Penn Northeast Conference UCC, 431 Delaware Ave., Palmerton, PA 18071
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Bonnie's Letter
Dear Friends,
Whew! The Spring Conference Meeting for 2022 is a wrap! I wanted to share some reflections with you from the meeting and concerns as well.
We utilized the Golden Rule as our theme and Valarie Kaur, our keynote speaker, author of See No Stranger, and creator of the Revolutionary Love Project, challenged us to love our neighbor as THEY wish to be loved, rather than as we want to be loved. She mentioned that may be subversive, but I think it is truly what Jesus was calling us to do when he commanded us to Love Our Neighbor. Her presentation was very well received and will be available on the PNEC website sometimes in the future.
The Interfaith Worship Service went well, even without our Muslim presenter, Imam Daniel Hernandez, whose father’s emergency surgery prevented him from being with us. Likewise, our educational presentations from the morning went well and I think we learned a lot. Remember that if you want credit for Cultural Competency Education you need to complete, sign, and submit your meeting evaluation.
The business meeting went well. New nominees to the Conference Board, Conference Committees and General Synod Delegates were elected. Thank you to the tellers, especially Martin Nuscher for running results back and forth throughout the room. We thanked our departing members of committees and the board and installed those newly elected. Reports were affirmed and accepted and recognitions for OCWM, Five for Five, Pastoral Anniversaries, and New Pastors were offered.
We closed with a brief communion service and the meeting concluded right on time.
Now for my concern – or maybe concerns. One-hundred twenty-five (125) individuals registered and attended the meting either in person or virtually. Firstly, with 129 churches, each entitled to a delegate, and two hundred pastors, each entitled to a vote, the turnout was abysmal. I understand we met in May rather than April. I understand there were costs for room and meals, less for commuters and more for those staying. And yet, where did the apathy and neglect of our wider church covenantal responsibility come from? Secondly, it did not go unnoticed how many authorized ministers left before the closing worship service, a service that lasted a mere 25 minutes, included communion and was a culmination of our meeting. Was 25 minutes to attend worship a significant difference in our time commitments?
Those concerns are shared as questions, because I, and I am sure the Conference Meeting Planning Committee, would like to have answers. Please share them with us.
I want to take one more opportunity to thank our Tech Team – Anthony Newett (our technical advisor par excellence and musician), Doug Lander (creator of slides), Joanne Marchetto (who set up the polls, webinar, and zoom meeting), Becky Sausser (who monitored virtual participants for questions and responses), and Robert Gutekunst (tech support, worship planner and musician). The Conference Meeting Planning Team, chaired by Joanne Marchetto for the past two years, did excellent work and I comment them and Joanne.
Perhaps more of you will be with us at the Fall Meeting on Saturday, November 5 from 9 – 4 pm at Forks United Church of Christ in Stockertown. I hope so. - Blessings, Bonnie
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Praying for Buffalo
UCC officers pray for healing following racist killings at Buffalo grocery store.
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Mindfulness and Meditation Gatherings by Zoom
With Rev. Kris P. Snyder (from Union, Neffs)
Thursdays 12noon to 1pm
May 26, June 9, June 23
By zoom only – use the link below.
Using practices from the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) model, Plum Village Thich Nhat Hanh tradition, Centering Prayer, and a little Qigong and movement we’ll gather for an hour of practice.
No experience necessary, lots of experience welcome too. Sign up here if you are interested and available for some or all of these dates:
Or just show up using the zoom link.
If you’re interested but these times and days don’t work, let me know and we can try to offer more.
Zoom Link:
Meeting ID: 811 8812 7483
Passcode: 348630
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,81188127483#,,,,*348630# US (Washington DC)
+13126266799,,81188127483#,,,,*348630# US (Chicago)
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Last Call for these Up-Coming Events & Deadlines |
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PA Academy of Ministry
Personal and Spiritual Development
May 24 to June 28
Instructor Carrie Call. Tuesdays, 7–8:30pm. A Ministerial Institute class on spiritual disciplines, congregational systems, and vocational discernment.
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Mark Your Calendars
Here are the next three Conference meetings of PNEC:
- Fall Meeting 2022 - November 5 at Forks UCC, Stockertown
- Spring Meeting 2023 - April 29, Place TBA
- Fall Meeting 2023 - November 4, Place TBA
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Boundary Training Offered
In this year, 2022, the responsibility for Boundary Training across our churches falls to the Northeastern PA Synod of the ELCA. We have set up three options in the month of May for in-person training in three different locations across the region. See the attached flyer. It can also be found under the EVENTS tab on our NEPA Synod website. Friday, May 20, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
St. John Lutheran Church, 200 S. Broad St., Nazareth, 18064
COST: $35 (includes lunch)
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From the Mental Health Ministry Team
Did you know May is Mental Health Awareness Month?
Here are some excellent resources you can use:
The Mental Health Ministry Team wants to invite you, both Pastors and Members to reach out to us if you’d like to have training or need resources for working with you and your congregation around these issues.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Rev. Emily B. Hall (Co-Chair) and Mandy Muschett (Co-Chair)
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Poor People’s March on Washington
June 18, 2022
We live in the richest nation to ever exist since God created the earth, yet many in power consistently blame poor people and refuse to take responsibility for economic justice.
140 million Americans– 43% of adults and 52% of children–are poor and low-wealth, suffering in plain sight
For far too long poor people, people of color, Indigenous nations, immigrant families, women, children, the disabled, and LGBTQ communities have been under attack, pitted against each other and blamed for society’s problems. Please take 5 minutes today to consider the pain of poverty in America.
We must put a face and voice on the shameful conditions confronting this nation and for the least of these we must speak and nonviolently force the nation to hear the truth and to see the faces.
That’s why I am going to Washington on Saturday June 18, 2022 to participate in the Poor People’s Campaign and Moral March on Washington and the Polls.
And that’s why I am working locally with POWER Interfaith to organize to address economic and racial injustice in the Lehigh Valley.
If you have any questions, or are interested in getting on the bus with me to go to Washington on June 18, please let me know.
Becca Stephens
484-529-8369
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Managing Anxiety Over the Ukraine Crisis and Current World Events:
Strategies for Coping
Lehigh County Emergency Management Agency is excited to announce that they have partnered with Behavioral Science Applications and Steven M. Crimando to present the following webinar training: Managing Anxiety Over the Ukraine Crisis and Current World Events: Strategies for Coping, Tuesday, June 7, 2022, 2:30 – 3:30 PM.
See the attached flyer for further details about the webinar training, including the link to register for the training.
Please note, this program will be recorded and posted on the Lehigh County Emergency Management website so that those who are not able to attend the live training may view the recording at a later date.
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“Healing and Strengthening Our Faith Leaders – A Program Addressing the Mental Health of Members of the Clergy”
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Benefit and Diversity Committee of Jefferson Abington Hospital will host this special program for members of the clergy on Monday, June 13, 2022; 1pm – 3pm. All are welcome.
Keynote speech to be delivered by Dave Eckert, Director of Intersect.
About the Keynote Speaker:
Dave Eckert is the Director of Intersect, an initiative within Access Services that supports those at the intersection of faith and mental health through consultation, training and the fostering of collaboration between faith communities and mental health providers. He has spent 20 years working for Access within various roles, including Director of a Mobile Psychiatric Rehabilitation program and agency Chaplain. In addition, Dave has served as one of the pastors at Grace Community Church in Chalfont, PA for the last 14 years. Dave holds degrees in Social Work, Biblical Studies and Divinity. He lives with his wife and three children in Montgomery County, PA.
Following the keynote speaker, there will be a panel discussion with the following participants:
- Shamsul Huda, North Penn Mosque
- Jon Sovocool, Serving Leaders Ministries, Inc., Willow Grove
- Rabbi Gregory Marx, Congregation Beth Or
- John Olsen, Jefferson Abington Hospital Chaplain; Program Manager, RISE (Resilience in Stressful Events) Program for employees
- Tyrone Williams, Pastoral Ministry, African American Faith Cultures, Access Services
- You may attend in-person, or virtually.
- There is no cost to attend this program, but we do ask that you register.
- Use the link below to register and obtain additional program information:
In Person will be held:
Zaslow Auditorium, Frobese Conference Center, Jefferson Abington Hospital, 1200 Old York Road, Abington, PA 19001
Virtual instructions included in the link above.
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Virtual Certification through The Church Network
If you would like to learn more about all aspects of Church Administration, or have considered becoming a Certified Church Administrator, you can now take the core educational requirements without leaving your place of work or your family! The Church Network, a nationally recognized leader in providing support for church administrators, is offering online certification courses, easily accessible through Zoom, in two modules.
Seminars will be offered on Thursdays from 12 noon to 3 p.m. Eastern time, with the eight sessions of Module A in the fall of 2022 and eight sessions of Module B in the winter of 2023. You'll get live instruction for the first two hours of each class, followed by small group discussion for the third hour. There may be a short homework assignment some weeks, with will focus on the practical application of the material you learned.
The cost of the seminars is $600 for all of the courses in Module A and $600 for the courses in Module B. So you can get all of your core courses for $1200. There will be no textbooks or plane tickets or housing to purchase. Click Here for schedule and how to register.
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Ministry to and for Veterans
‘Tis the season once again where everyone has an opinion on what they deem “patriotic music” during worship services. Does it make us seem pro-war? Does it have a place in worship? And what about the American flag? I submit the following as a reflection to ponder.
My first church (20 some years ago), my first Memorial Day, I listened to all the discussion at a clergy breakfast on how or what to do with Memorial Day and the church. Thinking “safe” is the best route, I chose to plan a lectionary service and ignore the holiday. It is a secular holiday and has no place in worship, or at least I reasoned so.
I just about made it through that Sunday service, when Gene shouts to me, “Pastor Teresa, it is Memorial Day tomorrow and we have to sing The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Before I could reply the organist starts an introduction.
Indulge me while I give a little back story. Gene was an elderly, mostly cantankerous, old man in the congregation who let his opinion be known, very loudly. (I know I am the only pastor to ever experience this kind of parishioner) Gene served in the Navy on some of the first submarines created. His health suffered greatly because of the lack of clean oxygen in those early machines, or tin cans as Gene called them. Gene’s nemesis in the congregation was named Fred who served in the Army. The two of them sat four pews apart and traded military barbs every Sunday.
So back to The Battle Hymn. I buried my head in my hymnal the first verse thinking I failed. Then I peered around my hymnal to look out at the congregation. There were Gene and Fred standing side by side in the aisle singing loudly with tears running down their faces. Now I was really confused. As they were leaving Fred said to me. “We needed a moment to remember and grieve our friends that never came home. That American flag reminds me of them every week I come into worship. Knowing they are with Jesus is the only peace I get from war and gives me hope there will be no more war.”
Since that experience, I realized that my interpretations of “patriotic music” and the flag were very different than that of the veterans in my congregation. I encourage you to have those conversations with the veterans and families of veterans about what they need as part of their grief and faith journey. There is no right answer, but asking the question shows we truly care. Since that experience, I have asked the veterans and families of those who served in my congregation what they need. Within my current church family, they need to sing the songs as prayers, not political statements or warmongers, but as nontraditional songs of remembrance, honor, and grief. We talk about this history of the hymns and why they are important, and these songs truly become sacred music. Other veterans may feel uncomfortable, and we talk about their needs too. Some veterans feel betrayed and alienated through their time in the military.
If you truly want to honor Memorial Day, I encourage you to have the dialogue and be ready to listen. I now sing The Battle Hymn with tears in my own eyes remembering Gene and Fred…. I pray they found the peace they so longed for.
--Submitted by Rev. Teresa Martin, Pastor of St. John's UCC, Coopersburg, PA
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From the UCC Insurance Board
Welcome to the Spring issue of The Steward!
“If the Lord had not been on our side...the raging waters would have swept us away.”
Psalms 124:1-5
The topics covered in this issue include:
• The Causes of Water Damage and How
To Avoid Them
• Water Damage: Early Detection and
Mitigation
• Water Claims Lessons Learned
• Water Sensor Testimonial
• CEO Letter
Here is a brief excerpt from one of the articles you'll read in this issue:
Over the years, water damage has been a leading cause of loss for churches. Although any building may be susceptible to water damage, churches are particularly the most vulnerable. Some of the most expensive water damage claims have occurred in unoccupied churches where no one is around to mitigate water leaks. Protecting a church’s ministry and property is a crucial and essential priority. In some cases, water damage causes large-scale flooding and invites mold to grow as it thrives in humid conditions. It’s important to examine some of the causes of water damage along with the precautions and management techniques...
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PA Academy of Ministry
Personal Finances for Ministers
July 12–Aug 16. Tuesdays, 7–8:30pm. Instructor, Lovett Weems.
Introduction to basics of personal financial management, including special considerations for religious professionals and congregations where they serve. Topics include budgeting, debt, compensation and taxes, insurance, investing, and estate planning. For pastors and lay leaders. 2.5 CEUs. $125
Ministerial Ethics and Professional Development
Aug 23–Sept 27, 2022
Instructor Jessica Young Brown
A Ministerial Institute class. Confidentiality, fiduciary duty, healthy boundaries, and self-care in ministry. $325.
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MALV Mosque Open House
SATURDAY JUNE 4th
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
1988 SCHADT AVE., WHITEHALL
You and your respective communities are invited to an Open House event at our Islamic Center Muslim Association Of Lehigh Valley in Whitehall, PA. Aside from information about Islam and Muslims, we will also have some delicious ethnic delicacies, and much more. Please feel free to forward this email to anyone who may be interested in attending this event.
- Meet Your Muslim Neighbors
- Listen To Call Of Prayer
- Ask Question About Islam
- Tour Mosque
- Sample Ethnic Food
Please Note: Modest dress is requested. Jeans, casual pants and long skirts are fine
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Join Us for Upcoming Webinars and Events from the UCC
Wednesdays with the World
Thursdays for the Soul
OWL Taking Flight
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Lombard Mennonite Peace Center June 13-17; Aug. 1-5; Nov. 14-18
Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders
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September 21
Journey Toward Healing
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Clergy Invited to Penn Central - German Pastoral Colloquy
July 24-29For information on the Colloquy or to register, click here
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DISASTER MINISTRIES UCC
There are three opportunities for Disaster Work/Mission/Rebuild Teams in the coming months.
1. There is a continuing need for work groups for our work in the Eastwick section of Philadelphia. Dates are available throughout the summer and early fall. Housing is available at Salt and Light Church. Tools and supervision is also available. For more information and sign up, contact Sharon Sgriccia, Eastwick Volunteer Coordinator, at isaiasrecoveryvolunteers@gmail.com, 610-689-0583.
2. We are also pleased to support the Indiana Kentucky Conference as they begin to offer work camps in Graves County (Mayfield), KY this May. Contact Rev. Greg Denk, IKC Conference Disaster Coordinator, for more information. gdenk5258@att.net or 317-709-1088.
3. We also ask for support for the Greater Dayton, Ohio area, where a tornado outbreak in May 2019 damaged thousands of homes. The Disciples of Christ's Week of Compassion and the UCC's Heartland Conference are helping families displaced from tornado-damaged rental housing become first-time homeowners. Volunteer teams of 4-10 people are needed. Jaye Herrick, formerly the Construction Site Manager for our work in Eastwick, will be doing the same in Dayton. For more information contact Rev. Caroline Hamilton-Arnold, caroline@weekofcompassion.org or 203-772-8597.
Karl Jones
Disaster Response Coordinator
cell: 570-617-4018
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Willing To Respond...
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