Penn Northeast Conference UCC, 431 Delaware Ave., Palmerton, PA 18071
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Call to the Fall VIRTUAL Meeting of PNEC
and
Installation of Rev. Dr. Bonnie Bates
Saturday, November 7, 2020
via ZOOM
9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Theme: Moving Forward
Scripture: Isaiah 43:19
Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand new.
It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is!
I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands.
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Summary Notes of the Conference Board Meeting 7.22.2020
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Generous Preaching
Sept. 15, Oct. 13, and Nov. 10, 2020
2:00 – 3:00 pm
Engaging scripture stories to share the spiritual practice of generosity with congregations
It can be hard to talk about money. And yet Jesus spoke about it often, second only to the Kingdom of God. Join Rev. Andrew Warner to explore how to preach and teach about generosity and the use of our financial resources. Background materials and seminar style discussions will take place through the Damascus Project. Each month will focus on a specific et of readings. We will plan out at least one preaching opportunity for teaching generosity as a spiritual practice each month.
· Sept. 15: Exodus 16: 2-15, “Between Desiring Fleshpots and Divine Generosity”
· Oct. 13: 1 John 4: 1-7, “Beloved, Love”
· Nov. 15, Matthew 25: 14-30, “To Timid with Talents?”
What You’ll Get From Generous Preaching: As a student, you’ll get a few great benefits from being here:
· Explore. It can be hard to talk about money. And yet Jesus spoke about it often, second only to the
Kingdom of God. Explore generosity as a spiritual practice.
· Connect with colleagues and scripture in new ways through leadership focused Bible Study.
· Get results. Research underscores the connection between teaching about generosity and
increasing revenue for a local church. Learn how to talk about generosity outside of an annual
pledge drive.
Testimonial: Rev. Julia Hollister, First Congregational Church, Sheboygan, WI:
“Through open and honest questions, Andrew and Kathryn helped us to discern how the scripture passages were speaking to us as individuals and how they might speak to our congregations. They bring a wealth of wisdom and ‘lived experience’ to their engagement with the text. The workshop brought a breath of fresh air to some familiar texts.”
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The Story of Worship
(open to both Pastors & Lay Worship Leaders)
November 14, 2020 from 9AM to 4:30PM via Zoom
Instructor: Rev. Dr. Matthew Gorkos - Cost: $50/person
(This will count for 7 hours of continuing education)
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Announcing the new Executive Director of Lehigh Conference Of Churches
The Board of Directors of The Lehigh Conference of Churches is pleased to announce that Abigail Goldfarb will lead the organization as the next Executive Director beginning in the fall.
At the Conference, Abby most recently served as Director of Administration and before that, Community Relations Coordinator. Abby’s loyalty and passion for the Conference’s mission, which is to provide housing, relief from hunger, and hope to many in our community, along with her intimate knowledge of the organization that comes from her 11 years of increasing experience, makes her uniquely qualified for the position.
In her new role, she will be responsible for both continuing the Conference’s strong presence in our community with a number of social service programs and engaging the greater faith community to partner with the Conference to put their faith into action. Her skills and passion provide a clear vision for the organization’s future engagement with the community and commitment to social justice.
“During this difficult time, we believe that Abby’s experience, faith, enthusiasm and optimism makes her the right leader to navigate the Conference into a strong future of partnering in our community to serve our neighbors, especially the most vulnerable," says Rev. Janel Rice, President of The Lehigh Conference of Churches Board of Directors.
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2021 Mission Trip Dates Now Open
Praying Pelican Missions offers a diverse set of locations where we are serving the local Church, building them up, and assisting them in serving their communities. Our heart and passion is to see the global Church united, working hand in hand to share the hope of Jesus. Here's what makes us unique:
- We receive teams 12 months out of the year across 27 global locations. Choose any location, on any week - we’ll be ready.
- Private Trip Options. We work to accommodate private trip requests, lodging your team independently and designing an experience solely for your group.
- We customize each and every trip, utilizing your team's specific skill-sets and interests to uplift local initiatives.
- We welcome all team sizes - from 5 to 175, we can use your team!
- We’re affordable. Our trip costs average in the bottom half of short-term missions organizations.
- COVID-specific training. All trip leaders go through rigorous training to mitigate risk and ensure team safety.
Click a featured location below to learn more
USA Locations
International Locations
Praying Pelican Missions, 8011 34th Ave S, Suite 333, Suite 333, Minneapolis, MN 55425
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Homecoming 2 Event
(sponsored by Family Promise)
September 26, 2020
Homecoming 2 event on September 26th will be going virtual. It is very important to us that we keep everybody as safe as possible. At this time we don’t have details. The Homecoming Team is working hard to make sure we have a great event that all of our ticket holders and sponsors will be proud of. Please continue to look for updates through your e-mail and our social media venues. Thank you all for your commitment to Family Promise of the Lehigh Valley and I look forward to our future interactions.
Roslyn Kuba, Executive Director,
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Embracing Healing in These Days
August 9,26 & Sept. 2 & 9
on-line course developed by Wanda Craner,
Gestalt Pastoral Care Minister and Trainer
Limited to 20 participants
six-90 min. sessions–cost for all 6 sessions $120
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Stewardship Events Set With Generosity Outreach Officer
Pennsylvania Southeast, Penn Central, and Penn Northeast conferences are working with the UCC's Generosity Outreach Officer to create three workshops for our churches and leaders. Please save the dates for these events:
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Aug. 22, 10:00a-12:00p: Annual Campaigns 101 – Designed for pastors and lay leaders planning an annual pledge campaign, we will explore ways to create an effective campaign. We will reflect on core purpose of a campaign, discuss practical steps leaders can take, and explore creative ideas to design a campaign uniquely suited to your congregation. Join this webinar to develop and strengthen plans for a successful fall campaign.
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Oct. 17, 10:00a-12:00p: Planned Giving to Support Mission and Ministry – While a significant wealth transfer occurs (and will occur) in our country as our eldest generation passes, many congregations and ministries remain unprepared to promote planned giving options among their members. Only 5% of people leave a charitable bequest even though nearly a third of people would if asked or invited to consider one. Through this webinar, you will learn key concepts and create an actionable plan for your congregation or ministry.
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Jan. 20, 2021, 10:00a-12:00p: Spirituality of Generosity – Jesus talked about money second only to the kingdom of God, yet many in the church today treat money as a non-spiritual topic. We can theologically engage questions of money, wealth, and giving. Teaching and preaching about generosity and the use of our financial resources can deepen the faith life of our congregations. Gathering together with other pastors, this webinar will help you reclaim money-talk as a faith formation conversation with the members and friends of your congregation.
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UCF Awards Over $100K to UCC Conferences for Clergy Support
In support of UCC clergy, UCF has awarded over $100,000 of Brown Endowment grants to 13 United Church of Christ (UCC) conferences. These grants will allow these conferences to implement support programs and leadership development for authorized ministers who are addressing and responding to the crisis and trauma caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and protests for racial justice. Click here to learn more about the grant recipients and the programs they will implement. Twenty-eight Members in Discernment have been awarded Helen and Richard Brown Endowment Scholarships totaling $125,000. These Brown scholars represent 21 UCC conferences throughout the six regions. View this infographic to get an idea of the diversity of this year's scholars and future ministers.
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SAVE THE DATES
Lancaster Theological Seminary
Aug. 28 - Fall Convocation
Bishop Peggy A. Johnson, Philadelphia Episcopal Area, The United Methodist Church, will deliver the address at our Fall Convocation, a service of welcome, song and prayer that ceremonially marks the start of the new academic term. You'll be able to watch on our YouTube channel. Online at 3:00 p.m.
Sept. 4 - Commencement
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Nathan Baxter, '76/'84, is the speaker for our 195th Commencement We will celebrate the members of the Class of 2020 who will gather, observing social distancing, at an outside venue. You'll be able to watch live on our YouTube channel where it will be archived.
Online at 3:00 p.m.
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Stepping Up To Supervision
Wednesdays from August 5 to September 9
Noon (CDT) Live On-line
If you're like most pastors and faith leaders, your theological education equipped you to teach, preach, provide loving pastoral care, and lead worship. Read More...
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Central Moravian Church Presents
The 2020 Central Chautauqua Series
Resiliency: Faithful Endurance During Pandemics and Other Difficult Times
Zoom Presentations on
Sundays, September 13, 20, and 27 and October 4, 2020 at 12:00 p.m.
Register no later than the Friday before each presentation. Question? Call 610-866-5661
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3 Reasons to Enroll TODAY in a Crossroads Program
UNPACKING THE SCRIPTURES—TEACHING
(8) Thursdays, 6-9 pm
September 10 - October 29
Instructor: Rev. Roberta Kearney
In-person (Bahnson Center) or Real-time Distance Learning via Zoom
Price: $240
THE STORY OF CHRISTIANITY (HISTORY)
(8) Mondays, 6-9 pm
September 14 - November 2
Instructor: Rev. Dr. Bill Falla
In-person (Bahnson Center) or Real-time Distance Learning via Zoom
Price: $240
CULTURE AND CHANGE
(8) Mondays & Thursdays, 6-9 pm
November 5 - December 3 (Nov. 30 & Dec. 3 are by Zoom only)
Instructor: Dr. Jill Peters
In-person (Bahnson Center) or Real-time Distance Learning via Zoom
Price: $240
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THE PENNSYLVANIA ACADEMY OF MINISTRY (PAM)
at Lancaster Theological Seminary is offering fully online classes this year!
POSTPONED - August 22 - October 1
NEW DATE: October 3 - November 12
"Theology I: Faith Seeking Understanding"
The Rev. Holly MillerShank offers a six-week online class through the Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry at Lancaster Theological Seminary. The class provides an introduction to Christian theology, focusing on God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit in relation to congregational leadership. This 2.5 CEU class starts Saturday, Oct 3, followed by five weeks of asynchronous online instruction. Cost $325. Apply online at https://lancasterseminary.edu/academics/PAM.
AND
POSTPONED - October 3 - November 12
NEW DATE - January9 - February 18, 2021
Theology II: “Leadership and Community,”
The Rev. Holly MillerShank offers a six-week online class through the Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry at Lancaster Theological Seminary. The class provides an introduction to Christian theology, focusing on the human condition, Christian hope, the church, ministry, and mission. Students may take this class without having taken Theology I. This 2.5 CEU class starts Saturday, Jan 9, followed by five weeks of asynchronous online instruction. Cost $325. Apply online at https://lancasterseminary.edu/academics/PAM. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clinical Pastoral Education at
Phoebe Ministries
(accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education,
55 Ivan Allen, Jr. Blvd, Suite 835, Atlanta, GA 30308. www.acpe.edu)
Now accepting applications for our…
Extended CPE Group -- Oct. 2020 - April 2021
- 4 hours of class time per week on Tuesday evenings
- Class time by Zoom and in person
- 12 hours of weekly ministry on one of our 4 Continuing Care Retirement Community campuses with negotiable days/hours
- Working and learning with board certified
chaplains
- ACPE certified Educator Scott Brooks-Cope and Certified Educator Candidate Leah Knox leading the group
- Fall, Winter & Spring breaks are built in
- Full scholarships available
Extended Deadline to Apply –
September 1, 2020
For information please email/call Rev. Leah Knox lknox@phoebe.org or 610-927-8515; ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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DISASTER MINISTRIES UCC
UCC Disaster Ministries is working with our disaster response partners from across the Commonwealth, to meet needs related to disasters like flooding and fires, and complicated by the pandemic. There are current and anticipated increased needs among people whose residences (owned and rented) have become unsafe and/or unlivable. Please complete the form found at https://forms.gle/ww6eLkKgEnGvh4RN6.
Toll-Free Hotline Established to Connect with Volunteer Resources
The Protecting Places of Worship Forum
The Protecting Places of Worship Forum, facilitated by the U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service, will educate faith leaders on hate crimes laws and statistics; how to prevent and respond to hate crimes that target houses of worship and religious institutions; and how to secure places of worship leveraging resources and best practices from government agencies. Speakers include representatives from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Federal Emergency Management Agency.
August 27, 2020
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Spiritual First Aid
The Humanitarian Disaster Institute has developed a step-by-step approach to learning and providing spiritual and emotional care for others. Spiritual First Aid is the first disaster spiritual and emotional care intervention to have been built from the ground up using both biblical wisdom and evidence-informed psychological insights gained from years of scientific study. This manual introduces the easy-to-use BLESS Method, which takes the “guesswork” out of providing disaster, spiritual, and emotional care remotely and while staying at home. Learn more and download the manual at https://www.spiritualfirstaidhub.com/home
Disasters are stressful for survivors and caregivers alike, including the pastors and chaplains to whom survivors turn for spiritual and practical help. The COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. Recovering Hope” is offering resources, indexed at www.ucc.org/recovering_hope in a variety of formats, including virtual workshops, referrals to vetted providers, and other easily accessible resources from the UCC and beyond.
CWS Kits Depots Are Opening Soon
Church World Service is accepting kits again! Here are links to the CWS Kits promotional video. YouTube link or a Downloadable mp4. UCC Matching Grants of up to $250 for congregations assembling kits are now available, although the caution remains to not gather to assemble kits until it is safe to do so. Click here for full information.
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