Important This Week

• Update from most recent Keystone Working Group meeting
• A reflection in the wake of the Armenian mass deportation from Azerbaijan
• Register for the PSEC Fall Meeting and two Town Hall meetings to discuss Keystone Project and Fall Meeting

The loss Artsakh:

A reflection from the bridge pastor of Armenian Martyrs' Congregational Church in the wake of the Armenian mass deportation from Azerbaijan

The pain of the Armenian genocide is searingly alive in the hearts of all Armenians this week, as we witness 120,000 Armenians forced to flee their homes in the ethnic enclave of Artsakh, escaping with little more than their lives. After a ten-month siege of the territory, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijani forces brutally and unexpectedly seized it; Russian peacekeepers stood aside, doing nothing to intervene. Among the losses – gone are their homes and livestock, their cemeteries and ancestral lands – are landmarks of ancient Christian heritage. These precious Christian sites include the fourth-century monastery Amaras and the thirteenth-century cathedral Gandzasar. Please stand in faith with your covenant partners at Armenian Martyrs’ Congregational Church (in Havertown, PA), praying for the hope of new life to rise up over feelings of futility. Furthermore, please raise concern with your political representatives and monitor news on the region, as there is fear that Azerbaijan will attack the country of Armenia next. For anyone who would like to give financially, you may support the work of the Armenian Missionary Association of America (www.amaa.org). Founded in the aftermath of the genocide, the AMAA is on the ground in Armenia, responding to today’s refugees’ dire needs for housing, food, medication, counseling, and spiritual comfort. In all circumstances, may we together fix our vision on the dear Lord Jesus, our savior and redeemer. By the grace of God, we’ll be true to the lyrics of the Armenian worship song Havadkus Chem Morana (“I Will Not Forget My Faith”): 

I will not be separated from the love of Jesus,

Even persecuted and threatened by sword,

Tribulations, suffering I will bear with love,

To keep my holy faith alive.

–– Heather C. Ohaneson, Ph.D.

Bridge Pastor, Armenian Martyrs’ Congregational Church 

Keystone Study Group -- Summary of 9/22 meeting

The 9th meeting of the Keystone Working Group* took place Friday, September 23, 2023. We further developed our plans for presenting recommendations. We further refined a visual and print presentation which will be shared in many settings across the four conferences. There will be significant opportunity to engage in questions and sharing your hopes for the project. We welcome you to the upcoming conversations over the next several months. We rely on the grace of God, knowing that Together We Are Stronger, The Keystone Conference.

The Keystone Working Group continues to examine many options for becoming ONE Keystone Conference. We believe the status quo is not an option that reflects a faithful response to God’s leading. We remain confident that the Spirit of God is leading us into new relationships and models of ministry. We are moved to engage in new possibilities.

We are forming several task groups to study for a new conference:

• Finance
• Governance
• Legal Issues
• Approval Process

These task groups will explore ministry connections to mission, program, administration and more.

“Together We Are Stronger!” reflects the shared commitment of the four conferences to build our ministry areas and the larger community of faith in the United Church of Christ. As we began almost 7 decades ago as a “united and uniting” denomination, we feel the God’s Spirit inviting us to dialogue together. We welcome your sharing as you visit the Keystone Conference Project website hosted by the PSEC. Read about how this project came about, our study information and summaries following each meeting.

Your questions and comments help us more fully understand how we can help each other work together. You are invited to connect with us by email, at Keystone.Conference.Project@gmail.com. You may also use the postal service and direct mail to the Keystone Working Group through your own area Conference Office.

Save the Date Now for a “Mini Synod” of our gathering of all 4 conference areas, June 6-9, 2024.

Strengthened by our conversations together, we hear God’s still-speaking voice. We trust our leadership as they give guidance to this process of discernment. Our KWG team holds each other in prayer and partnership, believing that YOU anticipate a faith that is thriving as this project moves forward. We thank you for your support and prayers. The voice of God calls us to trust each other and rely on God’s grace in the full assurance that . . . “Together We Are Stronger! The Keystone Conference.”

Sharing our progress in grace and hope,

KWG Communications Team

Steve Davis, St. John’s UCC, Fullerton (PNEC)

Heather Kurtz, Zion UCC, Arendtsville (PCC)                      

Bob Fogal, Zwingli UCC (PSEC)

Deb Long, First Trinity UCC, Youngwood (PWC)

DiAnn Baxley, (PCC communications substitute addition)

David Mears, (PWC communications substitute addition)

*A study, discernment and working group of the 4 PA area UCC Conferences – Penn West, Penn Central, Penn NE, and Pennsylvania SE

PSEC All Saints Special Offering materials available

All Saints Sunday is the first Sunday in November. We celebrate long ago saints and those known to us as saints. Some of the PSEC pastors who retired years ago are in need of special assistance. Because their retirement income is low, the churches of the PSEC supplement the cost of their health benefits. We remember these saints as we receive the All Saints offering. 2023 resources for that are available here. 

Register: Fall Lay Leadership course begins this week

Growing Our Spiritual Lives

The first step in making our churches more vibrant, faithful and effective, is for each of us to cultivate our spiritual lives. Our congregations are like trees: in order to reach out with our branches and bear fruit, we must first deepen our roots in our faith. This course on Spiritual Life will meet for three sessions at Saint James United Church of Christ, 321 S Limerick Rd, Limerick, on Saturday mornings from 9:00-11:00 as follows:

• October 7: Spiritual growth through congregational worship
• October 28: Spiritual growth through personal disciplines
• November 4: Spiritual growth through small groups.

The course will be led by Laura Walters and Charlotte Fiedler. They have received training from Wanda Craner, and Charlotte received a certificate in Spiritual Life from Immaculata University. Click here for more information and to register.

UCC climate webinar:

A Plea from the Pope

As the feast day of Francis of Assisi is celebrated on Oct. 4, Pope Francis will release the "second part" of his encyclical on the climate crisis and inequality. The new edition of the encyclical will provide an update to confronting "the senseless war on our common home." A panel of climate faith leaders will reflect upon Pope Francis's plea for climate action. Even if you cannot make the webinar at its scheduled time on Oct. 11 at 1:00p, still sign-up, and we will send you a link to a recording of it. Register now!

Theology with a Twist tonight in Kutztown on Barbie

Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 7:00p Theology with a Twist presents "Be You Be Barbie: Toward a Transformational Theology of Personhood." Join us as we discuss our identities, God, and Barbie with Rev. Rebecca Hoover. More information.

Theology with a Twist meets at Kutztown Tavern at 272 W Main St, Kutztown. We gather in the upper room of the tavern the first Tuesday of each month for a time of learning and discussion about a variety of spiritual, religious, and theological topics presented by local experts. The event is free. Food and drink can be purchased in the restaurant downstairs.

From the Addiction & Recovery Taskforce: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

In 2021, it was estimated that 235,515 grandparents were responsible for their grandchildren in Pennsylvania (Grandfacts). A 2017 report noted that Pennsylvania grandparents were caring for approximately 195,000 children, which was 7.5 percent of all children in our state. Over 20 percent of these grandparents were living below the poverty level. (PA House of Representatives) Drug and alcohol abuse is one of the principal causes for these non-parent families. Parents can be deceased, incarcerated or otherwise incapable of raising children. The economic, emotional, physical and legal demands on these grandparents can be overwhelming.

The PA House has resources for these families. These are being distributed at the PSEC fall association meetings. Links to these resources will be posted on the Addiction and Recovery PSEC webpage this month.

Check out the latest

Global H.O.P.E. email from UCC

The Global H.O.P.E. email (Humanitarian. Opportunities. Progress. Empowerment.) email from the UCC's Wider Church Ministries is now available. Read about:

• new Minister for Disaster Response and Recovery named
• Church holds 'Saturday of Service' as part of Rally Weekend
• and more

Read the Global H.O.P.E. email here and use the button in the upper left corner to subscribe to receive future emails.

Register now for PSEC 2023 Fall Meeting

The 2023 Fall Meeting will be held Nov. 12 as a hybrid meeting — join us online OR we would love to have you in person at St. Paul's UCC in Amityville (Douglassville). Come together with clergy and church delegates for worship and to do the business of our conference. The agenda includes OCWM 2023 report and approval of the 2024 Spending Plan and a presentation from the Keystone Study Group. Click here to register.

Registration opens at 2:00p. Refreshments will be available as you visit tables manned by some of the PSEC Committees. The meeting will be from 3:00-5:00p.

Town Hall Discussions set on Keystone Project, Fall Meeting

Prior to Fall Meeting we are offering two opportunities to join Rev. Bill Worley and others in presentations about the work of the Keystone Study Group and the Fall meeting. There will be opportunities for questions. Town Halls will be Oct. 30 at 7:00p and Nov. 8 at 2:00p. (Click the date you would like to attend to register.)

Conversation planned: Are you being called to ministry?

Have you ever had the experience of leading worship and felt that you were called to do more of it? Has anyone ever said to you that you should think about being a pastor? Discussions around these questions and what it means to be “called” were part of a conversation that began this summer. That conversation continues. You need not have attended the first session to join this one. On Oct. 25 at 7:00p on Zoom, we will hear more brief stories of people who have answered the call to serve the church in this specific way and reflect on what we’ve discerned since the first session. For more information, click here.

PSEC's Annual Bookkeeper/ Treasurer FREE training

Saturday, Oct. 14, 9:00-11:00 on Zoom

Do you have questions about 1099 reporting? How about financial reporting to your Board or Consistory? Do you understand housing allowance? Cash basis vs accrual basis? Do you have Balance Sheet or Income Statement questions? Email tammie@psec.org your intention to attend and bring your questions! Click here for a flyer to share.

Lay Leadership Support

Group via Zoom!

A Lay Leadership Support Group exists for church leaders. We gather once a month on Zoom -- so please join us at our next meeting Oct. 21 at 10:00a.

We have found it to be a great place to form new friendships, to gain support, and to be educated on a variety of topics concerning our churches. The discussions are centered around sharing valuable information about what our churches are doing or maybe could be doing. This meeting will be online to make ease of attendance for all! Click here to read about what we discussed over the summer.

All past attendees will receive an email with the Zoom link the Thursday prior to the meeting. If you are new to the group, reach out to Susan at the PSEC office at susan@psec.org to be added to the list.

Rev. Darryl Cruz installation at Ridge Valley UCC

Click the invitation below to download a PDF to share.

Faith-based security and resilience workshop scheduled

The PA Office of Homeland Security, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, PA Emergency Management Agency, State Police, the three Fusion Centers across the Commonwealth, Faith-based Information Sharing and Analysis Organization, and the Anti-Defamation League, is offering a virtual learning series to faith-based organizations on Oct. 11 from 1:00-3:30p. This learning series will focus on cybersecurity and developing your emergency action plan (1st of a 6-part learning series). For more information, click here for a flyer or click here to register.

Diversity training opportunities in Allentown, Reading

The Northeastern PA Synod ELCA is hosting Racial Justice, Diversity, and Cultural Competency Training for Church Leaders in October. On Tuesday, Oct. 17 from 9:00-3:00, the training will be offered at the Synod Office in Allentown. On Saturday, Oct. 21 from 9:00-3:00, the training will be offered at Trinity Lutheran Church in Reading. Registration is $25 and includes lunch. For more information and to register, click here.

Continuing ed opportunity: Prayer webinar lecture set

The 2023 Sawitski Lecture "Imaging God, Imaging Ourselves: The Exercise of Prayer" on Saturday, Oct. 14 from 10:00a to noon (Arizona time). The event will feature keynote by Rev. Rachel Hackenburg and the poet Tina Datsko de Sanchez. Desert Garden UCC invites you to this free webinar lecture. This is the 4th Sawitski Memorial Lecture, in recognition of the Rev. Dr. Samuel Sawitski, our former pastor, and his passion for teaching. Two hours of continuing education hours will be available for clergy. Click here to register.

Register to view Installation of the UCC's 10th President

Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson will be installed on Friday, Oct. 20 at 5:00p in Lakewood, Ohio. The service will be livestreamed. More info and registration are available at ucc.org/gmp-installation.

This email is brought to you by your generous gifts to OCWM (Our Church's Wider Mission)! Thank you!