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 Rev. Evelyn Kent-Clark, South District Superintendent, offers a new sermon for churches to use in worship on Sunday, Jan. 24, or another appropriate Sunday. Her sermon, "Called for Such a Time as This," is drawn from Esther 4:14 and Mark 1:14-20. It can be viewed on the Conference YouTube channel, and it is downloadable from the Conference’s Dropbox account.

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...

Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh will meet online with local faith leaders again to update them on county pandemic mitigation efforts on Monday, Jan. 25, at 9 AM. Her update should include vaccination plans. Currently, clergy are in the Phase 1-B group to receive vaccination, while health care workers, senior living facility residents and seniors over age 65, among other vulnerable groups, are in the 1-A group. The last meeting with faith leaders was Jan. 11. Join the meeting on WebEx at https://mcdps.my.webex.com/mcdps.my/j.php?MTID=m5f8055695345fa43859b85f611134537. Join by telephone at 1-408-418-9388. The Access Code is 132 998 4369.

A Jan. 20 statement from the UMC’s Council of Bishops:

(UM News) — A near-equal number of United Methodists serve on each side of the aisle in the 117th U.S. Congress, which faces the work of responding to a wounded nation and breached Capitol building. The newly started Congress has 31 United Methodists. Albert J. Menendez reports. Read story

"Hi John, Here's a link to our MLK Weekend of Service at Hopewell,” wrote the Rev. Amy Banka, lead pastor, who shared with us a video depicting their efforts. “Just an FYI in case you are interested in how churches are living out Dr. King's beloved community and legacy.” Check it out: MLK Celebration Video.mov" 

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]. 

We received word of the death of Mr. Parke H. Hess, who passed on Jan. 15. He was the first Foundation Director for the Eastern PA Conference, from 1989 to 1999. Read his obituary at https://www.jamesterryfuneralhome.com/tributes/Parke-Hess. Hess is survived by his wife, Mrs. Nancy Hess, and his children. Expressions of sympathy may be sent to Mrs. Hess at 451 Far Hill Circle, Exton PA 19341-3102. Services will be held privately with the family. No additional information is available at this time.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Rev. Chase Green calls on fellow United Methodist clergy to be cheerleaders for the COVID-19 vaccines rolling out. His essay notes the keen interest of John Wesley, Methodism's founder, in health and remedies. Read commentary.  

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...

(UM News) — Martin Luther King Jr. Day prompts the interim top executive of the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race to call for the church to address its institutional racism. "Ignoring racism, or any sin, does not repair, nor restore," writes M. Garlinda Burton. "It is only when people of character and courage have walked out, shouted down and sat in that institutional racism has been brought to its knees." Read commentary

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

State of the Black Church Meeting. A joint meeting for African American members of the Eastern PA and Peninsula-Delaware conferences. March 18, 8 AM to 5 PM, on Zoom.

Eastern PA Conference Urban Summit. A three-part meeting of leaders and others interested in urban ministry, clergy and laity, sponsored by the Urban Commission. Schedule: April 24, 10 AM to 12 noon (for adults); May 1, 10 AM to 12 noon (for adults); and May 1, 12 PM to 2 PM (for youth: Urban Youth Summit)  

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.

Deacons and Deacon candidates are invited to attend an upcoming gathering on Saturday, January 23, 1 to 2:30 PM, on Zoom, the second in a series of continuing education events on anti-racism. Topic: “Becoming an Anti-racist Community: Intersectionality.” 0.15 CEUs. Register in advance for this meeting.

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.

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. Online registration and more information will be available soon. 

The church agency charged with leadership development has reorganized and will cut 25% of its labor force by the end of January. Budget decreases and falling collections made the cuts necessary, said the Rev. Greg Bergquist, top executive of the UM Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Read press release

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — The Rev. Martin Thielen's retirement project after United Methodist ministry is a new website called Doubter's Parish, where skeptics and what he calls "thinking Christians with questions" can read his writings and get in touch. Thielen, a popular author and former megachurch pastor, is quick to acknowledge his own faith struggles. Read story

The United Methodist Church has lost a "great visionary" and leader with the death of Professor Munashe Furusa, vice chancellor of Africa University, the Council of Bishops said in a statement. With his death, "a dark cloud has passed over the valley of dreams, our crown jewel of Methodist education in Africa," the statement said. Read statement. Read UM News obituar

BREMEN, Germany (UM News) — The United Methodist Church of the Redeemer has offered a host of services to refugees and migrants in recent years. But the coronavirus pandemic has put a temporary halt to such ministries, and Europe is turning more people away as the migration crisis continues. Read story

RIRUTA, Kenya — Thirty student pastors at Wesleyan United Methodist Training College have new bikes to help them carry out their mission during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bikes were gifted through The United Methodist Church's Bikes and Bibles program. "This will allow me to give more time to ministry, and less time walking," said Pastor Joseph Nanyanga. Read story

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.

The United Methodist Higher Education Foundation is accepting scholarship applications for the 2021-2022 academic year. Through March 1, students are invited to apply for more than $2 million in funds available to help pay for attending colleges, universities or seminaries related to The United Methodist Church. See media resources  To apply 

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