Bonnie's Letter

Dear Friends,

I have been spending my time this week with the Mid-Atlantic Regional Ministers which include the four conferences in Pennsylvania, the New York Conference, and the Central Atlantic Conference. It is good to be with colleagues.

We have been focusing on theology and the movement of the Spirit in our work in our conferences. We have talked about churches and their health, pastors and their health. When I say health, I am talking about Spiritual Health, encountering the Spirit, developing our relationships with God and our communities of faith and our mission work in the community. We have been holding these conversations in a way that moves us past judgement and into vulnerability with each other about the gaps in our own spiritual development and time with God.

So, I ask you, how and when are you focusing on God? How is your Spiritual Health? How is your development as a follower of Jesus going?

Too often I think we get so engaged in the tasks we have to do, the work in front of us, the phone calls and e-mails, the letters to write, and even the sermons to research and prepare. Too often we are in our heads, in our books, in our resources to do any of the work we are doing. We forget to breathe. Or maybe I’m talking more about me in this regard. It’s easy to get in my head, focused on the next task, taking care of the next issue or problem, and forget that God is present with me. God is here, as near as the breaths I sometimes forget to take.

Try something with me right now while you are reading this. Take a really deep breath and stretch your arms out or up, as you do so. Relax your arms as you exhale that deep breath. Now do this again, picturing that you are reaching out to embrace God, as you inhale, and that God is embracing you as you exhale.

Whenever the tasks of the day seem to be too much, whenever the tension builds in your body, or whenever you feel alone, try this. For my friends, we are never alone. God is always here. Jesus is always leading. The Spirit is always breathing hope and energy into us.

When Jesus told the disciples that he would be with them until the end of the age, he meant it. When God called us beloved, God meant it. Take a moment embrace the joy of being a beloved child of God. Breathe in the joy and hope of that. Look to your spiritual health and well-being with at least as much energy as you do the tasks of the day. God bless you. Bonnie

Committee on Ministry Announces TWO Ecclesiastical Councils

(an Ecclesiastical Council is the final step in the ordination approval process for the Member in Discernment pending a valid call and granting them permission to circulate their profile within the UCC.)

(1)  The Committee on Ministry of the Penn Northeast Conference Invites you to participate in the Ecclesiastical Council for Suzanne Schaeffer on October 29 at 9:15am at Faith United Church of Christ, 21 Faith Drive, Hazelton, PA. You may also participate via Zoom. To register to attend, please email Patty Rehrig at the Penn Northeast Conference Office (pattyr@pnec.org). Once you are registered a copy of Suzanne Schaeffer’s Ordination Paper will be emailed to you. Suzanne is a member in discernment serving with Emmanuel United Church of Christ, Nuremberg. 

(2)  The Committee on Ministry of the Penn Northeast Conference Invites you to participate in the Ecclesiastical Council for Robert Rapp, Jr. on October 29 at 10:15am at Faith United Church of Christ, 21 Faith Drive, Hazelton, PA. You may also participate via Zoom.  To register to attend, please email Patty Rehrig at the Penn Northeast Conference Office (pattyr@pnec.org). Once you are registered a copy of Robert Rapp's Ordination Paper will be emailed to you.  Robert is a member in discernment serving with Christ United Church of Christ, Bethlehem.

LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP FOR...

Call to the 2022 Fall Meeting of PNEC

Saturday, November 5

In Person or Virtual

8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Forks United Church of Christ, 4500 Sullivan Trail, Stockertown, PA

Topic

“Engaging with the Nones and Dones”

Nones: have no religious practice

Dones: no longer identify with a particular religious tradition

You are invited to come and learn the fascinating changes that are taking place

which will help engage emerging generations

Click Here for Registration Form with details

Send registration and payment by October 28, 2022 

Penn Northeast Conference, 431 Delaware Avenue, Palmerton, PA 18071

or

Register online: https://tithe.ly/event-registration/#/5965617

 Sorry, registration fees are not refundable.

Fall Meeting = 1 ½ hours of Continuing Ed for PNEC Authorized Ministers

Good Works: Stories and Guidelines from the Life of George H. Yoder

Two years ago we livestreamed the funeral service for my father George H. Yoder during the throes of the pandemic, this year I’ve edited and published my father’s book, Stories of My Youth: A Rural American Memoir.

I’m coming to Pennsylvania to present a talk about his memoir, his early life, and the values that inspired him to become a pastor, social justice advocate, and community organizer. My talk, “Good Works: Stories and Guidelines from the Life of George H. Yoder,” takes place at Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, 432 Walnut Street, Allentown, on Saturday, November 5, at 11 a.m. Museum events are $8 for adults.

Warm regards, Barbara Ann Yoder

Leading Worship for Lay Leaders

Saturday, December 3, 2022

9AM to Noon via zoom

FREE

Designed to help lay leaders prepare and lead worship!

The training will cover:

• Basic liturgy planning
• Using the lectionary
• Identifying hymns
• Utilizing worship resources to plan worship
• Framing questions for dialogue sermon

Click Here for Flyer & Registration Info.

Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry (PAM)

Beginning January 2023:

Jews and the American Civil Rights Movement, January 11–February 15, 2023. Wednesdays, 7–8:30pm via Zoom. Instructor, Rabbi Jack Paskoff. Ideal for lay and clergy leaders.

Church History To the Reformation, Jan 10–Feb 14, 2023. Weeknights via Zoom. Instructor, the Rev. Matt Deal. Ideal for lay and clergy leaders.

Information and Registration: https://www.lancasterseminary.edu/programs/pennsylvania-academy-of-ministry/ 

“Safety Solutions For Your Ministry” Workshop

sponsored by the UCC Insurance Board was cancelled in PNEC because of lack of participants.

However, here are the slides and handouts/links provided/discussed at a workshop held on Monday.

https://www.insuranceboard.org/safety-central/cyber-security-toolkit-resource/

https://www.insuranceboard.org/safety-central/safeconduct-abuse-prevention/

https://www.insuranceboard.org/insurance-products/tulip/

https://www.insuranceboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/LC-Resource-2022-April.pdf

https://www.insuranceboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Security-Plans-From-CISA-Where-to-Start-1.pdf

Funding Opportunities for Ministries

If you have any questions, please contact LossControl@InsuranceBoard.org

HOPE FOR RECOVERY

A special program to assist clergy in their ministry with persons seeking recovery from addiction—especially drug and alcohol addiction—will be held on

NOVEMBER 10, 2022 (THURSDAY)

CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH

467 Main St., Conyngham, Pa. 18219

The day’s schedule:

 9:30 Doors open.

10:00 Welcome and prayer by the Rev. Deborah Staniszewski.

10:10 Personal stories of persons in recovery.

11:15 Contemporary treatment methods by Jessy Miller, Director &

        Vice President at The Robinson Counseling Center at Children’s

        Service Center, Wilkes-Barre.

12:15 Lunch*

 1:00 Resources for persons with addictions by Ryan Hogan, Drug

 and Alcohol Administrator, Luzerne County.

 2:00 Spiritual care of persons in recovery by the Rev. Thomas

         Scornavacchi, Common Ground Ministry, Wyomissing.

 3:00 Conclusion.

To register, by November 1, 2022, please contact the Rev. Carl Shankweiler, PO Box 744, Valley View, Pa. 17983; 570-682-9834; Carl1123@epix.net.  This event is open to clergy of all denominations. It is sponsored by the Hazleton-Lehighton Mission District of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod, ELCA, the Rev. Deborah Staniszewski, Dean.

*Lunch will be provided in memory of the Rev. Dr. John M. Brndjar, former President of Lutheran Welfare Service, Hazleton, which once offered an educational program called Genesis in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania.

Climate Ambassador Training

How do we link our faith to the climate crisis? How do we effectively talk about climate change with others? What opportunities do we have to make a difference in our local churches and communities? These questions and more will be addressed in the Blessed Tomorrow Ambassadors Training Program that is being offered by the United Church of Christ and ecoAmerica. This free, virtual, interactive training will take place on Saturday, November 5th from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm ET. Featured presenters include the Rev. Carol Devine, the Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt, the Rev. Emma Brewer-Wallin, the Rev. Michael Malcom, and Andrew Wells-Bean. Training participants will receive a free copy of Berndt’s book, Cathedral on Fire: A Church Handbook for the Climate Crisis. Learn more and register here!

Other Upcoming Events:

Children and Youth Climate Hope Art Contest

Centering Africa as the UN Climate Conference Convenes in Egypt

The PSEC Racial Justice Initiative is offering a 2022 Fall Book Study

Recovering Racist: Dismantling White Supremacy and Reclaiming Our Humanity by Idelette McVicker

As a white Afrikaner woman growing up in South Africa during apartheid, Idelette McVicker was steeped in a community and a church that reinforced racism and shielded her from seeing her neighbors' oppression. Recovering Racists shares McVicker's journey over thirty years and across three continents to shatter the lies of white supremacy embedded deep within her soul.  She helps us realize that grappling with the legacy of white supremacy and recovering from racism is lifelong work that requires both inner transformation and societal change. As we work for the freedom for everyone, we also find freedom for ourselves.

Join us for five on-line sessions,

Tuesday’s November 1st - 29^th , 3 p.m. Or 7 p.m. each week.

 Approved for PSEC Diversity Training Credits

Registration is free! To register

(click here

Clinical Pastoral Education at Phoebe Ministries

 www.acpe.edu)

 Now accepting applications for our…Semi-Intensive Extended CPE Group –

January – May 2023 

·     4 hours of class time per week on Wednesday 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 (Allentown, Berks, Richland, and Wyncote)

·     Working and learning with board certified chaplains

·     ACPE certified Educator Scott Brooks-Cope leading the group

·     Spring break built in.

·     Full scholarships available

Deadline to Apply –Nov. 1, 2022

 For information please email/call

Rev. Dr. Scott Brooks-Cope scope@phoebe.org or 610-794-5119.

Standard CPE Applications be emailed to scope@phoebe.org

Mindfulness and Meditation Gatherings by Zoom

With Rev. Kris P. Snyder (from Union, Neffs)

Thursdays 12noon to 1pm

November 3, November 17, December 1

By zoom only – use the link below.

We will gather for an hour of practice using practices from the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) model, Plum Village Thich Nhat Hanh tradition, Centering Prayer, and a little Qigong and movement.

No experience necessary, lots of experience welcome too.  Sign up here if you are interested and available for some or all of these dates: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080E4CA8A823A7FA7-pnec1

Or just show up using the zoom link.  Blessings, Kris pastorkris@unionucc.org

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81188127483?pwd=TzdmTFpIaXVtMjRQSHY1K1hOdkV2dz09

Meeting ID: 811 8812 7483; Passcode: 348630

One tap mobile

+13126266799,,81188127483#,,,,*348630# US (Chicago)

+16468769923,,81188127483#,,,,*348630# US (New York)

You are also welcome to practice by zoom with the group from Union UCC on Tuesdays 7-8pm November 15.  We’re hosting an in person meditation retreat on Saturday, December 10^th from 9am-11am.  Contact Kris for the detailed information or follow the church’s Facebook page. 

Giving Tuesday

Climate change can feel like a daunting problem. But there are practical things we can do individually and as a community to change our impact on the environment.  

The national setting will focus our Giving Tuesday efforts on raising dollars for environmental justice work this year. Environmental justice will remain our Giving Tuesday focus for the next several years. The funds raised this November will support 12 youth and young adults from various communities to participate in Climate Hope Summer, a program that will create a coordinated network for environmental justice advocacy and action all over the country, a 2023 Earth Day Summit, and our broader environmental justice work. You can learn more at www.ucc.org/givingtuesday. 

Pennsylvania Interfaith Power and Light Annual Conference

Invitation and Initiatives

Interfaith Power and Light - Would you be interested in attending our conference this year? The theme will be "environmental justice" and the event will be live and in-person. There will be two workshops, each in four regions of PA: Philadelphia (Southeastern PA), Scranton (Northeastern PA), Lancaster (Central PA), and Pittsburgh (Western PA). The conference will take place on Sunday, November 13 from 1:00pm-4:15pm.

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson

You are invited to a book study on the book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson. Pulitzer Prize Winner.

In Caste, Wilkerson tells a story that needs to be told, concerning America’s founders' plan for its social, economic and political structure for future generations, with race as the determining factor. Wilkerson’s background as a print journalist serves her readers wonderfully with a tremendous amount of research, laid out with great care and an artful narrative style. She explores the history and nature of caste systems and how they are sometimes barely recognizable, yet insidiously efficient in maintaining wealth and power for those at the highest level of stratification.

Participants will be asked to read numerous chapters on a weekly basis and come prepared to have open and sometimes challenging conversations regarding America’s history. Both David Bushnell and La-Verna Fountain have many years of experience working with diverse groups of people and facilitating difficult conversations. Caste takes a hard look at America’s dark history and offers ways to build a better future for all.

To Register please click the following link:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/439879731117

PSEC/PNEC Clergy Women's Retreat

January 24-January 26 

(arrive around 4pm 1/24/23 and departure around Noon 1/26/23 - more details TBD)

Mariawald Retreat Center in Reading, PA

More Info Coming Soon!!  Mark Your Calendars.

Contact Person:  Rev. Kim Berenotto - pastorkim@longswampucc.org

Back Bay Mission 100 Year Capital Campaign Kickoff Video

Click On The Title Above for the Kick-Off Video on YouTube.  For volunteer opportunities, please go to Back Bay Mission and click on Volunteer and go to Mission Trips and check out the calendar for 2023. The calendar for 2024 will be available Jan. 1 at 1:00am. Dates go quickly. You can also email: volunteercoordinator@thebackbaymission.org.

DISASTER MINISTRIES UCC

Let’s Reach the Finish Line! Rebuilding continues following Tropical Storm Isaias in the Eastwick neighborhood of Philadelphia. Volunteers and Contractors needed!

Philadelphia, PA – Since Tropical Storm Isaias brought devastating flooding to the Eastwick neighborhood of Philadelphia in August 2020, the Eastwick Unmet Needs Roundtable identified 50 families who needed help with rebuilding of homes and replacement of heating and cooling systems.

The Eastwick Unmet Needs Roundtable is a partnership of community organizations like Eastwick United CDC, Eastwick Friends and Neighbors Coalition, as well as disaster recovery non-profits like The Salvation Army, UCC Disaster Ministries, Lutheran Disaster Response, The Elevated Studio, The Eastern PA Conference of the United Methodist Church. Government partners include Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management, Philadelphia Office of Sustainability, Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation, and Pennsylvania Emergency Management.

Volunteers have contributed 4,000 hours to date. Contractors have installed 26 air handlers and 6 hot water heaters as well as repaired electric and plumbing in several homes.

Help us complete the remaining 15 cases by the end of the calendar year. Volunteers, skilled in general construction/carpentry, as well as those willing to learn, are needed. We also are looking for licensed and insured contractors. Full funding is available for all materials and contractor labor.

Opportunities:

·         Volunteer on Saturday November 12, 2022!

·         Indicate your interest in volunteering on other days that become available. 

·         Insured and Licensed Contractors: Please contact us for opportunities related to general construction.

Contact: Volunteer Coordinator, Sharon Sgriccia  isaiasrecoveryvolunteers@gmail.com

 Long term recovery from disasters takes many years and is a very slow and difficult process for survivors. We hold in our hearts those just beginning to recover from Hurricanes Fiona and Ian. Please consider this opportunity closer to home as a way of standing in solidarity with all disaster survivors in all places.

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Hurricane Aid -UCC launches emergency appeal for 2022 hurricanes – Ian, Fiona and those still to come. Read more, donate now

Dear Friend:

Thank you for your support of disaster relief. Your generosity has aided hundreds of families in need of help to rebuild their homes and lives. We request your renewed support for the Hurricanes 2022 Fund for those in crisis in the aftermath of Hurricanes Fiona and Ian, and other significant storms that may arise in the warm Atlantic waters. Your gift to the Hurricanes 2022 Fund will help with immediate needs while basic infrastructure is repaired, and more complete assessments can be made.

We don’t know what may come next with two months remaining in hurricane season. We know that as a people of faith, we can show up through our prayers and giving for our most vulnerable neighbors and journey with them on the long road to recovery. With your support, we can offer healing and resources through solidarity grants that support relief.

Your gift enables the church to be present with people amidst catastrophic and life-changing situations, offering immediate relief and providing long-term recovery support. Working through a network of global and local partners, the church lives out its call to care for our neighbors as we strive together toward a just world for all. If you prefer, you may send a check payable to the United Church of Christ, PO BOX 71957 Cleveland, OH 44194. Please be sure to note “Hurricanes Fund 2022” in the memo section.

Kent Siladi, Director of Philanthropy, UCC

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Response to Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico (Sept. 18) -  On Sunday, Sept. 18, Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico, causing power outages for millions of homes and businesses and life-threatening flooding across the island. For information on the impact to the UCC, the UCC's response efforts, and how you can help, click here to read a disaster update.

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Welcome Backpacks and Period Packs join CWS service kit lineup; matching grants available:

UCC congregations have long assembled school kits and cleanup buckets to help others through Church World Service.  A young volunteer helps pack one of 22 CWS Cleanup Buckets at Medina UCC, Medina, Ohio. Photo by Becky Bauer. They now have two new opportunities. Church World Service Kits now include a Period (Menstrual Hygiene) Pack and a Welcome Backpack.  These join CWS’s well-established Hygiene and School Kits and Emergency Cleanup Buckets. And UCC churches assembling and donating any of the CWS Kits can apply for UCC Match Grants of up to $250 to help stretch their contribution. 

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**You can find more information & updates at UCC Disaster Ministries: www.ucc.org/disaster