1My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? O, my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest.    Psalm 22

500,000 COVID-19 deaths. That is a daunting number. Greater than the population of Berks County. Almost equal to the population of Berks and Schuylkill Counties combined. I tried to imagine driving through either of those counties and not seeing another soul; no pedestrians, dog walkers, grocery shoppers or moving vehicles. Let your imagination loose in those empty streets and sidewalks and apocalyptic visions follow close behind.

I rejoice that vaccines are helping light grow at the end of this long, dark tunnel. I lament that another 100,000 anticipated deaths are in our future and that there are still some in our Conference who do not take the pandemic seriously.

I am sensitive to the strong desire for personal contact, church as it’s always been and the comfort of our Christian connections. I understand that not everyone is computer savvy enough to use Facebook, Zoom and YouTube. I know the church down the street from yours is doing in-person worship so yours should be allowed to as well (an argument accepted by no parent ever). I would admire the surrender some make to the virus trusting in God to either keep them safe or take them home were it not for the God given gifts of scientific method, proven disease mitigation behaviors, common sense, and pesky scriptures about ‘being our brother’s keeper’. But the reports of congregations that worship together where the passage of the COVID-19 virus between and among members and clergy has happened — sometimes more than once — transcend my capacity to comprehend and leave me wondering what it means to be the church.

The pandemic is not over. The danger has not passed. Words like, ‘exhaustion’, ‘weary’, ‘frayed’ and ‘thin’ don’t begin to capture the excruciating fatigue under which you labor, nor do they express the grief of lost loved ones and the absence of regular, human contact (I never thought I would miss the simple act of shaking hands as much as I do right now). The first verses from this Sunday's psalm ring in my heart with more truth then at any other time in my life. So, too, do the last — “future generations will be told about the Lord, and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it” (Psalm 22: 30b).

The time for vigilance will pass — eventually. Until then I encourage you to:

Jesus died alone and on the cross with the words of Psalm 22 on his lips. The loneliness of his death was met by the fullness of his resurrection so that those who follow him would never have to endure without the power and promise of his presence. So, let me reassure you and me that we are not alone…

In continued social distancing,

You Are Not Alone.

In establishing relentlessly new life patterns,

You Are Not Alone.

In feelings of being overworked and under connected,

You Are Not Alone.

In discovering new ways of doing Lent and Easter that may feel clunky and uncertain,

You Are Not Alone.

Even in the aloneness of being single, separated, or suffocated by family

You Are Not Alone.

Trust in that and keep the faith,

Rev. Bill Worley

Conference Minister

Did you know that most church members report they are more comfortable inviting a friend or family member to online worship than in-person worship? Virtual church provides a wonderful opportunity to invite new people to experience your church from the comfort of their homes. It is also important to make sure you recognize and welcome people when they join your online community for the first time. This workshop will explore ways we can all be both invitational and welcoming in this “new normal” of congregational life. Virtual Hospitality – Developing a Welcoming Atmosphere For Online Church, facilitated by Rev. Cean James, will be offered on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 10:00a. Register here. This seminar is paid for by your OCWM contributions!

James Baldwin said, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” The Zachariah Walker Racial Justice Initiative of the PSEC invites you and your congregation to be intentional about the ongoing work of racial equity and justice. To this end, we invite you to view the link below of a presentation given by Earl James, on things we can do to be anti-racist congregations. Earl James is the retired coordinator of the Black and African American Council of the Reformed Church in America and coordinator of multi-cultural initiatives. Click here to view the presentation.

We ask you to please post this on your webpage and other social media platforms. The more people we have engaged in this holy conversation and sacred work, the sooner we can realize God’s deep shalom.

On March 10 from 7-8:30p, there will be a "Faith In Action" online webinar on Christian and Gun Violence Prevention. Gun violence incidents of firearm suicide, domestic violence, and unintentional shootings by minors leave a wake of survivors and victims. How do Christians respond? The panelists explore how Christian faith and individual beliefs may catalyze gun violence prevention advocacy work. This webinar welcomes you to reflect on your own faith and its role in the work to end gun violence. Click here for an event flyer. Click here to register.

The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security, State Police Criminal Intelligence Center, Western PA All-Hazards Fusion Center and the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center are collaborating with the Faith-Based Information Sharing and Analysis Organization to enhance security and information-sharing among faith-based and non-profit organizations and the law enforcement community. This workshop series will help participants learn how to detect, prepare, and respond to hostile incidents in and around places of worship, community centers, faith-based schools, and camp programs, among other facilities.

This workshop is free. For dates, more info, and to register, click here.

For example, a Choir Director or Minister of Music may not be fulfilling their current description of directing the choir or holding practices, but is searching archives for recorded anthems, finding music CDs for virtual services, and coordinating recordings for worship. We are looking for updated job descriptions that reflect our current situation and the anticipated future. If your church has job descriptions that include these virtual components, please send them to Rev. Trudy Irving at pastortrudy@stpaulsucc.net.

Dr. Ruth Westheimer, world-renowned sex therapist who pioneered discussing human sexuality on radio and television, will present a live Q&A session on March 18 at the Phoebe Institute on Aging’s FREE Virtual Conference on “Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll: Baby Boomers and Aging”. For more info and to register, click here.

FEMA (via www.Ready.gov) has released the 2021 preparedness calendar. A downloadable, and interactive calendar with highlights surrounding preparedness for each month. The Ready 2021 Preparedness Calendar is a planning tool that marks preparedness activities and provides customizable resources to help promote preparedness throughout the year. Feel free to adapt the materials to hazards that can impact your area. Social media toolkits are available for many weather and climate events such as extreme heat, floods, and much more.

The Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society looks forward to partnering with you in celebrating the continuing legacy of our historic E and R churches throughout PSEC on Sunday, June 13. Additional details are forthcoming. In the meantime, you can always visit us at erhistoricalsociety.org and follow us on Facebook @erhistoricalsoc and Instagram @erhistoricalsociety.

The First United Church of Christ Mission Fund through the Berks Community Foundation supports activities for children in need, activities and programs for seniors, initiatives that address hunger, ministry, and more. Applications are due March 15. For more information, visit the Community Foundation website. In 2020, the fund awarded awarded 12 grants totaling $36,925.

Would your church like some seed money to kick-start a new season of climate-saving activities? The Climate Justice team of PSEC invites applications for grants of up to $250, to be matched by the churches themselves.

The matching grants will be given on a first-come, first-served basis, until the team’s budget of $1,000 is met. Please apply by April 1 at psec.org/green.

Check out the list of possible activities in the climate justice link on our web site, psec.org/green.

Here’s another: Sign up your church to participate in Faith Climate Action Week, April 16-25, with material from Interfaith Power and Light, info@interfaithpowerandlight.org. This year’s theme is “Sacred Ground: Cultivating Connections Between our Faith, our Food, and the Climate.”

And another: The UCC Creation Creation Justice Ministries holds monthly Climate Resilience Workshops online. For more information about those, click here.

Any of these things and many more will get your church spotlighted in the 50-50 challenge. New projects can get you a new mention!

Questions: Karl Jones (kjones275@comcast.net), Marian Shearer (uccrev77@gmail.com), Liz Brunton (lizbrunton2462@gmail.com).

The Zachariah Walker Racial Justice Initiative team, in promoting racial justice, is offering banners and yard signs free to churches and individuals.

For those who are able, we are suggesting a love offering of $70 per banner (image of the 4’x10’ Vinyl Banner with grommets below) and $7 per yard sign (image of the 18’’x24’’ Yard sign above right). The love offerings will go to further our efforts in this sacred ministry of racial equity and justice. To order, please email Anne Cormier at annecormier@comcast.net. Include in the subject box “banner” or “yard sign”.

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. We encourage you to join this opportunity for theological and practical reflection and discussion. Click here to join the call on Monday.

Can a church type hymn lyrics in printed bulletins or onto virtual worship services? How does music licensing work? Does the UCC have blanket permission to reproduce hymns? Find these answers and more in this Frequently Asked Copyright Questions resource provided by Heather Kimmel, General Counsel of the UCC.

Penn Northeast Conference is hosting an Advanced Boundary Training in May on "Social Media and Boundaries for Ministry." The Zoom training cost is $25; registration limited to 22 participants. Click here for more information and to register.

PSEC has an opportunity to purchase a block of cybersecurity training videos. This is a 3 year, once per year, training commitment that will take place from the comfort of your own computer at your own convenience. The training will take less than an hour of your time each year for 3 years. In this time, cybersecurity is incredibly important as those who would cause harm to our computers, our private information, our friends who may not have the savvy to understand the difference between a safe email and a phishing email, are getting more sophisticated in their tactics when trying to infiltrate our computers and when spoofing our own email addresses. If you don't know what a phishing email is, what spoofing means, what ransomware and malware are, what a trojan horse is or a worm is, what spear phishing is or what clickjacking is, you might want to consider signing up for this training. Again, it is a 3 year, one hour per year training on the internet. If you are interested, let your intent known to Tammie Wisniewski at tammie@psec.org. The cost is $66 per person for all 3 years and must be paid upfront when we would purchase the course. More information will follow on that piece. Please email your interest asap to Tammie so we can discern if there is a need for this cybersecurity support in the Conference.

"Introduction to Worship Leadership and Liturgical Practices" will be taught by Rev. Dr. Marty Kuchma, equipping worship leaders to plan, prepare, and practice congregational worship, rites, and rituals. Particular attention paid to baptisms, weddings, and funerals/memorial services. Students will be asked to articulate their own self-understanding of the pastoral role in relation to these practices. The class will be six-weeks online, meeting via Zoom on the following dates: April 10, 17, 24, May 1, and 15 from 10:00a–noon and May 6 from 6:00p–8:00p. The cost is $325. Register here by March 30.

The 2021 One Great Hour of Sharing offering is set to be taken on March 14. For information on how the pandemic effected the 2020 OGHS, special resources for this year's offering, and more, click here.

An Advanced Boundary Training on Family/ Church Boundaries will be held March 11 from 9:00a-12:00p. Sometimes pastors and their families feel like they live in a glass house, a spouse and/or children feel imposed upon, or the lines of being part of the same community as the church make it challenging for the pastor’s family. This training will offer ways for clergy family to maintain boundaries. We will look at a couple of cases and then use the collective wisdom of the group to consider healthy ways to navigate those situations with faithfulness and good boundaries. Click here to register. The fee is $20.

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.

March 16: Mission Central and Connecting to Local Mission Possibilities

“Mission Central is about ‘Connecting God’s Resources with Human Need.’ This is accomplished by following three areas of focus…Mission Outreach, Mission Education and Disaster Response.” Mission Central – located in Harrisburg – partners with over 180 different organizations and they provide resources to groups who are doing humanitarian work locally, across the country and around the world. Stephanie will talk with us about connecting with Mission Central as well as how to tap into mission opportunities and organizations in our various counties.