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Important This Week
- Register for the first Church Social Media workshop set for next week!
- VA Community Mental Health summit set for Philadelphia.
- Check out the latest addition to the PSEC summer reading list.
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First church social media workshop set for next week
In today's ever-evolving landscape, if your congregation doesn't have a healthy social media presence, you are practically irrelevant to half of the population. Many churches hesitate to be active on social because they're afraid of the unknown and feel unequipped to launch into this deep abyss. Every congregation, with very little money and some serious elbow grease can -- and should -- have a very active presence on social media. During this three hour workshop, you will learn how.
There are three opportunities to participate in this workshop. Each session will offer the same information. It is best for churches to attend in groups and each group should have a laptop. Wifi will be provided. If you don't have a laptop, a smartphone will do. Click on the event date to register.
- Sept. 7 at Zion Blue Mountain, Strausstown
- Sept. 28 at Church of the Good Shepherd, Boyertown
- Oct. 5 at Grace Trinity UCC, Philadelphia
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VA Community Mental Health Summit set for Philadelphia
The 2019 Community Mental Health Summit will be held Tuesday, Sept. 10 from 7:45a-1:00p at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz (Philadelphia) VA Medical Center. The purpose of the Mental Health Summit is to enhance the mental health and well-being of Veterans and their family members through increased collaboration between the VA and the community. A resource fair will be a large portion of the Summit to facilitate active dialogue, exchange of information and collaboration. For more info and to RSVP,
click here
.
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PS
EC summer reading list:
"Vintage Saints & Sinners"
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I admit it; I'm a sucker for stories of Christian heroes, people struggling to live lives of faith and courage that can serve as examples to the rest of us. Karen Wright Marsh chooses some very well known people, like St. Francis, but who are A. Z. Tozer and Mary Paik Lee? I learned that Dietrich Bonhoeffer was concerned that others viewed him as strong, but he saw his very human struggles and weaknesses. A. Z. Tozer was known as an inspiring preacher and writer, yet "his seven children went unnoticed by their father, the iconic preacher secluded in his office praying to the Lord," page 73.
Living the Christian life is both easier and harder than one imagines it will be. The author connects her own struggles with those of the twenty-five Christians who are all a mixture of saint and sinner, strong and weak. This is a light summer read, one that would be at home in a church library where everyday people could find they are not so unusual in their longing to be faithful, and at the same time find themselves struggling with how to live out their Christian calling. Spoiler alert: the story of Mary Paik Lee will break your heart at the family journeys from a position of being able to offer hospitality to Christian missionaries in Korea, to a life filled with needless suffering because, as Korean immigrants to the United States, they could not find work or food.
Rev. Jane Kropa
Pastor, Huff's Union Church, Alburtis
Have a book to recommend for other clergy and lay leaders? Email
brea@psec.org
a 100-200 word description of the book and why you're recommending it and we'll add it to the summer reading list and share your recommendation in eNews. Check out all of the books that have been recommended at
psec.org/booklist
.
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Register now for 2019 Ventures Retreat at Mariawald
Ventures, in its 44th year, is a retreat for all ages. It is a time of faith, Bible study, worship, fellowship and fun! Come to Mariawald Retreat Center, Sept. 24-26 and experience a beautifully relaxed and peaceful setting. This year’s theme is "Hear Me - Is God Listening". For a flyer,
click here
. To register,
click here
.
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Save the date for a Clergy Blessing and Open House
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Sept. is National Preparedness Month - get ready now
National Preparedness Month is held in September every year. It is a chance to prepare yourself, your family, and your church for whatever disasters will bring you. An opportunity to look forward and not live in the past. Embrace a changing world and prepare for whatever may come your way. Use this
National Preparedness Month toolkit
to educate yourself and your church. Make a National Preparedness Month resolution to check your food stocks and your insurance coverage. Resolve to start a disaster savings account, personally and at church. Join a local CERT team or start a CERT team at church. Volunteer to help disaster victims at home or far away. Teach your kids or grandkids how to put together their very own go-kit. Don’t be afraid to change your habits, no matter how nostalgic the “old days” may feel.
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Disaster Preparedness workshop for churches
A Disaster Preparedness Workshop for Churches and Their Leaders will be held Saturday, Sept. 28 from 9:00a-4:00p at Jordan UCC, Allentown. Cost of the workshop is $15/person. For more info including how to register,
click here
.
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Register for September Diversity Awareness Training
In 2017, the PSEC Church and Ministry Council made Diversity Awareness Training mandatory for all authorized ministers. Clergy must take at least one three-hour training every three years. If you are an authorized minister who did not complete the training, you should sign up for the training on
Thursday, Sept. 26
from 10a-1p at Armenian Martyrs' Congregational Church, Havertown.
Click here
for more information and to register.
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E&R Historical Society Annual Meeting set for September
Join the Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society on Saturday, Sept. 21 in celebrating the bicentennial of the birth of Philip Schaff (1819-1893). Dr. Lee Barrett, professor of Theology at Lancaster Theological Seminary, will present a sketch of
Schaff's
life which will set a context for this celebration. Elizabeth A. Clark, the John Carlisle Kilgo professor emeritus of Religion at Duke University, is keynote speaker, sharing "Transatlantic Mentoring: Philip Schaff and Arthur Cushman McGiffert." For more info,
click here
.
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Consistory Presidents gathering coming on Sept. 21
As Presidents of Consistory (or other governing body of your church), we have opportunity and roadblocks facing us at all times. Our goal is to brainstorm, support, pray, laugh, and learn together in a confidential environment, so that we are strengthened to build healthy, vibrant, and faithful churches. There is no fee to attend. The next meeting will be Sept. 21 from 9:00-11:00a. The location has changed to St John's Gernant's UCC, 12 Gernants Church Road, Leesport.
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Church Events
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Educational Opportunities
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Missed a week? Read past eNews here:
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