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Important This Week
- Pentecost message from the Conference Minister
- Register for PA Academy of Ministry online summer courses
- Spiritual Life workshops for lay leaders rescheduled; register now
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Pentecost message from the Conference Minister:
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Acts 2: 1-4
Before he left, Jesus told his friends he would send them the Advocate, the Comforter. Now, on this Pentecost Sunday, the Comforter comes as wind and flame, reminding us that comfort is not always comfortable. It makes itself known in community where we find the most searing challenges — and the deepest blessings — we will ever know.
Our challenges related to COVID have been legion. Pastors and lay leaders have had to create new ways to connect without the intimacy of gathered worship; to offer comfort in the face of death and disease with limited (or no) presence. Chaplains have faced the constant danger of virus hot spots in nursing homes and hospitals. Friends and family have lost jobs and many of us have lost family, friends and church members to the pandemic.
There are many voices speaking right now with much passion about how to move through these days of transition from the PA Governor’s Red Phase of COVID seclusion to the Yellow Phase — and eventually to Green. The less informed have begun living as though the pandemic is over. It is not. I have, and will continue to, council extreme caution about making decisions to return to church buildings, to discern and decide as a community, and to plan thoroughly for making worship and meeting spaces as safe as possible for the most vulnerable people.
To that end:
- While in the Yellow Phase (which should begin for Southeast PA next week), Conference staff may begin to travel to those places where social distancing, masking wearing, and the liberal use of hand sanitizer and cleaning products are in disciplined use among groups of 25 people or less.
- Until PA Southeast Counties are in the Green Phase, our Conference Staff will continue to work remotely.
- Our Monday Conference Wide Zoom Calls at 11:00a will continue through the Yellow Phase until we get to the Green Phase.
- Because we do not know how long we will be in the Yellow Phase, The Annual Meeting Planning Team has begun to explore the possibility of hosting our Spring Conference Meeting, rescheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2020, via Zoom.
Amid the challenges there have been many blessings. Some of our leaders are learning new ways to engage in God’s mission in their communities and are more open to change than ever before. The world outside our churches has been watching how we have moved through this crisis wondering, ‘does belonging matter? Is the sacrificial care and moral courage, so obviously absent from the daily news cycle, still church a thing? Is there any fire left in the belly of the body of Christ? Are they the carriers of the flame that both heals and transforms the world?’ Pentecost is our day, among these pandemic laden days, to offer the world a resounding “YES!”
Rev. Bill Worley
Conference Minister
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Spiritual life workshops being offered for lay leaders
A course on Spiritual Life will meet at Trinity UCC, Telford on Saturday mornings from 9:00-11:00 as follows:
- Sept. 26 - Spiritual growth through congregational worship
- Oct. 24 - Spiritual growth through personal disciplines
- Nov. 14 - Spiritual growth through small groups
This course is designed for church leaders but is open to anyone who feels challenged to deepen their spiritual life. The course will be led by Dr. Charles Maxfield, an ordained UCC minister with experience in lay ministry training. He will be assisted by Constance Lezenby, a spiritual director recognized by her Friends’ Meeting as a traveling minister. Cost is $15 per person. Registration is being accepted now. Enrollment will be limited due to social gathering restrictions.
Click here
for more information including how to register.
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Coronavirus resources available for churches, pastors
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Registration now open for PA Academy of Ministry courses
Attention church leaders, lay and ordained! The Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry (PAM) is offering online classes this year. Register for Navigating Congregational Conflict and Crisis (starting Saturday, June 27 taught by Rev. Dr. Brunilda Martinez) or Theology I: Faith Seeking Understanding (starting Saturday, Aug. 7 taught by Rev. Holly MillerShank). Both classes are 6-weeks and offer 2.5 CEUs. For more information or to register,
click here
.
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Updates to Prayer Pause, Conference Minister check-ins
Prayer Pause:
Starting Wednesday, June 3, our week-day Prayer Pause will become a “Mid-Week Prayer Pause” led by staff from PSEC, Penn Central and Penn Northeast conferences. Take a break from your labors and restore your soul at noontime every Wednesday through June. You can Zoom into that gathering here:
Check in with the Conference Minister
on Mondays at 11:00a online. Use
this link
to join the Zoom call and check in, share, and seek help from colleagues and conference staff. View previous calls:
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Updated PSEC Financial snapshot now available
The PA Southeast Conference Financial Snapshot as of April 30 is available on the PSEC website. To read that,
click here
.
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New pandemic loan from the Cornerstone Fund
Leaders of the financial ministries of the United Church of Christ have created a loan vehicle shepherded by the Cornerstone Fund to make available low interest loans to UCC congregations. $50,000 has been made available to congregations in our Conference. You can apply for low interest (2.5%) short term loans (1 year). Details about this opportunity can be found in a FAQ’s document
here
. You can find the loan application
here
. Loan applications are due July 15, 2020. Here's a
flyer
on the loan.
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Did you catch Sunday's worship from PSEC staff
Our Conference staff recorded a worship for Sunday, May 24. Reverends Bill Worley, Susan Minasian and Cean James and the music of Grace Christian Fellowship feature in this proclamation of gospel. The link for this video is
here
. A copy of Rev. Dr. Minasian's homily is available
here
.
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Daily home devotions made available from PSEC pastor
Rev. Dr. Deborah Rahn Clemens created Daily Home Devotions for Ascension Day to Pentecost 2020. This is a resource offered to any who wish to deepen their spiritual life while staying in their own home environment. This resource is designed to carry us together, though separately, in devotion between the two great Christian holy days: The Ascension of our Lord, and The Coming of the Spirit on Pentecost Sunday.
Click here
for that resource.
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Share this list of churches online with your congregation
If your church isn't currently worshiping, we have compiled a list of churches in PSEC that are holding digital/virtual worship experiences. Share this with others that might not have another option for worship.
Click here
for an updated list.
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Register for June 4 continuing education event, workshops
Training events that were scheduled for Thursday, June 4 prior to the (now-cancelled) annual meeting have been moved to the Zoom platform and registration is open. Sign up today for one of the following events. All workshops will be
2:00-5:00p
June 4.
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Book recommendations from Hearts and Minds Books
One of the things that clergy look forward to each year at Clergy Convocation is browsing, discussing, and buying books from Byron Borger from Hearts and Minds Books. Clergy Convocation planning chair Rev. Nick Pence virtually met with Byron to discuss book recommendations to share. You can view that conversation
here
. If you don't have enough time to listen to the entire 70-minute conversation,
click here
for a list of the books Byron recommends. Next to the name of the author, you'll find at what time in the video Byron talks about that author. Order books from the Hearts and Minds Books
website
.
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PSEC climate team starts
50-50-50 green church initiative
The PSEC Climate Justice Workshop Group invites churches to commit to doing something "green". The 50-50-50 Challenge is that
50 PSEC churches
will commit to do something to mitigate climate change during the
50 days of Easter
for the
50th anniversary
of Earth Day. For a list of churches that have made a commitment, suggestions for actions your congregation can take, more information, and a form you can use for your church to accept the challenge, visit
psec.org/green
.
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Registration open: PSEC Special Meeting this summer
Let us joyfully come together for fellowship, praise, healing, and to conduct a bit of important Conference business! A special PSEC meeting will be held
at Zwingli UCC, Souderton
at 1:00p on Saturday, Aug. 15. There is no fee for this meeting, but registration is required. For a flyer to share,
click here
. To register,
click here
.
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Apply now: Sabbath Reading for Preachers event in October
We invite you to experience 3 days of Sabbath-keeping and renewal Oct. 27-29. We will gather at the Mariawald Renewal Center in Shillington. You will spend three days with 15 other colleagues. It will be a time of nourishing rest and reflection, beginning Tuesday morning and ending mid-afternoon on Thursday. The event is being facilitated by Daniel Moser, Hilary Barrett, Jonathan Hauze, Tony Villareal, and Teresa Martin.
Click here
for more information and to apply.
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Churches share how they spent PSEC support money
We asked church leaders to let us know how they put to work the $1000 shared by the Conference. This is what we’ve heard back so far:
- Augment declining offerings – 9
- Passed on to Community ministries – 5
- (Boyertown Area Multi Service, Conrad Weiser Food Pantry, Operation 1-4-3, Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities-2)
- Returned to OCWM – 1
- Returned for use on “another rainy day” – 3
- Support church staff – 2
- Support of ministries (food banks, community meals, etc) – 10
- Support new online ministry – 2
If your church has not yet let us know how you put the funds to use, please feel free to do so.
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Continuing ed on death from addiction set for next month
The Center for Loss and Bereavement will hold an "Addiction Aftermath Live Webinar" Thursday, June 11 from 12:00-2:00. The opioid epidemic has brought the pain and struggle of addiction to the forefront. While the incidence of death from opioids is rising and is certainly more visible now than ever before, death from all types of addiction can be devastating to families. We will explore death by addiction from the perspective of the survivor and how to help them cope with this complicated loss. How can we help them adjust to the challenges they face and process their response to loss, which is often isolating and confusing? To register and for more info,
click here
.
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Continuing ed opportunity from Institute for Sex & Faith
Professionals with training in either sexual health or religion are invited to apply for a continuing education opportunity this summer through the
Incarnation Institute for Sex & Faith.
The facilitators are Rev. Dr. Beverly Dale, adjunct professor at Lancaster Theological Seminary and Rev. Lacette Cross, founder of
Will you Be Whole Ministries
in Richmond, VA. The purpose of this unique seminar series combining insights from sexuality and theology, is to help pastors and sexual health professionals address Christian sex negativity to bring about sexual wholeness and greater possibilities for intimacy without guilt, fear and shame. The nine week online course begins July 9. Space is limited. For more details and to apply go to
IncarnationInstitute.org
.
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Church Openings
- Allegheny UCC (Sunday supply)
- St. James UCC, Havertown (full-time settled)
- St. John Hill UCC, Boyertown (full-time settled)
- St. John's UCC, Orwigsburg (full-time settled)
- St. John's UCC, Pottstown (part-time interim)
- St. Luke's UCC, Ottsville (part-time settled or designated)
- St. Mark's UCC, Reading (10 hrs/ week)
- St. Paul's UCC, Kutztown (full-time settled)
- St. Paul's UCC, Pottstown (part-time settled)
- Salem Hetzel's UCC (shared ministry; full-time interim)
- Trinity UCC, Rehrersburg (part-time settled)
- Wyomissing UCC (part-time settled)
- Zwingli UCC (full-time associate)
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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PSEC Events
Nov. 15: PSEC Fall Meeting at New Goshenhoppen UCC, East Greenville
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Classified Ads
Submit Classified Ads
here
View a complete list of Classified Ads
here
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Educational Opportunities
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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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