Important This Week

• Include Communitas about Keystone Project in your church's bulletin
• Rev. Dr. James Mills Sr. to be installed at Wentz's UCC on Sunday
• Pension Boards releases 2024 insurance rate changes

From the Conference Minister:

Jesus said, “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.     Matthew 18

This is one of the most, if not the most, helpful of Jesus’ teachings for faithful Christian communities to thrive in spiritual aliveness. There can be no authentic, healthy community without accountability to the life-giving values and convictions that form the healthy core of who we are.

One of the things that plagues most of our local churches and is the inability or unwillingness to handle confrontation and/or deep disagreement accountability requires. I’ve seen some of our churches be totally undone by refusing to engage in conversation and decision making about the behaviors or the bullies that kill the spirit of community. It can be devastating- and not just to attendance and finances. It’s devastating to the witness of the church and to those who are the victims of the unrestrained.

In Matthew 18 Jesus gives a clear blueprint for how our communities might be holy places where holy relationships can flourish. It’s something that we need to practice until it is so ingrained in our DNA, we can’t imagine living another way.

Because, for Jesus, there isn’t another way.

With prayers that we find our way together,

Pastor Bill

Rev. Bill Worley

Conference Minister

Important Communitas: Please include in Sunday bulletins

On Sept. 1, a letter detailing the Keystone Study Group's work and their exploration of a four-conference merger was mailed (through USPS) to all PSEC authorized ministers and consistory/council presidents. That letter is published in this Sunday's Communitas bulletin insert. We ask that your church share Communitas especially this weekend. The insert is available in multiple PDF formats, Microsoft Word, and as a JPEG on our website, listed under the Sunday's date.

Rev. Dr. James Mills Sr. installation at Wentz's UCC

Click the invitation below to download a PDF to share.

Register: Cultivating Generous Congregations Seminar

The Cultivating Generous Congregations seminar for pastors and leaders offers an opportunity to explore faithful, practical, and tested ways to promote generosity in our congregations. Be sure to recruit at least a team of two for this program. This is a virtual seminar on the following Mondays from 7:30-9:00p: Sept. 18, Oct. 2, Oct. 16, Oct. 30, Nov. 13, and Nov. 27. Registration is open until Sept. 13. For more details and to register, click here.

Old First Reformed UCC opening permanent housing

Old First House in Philadelphia will offer thirty-four permanent supportive homes for formerly homeless individuals. The development is a collaboration between Community Ventures, Depaul USA, and the Old First Reformed UCC.

The Church, founded in 1727, donated a portion of its historic Old City campus for the development and partnered with Community Ventures because of their expertise in building low-income housing and working with community groups.

The construction phase is estimated to take about 14 months and once completed, the development will be located in the Old City neighborhood in Philadelphia at the corner of 4th and Race Streets. The project represents a unique opportunity to provide safe, stable, and deeply affordable homes in the city’s highest-income zip code, close to transportation, healthcare services, and amenities. This new housing development is an extension of the homeless outreach program which Old First Reformed UCC has been carrying out since 1984.

Read More

Pension Boards release 2024 rates and plan enhancements

The following premium rates and plan enhancements for the 2024 plan year will be effective Jan. 1. Continued participation in coalitions sponsored by the Church Benefits Association help the UCC Health Plan realize savings through collective purchasing power achieved in partnering with health benefits plans of other denominations.

Preliminary rate filings show that ACA Marketplace insurers are requesting a median premium increase of 6% for 2024. UCC Health Plan updates remain competitive with, or even lower than marketplace plans.

• UCC Non-Medicare Plan: 3% increase (no change to copays and deductibles)
• UCC Pharmacy Plan: No change to copays
• UCC Medicare Advantage Plan: 1.5% increase
• UCC Dental Plan: 4% increase
• UCC Vision Plan: No change
• UCC Life and Disability Plan: No change

For specific rates, please visit the 2024 Rate Locator web page.

The following benefit enhancements are also effective Jan. 1:

For the UCC Non-Medicare Plan: 

• Annual incentive increase from $300 to $500 for participation in Healthy Stewards Wellness Program
• $0 copay for Insulin
• $0 copay for Teladoc services

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:

• tips for creating basic disaster kits
• information about those impacted by Hawaii's wildfires and how to help
• information on grants
• 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.

UCC webinar: The Climate Strike Movement 5 years later

Five years have now passed from when Greta Thunberg and others launched a movement that reverberated around the world. The movement continues as organizers prepare for the March to End Fossil Fuels in New York City on Sept. 17. This webinar will feature faith-based organizers and activists who will reflect back on the movement and where we are today. Speakers will include Rev. Jim Antal, Aly Tharp, and Gabriela Martinez. Even if you cannot make the webinar at its scheduled time on Sept. 13 at 1:00p, still sign-up, and we will send you a link to a recording of it. Register now!

From the Addiction & Recovery Taskforce: Recovery

September is a month when persons in long-term recovery frequently celebrate their continuing successes with posts in social media. Faith communities may wish to take time to have individuals within their congregation bear witness to recovery milestones. A dialogue sermon with a person in long-term recovery is another way to bring the miracle of recovery into the foreground. Persons of Christian faith may also be especially interested in Life Recovery Groups and/or the popular Celebrate Recovery movement. 

Trauma Training Program Sept. 23rd and Sept. 30th

The Welcome Project PA, in partnership with Lakeside Global Institute and the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference, is pleased to offer professional trauma training modules for ministry leaders and volunteers in their respective contexts, to prepare them to better assist their constituents who have suffered trauma. The purpose of this program is to assist professionals in their caring for people who have suffered various forms of trauma, to create an awareness of the causes and consequences of trauma, and how it affects our human relationships and social interactions. Finally, this program strives to enable those who have suffered/continue to suffer from trauma, a path forward to progress and a way out of destructive cycles. Trauma 101 and 102 will cover the basics of trauma. The subsequent sessions with The Welcome Project PA and the PSEC will apply the trauma training to more specifically define, explore, and discuss religious trauma and its effects on individuals and faith communities. For more information and to register, click here.

Registration open for Men's Clergy Retreat in October

Clergymen, give yourself the gift of joining the PSEC/PNEC Clergy Men’s Retreat, Oct. 3-5. Take a step back from all the demands placed on you, step out of your comfort zone with friends you can trust, rest and spend time in nature. Engage in thoughtful conversation that will help give perspective on life’s biggest obstacles and have some fun. Guys from the Retreat Planning Committee will facilitate conversation based on Richard Reeves book Of Boys and Men. You don’t have to read the book to be on the retreat and our conversations will go far afield from that text. So feed your soul to strengthen your ministry this October at Kirkridge. Click here for more information and to register.

Save the date: 2024 Clergy Women's Retreat dates set

The 2024 Clergy Women's Retreat will be held from Jan. 16 at 4:00p until Jan. 18 at noon at Mariawald Retreat Center in Shillington. Please mark your calendars to save the date and watch future eNews emails for more registration information.

Installation of the UCC's 10th General Minister and President

The Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson will be installed on Friday, Oct. 20 at 5:00p at the Lakewood Congregational Church in Lakewood, Ohio. The service will be livestreamed. More information is available now at ucc.org/gmp-installation. Details about the livestream and registration with be coming soon.

Rev. Dr. Thompson was elected General Minister and President at the 34th General Synod on July 3 in Indianapolis. She is the first woman to serve as GMP of the UCC. She took office on Aug. 1.

September is National Preparedness Month

September is National Preparedness Month (NPM). Launched in 2004, NPM is FEMA’s annual preparedness outreach campaign. NPM is sponsored by FEMA’s Ready Campaign, which aims to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to all types of emergencies. The 2023 theme for National Preparedness Month is “Preparing for Older Adults.” The campaign will focus on preparing older adults for disaster, specifically older adults from communities that are disproportionally impacted by the all-hazard events which continue to threaten the nation. Older adults can face greater risks when it comes to extreme weather events and emergencies, especially if they are living alone, are low-income, have a disability, or live in rural areas.

FEMA has provided this NPM Toolkit, that includes templates and drafts of newsletter articles, blogs, posters, and other collateral material that you can use in various outreach efforts.

The UCC Disaster Ministries “Home Page” also offers disaster planning tools and resources. 

Upcoming Training events

Registration is open for:

Basic Boundary Training on Sept. 14 in Schuylkill Haven. More info

Advanced Boundary Training (Managing Pastoral Transitions) on Sept. 27 on Zoom (or view the recording of the event and complete a one-page synopsis). More info

Advanced Boundary Training (From Gutenberg to ChatGPT: Tools, ethics, technology and best practices in the life of Church) on Oct. 18 on Zoom. More info

Diversity Training on Nov. 8 on Zoom (or view the recording of the event and complete a one-page synopsis). Click here

Neighbors in Need offering materials available

In 2023, the Neighbors in Need “BEHOLD!” theme continues. This year’s focus is on environmental justice. Plastics, electronics, and other non-compostable wastes are being shipped across, and even tossed into, our waterways, launched into space, and buried in landfills. As people of faith, we believe these egregious acts are sinful and unholy. We must be better stewards of our planet!

Please join us in promoting this year’s NIN campaign at your church! Many churches will collect the offering on Oct. 1, as part of World Communion Sunday. Free resources available to download or print assets at UCC Resources webpage.

Register now for the Partners in Building Conference

Church Building & Loan Fund is excited to invite you to Partners in Building, a two-day virtual conference on Sept. 21-22 hosted to connect church leaders with the resources they need to effectively repurpose, finance and manage their properties.

Some highlights of the conference include:

• Resources on repurposing, financing and managing church-owned property
• Connections with CBLF staff and loan partners, capital fundraising executives, building professionals and other experts
• Presentations and workshops on a wide range of topics, including how to incorporate property into your church’s vision and future

Click here for more information and to register. The early bird registration fee is available until Friday, Aug. 25.

Upcoming PA Academy of Ministry classes announced

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Sept. 11 - Oct. 30. Online on Zoom

Eight Mondays from 6:00-9:00p

Join Rev. Roberta Kearney for classes for clergy, lay leaders, and congregation members. The ecumenical evening classes are designed to enhance or develop skills to teach Christian education. Even if you are not a teacher within your congregation, the understandings of different learning styles, the relationship between age and learning, the importance of identifying teaching moments, and the actual practice of teaching are valuable components of this class. From children's chats to adult education, teaching can take so many forms that require a range of skills that you will learn in this series of classes.

Click here to register. Cost is $275 for the series of eight online classes. 2.5 CEUs.

Other classes coming up include:

• Moral Injury and Veterans Ministry (starting in November)
• Introduction to Preaching (starting in January)
• Preaching & Worship through the Year (in the spring)

For more info, visit the PAM webpage.

Lay Leadership courses scheduled for the fall

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.

Discerning Our Mission

How do we go about reaching out to the world in the name of Christ? This course on Mission will meet for three sessions at Saint James United Church of Christ, 321 S Limerick Rd, Limerick, on Saturday afternoons from 12:30-2:30 as follows:

• October 7 - What is mission?
• October 28 - Local mission
• November 4 - Global mission

This course will be led by Dr. Charles A. Maxfield, a minister of the United Church of Christ, with a Ph.D. in Church History with an emphasis on mission history. Click here for more information and to register.