SAVE THE DATE

Ministry Day

October 10, 2019 - 8:30AM to 3:30PM

St. John's UCC (Fullerton), 575 Grape Street, Whitehall

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PNEC Fall Conference Meeting - Saturday, November 2, 2019

St. John United Church of Christ, 22 Atlas Road, Northampton

Keynote Speaker: Tod Bolsinger, PhD

Author of Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory

(for bulletin insert click here )

     NEW MINISTERIAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM DEBUTS 

Dear Penn Northeast Churches & Colleagues:

    Grace and peace! I am pleased to share news about a new, part-time program of theological education for local church leaders. The Ministerial Institute of the Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry at Lancaster Theological Seminary is designed for lay ministers, individuals in discernment, and other church leaders. This is an ecumenical program of theological education focused on leadership in the local congregation . 

    The Ministerial Institute is a three-year, non-degree program with classes in adaptive leadership, Christian theology, church history, biblical interpretation, financial and strategic health, and more. Classes are taught by experienced pastors, each of whom brings expertise and passion to their teaching. Classes are offered online September through April and in-person at Lancaster Seminary for one week each July. Students may sign up for the entire program or take classes a la carte. Participants in the full program also participate in a facilitated, covenant peer group and serve a concurrent ministry placement. 

    If you or someone you know is seeking education for church leadership, this may be the program you’ve been looking for! The documents linked below can be used as an article or graphic for your church newsletter and other communications with your community.

    For more information, please see the attached documents and reach out to Lancaster Seminary at admissions@lancasterseminary.edu or (717) 290-8741 .

Blessings, Darryl Stephens, Director, Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry at Lancaster Seminary

(Darryl holds a PhD in Christian Ethics from Emory University and an MDiv from Perkins School of Theology. In addition to directing the Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry, he is the Director of United Methodist Studies and teaches Ministerial Ethics and Healthy Boundaries at Lancaster Theological Seminary.  Darryl and his wife, Myka Kennedy Stephens, have been part of the Lancaster Seminary Community since May 2014. Myka is the Seminary Librarian and Assistant Professor of Theological Bibliography.)     

        Visit our website                     Flyer                    

Lehigh Conference of Churches

Help us Celebrate 65 Years of Gratitude

12 p.m., Wednesday, June 5

Dubbs Memorial Community Center, 457 W. Allen Street, Allentown, PA 18102

    Join us for our annual meeting and an afternoon of celebration and fellowship. Jim Byrnes of Family Promise of the Lehigh Valley is our guest speaker.

    Family Promise and The Lehigh Conference of Churches have worked together to house those in need and to better our community as partners in social service.

noon - networking and lunch

12:30 - board elections

12:45 - rewards, honorees and awards

Please confirm your attendance to (610) 433-6421 ext. 6106 or info@lehighchurches.org

NEW! Rebuild Volunteers Needed!

Volunteers are being recruited now to help repair and rebuild homes in the Florida Panhandle and in eastern PA. In Florida Hurricane Michael caused extensive damage when it made landfall there as a Category 4 storm in October 2018. The storm's heavy rain, high winds, and extreme storm surges caused massive destruction in its path and spawned numerous tornadoes. Work will be in Bay and Washington counties, which suffered significant home, crop and tree damage. In PA. rebuilding is in process following the flooding in Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Bradford, Lancaster and York counties. The work will be a variety. All skill levels of volunteers are accepted. Groups will be matched up with work that is suitable to their talents. To volunteer for PA contact Karl Jones, at kjones275@comcast.net.   Click here for more information and to volunteer in Florida.

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Our friends at FEMA have prepared two toolkits for June -

Pet Preparedness and Heat and Drought

Click Here for Pet Preparedness Tool-Kit

Click Here for Heat and Drought Tool-Kit

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Mountain West Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster

MVVOAD Report 2019

National Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster

NVOAD Report 2019

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For Up-To-Date Information click the link below

UCC Disaster Ministries: www.ucc.org/disaster

Niagara Youth Festival

taking place October 25 ^th – 27 ^th in Silver Spire United Church, St. Catharines. If you would like more information google Niagara Youth Festival. The cost of this event is $25 per person and includes a time of worship, workshops, and getting to know youth from the United Church Canada.

MINISTRY TRAINING UPDATES (Continuing Education)

ALL Authorized Ministers, please note:  We will be identifying these kinds of continuing education opportunities – The policy is effective January 1, 2019. If you have any questions, please contact the Penn Northeast Conference Office at 610-826-3113. 

Thank You!

Click HERE for list of current and up-coming opportunities!

Theology Matters: Curriculum Resources for ALL Ages

Friends in Ministry,

    Have you ever had questions about Faith Formation in your congregation? The PNEC Faith Formation Ministry Team is sponsoring a SPECIAL EVENT for YOU! Please see the flyer below and share it with your Faith Formation team. This event will be geared to assist with planning the 2019-2020 year in the following ways:

    Continuing Education hours are available for attending.  

    If you have any questions, feel free to contact your Faith Formation Ministry team. If you have an interest in helping with the event and others, we welcome your input.

                                                                                              Yours in Christ,

                                                                           Janet Newett, for the Faith Formation Ministry Team

                                                                                       610-657-2189      janetnewett@gmail.com 

To register and pay, please click on the link below:

https://tithe.ly/event-registration/#/703628  

 Children's Sermon for June 2 (based on John 17:20-26)  - by Rev. Dave Quinn

Items needed:  A color picture of a rainbow , markers or crayons of each of  the rainbow colors ( red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, dark blue, purple.) When kids come up, show them the picture and ask them what it is. And, how many rainbows are there in this picture- one, just one. Yet, one rainbow is made up of seven different colors (hold up each crayon/marker, one at a time, and ask them what color it is.) It takes all these different colors, together, to make one rainbow. Just one rainbow. In today's Bible reading, Jesus is praying for us. Jesus is also praying for all of the other people who believe in Him.  The people who believe in Jesus come in all different colors. Just like there are all these different colors in one rainbow. And Jesus is praying that we will understand that, even though we are many different colors, we are just One Church. Just like the rainbow is made up of seven different colors, but it is one rainbow.