Penn Northeast Conference UCC, 431 Delaware Ave., Palmerton, PA 18071
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Letter from Bonnie
Dear Friends,
Well, my commitment to rejoicing (as shared last week) has been going pretty well. I must admit that I don’t always dance – but I am swaying to the music every day. I am focusing on the positives and rejoicing – much of the time. BUT, and it’s a big BUT – I am still allowing petty frustrations to get in the way. I notice this especially when driving. I am an impatient driver, cautious and polite I think, but impatient.
For instance, why don’t people use their turn signals? Why do people feel the need to drive 15-20 miles below the speed limit in the passing lane? I must remind myself to breathe through the frustration. It’s no one’s fault that I have a lot to do, places to go and people to see. The 2 minutes extra on the road is not going to make a significant difference. Just this morning I practiced some self-talk, “Bonnie, take a breath. You are not in a hurry. Two minutes more won’t matter.”
Do you find yourself being frustrated over little things? These kinds of niggling things can bother me more than the big issues in my life. I wonder why that is? Perhaps these are the things I think I can control – while I do recognize that I really can only control myself, my behavior, and my attitudes.
Sometimes in our culture, we focus on trying to make other people change, make other people agree with us or bend toward our will. What might the world be like if we simply focused on loving our neighbors and breathing in the Spirit of the God, exhaling any unrealistic expectations? Rejoicing might come more easily. There may be less animosity and frustration in our hearts, in our families, in our churches, in our communities and in our nation. I would be comfortable with that. Wouldn’t you?
So, this week I am going to add to my rejoicing practice, a practice of loving my neighbors, all my neighbors (even those drivers who usually frustrate me). I’m going to focus on deep breathing, on the commandment to love my neighbors, and on working on my own attitudes. I do not know if this will make a difference, but it might. Will you try this with me?
Blessings, Bonnie
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General Synod Workshops
A number of workshops (50) are being offered from Wednesday July 7 – Saturday July 10. If you register for General Synod these workshops are free. If you have not registered for General Synod but would like to attend the workshops, please use this link Meet.ucc to register.
Several folks have asked about pastoral continuing education for these workshops. All the workshops will count as continuing education. If you want credit for Cultural Competency or Anti-Racism training, a minimum of three hours of training and a short summary paper submitted to the conference will be required. I have listed the workshops which would qualify for either of these categories.
Cultural Competency
Extravagant Welcome at God’s Table Wed, July 7 1-2 pm EDT
Beyond Binary Wed, July 7 4-5 pm EDT
Welcoming Transgender Persons Thurs, July 8 1-2 pm EDT
Multiple Religious Belonging Fri, July 9 4-5pm EDT
Multicultural Interfaith Couples Sat, 4-5 pm EDT
Anti-Racism
Community Safety for All Wed., July 7 2-3 pm EDT
Decolonizing Faith Thurs, July 8 4-5 pm EDT
Intersections of Racial Justice Sat, July 10 2-3 pm EDT
Ecumenical Responses to Racial Injustice Sat, July 10 3-4 pm EDT
Reparations: Concrete Steps Sat, July 10 5-6 pm EDT
We hope you will take advantage of any workshops which interest you. Blessings, Bonnie
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You're Invited...Phoebe Golf Tournament
August 9, 2021 - Saucon Valley Country Club
Registration closes on June 30
ladies, men and mixed foursomes are welcome at this scramble format tournament.
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A New Day Dawning: Leading the Church Toward the Light
FREE Webinar - Thursday, July 1 from 7 to 10PM
How has the Church made it this far? What are the current realities we church people need to know? Want some ideas for how to move forward? Looking for foundational, biblical hope for the future?
Featuring presentations by Lancaster Seminary faculty including: Melvin Baber, Lee Barrett, Nathan Baxter, Greg Carey, Kathy Harvey-Nelson, Vanessa Lovelace, Julia O'Brien, Larry Peers, David Rowe, Myka Kennedy Stephens, Anne Thayer, Catherine Williams, and me. We'll also have time to begin important conversations! Register here
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Former Licensed Minister, Al Walton, died Monday morning, June 14, 2021. The following email was received from Rev. Martin Nuscher, pastor of St. Paul’s UCC Indianland:
“I was notified yesterday that Al Walton passed away in New Jersey that morning. According to his daughter, Sandra, he will be cremated and she will be making arrangements, at a later date, for burial and perhaps a service. Al was a member of Indianland.”
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Did You Register???
Pastoring Challenging Parishioners:
A Relational & Mental Health Perspective
June 22 OR June 23, 2021
(each workshop has a limit of 20 pastors)
Counts for Advanced Boundary Training
6 to 8:30PM
Cost: $10/person
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THIS HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED
Church Musicians, Pastors and Church Leaders
Is your congregation streaming your services via Facebook, Zoom, YouTube or on your website?
Join us for a zoom meeting on Tuesday JUNE 22 (not as previously scheduled for June 15) from 6:30 - 7:30 pm about copyright law and how it specifically pertains to churches. Devin McKnight, Esq., a specialist in copyright law, will talk with us about why we need licenses to perform, record, and stream some music. Please register at by emailing Patty Rehrig - pattyr@pnec.org You can submit questions you may have to Karen Heim at rksdheim@rcn.com and she will forward them to Mr. McKnight.
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CHHSM: Diakonie, June 2021 Newsletter
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ONA NEWS: National ONA Sunday June 27, Spring T-Shirt Sale
Articles included:
National Open and Affirming Sunday Worship Resources
Last Chance to Buy 'Thrive' T-Shirts
Rural Pride
UCC Mental Health Network is Now ONA
Decision Day on LGBTQ & Adoption Rights
ONA Calendar
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Upcoming Webinar
Friday, June 18
A Juneteenth Celebration with Stories and Sacred Music: Listen to lives of African peoples through 4-genres of storytelling and music. Experience the long history of first peoples despite the interruptions, setbacks, and tragedies. Journey with us through sacred music, spoken word, and creative expressions of joy, sorrow, and praise. Click to Register
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Vital Conversations
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?” These are all revitalization questions, and many of our churches are asking questions like them. And so, the Congregational Vitality Team wants to provide an on-going space for asking and discussing these questions as our churches navigate his exciting season of new beginnings. Every fourth Monday of each month (starting June 28th at 7 PM), we are inviting interested clergy and lay leaders to attend a Zoom conversation where they can talk through situations with other leaders, learn, and brainstorm together.
Meeting ID: 817 9668 4439
Passcode: 292474
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Ready-To-Stream Worship Kit
Summer Edition
In this time of in-person and online worship, Phillips Theological Seminary offers churches a vacation from creating and preparing their weekly worship service. Phillips has created a second, complete digital worship service as a summer gift to pastors and congregational leaders.
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Black Lives Matter and coronavirus worship resources
A year after the murder of George Floyd, a new booklet of praise songs and protests has been published by the United Reformed Church. Sunflowers & Thistles is a collection of songs written by URC minister and hymn writer the Rev. John Campbell, and focuses on the Black Lives Matter movement and the coronavirus pandemic. The free online resources include the booklet of songs, which can be sung to the tunes of well-known hymns, PowerPoint presentations, and videos.
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Wednesdays In The Word -- Identity Crisis - I AM
Wednesdays - (through July 7, 2021) - 1:00-1:30; 7:00-7:30 Weekly
On-Line with the Women of Dille Parish, LeRaysville -- (570) 744-1637
To remind us of what Jesus said about Himself, what prompted it, and how understanding this might be a blessing.
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Stewardship Theme Materials Now Available
We would like to share with you a sample of the new Stewardship Theme Materials now available at UCCresources.com. The materials use the same theme as General Synod - Rooted in Love (see sample graphic). This means that all the inspiring worship resources created for General Synod can also be used in Stewardship campaigns this fall.
The materials include several important improvements this year.
- Much of the content came from pastors and leaders across the country such as the attached bulletin insert from Rev. Alex Shea Will.
- My colleagues at national wrote new material explaining how to be more effective with email communication and social media in support of a stewardship campaign.
- We created coloring pages that tell the story of OCWM Basic Support at the conference and national level (sample attached).
In other words: local church voices, effective communication strategies, and a bit of fun.
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The Latest research, resources, and reflections from Faith+Leaders like you
- Are Digital Communities Church?
- Faith Communities Celebrating Juneteenth and Pride
- Creating a Culture of Generosity (E-Book)
- Lord of the Dance: Ballet as Spiritual Practice
- What I'm Reading Now: United States of Grace
- Join us on Wednesdays in July for
- "Mere Science and Christian Faith"
- Wednesdays, July 7 - 28 | 1:00 - 2:00 pm CDT
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CONFLICT TRAINING DATES ANNOUNCED
This training is particularly effective for leadership councils, Sessions, Vestries and curated congregational groups. This 1.5 day online workshop will walk your group through how to become skilled in conflict transformation. You will learn skills that will reshape your interactions with present and future congregational conflict and equip you for managing conflict in your work and personal life. There will also be opportunities for sharing our personal experiences with conflict and working on leading through difficult conflict using case studies and role playing.
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"The Minister’s Job-Hunting Field Guide: Bivocational and Beyond"
Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry (PAM)
Tuesdays, 6:30–8pm EDT
July 6–August 10, 2021, via Zoom
Generous grant funding allows us to offer this 2.5 CEU class for $100 per participant registered by July 1.
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UCC News Digest: Turning Swords into Plowshares
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UCCMA Journal Worship, Music & Ministry — Digital Premier!
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From the UCC General Counsel & from the UCC Insurance Board on Boy Scouts in churches
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Special Edition General Synod
From July 11 – 18, 2021
Special Edition General Synod, will include powerful worship, not-to-miss keynote speakers, 50 workshops, youth programming and business sessions. Because it is 100% online, General Synod makes it possible for anyone to attend. Our conference and congregation are participating in the first-ever Congregational Challenge – a friendly competition designed to encourage participation and bring bragging rights home to this conference. Your attendance will allow you to access information and educational resources that will help this congregation in leadership, growth, and giving. General Synod only costs $100 for adult lay members (non-delegates) to attend! Register today at www.generalsynod.org
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Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders (2021)
June 21-25, August 2-6, October 11-15, or November 15-19
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. Contact the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center at 630-627-0507 or Admin@LMPeaceCenter.org. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SAVE THE DATE
October 19, 2021
9AM to 3PM
Ministry Day - Jordan UCC, Allentown
and via Zoom - watch for details
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DISASTER MINISTRIES UCC
UCC seeks gifts for partners where COVID is far from over
But elsewhere, “the pandemic is far from over,” said the Rev. Josh Baird. He leads the United Church of Christ’s Global H.O.P.E. team, which wants to raise $150,000 to help partners respond to the ongoing crisis.
To that end, the UCC issued a special “COVID-specific relief” appeal May 26. Details are here.
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From FEMA - Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic: Private Nonprofit Organizations
All 50 states, the District of Columbia, five territories, and numerous tribes are working directly with FEMA on a nationwide emergency declaration for COVID-19. Under this emergency declaration, and subsequent major disaster declarations, certain private non-profit (PNP) organizations are eligible to apply for funding through FEMA’s Public Assistance program. This fact sheet provides guidance for determining the eligibility of PNP applicants and work performed in accordance with the COVID-19 emergency and major disaster declarations.
PNP Applicant Eligibility
To be eligible for Public Assistance, a PNP applicant must show that it has:
- A ruling letter from the Internal Revenue Service granting tax exemption under sections 501(c), (d), or (e) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954; or
- Documentation from the state substantiating that the non-revenue producing organization or entity is a nonprofit entity organized or doing business under state law.
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