Important This Week

• Sign up for 2024 Communities of Practice.
• Basic and Advanced Boundary training opportunities
• Word of caution related to church donations

From the Conference Minister:

Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.

So began Mary's period of anxious waiting. She joins a long line of waiting ancestors, like the Psalmist who describes the soul waiting for God “more than watchmen for the morning.” She waits with Elizabeth who is doing her own miraculous waiting. Wise men wait patiently for guidance from an unusual star. Simeon “looks forward to the consolation of Israel.” All this waiting redeemed by people holding space for the mystical to become visible.

Margaret Renkl, in a thoughtful New York Times article observed, The utter deliciousness of waiting is a feeling we rarely allow ourselves as adults. For us, waiting is too often merely the terrible kind of uncertainty. The waiting for biopsy results, or whether we’ll be in the next round of layoffs, or news of family in a town hit hard by disaster. Is it because we know what children do not? The melancholy of Christmas afternoon, the whiff of sorrow lurking behind every joy as surely as joy waits at the edges of every sorrow? (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/18/opinion/christmas-holidays-memories.html)

It's easy to get stuck there — in a terrible kind of uncertainty. There are constant invitations to do so from social media and the latest news cycle. The news was just as bad, governments just as oppressive, people constantly at war with each other, religion and politics as divisive in the days of the shepherds, magi, and angels. The pregnant pauses between each verse of the Christmas story echo the quiet courage of a young couple holding space for the divine to manifest. In the midst of uncertainty, they teach us the sacred art of waiting.

In the pauses between promises and their fulfillment, may you and I both discover a depth of presence that transforms waiting from a passive interlude to a sacred pilgrimage — a journey where every step is pregnant with the possibility of encountering the divine.

Wishing you the best of Incarnation blessings,

Pastor Bill

Rev. Bill Worley

Conference Minister

Join a 2024 Community of Practice

PSEC started its first Communities of Practice groups in 2014. The program gives clergy a chance to come together for support and learning. The groups meet monthly to “check-in” and learn and share about a chosen topic or issue. There is an annual $250 fee for participants to cover the cost of the facilitator and any other program costs. We ask that congregations pay this fee. (Scholarships may be available for churches/clergy with financial difficulties.)

Over the past few years, we have created several affinity groups – clergy nearing retirement, young clergy, racial justice accountability, interims, Members in Discernment – and also traditional groups. Some groups meet virtually on Zoom, others in person, and some vary between the two.

All Communities of Practice:

• meet monthly
• check-in with one another, sharing joys and concerns
• offer a CONFIDENTIAL outlet for seeking guidance or for sharing grievances
• share a short worship or devotion time
• join together for book studies, continuing education, case studies, or some other educational component

The program has been very successful and each year we create more groups. This year, sign ups are available for four groups. Descriptions are below and you can sign up here. The deadline to register is Wednesday, Dec. 20. If you are already in a group and do not plan to change your group, you do not need to complete this form.

If you have any questions about Communities of Practice or joining a group, contact Brea Rarick at brea@psec.org or 484-949-8774 ext. 311.

Best Practices for Church Growth

This group is for pastors interested in shepherding their congregations through an intentional process of church development. There will be readings and possible guest speakers from a variety of approaches to church growth and development. The group meets one Wednesday a month, usually from 11:00-1:00. Half of the meetings are at St. Paul’s UCC, Amityville, and the others are "field trips" to the members' churches. Rev. Steven Simpson facilitates this group.

Living as a Contemplative in Action

The Synod resolution of course got things rolling: this then became the theme of the PSEC spring meeting in 2022 (which I helped plan and lead); which then led to my being asked to do a Continuing Ed workshop for Penn Central; which then led to my leading a retreat for St. Gabriel’s Episcopal – all on the spiritual goal of living this contemplative/active life!

And it delights me that this has not been my first exposure to living as a contemplative in action: this is a part of Ignatian spirituality, dating back hundreds of years. My spiritual direction training was Ignatian-inspired, and I have since done a fair amount of teaching on Ignatian spiritual practices.

It feels that the time is right for a new C of P group, one focused on how we can live and support one another, as we are transformed by grace into living as contemplatives in action.

A new Community of Practice — Living as a Contemplative in Action — will get underway in January 2024. Through conversation and experiential learning, the group will explore this call to a lived way of ministry. While living as a contemplative in action may, within the UCC, feel “new,” the term dates back hundreds of years. This way of life is a part of Ignatian spirituality, as well as other spiritual traditions. And of course, Jesus himself remains our model.

This Community will be facilitated by Janeen Adil. Janeen is Commissioned Minister of

Christian Spirituality in the Covenant Association, as well as a trained, experienced spiritual director and leader of workshops and retreats.

The group will meet on a Wednesday morning, from 9:00-11:00, with a commitment to gather at least 10 times during 2024. Meetings will at Janeen’s home in Robeson Twp.; during the winter months, though, we will be on Zoom.

Questions? Please contact Janeen at adil.birdsboro@gmail.com. And know that your decision is already being held in prayer!

Traditional Group

This traditional group has been meeting for several years, and now has openings for new members to join. They have done book studies in the past, but recently started watching movies, documentaries, and television episodes to discuss theologically as well as pastorally. Previous meetings were held on Friday afternoons, but the group is open to other days/times. The group meetings primarily on Zoom with one or two in-person meetings a year, usually near the Berks/Schuylkill County line. Rev. Gary Rarick facilitates this group.

New Traditional Group

This group is just beginning because most of our 13 groups do not have openings this year. The group will meet on Zoom and is open to all PSEC authorized ministers. Rev. Dr. Hilary Barrett will facilitate the group.

Important Message regarding church donations

Friends around the Conference have alerted us to individuals misrepresenting themselves (or their charities) in order to take advantage of the generous and open-hearted during this holiday season. Please do use care when making financial donations to potential ministry partners unknown or uncredentialed to you or the people of your congregation. And do alert the Conference office if you have an experience like this.

Winter Insurance Board newsletter now available

The winter issue of the Insurance Board's "The Steward" newsletter is now available. Topics covered in this issue include: climate change and its impact on insurance coverage, actions churches can take to mitigate climate change severity, and more. Click here to read the newsletter.

Apply now: Ministers'

Financial Vitality Initiative

UCC authorized ministers interested in joining the Ministers’ Financial Vitality Initiative for the 2024 cohort, follow this link to apply. Spaces are limited and requests will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis. MFVI is a three-year Faith and Finance program of the Pension Boards to Address Economic Challenges Facing Pastoral Leaders, which seeks to empower UCC ministers with financial tools and strategies to better manage their personal finances so they can serve their ministries more effectively. To learn more, read our Frequently Asked Questions. 

From the Addiction & Recovery Taskforce: Christmas prayer

WE THANK THEE GOD

For candlelight and spicy pine

 For holly wreaths and stars that shine

WE KNOW OH GOD

 Temptation lies

 Disguised in the "spirits" of the times

WE ASK OH GOD

 To give us eyes

 To see the Spirit of our Christ

 Of peace on earth and peace inside

SO LOVE CAN GESTATE

 Far and wide

 Among those lost this Christmas time

AMEN

CPE semi-intensive opening at Phoebe beginning in March

Phoebe Ministries will be holding a spring semi-intensive CPE unit beginning in March. The dates of the unit are March 11 to June 28. For more info, click here.

Online One-day Trauma Training Event

The Welcome Project PA, in partnership with Lakeside Global Institute and PSEC, 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 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. The training will be Jan. 13 from 9:00a-3:30p online. For info and to register, click here.

Registration open for 2024 Women's Clergy Retreat

Join us Jan. 16-18 for the Women's Clergy Retreat! This retreat will be centered around the things we hold and who holds us. Massages will be available for an additional fee. The retreat will take place at Mariawald Retreat Center in Reading. Modest linens/towels and simple meals are provided – you are welcome to bring snacks and drinks to share! Rooms are double occupancy and cost $130 – space is limited! For more information and to register, click here.

PSEC 2023 Giving Cut-Off

Books of the PSEC will close Jan. 22. All OCWM contributions for 2023 must be in our office by that date or they will be counted towards 2024 contributions. Please mail your contributions as soon as possible due to possible mail delays.

Advanced training: Boundaries for Part-time Pastors

Through a mixture of presentations, case studies, and discussion, Rev. Kevin McLemore will lead a training Jan. 24 on the particular boundaries for pastors who are serving a congregation on a part-time basis. Issues around time management and time limitations, keeping to the tasks outlined in a call agreement, and how to set those boundaries earlier (and sometimes later) in the ministry, will be discussed. Whether you are currently serving on a part-time basis or think you may do so at some point in the future, this workshop will be a useful resource for managing the challenges of serving a congregation in a part-time capacity. For information and to register, click here.

Book Study on Simon Wiesenthal's The Sunflower

Tuesday evenings in February, PSEC will hold an online book study for clergy and laypersons on the book The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness by Simon Wiesenthal. Participation is free and will constitute 3.75 hours of continuing education for clergy. Click here for more information and to register.

Disaster response continues in Berks; seeking paid help

PSEC is partnering with our ecumenical partners in responding to the summer flooding in Berks County. We had volunteers who supported the Multi Agency Resource Center in July at the Exeter Municipal Building, helped make call backs to survivors, and/or played a critical role at the mobile outreach center in the Antietam Pool Parking lot in November.

Funding has been found to help with materials for repairs from Pennsylvania Housing Finance Administration Berks Community Action Program (BCAP). The national setting of the UCC is providing 2 Partners in Service to manage volunteers and construction supervision. St. Paul's UCC, Amityville, is helping to manage a grant from the national UCC as well.

To help survivors navigate the available resources, high quality disaster case management is necessary. The Lutheran Disaster Response program of Lutheran Congregational Services has received funding to provide disaster case management services. Therefore, they are seeking to recruit three part time paid contract case managers. It is projected that these positions will last 6 months to a year. Please read the Position Description and consider applying for one of these positions. Being fluent in both Spanish and English is helpful.

If you want to learn more, contact Julia Frank, Director of Community Outreach, 

Lutheran Congregational Services, 215-430-1299 or jfrank@libertylutheran.org.

Registration open now for

2024 Clergy Convocation

Registration is now open for Clergy Convocation, May 7-9 in Lancaster. Open to UCC clergy in Pennsylvania, our time together will focus on rest, renewal, connection and healing. Healing in our ministries and our world often begins with healing within. We know how important it is for clergy to have time away from their ministry settings and to find support. There will be time dedicated for worship, reflection, gathering of affinity groups, and free time. Click here for more information, a tentative agenda, and registration.

UCC webinar: Climate Action Commissioning Service

The UCC Council for Climate Justice is convening a Climate Action Commissioning Service as members launch into advancing climate justice in 2024. The preacher for this event will be Nellis Kennedy-Howard who once worked as the Co-Executive Director of Honor the Earth in addition to later working as the Sierra Club’s Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Justice. Sign-up to join us online on Jan. 3 at 1 pm.

Basic Boundary Training opportunities in 2024

Next year the Lehigh Presbytery will host Basic Boundary Training for the regional agreement PSEC is part of. The trainings will be "Not-Your-Average Boundaries Training", tailored to focus on strategies to foster clergy emotional resiliency and well-being. The trainings will be split over two days and held on Zoom. Cost is $65. The trainings will be held Jan. 31 and Feb. 1; May 7 and 8; and Oct. 15 and 16. For more information, click here for a flyer with registration link. Spots are open to 40 people per class, so register soon.

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