It has been a long tradition of the Eastern PA Annual Conference to have spirited debate during sessions using resolutions. We will meet May 20-22 using Zoom, a platform in which debate can be challenging. Bishop Peggy Johnson urges Conference members to keep resolutions to a minimum or to not submit any at all and wait until we are in person again. 

Conference committees are encouraged to simply send in written reports about what is important for people to know and to do. A short video could also be submitted and viewed if time allows. In this way we are sharing information and urging action but not engaging in tedious Parliamentary procedures in Zoom’s chat function.

This year’s session will include resolutions with legislative debate and amendments allowed. But the plan is to reduce the amount of session time given to debate and amendments by urging all members to read resolutions once they are published and respond promptly with any questions and suggested revisions to resolution authors.  

All resolutions are due to the Conference Secretary, the Rev. Jacqueline Hines, by March 5. Any revisions the authors make to their initial resolutions, in response to questions and suggestions, will be due to the Conference Secretary by April 2. Perfected resolutions will be published by April 13. The Conference Commission on Sessions made these and other decisions to ensure efficiency and fairness at its Jan. 12 meeting. Please read the statement and instructions for submitting Resolutions to AC2021 on our website and follow the instructions carefully. And please observe the two deadlines: March 5 for initial submissions and April 2 for revised submissions. Learn more...

With the theme “Come to the Water,” the Eastern PA Conference’s Connectional Ministries will celebrate the ministry of baptism and confirmation in our Annual Conference in 2021. We would love to share photos, videos and stories of church baptisms and confirmations, if permitted by the families involved, as part of our celebration at Annual Conference and throughout the year.  

If you have or can obtain photos or videos of baptisms or confirmations performed by your church, please share them with us. Send them to our NEWSpirit Communications office at [email protected]. Photos of confirmation classes on Zoom are welcome, too.  

A selection of submitted baptism and confirmation photos and video scenes received by April 5 may be used in our Connectional Ministries video report to Annual Conference on May 21. Others may be used throughout 2021 in ongoing promotion of our theme “Come to the Water.” Learn more…

Eastern PA Conference Scholarships are awarded for the fall and spring semesters to undergraduate and graduate students who have been active members of a church in our conference for at least two years. For many, these vital scholarships are one of Eastern PA’s best-kept secrets but are deserving of much more awareness and support.

March 1 is the application deadline for our scholarships for the fall semester. More information is available online. 

You can help fund our scholarships by mailing donations to the Eastern PA UMC Conference Treasurer’s Office at P.O. Box 820, Valley Forge, PA 19482. Please indicate “Conference Scholarships” or “Conference Ordained Ministry Scholarships” in the memo line of your checks. Or you can give electronically by using our convenient online giving page. 

Also, read “21 Conference students awarded UMC scholarships,” which reports that 21 Eastern PA Conference students received scholarships in 2020 awarded by the UMC General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Learn more...

A joint meeting for African American members of the Eastern PA and Peninsula-Delaware conferences will happen on Zoom March 18. The correct time is 6:30 to 8:30 PM.

KAKATA, Liberia (UM News) — Alice M. Nyankolor said her new wheelchair is a blessing that offers her a sense of independence. She is among 50 recipients of new wheelchairs shipped by Asbury United Methodist Church in Allentown, Pennsylvania, through its Barrels of Love ministry and United Methodist partnerships. E Julu Swen has the story. Read story

Presenters confirmed include the Revs. Rudy Rasmus, Joseph Daniels, Myra Maxwell and Rashawn Clark. Breakout groups will explore an array of urban concerns and ministry opportunities.

The Summit is being planned for pastors, laity, deacons, youth, district superintendents, missioners, and other persons interested in Urban Ministry and being in ministry with the poor. A series of mini-Urban Summits on Zoom will follow in July, September and November 2021. A flyer and registration page will be published online next week.

EL PASO, Texas (UM News) — If there's a positive side to the coronavirus for churches, it's that many of them have dramatically upped their game online. Internet responsibilities have increased the workload of pastors, who will get even busier as churches return to normal after the pandemic eases. Read story   

In the first "Get Your Spirit in Shape" episode of 2021, Kathleen Griffith of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries reminds people to care for their whole selves — mind, body and spirit. Griffith also shares how the agency's Abundant Health Initiative met its ambitious goal of reaching 1 million children with lifesaving intervention. Listen to podcast.

The United Methodist Global AIDS Committee plans to focus on racial disparities in addressing HIV and AIDS during its webinar Feb. 1, at 2 PM. That focus will include a panel that supports the UMC’s Dismantling Racism initiative, multi-level effort to initiate a sustained and coordinated effort to dismantle racism and promote collective action to work toward racial justice. 

This is the second in a series of webinars planned for the coming months to educate, support, and advocate for those affected by HIV/AIDS. The complimentary session will be made available online through Facebook.com/UMCglobalaidsfund and archived on their website.

The UM Global AIDS Committee – established by the UMC’s 2004 General Conference – has sought to strengthen the church’s compassionate response to those affected with HIV/AIDS by helping to stem the tide of the pandemic through education and advocacy. Subsequent free webinars will be held April 1 and June 1 of 2021. Learn more. To watch on Facebook. 

This Holy Mystery: A UM Study of Holy Communion, via Zoom, is designed to help all church leaders -- and in particular, licensed local pastors and lay-supply pastors -- to wrestle with this theological foundation of Holy Communion. 

To participate, individuals should read Gayle Carlton Felton's book This Holy Mystery (available at cokesbury.com), including Wesley's sermon, “On the Duty of Constant Communion” (in the workbook). The registration deadline is Tuesday April 6. 0.5 CEUs will be offered to those who complete this course. You must participate in BOTH classes as they will not be recorded. Register today. Learn more…

Disaster victims and relief workers showed resilience in 2020 as church buildings and members were knocked around by wildfires, derechos, hurricanes and tornadoes. Roland Fernandes, top executive of UM Global Ministries and the United Methodist Committee on Relief, said the struggles helped bring people together. Jim Patterson reports. Read story  

The United Methodist Publishing House, in Nashville, continues to see sharply reducing sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting another 32 layoffs. After the current reduction, the agency will have 161 staff, down from about 300 at the beginning of 2020. The self-supporting agency has taken other cost-cutting measures while also responding to churches' online curriculum needs, including offering new Lenten and vacation Bible school products. The Publishing House's Nashville, Tenn., headquarters remains up for sale. Read press release. Publishing House among pandemic victims.

COLUMBIA, Mo. — More than a dozen Missouri Conference clergy serving local churches have contracted COVID-19. A few of those shared their experiences with Fred Koenig, conference publications editor. Read story

MUTARE, Zimbabwe — Patrick Matsikenyiri, song leader, hymn writer and world-renowned teacher of African music, died suddenly Jan. 15 of complications related to COVID-19. He was 83. Among other contributions, Matsikenyiri established Africa University's music education program and choir. Read story Read Discipleship Ministries tribute

DURHAM, N.C. — Duke Divinity School has announced a new hybrid program that will let students earn a Master of Divinity degree without relocating to the Durham campus. Duke Divinity, a United Methodist seminary, also has added 12 scholarships — covering up to 100% of tuition — for students committed to ministry. Read press release

With COVID-19 still a threat, worship leaders are urging increased caution in observing Ash Wednesday on Feb. 17. An ecumenical team convened by three United Methodists, two of them from Candler School of Theology, produced a six-page guide to reduce health risks as Christians mark the start of Lent. The guide draws on a range of experts, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Read guide

The General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) has a free Lenten resource to help small groups grow closer to God. Roll Down, Justice!, a Lenten Biblical reflection written by Faye Wilson, features music and reflections by Mark Miller and poses the following questions to believers: 

Miller has written a collection of songs, lyrics, and music, which remind us of the work we each have to do to “seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.” Roll Down, Justice! is based on six songs in a book/CD set. The songs are offered as six videos, each with a study guide. Learn more…

In the latest episode of the "Compass Podcast," Tony Caldwell, a psychoanalytic psychotherapist, discusses resilience and how to identify ways we can move forward in hope when so many of our circumstances feel stuck in sameness. Listen to podcast

Hashtags, those words or phrases with a tic-tac-toe symbol at the front, are where social engagement happens. The goal is to capture the theme or idea behind an event or topic in one or two words. The Rev. Jeremy Steele, associate pastor at Los Altos United Methodist Church, offers some best practices. Read tips

Wespath Benefits and Investments and the United Methodist Publishing House have released "Saving Grace: A Guide to Financial Well-Being," a new personal money-management curriculum guided by Wesleyan values that seeks to promote financial wellness with clergy and laity. Resources are available through the Publishing House's online platform, AmplifyMedia.com. They also can be purchased on Cokesbury.com and Amazon.com. Read press release To see videos To order Saving Grace curriculum

Each month, through the #StillinMission series we invite four missionaries to be in conversation with laity and clergy throughout the church to share the joys and challenges they’ve experienced. You can join them on Zoom on the day and time noted below. Registration is required.

Download and share the #StillinMission flyers for Feb. 4, at 7 PM and March 4, at 1 PM. The four missionaries to be featured in February are: 

Details and application information are available at www.ResourceUMC.org in the Communications section.  

This year’s session will include resolutions with legislative debate and amendments allowed. But the plan is for recommended amendments and revisions to occur mostly online once resolutions are made public and before the conference meets. The deadline to receive resolutions is March 5. Recommended revisions and amendments will be accepted until April 2. Learn more...

The Bumkoo Chung, West District Superintendent, offers a new sermon for churches to use in worship on Sunday, Jan. 31, or another appropriate Sunday. His sermon, “New Teaching,” is taken from Mark 1:21-28. It can be viewed on the Conference YouTube channel and downloaded from the Conference’s Dropbox account.

The federal government’s new PPP2 loans are available first to applicants, including churches, who did not receive a PPP1 loan last year. But eligibility for the aid will expand soon for churches that have already received PPP1 grants and can demonstrate a 25 percent decline in their “gross receipts” in at least one 2020 quarter, compared to the same quarter in 2019. Learn more...

Will your church participate in the annual, nationwide Souper Bowl of Caring mission outreach event to tackle hunger while coinciding with Pro Football’s Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 7? Please let us know before or after, and please send us information and photos of your activities to [email protected]. 

In this podcast conversation, they talk about their life as a missionary couple and as parents, and how being fully present to patients, students, colleagues, and to God, helps them in their work of sharing the love of Jesus by caring for the physical needs of others. Learn more...

The Conference Treasurer’s Office e-mailed its Statistical Reports letter to churches this week, Completed reports are due by April 30, using the EZRA Data Management System of the UMC’s General Board of Finance and Administration at http://ezra.gcfa.org. Each church’s online username is its six-digit GCFA ID Number, which can be found on its monthly remittance statement or its 2019 Statistical Report. 

There is one username per church; but more than one person can enter data by using the same password. For a password, type in “stat2020” (without quotation marks), using all lowercase and no spaces. Churches should contact their District Office if they need assistance . Learn More

GENEVA — The World Council of Churches invites the global ecumenical family and friends to join a livestreamed public prayer service at 8 a.m. U.S. Eastern time Jan. 25, the final day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This year's theme, from the Gospel of John: "Abide in my love and you shall bear much fruit." Read invitation

Jason Moore will teach us creative, transformative strategies for worshiping both online and in-person when churches return to their sanctuaries. Tuesday, Feb. 9, 10 AM-12:30 PM. (The time was recently extended a half-hour.) Moore, who has pioneered creative, collaborative worship design for two decades, will lead us in exploring new possibilities for worshiping both online and onsite at our churches, in a webinar offered for free on Zoom “Both/And: Maximizing Hybrid Worship Experiences for Online and In-Person Audiences” will “delve into strategies for how to create powerful transformative worship where no one feels like they’re an afterthought.”  . Learn more…

Watch this brief promotion video.

The Conference’s next Dismantling Racism—Level 2 training event will explore “The Hispanic/Latino (Latinx) Experience—Racism: the Struggle is Real!” All are invited to participate in what should be a fascinating, three-hour webinar on Zoom, on Saturday, Feb. 27, from 9 AM to noon. Register online now!

The Rev. Irving Cotto, a pastor and co-chairman of the Conference’s Latino Commission, and the Rev. Alicia Julia-Stanley, a pastor who co-chairs the Conference Commission on Religion and Race, will co-host the webinar. Register online now!

Whether you’re with a small group or going it alone, consider these recommendations that UMCom writer Crystal Caviness compiled based on recommendations by staff at The United Methodist Publishing House. You may reach her by email or at 615-742-5138. Learn more...

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provides this Houses of Worship Security Self-Assessment Tool. Prepared by the DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), it is a security planning resource useful for church facilities. This tool along with other faith-based resources are located on the Faith Based Organization-Houses of Worship (FBO-HOW) resource page,  Learn more…

Watch the recording of this important conversation about racism in our churches and religious institutions with the editor (the Rev. Rudy Rasmus) and writers of the new Abingdon Press book I'm Black. I'm Christian. I'm Methodist. In the book, 10 Black women and men explore their lives through the lenses of their compelling, personal accounts. They are leaders whose lives are tangible demonstrations of the power of a divine purpose and evidence of what grace really means in face of hardship, disappointment, and determination. The moderator is GCORR’s M. Garlinda Burton.  WATCH NOW. Buy and learn more about I'm Black. I'm Christian. I'm Methodist.

Two new videos available on YouTube promote the new Lenten Bible study being prepared by the Rev. Steve Morton and North District clergy. View the two promo videos, featuring: Bishop Peggy Johnson and Rev. Jennifer Frey, North District Assisting Elder. Learn more about the series: "New Lenten study to feature North District clergy."

The complete study will be available in early February. To access both the videos and Leader's Guide online, please go to https://www.epaumc.org/districts/north/ and click on "Bible Studies." If you would like a flash drive with the study mailed to you, please email Deb Boyd at [email protected]. (If needed, a DVD and paper copies can be mailed if you let Deb Boyd know by 2/1 that you will need that format instead).

Does being faithful mean being doubtless? The Rev. Brian McLaren talks on the Compass Podcast about his new book "Faith After Doubt." The podcast is a ministry of United Methodist Communications aimed at reaching spiritual seekers. Listen to podcast

Many people in your community will be searching for a place to find renewal and hope this Easter. United Methodist Communications sells a wide variety of customizable outreach resources to invite people to church, including postcards, banners and digital tools. Use code “UMCEA21” to receive $150 off an order.  To order

Vanco, a digital-giving platform for churches, has acquired Smartcare, a provider of software specifically for child care centers. Vanco is part of the General Council on Finance and Administration's ministry partner program for churches. Read press release

The Eastern PA Conference’s weekly prayer meetings on Zoom continue on Tuesdays at noon, with participants sharing the honors of leading the half-hour sessions. The Rev. David Piltz, Coordinator of Youth & Young Adults Ministries, started the ministry last April as the COVID-19 pandemic became more daunting, taking a growing toll on many lives through infections, deaths and social distancing.

Each week's sharing of personal joys and concerns, followed by intercessory prayers, seems to offer a communal balm of spiritual healing and hopefulness for some participants. The online gatherings have drawn as many as several dozen attendees.  Learn more...

The Open Door Christian Community, our UM campus ministry at Drexel University in Philadelphia, will partner with the Eastern PA Conference’s Young Adults Ministry to offer a new, weekly Fireside Chat & Prayer ministry on Tuesdays, 7 to 8 PM, via Zoom. The pilot program will begin Jan. 26 and last till March 2.

This will be “one of the first times a conference-wide young adult ministry event is co-sponsored with a campus ministry in a very long time,” said the Rev. David Piltz, who directs the campus ministry and coordinates the Conference’s Youth and Young Adult Ministries. “Our Drexel Campus Ministry is excited. And since our Conference Young Adults ministry is reforming now, this new initiative will help with that effort.”

Two influential speakers who have spoken to the Conference’s Council on Youth Ministry before will conduct the Fireside Chat & Prayer sessions. They will discuss “Healthy Relationships,” especially in the throes of a pandemic, and “Creating Healing in Your Life.” No registration is required. Anyone at least age 18 and of any faith is invited regardless of faith background. Learn more...

The UMC’s General Board of Higher Education & Ministry (GBHEM) will host two Black female college presidents to explore how to engage oneself and others effectively in understanding and addressing race, racism and the quest for equity for all, especially in higher education. The Feb. 4 online discussion, from 12 to 1 PM, part of the board’s “Straight Talk” series, will feature Fayneese Miller and Colette Pierce Burnette.  

Dr. Miller is the first African-American and second woman president of Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn. Dr. Burnette is the president of Huston-Tillotson University, a historically Black university in Austin, Texas. Both schools are UM-related institutions. Interested participants may register here. This is a FREE event. Learn more…

Bishop Peggy Johnson reports that Peninsula- Delaware Conference lay members “fell in love with the Gospel Discipleship book” and the Rev. Dr Michelle Morris, author, will do an online 10-hour training event there to fulfill the needs of many lay people who need their recertification for lay servant status. “They have told me that Eastern PA Conference laity are most welcome to join if they want,” says the bishop. “So spread the word.”

Attend the Gospel Discipleship Weekend Workshop on Zoom, Feb. 12-14, in five 2-hour sessions, sponsored by the Peninsula-Delaware Conference Lay Servant Academy.

The Rev Dr Michelle Morris is passionate about connecting people to Jesus in meaningful ways, and loves to help people gain a deeper understanding of their discipleship An ordained elder in the Arkansas Conference, she has served churches and worked on church revitalization and new church starts, which gave rise to Gospel Discipleship. She helps people understand their discipleship in terms of defining paths spelled out in each of the four Gospels. Register online. Download and share the flyer..

The Conference Leadership Committee asks all clergy and lay members to use this Leadership and Service Interest Form to indicate how and where they are willing to serve on. Learn more...

The Eastern PA Conference’s new Narberth Legacy Ministry Action Grants (2021-2023) can provide up to $45,000 in support to new, innovative, justice-seeking ministries that impact the life of communities. The new endowment fund’s first three-year grant period will begin July 1; but the application deadline is Jan. 31. It will be awarded annually to a church.

Funds will be granted only for endeavors that produce action and offer the potential for real change. Learn more on the conference website’s Funding For Ministry page or contact the Office of Connectional Ministries. The fund is featured in the new Conference Funding for Ministry and Leadership Development Booklet. Narberth Legacy Action Ministry Grant Application. 

Now is the time for eligible ministries to submit applications for approval as Eastern PA Conference Advance Specials for 2021-2022. Approved applications must be submitted as a special resolution to the May 2021 Annual Conference for a vote. Please complete the application and return it electronically to Deaconess Barbara Drake at [email protected]. The deadline is March 5. Download: 2021 Advance Special Application.  

See the roster of 2019-2020 Conference Advance Specials approved by the 2019 Annual Conference. There were no projects approved in 2020. Conference Advance Specials is a missional stewardship program of second-mile giving by generous churches, groups and individuals to support primarily local ministries. Churches that want to give to support Conference Advance Specials should first fulfill their primary connectional stewardship commitments to the conference and general church by remitting apportioned funds and direct bill payments.

The Eastern PA Conference’s 2021 Tools for Ministry, March 13, from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM, will make history by being totally online for the first time, rather than being held in onsite district locations. Offering virtual classrooms on Zoom for this annual, half-day academy of learning for church leaders is yet another way the Conference is adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic and overcoming required social-distancing restrictions against large gatherings. 

Bishop Peggy Johnson will begin the morning plenary with devotions. An offering, using text-to-give on smartphones, or mailed or electronic funds transfer options, will be received to support the antiracism and justice work of POWER, an interfaith community organization to which some Eastern PA Conference churches belong.

The 35 workshops cover a wide array of interesting and helpful subjects. One is in Spanish and another will be offered bilingually in English and Spanish. The workshops will be offered in two 90-minute sessions—beginning at 9:00 and 10:45 AM, with a break in-between. Visit the online information page and register today. Also, download the flyer and the full brochure with workshop descriptions. Learn more…

Artos Retreats and Samaritan Counseling Center will gather clergy spouses and partners online beginning on Thursday, Jan. 28, at 7 PM, for supportive dialogues to help them deal with their role changes and challenges during the current pandemic. The confidential, facilitated, real-life discussions on Zoom are for those of any denomination seeking “shared wisdom and hope” during these difficult times.

Six small-group, monthly gatherings will happen on fourth Thursday evenings. The first two sessions are free, and subsequent sessions will be available for only $30 each. Julie Anderman, Executive Director of Artos Retreats, a clergy spouse for 20 years and a certified professional coach, will facilitate the discussions. Jan. 21 is the deadline for registration. Download and share this flyer.

On the heels of exploring Gil Rendle’s transformational tome Quietly Courageous (Jan. 13 to Feb 3), the Congregational Development Team (CDT) Book Club will next launch into the Lenten season with a study of a new, highly touted, instant classic. Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents (2020), by Isabel Wilkerson, examines the unspoken caste system of race that has shaped America and shows how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions.

For five weeks, Feb. 23 to March 23, on Tuesdays at 11 AM to noon, CDT Book Club members will read and discuss this “masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America.” Described as “immersive, deeply researched" with stories about real people, it was recently named by a New York Times critic “an instant American classic and almost certainly the keynote nonfiction book of the American century thus far.”

The Conference’s Commission on Religion & Race (CORR) will co-sponsor the book study and help CDT purchase and give books free to the first 50 members to register. Book purchase scholarships are also available. Anyone can join by registering in advance. Learn more...

“It will be a provocative and insightful conversation not to be missed,” writes the Rev. Tony Love, MECM director and Assistant to Bishop Latrelle Easterling of the Baltimore-Washington Conference. Join the webinar on Zoom at https://bwcumc.zoom.us/j/98067837608. Or join by telephone in Eastern PA at +1 646 876 9923. (Or use iPhone one-tap at: +13017158592,,98067837608# or +13126266799,,98067837608#.) The webinar ID number is 980 6783 7608. See and share this flyer.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Revs. Magrey deVega, Adam Hamilton and Susan Robb will lead a webinar series to help church leaders prepare Bible studies for Lent, which starts Feb. 17 this year. "A Season of Reflection: Lenten Studies to Prepare for Easter's Celebrations" will be at 2 p.m. U.S. Central time Jan. 12-14.  To learn more and register

Apply today for the summer Ethnic Young Adult Internship Program! Do you know a young person who wants to put their faith in action? Apply by March 1. Program runs from June 5-July 31. The Ethnic Young Adult Internship (EYA) program is for young justice seekers willing to unpack their faith and identity while working with an organization engaged in addressing social injustices. 

Save the date for the Eastern PA Conference’s Transfiguration Day Apart scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, 9:30 to 11:30 AM, on Zoom. All clergy and Certified Lay Ministers (CLMs) serving congregations are invited to attend. The Rev. Deborah Appler, who teaches at Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, will be the keynoter. Her topic: “The Transfiguration from an Old Testament Perspective." Download and share the flyer. 

The Eastern PA Conference Connectional Ministries Office has published online a new booklet, titled Conference Funding for Ministry and Leadership Development, to inform churches and members about resources for funding ministry, church needs and educational scholarships. The booklet conveniently gathers in one place information already present on the conference website’s individual Funding For Ministry, Higher Education Scholarships & Grants and Conference Loan Fund pages. (All pages are updated regularly and are accessible from our Conference Finance webpage.)

One major funding source featured in the new booklet is the conference’s new Narberth Legacy Ministry Action Grants (2021-2023 Action Grants). The Narberth Legacy Ministry Action Fund is a Permanent Endowment Fund administered by the Mid-Atlantic United Methodist Foundation on behalf of the Eastern PA Conference. It was established from the 2014 discontinuation of Narberth UMC, as a living memorial to past church members, to provide substantial support to new, innovative, justice-seeking ministries that impact the life of communities. 

Funds will be granted only for endeavors that produce action and offer the potential for real change. Learn more on the conference website’s Funding for Ministry page or contact the Office of Connectional Ministries. Deadline: Jan. 31, 2021. Learn more...

Do you find yourself wondering where you can obtain a 501(c)3 letter? Clergy W-2s? Various other bits of information that is crucial for churches? Look no further than the Local Church Resources page under the Administration tab on the EPA website and you can answer these questions.

Download: Printable Listing of Eastern PA Conference Events