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Important This Week
- Sign up for a Community of Practice for clergy, for Christian Educators, or on Christian Spirituality and Direction
- New Manual on Ministry is available
- Register for 2019 Boundary Training opportunities
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Join a Community of Practice in 2019
PSEC started its first Communities of Practice groups in 2014. The program gives clergy a chance to come together for support and learning. The groups meet monthly to “check-in” and learn and share about a chosen topic or issue. There is an annual $250 fee for participants to cover the cost of the facilitator and any other program costs. We ask that congregations pay this fee. (Scholarships may be available for churches/pastors with financial difficulties.)
The program has been very successful and recent interest is so high that we’ve needed to train new facilitators and create more groups. Additionally, some pastoral transitions have created openings in existing groups. Sign ups are now open for those groups.
If you are interested in being part of a Community of Practice and are looking for life-sustaining friendships, a new perspective, a renewed calling, a time for reflection, then sign up today.
Registration is
available here
. The deadline to register is Tuesday, Dec. 18.
The link above also has information on signing up for a new Community of Practice focusing on Christian spirituality and direction and a group on Christian Faith Formation for any Christian Educators, Pastors, Teachers, or Sunday School Superintendents. (Note: the Christian Education group has openings for 10 members instead of the usual 5-6 which allows that group to charge less for participation: $100/participant.)
If you have any questions about Communities of Practice or joining a group, contact Rev. Sharon Morris at
morris@psec.org
or 484-949-8774 ext. 302.
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Community of Practice for Christian Educators starting
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The 2018 edition of the Manual on Ministry (MOM) is available in PDF; and hard copies of the new edition can be purchased through UCC Resources. The role of the MOM in the United Church of Christ is to serve as a living guide, a grounding perspective, and a resource for shared expectations in the essential ministry of Committees on Ministry. For more information,
click here
.
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New spirituality and direction Community of Practice starting
A new Community of Practice, focusing on Christian spirituality and direction, begins in January! Through experiential learning, the group will reclaim a tradition of spiritual practices and disciplines, ones maintained within some Christian faith traditions, yet less so among mainline Protestants.
Read more.
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Community of Practice for Christian Educators starting
All Christian educators, pastors, teachers, Sunday School superintendents, and those interested in Christian Faith Formation are welcome to join a new Christian Education Community of Practice. While the face of Christian Education changes along with the face of church, the mission remains the same -- share the stories of our faith as we continue to teach the Good News of Jesus Christ and His message to love God and love each other. Strengthening our Christian educators is one way to complete that mission. One way to strengthen our Christian educators is to gather together to share and learn from each other.
Read more.
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2019 Health Insurance rates from the Pension Boards UCC
The Conference Office has received several inquiries about the rate charts for 2019 health insurance. The rates will increase effective Jan. 1 as follows:
- Non-Medicare Health Plan: 2%
- Medicare Supplement Plan: 2%
- Dental Plan: 4%
- Vision Plan: no change
- Life Insurance & Disability Income Plan: no change
Rate charts are no longer made available from PBUCC, but there is a convenient online
Rate Locator. Enter your church's zip code and the pastor's age range to see the quarterly rate chart for your church.
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St. Peter's UCC in Termont sends thanks for recovery help
Dear Friends:
The congregation of St. Peter's sends its sincere appreciation for your kind gift toward our flood recovery efforts. Additionally, please accept our apologies for delay in expressing our thanks. The business of our church has been impeded due to the impact the floods have had upon many of our church family including damage to the homes of both our secretary and our treasurer.
"After finding the solution to persistent water returning to the church basement despite pumping after the third flood, we are now planning the phases of repairs. A temporary heating solution is in place until we are able to purchase and relocate a new furnace. ..."
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Register for the PNEC, PSEC rebuild trips to Puerto Rico
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PSEC and PNEC will sponsor two rebuild mission trips to Puerto Rico this spring! The first trip will be April 28-May 4; the second from May 12-18. The cost will be about $800 per person, including all costs: transportation, food, lodging, supplies, etc. Now is the time to register for either one of these trips. The first trip is almost full and the second is filling up fast. Registration requires a $50 deposit. Make the check payable to Penn Northeast Conference and mail along with this
PR Mission Trip Application
.
To learn more about the rebuild site and the work go to
click here
.
The next planning meeting will be Tuesday, Jan. 8, at 6:30p at Trinity UCC, 101 S Main St, Telford, PA 18969. Phone: (215) 723-3889. It is projected that you will have the option to join the meeting electronically if you cannot join in person.
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Webinar: 'Care for Clergy in the Aftermath of Disaster'
Thursday, Dec. 13 at 4:00p, UCC Disaster Ministries will host a webinar: "Care for Clergy in the Aftermath of Disaster." Join Disaster Ministries and Rev. Beth Goss of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance for an hour to discuss the unique challenges clergy face during and after a natural disaster, and how we can understand their particular needs and offer support. This webinar is open to the public. Here is the
link to log-in
. Contact Amanda Sheldon at
Sheldona@ucc.org
with questions.
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PSEC 2018 financial giving
cut-off announced
The financial books of the PSEC will close for 2018 as of close of business on Jan. 15, 2019. All OCWM contributions and pass-throughs for 2018 must be received by our office by the close of business on Tuesday, Jan. 15 in order to be counted as a 2018 contribution.
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Moravian Seminary offering UCC History, Polity & Theology
This comprehensive course will meet 6 – 9pm Mondays from Jan. 28 to April 29. You may attend at Moravian Seminary in Bethlehem or by video conference. The cost is $900. Academic Course Credit is available at regular tuition costs. For details contact instructor Rev. Dr. David DeRemer
deremerd@moravian.edu.
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UCC Refugee Ministries makes Advent yard signs available
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Advent is upon us and God has created for us a kairos moment – a moment when we see images of families and children at our own border asking for safety and shelter, just as we are in a time of remembering the birth of the Christ child and that the Holy family themselves were forced to flee to Egypt to escape state-sponsored violence that targeted the most vulnerable. If there was ever a moment to remind our community that Jesus was a refugee, an asylum-seeker, a migrant – it is now.
There are many things we can do, and you are already doing them, all over the country. Refugee Ministries created this
lawn sign resource
to support you in your ministry of welcome this Advent. Share the story of Jesus’ birth and proclaim to your neighbors that when we welcome refugees and asylum-seekers, we welcome Christ.
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Classified Ads
Submit Classified Ads
here
View a complete list of Classified Ads
here
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Church Openings
Gulph UCC: part-time beginning ASAP
St. Paul's UCC, Pottstown: part-time beginning ASAP
If you’re interested in a position, contact Rev. Sharon Morris:
morris@psec.org
or 484-949-8774 ext. 302.
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Church Events
Submit Church Events
here
View a complete list of Church Events
here
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Educational Opportunities
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Missed a week? Read past eNews here:
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