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Important This Week
- The deadline for UCC annual reporting is tomorrow
- Welcome message from the Interim Associate Conference Minister
- Register for Spring Meeting now
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From the Interim Associate Conference Minister:
A Sankofa Moment
Hello Pennsylvania Southeast Conference!
It is good to be back in this conference. I am honored to serve you as the Interim Associate Conference Minister for Search and Call. It seems fitting that we begin this journey during the season of Lent. It is that liminal season of an “in between” space.
Interim seasons are a faithful way for us to engage in the spiritual practice of discernment. I am mindful that the particular ministry of Search and Call is indeed a spiritual practice. This isn’t about being a “temp” agency or an “employment” agency. It is about us listening and discerning how God is joining faithful, healthy, equipped and engaging people together to live out what we have been called to be and yes…do.
I give thanks for the ministry Sharon Morris provided all these years. I am also grateful for the covenantal work we are all doing around so many tables of this conference.
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The book, A SANKOFA MOMENT: The History of Trinity United Church of Christ, chronicles the journey of the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright from the time he accepted the call to serve as the pastor of Trinity UCC through the season of his retirement. He used the metaphor of the Sankofa bird throughout the telling of the journey. This is what he wrote: “
The Akan people have an important symbol known as Sankofa. It is expressed in the Asante Adinkra symbols as a bird whose body is heading in one direction, but whose head is turned in the opposite direction. What the symbol is teaching is that we cannot go forward without first going back to our past to understand how it is we got to where we are. Put another way, Sankofa means that is we do not know from whence we come, we will forever be heading in the wrong direction. The African concept of recognizing the past, honoring the past, knowing our past, embracing our past and learning from our past is found not only among the Akan people. It is found all across the Continent of Africa.”
So, perhaps this is one of our Sankofa moments. Together, we can reflect, discern and envision how we will be in ministry together. Search and Call invites us into the spiritual practice of doing just that.
Thank you for this opportunity and thank you in advance as we live in this moment.
Blessings and Peace,
Susan
Rev. Dr. Susan Minasian
Interim Associate Conference Minister for Search and Call
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Year-end reporting closes for churches tomorrow at midnight
If your church has not yet completed year-end reporting for the United Church of Christ, you have until tomorrow at midnight to take action. Find information about the reporting by visiting
psec.org/reporting
. Contact Brea at the Conference Office with any questions:
brea@psec.org
, 484-949-8774 ext. 311.
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Registration for Spring Meeting open for just two more months
This year's PSEC Annual Spring Meeting will be held June 4-6 at The Inn at Reading. You
must pre-register
for the event before May 3. No registrations can be accepted after that date.
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Changes made to the PA Child Protective Services Law
Effective Dec. 31, 2019, the PA legislature amended the Child Protective Services Law to prohibit the employment of an individual who works with children on a provisional basis (without all of the certifications being obtained). So, all of the certifications must be obtained prior to employment. There are waivers for certain facilities but not churches.
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UCC releases resources for churches on the coronavirus
UCC Disaster Ministries has created a website with resources for churches about the coronavirus. For a bulletin insert, videos, a preparedness manual for churches, and more,
click here
.
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Global Ministries planning Holy Land tour for clergy, MIDs
Disciples of Christ/UCC Global Ministries is planning a "Palestine/Israel Pilgrimage: An Alternative Holy Land Tour for Clergy & Seminarians" from Sept. 30 to Oct. 11. For more information,
click here
.
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UCC launches campaign to plant 50,000 trees for Earth Day
Over the course of 50 days in 2013, the United Church of Christ planted over 141,000 trees as part of Mission 4/1 Earth. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22nd, this year we are seeking to
plant over 50,000 trees in ten days from April 17 to 26.
In expanding the scope of our collaborative efforts in 2020, the UCC’s
Ministry of Environmental Justice
has partnered with Interfaith Power and Light to make this tree planting campaign part of their
Faith Climate Action Week
. To participate, churches and their members can plant their own trees or they can have trees planted on their behalf. The UCC has provided four options for organizations that can do the work for you. Additionally, worship resources are provided for congregations to celebrate the planting of trees.
Learn more about the different possibilities and resources available.
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CWS Kit and Blanket Shipping Report now available for 2019
The UCC and Church World Service have released the 2019 CWS Kit and Blanket Shipping Report.
Click here
to view that.
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Princeton Forum on Youth Ministry set for this spring
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Working with young people requires vision. Working with families, parents, and communities requires vision. Youth ministry is a response to God’s vision for the world- a God who sees, knows, and calls us to respond in love to the young. Let us help you reimagine the work that God can do through you and your ministry at this year’s Forum on Youth Ministry event. Come to hear lectures from Kenda Creasy Dean, Fr. Gregory Boyle, and John Swinton. Check-out our discounted pricing for program alumni, seminar for prospective students, and first-ever cohort for leaders in predominantly black churches!
Click here
for the event website.
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PNEC installing Conference Minister Rev. Dr. Bonnie Bates
You are invited to the installation of Rev. Dr. Bonnie Bates as the fourth Conference Minister of the Penn Northeast Conference on Saturday, April 4 at 2:00p at UCC Greenawalds, 2325 Albright Ave., Allentown. RSVP to
BarbaraJ@pnec.org
by March 27. There will be a reception following the service in the Fellowship Hall. There will be procession of clergy; please wear your favorite stole.
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Registration open for Church Closure workshop in April
On an average day in the US, 9 churches close their doors for good. Since 2014, one PSEC congregation has closed, on average, every six months. This isn’t often talked about in church circles — partly because that news is filled with feelings of profound loss and grief. It’s the source of uncomfortable shame — that somehow church members failed to do all they could do to maintain their sacred space. It provokes questions about the power and/or presence of God. Taken together, these things make it difficult to say what sometimes needs to be said: “It's time for our church to close.”
PSEC will hold a "Necessary Endings - When Does Closure Become an Option?" workshop on Saturday, April 25 from 9:00a-12:00 at St. Luke's UCC, Trappe. This workshop is intended to create a safe space where difficult questions can be discerned with brothers and sisters who are sharing a similar predicament of congregation decline and potential closure. You will receive resources and meet lay people and pastors who have church closure experiences that can be put to work for you as you discern your congregation’s future. There is no fee for this event, but you must register.
Click here
to register and for a flyer to share.
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Registration open for Disaster Response workshop next week
Clergy and lay people are invited to join with people from throughout southeast PA on March 10 for a day of resiliency building among human services providers, houses of worship, and disaster responding organizations.
Pennsylvania is facing more precipitation, hotter temperatures, and more volatile weather overall. Not only does our region face more frequent disruptions to daily life because of these types of events, but we also find ourselves welcoming disaster survivors from outside of our area.
In an effort to build resilience to disasters in our communities, join us on March 10 to both build relationships in our communities so we can together leverage resources when disaster strikes, and so that we can look to agencies who specialize in disaster response to help bolster local efforts when assistance is needed. We need all of us!
One of the leaders for the day will be Mr. Ken Skalitzky, Recovery Specialist for UCC Disaster Ministries at the national setting. The event is approved through TrainPA, therefore continuing education credits will be available. For more information and to register,
click here
for a flyer and please feel free to share.
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Church Events
Submit Church Events
here
View a complete list of Church Events
here
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Transitions
Week of March 2
Rev. Jane Kropa's last day at Huff's Union Church.
Rev. Sharon Morris's first Sunday at Calvary UCC, Barto.
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Educational Opportunities
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Classified Ads
Submit Classified Ads
here
View a complete list of Classified Ads
here
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Church Openings
- Allegheny UCC (Sunday supply)
- St. Luke's UCC, Ottsville (part-time settled or designated)
- St. Paul's UCC, Kutztown (full-time settled)
- St. John's (Hain's) UCC, Wernersville (full-time interim)
- Wyomissing UCC (part-time settled)
- St. Luke's UCC, Ottsville (part-time supply)
- Salem Hetzel's UCC (shared ministry; full-time interim)
- Trinity UCC, Rehrersburg (part-time supply)
- St. John's UCC, Orwigsburg (full-time settled)
- St. John's UCC, Pottstown (part-time interim)
- St. Mark's UCC, Reading (10 hrs/ week)
- St. Paul's UCC, Pottstown (part-time settled)
- St. John Hill UCC, Boyertown (full-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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Staff Preaching
Rev. William Worley
March 8: Pleasantville UCC, Chalfont
March 15: House of Faith Baptist Church UCC, Philadelphia
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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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