
If you attended the Fall Meeting last month, you learned that the Conference Office is decreasing its footprint in Pottstown. We're getting rid of five offices, increasing the conference room meeting space, and staff will work remotely. As staff work to half our space, there are many furniture items that we no longer need. These items are available to you in exchange for a donation to the Conference. If you are interested in any objects, email Sue Cresswell: susan@psec.org. The deadline to claim an object is Thursday, Dec. 10. To view available items, click here.
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Advocate for your neighbors facing homelessness
PA state lawmakers are negotiating on the second half of a stop-gap budget for fiscal year 2020-21. An estimated $1.3 billion in federal CARES Act funding meant to address needs created by COVID-19 remain unspent in PA. That funding should be targeted at helping those struggling to meet basic necessities. In addition, the federal eviction moratorium expires Dec. 31. Your voice is needed now to speak up for the most vulnerable Pennsylvanians – particularly the thousands facing homelessness this winter. Here is a sample message you can use.
Although PA has an opportunity to act now in the short term, the problem of a potential evictions crisis is a national one that requires Congress to act. Today, we are called to prevent a needless disaster within the disaster of COVID. Homelessness exposes adults and children to greater risk of disease, hunger, and violence, including sexual assault and trafficking. Thank you for your advocacy!
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Advent Candle Lighting Liturgy from Zachariah Walker team
On behalf of the Zachariah Walker Racial Justice Initiative Team, we’d like to thank Rev. Rebecca Hoover for creating this wonderful Advent Candle lighting liturgy for congregations this Advent season. To download or view the liturgy, check out the "Liturgical Offerings" section of the Zachariah Walker Racial Justice Initiative webpage: psec.org/zachariah-walker.
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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.
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Church Openings
- Allegheny UCC (Sunday supply)
- Bern Reformed UCC, Leesport (three-quarter time settled)
- Calvary UCC, Barto, and Pennsburg UCC (full-time designated-term)
- Christ Delong UCC, Bowers and St. Peter's UCC, Topton (3/4-time interim)
- St. James UCC, Limerick (3/4-time, interim)
- St. John's UCC, Pottstown (part-time interim)
- St. John's UCC, Schuylkill Haven
- Salem Hetzel's UCC (shared ministry; full-time interim)
- 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.
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Classified Ads
Submit Classified Ads here
View a complete list of Classified Ads here
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Educational Opportunities
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Church Events
Submit Church Events here
View a complete list of Church Events here
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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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