Penn Northeast Conference UCC, 431 Delaware Ave., Palmerton, PA 18071
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Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
from the PNEC Staff
The Penn Northeast Conference Office
will be closed for the
Christmas and New Year Holiday
from December 24, 2020
through January 3, 2021.
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Christmas Time is here!
I love that phrase from a Christmas song. It announces a celebration time for me. Even in this year of pandemic there are joys and reasons to celebrate. Are you able to be with even one of your family members? Do you have family with whom to be in touch? Are there friends who you can count on for help and prayers? Do you have food to eat and a warm bed in which to sleep? Do you have faith?
I suppose that last question is the most important. Do you have faith – faith in God, in the coming of Jesus, in the presence of the Holy Spirit; faith in family and friends; faith that there are those in the world striving to make the world better for each and all of us? The celebration of Christmas is one of the celebrations of our faith, the knowledge that God has come into the world, yet again, in the difficult and challenging times in which we live. The celebration of the birth of Jesus reminds us that God transforms the world – sometimes through the most unlikely people, in the most unlikely times.
So, my friends, Christmas time is here! It is time to remember that God loves us so much that Jesus came into the world to be Emmanuel, God-With-Us. It is time to pause, take a deep breath and feel the presence of the living and loving God. As we celebrate this Christmas Season, and it is a season and not just a day, may we feel that living presence. May we know we are loved. May we celebrate.
Blessings, Bonnie
To Hear a Christmas Message from Bonnie please go to the
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List of Christmas Eve Services Being Held Virtually
Seven of our PNEC churches responded to our request for links to their virtual Christmas Eve services. Please click here to see the list and thank you to those congregations who shared their information.
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Continuing Education for Authorized Ministers
Please remember to enter all of your continuing education hours, etc. into your Breeze profile no later than December 31, 2020, so as not to be listed as out of compliance with MESA. Yearly Information Reviews - if done by December 31, 2020 will be counted towards 2021. You can find this form on your Breeze profile.
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PNEC'S 2020 Closing Date will be Friday, January 15, 2021
Please plan your closing so that your final 2020 remittance will be received in the Conference Office by Friday, January 15. Receipts received after the 15th will be credited to 2021. Do not include 2020 remittances with 2021 and please make certain remittance slips are marked for either the year 2020 or 2021.
Thank you for your cooperation and support.
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The IRS Announces 2021 Business Mileage Rate
Beginning on January 1, 2021, the standard mileage rate for the use of a car, van, pickup or panel truck will be: 56 cents per mile for business miles driven (down from 57.5 cents in 2020).
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Central Moravian Church Presents The 2021 Travelers Together Series
Our Racial Awakening and Healing Journey: Join Us at the Table
Zoom Presentations on
Sundays, Jan. 3, 10, 17, and 24 at 12:00 p.m.
(For all of PNEC Authorized Ministers - If you attend all 4 sessions, it will count as Anti-Racism Training - ask for certificate or something written saying that you attended all 4 sessions.)
Jan. 3, 2021 - “What the Early History of Bethlehem Teaches Us about Race”
The Rev. Dr. Frank Crouch, Professor of New Testament, Moravian Theological Seminary
Professor Sholomo Levy, Professor of History, Northampton Community College
Jan. 10, 2021 - “The Church’s Hidden Secret: Our (Tacit) Approval of White Supremacy”
The Rev. Dr. Riddick Weber, Associate Professor of Pastoral Ministry, Moravian Theological Seminary
Jan. 17, 2021 - “Racial Justice Efforts in Today’s North American Moravian Church”
The Rev. Sue Koenig, Pastor of Graceham Moravian Church
Member of the Northern Province Racial Justice Team
Jan. 24, 2021 - “The Modern African American Experience in Bethlehem, PA”
and Presenters’ Panel Discussion
Rayah Levy, Head of Adult Services at the Bethlehem Area Public Library
Presentations Will be Available after the Sessions on the
Central Moravian Church YouTube Channel
to Register and Receive your Zoom Invitation
Register no later than the Friday before each presentation.
Question? Call 610-866-5661
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PA Council of Churches Announces the election of Rev. Dr. Larry D. Pickens as Executive Director; Allentown Resident Brings Broad Denominational and Local Ecumenical Experience to Council
HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Council of Churches has elected the Rev. Dr. Larry D. Pickens, former worldwide ecumenical executive for the United Methodist Church, as its new executive director. He will begin work on Jan. 2, 2021.
“We are blessed to bring Larry Pickens on board to guide the PA Council of Churches in this challenging time of our history,” said the Rev. Liz Bidgood Enders, president of the Council’s Board of Directors.
“Larry is committed to the ecumenical movement, from leading on the denominational level to working on the street with congregations of all shape and sizes in a variety of settings,” Rev. Bidgood Enders said. “One of the first things we noticed about him was his passion towards seeking justice on behalf of the poor and the marginalized. That’s the essence of how we are to share Christ’s love.”
Dr. Pickens, 62, will replace the Rev. Dai Morgan, who has served as the acting executive director of the Council since July. Rev. Morgan had served as a member of the Board of Directors and had been its vice president since 2017.
A native of Chicago, Dr. Pickens earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from North Park University, a Master of Theological Studies and a Master of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, a Doctor of Ministry from Chicago Theological Seminary, a Juris Doctorate from DePaul University College of Law and a Certificate of Ecumenism from Bossey-The World Council of Churches.
As general secretary of the United Methodist General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, he was the ecumenical staff officer for the denomination. He represented the denomination on the Executive and Central Committees of The World Council of Churches and in leadership roles of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. He served as the ecumenical director of the Lehigh Conference of Churches, based in Allentown, Pa., from 2014 through Sept. 2020. He is also credentialed in the Penn Northeast Conference of the United Church of Christ, based in Palmerton, Pa.
Dr. Pickens and his wife, Debra, have a daughter, Jessica, who is presently a therapist at the University of Maryland at College Park.
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GET AWAY FROM IT ALL WITH MINDFULNESS MEDITATION
VACATIONS BY KRIS
Tuesday, January 26th 7-8:30pm
Zoom Gathering. Log in opens at 6:45, please log in by 6:55pm.
Need a vacation but can’t take one? When is the last time you were able to get out of town to a secluded island beach or to a stunning mountain by a lake? Join me as I lead you through a time of refreshment and renewal without leaving your home. Set aside your stress and schedule and share in this mini-retreat. Learn about meditation or take time to enjoy your existing practice. Feel nourished even when you can’t take a real vacation.
Hosted by Rev. Kris Snyder-Samuelson, Union UCC, Neffs
Or call 610-657-6007 Sign ups close on Sunday, January 24th.
This event is free. Feel free to make a donation to the Penn Northeast Conference as a
note of appreciation for their support.
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Friend of the Conference
The Generosity Committee would like to invite you to become a Friend of The Conference! Within our congregations, we have 33,000 individual! If each member were to donate an additional $10, that would be $330,000. And I know what you’re thinking, another thing I have to donate to, but consider the fact that $10 is less than what the average American spends on coffee in a single week, or roughly the cost of a fast food meal! You can mail your donations to the Conference office, donate at the Penn Northeast Conference website using tithe.ly https://pnec.org/tithe-ly-on-line-giving/ or contact the conference office for more giving options! And Conference Minister Bonnie Bates has issued a match challenge to the first 20 people to donate! Resources for churches like bulletin inserts and graphics are available on the PNEC website! or
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Cultivating Generous Congregations
UCC Stewardship Course in partnership with the Lake Institute
Stewardship in any season can be stressful for pastors. It can feel awkward—“I’m asking people to pay me!” It can feel unspiritual—“Jesus chased the money changes out of the temple!”
The Cultivating Generous Congregations Seminar for pastors and lay leaders offers an opportunity to explore faithful, practical, and tested ways to promoting generosity in our congregations. We will draw on current research, seek guidance from the wisdom of scripture, and discuss the best practices in church-based fundraising.
The seminar will improve the “bottom line” of your congregation. But I want to be clear that this bottom line is about more than money. Mission and ministry remain the real bottom line of our work. This seminar will help pastors and leaders engage generosity as a spiritual practice.
Please sign up now for the Cultivating Generous Congregations Seminar this spring. The program will be taught by the Rev. Andy DeBraber, Generosity Officer of the national setting, and myself, Andrew Warner, Generosity Outreach Officer. We’ll meet for six online sessions over the course of the spring: 6:30pm to 8:00pm EST on Tuesdays—Feb. 9, Feb. 23, Mar. 9, Mar. 23, Apr. 13, and Apr. 27, 2021. Between class sessions, Andy and Andrew will provide materials to help you analyze the culture of your own congregation and learn how to create change. By the end of the seminar, pastors and leaders will be equipped to lead effective fundraising and you will have a strategy to guide your success moving forward.
Be sure to recruit at least a team of two for this program. Changing the culture of your congregation requires more than one dedicated leader. Success depends on engaging a team of leaders from your congregation.
Register today: The CGC Seminar is $150 per participant. Register here by January 15, 2021: https://cvent.me/87ywNA.
Yours in Faith, Andrew Warner, Generosity Outreach Officer, United Church of Christ
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UCC History & Polity Course
Fridays on Zoom
February 12 - March 26, 2021
2 to 5PM -- Cost $100
Brought to you by Penn Central Conference and Lancaster Theological Seminary
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SOLO: Strengthening Older Lives Online
The PA Council on Aging’s Social Isolation Task Force is holding virtual, small-group, interactive sessions designed to help older adults safeguard their mental, spiritual, and physical health. Now more than ever, these tips and reminders are critically important. SOLO can be viewed in a self-guided way from a computer or smart device by clicking here . Session days and times are: Thursday, 1/7 5:00-6:00; Tuesday, 1/12 10:00-11:00; Thursday, 1/21 1:00-2:00
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Crossroads Lay Leadership, Moravian Seminary
Announces our Winter courses. All courses in the Winter Semester are Zoom only. Traveling Mercies (Congregational Care) with the Rev. Maggie Wellert is Mondays from 6-9 pm Jan 4- Feb 22. Topics include caring for others, caring for yourself, active listening, spirituality and the caregiving relationship, etc. Maggie also brings in great guests instructors who present a variety of other topics.
On Thursdays from 6-9 pm Jan 7 - Feb 25 is our conversations in theology course, Mapping the Route, with the Rev. Dr. Bill Falla. Each night features a different aspect of our theology such as Who is God?, Why Jesus?, What does the Holy Spirit do?, etc. Bill leads great discussions on these topics.
Come and join us through Zoom.
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Keeping the Faith: Continuing Connections MA-AUCE 2021 Event
Feb. 5-6, 2021 on Zoom
Friends involved in the educational ministries in our local congregations- this is for you! We have moved the timing up to February, from our traditional late-April. We've changed the dates from a mid-week event to a Friday-Saturday event hoping to make it accessible for more churches' part-time leaders. Workshops will include an opening presentation, small group reaction /sharing, and large group report outs. All of our conversations will include ideas for virtual, in-person, and hybrid situations. This year's price is just $15 for first time attendees and AUCE/APCE members and $20 for all others. Register at https://bit.ly/3pl9KG1 Questions, contact Janet Newett at janetnewett@gmail.com or 610-657-2189 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pastor's Conversations
Bonnie Bates is inviting you to a scheduled semi-monthly Pastors’ Conversations Zoom mtg, held on 1st and 3rd Wednesdays at 2 pm. Join Zoom Meeting:
Meeting ID: 829 4709 0481
Password: 235909
One tap mobile
+16468769923,,82947090481#,,,,0#,,235909# US (New York)
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Spirituality of Generosity webinar coming next month
January 20, 2021 - 10AM to Noon
On Jan. 20, Pennsylvania Southeast, Penn Northeast, and Penn Central conferences will co-host a seminar on the 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. For a flyer on this event, click here. To register, click here.
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SAVE THE DATE
The UCC Just Peace Committee is inviting you to the next quarterly Just Peace Webinar to take place on January 27 (7 p.m. ET) Details and log-in instructions will be sent in the New Year but please mark your calendars now and save the date.
Topic: Where do we go from here? How do we engage? What should be our Just Peace priorities in 2021 as individuals, congregations, Associations, Conferences and the National Setting. What might we expect from a Biden Administration and how does that influence our work? And, finally, let’s talk and share ideas and plans.
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A Very UCC Christmas: 2020
Brought to you by the United Church of Christ National Setting
The staff of the national setting is working on a Christmas Pageant and full worship service coming for Local Churches to use as worship for on or around December 27th, or as piece meal. Each piece will be downloadable as a video file from the national setting, with more details released in marketing before November 20th. See full flyer
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Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders
Does your congregation experience conflict? Does it harm your Christian fellowship and distract from your church’s mission? Learn to transform conflict from a negative force into an opportunity for reconciliation and growth. Register now for one of these six sessions of our popular and practical Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders 2021: March 1-5, May 3-7, June 21-25, August 2-6, October 11-15, or November 15-19, 2021. The “early bird” rate is $695. Currently we plan to conduct this event online via Zoom. NOTE: After December 2020, online registration will no longer be available via Brown Paper Tickets. To register or to learn more, contact the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center at 630-627-0507 or Admin@LMPeaceCenter.org. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UCF 4-Minute Video
United Church Funds has created a 4-minute video. We hope this video can be an educational resource for to highlight responsible investing strategies.
The mandate and mission of United Church Funds to invest responsibly to support our clients fund critical ministries has never been more important given the challenging climate within our healthcare system, social justice and human rights environment as well as many other topics.
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DISASTER MINISTRIES UCC
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COVID-19 Alert App - By downloading COVID Alert PA, you can get a notification if you have been in close contact with someone who later tests positive for COVID-19, or anonymously notify other residents if you yourself test positive. The app is a free and voluntary mobile app developed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health in partnership with NearForm, University of Pennsylvania, and MIT Lincoln Laboratory using Apple and Google’s Exposure Notification System.
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The Humanitarian Disaster Institute is offering a new online training: "Spiritual First Aid Online Training & Certificate Course". The goal of the course is to help people make a difference in this time of COVID. They say that you don’t have to be a professional psychologist to offer support. If you complete the course there is a certificate offered.
You are also invited to join the Humanitarian Disaster Institute for a webinar this Friday, December 11, at 1 pm ET. that will discuss "Resilience for a COVID Winter".
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Ready PA Monthly
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