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Important This Week
- PA Academy of Ministry delays the Ministerial Institute opening
- OCWM contributions up in PSEC for January-May 2019
- Save-the-date for disaster preparedness workshop this fall
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PA Academy of Ministry delays Ministerial Institute opening
The first classes of Lancaster Theological Seminary’s new Ministerial Institute of the Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry will not be held until next summer: July 19-24, 2020. The non-degree program, designed to prepare people for ministerial leadership, debuts with an intensive weeklong summer session held on campus in 2020.
The Ministerial Institute’s three-year program includes online classes plus an on-campus summer session for one week each year. The application deadline for the 2020 summer intensive is July 1, 2020.
LTS President Rev. Carol E. Lytch says, “We believe that this nondegree program will make a significant contribution to the renewal of the church and expand our mission to educate and nurture leaders to join in God’s redemptive and liberating work so that all creation may flourish.”
Director of the Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry at Lancaster Theological Seminary is Rev. Darryl W. Stephens, PhD. "PAM’s Ministerial Institute is an ecumenical program designed for lay ministers, bivocational ministers, individuals in discernment, and others seeking an alternative to or preparation for graduate theological education,” Stephens said.
The Ministerial Institute is the first and largest of three planned components of the Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry at Lancaster Theological Seminary. After the Ministerial Institute’s first full year, the Seminary plans to launch a discipleship program that will offer educational programs for congregations, and a continuing education program for clergy. To learn more about the Ministerial Institute, application requirements and classes, visit
lancasterseminary.edu/academics/PAM
.
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Disaster readiness workshop at General Synod and in PNEC
In this workshop the UCC's Amanda Sheldon and Gerald Sink of the Insurance Board will show you how your church -- as a building and as a community -- should prepare for various types of natural disasters. You will also learn preparedness measures that will position your church to be engaged in effective and helpful disaster response ministry when an event occurs in your community.
The workshop will feature the launch of a new church preparedness toolkit, created collaboratively. Attendees will receive a thumb drive with the toolkit, comprising all preparedness documents for their church.
The tools and strategies presented at this General Synod workshop will form the basis of a training experience to be held on Saturday, Sept. 28, at a place and time to be determined
within Penn Northeast Conference
. This training will be led by the PSEC Disaster Coordinator, Karl Jones, and UCC Disaster Recovery Specialist, Ken Skalitzky. It will be open to pastors and leaders of PA Southeast Conference. Watch for more information about this event coming soon!
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Great news in PSEC's OCWM report for January-May 2019
Through May 31, the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference has received $11,000 more in OCWM contributions than we had at this point in 2018. Both years had the same amount of Sundays, same special services, and celebrations through May 31 as the prior year.
Of the 120 churches who pledged to the conference for 2019, 81 are either ahead of schedule on their giving or are right on schedule, 17 churches are behind schedule, and 22 churches have sent no money towards their commitment. There are 3 more churches who have pledged for 2019 over churches who pledged in 2018.
This is wonderful news for the entire PSE Conference as our OCWM funds support scholarships, training, churches and pastors who are searching, workshops and PSEC meetings, just to name a few. Our healthy OCWM status signifies a healthy PSE Conference! Thank you and keep doing the wonderful, outreach you do!
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Help needed: Camp Noah is coming to Philadelphia
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Camp Noah provides a safe, caring and fun environment where children whose communities have been impacted by disasters can get help to process their disaster or trauma. The camp uses a proven curriculum designed to, Build Resiliency, Restore Hope and Change Lives! Camp Noah this year will be held Aug. 19-23 at the New Creation Lutheran Church, 162 W Tioga St;, Philadelphia. The focus this year are children affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, ranging in age from 6 to 13.
Organized nationally by Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, Camp Noah works with local organizations and community groups to serve children. To make this fantastic endeavor a success, we need your help! Volunteers who speak Spanish are especially needed. For more information or to volunteer, contact Julia Menzo, Lutheran Disaster Coordinator, at 267-464-7740 or Karl Jones, UCC Disaster Coordinator, at 570-617-4018. UCC Disaster Ministries has supplied financial assistance for this program!
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Highlands at Wyomissing looking for part-time chaplain
The Highlands at Wyomissing, a 450+ resident continuing care retirement community in Berks County, is seeking a part-time Chaplain (20 hours per week) to serve the spiritual needs of their residents. For a letter from the Call Committee,
click here
. For the job description,
click here.
June 28 is the deadline to apply.
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Earlington church bowling league looking for teams
An inter-church bowling league that bowls in Earlington is looking for more church teams. The season starts Aug. 27. For more information,
click here
for a flyer.
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Support unaccompanied youth thru Bethany Children's Home
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Helping Hands is a humanitarian program that reunites unaccompanied youth from Central America with family that already resides in the USA. Bethany Children's Home provides them with a safe place to live and grow until they are reunited with their families.
Click here
for a list of the items they are currently in need of, as many of the youth, aged 5-14 years, arrive with just the clothes on their backs.
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Disaster Response: How you and your church can help now
The action of our churches is being requested by UCC Disaster Ministries to help with the devastating disasters that are taking place across the USA! Our time, talents, and financial resources are needed now. Here is how you/we can help:
Donate
to the
“Emergency USA Fund” online or
make checks payable to United Church of Christ, with "Emergency USA Fund" in the memo. Mail to: United Church of Christ c/o Financial Services office, 700 Prospect Ave., Cleveland OH 44115.
Assemble
Emergency Cleanup Buckets, Personal Hygiene Kits or School Kits.
Click here
to learn more. UCC mini-grants are still available. If you have kits to be delivered to CWS, contact Karl Jones at
kjones275@comcast.net
. There will be a truck going to Maryland in mid-July.
Volunteer
for Recovery Work in eastern and central PA - contact Joe Sciandra at
joesciandra@comcast.net
for details.
Pray
for all impacted by disasters including those directly impacted, their families and friends. Pray for all those involved as first responders such as fire, police, and other emergency management professionals and all volunteers.
Thank you for kindness & generosity,
Rev. Karl Jones, PNEC CDC
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Brian McLaren books online
At Annual Meeting, several people asked about where to find books by keynote speaker Brian McLaren. Brian's books are available on
Amazon
or from
his website
.
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PSEC summer reading list
Have a book to recommend for other clergy and lay leaders? Send an email to
brea@psec.org
with a 100-200 word description of the book and why you're recommending it and we'll add it to the PSEC summer reading list and share your recommendation in eNews.
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Rebuild volunteers needed in Pennsylvania and Florida
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Volunteers are being recruited now to help repair and rebuild homes in the Florida Panhandle and in eastern PA. In Florida, Hurricane Michael caused extensive damage when it made landfall there as a Category 4 storm in October. The storm's heavy rain, high winds, and extreme storm surges caused massive destruction in its path and spawned numerous tornadoes. Work will be in Bay and Washington counties, which suffered significant home, crop and tree damage. In PA. rebuilding is in process following the flooding in Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Bradford, Lancaster and York counties. The work will be a variety. All skill levels of volunteers are accepted. Groups will be matched up with work that is suitable to their talents. To volunteer for PA contact Karl Jones:
kjones275@comcast.net
.
Click here
for more info and to volunteer in Florida.
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Free Creative Justice webinars on Standing Rock
This month's Creation Justice Webinar features Nick Estes who published a book on Standing Rock and the long tradition of indigenous resistance. Estes will provide historical knowledge and perspective for people of faith and conscience seeking environmental justice. The webinar is June 13 at 1:00p. Sign-up even if you can’t make it. All who register will be sent a link to a recording of the webinar.
Register now!
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Educational Opportunities
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Church Events
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