- THIS WEEK IN PNEC November 21, 2023
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Giving Tuesday
November 28
The Penn Northeast Conference is participating in Giving Tuesday this year. Contributions will support Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM).
Your gifts to OCWM or the Friends of the Conference provide:
- Program and resource support for 125 congregations,
- Coaching assistance for congregations in transition, conflict, or revising Procedures and Processes,
- Search and Call support and resources for congregations,
- Management and retention of records,
- Financial resources to support congregation vitality grants and strengthen the church programs, and
- Staff to provide support and resources for pastors, local congregations, team, committees, and the conference as a whole.
When the phone is answered, when the problems are solved, when the leadership is located or supported, when information is shared, all this comes from the support you give to OCWM or Friends of the Conference.
To give on-line to OCWM - Click Here
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Bonnie's Letter
“Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
Dear Friends,
Thanksgiving is this week, and we will be, hopefully, finding time to celebrate with family and friends. Paul encouraged us in his letter to the church in Philippi to be thankful in all circumstances. Sometimes it’s hard. November is a particularly hard month for me, even more so since I became a widow. My husband Steve passed away on October 27, 2021, and this time of year is a challenge. Our wedding anniversary is November 17, the birth/death day of our twin sons is November 22, and my mom passed on November 20, and my dad on December 5. It’s a tough season. And yet, I have much to be thankful for.
I have a loving family and loving friends. I can do the work of ministry that I love. I work with capable people who love the Conference, the church, and the world. You will note some of the work later in This Week as we recount celebrations identified by our Ministry Teams. I want to extend my thanks to all our Ministry Team Chairs and their members. I want to thank our Conference Board, Working Groups, and Board Committees. I want to thank the staff, Barbara and Patty, without whom much of the work of the Conference could not happen.
I want to thank you, the readers of This Week, no matter your role in congregations or the Conference, you care enough to keep informed about the programs of the Conference, our activities, and our needs. This time of year, I also want to thank all the congregations who contribute to Our Churches Wider Mission (OCWM), the individuals who have become or are becoming Friends of the Conference, and all those who contribute their time and talent to making this Conference the strong entity it has become. Without each of you, the sharing of your time, talent, and treasure, we could not support pastors of congregations in any of the ways we do.
So, despite the challenges of the season and the grief I still encounter, I am so thankful – thankful for people, for congregations, for friends, for family, for my ministry, and for the joys of faith. May we remember to offer thanksgiving to God so that peace may fill our hearts.
Blessings, Bonnie
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PNEC’s 2023 Closing Date will be Friday, January 12, 2024
Please plan your closing so that your final 2023 remittance will be received in the Conference Office by Friday, January 12, 2024. Receipts received after the 12th will be credited to 2024. Do not include 2023 remittances with 2024 and make certain remittance slips are marked for either the year 2023 or 2024.
Thank you for your cooperation and support.
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New PNEC Community of Practice Being Offered
For those currently in an interim setting, or those thinking of doing interim ministry, Bob Stevens is hosting a Community of Practice group beginning in January that will meet monthly on dates and at locations determined by the participants. Participants will choose among topics such as developmental and process tasks of the interim; preaching in the in-between times; and negotiating, contracting and covenanting, depending on their interests. Bob has served as interim pastor and consultant in dozens of churches and formerly was a trainer/coordinator with the national Interim Ministry Network.
Please contact Patty at the Conference Office if you are interested. pattyr@pnec.org
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Bridge of Faith
a project of St. John UCC in Riegelsville, PA, and two UCC congregations in New Jersey, helps support orphanages, schools and other social service groups in Awka, Nigeria. You may know us from our Fair Trade sales tables at Conference meetings and other events, where we raise funds to support the project. Recently we have paired with Ghana 4-E, another non-profit in Washington, NJ (Warren County), to create a Fair Trade Gallery at Kathy’s Kove and Kafé, 5 East Washington Ave. (Route 57) in Washington, NJ. During November and December, we are holding a major event, featuring Fair Trade art and craft items from many different countries around the world. The Christmas tree provides details. Cross the Delaware to support our project, shop for a variety of causes, and buy unique items for your Christmas giving!
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Affordable, Accessible, Awesome
Are you busy with work, family, caring for others, standing up for justice but need a moment each day to deepen your faith and explore ways to hold on in a broken, fearful, too often violent world? We invite you to check out our online courses where community grows, questions arise, peace comes, and faith deepens. Courses offerings can be found on the website here. Now is a good time to look ahead to the 2024 course schedule and contact PATHWAYS with any questions you may have. Whether you would like to take one course or a whole program, PATHWAYS welcomes you. Heidi Hulme writes, “I have never been one to do things “traditionally,” and PATHWAYS allowed me the opportunity to continue to prepare my alternative path to ordination, while allowing me to serve a church, and be a wife and mother. … I am grateful for this experience and education; it has blossomed my ministry, and changed my life.”
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Celebrate With Us!
From the Ministry Team reports, the following accomplishments were highlighted for celebration at the November Board Meeting:
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Congregational Vitality Team and the Local Congregational Support Working Group’s continued their cooperative effort as they provide resources for local church leadership. They are currently working on the second video in the series, “How to Church; I Wish I Knew.”
- Spiritual Development Ministry Team’s scheduled “Sleep Out” event for homelessness in October (which unfortunately was rained out) and is scheduling a Spring Youth Retreat at Spruce Lake in the Poconos March 1-3 of 2024.
- Conference Meeting Planning Team’s successful Fall Meeting, including the Keystone Presentations.
- GEM Fund Team’s grant for $1,000 to Faith UCC in Center Valley for another phase of their intergenerational natural garden project.
- Gwilym T. Williams Fund Team’s positive review of nearly 17 applications for funding, which will result in a total of $38,000 being distributed to the student applicants.
- Authorization Working Group’s thanks to Rebecca Sausser for her efforts in a Community of Practice for the MID community.
- Generosity Team’s creation of a video to be distributed to the churches for use during Covenant Sunday with help from Anthony Newett.
- Disaster Response Team’s thanks to Karl Jones for his continued assistance to the PNEC Team.
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Penn Central Conference - Outdoor Ministries
Hartman Center Winter YOUTH Retreat
God's Dance Party
January 12-14, 2024
Grades 6- 12
$75 until December 4 - then $100
Meals & Lodging Included
Click Here for Details & Registration
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Apply now: Ministers' Financial Vitality Initiative
UCC authorized ministers interested in joining the Ministers’ Financial Vitality Initiative for the 2024 cohort, follow this link to apply. Spaces are limited and requests will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis. MFVI is a three-year Faith and Finance program of the Pension Boards to Address Economic Challenges Facing Pastoral Leaders, which seeks to empower UCC ministers with financial tools and strategies to better manage their personal finances so they can serve their ministries more effectively. To learn more, read our Frequently Asked Questions.
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Third Annual Assamblea 2023
December 9 from 12 Noon to 2PM (ET) - via zoom
Small Steps Make a Difference
Click Here for detailed flyer
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Lancaster Seminary & Moravian Seminary to Launch Joint Curriculum,
Three New Degree Programs in Fall 2024
Moravian University, Moravian Theological Seminary, and Lancaster Theological Seminary today announce that they will launch a joint curriculum - taught on both campuses - that will include three new, shared graduate degree programs in Fall 2024, pending approval by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
The three programs in the new joint curriculum, recently accredited by the Association of Theological Schools, are a Master of Divinity degree (MDiv), a Master of Ministry degree (MMin), and a Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MATS). The faculty of the two graduate theological schools will teach the joint curriculum. The joint curriculum offers students flexible options for enrollment and attendance. Students will be able to take classes in person at either campus or fully online or by combining onsite and online learning, and may choose either full-time or part-time studies. Course schedules are designed to be convenient, especially for working adults, with classes held on weekday evenings and Saturday mornings.
“Our new joint curriculum both honors the ecumenical and denominational heritages of both seminaries and advances our mission to educate and nurture transformative leaders to serve in a world of change so that all God’s creation may flourish,” said The Very Rev. Katherine H. Ragsdale, Moravian University interim vice president and dean of Lancaster and Moravian Theological Seminaries. “The joint curriculum, with fresh, relevant courses, strengthens our ability to serve an even wider global faith community and gives students more choices to pursue their call and fit graduate studies into their busy lives.”
The faculty of the two seminaries worked together for two years to create the three curricula that refresh and replace existing degree programs. They began revising the curriculum after the two seminaries and Moravian University entered into a partnership in 2021. Since then, the seminaries have combined facility operations and administrative services while awaiting final regulatory approval to combine as part of the Moravian University education system.
Two additional graduate programs remain available while awaiting accreditation approval to be added to the joint curriculum: the Master of Arts in Chaplaincy (MACh), offered at Moravian Theological Seminary, and the Doctor of Ministry (DMin), at Lancaster Theological Seminary. Non-degree certificate programs in Anglican Studies, Theological Studies, Formative Spirituality, and Spiritual Direction also continue.
In addition to announcing the new joint curriculum, the joint faculties of Moravian Theological Seminary and Lancaster Theological Seminary issued a statement to "assure our students, alumni, and friends that we share several common commitments. These commitments will shape our work in curriculum development, teaching, worship, and common life. Although we cannot claim that we have fulfilled these commitments fully, we do aspire to live them out and hold ourselves accountable to them."
The common commitments are:
· We honor the heritage of both Moravian and Lancaster seminaries, including the distinctive ways in which each school expresses ecumenical and interfaith diversity.
· We aspire to build learning communities in which every person experiences agency and belonging.
· We affirm that diversity of all kinds benefits our common learning and personal formation.
· We strive to build a community life marked by love of God and neighbor, expressed in life that is respectful of all races and nationalities, anti-racist, open and affirming toward LGBTQIA+ persons, and accessible to all.
· We promote deep engagement with Christian traditions and other spiritual heritages, with openness to diverse expressions and emerging perspectives. We value critical reflection on self, society, church, and faith.
We promote a community that involves the whole person: understanding, practicing, and being.
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LAY LEADERSHIP CONVOCATION
Sponsored by the Lay Leadership Education Team
of the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference of the United Church of Christ
at Church of the Good Shepherd, 35 W. Philadelphia Ave., Boyertown, PA
Saturday, April 6 -- 8:30 am to 3:00 pm
Cost $40 per person includes lunch
Keynote address by Dr. Sarah Drummond,
Dean of Andover Newton Theological School and author of Sharing Leadership.
Workshops will be offered on a variety of topics relevant to lay leaders.
Registration will be through the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference Office beginning by February.
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