Penn Northeast Conference UCC, 431 Delaware Ave., Palmerton, PA 18071
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Letter from Bonnie
My Dear Friends,
I write this today sitting in Steve’s hospital room. He will be fine, we pray, but he has pneumonia and myriad other health issues right now. And yet, I live in hope, as does he, that we have more years together. We will take what comes with prayer, hope, love, and grace. There’s always a lesson in these challenges.
Today, as yesterday as I spent the day in the Emergency Room with him, I am thankful for our access to excellent medical care, great physicians, safe hospital settings and the technology that allows all this to be possible for us. We are also thankful for access to our medical insurance, which will cover the bulk of the costs of this and his other care.
But there are others who I need to thank. Yesterday we held an open house lunch for our chaplains. I was not able to be present, but they shared with each other, were recognized by us and Christian and Barbara stepped in to thank them for me. The PNEC staff is wonderful! I could not do most of what I do without them. Really none of us could. Please take time to thank them, to show your appreciation and celebrate them. They truly are the foundation of the Penn Northeast Conference.
So, thanks to the staff. Thanks to our chaplains who have continue to serve daily, even while the rest of us were isolated in safety – they are the front lines. Thanks to our pastors who in these difficult days keep leading worship, offering pastor care in a variety of ways, and are managing the anxiety of our time with faith and courage. Thanks to all the front-line people who have worked diligently to sell groceries, work in service stations, staff pharmacies, direct traffic, fight fires, and on and on and on…. we couldn’t have made it through the last months without them.
I would be remiss if I didn’t also thank God. Thank God for hope and joy, for the blessings of love in our midst, for the courage to face these days, for the confidence to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
I have come to the realization that the world will never be the same as it was pre-COVID. I have also begun to realize that COVID will likely never leave us. As with other viruses, it will mutate and change, we will learn how to prevent and treat it, and we will adjust our lives in new and different ways each and every day. That could leave us with little hope, but that is not how I choose to live in the world. Rather, I will be thankful for what we learn, how we are and can be treated, what is good and helpful in the world and in our interactions with one another.
I will be thankful for my family, for my friends, for my pastor, for my co-workers, for all the ministers working to better the communities we serve, and for every breath I take. I hope you can find reason to be thankful as well.
In God’s hope and with blessings, Bonnie
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"Releasing Your Inner Warrior"
Men's Clergy Retreat 2021
October 5-7, 2021 @ Kirkridge Retreat Center
COST: $150.00
ALL attendees must be fully vaccinated!
Facilitator: Rev. Dr. Tom Johnson, a UCC pastor and the co-founder of the Neighborhood Academy in Pittsburgh, an independent, faith-based school whose mission (to break the cycle of generational poverty by empowering youth and preparing them for college) was born the basement of his first church (Allegheny UCC). A graduate of the College of Wooster and of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Tom has extensive background in education, developmental psychology, and sociology. He is a student of Father Richard Rohr writings two of which are integral to our retreat theme.
(Sponsored by Pennsylvania Southeast Conference)
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PNEC Ministry Day 2021
For All Authorized Ministers - MIDs Encouraged to Attend
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
8:30AM - 3:00PM
(4 hours of continuing education)
Jordan UCC, 1837 Church Road, Allentown...and also via Zoom
$35 in person (includes lunch); $20 via Zoom
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Webinar on Copyright Concerns for Ministries
in conjunction with the Insurance Board
on September 29 @ 2PM EST
During these challenging times, ministries rely heavily on the virtual environment and various electronic mediums to share the printed forms of inspiring poetry, quotes from prayer books and daily affirmations, as well as words from songs during worship and through other forms of ministry. As a result, some ministries have been shocked to discover they are actually in violation of copyright infringement; join us as Heather Kimmel General Counsel, United Church of Christ, offers valuable information on how to help your ministry avoid this situation.
Heather E. Kimmel (she/her)
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Call to the Fall Meeting of PNEC
Saturday, November 6, 2021
In Person or Virtual
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Jordan UCC, 1837 Church Road, Allentown, PA
Theme - Grief: Let Go to Move Forward
Scripture - Psalm 30:5 weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning
Keynote Speaker and Workshop Leader
Rev. Chad Abbott
Conference Minister, Indian/Kentucky Conference, Spiritual Director and Author of Incline Your Ear
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Child Tax Credit
We have been asked to share this important information about the Child Tax Credit to ensure that as many eligible persons as possible can access this benefit. Here is the message:
The Child Tax Credit in the American Rescue Plan provides the largest Child Tax Credit ever and historic relief to the most working families ever – and as of July 15th, most families are automatically receiving monthly payments of $250 or $300 per child without having to take any action. The Child Tax Credit will help all families succeed.
The American Rescue Plan increased the Child Tax Credit from $2,000 per child to $3,000 per child for children over the age of six and from $2,000 to $3,600 for children under the age of six, and raised the age limit from 16 to 17. All working families will get the full credit if they make up to $150,000 for a couple or $112,500 for a family with a single parent (also called Head of Household).
Low-income families with children are eligible for this crucial tax relief – including those who have not made enough money to be required to file taxes but many are unaware that they are eligible.
I am attaching several documents that I believe you will find useful--I am copying one of them into this message. I'm encouraging you to share this with your congregations.
Rev. Sandra L. Strauss
Director of Advocacy & Ecumenical Outreach, Pennsylvania Council of Churches
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UCC Webinar—Movement Lessons: The First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit 30 Years Later
Even if you can’t make the scheduled time of 1 pm ET on Wednesday, October 13th, still sign-up, and we will send you a recording. Register now!
One of the best resources of the environmental justice movement today is its own history. Leading scholars in the field of environmental justice have described the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit as one of the most significant events in the movement's history. It was an event hosted and organized by the UCC’s Commission for Racial Justice. In 1991, this summit literally re-defined the word “environment." No longer did the word refer to remote wilderness areas and pristine natural landscapes as was often the case for largely white environmental organizations. The environment became where one lived, worked, studied, played, and prayed. It became the water one drinks in one’s home. It became the air one breathes in one’s neighborhood. It became the safety of one’s workplace. The summit produced the landmark 17 Environmental Justice Principles that are still used as a source of moral guidance for environmental organizations to this day. The ripple effects of the summit continue to be felt today. In this webinar, we will learn from three key participants in the summit: Charles Lee, Vernice Miller-Travis, and Richard Moore.
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UCC News Digest: COVID, perseverance, and climate call
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Fruitbelt Farmworker Christian Ministry Recognition
October 16 from 10AM to 2PM
Dear Friends, The Pennsylvania Council of Churches is planning an event to recognize and honor our Fruitbelt Farmworker Christian Ministry and we want you to be a part of it. On Saturday, October 16, 10 am-2:00 pm on the grounds of the United Church Center we will join congregations, farm workers and orchard owners to celebrate this important ministry. This is a first of its kind event, and we need your help to make it a success.
The plans are ambitious! The theme will be around the fall harvest season. We will feature the ministry and farmworkers, inclusive of worship, celebration, and food.. We anticipate that there will be music, fruits and vegetables and other goods available for sale. We would like to have a food truck on site or a congregation to provide food and soft drinks. Finally, we are planning for a vaccination opportunity to coincide with the celebration. The event will be open to the entire community.
The Fruitbelt Farmworker Christian Ministry was formed in 1989 to coordinate the efforts of mission committees from Adams, Cumberland, and Franklin counties to minister within the migrant population that came in the late summer and fall of each year to harvest various fruit crops. The Ministry takes as its guide Leviticus 19:34, “The stranger who sojourns shall be to you as a native among you, and you shall love him as yourself.” The goals of the Ministry are to provide spiritual nurture, pastoral care, recreation, advocacy, opportunities for cross-cultural understanding through the Friend-a-Camp program, and to refer issues or problems to the appropriate agencies.
Please contact Rev. Sandra L. Strauss, Director of Advocacy & Ecumenical Outreach, Pennsylvania Council of Churches, (717) 350-0165 (cell); s.strauss@pachurches.org
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CROSSROADS Moravian Seminary
All of our classes are offered both in person at Moravian Theological Seminary (Masks Required)
and in Real Time, Distance Learning through Zoom.
UNPACKING THE SCRIPTURES – DISCIPLESHIP
(8) Mondays & Thursdays, 6-9 pm
November 4 - December 2 (except 11/25 for Thanksgiving)
Instructor: Pam Weiss
In-person (Bahnson Center) or Real-time Distance Learning via Zoom
Price: $240
Want to learn about the benefits of and how to structure a small group program in your church? This course is structured like a typical small group experience, with Bible Study, prayer, and teaching incorporated into each class. We discuss topics such as the dynamics of small groups, how to start a program, how to maintain it over time, what resources to use, general small group ministries, and groups that are specific for youth, men, women, missional tasks, new members, etc. Many participants particularly value the small group component of this course.
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Reopening -- A Support Group for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
The group is offered on Wednesdays at 9:30am in the Provider 50 Conference Room, 413 Bridge St.,
Weissport, PA 18235; 610.379.9304. The group has been designed to offer support and education while addressing feelings and concerns related to raising grandchildren. The group is facilitated by a staff psychologist. Please call the office for more information or come in and sign up to participate.
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Be The Healing Conference 2021
Due to unforeseen circumstances, we must reschedule the Be the Healing Conference to October 8-9, 2021. We apologize for any inconvenience and hope the new dates will accommodate your schedule as well. If not, you may request a refund or gain access to the recorded course immediately following the event.
Conference Objectives
At the completion of this conference, participants will:
A. Understand how the structural inequalities beginning with the period of enslavement continue to impact African Americans and their communities today.
B. Select and apply strategies to enhance empowerment for African American populations at risk, and to promote economic and social justice.
C. Analyze relevant concepts of the Relationship Approach and the Philosophical Aspect of cultural difference as a basis for understanding the behaviors of African American individuals and families within their social/cultural environments.
D. Examine and investigate culturally appropriate interventions including “Virtues Training” for work with African American individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.
E. Understand the role that social learning theory and learned helplessness has played in the adaptive behaviors of African Americans and other racial and ethnic groups.
F. Apply improvement tools in work with individuals, families and communities.
Improvement Strategies
Participants will learn about improvement as a science and its implications for supporting healing initiatives and social justice as a framework that helps to accelerate how we learn to improve. It is a user and problem centered approach to accelerate teaching and learning through action, learning by doing. As the improvement process advances, previously unknown problems often emerge and improvement activities may need to move in new directions. Rapid tests of change are suggested to guide the continued fine-tuning of new tools, processes, roles and relationships. The objective IS then, to facilitate a focused learning journey.
The primary goals of the training are to focus on how we improve, how we reduce stress, how to effectively problem solve and ultimately learning how to “struggle well.”
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Afghan SIVs and Refugees How to Help Toolkit
Welcoming and Advocating for Afghan SIVs and Refugees: A Toolkit
Right now, the United States is stepping up resettlement of Afghan interpreters and others who helped U.S. forces in the 20-year effort to defeat the Taliban. As the Taliban now takes control of Afghanistan and U.S. military and diplomatic personnel pull out, the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement is anticipating a sudden and rapid increase in the arrival of Afghan “SIVs” - Special Immigrant Visa
holders and their families - to U.S. shores. These SIVs assisted U.S. operations in their country at extreme personal risk to themselves and their families. In return, they were promised emergency refugee
status on U.S. soil. As a denomination committed to welcoming the stranger and loving our neighbors, the United Church of Christ and its congregations are once again under a special call, in this case to welcome Afghan SIVs and to advocate for them and other Afghan refugees. Read More...
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Last Chance To Register...
Congregational Leadership Training
September 25, 2021 - 9AM to 4PM via Zoom
This training is for congregational boards, councils and consistories
(congregational leaders, board members, board secretaries, board treasurers, pastoral relations teams, and pastoral care teams)
Cost: $25/person or $100 max./church
Topics Covered: copyright training, leadership basics, meeting management, defining core values, behavioral covenants, governance and ministry models, specific position training for chairs, vice-chairs, secretaries, treasurers, pastoral care teams, pastoral relations teams
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From the Spiritual Development Ministry Team
Details Coming Soon
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Central Moravian Church Presents "Travelers Together 2021: Part 2"
Our Racial Awakening and Healing Journey Continues:
Deepening Our Awareness of Racism and White Privilege
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Live Virtual Workshops:
September 29, 10am-1pm CDT
December 14, 10am-1pm CDT
Some of the Topics Included:
· Understanding the Impact of Trauma in the Workplace
· Characteristics of a Trauma-Informed Leader
· Trauma-Informed Workplace Assessment
· 5 Principles of Trauma-Informed Workplaces
· Leadership Role in Championing These Principles
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Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)
Identify. Understand. Respond.
Mental Health First Aid is a course that teaches you how to help someone who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge. The training helps you identify, understand and respond to signs of additions and mental illnesses.
Saturday, October 9, 2021
For Laity (non-clergy) Only
9:00AM - 4:00PM at Hope UCC, Wind Gap
(pending current Covid Style: Otherwise it will be online via Zoom)
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Order Your Neighbors in Need Resources Today
The 2021 Neighbors in Need “Unfailing Love” offering is focused on supporting organizations and projects serving our homeless and immigrant neighbors and communities. One-third of NIN funds support the Council for American Indian Ministry (CAIM). Two-thirds of this offering is used by the UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries (JWM) to provide funding grants to UCC churches and organizations leading justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects in their communities.
Most churches collect the offering on October 3, 2021 as part of World Communion Sunday, but contributions can be made at any time. Click here for all the NIN 2021 information and PDF downloads.
Order these print items for your church today: Offering envelope; 11" x 17" glossy poster; Items are FREE, with FREE shipping/handling. ORDER HERE
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Elite Community Foundation's (ECF): Wellness & Safety Series
FREE Wellness and Safety Workshops - FREE Zoom Meetings from 6:30pm-7:30pm (CT)
- Let‛s Get Real about Hypertension - October 5
- Healthy Eating and Nutrition: Despite Limited Options - October 12
- Resilience: Coping with Loss and Grief – October 19
- Come Laugh with Us: Laughter Yoga - October 21
- Opioid Overdose Prevention Training (Narcan Training)- October 28
- Personal Safety Tips for All - Part 1 - November 9
- Breathing Exercises: Mind, Body, and You - November 11
- Personal Safety Tips for All - Part 2 - November 16
- Wellness & Safety Round Table Discussions - December 2
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Crossroads Courses this Fall
Crossroads is pleased to offer the following courses this Fall. All courses are offered in person at Moravian Theological Seminary and online, real time through Zoom. Registration and more information is available at www.moravianseminary.edu/crossroads. Contact Dr. Jill Peters at petersj2@moravian.edu with any questions.Unpacking the Scriptures - Discipleship
with Pam Weiss who leads the discipleship program at First Pres Allentown
gives us practical and creative ways to bring people together to explore their faith.
This is our Late Fall Course which meets twice a week (Mon and Thurs) from 11/4 until 12/2/2021
Looking ahead:
Missional Leadership, Mondays 1/3 - 2/21/2022 Dr. Jill Peters
Road Hazards (Congregational Ethics), Thurs 1/6 - 2/24/2022 Rev. Derek French & Dr. Jill Peters
Story of Christianity, Mondays 3/7 - 5/2/2022 (Except Holy Week 4/11) Rev. Dr. Bill Falla
My Journey (Formative Spirituality) Thursdays 3/10 - 5/5/2022 (Except Holy Week 4/14) Rev.
Maggie Wellert
Dr. Jill Peters, Missional Leadership Developer, Moravian Theological Seminary
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from PA Council of Churches
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Vital Conversations
Every fourth Monday of each month at 7 PM, clergy and lay leaders are invited to attend a Zoom conversation where they can talk through situations with other leaders, learn, and brainstorm together. As the light at the end of the COVID tunnel grows brighter, our churches and our people are excited to “get back” to some sense of normal ministry. However, our excitement is not without some apprehension: “How do we regain the momentum that was halted by closures? How do we decide what to restart and what to leave ended? How do we re-ignite the congregation’s passion for worship and service?” The Congregational Vitality Team wants to provide an on-going space for asking and discussing these questions as our churches navigate this exciting season of new beginnings.
Meeting ID: 817 9668 4439
Passcode: 292474
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Introducing a program at Eden Theological Seminary named NEXT Steps
It is a program designed for persons considering retirement, recently retired, or simply looking for a change in the last 1/3 of their lives. One participant stated, “I put down a number of things due to COVID, now I’m trying to decide what I really want to pick up again.” If you know anyone that might be searching for a new direction and that this program might fit them – Please let them know! All classes are Zoom so we can welcome students from ANYWHERE!
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Churches Care:
Accompanying persons with
Mental Illnesses and Addictions
This three-pronged program for church leaders (pastors, parish nurses, nurses, or other lay persons) will strengthen churches and communities in their support of people in their congregation who have mental illnesses and addictions . Click Here for details ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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DISASTER MINISTRIES UCC
Department of Health Announces Local Grant Opportunities for Faith-Based Organizations to Reduce Vaccine Hesitancy
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Health and the United Way of Pennsylvania today announced an expansion of the Local Innovations in Vaccine Equity in Pennsylvania project (LIVE PA), which aims to reduce vaccine hesitancy and ensure an equitable vaccine distribution throughout the commonwealth. The United Way will administer an additional $630,000 in grants to support the efforts of local faith-based organizations. Read More...
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There is a national Appeal is for the Severe Storms 2021 in anticipation of this and other events that may happen this fall.
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Welcoming Afghan SIVs, Haiti disaster response and more... click here
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Please Help!
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Information on federal relief resources for renters & landlords
Linked below are materials in English and Spanish for Treasury’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program and HUD’s Emergency Housing Voucher Program.
Treasury Emergency Rental Assistance Program
HUD Emergency Housing Voucher Program
(from the PA Council of Churches)
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