Message to the Conference |
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Dear Friends and Family of Penn Central Conference:
“…let us lay aside everything that hinders, and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…” (Hebrews 12:1b, NIV)
Certainly this was not the summer any of us would have predicted or chosen. I am aware of the continuing stress, frustration, arguments, and exhaustion regarding Covid-19 and the life of the church (to say nothing of the rest of our lives!). I’m also aware of the surprising opportunities it has provided for some and the ways you have adapted and are moving into the uncertain future. With all of those challenges and considerations in mind, I want to share with you how the Penn Central Conference staff is navigating through this time and some of the decisions we have made.
Your PCC staff have a variety of concerns about Covid given various health (and family health) issues. After much discussion and reflection we decided that staff will not make any new arrangements to lead or preach at any in-person, indoor worship services through the end of 2020. All engagements that have been already made will be honored and Covid guidelines are expected to be in place and followed. Invitations to outdoor worship are welcomed. Further, we will travel to attend meetings and participate in small-attendance events with those groups that are following all Pennsylvania State Guidelines including masking, social distancing, good hygiene practices and a maximum of 25 people gathered (if inside). Each staff member retains the freedom to decline an engagement if she feels the setting is not safe. If the protocols cannot be met, we would be happy to join you via Zoom or other platform!
Given the state of the virus and reports of hot-spots related to worshipping communities, our recommendations for churches remain the same as previously shared. We strongly encourage following the PA State guidelines in response to Covid-19. The guidelines include mandatory facemasks in all public places; maintaining social distancing (minimum 6’); and limiting indoor group gatherings to 25 people or fewer. We continue to encourage great care among churches and mindful conversation about worship practices. We also encourage the limiting of congregational singing (when meeting indoors) and wearing masks at all times (including during singing). Although all churches are free to follow their own conscience and decision-making on these protocols, your Conference leadership continues to take the Coronavirus threat very seriously, especially given the rampant spread in other parts of the country and role of indoor worship in this spread.
We invite you to share your perspectives and practices during this time of pandemic in two ways. We are conducting a very brief survey to ascertain PCC church practices around worship and opening buildings. If you are a church pastor or a lay leader, please complete the survey here. The survey will close on September7th.
We will have a reopening zoom call for any interested clergy or lay leaders on Tuesday August 25 at 6:30 PM. You can register here. We will discuss current guidelines and what we have learned from the survey thus far about PCC practices.
I am reminded daily that parts of this nation are in turmoil regarding the political, social and personal responses to Covid. Interpersonal confrontations have escalated and frustration levels are high. Our personal response, as disciples of Jesus, requires daily work and reflection. The task remains the same – to model a different path of engagement and life rooted in mercy, empathy, patience and love. Some days these spiritual fruits are hard to come by. On those days, remember the promise of grace and forgiveness for all the ways we fall short. God’s grace lifts us and will continue to guide us though the difficult days to come.
“…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” (Hebrew 12:2, NIV)
Peace,
Carrie
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Make sure you've saved the date of August 29th for Penn Central Conference's Annual Meeting! Registration is open! Please register by August 14th, it's important that we reach our quorum of 225. We will be voting on a Settled Conference Minister, among other votes.
There will be two options for attending and participating: each association will have a church set up to join the Zoom meeting as a group or attendees can join the Zoom meeting individually from home. All satellite sites in associations will be following their own on-site precautions including wearing masks and social distancing (some may require temperature checks.) More information on how to vote will follow registration.
Schedule of events (subject to change)
8:30AM - Webinar opens
9:00AM - Meeting officially opens - Devotions, Business tasks and voting
12:00PM - Break for Lunch (bring your own picnic)
12:45PM - continued Business Tasks
2:00PM - Time of recognition, remembrance and closing worship (bring your own communion elements)
3:00PM - Meeting closes
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Celebrating Hartman Center
Check out a Hartman Center themed Worship Service that can be used for your church service or a personal time of worship. More info here.
Hartman Center Celebration Day: We will join together for the Celebration of the Ministry of the Hartman Center on Saturday, September 12, beginning at 10:00 AM with a hike up The Knob. The day will include lunch, a special worship service, and an opportunity to visit various sites with campfires. All official ceremonial events will happen outside. Individuals and small groups will be able to visit inside certain buildings. All participants must wear a mask to the event and maintain social distancing practices. [The rain date is Saturday September 19th. The decision about a rain delay will be made by noon on Friday September 11th and will be shared via social media and email.]
Keep an eye out for announcements from your churches and the Hartman Center Facebook page for other events including a one-day Women’s retreat in November and bonfire gatherings for youth in the fall.
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Scheduling Notes:
After Labor Day your PCC staff will be working in the office various days each week. The rest of the time we will continue to work remotely. The office will remain closed to walk-in visitors. You may come to the office by appointment and will be required to wear a mask and maintain social distancing. The United Church Center building is technically open. If you are part of a PCC group that wishes to hold a meeting at the Center, you may set it up through Paul. However, you must agree to abide by the Church Center’s protocols (use of hand sanitizer upon entry, wearing masks in all public areas, social distancing, and wiping down all services when meeting is complete).
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These are Hard Times for Clergy.
Penn Central Conference, in response to the difficult situations, news, and decisions of the past months and weeks, the Conference wants to inform you of three things:
1. These are very stressful times. Please reach out to our Clergy Care Facilitator (Rev. Dr. Ronnette Comfort-Butler) if you or someone you know needs support. This is confidential and pastoral. No matter what the issue, please reach out.
2. Penn Central is in the process of creating an anti-racism program for clergy to begin at the close of summer. We will be providing information about a text soon (so you can read over the summer) along with our follow-up plans for clergy gatherings and discussions.
3. Let us know what you need. We are committed to serving everyone in this Conference, so please send us your suggestions and ideas about how we can best provide you with support, education, and communication in these trying times.
4. The Congregational Empowerment Team is ready to assist churches and congregations in the complicated decisions facing them in this season. Read more about the CET here.
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Prayers for Penn Central Conference
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)
This week, we pray for each other as we continue to live into God's calling...
Salem-Zion Church of Pillow
Trinity UCC, Dalmatia
Quentin UCC, Quentin
Saint Peter's UCC, Rebersburg
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From Pennsylvania Council of Churches:
It appears that a large number of Pennsylvanians who are eligible for the $1,200 COVID-19 stimulus payment have not received it. I thought that you might like to share this flyer with your congregations, as I would imagine that there are still many eligible people who could be reached this way.
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Servant Keeper Discount!
Servant Keeper is offering Penn Central Conference's churches a 25% discount. Use this special link to reach out to Jon Haley, Director of Denominational Partnerships, today to get started with this special discount of 25% off an initial site license of Servant Keeper. |
Insurance Board: Tell Us How Your Ministry Is An Everyday Superhero!
Entries Due By: September 15th
denominations! The first 35 entries win a $35 gift card for their organization, and a
chance for your story to be featured in our fall/winter issue of The Steward.
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COVID-19 Resources
Penn Central Conference has added a special section on our website for COVID-19 resources, including the times and links for Zoom meetings. Keep checking https://pccucc.org/covid-19-resources/ regularly for updates.
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PCC Survey
As churches have been weighing the options around returning to in-person worship, some have reached out to see what others are doing. To get an accurate picture, we are asking pastors or lay leaders to fill out this survey here.
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Resources to consider before reopening:
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From our friends at Mission Central |
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Thank you for your support in making Mission Central Care Kits and for setting a goal of 500 (almost 3 per church!) We are grateful for the support of the Penn Central Conference.
In 2019, these Care Kits were distributed throughout Pennsylvania and West Virginia as well as internationally to the Philippines, Belize, Niger, Cuba, Ghana, Dominica and Sierra Leone.
As needs have increased, we expect these to immediately go out within our communities in Pennsylvania.
We are grateful for your support!
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Boundary Training & Ministerial Excellence Forums
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PCC Clergy Book Study: How To Be An Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
Completion of all four components will earn 4 hours of Antiracism Training and
2 hours of Boundary Training. You will have July and August to read the book and respond in writing to reflection questions. Discussion groups via Zoom will follow in September. Register now, space is limited. Registration links and more information here.
Upcoming Boundary Training Online
Politics and the Pulpit in an Election Year (2 hours)
Join with your colleagues on Wednesday, September 16th at 1pm or 6pm for a discussion on the church and politics. This was a popular boundary training discussion in February and Rev. Carrie Call will be offering it again. We will gather on zoom for a timely discussion on this critical issue in the church. In the two hour session, we will cover several areas: first, a review of legal issues around political speech in the church; second, how to mitigate political divisions within congregations; and finally, we will examine case studies involving preaching and politics. Your personal experiences and reflections will be welcome in the discussions. Please come and add your voice to what is sure to be a rich conversation!
Register for the 1pm-3pm Zoom session here
Register for the 6pm-8pm Zoom session here
For Retired and Supply Pastors (2 hours)
Join with your colleagues on Tuesday, October 20th at 10am or 6pm for a discussion on supply and retired clergy boundaries. Rev. Sally Dries will join Rev. Nora Foust for leadership of this session.
Register for the 10am-12pm Zoom session here
Register for the 6pm-8pm Zoom session here
Boundaries in Seasons of Crisis (2 hours)
Join with your colleagues on Tuesday, November 17th at 10am or 6pm for discussion of a variety of topics including: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Self-Care and Allyship in an Activist Age. Rev. Nora Foust will lead this discussion.
Register for the 10am-12pm Zoom session here
Register for the 6pm-9pm Zoom session here
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Council of Conference Ministers Webinars
Whether they are responding to COVID-19 or taking action against racism, this is a year of innovation for people across the United Church of Christ. Now the leaders of the UCC’s 36 Conferences are piloting a series of webinars to share what congregations are learning in this time of change. Learn more here...
Recording of first webinar can be found here.
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Penn Central Conference, Penn Southeast Conference and Penn Northeast Conference invite you to a series of webinars with Andrew Werner. The first event is Annual Campaigns 101 on August 22 at 10:00AM
Annual Campaigns 101 - Designed for pastors and lay leaders planning an annual pledge campaign, we will explore ways to create an effective campaign. We will reflect on core purpose of a campaign, discuss practical steps leaders can take, and explore creative ideas to design a campaign uniquely suited to your congregation. Join this webinar to develop and strengthen plans for a successful fall campaign.
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Gestalt Pastoral Care Online Workshop
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Kairos Spiritual Direction Training Program Enrolling Now
The Parish Resource Center is excited to announce that we are accepting applications for a new cohort of the Kairos Spiritual Direction Training program. The next cohort for this two-year certificate program begins in January. This cohort will have a new emphasis on practicing spiritual kinship with those on the margins who have not had the opportunity or means to participate in spiritual direction. This focus grew out of PRC’s work in food insecurity, immigration, and restorative practices.
The training is designed not only for spiritual directors, but for all those who offer spiritual care and companionship. Through this course, students will learn and develop skills in deep listening and noticing the presence of God as they practice spiritual companionship.
The program is based on the Ignatian tradition and emphasizes in-person instruction and training nine weekends a year. PRC will continue to reassess as the situation changes and has the ability to move the program online on an as-needed basis.
There is an early bird discount of $500 if you register before November 1, 2020. You can find more information and apply online at parishresourcecenter.org/kairos.
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Looking Ahead:
General Synod
The General Synod Program and Planning Committee met recently to discuss General Synod. We had a very energizing conversation and made a few decisions that we want to communicate.
DATES
General Synod 33 will take place Sunday July 11, 2021 – Sunday July 18, 2021. Pre-Synod events will occur on July 7-10, 2021.
THEME
Rooted in Love continues to be the theme. We will be adding SPECIAL EDITION to the theme.
We are hoping for a “leaner” General Synod in this virtual environment. We will worship, conduct business, provide educational opportunities and make space for experiencing the church gathered.
Additional information will be coming shortly. Please let me know if there are any questions or concerns.
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Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry at LTS
Nondegree classes are ideal for:
- Lay Ministers already pastoring churches
- Pastoral Leaders in part-time or bi-vocational ministries
- Individuals in discernment
- Laity serving Christian denominations and independent churches
Register by September 25, 2020
Instructor: The Rev. Holly MillerShank
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Mercersburg, York and Gettysburg Association Churches
Rev. Richard Gordon
717-940-8345
Northern and Central Association Churches
Carolyn Herman
H: 570-538-9704
C: 570-220-8589
Harrisburg, Lancaster and Lebanon Association Churches
Rev. Richard Luciotti
717-679-0001
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Rev. Dr. Carrie Call, Ph.D.
Transitional Conference Minister
Phone: 717-652-1560 ex. 12
Rev. Nora Driver Foust
Associate Conference Minister
Phone: 717-652-1560 ex.13
Rev. Dr. Marisa Laviola, Ph.D.
Associate Conference Minister
Phone: 717-652-1560 ex. 15
Rev. Dr. Ronnette Comfort-Butler
Facilitator of Care to Clergy & Clergy Families
phone: 717-719-1895
Zoë D'heedene
Coordinator of Camps/Retreats
Phone: 717-652-1560 ex. 16
C. Paul Keller
Office Manager
Phone: 717-652-1560 ex. 14
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