Letter from our Sabbatical Conference Minister, Rev. Dr. Becky Beckwith



“You have been told what is good and what is required from you: to do justice, embrace faithful love, love kindness and walk humbly with our God.” Micah 6:8

Dear Friends,

What does it mean to be responsible? What kind of feelings bubble up inside of you when you hear that word? Some of us go overboard and feel responsible for the sun coming up each morning. Other people don’t feel responsible for much of anything. Most of us are somewhere in between.

I decided to search Goggle and was overwhelmed with definitions. Many went right to saying that if you are responsible, you are to blame if something goes wrong.   We do love to have someone to blame, don’t we? But I think that is only a very small part of responsibility. 

Responsibility is about our dealings, taking care of self and others. The parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:30-37) speaks of how we should care for others.   1 Timothy 5:8 says “and whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” That’s a bit rough and needs to be put into context. We are all called to be responsible for the world. The idea of being responsible can become overwhelming.

I believe responsibility tends to have individual variations. Your thoughts and responses may be different than mine.  But as a follower of Christ, we are to do justice, embrace faithful love, love kindness and walk humbly with our God.   

It is a privilege to serve God. Along with that privilege we take on some responsibility. What does it all mean? Something to think about during this Lenten season.

Blessings and Ponderings, Becky

Rev. Dr. Becky J. Beckwith

Call to the

2023 Spring Meeting of PNEC

 Saturday, April 29, 2023

In Person or Virtual

St. Thomas United Church of Christ

902 East Macada Road, Bethlehem, PA

Theme

 Health, Renewal, Restoration

 Scripture

          “…be transformed from the inside out by renewing

             your mind. As a result, you will be able to discern

                what God wills and whatever God finds good,

                    pleasing, and complete.”  Romans 12:1-2

Keynoters:

     Rev. Cindy Garis August

     Senior Pastor at Colonial Park UCC, Harrisburg

     Ms. Padma (Colette) Fanning

     Mindfulness Educator

    St. Luke’s University Health Network, Bethlehem

Click Here for Registration Form

OR

or register online with Tithe.ly at: https://tithe.ly/event-registration/#/6786464

Bring Your CWS Buckets and Kits to PNEC NOW!

Within the next couple of weeks, the CWS Kits and Buckets here in the Conference Office will be transported to the CWS Depot in Maryland. 

If your church has kits or buckets, get them to us soon so they can get loaded on the truck and transported to the Depot!  Call 610-826-3113 before delivering, please. Thank you.

Pray for Peace:

On this, the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the United Church of Christ calls on our clergy, our lay leaders, our churches, and all people of faith to pray for peace, to pray for an end to the hostilities that are ravaging the people and land of Ukraine, and to pray for a de-escalation of rhetoric that threatens nuclear options. The war has caused the displacement of 16 million people – Ukrainians and others living or working there; put additional strain on communities in Ukraine and in neighboring countries which have graciously welcomed those who have fled their homes; and severely reduced the ability of people in countries farther away to access daily needs such as food and fuel – effects which are less obvious. All the while, more weapons are infused, and the threat of greater devastation increases. The UCC has supported people and partners affected by the invasion from the beginning, and a UCC delegation recently visited the region to express solidarity with and encouragement to partners, and to witness the work we have supported.

We offer this prayer and invite you to join us in sharing it as a part of your personal prayer time this weekend, or in an act of public worship when you gather with your community of faith.

Creator God, maker of all that is good.

Comforter God, restorer of peace between all peoples.

Redeemer God, healer of wounds that inflict trauma and chaos:

We turn to you this day crying out for an end to a war that rages across the land of Ukraine, threatens the lives of its inhabitants, and displaces millions of children no longer able to sleep in their beds, attend their schools, or play with their friends.

May your Spirit of peace soften the hearts of the politicians who rattle their sabers and threaten nuclear annihilation.

May your vision of a just world thwart the ambitions of dictators who are thirsty for conquer and lusting for lands over which to rule.

May your hope of shalom engender within our own hearts the call to let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with us.

Help us find the pathway to peace, a Just Peace, built on human rights and equity not just in Ukraine but in every land where bombs and guns are the sounds to which children fall asleep and from which families flee.

You are the source of our peace.

You are the horizon of our hope.

You are the author of our love.

May the promise of your enduring peace, your abiding hope, and your everlasting love sustain us all and bring the promise of a new and better day to the people of Ukraine.

Amen

The Elected Officers of the United Church of Christ

The Rev. John C. Dorhauer, General Minister and President

The Rev. Traci Blackmon, Associate General Minister and Vice President

The Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson, Associate General Minister and Vice President

AND

The Council of Conference Ministers, United Church of Christ

Learn about the UCC's Ukraine response

Friday is the LAST Day to Sign Up!!!

Note the change in time - now ending at 12:30PM 

Congregational Leadership Training

Saturday, March 4 - 9AM to 12:30PM via zoom

A Congregational Leadership Training will be held on Saturday March 4th from 9 AM-12:30PM on Zoom. It is a training offered by Local Congregational Support and Congregational Vitality to help lay leaders AND youth leaders appreciate and navigate the many roles and responsibilities of leadership in the local church. It is an ideal learning opportunity for newly-elected Consistory members, Confirmation students, and even seasoned church leaders! If interested, please email Patty Rehrig at the Conference Office - pattyr@pnec.org 

UCC Resources is Taking Orders for Desk Calendar and Plan Book

Click Here for Info...

Lancaster Theological Seminary Dr. of Ministry Program

Join us online Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 7 pm ET for Learn LTS, an info session about Lancaster Theological Seminary's doctor of ministry, certificate programs and funding.

 Click the Link to Register and Join

Register for 2023 PA Clergy Convocation

The Pennsylvania Clergy Convocation is scheduled for May 2-4 in Lancaster. Our time together for Clergy Convocation will focus on connection – connecting with God, self and others. We will have times dedicated for worship, theological reflection, gatherings of affinity groups, connecting with folks from other Conferences, and free time. Our teaching focus on clergy wellness will take shape in four 90-minute sessions, each dedicated to one of the components of wellness every pastor needs: spiritual wellness, vocational wellness, financial wellness, and physical wellness. Pension Boards staff and outside facilitators will provide attendee with thoughtful and relevant content for those engaged in local church ministry. Click here for more information and to register

Click Here for Detailed Flyer

Registration open for Advanced Boundary Training

On April 26, an Advanced Boundary Training will be held on the topic of The Limits of Pastoral Care, facilitated by Revs. Bill Worley and Kevin McLemore. This training will explore the practical and spiritual limits for providing pastoral care within congregations. Topics that will be included are the emotional and spiritual toll of overfuctioning in a pastoral capacity, as well as practical guidance on such challenges as power of attorney documents, convicted sex offenders within the church, and other recent contemporary issues. Click here for more information and to register.

This began February 14 and continues monthly indefinitely. 

Dear Friends in Christ,

I am writing to share an opportunity with you. In my last four months in office, I am going to host a series of online discussions about subject matters that I think are of great interest to the life and health of the church. I am calling it “Create PlaySpace with the President.”

Over the next four months, on 8 Wednesdays from 1pm ET/10am PT and for one hour, we will gather in virtual space to discuss with each other vital perspectives and emerging strategies in key areas of our shared life.

Each week, a key leader in the area we will be discussing will begin the hour with a brief presentation to try and prime the pump for the discussion that will follow.

All voices will be welcome. You will want to participate whether you have something important to contribute or whether you are just curious about hearing what others are thinking. It promises to be interesting, engaging, insightful – and our hope is also very helpful.

Please find the dates, times, subjects, and presenters here. I hope you are able to join us for at least a few, if not all, of these. We live in an interdependent world. We need each other. And we are discovering new ways of engaging with each other in spaces that were not available to us a short while ago. By taking advantage of these newly developing tools and resources we can create new capacities for learning, exploring, and crafting new pathways to future vitality.

I look forward to seeing you in our PlaySpace.

Shalom,

Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer, General Minister and President

Have you signed up...15th Annual PNEC Youth Retreat

FAITH & ?????

Penn Northeast Conference Presents the15th “Annual” Youth Retreat FAITH & ??? In the gospels, Jesus is asked 187 questions. He answers (maybe) 8 of them. He himself asks 307. Maybe faith isn't about certainty, but learning to ask—and sit in the complexity of—good questions. ~Kevin Nye; writer on theology, homelessness, culture, and grace Exploring our faith through all kinds of questions FYI: This is a technology friendly event – cell phones, IPADS, tablets, etc are welcome!

WHO: All youth in grades 7th-12th are invited!

WHEN: April, 14-16, 2023 Check-in Friday 6:30-7:00/Pick up Sunday at 12:00 pm

WHERE: Spruce Lake 5389 Route 447, Canadensis, PA 18325

COST: $145/per person – includes meals Saturday & Sunday

**Limited space!!! First 40 participants with paid deposit only.

One adult chaperone per church is needed. 

Click Here for detailed flyer/registration

LAY LEADERS CONVOCATION

Who: For elders, deacons, church council members, and other leaders

What: A full day of worship, address, workshops, and fellowship

When: Saturday, April 15, 2023, 8:30 am to 3:00 pm

Where: Trinity and Zion U.C.C., Pottstown, Pennsylvania

Cost: $40 per person ($20 for persons coming for part of the program not eating lunch)

The event will include: Worship and Keynote address on Empowering Lay Leadership Workshops on some of the following topics: Being effective as a post-Covid Church Reviving the Sunday school Stewardship of Financial Resources Becoming Spiritual Leaders Becoming an Environmentally Friendly Church Church Meetings that get out on time How does the U.C.C. work Music ministry when the choir is shrinking Worshiping when there is no pastor. Registration information click here. Sponsored by the Lay Leadership Education Team of Penn SE Conference, U.C.C. Click here for a flyer with more info.

This event will be held at

Jordan UCC, 1837 Church Rd., Allentown.

Breakfast and lunch are included with the cost of your ticket.

To register you can email Barbara Jennings at barbaraj@pnec.org and send your check for $35 made payable to PNEC to the Conference Office (PNEC, 431 Delaware Ave., Palmerton, PA 18071)

OR

you can register and pay through tithe.ly at https://tithe.ly/event-registration/#/6681834

Keynote; “Repenting of the unforgivable” Through the medium of storytelling, Rev JimBear Jacobs will share how the legacy of Indigenous residential boarding schools has left a stain upon the church. The sin of complicity in the boarding school has for far too long been ignored or rationalized away. It is time to face this sin head on and enter into a season of lament that can hopefully lead to repair. Workshop: “Beyond lament; Movement towards repair” In this workshop Rev. JimBear Jacobs will explore some tangible and challenging steps that churches might wrestle with as they consider reparations for the traumatic legacy of the boarding school system

Click Here for Bio for Jim Bear Jacobs

UCC Webinar—Leaky Stoves and Deadly Gases

In the media and social media, gas and electric stoves have recently been a "hot topic." In this webinar, we will seek to put this "heated debate" within its proper ethical context in terms of environmental justice, public health, and concerns about methane pollution. This webinar will prepare faith communities for informed action in caring for our neighbors and our planet. Even if you cannot make the webinar at its scheduled time on March 8^th at 1 pm ET, still sign-up, and we will send you a link to a recording of it. Register now!

[Hyperlink: https://UCC.zoom.us/webinar/register/4716770975555/WN_DMndIovnQxG-NZsTnkVGPg ]

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEqd-ioqzMsHtO1FOA51nJhazxrJSoWdW8I

CLICK HERE for Bulletin Insert

Disaster Ministries