Important This Week

• Advanced Boundary Training event next week
• Update on New Church Start
• Register for Annual Meeting, Rev. Cean James workshops, and Admins' Day luncheon

Updates from Open Table UCC

Happy Resurrection Season, friends! On behalf of Nichole, myself, and the whole team at Open Table UCC, we want to thank you all for your prayers and support during the first seven months of our church plant. I often say that the Spirit seems to work most dramatically when we are faithfully teetering on the edges of chaos, and that has been my experience so far with Open Table.

We have been experimenting with various forms of worship, creating our own traditions, and meeting folks who have never really “done church” before. We’re a small group (20-30 total), and we have no permanent space, so we’re trying our best to leverage that to our advantage. We had our first wedding in a living room, baptized two girls in the Schuylkill, and brought our own branches to “Palm” Sunday. Back in December, since we knew that our Christmas Eve attendance was going to be low, we held a small service at the local nursing home and connected with Glick’s Greenhouse who donated a poinsettia for every resident. It was one of the most meaningful Christmas Eve services of my life, and as an added benefit, we were done by 2pm!

I know it’s a weird thing to say, but I’m really cherishing this time of “low” attendance. It has enabled us to make our services truly interactive as we regularly make space for people to share their own hearts and co-create the worship service together. We have big plans for a more permanent home, a “third space” style business, and exciting events, but I keep hearing that whisper in my soul urging me to slow down and savor the sweetness of this present moment. Every season has its own opportunities, and God has a history of doing spectacular works in the most inauspicious ways. So we continue exploring the “edges of chaos” with radical honesty and vulnerability, trusting that God is up to something special in these days.

This Summer, we plan to be at every local event, meeting new people and inviting them to bring their authentic selves to the table of grace. Thank you again for your prayers and support. We could not do this work without you. May God bless you and your churches, and may God illuminate your path so that you might serve God’s beloved children in the way that you are uniquely equipped to do.

Grace and Peace,

Rev. Zack Jackson

Co-Pastor of Open Table UCC

Phoebe looking for sponsors for CPE program

Dear Friends of Phoebe,

The Clinical Pastoral Education program at Phoebe Ministries is designed to offer clergy, seminary students, and qualified community members of all faiths the opportunity to practice ministry to senior adults in a variety of settings under supervision. This program has been accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education since 1998. To date we have trained over 200 students who now serve in various pastoral roles and ministries.

On June 15, Phoebe will celebrate the 25th Anniversary of our CPE program with current students, alumni, staff, generous donors and members of the community. The Reverend Naomi Washington-Leapheart, currently Director of Faith-Based and Interfaith Affairs for the city of Philadelphia will be speaking at the event. She is a graduate of Lancaster Seminary. The event will take place at the Lehigh Country Club, at 2319 S Cedar Crest Blvd, Allentown. 

If your church, business or organization would like to be a sponsor for the event, click here for a form which explains the various levels that you can sponsor at. Our UCC Churches, Associations and Conferences and Phoebe have been partners in preparing people for ministry for many years. Your support of this significant milestone in our history will help the CPE endowment fund as well as make this event possible. Our CPE endowment at Phoebe now ensures that any student wanting to do CPE with us, can do so regardless of their ability to pay. 

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to be in contact with me. Peace, Scott

Scott Brooks-Cope, D. Min.

Regional Director

Pastoral Care and Education

Next week: Boundary Training on the Limits of Pastoral Care

On Wednesday, April 26 from 9:00a-12:00p on Zoom, Revs. Bill Worley and Kevin McLemore will facilitate an Advanced Boundary Training on "The Limits of Pastoral Care." This training will explore the practical and spiritual limits for providing pastoral care within congregations. Topics will include the emotional and spiritual toll of overfuctioning in a pastoral capacity, as well as practical guidance on such challenges as power of attorney documents, convicted sex offenders within the church, and other recent contemporary issues. Click here for more information and to register.

Church Merger workshop with Rev. Cean James coming soon

Many churches are exploring the best way to maintain their ministry during a time of decline. Several churches have found merging with another congregation to be a life-giving decision that energizes both congregations and produces a new ministry that is equipped for the church of today and tomorrow. Merging churches is not an easy decision or an easy process, but when done well many congregations have discovered that they are better together. This workshop is for church leaders who are anywhere in the process of discerning church merger. The workshop will be offered April 29 in Limerick and the same workshop again on May 6 on Zoom.

Memorial to the Lost Installation at Gulph UCC

The members of Gulph United Church of Christ are partnering with Heeding God's Call to End Gun Violence in The Memorial to the Lost, a display honoring gun violence victims and their surviving families.  T-shirts with the names of Montgomery County residents murdered by gun violence will be mounted and displayed on the front lawn of the church property from April 29 through May 12. The display will be installed on Saturday the 29th beginning at 11:00a. Members of other congregations and folks from the wider community are heartily encouraged to join us! The Memorial will be formally dedicated at our April 30 worship. It is a poignant and personal witness to the cost of gun violence, visible to those passing by and available to people who would want to stop and walk among the t-shirts in reverence and prayer. Gulph UCC meets at 101 Matsonford Road in Gulph Mills. For further information contact Scott Hutchinson at peacepoet@msn.com

Theology with a Twist on

May 2 on Senior Adults

Tuesday, May 2 at 7:00p Theology with a Twist presents "Golden Years?" What the Old Testament and Contemporary Society say about the value of Senior Adults. 

Our speaker this month is Rev. Dr. Deborah Appler, Director, Master of Arts in Chaplaincy and Professor of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible at Moravian Theological Seminary. She holds a PhD from Vanderbilt University, MDiv from Perkins School of Theology, BA from Western Maryland College and is ordained in the United Methodist Church. Join us as she leads a presentation and discussion about the reverence and challenges of aging in the Old Testament, the modern politics of aging, struggles with elder care, and the joyous possibilities of our older years.

Theology with a Twist meets at the Kutztown Tavern at 272 W Main St, Kutztown. We gather in the upper room of the tavern the first Tuesday of each month at 7pm for a time of learning and discussion about a variety of spiritual, religious, and theological topics presented by local experts in their field. The event is free but food and drink can be purchased in the restaurant downstairs and brought up to our event space. Parking is available in the community lot behind the tavern or on Main Street. All are welcome!

Join the First Ever

UCC Earth Day Summit

This online event will take place Saturday, April 22 at 11:00a. The theme is “What’s Possible?: Earth Day Stories of Hope.” This 2.5 hour summit will feature a keynote from Rev. Jim Antal, a panel of speakers, the presentation of the Dollie Burwell Prophetic Action Award, and a video showcasing the story of Mayflower UCC in Minneapolis. Even if you cannot make the event at its scheduled time, sign-up, and we will send you a link to a recording. Register now!

From the Addiction & Recovery Taskforce: Words to ponder

“Nor do we truly comprehend any spiritual thing until we ourselves give it away. Spiritual gifts increase only by ‘using’ them...”

Richard Rohr, Breathing Under Water, p. 107

Registration open for PSEC Annual Spring Meeting

The Annual Spring Meeting will be June 2-3 at West Chester. The theme will be "May They All Be One: Unleashing the Spirit", focusing on ways to re-imagine what it means to be the Body of Christ. That includes building partnerships between local churches who share resources (including pastors), merging ministries, and connecting with community partners. Representatives from congregations share how this has been life giving for them and how they overcame longtime resistance to making it happen. Similarly, representatives of the Keystone Study Group will share their conversations about creating partnerships between and among our four PA Conference that may lead to a four Conference merger. Click here for more information and to register.

Treat your church admins: Register for annual luncheon

Church administrators and secretaries are invited to the annual PSEC Admin Luncheon on Administrative Professionals Day, April 26. We will check in, fellowship over lunch, and enjoy a presentation on a ministry of the Conference. Click here for information and to register. We hope churches will pay the $20 cost of the event.

Rev. Sonja Ingebritsen installation at Glenside UCC

Click the invitation below to download a PDF to share.

Free clergy training on aiding veterans' whole health

From May 11-12, Cranaleith Spiritual Center, in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, is offering a two-day training to educate clergy about issues facing returning Veterans and their families following deployment. Rev. Dr. Chris Antal, a veteran of the U.S. war in Afghanistan, and staff chaplain at the CMCVAMC, will facilitate the training.

Training topics will address post-deployment readjustment challenges, the psychological, physical, behavioral, and spiritual effects of war trauma on survivors, such as moral and spiritual injury, and the important role of community in helping to reduce mental health stigma and support Veterans and their families.

For more information:

Click here for a flyer

Click here for a press release

Click here to register

Chaplain in the Park Opportunity at Locust Lake

Do you love the outdoors? Do you enjoy worshipping surrounded by God’s beautiful creation? Consider becoming a campground minister this summer at Locust Lake State Park!

Every summer, chaplains lead Sunday worship in many Pennsylvania State Parks through the Campground Ministry program of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches. Chaplains can be -- but need not be -- ordained ministers. Duties include the worship service as well as visiting campsites to lend a listening ear and invite campers to worship.

Wonderful ministry comes out of this ministry! If you are interested, you can learn more and apply here. You can also contact Rev. Maureen Duffy- Guy for more information: mduffyguy@hotmail.com or text her at 717-619-8337.

Nollau Leadership Institute is open for the 2023-24 class

The Nollau Leadership Institute is CHHSM’s signature program with more than 250 attendees in its 20+ years. Enrollment is open and the short online application is open until April 28. 

Grounded in the health and human service organizations of the UCC, this program offers a space in which to experience leadership formation. Each year, Nollau brings together a community of leaders committed to creating a just, caring, and compassionate world. Such values deepen during the program, as participants grow in their leadership skills. Cultivating this connection between others, the world, and within themselves is the heart of the Nollau experience.

Through retreats, online interactions, and peer mentoring, this program supports leadership formation through a variety of learning modalities and within a community of practice. The use of rituals, art, poetry, embodiment, and time to simply be in nature are all part of the program — alongside the interactive didactic sessions. Guided by CHHSM's commitment to issues of Race, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice, leadership will be examined and practiced through the lenses of anti-oppression and social justice. You can learn more about the curriculum here.

The program consists of two in-person retreats at Bellwether Farm, online interactions, and a day of programming at the CHHSM 86th Annual Gathering, which concludes by commissioning the class as Diakonal Ministers. 

2023-34 Schedule:

1st Retreat: May 22-26

2nd Retreat: Oct. 2-6

Annual Gathering: March 11-14, 2024