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Important This Week
  • Save the dates for 2022
  • Disaster relief challenge in January
  • How to help with Kentucky tornado relief and other disasters
Save the dates for 2022:

As you're looking ahead at the coming year, planning church activities and personal schedules, please keep in mind these dates for Pennsylvania Southeast Conference events. These dates are tentative and may change due to COVID-19 or other unforeseen situations. Follow weekly eNews and "Next Week in PSEC" emails for more information. To download a copy of this schedule, click here. Happy New Year!


January
  • Jan. 18-20: Women’s Clergy Retreat (Register now)
  • Jan. 22:  Connect, Re-Connect, Staying Connected workshop w/ Rev. Cean James via Zoom (Register now)
  • Jan. 26: All day Basic Boundary Training w/ Rev. Matt Hoover in person at Church of the Good Shepherd, Boyertown (Register now)
  • Jan. 29: Connect, Re-Connect, Staying Connected workshop w. Rev. Cean James in person at First UCC, Schuylkill Haven (Register now)

February
  • Feb. 2: Church Admin CoP – learn about year end reporting (Register now)
  • Feb. 10: Advanced Boundary Training w/ Rev. Bill Worley on "Supervising Staff” via Zoom (Register now)

April
  • April 14: Reaffirmation of Ordination Vows
  • April 20: Church Admin Training w/ Lunch
  • April 30: Advanced Boundary Training w/ Rev. Dr. Darryl Stephens, PAM “Negotiating Bivocational Expectations”

May
  • May 3-5: Clergy Convocation (Register now)
  • May 10: New Pastor Training
  • May 14: Church Closure Workshop

June
  • June 2-4: PSEC Annual Spring Meeting at West Chester University “The Jesus Life – Contemplation in Action" Thursday afternoon Pastor trainings offered to include:
  • Advanced Boundary Training w/ Rev. Marian Shearer “Healthy Boundaries for Retirees Serving Churches"
  • Diversity Training – topic to be determined
  • Continuing Education – topic to be determined

September
  • Sept. 14: Advanced Boundary Training w/ Rev. Nora Foust “Power and the Office of Pastor”
  • Sept. 22 (date not 100% confirmed): All day Basic Boundary Training  “UCC Ministerial Ethics Code”

October
  • Oct. 4-6: Men’s Clergy Retreat

November
  • Date TBD – PSEC Fall Meeting
  • Nov. 2: Advanced Boundary Training w/ Rev. Wanda Craner “Pastoral Self Care”
From the Addiction & Recovery Taskforce: The Man with the Orange Bucket

The following excerpt, used with permission, is from The Man with the Orange Bucket, by Kathleen Morris Rosati in Help and Hope: From Families Who Have Walked the Walk: Substance Use: The Growing Need to Know, a publication of Voice and Vision, Inc.

With tears in my eyes I wondered how so many people could rush to help an orange cat in a tree but ignore a homeless man with an orange bucket. And then I wondered how many more people like the man with the orange bucket are out there tonight and I cried some more. When the tears finally stopped, I resolved to go back to the deli tomorrow and look for the man with the orange bucket.

If he was still there, I planned to ask him his name, so at least to be able to give him the respect and dignity of being recognized as a person, a child of God, someone with a name. I also decided that I would ask him if he had a favorite sandwich so that I could get one for him at the deli along with my lunch to make sure he had something to eat. I prepared a card with a few phone numbers to shelters and recovery services help lines to put with the sandwich. Finally, I planned to thank him for the lesson he had taught me.
 
I returned to the deli today at lunchtime, but he was not there. His cardboard sign and orange bucket were propped against the doorway—and I cried.
 
September 17, 2018
My friend with the orange bucket was back outside the deli today. I stopped to talk with him, gave him some lunch and found out that his name is Louie. I gave him the list of phone numbers and addresses for various shelters and recovery groups that I had put together. He told me that he has been clean for a week. Please pray for Louie and for everyone struggling with addiction, mental illness and homelessness.

Visit voiceandvisioninc.org/resource-guide for a FREE download of the book.
Disaster Relief Challenge starting soon in PSEC & PNEC

The Susquehanna Area Mission Council of the Penn Northeast Conference is inviting all churches in both PNEC and PSEC to share in its annual mission project. If your congregation is willing to participate in this offering supporting our common disaster relief ministry, please include this insert in your Sunday bulletin on Jan. 9 and/or 16, along with information about how gifts should be made in your congregation. Donations received should be forwarded to your Conference office at the conclusion of the campaign, marked "High 5 for Disaster Relief". Many thanks from the SAMC.
Heidelberg UCC Schwenksville installs a Blessing Box

Heidelberg UCC in Schwenksville and its Cub Scout Pack created a micro pantry, called a Blessing Box to take action against local food insecurity. To read more about this ministry and see a picture, click here.
Message from Kentucky regarding disaster support

On behalf of the UCC I have been on the daily Kentucky Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster calls. They asked that I report that they are overwhelmed with donations and do not need additional items.  

Again — They have asked that we communicate with our networks — please do not send more. They are pleading that we do all we can to stop the donations that are pouring in with no place to be stored. All the local donation sites are overflowing. This has now become the second disaster. They suggest selling the items locally and sending funds to help, if possible. Spread the word that — Cash is BEST. 

Donations to help support the UCC's work in supporting disaster recovery can be sent to PSEC. Indicate "Kentucky tornados disaster" in the memo line of a check or use the "Special Support" section of the online donation page.
SPOTS STILL OPEN: 2022 Community of Practice updates

We are really excited about the Community Of Practice response for the coming year. We wanted to get back to you and let you know that there are a couple of spots still open for people to consider. Please review the information below and email Brea@psec.org to sign up! You don’t want to miss this meaningful opportunity.

Blessings and Peace,
Susan


There are still spots available in the groups dedicated to Interim Pastors, Christian Spirituality (more info below), Racial Justice Accountability (more info below), clergy in their 20s and 30s, and clergy nearing retirement. If you haven't registered yet and are interested, please sign up now. Scholarships may be available if the financial commitment ($250/year) is a difficulty.
Antiracist Pastoral Leadership & Accountability group
 
The focus of this group would be antiracist pastoral care and leadership. Practice is needed as well, as is reflection, accountability and mutual support. Pastors can find a safe space for learning and support among other pastors for such work. A Community of Practice offers a unique fit for this area of pastoral growth and development.
 
The PSEC's Racial Justice Initiative regularly hears from pastors who are asking for tools to strengthen their skill set in order to lead their congregations in faith-centered antiracism work. Antiracism work is not exclusionary work, it is Christ-centered work – the work of healing, the work of justice, the work of learning and the work of growing. If we hope to build healing communities in our churches and in our world, it will be essential to equip our pastors with the skills and tools to offer leadership for the times in which we live. We hope an Antiracist Pastoral Leadership & Accountability COP could be a small step in that direction.   
 
COPs are voluntary opportunities for pastoral growth and development. This group will do that by: 
  • Offering care, support, and accountability 
  • Nurturing practices of spiritual discipline 
  • Developing “the craft” of ministry and strengthening practices of pastoral leadership 
  • Engaging in theological reflection on pastoral identity and congregational ministry 
  • Fostering a sense of ministry as a shared endeavor 
Preparing for a church whose future we cannot yet see or imagine
Christian Spirituality Community of Practice
 
A new Community of Practice, focusing on Christian spirituality, will re-form to begin in January 2022. Through conversation and experiential learning, the group will reclaim a tradition of spiritual practices and disciplines, ones maintained within some Christian faith traditions, yet less so among mainline Protestants (since the Reformation, we have largely been stuck in our heads!).
Topics for previous gatherings have included discernment; "Mary for Protestants"; Ignatian spirituality; anger; the Enneagram; lamenting in Lent; the dignity model; Theological Worlds; various prayer practices; Christian Celtic spirituality, and more. There is also ample time for personal and professional sharing, with all conversations held in strict confidence.
 
This Community will be facilitated by Janeen Adil. Janeen is Commissioned Minister of
Christian Spirituality in the Covenant Association, as well as a trained spiritual director through Kairos: School of Spiritual Formation. She offers spiritual direction through her Hungry Soul Ministries and has also led a variety 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 2022. Depending on community health (and winter driving!), meetings will be either via Zoom, or in person, at Janeen's home in Robeson Twp.
 
Questions? Please contact Janeen at adil.birdsboro@gmail.com. And know that your decision is already being held in prayer!
Disaster recovery volunteers needed in Philadelphia, Ohio

Questions are being asked about how our churches can help in Kentucky. We have published the various ways that churches and individuals can help. For information about how you and your church can help, click here. However, there is not a need for volunteer groups from churches in response to those tornadoes yet.
 
However, there is an immediate opportunity in Dayton, Ohio. Click here to learn more. And there is an immediate need for volunteers in the Eastwick section of Philadelphia. Click here to learn more.
 
It will take time to identify volunteer opportunities for rebuilding in the most recent tornadoes, but you can be a great help right now in Philadelphia and Dayton.  
PSEC 2021 Giving Cut-Off
 
Books of the PSEC will close Jan. 17. All OCWM contributions for 2021 must be in our office by that date or they will be counted towards 2022 contributions. Please mail your contributions as soon as possible due to possible mail delays.
Justice updates from the United Church of Christ

Did you know the UCC has a Washington DC office in addition to the Cleveland offices? The dedicated staff of the Washington office work to promote public policy for both international and domestic issues. Conferences are regularly updated on their work and we will periodically share those in eNews. The Justice Update for this week is available here.
Jonathan Bangera installation at Grace-Trinity UCC
 
Click the invitation below to download a PDF to share.
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 (4’x10’ Vinyl Banner with grommets) and $7 per yard sign (18’’x24’’). 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”.
Church Openings
Many openings are on UCC's Ministerial Opportunities page. Especially note:
  • Barnesville-Delano Tri-Charge, Schuylkill County (full-time settled)
  • Bern Reformed UCC, Leesport (three-quarter time settled)
  • Christ Church UCC, Norristown (full-time designated)
  • Glenside UCC, Glenside (full-time settled)
  • Huff's Union Church, Alburtis (full-time settled)
  • New Goshenhoppen Reformed UCC, East Greenville (settled senior pastor)
  • St. James UCC, Limerick (3/4-time settled)
  • St. John's (Hain's) UCC, Wernersville (full-time settled)
  • St. Peter's UCC of Wilshire (full-time interim)
  • UCC East Goshen (full-time interim)
  • UCC Valley Forge (full-time settled)
If you’re interested in a position, contact Rev. Dr. Susan Minasian: 484-949-8774 ext. 302 or minasian@psec.org .
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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!