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Important This Week
- Boundary Training this week
- Sign up for a Community of Practice
- Final Monday Meeting with the Conference Minister scheduled
- Robert Fogal will be ordained and installed at Carversville this week
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From the Interim Associate Conference Minister for Search and Call: Leave Taking
This past Thursday was Ascension Day. I remember driving through Lancaster County and seeing all these Amish and Mennonite neighbors on bicycles. The roads were swarming with people of all ages. When I got to my destination, I mentioned that amazing sight on such a beautiful day and they all laughed and said…IT’S ASCENSION DAY!!! Well, I didn’t really observe the day as a spiritual practice but that got me thinking about Jesus leaving. There would be no more visitations post crucifixion. This was kind of the end but not the end of the ending…so to speak.
On Sunday the church will celebrate Pentecost. If you have been on any zooms lately (I know…bad joke), whenever there is a unison reading and none of the participants are muted, it sounds like Pentecost. Many voices that all sounds like they are not together, however, they most certainly are.
This observance of Ascension Day and Pentecost got me thinking about how much Jesus loved us and in his own way prepared us for when we would need to step up and live out his call upon our lives and continue ministering in a hurting, challenging, inspiring and amazing world. Jesus preached good news, he fed people, he healed people, he empowered people, he taught people, he equipped people and as he was approaching his death he prepared people. He even turned to his disciple and his mother and blessed their bond as he was on the cross. He even appeared after that first Easter to remind people that his peace was with them. ALL of this is what we have inherited.
Saturday May 22, I will be facilitating a boundary training gathering with the title of LEAVE TAKING. This session is for clergy only. It is a time of conversation about how we discern it is time to leave, how to prepare for leaving, how to leave with integrity and honoring the ethics of our vocation and how we release those whom we serve, to the care of another who will follow.
I like to think that Jesus gave us a way to think about this. How we leave each other is as important as how we come together. Those last words we have with someone remain with us. How many of us have regretted a harsh word or how many of us upon the death of a loved one, treasure the chance we had to say…I love you…thank you…rest in peace/ power. Leave taking is something we all do throughout our life journey. Some of the ways we move on, is out of our control. Some of it, is in our hands.
As we approach Pentecost Sunday, it is my hope and prayer that we release Jesus. That we fully release him into his Ascension so he can be free and we can then make room for the Holy Spirit’s movement in our lives and meet that Spirit in all we do as individuals and especially as The Church.
Our congregations are the current witness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the world. It makes me smile to think that we have a great opportunity to swarm roads and streets and byways with JOY for the ministry we have been called to embrace and release into the world. And maybe…just maybe…others will catch THAT Spirit and receive the most beautiful gift of God’s unconditional love and mercy for us all.
P.S. It’s not too late to register for that LEAVE TAKING boundary training on Saturday. If you want to join the conversation, just click here: psecbound052221.eventbrite.com
Blessings and Peace,
Susan
Rev. Dr. Susan A. Minasian
Interim Associate Conference Minister for Search and Call
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Final Monday Meeting with the Conference Minister this week
Every Monday for the last 14 months, Rev. Worley has connected with pastors and lay leaders to discern responses to the ever-changing ministry needs of the pandemic. Our last meeting, at least for the summer, is next Monday, May 24 at 11:00a. Thank you to everyone who participated and shared information, insights, wisdom and encouragement to make us stronger together. Click here to join the call on Monday.
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Bivocational Ministry for Congregations and Pastors
As the rise of part-time ministry opportunities increase, clergy and congregations are wondering how to live into bivocational ministry. You can participate in this opportunity hosted by the Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry (PAM) for Continuing Education Credit ($100) or as an auditor-no credit ($50). I am looking forward to learning more about this and would welcome you to join me. When the sessions are over, I will host a gathering of those who have participated in this for a conversation. We have much to learn about how ministries are changing.
Blessings and Peace, Susan
Bivocational Ministry for Congregations and Pastors, taught by the Rev. Dr. Darryl Stephens, will be held Wednesdays from 7:00-8:30p, May 26-June 30, via Zoom. Click here for registration and instructions.
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Advanced Boundary Training this week: Good Leave-taking
Accepting another call can be exciting…until the reality about departing your current ministry sets in (a fear that sometimes keeps us from leaving when we should). Before saying hello to one congregation, there must be a time of saying goodbye to the other. Leaving well is very important for the spiritual wellbeing of the clergy person and the congregation. How to leave with grace and in a healthy way is not always easy but is a part of our covenantal responsibility. Leaving a congregation without a call can be challenging for a variety of reasons. This kind of leaving can create a very different dynamic. Even so, the same process is necessary for the spiritual health of the pastor and congregation.
On Saturday, May 22 from 9:00a-12:00p, an Advanced Boundary Training will be held on Zoom on the topic of "Good Leave-taking." During this training we will consider the emotional aspects of transitions, the details that are a part of the timeline for parting and how all of this can be done faithfully in our covenantal relationships with one another. Click here to register.
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St. John's, Pottstown begins 'Little Pantry' m |
In May, St. John's UCC, Pottstown finished a "Little Pantry" to serve the community. Click here to read about that ministry and for more pictures on the PSEC news page.
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Communities of practice forming for second half of 2021
Communities of Practice (COP) are small groups that give authorized ministers an opportunity to gather with colleagues for spiritual renewal, group learning and support. While this was an important offering pre-COVID, it has become even more apparent how necessary it is for this kind of peer support. Typically, PSEC runs Communities of Practice groups on a calendar year, but due to additional stress clergy are currently facing, we've been asked to start more groups now.
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 and support, then sign up today. Click here to register before Wednesday, May 19. The annual cost is $250, which is often paid by the local place of ministry. Scholarships may also be available. If you have any questions about Communities of Practice or joining a group, contact Brea Rarick at brea@psec.org. |
Sacred Earth Handbook from Tabernacle United
The Environmental Action Team at Tabernacle United Church in Philadelphia has put together a Sacred Earth Handbook, covering personal ways to deal with household products, plastics, paper, electricity and lighting, water, food, and more. There are simple actions to put in practice immediately, more moderate actions requiring a moderate commitment or a modest purchase, and some big-ticket commitments to make toward securing a sustainable future for the earth. To view the Handbook or download it, go to Tabernacle United Church’s website at tabunited.org. Click on “resources” and a link to the Handbook will pop up immediately.
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Webinar: Get to know the UCC Musicians Association
On May 25 at 2:00p, Practical Resources for Churches will host Get to Know the United Church of Christ Musicians Association. The United Church of Christ Musicians Association, Inc. (UCCMA) is a non-profit, national organization with a membership made up of musicians, clergy and interested laity. We are a grassroots, member-supported association run entirely by volunteers. UCCMA was founded in 1993 by a small group of musicians in Connecticut who wanted professional support from colleagues. As we have grown both in membership and mission, our focus has broadened to include individuals with many different roles, both formal and informal, in their churches’ music and worship life. People from other denominations have always been welcome. Click the link above to register. |
Resource: Helping your loved one who is suicidal
SAMHSA published a new guide that will help churches and families who have a loved one who is suicidal or has made a suicide attempt. It provides information on understanding suicide, warning signs and action steps to take, and ways to prevent future attempts and keep your loved one safe. Click here to learn more.
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CORRECTED INVITATION: Bob Fogal to be ordained this week
Click the invitation below to download a PDF to share. The livestream link was previously incorrect. Please use this invite.
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Tell us about your online worship experience
We are gathering information and materials on the ways we found to worship together while socially distancing at our Spring Meeting June 4-5 and your congregation’s input is requested. Please help us out by completing this questionnaire and sending it to Beth Walker at bethfwalker@gmail.com by May 29.
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Resources available for Heritage Sunday (June 13)
Churches with Evangelical Synod and/or German Reformed roots are invited to celebrate June 13 as Heritage Sunday. For more information, including bulletin covers, liturgy, message from General Minister and President John Dorhauer, suggested hymns, and more, read this letter.
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Strengthen the Church offering collected this week
“Strengthen The Church” (STC) offering is Pentecost Sunday, May 23. This is our second “Five for Five” UCC offering of the year. STC reflects the shared commitment of people across the United Church of Christ to build up our “United and Uniting” church. Conferences and the national setting equally share the gifts given by members and friends through their local congregations. Your offering will support leadership development, new churches, youth ministry, and innovation in existing congregations. More information about this offering may be found here: Strengthen the Church - United Church of Christ. Thank you for your commitment to Strengthen the Church! |
NEPA Synod racial justice event set for this Saturday
THIS SATURDAY, May 22 from 9:00a-3:00p, "Trouble the Water" - It is NOT too late to be a part of this inaugural Northeastern PA Synod online event, designed to spur ongoing conversation and work on racial justice and related topics. Suggested donation is $25; register at tinyurl.com/TroubletheWater. Our keynote speaker for Saturday will be The Rev. CeCee Mills; and The Rev. Dr. James R. Thomas, PhD will preach at opening worship. Workshops include Understanding Microaggressions; Trauma-Informed Neighborhood Engagement; Implicit Bias: The Truths, The Myths; Seeing and Disrupting Racism; and Understanding White Privilege. Participants will choose their workshops the morning of the event.
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Addiction & Recovery Taskforce: LGBTQIA+ Communities and Addiction
- Rev. Josh Blakesley, Love In Action UCC
I am grateful to be the Executive Director of The Welcome Project PA, a nonprofit that hosts SAGA Community Center, which is an LGBTQIA+ hub of resources, a queer library, various support and community groups, and much more. I am lucky to be able to work with many LGBTQIA+ communities and individuals as a result. I am continually impressed by the resiliency and courage of so many of our staff, volunteers, and participants. It is incredible what many of them have overcome and how they are spreading love, acceptance, and learning wherever they go. I am also aware as part of this work [and in my work as a UCC minister], that there are many who identify as LGBTQIA+ who are dealing with addictions. According to recent studies, an estimated 20 to 30 percent of LGBTQIA+ folk abuse substances; this is compared to about 9% the population.
Why is that? Factor in homophobia/ transphobia, family problems, violence, and social isolation. Imagine if on a regular basis one is experiencing things like discrimination or stigmatization based on gender identification or expression and/or based on who one loves; hate crimes, emotional abuse, threats, public humiliation or ridicule, rejection or shame from family or friends, loss of employment, and/or internalized homophobia or self-hatred. Sadly, these realities are true for many.
And this is why it so important to de-stigmatize addiction and to fully embrace the process of recovery, albeit a process that is specific and relevant to LGBTQIA+ people.
Our congregations and other ministry settings can be of help. All UCC congregations and settings that have publicly stated that they are Open & Affirming (and also those who have not yet done so) can be lighthouses and safe havens for people who deserve a path forward and appropriate care. What can you do? We can all form relationships with organizations and facilities that welcome LGBTQIA+ folk openly, as well as allies; we can lift up and support treatment programs that include LGBTQIA+ staff; we can spread the word about recovery programs that include specialized treatment. We can host LGBTQIA+ support groups and GSAs; we can have pamphlets and brochures about recovery services and LGBTQIA+ resources in our buildings and all of our online platforms.
Most importantly, we can reach out in love and compassion to anyone in the LGBTQIA+ communities who have been marginalized or left to feel like they have no safe and brave space in our congregations. This is the first and essential step that we must do publicly.
For further info, please visit SAGA Comm. Center’s resource page here. And by the way, feel free to use this resource page as a starting point to create your own!
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2021 Virtual Annual Meeting |
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Please register for Annual Meeting today |
“Deepening our Connections, Deepening the Journey” is the theme, and the hope, of PSEC’s Annual Spring meeting that begins Friday, June 4 with nationally celebrated social justice leader and guest presenter Sister Simone Campbell, a Catholic nun who, with a few sisters in faith, chartered a bus to change the world.
Our connecting continues with Saturday’s conferring sessions, workshops and worship services to honor anniversary clergy and congregations, to lament the losses endured through the pandemic and to welcome the hope of better days ahead. We gather online in a new virtual meeting space (“Whova”) for our (hopefully) last completely virtual Conference gathering. Click here to access the Call to Annual Meeting. Click here to access the annual meeting page on the PSEC website which includes the link to registration.
There is less than a month until the registration deadline and we are not at quorum yet.
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Invite church members to Spring Meeting
We've created this graphic for congregations to share on their social media pages or in emails to help find volunteers to attend the upcoming Spring Meeting. You can click the image at right to open it as a PDF, click here to access it as a JPG file, or you can visit the PSEC Facebook page to share the graphic from our page to your church's.
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Gifts will help hospitals fight COVID surge in India |
Register today: Mercersburg Convocation online June 7-8
The Annual Mercersburg Convocation will be held virtually June 7-8. "Polarization and Reconciliation: Hints from the Mercersburg Tradition" is the theme, with presenters: Lee Barrett, Ph.D., William Evans, Ph.D., and Linden DeBie, Ph.D. Click here for an event flyer or click here for a brochure.
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COVID-19 Resource Page
Visit the Coronavirus Resources page at PSEC.org for resources related to re-opening, virus facts, disaster resources, and worship resources. Also on that page is the PSEC virtual church list. If your church isn't currently worshipping or you are not able or comfortable attending services, use this list to find a church in PSEC that is holding online worship.
The most recent addition was a study from the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Maryland: Measurements and Simulations of Aerosol Released While Singing and Playing Wind Instruments. This study looks at the risk of COVID-19 spreading due to singing and musical performances. You can read that complete article here or view a summary here from the Center for Congregational Song. |
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'Anti-Racism & the Tulsa 100 Year Commemoration' event
The UCC is hosting "Anti-Racism and the Tulsa 100 Year Commemoration" on May 27 at 8:00p on Zoom. The keynote speaker will be Kevin Willmott, Academy Award winning filmmaker ( BlacKkKlansman) and professor at the University of Kansas. Reflections will be given by Dr. Velda Love, UCC Minister for Racial Justice, and Rev. Traci Blackmon, Associate General Minister of Justice and Local Church Ministries. For more information and a flyer to share, click here. Click here to register. |
Theology of Liturgy discussions happening now
Do you spend much time thinking about the theology behind the elements of liturgy? Do you ever ask why we use a prayer of confession? What happens in communion? Or why we use the lectionary? If so, we’d like to invite you to join us for a deeper discussion into our worship elements. We have designed a 6-week, limited-size gathering that will explore the theology under our liturgies – their history, formation and practice today.
This is the first in a series of theological discussion programs offered by Penn Central Conference with an invitation to clergy of PSEC. Together we will broaden, sharpen and deepen our personal theological knowledge and language. Space is very limited so register ASAP.
Thursday Evening, May 27 – June 10 (four weeks)
Topics Include:
- Call to Worship
- Confession & Assurance
- Communion
- Scripture and Word
- Prayer
- Lectionary and Liturgical Calendar
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Racial justice banners and yard signs available |
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”. |
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Book discussion planned by PSEC Racial Justice Taskforce |
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Links:
Meeting ID: 817 6830 5724
Passcode: PeaceBwthU
Meeting ID: 833 0354 6153
Passcode: PeaceBwthU
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Educational Opportunities
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Church Openings
- Allegheny UCC, Mohnton (Sunday supply)
- Armenian Martyrs Cong'l Church, Havertown (full-time bridge pastor)
- Bern Reformed UCC, Leesport (three-quarter time settled)
- Christ Delong, Bowers, and St. Peter's, Topton (3/4-time interim)
- Immanuel UCC, Shillington (1/2-time bridge associate)
- St. Andrew's UCC, Perkasie (full-time interim)
- St. John's UCC, Pottstown (part-time interim)
- Salem Hetzel's UCC (shared ministry; full-time interim)
- UCC Valley Forge (full-time settled)
If you’re interested in a position, contact Rev.Dr. Susan Minasian: minasian@psec.org or 484-949-8774 ext. 302.
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Classified Ads
Submit Classified Ads here
View a complete list of Classified Ads here
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Church Events
Submit Church Events here
View a complete list of Church Events here
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Missed a week? Read past eNews here: |
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PSEC is the link that connects our church’s various and diverse ministries both locally and globally. Together, we provide our local churches, pastors and congregations with the training and inspiration they need to carry out our church’s wider mission. We are stronger together; therefore, we embrace diversity, and above all, we spread God’s love! |
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