Greetings Penn Central members and friends,

“…It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." Mark 10:25

This week’s lectionary Gospel passage is a well known one. We read the story of a rich man who asks Jesus “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus instructs him to sell all he has and give to the money to the poor. The man walks away dejected, for he had many possessions. It is a hallmark message of Jesus’ ministry, appearing in three of the four gospels. Jesus spoke a lot about our relationship with money.

Sally Bowles sings in the musical Cabaret “money makes the world go round” and she’s not wrong. We live in a society that requires money to merely exist and it is only human that we spend much of our time and energy earning, spending, and saving our pennies. The church is not immune – without money we cannot pay our pastor, pay our light bills, buy toilet paper… or pay a certain office manager’s salary.

I sometimes fantasize about what I would do if I won the lottery. (The fact I never buy a lottery ticket need not interfere with this fantasy!) Having all that money would be a good thing, right? I could donate to my church and other important causes near and dear to me, pay off car loans for my family and probably a few other less altruistic purchases.

I do not think Jesus is saying merely having money is what keeps someone who is rich from entering the kingdom of God. After all, we have to eat! But how we pursue and hoard the almighty dollar? That is a different story.

Wealth building is an earthly goal, one that often requires us to prioritize the wrong things. Time that could be spent in building community and relationships is wasted on pursuing larger paychecks. Choices are made to increase the bottom line at the expense of our fellow human’s wellbeing, not to mention the cost to our planet.

Later in this chapter Jesus says that the last shall be first and the first shall be last. The power structures and hierarchies of this world are the opposite of what they are in the kingdom of God. Those with money may have earthly power but serving our fellow humans is what God treasures. Our power comes from community building, from lifting each other up and working towards a common good.

When caring for the wellbeing of each other is our priority over amassing wealth, our bank accounts may look a little worse for the wear, but our faith will be stronger for it. Let love lead and we will see the kingdom of God.

Blessings,

Paul

C. Paul Keller

Office Manager

Penn Central Conference

UCC Appeal for Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts

I was in North Carolina for a funeral over the weekend as Helene unleashed rain and wind over our state's highest elevations. The amount of rain coming at the end of a week of wet weather was far more than any geography could handle. My parents and I waited a little more than 30 hours for a message from my sister and brother-in-law who live in the mountains of Ashe County. We heard. They were safe. No power, no water, no cell service - save the one lady with a magic phone in their small and devastated town.

I know many wait for that call still. Even as the clean-up begins for others.

One of the UCC outdoor ministry sites in the NC mountains, Johns River Valley Camp, where I camped, worked, and was married, sustained heavy damage. UCC churches are among the many from Florida to Tennessee who are assessing each of their situations.

The need is great and will last for some time to come. Buckets and hygiene kits, financial donations, mission teams and more. Check out this information from our national settings office of Global HOPE to see how you can help. Read the full article here.

Rev. Nora Foust

Associate Conference Minister

Penn Central Conference

Printable eNews are available. Pastors and secretaries, please feel free to share with your congregation members that don't get this weekly email. Download and print this PDF with the weekly message to the conference, prayers for Penn Central and brief list of events.

Scheduling Notes

Sunday October 13 - Trinity UCC, East Petersburg - Rev. Dr. Carrie Call preaching

Sunday October 20 - St. Johns Tylersville UCC, Loganton - Rev. Dr. Nora Foust preaching

Sunday October 27 - First Reformed UCC, Sunbury - Rev. Dr. Nora Foust preaching

Prayers for Penn Central Conference

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)

This week, we pray for each other as we continue to live into God's calling...

St. Paul UCC, Manheim

Canoe Camp Church of Christ, Mansfield

Zion's UCC, Marietta

St. John's UCC, Markelsville

October is Clergy Appreciation Month

Penn Central Conference appreciates all of our clergy and thank them for their ministry in central Pennsylvania! We encourage our congregations to show their appreciation for their clergy year round, but especially this month. There are many ways to do that - sending a card or a note, taking time to pray for them, giving them a thoughtful gift, and volunteering to assist in their ministry work are only a few.

Special Fall Meeting

November 9, 2024, 9:30AM - 12:30PM

The special fall meeting of the Penn Central Conference of the United Church of Christ will be held on Saturday, November 9, 2024, at 9:30 am EST. The meeting will be held in the sanctuary of St. Thomas United Church of Christ, 6490 Linglestown Rd., Harrisburg, PA 17112, and remote participation will be available via ZOOM. Associations within Penn Central Conference will also be hosting remote gatherings at official sites to allow participation in the meeting via ZOOM.

There are three items of business on the agenda for this meeting.

1. Presentation and approval of the proposed 2025 Penn Central Conference budget

2. Presentation and consideration for recognition of the STAR (Small Town and Rural Churches) Coalition as a self-created group within the United Church of Christ

3. Consideration and voting on a motion to create the Keystone Conference out of the four present Conferences of Penn Central, Penn Northeast, Penn West, and Pennsylvania Southeast.

Read the full call to meeting here.

Register here.

Register now for Keystone Study Group Town Halls

Due to the complex nature of the possible merger, town hall meetings on the subject have been broken into three topics:

1. Timeline, Staffing, Finance

2. Timeline, PA UCC Mission Focus

3. Timeline, Associations.

There are four opportunities to attend a webinar on each of the above topics. They will be hosted by different conferences, but you can attend any. The schedule is below; click the date and time to register. You can also find this information on our website on the Keystone Study Group page under Resources.

If you missed the first two Town Halls, the ones hosted by PCC are available to watch on our YouTube channel.

Creation Justice

HERE COMES THE SUN

With apologies to John, Paul, George, and Ringo, this is not about the Beatles, but rather a story about how a small, but mighty church, Dover United Church of Christ, used our assets to power our building with solar energy. This not only improves the environment but improves the financial outlook for the long-term survival of our congregation.

Starting in the summer of 2023, we entered the address of the church into a web site called Energy Sage (www.energysage.com), a privately owned enterprise, supported by the U. S. Department of Energy. This is a solar energy calculator and marketplace. We provided a copy of our electric bill and within several days, we had four bids from companies willing to install solar panels at our site. Preferring to work with local companies, we solicited an additional bid from Bright Eye Solar in Lancaster Co. The church council voted unanimously to award the contract to Bright Eye Solar at our March 2024 meeting. On April 7^th, we held a special congregational meeting to present and discuss this project. After discussion and the vote, 90% of the congregation was in favor of the project.

After an initial plan to mount the panels on an open lot the church owned was nixed by Dover Borough, the Bright Eye engineer assigned to our project, Josh Sheppard, quickly pivoted and came up with a roof mounted system design on 6/6/24. We were reluctant at first, not knowing whether the roof structure could take the weight. As it turned out the design put 30 panels on a flat roofed addition to the church that was completed in 1959, and 40 panels on a sloped roof addition that was completed in 1993, sparing any additional load on our 100+ year old building.

So far so good, right? Well, the roof of the ’93 addition was nearing the end of its useful life, so we decided to replace the roof. On 7/31/24, The Bright Eye crew arrived to start work on the sloped roof, installing the racking and the solar panels there before moving to the ’59 addition with the flat roof. Again, these were some of the hottest days of the summer, with workers carrying the mounting trays, panels and ballast blocks up a ladder to the roof. They did an excellent job! After the Bright Eye electricians made the connections to our electric panel, we generated solar power on August 12, 2024!

Our utility, Metropolitan Edison (Met Ed), is a net metering utility. That means that any power that we generate more than our consumption goes back to the grid and we receive a credit, that is, “banked.” This credit is equivalent to the cost of power that we consume, so when we use more than we generate, we can draw from the bank to offset our electric bill.

Throughout this process we had overwhelming support from church council, our Pastor Cam and the congregation. Not all the days were pleasant, but in the end, we got it done. Special thanks to our council president, who was always willing to sign whatever document we gave him, our treasurer and bookkeeper who made sure that the bills got paid.

That is the story, here are some numbers:

System Size: 28kW DC

System Cost: $62,754

1-Federal Tax Credit (Direct Rebate): 30% =$18,8263.20

2-Total System Cost: $43,927.80

Solar Renewable Energy Credit (annual est): $1,003.34

Payback Period: 5.92 years

Net Savings: $277,449.14

Estimated Solar Saving Over 30 Years: $321,376.94

1-Revisions to the Inflation Reduction Act now provide for direct reimbursement of 30% of the installation cost of clean energy projects. This is available to non-profit organizations.

2-This is not accurate in our case. We will be able to include 1/2 of the cost of the new roof and possibly the tree removal.

Submitted by: Tom Miller, Dover Council Member

Innovation Grant Applications Being Accepted

In 2018, Penn Central Conference established an Innovation Grant program to assist churches. As originally planned, the window for applying for a grant is from July 1 through October 31 each year. Funding is from the Strengthen The Church offering and the proceeds of the Conference investments which amounts to approximately $25,000 per year and is supplemented as needed from other sources.

The Grant Application can be found here or is available on the Conference website under the Resources tab at the top of the page. The drop down list reveals Documents and Forms and clicking on that enables you to scroll down to the Finance section, then select PCC Innovation Grant Form.

This same application is for use by Lebanon Association churches and groups to apply for a St. John’s, Lebanon grant. These grants are funded through the investment proceeds of monies that were received from the sale of the Building of St. John’s, Lebanon which amounts to approximately $5,000 per year.

If you need or want any further information, contact the Conference Treasurer, Mike Price, at treasurer@pccucc.org or Paul Keller, Office Manager at pkeller@pccucc.org.

2025 Meck and Moss Award Nominations

Nominations accepted through November 30

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2025 Meck and Moss Awards. The Meck and Moss Awards are awarded annually to Lancaster Theological Seminary alumni, of any denomination, who demonstrate commitment to the excellence of ministry. The Alumni Council’s Awards and Recognition Committee will select award recipients.

The Meck Award honors the memory of Allan S. Meck, who graduated from the Seminary in 1911 and served as president from 1947 to 1957. The Meck Award is presented for distinguished service in the practice of pastoral ministry. 

The Moss Award honors Robert V. Moss Jr. ’45, who graduated form the Seminary in 1945 and served as president from 1957 to 1969. The Moss Award is presented for distinguished service in the practice of specialized ministry (i.e., chaplain, administrator, educator, judicatory staff, etc.).

Learn more about the selection criteria here. Submit a nomination by November 30th here.

Local Church

On Sunday, November 3rd at 3:00 pm. St. Luke's UCC in Lititz will be hosting acclaimed writer and comedian Claire Berger, who is asking out loud the question you’ve been silently pondering for years, “How Much Is Enough?” Claire wrote this book and launched live events to start a long overdue conversation. Her innovative mashup of memoir and self help genres invites you to join her in the search of Enough in all aspects of our lives. Health, money, family, success, food and sex are just a smattering of the topics up for discussion in a touching, highly relatable, often hilarious conversation that features thought-provoking questions and creative prompts for deeper personal reflection. You will leave with a renewed appreciation for all that they are and all that they have, which is often more than enough. Please call (717) 626-7100 or email church@stlukesucc.com to let us know how many chairs will be enough.

Association Events

October 13 - Lancaster Association Fall Meeting - St. John's Center UCC, East Earl - 3:00PM

October 20 - Harrisburg Association Fall Meeting - Hummelstown UCC - 2:00PM

October 20 - Lebanon Association Fall Meeting - Zion Gosherts UCC, Lebanon - 3:00PM

October 26 - Central Association Fall Meeting - 9:00AM

November 3 - Mercersburg Association Fall Meeting - St. John's UCC, Chambersburg - 3:00PM

November 9 - Gettysburg Association Fall Meeting - 9 AM registration, continental breakfast, and brief Association Meeting; 9:30 AM - PCCUCC meeting live streamed; 11:30 Vote on the formation of the Keystone Conference; short meeting with the PCCUCC immediately following the result of the vote.)

November 10 - York Association Annual Meeting - 2:00PM

Open & Affirming

The next ONA Ministry Team meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 10, 2024. We will meet at 3 PM.

Topics of discussion include:

1) PA Wide ONA Meeting at the Summer Gathering

2) Winter Gathering

3) Updates

ZOOM information; 

Topic: ONA Ministry Team

Time: Oct 10, 2024 03:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting HERE:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89972394588

Meeting ID: 899 7239 4588

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ALL ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND!

Educational Opportunities

Registration is important for planning purposes, even for virtual events, so please let us know if you need to cancel your registration so we have the most accurate numbers.

Congregational Boundary Training

October 14, 2024

6:30PM via Zoom

This session will feature discussion on Behavioral Covenants, Financial Boundaries, and Pastoral Relations. Anyone is welcome to join, consistory/council members are highly encouraged to attend. Register here.

Boundary Training in 2024

Via Zoom - 10:00AM and 6:00PM

These boundary trainings are a repeat of topics covered in the first half of 2024.

Intersectionality and Power Dynamics - October 15, 2024

In this session, ACM Rev. Dr. Nora Foust will discuss ways in which we as leaders in the church navigate ever changing power dynamics as culturally more and more important intersections are defined. Her participation in a training event with Rev Lori Tapia, the DOC National Pastor for Hispanic Ministries, and Dr. Sharon Fennema, our UCC Curator for Join the Movement, led to the development of this culturally relevant discussion. Register here

Undercurrents and Riptides Online - November 19, 2024

In this session, we will discuss the hidden (and obvious) dangers of ministry in an online world. From Social Media to AI to Pornography, the internet can pull us in many directions and not all of them are good for us. Register here.

From PSEC

Advanced Boundary Training: Pastoring While Experiencing Your Own Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Challenges

October 23 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm via zoom

In this three-hour Advanced Boundary Training on ZOOM, the issues around pastoring to others while experiencing your own challenges will be explored. When clergy are experiencing a crisis themselves, how can they remain pastorally effective while also tending to their own needs? How much should one share with your congregation about your own physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges? How does one set up healthy boundaries with a congregation, while also acknowledging their desire to care for you? These issues and others will be discussed in this training with a mixture of teaching, discussion, and case studies.

Registration: https://advbdry1023.eventbrite.com

Retired Minister Boundary Awareness Training – will take place on Wednesday, November 13, from 1:30 – 4:30pm ET. Registration is here; this three-hour training may meet Association or Conference requirements for boundary training for retired clergy

From New York Conference

This fall, we're offering monthly opportunities to take Refresher Boundary Awareness Training via Zoom:

Tuesday, October 22, from 10 am - 4 pm

Tuesday, November 12, from 9am – 3 pm

Thursday, December 12, from 8 am - 2 pm

Glad to have folks from around the UCC. We can give partial scholarships if needed (email mpurnine@uccny.org before registering). For more information:

https://www.shelbygiving.com/App/Form/66f26fe1-8247-4fe4-a60f-11ef73be0bd0

Church Futures Commission

Discover What Coaching Could Do For You: Free Initial Coaching Session for all Penn Central Clergy & Consistory/Council Presidents

The Penn Central Church Futures Commission invites you to experience the clarifying, empowering, and strategic benefits of coaching. Unlike a mentor or a consultant, coaches aren’t there to tell you what to think, feel, believe, or do. Coaches’ deep listening and intuitive questions support clients in their identified growth, problem solving, and strategy implementation, while evoking new awareness. One of the greatest benefits of coaching is that it provides an intentional partner who is there to confidentially support, encourage, and strengthen you in your ministry. The best way to understand what coaching is, is to experience it yourself. Therefore, the Church Futures Commission is providing free initial coaching sessions for all Penn Central clergy and Consistory/Council Presidents. For those wanting to pursue additional coaching, the next three sessions, scheduled over a four-month period, will be available at a 50% discount. Click here to access the Church Futures webpage, where you can learn about our two professionally trained coaches and to schedule your initial session with one of them.

UCC National Setting

UCC Webinars

These webinars are designed to help you enhance your local church ministries. Most are free to attend. Check out the calendar here.

Nurture the Soul: Discovering Wellness Ministries in your Congregation

Oct 10, 2024 | 3:30pm - 4:30pm

Nurture the Soul Special Offering: Healing the Body Politic(s)

Oct 16, 2024 | 3:30pm - 4:30pm

Nurture the Soul: Wellness Ministries Intergenerational Holiday Happenings

Oct 17, 2024 | 3:30pm - 4:30pm

Our Economic Leverage

Oct 23, 2024 | 12:00pm - 1:00pm

UCC Webinar: Project 2025 as a Threat to God's Creation

Project 2025 is a compilation of policy proposals and a presidential transition project launched by the Heritage Foundation. The proposed policies would have far-reaching implications from bolstering the US military to cutting social welfare programs. In this webinar, we will look specifically at what Project 2025 would mean for environment justice. Our panelists will include Xavier Boatright from the Sierra Club, Rachel Cleetus from the Union of Concerned Scientists, and Abigail Cipparone from the Advocacy Office of the United Church of Christ. Even if you cannot make the webinar at its scheduled time on October 9^th at 1 pm ET, still sign-up, and we will send you a link to a recording of it. Register now!

The 3-month Jubilee program is for adults who are interested in weaving social justice into the fabric of their faith while learning effective tools to build a more just, compassionate world. This online program provides a foundational introduction to boost your knowledge, skills and confidence in working for change. Justice Jubilee begins in October and space is limited - apply today.

Scholarships are available thanks to the UCC's FaithINFO team.

2024 Financial Ministries Webinars

4^th Wednesdays of the Month – 7:30pm Eastern (6:30 Central)

October 23 – End the Year Strong: Making the Most of Year End Giving

https://UCC.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcsdemqrz8qGNJJOs_gDoFH2nxcItmlhUGD

November and December can be the strongest months for giving in charities. How can we make the most of this generous time in our culture? The conversation will lift up ideas and messages to promote giving to congregations.

Fractured Lives, Fractured Churches

Presented by Pennsylvania Southeast Conference and Lombard Mennonite Peace Center

October 12, 9:00AM - 4:00PM

Church of the Good Shepherd, Boyertown

American society is fracturing as more and more families experience estrangement with their loved ones. Tensions in American public life affects their private lives and vice-versa. Americans lack a shared identity, disagree on the nation’s purposes, values, and history, and are becoming more and more intolerant of those with whom they disagree. Estrangement in private lives often leads to intense tribalism in public life. Anchored in Family Systems, the workshop is designed to help leaders understand phenomenon of estrangement, how it comes about and how can the church be a gathering place for restoration and healing.

This Workshop Will Help You/Your Church…

– Learn how estrangement has played a role in the life of your church and family

• Transform estrangement into restoration and healing
• Learn how to have meaningful relationships with individuals with different opinions
• Overcome triablism to view the world through a more unified lens

Who Will Benefit:

• Clergy who are interested in learning a proactive approach to managing estrangement in their church
• Church lay leaders who want to gain confidence in their position
• and how to best manage challenges
• Anyone interested in learning how to manage self and become a
• positive representative for the church

To register, click here.

Parish Resource Center

Grant Writing for Small Organizations

Applications due October 9, 2024

Four Sessions: Oct. 23, Oct. 30, Nov. 6, Nov. 13. 12:00-1:30pm

We have structured the course to walk participants through creating their own grant application. Each session will teach a step in the process, then give suggested homework for grant teams to work through in between sessions. Each grant team should leave with a grant application ready to submit. This series will sell out, (max of 12 organizations/churches) so apply today! Register here.

Secure Your Church’s Information

November 12, 2024 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Learn how congregations can protect the information entrusted to them, and proactively educate congregants to identify scams and protect themselves. Don’t let the hard work you’ve done building a community of trust be turned against you. This workshop is ideal for pastors, church administrators, lay leaders, and others who are entrusted with sensitive information and the policies around handling it. Register here.

Continuing Education Opportunities with Eden Theological Seminary this Fall! Check out these opportunities and know that Rev. Betsy Bruaw (mission theology global community) and Rev. Dr. Nora Foust (justice-seekers and peacemakers) will be facilitating two of the cohorts. These are for anyone and continuing education credit is available. Most content is asynchronous but there is a monthly synchronous zoom with your facilitator. Each cohort is $250 and grant funded financial assistance is available, just ask Nora. Contact Betsy or Nora if you have questions or check out the website for all the fall options (including UCC History and Polity) and more information.

The Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry has fall courses available in theology with Dr. Eric Seibert. Courses are 6-weeks and include synchronous zooms each week. Courses are $325. Contact program director Dr. Darryl Stephens at stephensd@moravian.edu for more information.

Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry

Fall Classes

Theology II: Leadership and Community, Tuesdays, 6:30–8pm ET via Zoom, Oct 15–Nov 19, 2024

Instructor: Dr. Eric Seibert

Each six-week class is $325, Earn 2.5 CEUs

This class is appropriate for lay leaders, members in discernment, and clergy. Even if you've already studied theology, these classes will offer new perspectives and stimulating discussion. 

Registration and information: paacademyofministry.org OR https://www.lancasterseminary.edu/programs/pennsylvania-academy-of-ministry/ 

Explore Our Crossroads Lay Leadership Programs

Our introductory course, Compass, begins October 17 and takes participants through two different paths. First, it is a discernment process to help the participant identify their gifts, passion, and style. Through reading, journaling, and a valuable small group process, participants are encouraged to explore, articulate, and hone their personal sense of call as a lay person in the church and in the community.

PATHWAYS Theological Education, Inc.

Are you looking for Continuing Education Units in theological education or pastoral care or leadership training? Insightful and open-minded, PATHWAYS inclusivity invites conversation with the text and among the learners in a broad variety of courses. The Ministerial Preparation program can fulfill the requirements for authorized ministry but any of the PATHWAYS’ courses will fulfill your need to ponder your faith, to discern your gifts and call, or to build your faith community leadership skills. (https://www.pathwaystheological.org/)

The new term begins October 16 with the following 6-week courses :

Understanding the Bible, Intro to New Testament, Old Testament Hermeneutics, Intro to Storytelling, Preaching, & Proclamation, Writing about Faith & Religiton for the Public, Variety of Beliefs within Christianity, and Ecological Theology.

A short 4-week course, Singing the Bible, begins October 9, 2024.

The next UCC History and Polity course begins January 8, 2025.

Go to the website to see the full schedule of Fall courses.

Current Openings - UCC National Setting

Philanthropy

Generosity Officer, Great Lakes Region Close Date: Open until filled

Office of the Associate General Ministers

Associate General Minister, Love of Church Close Date: November 30, 2024

Associate General Minister and Co-Executive for Global Ministries, Love of Neighbor Close Date: November 30, 2024

Office of General Counsel

Paralegal Close Date: October 30, 2024

Global HOPE – Humanitarian: Opportunities, Partnerships, Empowerment.

Minister for Refugee and Migration Services Close Date: October 30, 2024

Center for Analytics, Research & Development, and Data (CARDD)

Research Analyst Close Date: October 30, 2024

Cornerstone Fund

Investment Services Manager Close Date: October 30, 2024

Commercial Loan Underwriting Specialist Close Date: October 30, 2024

Penn Central Conference Ministry Opportunities Page