This Week in PNEC --- March 16, 2017 - March 24, 2017

TO CONTACT US OR TO REGISTER FOR EVENTS

431 Delaware Ave., Palmerton, PA18071; www.pnec.org website

610-826-3113; FAX 610-826-5464

Alan Miller    alanm@pnec.org                            Gilberto Garcia Rodriguez   gilbertor@pnec.org   

Barbara Jennings   barbaraj@pnec.org             Patty Rehrig     pattyr@pnec.org

 

IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO INCLUDE IN "THIS WEEK IN PNEC" PLEASE EMAIL IT TO   pattyr@pnec.org

2017 Annual Meeting of the Penn Northeast Conference will be
Saturday, April 29, 2017, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  -
St. John's UCC,  1415 Rising Sun Road, Laurys Station, PA
In My Weakness, You are My Strength!          By Alan C. Miller
  
My book has finally arrived.  Book is a bit of an exaggeration; it is more of a devotional.  It is my journal written during the first eight months of my treatments for thymic carcinoma.  It is the story of finding the grace of God in the midst of cancer.  All proceeds from the book are going to Sloan Kettering Hospital for rare cancer research.  You can pick one up at the Conference Office for $10.00, or call  (610-826-3113) or email us ( barbaraj@pnec.org ) and we will send you one for $11.00; make sure you include the shipping address.
               

                             

MARK YOUR CALENDARS....

PNEC SleepOut for Homelessness

September 23-24, 2017

St. John's UCC, 1415 Rising Sun Rd., Laurys Station

More information will be forthcoming!!

 
Daybreak Update
Here's what's going on & how you can help!

Hello everybody!
     I would like to update all of you about what is going on with Daybreak, and also put out a call for help. 
On Wednesday, March 1, Daybreak officially reopened at Dubbs Memorial Community Center (457 W. Allen Street, Allentown). Unfortunately, our new Daybreak space remains under construction. It is expected to be completed in 2 to 3 weeks (although the kitchen renovations may take longer). In the meantime, we are making the best of the situation, and meeting in Flag Hall on the first floor. Since we do not have a kitchen, we have been serving a cold continental breakfast, and then a cold lunch that we prepare at our Soup Kitchen.
     Last week, we were blessed by a man named Jim who just happened to win a catered lunch for 20 from Chipotle that he donated to us. Like the "bread and the fishes," it turned out to be plenty of food! The members enjoyed the huge spread of steak, chicken, pork, beans, and more. The timing could NOT have been better, as we are without kitchen facilities
     Jim's generosity gave me the idea to ask if anyone else would be willing to donate a lunch to Daybreak. We thought about things like a "doggy pack" from Yocco's because we have big slow-cookers we could use to heat that type of food. Sandwiches and salads would also be a great help. I know that some of you have certified kitchens at your churches, so if you like, we could accept any food that you prepare there.
     Please note that we do not have a stove to heat things up, but we could use our slow-cookers. I am open to any of your ideas or donations.
     You all have always helped make Daybreak possible and just WONDERFUL!
     Thank you for all of your support! I look forward to when we can all be together-and cook together-once again!
Becky Latshaw
Daybreak Kitchen Coordinator
610-820-5049
 
 
INFO NEEDED FOR ANNUAL MEETING
 
Attention all PNEC Congregations:  
     -What One Mission Project do
 you do at your church that 
 everyone gets excited about?  
     -What Mission Project are you
 known for in your community? 
     -What Mission Project does your congregation do
 so  well that if you didn't have it, it would not get
 done?  
    Whatever you come up with, please write a few words about it and email this info, including the date of your next event, your church's name, and location (with a pic if possible - but not necessary) to Jane Hess so that she can make a  Power Point presentation for our Annual Meeting.  jdhess@frontiernet.net     Please call her if you have a question: 570-401-2239. This Power Point will run continuously as folks are coming and going from the main meeting room at the Annual Meeting!  Thank you from the bottom of our socks - because the bottom of our hearts aren't deep enough.
 
The Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry
is proud to announce its
2017 Licensed Minister's Convocation
to be held on Saturday, March 25, 2017
from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm
at St. John's UCC (Hain's Church)
at 591 N. Church Road in Wernersville, PA 
 
Our Keynote speaker will be Dr. Robert Fogal on Practicing Generosity: How to communicate with clarity and grace.  Two additional workshops will be provided by Rev. Ann Graves on Hymnody: A historic & creative look at the hymns we sing and by Rev. Heather Kurtz on Ordinary to Extraordinary: A new look at Ordinary time.  Refreshments and lunch will be provided.  This is a great way to network with your peers while fulfilling continuing education for your ministry.  We hope to see all our Licensed Ministers for this annual event.  For more information please contact our Program Director: Rev. Steve Hummel at paacademyofministry@gmail.com or call him at 484-239-5578.  For the full brochure and registration CLICK HERE
 
Children's Sermon for
         for for March 19 (based on John 4)   Items needed: small cooler; ice cube; container of water, two trays, each holding a piece of paper with a circle drawn on it.   (Beforehand, put both the ice cube and the container of liquid water in the cooler.)   Tell the kids you have some water in the cooler.  Tell them you're going to take some water out and put it in the tray.  Take out ice cube, put in the circle  that's on one of the papers on one of the trays.  Point out to the kids how this kind of water stays inside the circle.  Then tell kids you're going to take some more water out of the cooler and put it in the other tray.  Take out liquid water and pour it onto the other paper circle on the other tray.  Point out to the  kids how this water doesn't stay inside the circle.  Liquid water always flows outwards.  In today's Bible reading, Jesus  says His love is like "living water," which means, moving water, flowing water.  When people are afraid to love, they are like this ice cube-they stay inside the circle.  But when a Christian, or a church, is like Jesus, like this flowing water(pour liquid water on circle again), they are always moving outward, like this water moving outside the circle.
- Rev. David Quinn
 
  ANNOUNCEMENTS &
CLERGY CONNECTIONS
 
Pastor Kenneth Buckwalter is serving as interim pastor at St. Peter's Church ELCA & UCC, Mantzville.  Pastor Buckwalter has been an ordained pastor since 1990.  Most recently he served as the pastor of a large congregation (approximately 1,100 members in the Lehigh Valley.  He will began his ministry at St. Peter's on March 1, 2017.
 
Rev. Dean Frey has announced his resignation as pastor at Hope UCC, Wind Gap effective May 7, 2017.
 
Rev. Janet Boyd will be leaving as interim at UCC Greenawalds, Allentown on Easter Sunday, April 16,2017.  Janet has been the interim at UCC Greenawalds for 1 1/2 years.
 ***************************************************
Services of Interest...
April 30 - 3PM - ORDINATION - Michael Lonergan - Christ UCC, Bethlehem
 
May 7 - 3:00PM - INSTALLATION - Licensed Minister Sandy Murphy will be installed as pastor at Christ UCC, Conyngham
 
May 7 - 3PM - INSTALLATION - Rev. Michael Lonergan will be installed as pastor at Salem UCC, Pocono Pines
 
calendar
UPCOMING DATES            

MARCH
20 - A Day with Heather Kimmel, UCC National Attorney - (1st session 10AM; 2nd session 2PM; 3rd  session 7PM) - morning session with the PNEC Board of Directors discussing good governance   - afternoon session for pastors and lay leaders discussing PA Child Abuse Laws
   - evening session for pastors and lay leaders repeating the afternoon session
21 - 9:30AM - Licensed/Commissioned Ministry Committee
21 - 11:45AM - Blue Mountain AMC Clergy - Schleicher's Family Restaurant, New Tripoli
22 - 9AM - Ordained Church & Ministry Committee - Conference Office
28 - 9-11:30AM - Joint Conflict Resource Team - Conference Office
29 - 9AM - Gwilym T. Williams Scholarship Fund Committee - Conference Office
30 - 9:30AM to 1PM - PNEC New Pastor's Orientation Day - Conference Office
 
FOR THE COMPLETE LIST OF "Upcoming Dates"



Good News!
For those of you who have been following our Partnership with our friends in Guatemala, we have very good news.  The construction of the clinic we have been dreaming about building has started.  This clinic will serve 
five or six remote villages in Guatemala.  It will serve as a place for personnel on medical mission trips to lodge and to see patients; it will serve as an education center on public health issues, particularly around clean water and women's health; and it will serve as a community center to help villagers meet, discuss challenges that they face, and work on solutions.  Thus far the friends and congregations of the Penn Northeast Conference have contributed $112,432.51 to this project.  We project it will take $130,000 to complete the clinic.  Donations can be made to: "PNEC," and sent to: PNEC, 431 Delaware Avenue, Palmerton, PA, 18071.  Be sure to put "Guatemala Partnership" on the memo line.  This endeavor would be an excellent project for churches looking for special Lenten mission projects.  We owe a great debt of gratitude and thanks to the faithful members of "The Amigos," our Guatemala Partnership Team," who have made all of this happen.  
 

        SAVE THE DATE...                           

Retirement Party

for our Conference Minister

Rev. Alan Miller

Sunday, July 23

Time TBA

Northampton Memorial Community Center

Northampton, PA

 
PNEC 12th Annual Youth Retreat
"GOD First"
May 19-21, 2017
All youth grades 7th - 12th are invited!
Check In Friday 6:30-7:00PM
Pick Up Sunday at 12 Noon
Spruce Lake
5389 Route 447, Canadensis, PA
DEADLINE for REGISTRATION & $50 deposit due April 3rd 2017
CLICK HERE for registration flyer and detailed information
 
     The Phoebe Mini Messenger is now available to view online! Please visit Phoebe.org/Messenger to learn about the latest news and developments at Phoebe Ministries.
     The Mini Messenger is a quarterly newsletter of Phoebe Ministries, published in tandem with the Phoebe Messenger. If you would like to be added to our email or mailing list, please contact Peter McConnell at 610-794-5124 or pmcconnell@phoebe.org
 
The Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry (formerly Lay Ministry of the 21st Century) has instituted its NEW curriculum with ALL classes being held at First UCC in Schuylkill Haven on specified Saturdays below from 9am to 4pm with each class being LIVE-STREAMED and recorded.
 
April 8, 2017
PREACHING II
Advanced Class (Prerequisite is Preaching I)
Students explore the nuances of preaching funerals, weddings and other special circumstances that broadens ones' ability to transform, motivate and inspire the congregation to follow Christ's teachings in the world.

For more information & REGISTRATION VISIT
OUR WEBSITE AT
 
2017-2018 UCC Desk Calendar and Plan Book
 
This 18-month calendar (July 2017 - December 2018) includes:
- Complete lectionary readings for every Sunday
- Special mission offering dates       
- Special observances
- Directory of national staff
 
1 FREE calendar will be shipped to each church and to all retired clergy.  Shipping in June 2017.
1-4 copies - $18 each
5+ copies - $16 each 
 

 PNEC Boundary Training Workshops

October 4, 2017

Rev. Diane Wheatley, Presenter

8:30AM Registration

9:00AM to 3:00PM Workshop

St. John's UCC, 183 S. Broad St., Nazareth

Host Pastor:  Rev. Jeff Brinks

Cost:  TBA

AND  

October 5, 2017

Rev. Diane Wheatley, Presenter

8:30AM Registration

9:00Am to 3:00PM Workshop

Faith UCC, 21 Faith Drive, Hazleton

Host Pastor:  Rev. Jane Hess

Cost:  TBA

To register for one of these events, please email Patty Rehrig at pattyr@pnec.org  or call the Conference Office 610-826-3113

 

Boundary Training needs to be done once every 4 years

If the above dates do not work for you, please

 CLICK HERE

for other opportunities for 2017.

 

23rd Annual Clergy Convocation

May 2-4, 2017

Double Tree by Hilton, 2400 Willow Street Pike, Lancaster

     Guest Speaker, Rev. John C. Dorhauer

    General Minister & President of the UCC

For full flyer and registration information

CLICK HERE

TO REGISTER, CLICK HERE

 
IN SEARCH OF...

 

For the complete list of churches who are searching for organists, choir directors sextons, pianist, etc., etc., and also churches who are giving away items, please Click Here

 
What's Happening in Our Churches
 
(PLEASE NOTE:  We love advertising the "happenings" in our churches, however the list is getting too long for this publication.)
 
FOR THE COMPLETE LISTING of
"What's Happening in Our Churches"

CLICK HERE