Penn Northeast Conference UCC, 431 Delaware Ave., Palmerton, PA 18071
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Letter from Bonnie
"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30, NRS)
Dear friends,
We are weary. I say this because almost every pastor I speak with, every chaplain I talk to, and every leadership group I consult with is tired, stressed, worried and weary. Those of us in authorized ministry are reminded often to not try and pour out the Spirit of God from an empty cup – rather to fill ourselves with the Spirit first. It’s hard. When a pastor has 8 funerals in two weeks or 7 sermons to preach in a week or more hospital visits than there seems time for, we get weary.
The role of ministry in the church sometimes has heavy burdens: burdens of study, prayer, preaching, pastoral care, and leadership. As we layer on the pandemic with all those tasks, it’s no wonder we are weary. Chaplains routinely care for those in support facilities or hospitals, but the pandemic, constant ICU and CCU deaths and grieving families can make one weary.
October is pastor appreciation month. I’m not sure how it started or where it is most often celebrated, but I want to celebrate you – all of you who serve the church as authorized ministers, chaplains, lay leaders. If I could provide you each with a gift it would be a retreat time away from all your responsibilities. The conference cannot, of course, fund that time and its associated costs but I ask you to remember a couple things.
First, the conference does have a fund to support counseling care should an authorized minister need it. We can pay a portion of the costs for up to 10 visits. If you need to speak with someone, PLEASE take advantage of this fund. Second, communities of practice are designed to be more than opportunities to complain about the work of the church. Use some of your community of practice time for renewal and to pray together. Third, utilize a spiritual director and if you do not have one, now is the time to research and find one. The Moravian Seminary has a resource list, or you can ask a colleague or look online. Fourth, don’t neglect your vacation time or your Sabbath time. It pains me to hear pastors say they haven’t taken any vacation since the pandemic began. Please take your time off so you can be effective in your ministry. Fifth, call a friend, a colleague, or me if you jut need to talk about what’s going on in your heart and your spirit. And finally, come to the Fall Conference Meeting – even if just for the Service of Lament and Healing where we will grieve what has been lost, remember who walks with us in these days, and anoint and bless, especially chaplains, but anyone who needs the blessing.
My friends, as your conference minister, I want you to know that I appreciate all you do. You are a blessing to those with whom you serve and to me. Take care and find a way to lay down your burdens.
Blessings, Bonnie
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Last Call for These Up-Coming Events & Deadlines |
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Memorial Funds: Gift or Stumbling Block
Saturday, October 23, 2021
9:30 to 10:30AM via Zoom
Memorial Funds can provide much needed financial resources for congregations to engage in a special project, repair, or mission. At the same time, Memorial Funds can be controversial and contentious or be left untouched.
How can we make the best use of Memorial Funds?
Join Rev. Andrew Warner (UCC Generosity Outreach Officer, teaching stewardship skills to pastors and leaders - previously served as a local pastor in Wisconsin) to think about your congregation's approach to receiving, holding, and using Memorial Funds in ways that best honor the memory of a church member and move the mission and ministry of your congregation forward. To receive the zoom link for this informative session, please email Patty Rehrig at the Penn Northeast Conference. ( pattyr@pnec.org) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DC Justice Update
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Convergence Weekly
*Rethinking Money & Ministry (October 18 to 22) - how will we fund ministry in the future? How will we invest in mission in our communities? What will we do with all these church buildings? Will clergy still have jobs? Will seminaries exist? Will my church make it?
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from PA Council of Churches
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is a lecture series to prepare preachers and faith formation leaders for the Advent Season. Five weeks of lectures on Wednesdays at noon CT starting on October 20 with additional self-directed resources and engagement offered through our online learning platform, The Damascus Project Network. Cost: $40 for the series. Lectures will be recorded so no need to be present for all 5 weeks. Meet our biblical commentators!
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Yale Divinity School Upcoming Free Webinars
October 20 - Leading in a Liminal Season; October 21 - Fast-Starting a Career of Consequence; November 3 - Belonging; November 6 - Welcoming the Stranger: Immigration and Faith Communities;
December 6 & 13 - The Dead Sea Scrolls: The Light They Shed on Judaism and Christianity
Click Here for detailed information and registration
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The Damascus Project
The Damascus Project is an online learning community open to clergy and lay leaders from across the United Church of Christ. We are a collaborative effort of the Minnesota and Wisconsin Conferences. We have two learning opportunities for clergy and lay people starting in October. And will have two learning tracks for lay people and MiDs starting in January. The registration deadlines for the courses starting this month is Monday, October 18. Register through our website. |
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Ministerial Boundary Training - Fall 2021 (Virtually on Demand)
PNEC in partnership with the Lehigh Presbytery, Pennsylvania Southeast Conference, the Moravian Church Northern Province and the Northeast Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is pleased to offer a virtual Ministerial Boundary Training. Once registered the individual participants can work at their own pace to complete the five modules. Deadline to Register is October 31 and you must finish the training by December 31, 2021. Read More & Register
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Training for Regional Collaboration on Refugee Sponsorship
Resources for Getting Started - Pennsylvania
Greetings Pennsylvania Churches,
Our recommendation for partnership is CWS Lancaster, as Church World Service is the UCC’s mission partner. If your local refugee resettlement offices are unable to respond to you, you can fill out the CWS form to be trained for remote resettlement: How to Help Afghans - CWS (cwsglobal.org)
United Church of Christ National Ministries can offer grants for projects that empower refugees – for example, working with a refugee to help him or her through college or a training program; remodeling your church to accommodate temporary shelter, English training or job training centers; or the development of a youth program in partnership with local interfaith allies. These are just suggestions; not a limitation of what is possible for utilization of the refugee empowerment grant. You can access the grant application here: Global H.O.P.E. Disaster Ministries Long-Term Recovery Seed Grant Application (smarterselect.com)
We also have the capability to train and resource a point of contact that can coordinate your churches and liaise with your local refugee resettlement professionals. We call this program “Partners in Service,” ; in order to qualify for the stipend, we request a commitment of 3-6 months, 20 hours a week. This commitment will ensure that we at National have you on our radar for updates, resources, and also can provide an official title that refugee offices and other organizations would be more likely to respond to: Partners in Service Volunteer Application: Refugee and Migration Ministries (smarterselect.com)
Again, the place to start is get yourselves organized, know what you offer, who will be the point of contact, and then reach out to the resources above. After making a plan, you could also call your local mosque, halal market, or Afghan-owned business and offer the “package” of what you can provide – Afghans are predicted to be going all over the map with huge variations in resources, so anything goes at this point. I will certainly provide updates if any of that changes!
Irene Willis Hassan, MDiv
Minister for Refugee and Migration Ministries
Global H.O.P.E. – Humanitarian. Opportunities. Progress. Empowerment.
United Church of Christ, National Ministries
700 Prospect Ave East | Cleveland, OH 44115-1100
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Ferguson Rises
October 18, 2021 - 7PM
The Pennsylvania Council of Churches is pleased to present a pre-release screening of Ferguson Rises, followed by a panel discussion, on Monday, October 18 at 7:00 (EDT). The documentary premieres on Independent Lens (PBS) on Monday, November 8. This event is part of the Council’s efforts to examine racism in our society and how we might address it.
More on Ferguson Rises: How does a father find purpose in pain? In 2014, Michael Brown Sr.’s son was killed by white police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, an event that fueled the global Black Lives Matter movement. But his personal story seeking justice and healing has not been told until now. Ferguson Rises is part of ITVS’ Stories for Justice, a project using documentary storytelling to support increased understanding about the inequities of our justice system and inspire local civic dialogue about reform.
This session will be moderated by the Rev.Dr. Larry Pickens, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches.
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Call to the Fall Meeting of PNEC
Saturday, November 6, 2021
In Person or Virtual
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Jordan UCC, 1837 Church Road, Allentown, PA
Theme - Grief: Let Go to Move Forward
Scripture - Psalm 30:5 weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning
Keynote Speaker and Workshop Leader
Rev. Chad Abbott
Conference Minister, Indian/Kentucky Conference, Spiritual Director and Author of Incline Your Ear
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Working Together for Racial Justice
The Scranton Area Ministerium in collaboration with the Greater Scranton Martin Luther King Commission is holding a multi-session workshop entitled Working Together for Change: How to advocate for racial justice.
This workshop series will feature speakers and facilitators Itzel Hayward and Kathy Simon from Attuned Living Inc to discuss how to be an effective ally, learn non-violent communication, and advocate for racial justice. this is a unique opportunity to come together across religious traditions, cultures, and
experiences to:
Step out of our comfortable silos
Come together as Scranton faith & multicultural communities
Challenge everyday biases in ways that encourage conversation
Talk about deeply charged topics with openness and clarity
Step into your power to create a more just world
Time: All sessions are from 7:30-8:45 pm
Dates: Four virtual sessions via Zoom-
Thursday October 14, 21, 28 and Nov 4
Fifth session In Person- Thursday November 11, 2021
Location: Jewish Community Center (JCC)
601 Jefferson Ave, Scranton PA 18503
Registration Fee: $25
To Register Call (570) 591-4806
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CROSSROADS Moravian Seminary
All of our classes are offered both in person at Moravian Theological Seminary (Masks Required)
and in Real Time, Distance Learning through Zoom.
UNPACKING THE SCRIPTURES – DISCIPLESHIP
(8) Mondays & Thursdays, 6-9 pm
November 4 - December 2 (except 11/25 for Thanksgiving)
In-person (Bahnson Center) or Real-time Distance Learning via Zoom
Price: $240
Crossroads Courses this Fall
Looking ahead:
Missional Leadership, Mondays 1/3 - 2/21/2022 Dr. Jill Peters
Road Hazards (Congregational Ethics), Thurs 1/6 - 2/24/2022 Rev. Derek French & Dr. Jill Peters
Story of Christianity, Mondays 3/7 - 5/2/2022 (Except Holy Week 4/11) Rev. Dr. Bill Falla
My Journey (Formative Spirituality) Thursdays 3/10 - 5/5/2022 (Except Holy Week 4/14) Rev.
Maggie Wellert
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2021 PNEC YOUTH
Sleep-Out for Homelessness
(AKA “One Night Without a Home”)
When: November 13-November 14, 2021
Time: 7:00 pm-7:00 am
Where: Union United Church of Christ, Neffs
(in the grove area)
WHAT IS IT?? Youth in grades 7th -12th will sleep outside in a large box (or tent)
during this overnight homeless simulation. Engaging activities will not only be fun but provide valuable lessons on homelessness that gently confront harmful stereotypes and misunderstandings about who might become homeless and why. (PS: This is an excellent Confirmation activity!) Click Here for detailed flyer. |
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Free: Forum on Justice and Opportunity set for next week
Episcopal Community Services in Philadelphia is pleased to announce an outstanding speaker lineup on poverty and race for its virtual 2021 Forum on Justice & Opportunity! New York Times columnist Charles Blow kicks off the weeklong series of events on Monday, Oct. 18 at noon. Thursday afternoon’s bonus session on faith-based advocacy features Bishop Dwayne Royster, UCC pastor and Executive Director of POWER. Social work CEUs are available. Events are free but registration is required. Click here for additional information and to register.
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Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry
Introduction to Pastoral Care, Tuesdays Jan. 6 – Feb. 10, 2022, via Zoom. Instructor: Rev. Butch Kuykendall. 2.5 CEUs. $325. Register by December 21.
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The Zachariah Walker Racial Justice Symposium
White Supremacy, Racism, & the Christian Church:
The Call to a Discipleship of Liberation and Justice
Sponsored by the Racial Justice Initiative of the
Pennsylvania Southeast Conference of the United Church of Christ
October 23-24, 2021
Join us Saturday, October 23rd, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon (The Rev. Dr. Drew Hart, Theology Professor, Author, Church Anti-Racism Leader,, Social Change Practitioner ( Click here for more info) and Sunday, October 24th, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (The Rev. Dr. John Dorhauer, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ, Author, Speaker ( Click here for more info) as our speakers discuss the church's complicity and history with white supremacy and racism. Explore the entanglements of racism and white supremacy with western Christianity and discover creative anti-racist practices for churches and Christians committed to racial justice. Engage in opportunities for group discussion and Q & A with our speakers.
Weekend and daily registration options are available. For group rates see registration. For PNEC if you attend this and send Bonnie a summary, it will count as Anti-Racism Training. Register by clicking here.
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Safety for Faith Based Events & Houses of Worship
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Vital Conversations
Every fourth Monday of each month at 7 PM, clergy and lay leaders are invited to attend a Zoom conversation where they can talk through situations with other leaders, learn, and brainstorm together. On October 25th, the Congregational Vitality Team wants to discuss the very definition of “vitality”. As church leaders, we often talk about vitality and how much we long for it in our churches. But, what would vitality look like when we get it? How much our vision of vitality depends upon particular conditions that no longer exist? What if the kind of vitality we dream of is no longer possible? Do we give up, or do we need a new definition of “vitality”?
Meeting ID: 817 9668 4439
Passcode: 292474
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Churches Care:
Accompanying persons with
Mental Illnesses and Addictions
This three-pronged program for church leaders (pastors, parish nurses, nurses, or other lay persons) will strengthen churches and communities in their support of people in their congregation who have mental illnesses and addictions . Click Here for details ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Lombard Mennonite Peace Center Workshops in November & December
Two Saturday Workshops that are Ideal for
Church Groups
Conflict Transformation Skills for Churches will be held on Wed., November 3 (9:00am to 4:30pm CT).
Healthy Congregations will be held on Thursday, December 2 (8:30am-4:30pm Central Time).
Register a group of four or more and save $15 apiece! For your convenience, feel free to use this LMPC Registration Form to compile the names and contact information for your group. Questions?
Call 630-627-0507.
ALSO
One Day Workshop led by Rev. Blackburn, LMPC Director Emeritus
Leadership and Anxiety in the Church (LAC)
Thurs., November 4, 2021
9:00am CT to 4:00pm CT
This workshop looks at the challenge presented by the rising levels of anxiety being experienced in churches today, as well as the role that self-differentiated leadership can play in calming such anxiety. A group discount is available! For details please refer to this
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DISASTER MINISTRIES UCC
Department of Health Announces Local Grant Opportunities for Faith-Based Organizations to Reduce Vaccine Hesitancy
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Health and the United Way of Pennsylvania today announced an expansion of the Local Innovations in Vaccine Equity in Pennsylvania project (LIVE PA), which aims to reduce vaccine hesitancy and ensure an equitable vaccine distribution throughout the commonwealth. The United Way will administer an additional $630,000 in grants to support the efforts of local faith-based organizations. Read More...
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There is a national Appeal for the Severe Storms 2021 in anticipation of this and other events that may happen this fall.
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