Greeting Penn Central Conference friends and members,

Saturday, at a historic meeting of the Penn Central Conference, 314 delegates passed the motion requesting authorization of the UCC General Synod for the four (4) Pennsylvania Conferences to become one Keystone Conference. We rejoice with thanksgiving and praise that the motion was also passed in the other three Pennsylvania Conferences. That motion will now proceed to the 35th General Synod, July 2025 in Kansas City, MO.

Prior to the vote on the Keystone motion, discussed, discerned, and decided on a Budget for 2025 that will carry us, by your generosity and God’s grace, through this final year of our Conference life. Delegates also affirmed the Small Town and Rural (STAR) churches resolution which will also move to Synod in 2025.

Holy One, we gather in this moment, carrying with us our hopes and mixed emotions. We have wrestled, discussed, and shared our hearts. For the courage to engage, the voices lifted, and the willingness to listen, we give thanks. We continue to seek deeper understanding and a love that binds us together.

Help us to live with humility and grace, O God.

We give you thanks for the leading of the Spirit. The work has only begun. There is much to discern and decide. But we move into an exciting future knowing that with you all things are possible.

Grant us determination and hope, O God.

For those who celebrate this outcome, let their hearts be compassionate to those who feel differently. For those who grieve this outcome grant your comfort and peace.

Unite us in love, O God, that we may honor one another fully.

May we hold fast to the mission you have placed before us: to be your hands and feet in a world in need, to seek justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with you.

Amen

Vespers of Consolation

The vote for a Keystone Conference was a resounding yes with 90+% in each conference, but that does not mean that everyone is wholeheartedly supportive or ready for this movement. ACM Nora will lead a vesper service on the evening of Sunday, November 24th at 6:30 pm to open space for those grieving the outcome as well as those moving forward with hesitancy in their hearts. Here there will be space to name your grief, hold your anxieties, and open yourself to the Spirit’s consolation. Please register for this zoom worship here

Printable eNews are available. Pastors and secretaries, please feel free to share with your congregation members that don't get this weekly email. Download and print this PDF with the weekly message to the conference, prayers for Penn Central and brief list of events.

Scheduling Notes

Wednesday & Thursday November 13 & 14 - Office Closed

Sunday November 17 - First UCC, Middleburg - Rev. Dr. Carrie Call preaching

Sunday November 17 - Trinity UCC, Millersburg - Rev. Dr. Nora Foust

Prayers for Penn Central Conference

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)

This week, we pray for each other as we continue to live into God's calling...

Saint Paul's UCC, New Oxford

Incarnation UCC, Newport

Elias UCC, Newmanstown

Saint Paul's UCC, Newmanstown

The United Church of Christ has established the Hurricane Helene Recovery Appeal and the Hurricanes 2024 Appeal. Your support for these appeals will ensure that communities are supported and accompanied for years as they rebuild. You can donate through your local church, with your gifts going through the Conference to the Appeal. Gifts can be made through PCC here. Under “Directed Gifts” choose “Disaster Relief” and notate “Hurricane Relief”. And you can always mail a check to the PCC offices with the same notation.

Outdoor Ministries

Rock and Roll With It

Hartman Center Winter Youth Retreat

We will be returning to Hartman Center Campground as guests.

5725 Old US Highway 322, Milroy, PA 17063 

January 17-19, 2025

Grades 6 through College Grad (or age 22)

Meals and Lodging included

$100 until December 2, 2024

$150 after December 2, 2024

Use coupon code PCC2025 if you would like to use a Penn Central Conference Outdoor Ministries scholarship of 50% off your registration fees.

Register here!

2025 Meck and Moss Award Nominations

Nominations accepted through November 30

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2025 Meck and Moss Awards. The Meck and Moss Awards are awarded annually to Lancaster Theological Seminary alumni, of any denomination, who demonstrate commitment to the excellence of ministry. The Alumni Council’s Awards and Recognition Committee will select award recipients.

The Meck Award honors the memory of Allan S. Meck, who graduated from the Seminary in 1911 and served as president from 1947 to 1957. The Meck Award is presented for distinguished service in the practice of pastoral ministry. 

The Moss Award honors Robert V. Moss Jr. ’45, who graduated form the Seminary in 1945 and served as president from 1957 to 1969. The Moss Award is presented for distinguished service in the practice of specialized ministry (i.e., chaplain, administrator, educator, judicatory staff, etc.).

Learn more about the selection criteria here. Submit a nomination by November 30th here.

Local Church

If anyone is interested in Choir robes, St. Johns in Denver is looking for a new home for a few sets. They also have quite a bit of four-part music for anthems and cantatas, most of the material dating back to early twentieth century. 

If you might be interested in having some of this, please contact Pastor Brad Haws at revhaws@ptd.net

Educational Opportunities

Registration is important for planning purposes, even for virtual events, so please let us know if you need to cancel your registration so we have the most accurate numbers.

Boundary Training in 2024

Via Zoom - 10:00AM and 6:00PM

These boundary trainings are a repeat of topics covered in the first half of 2024.

Undercurrents and Riptides Online - November 19, 2024

In this session, we will discuss the hidden (and obvious) dangers of ministry in an online world. From Social Media to AI to Pornography, the internet can pull us in many directions and not all of them are good for us. Register here.

From New York Conference

This fall, we're offering monthly opportunities to take Refresher Boundary Awareness Training via Zoom:

Thursday, December 12, from 8 am - 2 pm

Glad to have folks from around the UCC. We can give partial scholarships if needed (email mpurnine@uccny.org before registering). For more information:

https://www.shelbygiving.com/App/Form/66f26fe1-8247-4fe4-a60f-11ef73be0bd0

From Pennsylvania South East Conference

Examining the Ministerial Code of Ethics' Boundary Training 

On Saturday, Feb. 1 from 9:00a-3:00p, join members of the PSEC Ethics Committee in Limerick for a boundary training on "Examining the Ministerial Code of Ethics". In this training we will cover:

·     the moral and ethical expectations of the pastoral office, identifying the “gray” areas of ministry

·     the purpose of the Ministerial Code of Ethics

·     the sections of the Ministerial Code of Ethics

·     the top ethical issues facing pastors today

·     the issues that lead to Boundary violations and Fitness Reviews

·     the Fitness Review Process

For more info and to register, click here.

Church Futures Commission

Discover What Coaching Could Do For You: Free Initial Coaching Session for all Penn Central Clergy & Consistory/Council Presidents

The Penn Central Church Futures Commission invites you to experience the clarifying, empowering, and strategic benefits of coaching. Unlike a mentor or a consultant, coaches aren’t there to tell you what to think, feel, believe, or do. Coaches’ deep listening and intuitive questions support clients in their identified growth, problem solving, and strategy implementation, while evoking new awareness. One of the greatest benefits of coaching is that it provides an intentional partner who is there to confidentially support, encourage, and strengthen you in your ministry. The best way to understand what coaching is, is to experience it yourself. Therefore, the Church Futures Commission is providing free initial coaching sessions for all Penn Central clergy and Consistory/Council Presidents. For those wanting to pursue additional coaching, the next three sessions, scheduled over a four-month period, will be available at a 50% discount. Click here to access the Church Futures webpage, where you can learn about our two professionally trained coaches and to schedule your initial session with one of them.

UCC National Setting

UCC Webinars

These webinars are designed to help you enhance your local church ministries. Most are free to attend. Check out the calendar here.

Nurture the Soul – Building Community Connections to Create Resilient Communities Part 2

Nov 14, 2024 | 3:30pm - 4:30pm

Nurture the Soul Special Offering: What’s Next: Building Community w/Faith Practitioners from Across the Country

Nov 18, 2024 | 3:30pm - 4:30pm

Justice Leadership Program – 4 month cohort starting in January

Do you feel called to work for justice? This online program is for adults interested in weaving social justice into the fabric of their faith in a meaningful and transformative way. Deepen your understanding, learn practical skills, and gain the confidence to take meaningful action through this foundational program. Participants meet weekly.

Apply by December 15

Scholarships available for UCC members (inquire upon applying)

www.justiceleadership.org

info@justiceleadership.com

Pathways Theological Education

Are you a pastor seeking continuing education related to your current faith community?

Or are you seeking ordination and need to find a contextual education series?

The Supervised Ministry Series is designed to provide a practical internship in pastoral ministry over an eighteen-month progression. The arc of this series begins with entering a new place of ministry and concludes with leaving a place of ministry. Along this arc, six 9-week asynchronous online courses explore such issues as pastoral role, identity, leadership, ministry functions, organizational dynamics, and theological reflection. The nine-week courses for this series are:

SM 1 Entering a Place of Ministry

SM 2 The Transformative Context of Pastoral Care

SM 3 The Practice of Worship Leadership

SM 4 Faith Formation in the Parish

SM 5 Leadership in the Midst of Change

SM 6 Leaving a Place of Ministry

A participant partners with a site supervisor and a member advisory group while taking each course in a particular ministry setting. Here is a way to deepen your pastoral experience aligned with the Marks of Faithful and Effective Ministers.

Go to the PATHWAYS website to see the course schedule and to sign up for a class or a certificate or continuing education.

United Church of Christ Homes is accepting letters of interest and resumes for the position of President/CEO.

The President/CEO is responsible for carrying out the mission of United Church of Christ Homes, "In the spirit of Christ's love, the ministry of United Church of Christ Homes is to provide care and service to the elderly through acts of love and compassion." The President develops and monitors organizational policy in conjunction with other management personnel and the Board of Directors.

Read the full posting here.

Current Openings - UCC National Setting

Philanthropy

Generosity Officer, Great Lakes Region Close Date: Open until filled

Office of the Associate General Ministers

Associate General Minister, Love of Church Close Date: November 30, 2024

Associate General Minister and Co-Executive for Global Ministries, Love of Neighbor Close Date: November 30, 2024

Penn Central Conference Ministry Opportunities Page