Penn Central Conference Weekly eNews

In this gospel passage, we find Jesus praying. A prayer he prayed after the Maundy Thursday meal with his disciples, the evening of his arrest that beckoned him to the cross. There was certainty and assurance in Jesus' prayer.

In his prayer, sometimes referred to as the High Priestly prayer, Jesus asked for protection for his disciples for a purpose, "so that they may be one, as we are one." (v.11).

Jesus prayed for us. He prayed fervently that someday all Christians will join hands around the same communion table. Jesus believed that our differences will not divide us but will lead us to embrace more fully the beautiful mosaic of people who form the body of Christ.

Rabbi Jonathan Sack in his book The Dignity of Difference writes, "We need a theology of religion to help us recognize the image of God in the face of those who are not in our own image." He and many other people continue to join with Jesus in praying that we might be one, even with all our differences.

When Jesus prayed "so that they may be one, as we are one," he prayed from the context of the diversity, intimacy and interdependence he enjoyed with God and the Holy Spirit. As his disciples, may we seek to live into that same connection with each other that he modeled for us. This year's Annual Meeting theme "We Are Connected" is an appeal to live into the oneness Jesus envisioned for all his disciples.

Oneness does not mean we must be identical in thought and practice. It does not mean uniformity. Oneness means we seek ways to honor our differences through the lens of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which we hold in common. As a Conference, may we find the courage to move beyond differences and fulfill our purpose to live into this oneness.

Resting in the confidence that Jesus prayed for us , as his disciples, may we continue his work, ministry and prayer. May we have a hope-filled view of our future as we anticipate our lives and ministry together.

Abiding in Resurrection Hope,

Monica

Rev. Dr. Monica Dawkins-Smith

Conference Minister and President

Annual Meeting and Synod

Call to Penn Central Conference Annual Meeting

Walk-in Registration Available June 9!

This is our official call to the 55th Annual Meeting of the Penn Central Conference - June 9-10, 2017 at Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA.

Walk-in registration will be available on June 9.

Details ( agenda, directions, campus map) are available on our Web site.

Two Annual Meeting Outreach Opportunities!

You can make a difference by supporting our TWO outreach opportunities:

Quarters for the Washer/Dryer AND Toiletry Donations

Bus Trips Now Available for Sunday Worship at Synod!

Bus Trip from Lancaster and Harrisburg Area for General Synod Worship

2 Bus Trip Options for General Synod Worship Service - Sunday, July 2 at 2:30

Leaving from Harrisburg Area:

Bus leaves at 12:00 pm from Penn Central Conference Office

Parking for the bus trip at the conference office is free

Round trip bus cost is $30 per person

Click to Register for Harrisburg Bus

Leaving from Lancaster Area:

Bus leaves from Church of the Apostles at 12:30 pm and returns after worship

All are invited

Cost for the round-trip bus ticket and a sack lunch to eat on the way is $30 per person. ($21 without lunch)

Send this form to register - Lancaster

June 30 - July 4, General Synod

Final Call to Showcase Your Church!

Is your church doing something to help build a just world for all? We want to know! Make a 30-60 second video of you or someone from your church telling us what you are doing.

Your video can show us anything you're doing to make a difference in caring for all God's children and God's creation.

Send your video to jannsoha@ucc.org and your church may be featured on screen at General Synod in Baltimore this summer!

Three things to remember:

Video should be 30-60 seconds long
Shoot the video horizontally (hold phone sideways)
Email your video to jannsoha@ucc.org
Videos are due May 31!

Thank you! We can't wait to see Penn Central Conference congregations and your great works highlighted at Synod!

Church Vitality

Would You Like a Mystery Visitor to Come to Your Church?

The conference has trained 12 Mystery Visitors who are willing to visit your church on Sunday morning and give you a detailed report. Pastors can request a visitor (and they are the only ones allowed to do so) and they will receive the report to do with it as they see fit.

These visitors will assess the website, curb appeal and hospitality (as well as the coffee!). They will not be evaluating the pastor or the service itself. While most of the mystery visitors are churched, we also have a few seekers. To request a mystery visitor, contact Laurene Bowers LBowers@pccucc.org

Events, Training and Resources Available

UPCOMING CONFERENCE EVENTS

Board of Directors Meeting - May 31

Hartman Advisory Council - June 3

Camp Director Training - June 4

Basic Boundary Training - June 9, Susquehanna University

Board of Directors Meeting - June 9, Susquehanna University

Conference Annual Meeting - June 9-10, Susquehanna University

Hartman Center Golf Outing - RESCHEDULED for June 17- 1:30 pm

Vitality Workshop: How to Increase Worship Attendance - June 25, St. Johns, Boalsburg

General Synod UCC - June 30 - July 4 in Baltimore

Clergy Breakfast - July 27, Hartman Center

Click to see our Web site for more details.

NEW - Northern UCC Cluster Pig Roast

Sunday, June 25, beginning at 5pm, the Northern Cluster of UCC Churches will host a free pig roast and concert at MYO Park in Millersburg.

The Saving Grace Band, a Christian group from Mifflinburg, will share wonderful Southern and Country Gospel Music with us. Bring a covered-dish to share, and a lawn chair.

See Flyer for more details!

The Pollinator: The UCC Justice Blog

The Pollinator is a digital platform of the UCC for the sharing of ideas and inspiration among UCC churches. Its focus is the building of a faith-filled and faith-rooted movement for the care of creation. It can be found here

To receive The Pollinator by email, please sign up at: http://www.ucc.org/pollinator_sign_up

P.A.M. Classes for Lay Leaders

June 10, 2017 Pennsylvania Academy of Mininstry will be conducting our Worship Planning & Prep course at First UCC in Schuylkill Have from 9am to 4pm that also includes "rites and sacraments" of the church. This class is an advanced class and "Understanding Worship" is a prerequisite for this course.

Please contact Rev. Steve Hummel, Program Director at paacademyofministry@gmail.com or 484-239-5578

NEW - SAVE THE DATE!

Clergy Convocation - January 30 - February 1, 2018

Doubletree by Hilton - Willow Valley, Lancaster PA

Mid-Atlantic Regional Youth Event - July 19-22, 2018

California University of Pennsylvania

Join Our List

NEW - Emerging Philanthropist Grant

EPP invites nonprofit organizations serving Harrisburg City and the surrounding geographic areas to apply for a one-time grant of $5000. These organizations must provide programs that work to assist individuals 18 and older to increase self-sufficiency. Eligible programs may include, but are not limited to, mentoring, workforce development and career building, financial literacy, and parenting classes.

For more info: FEC and HYP Grant

Clergy News

May - June - July

May 28: Vernon Baum (Retired Area Conference Minister) SURPRISE! 70th Anniversary of Ordination at Trinity East Petersburg - 10:30 AM

June 4: Melissa Burkhart Ecclesiastical Council at St. Paul's Manheim - 3:00 PM

June 4: Tim Hogan-Palazo Installation at St. Paul's West Milton - 3:00 PM

June 4: Dave Bowles Last Worship at Grace Lebanon

June 4: Barb Albert Installation at Green Ridge Village, Newville - 3:00 PM

June 11: Melissa Eicholtz's Last Sunday at St. Jacobs Stone

June 11: Roger Snyder Farewell and 45th Ordination Anniversary Celebration at St. John's Tylersville

June 18: George Martz, 50th anniversary of his ordination on June 18 (50th anniversary of his graduation from LTS was May 19-20)

June 25: Dave Longenecker Installation at Homestead Village 3:00 PM

July 23: Kenna Meko Korssa Ordination at Wisdom's Table at St. Peter's, Lancaster - 3:00 PM

July 30: Jeff Kardisco Ordination at Trinity, Waynesboro - 3:00 PM

Memorial Service for Rev. Jim Bright

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend Jim's Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving.

June 3rd - 11:00 Visitation, 12:00 Memorial Service

The Church of the Apostles United Church of Christ

1850 Marietta Ave. - Lancaster, PA

In lieu of flowers, please send contributions in Jim's memory to: Trinity UCC, 2340 State St., East Petersburg, PA 17520; or Bethany Children's Home, 1863 Bethany Road, Womelsdorf, PA 19567.

NEW - Focusing on Clergy Mental Health

"You need to do something about this," the pastor pleaded. I was walking back to my room while attending the annual governance meeting of my denomination, the Christian Reformed Church (CRC), when this pastor approached me. He urged, "I won't tell you the details, but you need to do something to address the mental health challenges pastors face."

Read more from Mark Stephenson here.

Community Events

Invitation to Marchers Visiting DC

One of our sister UCC churches located just outside of DC is making a kind welcome to "Marchers" who may be coming to the capital to participate in the upcoming marches. June 11 is Equality March for Unity and Pride. They will be offering free sleeping space and basic accommodations -- read more here.

York Revolution Diversity Night Out

On Wednesday, June 14th, 6:30 p.m., the York Revolution supports diversity night. There's nothing more American than baseball and diversity.

Join the Revolution in welcoming the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer fans of our community to PeoplesBank Park in York, PA. It is also PeoplesBank Kids Eat Free Wednesday - Pick up a kids food voucher at any PeoplesBank Financial Center before the game.

Tickets are $8 per person. Tickets must be reserved by Wednesday May 31st. Reserve tickets by emailing Rev. Eva O'Diam at reveso@verizon.net.

$4 of every ticket purchased goes to support the Open and Affirming Ministry Team of the Penn Central Conference.

Can you SING? The ONA Singers (all are welcomed... singers and non-singers alike) will do a rendition of Take Me Out to the Ballgame at the 7th inning. Churches participating will be announced.

Wear your rainbow shirt and join us!

Hartman Center

NEW - Hartman Golf Outing

There is still time to register for the Rescheduled Hartman Center Golf Outing!

Hartman Center Golf Outing

in memory of Rev. Lee Lawhead

Saturday, June 17, 2017, 1:30 p.m. start

Fairview Golf Course, Quentin (Lebanon), PA

Come on out for Hole Contests, Prizes, $10,000 Hole-in-One Contest and more!

To Register:

It's Time to Register for Camp!

Hartman Center Summer Camp has robust full week and half-week camps running June 18 through July 29. (Plus, we have our Labor Day Intergenerational Camp as well!) Branch Out and Connect to Christ with great programs geared for fishing, pioneer adventure, soccer, music, drama, dance and many more!

Join us this summer to make your own memories!

Have you seen the Hartman Center Video?

Check it out here.

SWIMMING POOL FUND - Progress Update!!

Have you seen the new pool? Check out our Facebook page to see the NEW Hartman Center Pool

We now have over $70,000 promised of the $100,000 needed. You can donate by credit card by going on line to : ww.regonline.com/swimmingpoolfundraisingcampaign

Thank you for your support!

Hartman Center "Wish List"

There have been lots of questions on how to best support Hartman Center.

Here is a "wish list" of affordable items or projects that an individual, a group, or a church could adopt as a fun way to support Hartman Center.

The Wish List includes:

Passenger or Utility Van - $15,000 - 30,000
Airless Paint Gun - $400
New Hobart 20-30 Qt. Mixer - $5,000
New Hobart 10-20 Qt. Mixer - $1,500
Quilts, comforters, sheets/pillow cases to develop a linen service for Michaux Lodge 32 sets needed x $60-120
Camp benches - 16 wood or composite
Pavilion picnic tables
Shed for program storage

If you can help out, please reach out to Dave Bushnell at abushnell@aol.com or 717-371-2593 OR Zack Hassinger at hartmancenter@uccr.org or 717-994-5446.

NEW UCC Mission Initiative

3 Great Loves - Love of Children, Creation and Neighbor

VOLUNTEER NEEDED: Curating Stories

"3 Great Loves: Love of Children, Love of Creation, Love of Neighbor" is a UCC-wide mission initiative that will be launched at General Synod 2017 and conclude at General Synod 2019. This initiative invites us to look at our work through the lenses of the 3 Great Loves.

How does our work express a love of children, a love of creation, and/or a love of neighbor?

Every Conference as been invited to participate in this initiative by sharing our Conference stories in written or short video (30 sec) form. We encourage each of our congregations to share their stories of ministry moving us toward a just world.

To curate these stories, we are seeking a volunteer "Just World for All Conference Coordinator" for Penn Central Conference. Please email Wendy at whepler@pccucc.org if you are interested.

Faith Connection Stories

Read and Share Our Faith Connection Stories!

Redeemer's UCC, Littlestown - 3 congregations, 2 conferences, 1 mission trip

Quentin UCC - Bringing extra sparkle to The Sparkle Box with good deeds and donations

Bethany, Ephrata - Hometown mission trip

Ephrata Manor, UCC Homes - Elder care and food drives

Bethel, Spring Grove - Youth volunteers at Hanover Council of Churches

First Reformed, Lancaster - Serving meals (over 16,000!) and fundraising for MS

Shiloh, Danville - Expanding the welcome and making the church accessible for all

We love to hear stories of Penn Central Conference congregations working within their communities to passionately declare and demonstrate their courageous love of Christ. Share your story today!

Click here to share your own congregation's story