EPA Conference Happenings this weekend:

Camp Innabah rejoices in 85 years

Camp Innabah will highlight its 85th anniversary with a free, fun-filled fall festival Saturday, Oct. 4 from 11 am to 5 pm. Everyone is invited to come and bring family, friends and neighbors. Innabah promises exciting new and traditional activities, including Scarecrow making, pumpkin painting and decorating, and a children's hay maze. Also, a campfire with s'mores, hayrides, canoeing on French Creek, a fall photo booth, live music and Brewsters Ice cream in everyone's favorite fall flavors. At 4 pm they invite everyone to assemble in Knobler Hall  for an anniversary slideshow presentation and a ceremony led by Bishop Peggy Johnson. See you there!

Tindley Temple to host We Shall Overcome!

The elegant voices of singers and speakers will fill Tindley Temple UMC's awesome sanctuary all day Saturday, Oct. 4, to honor the life, legacy and music of founding pastor, prolific hymn composer and iconic leader the Rev. Charles Albert Tindley (1851-1933). Several speakers and numerous outstanding soloists and choirs will perform, including choirs from Camphor Memorial, Wharton-Wesley and Tindley Temple UMCs. There will be food trucks be on site to serve hungry attendees. The event, scheduled for 10 am to 5 pm, is sponsored by the church's partner agency, Partners for Sacred Places, and presented by PECO. Tindley Temple UMC is at 750 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia.

Liberian doctor to speak on Ebola crisis
Dr. Chris Hena has been a long-time mission partner of Asbury UMC Allentown, serving through the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. Dr. Hena has returned to her native Liberia where she founded Healthy Women-Healthy Liberia to care for women in and around Kakata, Margibi County, Liberia. Due to the Ebola outbreak she had to close her clinic and travel from village to village educating Liberians on disease prevention. Asbury will host Dr. Hena a the church on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 2 pm and invite all to come hear her account of the Ebola crisis in Liberia and how we might help the people of that country. Asbury is at 1533 Springhouse Rd., Allentown, PA. Telephone: 610-398-2577. Website: www.asburylv.org. View video about Healthy Women-Healthy Liberia at http://vimeo.com/65812342.

Just Resolution concludes same-gender wedding complaint

2 camps seek new lead staff

Gretna Glen seeks a new Program Manager who is energetic, highly motivated and skilled in program planning and management. Applications for this full-time position will be accepted until Oct. 15 and the start date is also Jan. 1, 2015. Send resumes with references and cover letters to Apryl Miller, Director, at [email protected] or Gretna Glen Camp & Retreat Center, 87 Old Mine Road, Lebanon, PA 17042. Phone:  717-273-6525. More information about both these job openings is on our

Pocono Plateau to host Seniors Adults Fall Retreat, Oct. 7-10

Pocono Plateau Camp & Retreat Center will hold its annual Senior Adult Fall Retreat (for adults age 55+) from Tuesday, Oct. 7, at 10 am to Friday, Oct. 10, at 10 am. Come join them for three days and nights of fun and fellowship. Renew old friendships and create new ones during your time at the Plateau. Activities include crafts, games, archery, a nature walk, singing, Bible studies led by Rev. Mike Murphy (Doylestown UMC), trips to the House of Candles and Ross & Ross Nursery, an evening of entertainment with Debi Irene Wahl and a campfire with smores! The cost is $169 each. Learn more and register online, or call the office at 570-676-3665.

Also, because of the many reports about the prolonged police search for alleged gunman Eric Frein in Monroe County, Pocono Plateau provides helpful information in its e-newsletter to families, friends, guests and supporters. The camp is some distance from the site where two Pa. state troopers were ambushed and one was killed and also distant from the current manhunt search area. Local police have said that events and activities at the camp should not be affected by the search. Guest safety is their top priority and staff are vigilant in staying informed of all police activity related to the search. Yet, reportedly, this is a stressful time for some, and the usually busy retreat season has been affected. Please continue to pray for the camp and its staff, the families of the attacked troopers, the local communities, police and others involved in the search. And pray for a safe and rapid conclusion to this dangerous situation.

UMCom videos spotlight St. George's

The oldest Methodist church in the U.S. in continuous use, a Philadelphia landmark, gets a close-up in two new online videos produced by UM Communications (UMCom). Historic St. George's, built before the Revolutionary War and today the site of a museum and annual conference archives, welcomed two video production crews in April and August this year.

The first crew, from the EPA Conference, came in April to video record scenes from a unique historical dramatization hosted periodically by St. George's, titled The Time Traveler. They also featured a youth tour group that came to view it and then gathered in a classroom to learn more about the racial oppression that led early black members of St. George's to leave and form their own churches.

The second crew came from UMCom in August to showcase the venerable church as one of the many significant sites every United Methodist should try to visit. The unusual result of the two visits is two separate but related and compelling short videos, both viewable on the UMC's official Web site, http://umc.org. Learn more...

Clergy, we need your 'selfies'

We are asking all clergy to please send us a recent facial headshot photo for use in a new online photo directory. Your photos will be uploaded to your record in our conference database; so we ask that your face be clearly visible and that there are no other people in the shot. If you do not have an appropriate facial photo handy, you can take and e-mail us a "selfie" with your smart phone. Please e-mail .jpg files to [email protected].

Celebrate Children's Sabbath in Oct.

The Children's Defense Fund invites churches and all faith groups to observe the annual celebration of Children's Sabbath over one of two consecutive weekends, Oct. 10-12 or Oct. 17-19.  

The Children's Sabbath, according to organizers, is "a weekend that aims to unite religious congregations of all faiths across the nation in shared concern for children and common commitment to improving their lives and working for justice on their behalf." This year's theme is "Precious in God's Sight: Answering the Call to Cherish and Protect Every Child." Several ways to celebrate and focus concern on the lives of children include child-focused worship services and Sunday school lessons, co-sponsoring weekend activities for children, exploring child advocacy issues in your community or state, or inviting local children-serving agencies or organizations to join in your celebration. Find more ideas and resources visit:
http://www.gbod.org/resources/childrens-sabbath-2014 and
http://umc-gbcs.org/blog/celebrating-childrens-sabbath and   

Look at the bottom right side of the page and you will see: "UPDATE YOUR CHURCH INFORMATION. Welcome new visitors to your church by updating your Find-A-Church Information. Update Your Page Now." Follow instructions from there, or use the provided Help feature. Find-a-Church is a great search feature provided by our ministry partner, UM Communications to help potential visitors find and learn about your church.

A special week to promote mental health

Adam Hamilton to speak at First UMC Lancaster

Arch Street UMC to focus on Native Americans Oct. 19

United Methodist churches are encouraged by the 2012 General Conference to foster understanding and support for Native American concerns, past and present, including reconciliation for our denomination's troubled history with Native people. The EPA Annual  Conferences highlighted the churchwide call for "Acts of Repentance" that recognize where we have committed, or conformed with, or not challenged historical oppression of Native Americans in the U.S.  The Rev. Suzanne Duchesne, a non-Native member of our conference's Committee on Native American Ministries (CONAM), will speak at Arch Street UMC's 8:30 and 11 a.m. worship services Oct. 19. She will address how "Acts of Repentance" call us as non-Natives to recognize that injustices and other problems still exist today, and that we can begin to remedy them together through compassionate awareness and respectful relationships. Barbara Christy and Barry Lee, leaders of the popular music group Spirit Wing, will enrich both services with their Native songs and witness. Arch Street UMC is at 55 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA. Phone: 215.568.6250. 

Bethany UMC to host Illuminate Youth Nov. 14-16

A huge youth conference is coming to Bethany UMC in Wescosville on the weekend of Nov. 14-16. Church students and leaders are invited to be a part of it. The Illuminate Youth Conference is an annual evangelical conference designed to challenge and mobilize students to dive deeper into their faith in Jesus Christ. This year's theme, "Chosen," which will explore the truth that God created each of us on purpose, for a purpose. Students will be challenged to use their unique gifts and presented with local and national service opportunities. 

This conference can absolutely change students' lives and give them a better understanding of their identity in Christ!   Learn more details, and watch and share a short promotional video about the event. Also consider getting a group of students together to attend the conference? Registration is $20 and can be done online at www.illuminateyc.com. For more information call Adam Kern, Youth Director at Bethany UMC, 610-395-3613 or 484.951.6494.

Advent Dreams Bible Study

A brand new Bible Study for the 2014 Advent season is being developed by the pastors of Hopewell UMC. Advent Dreams is a four-week long, video-based study series exploring the four dream sequences in Matthew 1:18 to 2:23 that comprise the entirety of Jesus' infancy in Matthew's Gospel. Production should be complete by Nov. 15.  If this resource would be helpful to your Advent planning, e-mail Deb Boyd at [email protected] or call Sheri Kentner at 610.269.1545. More information to come.

Mid-Atlantic Foundation to launch academy in 2015

The Mid Atlantic United Methodist Foundation's new Financial Leadership Academy (FLA)isscheduled to begin Jan. 13-15, 2015. The academy will offer seminars, facilitated peer groups and coaching to participants, who will meet together six times over two years to learn about managing the financial health and wellbeing of churches and pastors.

 

By special request, the Academy will be opened to participants from other annual conferences by mid-October to fill any available seats. Get more information from the Academy Brochure or from the Mid-Atlantic Foundation website (http://www.midatlanticfoundation.org/content/announcing-financial-leadership-academy-1). The application is available online, or by emailing [email protected]. You may also contact the Rev. Karin Walker at 410-557-9726.

A chance to visit Israel, West Bank 

Safe Sanctuary Trainings, Oct. 25 

Locations and Times for District Safe Sanctuary Trainings, Oct. 25: 

Camp & Retreat Centers Events  

Check out our Local church Events page 

We have lots of great local church events listed for you on our Web site at www.epaumc.org/events/localchurchevents. Please take time to peruse them and try to attend events of interest to you. It's part of being a connectional church. So check out our listings, and send us your special church events too, so we can add them to the page.

YES: Youth Call to Ministry
Retreat, Nov. 22

Invite and schedule promising young people you know now to attend the YES: Youth Call to Ministry Retreat, for students in grades 9 through 12, on Nov. 22, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, at New Life UMC, 2600 Bond Ave., Drexel Hill, Delaware County.  This event gives older teens the opportunity to ask and discover where God may be calling them to serve in the body of Christ. The day will include powerful worship, fun games and activities, an opportunity to meet people who work in many different ministries, and a time to reflect and listen for God's voice. The retreat will close with our own Bishop Peggy Johnson sharing her call to ministry.  Please share this information with your youth leaders and senior high youth. Registration information will be released soon.

2015 Evangelism Event: 'Why Nobody Wants to Go to 

Church Anymore'

March 21: Save the date.

The EPA Conference will welcome Thom and Joani Schultz, co-authors of the provocative book Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore:  And How 4 Acts of Love Will Make Your Church Irresistible, as keynote presenters at its 2015 conference-wide evangelism event on Saturday, March 21, at New Hanover UMC.  The annual, full-day gathering follows two years of well-attended Faith Sharing events that featured the Rev. Eddie Fox, who retired recently as Director of the World Methodist Evangelism Institute. 

Learn more...