Important This Week
  • General Synod is happening now
  • Sign up for the Cultivating Generous Congregations seminar
  • UCC 2019 Stewardship Theme Materials available now
  • Bring the Spring Meeting Jesus artwork to your church
UCC General Synod 32 happening now in Milwaukee
The UCC General Synod is wrapping up today in Milwaukee. Watch videos of current and previous plenaries and worship services, by visiting the Synod Stream page . Follow PSEC on Facebook to see what our delegates and visitors are up to. Make sure to read next week's eNews when we'll share more information on what's happened at General Synod 32.
Sign up for the Cultivating Generous Congregations event

PSEC and Lake Institute on Faith & Giving invite you and your ministry teams to a seminar experience that could change the way you and your congregation approach giving and generosity.

Cultivating Generous Congregations is a two-day interactive seminar, demonstrating how pastors and ministry leaders can unearth and energize congregational generosity by exploring the significant and necessary steps to creating lasting cultural change within a congregation.

This course is intended for those who:
  • Believe in their congregation’s capacity for greater generosity;
  • Have a desire to become more comfortable with money;
  • Are willing to redefine giving in your congregation; and
  • Understand giving to include service, social networks and the sharing of ideas and professional expertise.

For a flyer to share,  click here .
To register, click here .
Bring the Spring Meeting Jesus artwork to your church
Because there have been folks inquiring about the 9 ft. Jesus present at the PSEC spring meeting, we are going to make it available to churches to host Jesus for a given period of time, depending upon the demand. We will start with the Philadelphia Association and have Jesus make his way up through all the associations. Interested churches are to contact Rev. Anne Cormier at annecormier@comcast.net and must have the ability to transport the art work. (An SUV worked for the spring meeting.) Instructions and a short list of tools needed on how to deconstruct and construct the piece will be provided.  
Shop AmazonSmile to benefit the Conference

AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon that gives customers the same selection of products and the same prices, but the foundation donates a percentage -- usually 0.5% -- of eligible purchases to the charitable organization selected by the customer. If you haven't attached your Amazon account to PSEC, please consider doing so now! Support PSEC Here
PSEC summer reading list: "Inspired"
Inspired is the last published work of the late Rachel Held Evans, who died May 4 at age 37. It's a beach-worthy, fun read that will go quickly; an educated ride encountering the Bible without the academic heavy lifting (she does that for you).  

"One woman's journey back to loving the Bible" takes you on your own memory road trip. Her stories travel back to an evangelical upbringing and take you along her deconstruction/reconstruction route of understanding biblical stories. I laughed out loud when she recalls reading Exodus and comes to the part about restitution for oxes and slaves and thinks: "So what's streaming on Netflix right now?" Been there, felt that! As much as she offers some readers permission to view the Bible with fresh eyes, she probes others with their tendency to borrow handy phrases from the Hebrew Bible to slap up on a protest sign. She asks all to dig underneath and appreciate a story for its context and reason for being, and then imagine "what if," for -- in echoes of the UCC mantra, "God is still breathing."  A favorite aspect is her own retelling and midrash. RHE includes a play on Job and short stories such as one where you pick either Adventure A or B as your ending.  

Rev. Frances Chester
Falkner Swamp UCC, Gilbertsville

Check out all of the recommended books at psec.org/booklist . Have a book to recommend for other clergy and lay leaders? Send an email to brea@psec.org with a 100-200 word description of the book and why you're recommending it and we'll add it to the PSEC summer reading list and share your recommendation in eNews.
UCC 2019 Stewardship Theme Materials now available
Digital downloads and printed materials for your congregation's annual stewardship efforts are now available online from UCC Resources. Click here to view the various 2019 stewardship resources.
Maidencreek Church breaks ground on ADA building project
On Thursday June 20, Maidencreek Church, Blandon held a Ground Breaking Ceremony for Project Elevate: Meeting the Needs of the People. This fully-funded $750,000 project will add an elevator, ADA accessible bathrooms on both levels, a gathering space and more. This addition will create no-step access to the entire building.

Participating in the ceremony was Board President Jeffrey Link, Capital Campaign Chair Richard Reidenauer, Building Chair Richard Shuman, and Pastor Sara Hertzog.
Bethany Children's Home seeking new Chief Executive
Bethany Children's Home, a Berks County nonprofit that provides individualized services to youth aged 6-20 in a group home setting in Womelsdorf, is seeking a Chief Executive Officer to oversee the strategic planning and visioning for Bethany and its programs, functions and activities. The CEO creates, communicates and implements Bethany’s mission, vision and overall direction while supervising a staff of 160 on a 385-acre campus. Candidates must possess at least a Bachelor's Degree in human services or related field with a minimum of five years of progressive nonprofit executive-level experience. Applicants should send a resume and cover letter with salary requirements to applyCEO@bethanyhome.org by July 1. For more on the position, click here .
Help needed: Camp Noah is coming to Philadelphia
Camp Noah provides a safe, caring and fun environment where children whose communities have been impacted by disasters can get help to process their disaster or trauma. The camp uses a proven curriculum designed to, Build Resiliency, Restore Hope and Change Lives! Camp Noah this year will be held Aug. 19-23 at the New Creation Lutheran Church, 162 W Tioga St;, Philadelphia. The focus this year are children affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, ranging in age from 6 to 13.

Organized nationally by Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, Camp Noah works with local organizations and community groups to serve children. To make this fantastic endeavor a success, we need your help! Volunteers who speak Spanish are especially needed. For more information or to volunteer, contact Julia Menzo, Lutheran Disaster Coordinator, at 267-464-7740 or Karl Jones, UCC Disaster Coordinator, at 570-617-4018. UCC Disaster Ministries has supplied financial assistance for this program!
Church Events
June 29: Boyertown Alumni Marching Unit Summer Concert at St. John Hill UCC

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View a complete list of Church Events here
Classified Ads
Sunday Worship Organist at St. John's (Hain's) UCC

Director of Music Ministry at St. John's (Hain's) UCC

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Educational Opportunities
July 8-12: Craigville Colloquy in Cape Cod, Mass.

View more events on the PSEC Calendar
Church Openings
Many openings are on UCC's Ministerial Opportunities page. If you’re interested in a position, contact Rev.Sharon Morris: morris@psec.org or 484-949-8774 ext. 302.
PSEC Events
Aug. 23: Cultivating Generous Congregations in Souderton

Sept. 24: Ventures 2019 in Reading

Oct. 3: Basic Boundary Training in Schuylkill Haven

Oct. 22: Advanced Boundary Training in Norristown

View more events on the PSEC Calendar
Missed a week? Read past eNews here: