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Important This Week
- Rev. Nishan Bakalian featured in tomorrow's Global Ministries webinar
- Computer-side Chat on Bivocational Ministry tonight
- Rev. Dionne Boyice installation at St. James, Havertown this Sunday
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From the Conference Minister:
he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” 32But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.
Mark 9:31-32
I could not begin to count the number of times I did not ask a question because I was afraid to reveal my ignorance. The certain knowledge that there is no such thing as a stupid question doesn't always push me past my fear. And then there are the times when I just don’t want to know the answer for it might change how I think about the world or how I live in it. ‘Better the devil you know than the devil you don't’ goes the old adage.
In this case, however, the devil the disciples do know is keeping them from a deeper knowing of the holy one in their midst. Fortunately, Jesus is never one to miss a teachable moment that comes from confrontation. He steers into their discomfort with the question “What were you arguing about on the way?”
We in the church spend a good deal of time working at not having the difficult or uncomfortable conversations that keep us from a deeper knowing of the Holy One in our midst. Granted, the roller coaster ride of the pandemic has given many of us more opportunities for difficult conversations than we could have ever wanted and in many places, this has shown a bright light on our limitations to do what Jesus does. Our faithful and effective movement into an uncertain future hangs on our capacity to name fears, to ask hard questions and to claim God's creative presence in the process.
May we make it so in the strength of the Spirit,
Pastor Bill
Rev. Bill Worley
Conference Minister
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Tomorrow's Global Ministries webinar to feature PSEC pastor
For the last two years, Rev. Nishan Bakalian, the former pastor at Armenian Martyrs Congregational Church in Havertown, in the Philadelphia Association has been serving with his wife Maria as a Global Ministry partner with the Union of Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East in Beirut, Lebanon. He and Maria are back in the states to share perspectives on their ministry for the next several months. You can learn about some of those via this Global Ministries webinar happening TOMORROW!
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TONIGHT: Computer-side Chat: Bivocational Ministry!
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Bivocational ministry! Come and hear what it is and what it isn’t. Bivocational ministry has been around as long as the church has been in existence. The early disciples were tent makers and involved in a vocation of ministry that extended beyond what people think is a church vocation.
Come and engage in a conversation with our very own Tammie Wisniewski and hear how she is not only serving on Conference Staff, but also pastors a congregation and works in an accounting office. ALL of that is her vocational/ministerial life.
Join us Tuesday Sept. 14, 7-8 pm. Email brea@psec.org to receive the Zoom link.
October we will be talking with a pastor who is engaged in ministry with two congregations in a SHARED MINISTRY.
November we will be talking with a pastor who is engaged in a ministry with two congregations who are SHARING a MINISTER.
Hope to see you on these Computer Side Chat Zooms.
Rev. Dr. Susan Miniasian
Interim Associate Conference Minister
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This week: Rev. Dionne Boyice installation at St. James UCC
Click the invitation below to download a PDF to share.
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Boundary Training this week from Penn Central Conference
10am is IN PERSON only at St. Thomas on Linglestown Road, Harrisburg. 6pm is ZOOM only, register for the meeting link.
September 15: 10am (Register) and 6pm (Register) – Power and the Pastoral Office with Rev. Nora Foust. Drawing from writings of Karen Lebacqz and Richard Gula, we will explore some of the aspects of the professional power that comes with the pastoral office. The power that pastors have is often understated and misunderstood. The pastoral relationship is one of unequal power between minister and congregant. Unequal power does not necessarily indicate abuse, but it is something for us to consider with some regularity and intentionality.
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Webinar on disaster response: 'Muck and Gut' training
On Sept. 22, Lutheran Disaster Response will host a 2-hour webinar on the basic issues that need to be addressed before starting the Muck and Gut of a home impacted by a disaster. The training will include safety issues that need to be assessed before, during, and after the clean out of a home, and some steps that can prevent the damage of a residence in freezing temperatures and other steps that can be taken to reduce damage. Click here to register.
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Copyright Concerns for Ministries webinar this month
The Insurance Board will host "Copyright Concerns for Ministries" at 2:00p Sept. 29. During these challenging times, ministries rely heavily on the virtual environment and various electronic mediums to share the printed forms of inspiring poetry, quotes from prayer books and daily affirmations, as well as song lyrics during worship and through other forms of ministry. As a result, some ministries are shocked to find they are in violation of copyright infringement; join us as Heather Kimmel, UCC General Counsel, offers information on how to help your ministry avoid this situation. Click here for more info.
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Zion Blue Mountain UCC helps following recent flooding
Zion Blue Mountain UCC in Strausstown distributed 13 cleanup buckets in the northern part of our conference earlier this month following the flooding from Hurricane Ida. Read about their mission work in this article by Rev. Jason Stump.
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Spiritual life workshops for lay leaders starting this week
A course on Spiritual Life will meet at Trinity UCC, Telford on Saturday mornings from 9:00-11:00 as follows:
- Sept. 18 - Spiritual growth through congregational worship
- Oct. 9 - Spiritual growth through personal disciplines
- Oct. 30 - 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 for the three sessions. Registration is on a first-come basis. For more information including how to register, click here.
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Free Science and Religious symposium coming
Palmer Theological Seminary would like to welcome you to a two-day symposium on science and religion on our St. David's campus at Eastern University. Admission is free and the event will be livestreamed as well.
The symposium comes as part of Palmer’s selection to participate in the Science for Seminaries project. The project is made possible by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) through their Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion (DoSER) program, in partnership with the Association of Theological Schools (ATS).
Highlighting the work of professors, scientists, chaplains, nurses, students, and activists in the fields of astronomy, medicine, and ecotheology, each session will feature a student essay contest, a panel of local experts, and a special keynote speaker.
This event will be of value to local ministers as well as their congregations. If you have any questions email the director, Rev. Zack Jackson at zjackson@eastern.edu.
Friday, October 1 from 2-5p
Jennifer Wiseman: “Galaxies, Stars, Black Holes, and Life: A Universe of Awe and Inspiration”
Dr. Wiseman is an Astrophysicist, Author, and Director of DoSER.
Saturday, October 2 from 9am-12:30p
Dr. Devan Stahl: "The Great Physician: Navigating Trust in Medicine and Faith in Miracles”
Dr. Devan Stahl is Assistant Professor of Religion at Baylor University.
Saturday, October 2 from 2-5p
Melanie Harris: "All Creation Groans: Ecotheology and Climate Justice”
Dr. Melanie Harris is Professor of Black Feminist Thought and Womanist Theology at Wake Forest School of Divinity.
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From the Addiction & Recovery Taskforce:
Faith-based resources
There are many resources for congregations interested in working on addiction and recovery. A good website for information in Pennsylvania is pastop.org. They publish a short Faith-based organization toolkit. The Addiction and Recovery taskforce has received enough copies of the toolkit for all congregations in PSEC. You can access one immediately on the pastop.org website.
Faith-based organization are seen as champions of community care. We are seen as a resource for those in need far beyond our own congregational members. As such, PAStop is reaching out to us to help. To quote from their website:
“The Commonwealth Prevention Alliance (CPA) recognizes that drug and alcohol prevention programs have been working in collaboration with faith-based organizations (FBOS) effectively in many parts of Pennsylvania. The purpose of this tool kit is to provide faith-based leaders with consistent, accurate information to assist members of their congregations who may be dealing with substance misuse, treatment, and recovery.”
Sections of the toolkit deal with state and local resources, what you need to know, programs that can help and what you congregation can do.
Educate yourself and your congregation on how you can reach out to people in need and their families.
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Save the Date: Zachariah Walker Racial Justice Symposium |
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2022 Pension Board rates, PSEC guidelines now available
The Pension Boards UCC announced that in 2022, the price of Health Insurance will increase by 5%. There will be no changes to Dental and Vision benefits cost in 2022.
Additionally, the Conference Consistory has approved a 3% salary increase for Conference Compensation Guidelines. To view the 2022 guidelines, click here.
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Sign up for the Men's Clergy Retreat in October
"Releasing Your Inner Warrior" will be the theme of the 2021 Men's Clergy Retreat being held at Kirkridge Retreat Center in Bangor, PA. The event, taking place Oct 5-7 (Tues-Thurs) will be a mixture of worship, small group discussions and relaxation! The facilitator of the group will be Rev. Dr. Tom Johnson, UCC Pastor and co-founder of The Neighborhood Academy. Full vaccination is required to attend. For event flyer, click here. To register, click here.
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Free Lay Boundary Training event coming this month
Boundary Training is not just for Pastors... it also pertains to members of churches! Your church should be safe for all congregants. On Sept. 29 at 6:30p, "Lay Boundary Training" will be held on Zoom. Discussion will include: healthy boundaries, varieties and levels of seriousness of boundary crossings and the psychological health we all need to establish boundaries. Click here for a flyer. This training is free thanks to your OCWM contributions. Click here to sign up.
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Continuing Ed: Leading Transformational Ministry
The Office of Continuing Education at Princeton Theological Seminary would like to invite you to a new online course, Leading Transformational Ministry, taught by United Methodist Bishop Peter Weaver. This intensive online course will explore planning and leading transformational ministry, especially in our current times.
Leading Transformational Ministry will meet Monday through Friday, Sept. 20-24 from 9:00a to noon. The course fee is $150. Click here to learn more about this course.
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UCC issues appeal for
severe storm recovery
More than 20 U.S. states from the South to the Northeast are reeling from the impact of Hurricane Ida and its sizeable remnants with catastrophic water and wind damage, including significant power outages. Both short- and long-term recovery needs will be massive, with damage estimates in the billions of dollars. UCC Disaster Ministries issued an appeal to help support recovery. For more info or to contribute, click here.
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Neighbors in Need special offering materials available
The 2021 Neighbors in Need “Unfailing Love” offering is focused on supporting organizations and projects serving our homeless and immigrant neighbors and communities. One-third of NIN funds support the Council for American Indian Ministry (CAIM). Two-thirds of this offering is used by the UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries (JWM) to provide funding grants to UCC churches and organizations leading justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects in their communities. Most churches collect the offering on Oct. 3 as part of World Communion Sunday, but contributions can be made at any time. Click here for all the NIN 2021 information and PDF downloads. Or order these print items for your church free with free shipping: offering envelopes, 11"x17" glossy poster.
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Register: Building Church Differently training event |
You are invited to join the Church Building and Loan Fund on Sept. 22- 23 for Partners in Building (PIB) 2021. PIB is a multi-day training event, where leaders from congregations are invited to engage in various presentations and workshops.
PIB connects pastors and other church leaders with information on how to repurpose, finance, and manage church-owned property through presentations and workshops. Participants will have the opportunity to hear from and engage with experts including a variety of topics: Navigating Land Use, Repurposing Resources for Mission, Faith Based Entrepreneurs, Fund Raising, Social Media & Marketing and so much more.
At just $30 a ticket, you get access to a whole host of innovative faith leaders and transformative content. Click here to register.
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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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Classified Ads
Director of Christian Formation Position available in Glenside
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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Church Openings
- Allegheny UCC, Mohnton (Sunday supply)
- Bern Reformed UCC, Leesport (three-quarter time settled)
- Christ Delong, Bowers, and St. Peter's, Topton (3/4-time interim)
- New Goshenhoppen Reformed UCC, East Greenville (settled senior pastor)
- 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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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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