Penn Northeast Conference UCC, 431 Delaware Ave., Palmerton, PA 18071
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PLEASE NOTE: You are receiving "This Week in PNEC" today (Friday) because of PNEC staff vacations.
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Letter from Bonnie
Dear friends, This week we celebrate the third Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of joy. If we focused only on the news, the pandemics of COVID, violence, divisiveness, and racism, or the pain of our isolation or loss, it would be hard to feel any joy at all. Yet, if we focus on the blessings and gifts we have been given, the ones who love us, the God who forgives us, the houses in which we reside, the food which we eat, or the work we have to do we can see glimpses of joy in our lives and in the world.
Karl Barth is quoted as having said, “Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.” When we can focus on what we have, what we can share, what we can give in gratitude, then we can have and feel joy."
In the last few weeks, I have heard of many in our midst who have been diagnosed with COVID, some hospitalized, some being cared for at home. Some of our pastors, our congregational musicians, our church staff, our church members, are struggling with this disease – and their families also suffer as they care for and worry about them. The numbers are climbing in our communities, our state, our nation, and the world. We struggle to contain and control the spread of the disease and our loss.
The struggles to contain the disease may mean we have to isolate even more than we already have, that church congregations will need to cease gathering in person, even in small numbers, that workplaces will close, that joblessness will rise, and that holidays usually celebrated with extended family will not be possible this year. And yet, we can find joy; we can choose joy.
I pray daily for us each and all to experience the hope, peace, joy and love of the Advent season, the joy of the celebration of the birth of our Savior. That is my fervent prayer for each of us. As you move through the remainder of this season and into the new year, I hope you find moments to celebrate, moments of joy. Be safe my friends. Be well. Blessings, Bonnie
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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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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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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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Let's Chat: A Time to Share & Discus Events From a Difficult Year
The Pennsylvania Council of Churches has created “Let’s Chat: A Time to Share and Discuss Events from a Difficult Year,” an event aimed at engaging in dynamic discussions with youth and young adults about 2020 events that have affected their lives. “Let’s Chat” is a 3-part series, focusing on one specific issue per meeting. The topics are the 2020 election, COVID-19, and police brutality/racial injustice. By focusing on one topic per meeting, the Council hopes these sessions create a safe environment to prompt deep, thoughtful sharing and discussions about experiences and ideas on how to move forward.
Watch for the third of these sessions on police brutality/racial injustice early in the new year.
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Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry at Lancaster Seminary
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
Theology: “Leadership and Community,” Jan 9–Feb 18, 2021. The Rev. Holly MillerShank offers a six-week online class through the Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry at Lancaster Theological Seminary. The class provides an introduction to Christian theology, focusing on the human condition, Christian hope, the church, ministry, and mission. This 2.5 CEU class starts Saturday, Jan 9, followed by five weeks of asynchronous online instruction. Cost $325. Registration deadline is December 21. Apply online at
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PNEC Spiritual Renewal Partners Advent Retreat
"Waiting in Hope"
Finding Hope in the Midst of an Ever-Changing World
A "stay-at-home" retreat prepared just for these challenging times.
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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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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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Worship with the Council of Conference Ministers
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SURVEY FOR PASTORS
Worship & Training Survey for Pastors
Hello to all authorized ministers. Please click on the link below to take a survey regarding Worship & Training. Thanks, from the PNEC Local Congregational Support Working Group.
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SURVEY FOR LAY LEADERS
Local Congregational Support Training for Lay Leaders
Hello to all lay leaders of our churches. Please click on the link below to take a survey regarding Local Congregational Support Training for Lay Leaders. Thanks, from the PNEC Congregational Support Working Group.
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Military Ministry Opportunities
Looking for called people to serve as a Chaplains in the U.S. Army. Is God calling you to serve Soldiers? Should you consider an open door? ? There are both full-time and part-time options for service. As a chaplain and officer in the U.S. Army, you will care for the spiritual well-being of Soldiers and their families. Wherever the Army goes, Army chaplains represent hundreds of American denominations and faith traditions fulfilling a sacred calling of service captured in our motto, "Pro Deo et Patria" (for God and country). You are able to serve Part-Time (in your local community) or Full-Time (many duty locations in the US and abroad). Army Chaplains receive competitive pay and benefits and provide direct personal care to Soldiers and their families. If you would like to hear more, please email timothy.s.elliott.mil@mail.mil or schedule a time for a phone call at https://tselliott.youcanbook.me
Pro Deo et Patria, TS - CH (MAJ) TS Elliott, Chaplain Recruiter
U.S. Army West Chaplain Recruiting Station, 6337 Balboa Boulevard, Suite 500, Encino, CA 91316
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Keeping the Faith: Continuing Connections MA-AUCE 2021 Event
Feb. 5-6, 2021 (Friday -Saturday) on Zoom
Friends involved in the educational ministries in our local congregations- this is for you!
2021 retreat is going virtual – like everything else. 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 of our 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. The silver lining is that we've been able to reduce the cost tremendously because we've shortened the event and, well, we're on Zoom. This year's price is just $15 for first time attendees and AUCE/APCE members and $20 for all others.
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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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Informative Letter from
Katie Adams
Policy Advocate for Domestic Issues
Justice and Witness Ministries | UCC
Washington DC Office
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SOLO: Strengthening Older Lives Online
The Pennsylvania 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: Strengthening Older Lives Online can be viewed in a self-guided way from a computer or smart device by clicking here Here are the session days and times:
Tuesday, 12/15 1:00-2:00
Thursday, 12/17 10:00-11:00
Tuesday, 12/22 11:00-12:00
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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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. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You Tube Link for Ministry Day
For those authorized ministers who were not able to attend Ministry Day, which was held virtually on October 24, we have a You Tube recording of the day. The cost to you would be $25 and if you complete the activities assigned in the video and send us a summary of your learnings, you could count this as your Cultural Competency Training. If you are interested, please be in touch with Patty Rehrig at the Conference Office either by phone 610-826-3113 or by email to pattyr@pnec.org
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Crossroads Lay Leadership, Moravian Seminary
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. For more info contact Jill Peters at petersj2@moravian.edu or go to our website http://www.moravianseminary.edu/crossroads to register. |
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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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UCC's Tuesday for Nurture and Thursdays for The Soul
Stepping Into The Archives
Tuesday, December 15 -- 3:30-4:30PM
The UCC has a complex history full of the stories of people. We came together calling, Let Them All Be One! And we are seeking ways to unite ever since, even as we clarify our purpose in loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength and our neighbor as ourselves; and our vision in uniting through Christ's love towards a just world for all. Join Caroline Dunleavy, Executive Director of the Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society, and Ed Cade, Associate for Historical Preservation and Archivist, as we browse through our archives. Click Here to Register
Blue Christmas Service
Thursday, December 17 - 3:30 to 4:30PM
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year—or is it? For many, it echoes old griefs and illuminates the new. When so many things have changed this year, we’ve lost people important to us, and so many hold their hardest parts in isolation, This Christmas will be so difficult for so many people. Blue Christmas is a service that holds the tension of the grief and difficulty of the season for many, in tension and awareness of the societal messages that Christmas is a season of ONLY JOY—at the expense of all other feelings and circumstances. Jesus’ mother Mary will be our guide for this journey as she reminds us of God’s presence in the midst of our suffering. Join us for a worship service “Mary’s Blue Christmas” hosted by the National Setting’s Thursday’s for the Soul in partnership with the Overdose and Drug Use Ministries as well as the UCC Mental Health Network. Click Here to Register. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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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Registration is now open for the 2021 Festival of Homiletics!
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Are You Prepared? An Advent Series on Faith-based Organizing
DATES: December 13, 20 TIME: 4PM
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St. Luke’s University Health Network - Pastoral Care Department
Dear friends and colleagues,
We have had a sudden and unexpected vacancy in our Residency. A resident just announced as this first unit is ending that she will be leaving at the end of this week, largely due to personal stressors related to the pandemic. Mine is not the first Residency program in the area to be affected this way. And I’m trying to get the word out as quickly as possible, by whatever means possible, to those who might know someone searching. Preferably someone who has completed one or two units of CPE. The second unit begins January 7. Residents begin an integration period next week.
This also means we have some clinical hours to fill in the interim, and we will fill with per diem hours as soon as possible. We are also searching for more per diem Associate chaplains! If you know of anyone? One unit of CPE required.
And lastly, our part-time chaplain at our Upper Bucks campus in Quakertown (20 hours a week) is retiring early next month. We have started advertising for that position. If you know of anyone with four units of CPE who might be looking for a half-time staff chaplain job, it’s one of our brand new campuses and quite a nice environment to work!
Rev. Lynne Mikulak, MDiv, MSW - ACPE Certified Educator/APC Board Certified Chaplain
Supervisor of Clinical Pastoral Education, St. Luke’s University Health Network Pastoral Care Department
801 Ostrum Street, Bethlehem PA 18015
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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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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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