Penn Central Conference Weekly eNews

I often wonder what could happen if the Church were to once more, metaphorically speaking, be together in one place. Agreeing to disagree but not become disagreeable. Even on the day of Pentecost, not everyone was convinced that a good thing was happening among those who were caught up in the Spirit of God, yet they did not become disagreeable.

I also wonder what could happen:

If churches with liberal views and conservative views could learn to listen to each other to form mutual understanding even though we seem to speak a different language

If Blacks, Whites, Latino and Asian people would cross ethnic and cultural boundaries to worship together as a multicultural church

Pentecost reminds us that it is Jesus who calls us into community and unity. In last week's lectionary passage from John's gospel, we were reminded that Jesus prayed for us. He prayed anticipating the challenge of establishing unity amid diversity all kinds of different people together in one place.

What Pentecost moments have you noticed throughout your life, or even recently?

Pentecost moments happen as the Church continues to be created anew by the Spirit. When we open our eyes to see things in a new way, we open our hearts to new possibilities and hope. According to Walter Bruggemann we "... think, imagine, dream, (en)vision a future that God will yet enact."

At Annual Meeting this year, Association Executive Committee members are invited together in one place to participate in a "Think Tank" session to envision new possibilities for the churches they serve. I am eager to see what the Spirit will do in our midst.

Pentecost was meant to show us who we are as the church. This is our story just as much as it is the story of the earliest disciples of Jesus. Like them, we are the church. We are the gathering of Jesus' followers filled, empowered and moved by the Spirit of God. We are a people sent and powered by the Spirit of God to create new possibilities, life and bring hope into lives of all people everywhere.

May who we are show in what we do. Amen.

In Christ,

Monica

Rev. Dr. Monica Dawkins-Smith

Conference Minister and President

NEW - You Asked, We Delivered!

Monica's Message Now Available as a Bulletin Insert so you can share.

8/12 x 11 insert and 8 /12 x 14 insert

Annual Meeting and Synod

NEW INFO - 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.

Important Information:

Registration begins at 2pm Friday in the Degenstein Campus Center.

Wear comfortable clothing and walking shoes. Clothing varies from jeans to shorts to nice day clothes. Please bring along a light sweater or jacket as some find the auditorium cool with air conditioning.
Please bring along your own pillow and toiletry items. The university provides two sheets, pillowcase, blanket and towels. There will be an overhead light in the rooms, but you may want to bring a reading light as well.
We will have a golf cart available to transport attendees who have trouble walking. This cart will be available all weekend. Please talk with our PCC registration helpers for more information when you arrive.
If you are staying on campus will be issued a room key and outside door access card. Please hold onto your card and key. THERE WILL BE CHARGES IF THE KEY AND CARD ARE NOT RETURNED AT THE END OF YOUR STAY.

Walk-in registration will be available on June 9.

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

Workshop Listing (with rooms assignments) now available - Workshop with Rooms

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

Church Vitality

NEW - Vitality Workshops

Have you noticed a drop in worship attendance?

Are you wondering how to get more visitors to show up on Sunday morning?

What kinds of changes to worship can be made that will have the biggest impact ?

This workshop walks pastors and leaders through the process of reaching out to the community and attracting new people to attend worship. Once they are attending worship, three changes will be recommended to ensure their return . We will explore Web sites , visitor tabs and using the Smart Phone as a device for evangelism. Key learnings will be around worship days and times, how to make Holy some of the secular Holidays and how to do small groups in the middle of worship.

There is no cost to attend. Please read Transforming Worship: Changing Lives through Religious Experience by Laurene Beth Bowers (available on Amazon). This will prepare you to ask questions and have a conversation about how to incrementally grow your church.

June 25: Vitality Workshop "How to Increase Worship Attendance"

(St. John's, Boalsburg)

July 16: Vitality Workshop "How to Increase Worship Attendance"

(Colonial Park, Harrisburg)

August 6: Vitality Workshop "How to Increase Worship Attendance"

(Apostles, Lancaster)

August 20: Vitality Workshop "How to Increase Worship Attendance"

(Dreisbach, Lewisburg)

September 24: Vitality Workshop "How to Increase Worship Attendance"

(Hayshire, York)

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

Community of Practice Group 1 and 2 - June 1

Hartman Advisory Council - June 3

Camp Director Training - June 3, 4

Basic Boundary Training - June 9, Susquehanna University

Board of Directors Meeting - June 9, Susquehanna University

Conference Annual Meeting - June 9-10, Susquehanna University

Transitional Ministers Gathering - June 14

Mystery Visitor Training - June 14

Personnel Committee - June 15

General Synod Meeting - June 17

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

Click to see our Web site for more details.

SAVE THE DATE!

Clergy Breakfast - July 27

Hartman Center

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

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!

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 - 2016 Was a Great Year for UCC!

"What Unites Us Is Greater Than What Divides Us"

Check out the 2016 UCC Highlights

NEW - Grant Opportunities

The NEW grant application for New Spiritual Communities and ReNewing Churches Grant program is now live, after extensive revisions!

For more information and the updated application, please check here

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The Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council is preparing to re-issue several grant Request for Proposals (RFPs) in June 2017.

Two of the coming grants that will specifically target and benefit resource and service development in Pennsylvania rural communities are summarized below:

Rural Responsive Resources

Rural Transportation Cooperatives

Please see flyer for more information.

NEW - New Mission Planning and Assessment Guide

Now available for easy download - Mission and Assessment

Planning Guide

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

Join Our List

Clergy News

May - June - July

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 2: Marian Anderson Ordination at St. John's, Lewisburg - 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.

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

Last Day to Reserve Tickets...

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

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.

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!

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