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Important This Week
- From the Conference Minister on immigration, welcoming immigrants, and General Synod resolutions
- Register now for Diversity Training
- How UCC Disaster Ministries has supported recovery work in 2019
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From the Conference Minister: Immigration and General Synod
Immigration is at the top of almost every news cycle but the horrific act this past Saturday of a 21-year-old white supremacist who carried out the deadly shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas in order to stop a "Hispanic invasion of Texas," transcends any capacity for human reason and drives openhearted people to soul crushing sadness. If your church did not speak to race and immigration last Sunday (beyond the Prayers of the People), the Epistle lesson from this week's lectionary texts give us all another opportunity.
After briefly summarizing the story of a long line of Jewish ancestors, the author of Hebrews concludes by describing those faithful people as having “confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13). “Strangers,” the Greek word (xenoi) from which we derive the term xenophobia, describes people who are understood to be completely “different” from the majority group. “Foreigners,” are those who have taken up residence in another land — in our current cultural speak, refugees or immigrants.
Our faith stories are of a people on the move — immigrant prophets, itinerant preachers and people in need who crossed tribal borders and relied on God’s grace made manifest in the hospitality of their host. General Synods of the United Church of Christ have advocated for God-inspired, biblically-based, and humane immigration policies at GS 2007; called for comprehensive immigration reform at GS 2013; for the UCC to become an immigrant welcoming church at GS 2017.
At General Synod 32 this June
, delegates passed two more resolutions that speak to the church “
Addressing the State of Global Forced Migration
” and calling on “
governmental departments and agencies to immediately end the practice of separating minor (immigrant) children from their parents
”. Many PSEC attenders to General Synod took to the streets of Milwaukee in a rally before the regional Homeland Security Office calling for a change in the policies and practices that continue to separate immigrant families.
Immigration will continue, as it has for millennia, to be the defining issue shaping how humans live together on this planet. God has long had something to say about that and so must we with the voice of the Still Speaking God. Several PSEC pastors have spoken prophetic words about immigration in blog posts, local newspapers and in sermons including
this one
from my Conference Minister predecessor, colleague and friend Rev. Dr. Russ Mitman.
In the words of one Biblical scholar, “The hope for a homeland, the promise of a time and place when all people can rest with true safety and security in the world God has given, does not come by building bigger walls or buying bigger guns. Scripture tells us, rather, that it comes by acting in faith.”
Prayers for you, for me and the world that it may be so,
Bill
Rev. William Worley
Conference Minister
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Register for September Diversity Awareness Training
In 2017, the PSEC Church and Ministry Council made Diversity Awareness Training mandatory for all authorized ministers. Clergy must take at least one three-hour training every three years. If you are an authorized minister who did not complete the training, you should sign up for the training on
Thursday, Sept. 26
from 10a-1p at Armenian Martyrs' Congregational Church, Havertown.
Click here
for more information and to register.
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Your contributions to UCC Disaster Ministries at work
In January-June 2019, UCC Disaster Ministries funded disaster recovery work that touched survivors of hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, cyclones, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions in 10 U.S. states and territories and nine other countries. Among them, survivors of:
- Hurricane Harvey in Texas
- Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and displaced to Pennsylvania
- Hurricane Florence in North Carolina
- Floods and tornadoes in California, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Oklahoma
- Cyclones Idai and Kenneth in Mozambique
- Flash flooding in Papua, Indonesia
- Volcanic eruptions in Vanuatu
- Tornadoes in Cuba
- Dam collapse and mudslides in Brazil
- Flooding in Sumadija and West Serbia
- Heavy rain and wind in Tanzania
- Earthquake in Central Luzon, Philippines
- Drought in Pakistan
- Cyclone Fani in India
In January through June, UCC Disaster Ministries also disbursed $9,500 for UCC matching grants of $250 each to 38 congregations assembling CWS Emergency Cleanup Buckets and other Kits.
Click here to apply for your grant!
UCC Disaster Ministries continues to recruit volunteer mission teams to disaster recovery work sites in Beaumont, Texas; Volusia County, Fla.; the Florida Panhandle, and Puerto Rico.
Schedule your work team now!
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Register now for Pathways courses for clergy, laity
Pathways Theological Education program is now accepting registrations for several courses for clergy or laity including:
UCC History and Polity;
Ecological Theology; Opioid Crisis - A Christian Solution; Faith Formation and Spiritual Practices for Children, Youth, and Adults; an Overview of Homosexuality and the Bible; and many more. Courses are all online and range is price from $99-$595, lasting 4 or 6 weeks. Visit
pathwaystheological.org
.
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August PA Emergency newsletter available now
The
August ReadyPA Monthly
contains important information about back to school safety. It also provides information from the Pennsylvania State Meteorologist regarding Back to School Weather Safety. The ReadyPA Action Sheets provide information on School Bus Safety and the 30 Days/30 Ways Program (remember September is Preparedness Month).
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Free eye care for kids event scheduled in Philadelphia
Give Kids Sight Day (GKSD) will be held Saturday, Oct. 5 from 8:30a-1:00p at Jefferson Alumni Hall, 1020 Locust Street, Philadelphia. For children 17 years and younger from Philadelphia and surrounding counties who have not had or have not passed an eye screening and/or are uninsured. For more information,
click here
for multilingual flyers, volunteer opportunities, and additional information.
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Mary Schaller Blaufuss leaves UCC national staff for Eden
"The United Church of Christ is saying farewell to a valued member of the national staff who has done much to create relationships and programs around volunteerism, leadership and sustainable development, refugee ministry and disaster response. The Rev. Mary Schaller Blaufuss, team leader of UCC's Humanitarian and Development Ministries, has resigned her position to accept a new role at Eden Theological Seminary."
Click here
to read the rest of this story. Mary and her husband, Kurt, have both served churches in PSEC.
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Cean James leading preaching workshop in Schuylkill
"Preaching Like the Choir: How to prepare and present sermons with rhythm, melody and prose with Rev. Cean James" will be held Thursday, Oct. 17 from 9:00-3:00 at First UCC, Schuylkill Haven. For more info and to register,
click here
.
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Webinar on the Youth Climate Movement as a Moral Force
On Fridays throughout the world this past year, students walked out of classrooms and went into the streets to compel action in addressing the climate crisis. What started as a one-person protest by Greta Thunberg has grown to a movement of millions in over 160 countries and at least 2000 locations. Youth are now calling upon adults to join them for a week of action in September. This month’s
Creation Justice Webinar
will feature Jamie Margolin, the 17-year-old who has been at the forefront of the youth climate movement in the US. She led the call for last year's youth climate march, and is a co-founder of the youth organization Zero Hour. The webinar will be Aug. 15 at 1:00p, but a recording will be sent out to all who register.
Register now!
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Intentional Interim clergy training offered in Malvern
The Interim Ministry Network will offer a three-day, self-contained "Fundamentals of Transitional Ministry: Work of the Leader" course, introducing foundational theories to interim ministry. The time is devoted to experiential learning through the use of case studies and sacred story. The work of the interim leader is presented and discussed along with tools and resources that facilitate the work of the transitional leader. The workshop will be in Malvern Aug. 27-29 for $740 plus room/meals.
Click here
for more info and to register.
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Registration is open for PSEC 2019 Fall Meeting at Ursinus
- How do your OCWM contributions benefit your Pastor, your members and your youth?
- What were the Resolutions at General Synod all about and how do the effect your church?
These are just a few of the questions that we will answer at the Fall Meeting. Join us and learn what is happening in PSEC and how your church benefits! The meeting will be held Sunday, Nov. 17 from 3:00-5:30 at Ursinus College. Registration starts 2:30. For a flyer,
click here
. For more info and to register,
click here
.
Childcare is available from 3:00p to meeting end. (Please register the child and bring the completed Child Care Medical Release form with you to the meeting.
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Child Abuse Prevention symposium set for Sept. 18
On Sept. 18 the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance is hosting a Child Abuse Symposium at the Harrisburg Hilton Hotel. This day-long event is for professionals and volunteers who work with children and will feature nationally acclaimed speakers who are experts in child abuse prevention. Attendees receive a copy of Liz Murray’s memoir and lunch will be provided.
Click here
for a pamphlet that contains further details and breakout session topics.
Registration
is required. Cost is $150.
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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.
Check out all of the books that have been recommended in recent weeks at
psec.org/booklist
.
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