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Important This Week
- Today is the last day to register for Thursday's Diversity Training.
- Tomorrow is the last day to register for this weekend's "Jesus Tweet" event in Boyertown.
- Register by Monday for the Men's Clergy Retreat next month.
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From the Conference Minister: How do you use your resources?
19“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table…"
Luke 16:19-31
I am not one for quoting movies in sermons (or reflections). But the words of Scottish commoner William Wallace from
Braveheart
came to mind pondering this week’s lectionary gospel text. Speaking to wealthy nobles he says,
“There's a difference between us. You think the people of this country exist to provide you with position. I think your position exists to provide those people with freedom. And I go to make sure that they have it.”
Were the rich man in Jesus’ story to have used his position to provide the poor man freedom from want and/or fear he would not have ended up in Hades calling out for mercy. Which begs the question in this stewardship season of harvest and plenty -- how do we use what we have as a leverage for the good of God’s people? How do we leverage what we in church have for those suffering from opium addiction laying at our gates? How do we leverage what we have in the care of the earth, the sustainer of all life, that is as disregard by some as the poor man by his rich neighbor? How do we use our position, and where we have it, our privilege for the freedom of all?
I have asked a similar question preaching at church anniversaries this fall. How do you, church, leverage the resources accumulated over the years (often hundreds of years) in a faith that reaches back to Abraham to affect your local and global community? How do we in the present turn the dreams and hopes from the past into a long faithful, future witness? Freedom from the fear of scarcity and decline lies in taking the long view not only of a past in which God is so clearly evident but in a future where God is already active.
Our position in the church exists to provide people with freedom from all that would stand between them and God’s beloved community. We go to make sure they have it.
Prayers for you as you go,
Bill
Rev. William Worley
Conference Minister
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Rev. Dr. Wilson Finnery died earlier this year in Wisconsin
This week, we were informed that Rev. Dr. Wilson Finnery died on April 24, 2019, at the age of 84.
Father and friend to many, Wilson J. Finnery, Jr., passed peacefully on 4/24/2019. Preceded in death by his wife of 40 years Jane A. Finnery (nee Miller), and his son, William Walter Finnery. He is survived by his son, Kevin (Jennifer), daughter Katie (Timothy), daughter Karla, son Kurt (Melissa), step-children Scott (Julie) Manning, Ted (Helena) Manning, Dawn (Regan) Myers and 25 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Funeral Services were private.
Rev. Dr. Finnery was a pastor and counselor and served settings in Nebraska, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania. He served St. John’s (Gernant’s) Church in Leesport from 1988 until his retirement in 1999.
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UCC Disaster Ministries supports work in Bahamas
Hurricane Dorian has left at least 50 dead, 2,500 reported missing and 13,000 homes severely damaged or destroyed on the Bahamas' Abaco and Grand Bahama islands - nearly 40 percent of all homes on the two islands. These numbers only begin to hint at the pain Dorian caused at the beginning of September. The Government of the Bahamas has requested help, including from NGOs and humanitarian organizations, to fill identified relief and recovery gaps.
Recognizing the scale of the emergency, a Rapid Assessment Team is being deployed through the ecumenical ACT Alliance, a 140-country coalition of churches and church-related organizations. The UCC is an ACT Alliance member, and its Disaster Ministries is supporting the assessment team both financially and with technical expertise. The assessment will identify needs of the affected population, assess local capacities to respond including those of churches, and provide recommendations for a possible ACT Response. The assessment team includes individuals with experience in island recovery and Creole language skills in order to be able to work with the Haitian population in the Bahamas.
Donations to support disaster work can be made through the
PSEC website
by indicating "Disaster Response" in the next to "Emergency Offerings."
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Spirituality and Sustainability Colloquium set in WestChester
On Oct. 3, the 2nd Spirituality and Sustainability Colloquium will be hosted at West Chester University at 7pm in the Sykes Student Union Theater. Guest speaker, Dr. Catherine Keller, is a professor of constructive theology at the Theological School of Drew University whose work attends to matters of social and ecological justice, postmodern philosophy, and ecofeminist theology. She is the author of numerous books, including her most recent,
Political Theology of the Earth: Our Planetary Emergency and the Struggle for a New Public
, which develops a constructive political theology for the Anthropocene. Dr. Keller will talk about the relevance of political theology for the present ecological emergency, the ongoing struggle for an ecopolitical common good, the complex relationship between theory and practice, and the importance of distinguishing hope from optimism. Dr. Tabassum Ruby will serve as respondent and Dr. Jea Sophia Oh as presider.
An evening reception will be held at 6:30p prior to Dr. Keller's presentation. This event is sponsored by the Greater Philadelphia Philosophy Consortium, The Sustainability Advisory Council, Philosophy Department, Women's and Gender Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, and the Office of Sustainability at West Chester University.
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Washington Post features Phoebe's dementia worship
Earlier this month, the "Spirit Alive" multisensory worship service for people with mid- to late-stage dementia at Phoebe Ministries was featured in a Washington Post story about religious communities meet the needs of people with dementia.
Click here
to read that story.
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Registration is open for the PSEC Fall Youth Event 2019
The PSEC 2019 Fall Youth Event will be Nov. 8-10 at South Mountain YMCA Camp
in Wernersville for youth in grades 7 thru 12. The theme is "Caring for Creation." The focus scripture is Psalm 24:1 "
The earth is the LORD’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it." The r
egistration fee ($90) includes meals, lodging, events, and activities. The r
egistration deadline is Nov. 1.
Click here
for more information.
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Clean-up Buckets needed by Church World Service
UCC Disaster Ministries is asking churches to help overcome a shortage of cleanup buckets, stocked with essential supplies for after a natural disaster strikes. Disaster Ministries is offering matching grants of up to $250 as an incentive to assemble Church World Service kits — in particular, the CWS Emergency Cleanup Buckets in short supply. To learn more about these kits and how to apply for the grant
click here
.
These PSEC and PNEC congregations have offered to be drop-off locations for the kits you assemble:
- St. Luke's UCC, 10151 Bustleton Ave., Philadelphia. Contact: Rev. Terri McNamara: 215- 637-8866 or pastorterrimcnamara@gmail.com. Drop off days: Most Wednesdays, third and fourth Saturday mornings of the month, any Sundays after church.
- St. Stephens UCC, 110 N 6th St, Perkasie. Contact Patricia Kimble, Office Administrator: 215-257-6460 or office@thessperkasie.org. Contact Sparkie Heckler, Mission Chair: 215-257-2350 or hecklerl@verizon.net.
- UCC Greenawalds, 2325 W Albright Ave, Allentown. Contact Grant Field: 610-217-1475. Drop off: Wed or Thurs 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. The church entrance is on Orchard Ave at side of the church. Saturday delivery by appointment.
- Trinity United Church of Christ, 2449 Cumberland Ave, Reading (Mt. Penn). Contact: Annette Black, Church Secretary: 610-779-4030 or ablack@trinitymtpenn.org. Best times to contact: Mon-Fri 8AM-3PM (2:30 on Fri). Please bring buckets to the second door on 25th Street.
- Penn Northeast Conference Office, 431 Delaware Ave, Palmerton. Contact Barbara Jennings: (610) 826-3113 or barbaraj@pnec.org.
- First UCC, 110 Route 61 South, Schuylkill Haven. Contact Rev. Ms. Shawn D. Van Dyke: (570)385-2049 or firstuccschuylkillhaven@verizon.net. Drop off: Monday-Friday, 9 AM-1 PM.
- St. James UCC, 321 S. Limerick Rd., Royersford. Contact Nancy Ewing: 610-715-1584 or nanewing@verizon.net; James Friemann: 610-948-4255 or jgfriemann@aol.com; church secretary Sandy Chang: 610-489-0990. Church secretary is at the building on Monday and Thursday from 10am to 1pm most days, but it would be best to call and set up times for drop off to be sure church is open.
We will continue to provide depot locations as more churches volunteer. Send pictures and stories to
kjones275@comcast.net
, so we can inspire others with your story.
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UCC releases annual survey to get your opinion on climate
Each year the UCC partners with
Blessed Tomorrow
to conduct a climate survey. This survey helps us know what our members are thinking, how opinions change from year to year, where future possibilities for collective action reside, and how our denomination compares with the broader population.
Take this 15-minute survey now!
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Sign up for workshop on how to thrive with part-time clergy
Switching from full-time to part-time clergy is an unfortunate step many of our churches are facing. But would switching to part-time lead to irreversible decline? This workshop says no, it doesn’t have to. In fact, the switch to part-time can lead to more vitality if it’s managed well to repurpose assets and embrace new opportunities. Journalist, author and part-time UCC minister G. Jeffrey MacDonald will share insights from his forthcoming book, Part-Time is Plenty: Thriving Without Full-Time Clergy. He'll guide attendees through exercises tailored to discern what's possible. Participants will leave with practical tips and a game plan for joining the ranks of thriving congregations with part-time pastors.
Click here
for more information and to register.
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Church space needed for receiving CWS buckets, kits
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Does your church have space to store for a short time 20-30 of these buckets, as well as other kits?
CWS Kits are small packages of supplies assembled by volunteers and shipped to families and communities in need around the world – especially in the aftermath of disasters.
There is a great need around the world for these kits. Many of our churches are assembling them. What we need at this time is a church that will receive them and store them until we can deliver them to the CWS warehouse.
You will not have to store them for long. The intention is that these supplies will be rushed to people who need our help.
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Disaster Ministries webinar on Preparedness set for tomorrow
On Wednesday, Sept. 25 from 4:00-5:00p, a
Disaster Preparedness for Individuals and Families
webinar will be held. The webinar will address ways you and your family can be prepared. Join the webinar at
https://UCC.zoom.us/j/727717046.
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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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UCC Disaster Recovery Specialist presenting in PSEC
Ken Skalitsky, Disaster Recovery Specialist for the United Church of Christ Disaster Ministries, will present on Oct. 1 from 7:00-9:00p on volunteer response and recovery operations throughout PA and the USA. The presentation will be held at the Delaware County Emergency Services 911 Center in Media. For more info, to register, and a for flyer to share,
click here
.
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Few spots left for Oct. 8-10 Men's Clergy Retreat
"God, Guts and Guys: from Vulnerability to Vitality" will be the theme of the 2019 Men's Clergy Retreat at Kirkridge Retreat Center on Oct 8-10. The event will be a mixture of worship, small group discussions and relaxation! The facilitator will be Rev. Felix Villanueva,
Southern California-Nevada
Conference Minister. For more info and to register,
click here
. Spots are limited; register now!
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Meadowood Senior Living in Lansdale seeking chaplain
Meadowood Senior Living is looking for a Chaplain to create, implement, and manage the long-range vision for its Spiritual Wellness Program. For more information, visit
their website
. View the
job description
here.
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Church Events
Submit Church Events
here
View a complete list of Church Events
here
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Classified Ads
Submit Classified Ads
here
View a complete list of Classified Ads
here
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Educational Opportunities
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Church Openings
- St. Mark's UCC, Reading (10 hrs/ week)
- UCC Valley Forge (full-time interim)
- St. John's UCC, Pottstown (part-time interim)
- St. Paul's UCC, Pottstown (part-time settled)
If you’re interested in a position, contact Rev.Sharon Morris:
morris@psec.org
or 484-949-8774 ext. 302.
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Missed a week? Read past eNews here:
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