Bonnie's Letter

Then Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. As was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath. And when He stood up to read, the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Isaiah 61:1–11; Luke: 4: 16-19; Matthew 13:53–58; Mark 6:1–6)

Dear Friends,

I have been debating for the last few days how I would frame my letter to you. I want to be fair, pastoral, honest, and prophetic when I compose these letters, and this week I am having a challenging time. I did not watch the inauguration of the 47th President of the United States. I freely admit that he was and is not my choice to lead this nation. His rhetoric is painful for me to hear, especially when he speaks about immigrants and refugees, people with disabilities, the poor, our LGBTQAI siblings, and our educational systems, to identify just a few topics. On Tuesday, I found even more to dislike about his opinions.

The Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde has been under attack for her sermon offered at the National Cathedral on Tuesday, January 21, 2025. In her sermon, she called for unity, for understanding the honor and dignity of every person, for honesty and humility, and for the offering of mercy. These are likely topics we all have preached about at some point or another in our ministry. Bishop Budde has been attacked as a heretic, as an attention seeker, as defaming and attacking the Commander in Chief. She has been called worse names that I will not quote. My heart breaks for her.

Her responses to these attacks have been measured and scriptural. She quotes the Baptismal Vows of the Episcopal Church, one of which is, “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?” The answer is, “We will, with God’s help” (quoted from her own Facebook Post and interviews). She uses Micah 6:8, and the foundational scriptural mandates in Matthew 25:31-46 and Luke 4:16-20 to define the ways we are to treat one another. Likely we have preached from these scriptures as well, calling for justice, for humility, for care for the least among us, for welcoming the stranger, caring for the sick, and visiting the imprisoned. Are these topics heresy? I don’t think so. I think they are calls for us to stand with Jesus, to fill our lives with the love Jesus had for humankind – all humankind, but especially the marginalized and discounted.

As for me, I will continue to preach the Gospel. I will continue to follow Jesus. I will continue to strive to be the person God calls me to be – in these days and all the days to come. My heart aches when I am called heretical for preaching the Gospel. My heart aches when I stand for justice, with courage garnered from prayer and I am demeaned as “leftist.” If those are the names I am to be called, so be it. I stand with Jesus. I stand with the preaching of the Gospel. I stand with Bishop Budde. Where do you stand? ~Blessings, Bonnie

Note from Heather E. Kimmel, General Counsel, UCC

I have received many inquiries in the past 3 days regarding what churches should do if ICE shows up. Last week, I did a webinar with the IB on legal considerations for churches engaged in sanctuary ministries and talked some about this. That will be posted probably the end of this week under the Online Learning section of the website, with several resources. Here is the advice I have been giving.

• Churches should make a plan NOW as to how to respond to ICE at the church.
• The plan must include training of workers/volunteers who are likely to be at the church, and must include an analysis of the church’s private and public areas. 
• It should also include some practice at role-playing, because saying “no” to big guys dressed in police gear is hard.
• ICE cannot go into the private areas of a church without a judicial warrant (different from administrative warrant). No one is required to talk to ICE.
• Churches should hire a local immigrant advocacy group to do a training on how to respond to ICE. I would start with contacting the local ACLU office if the church cannot identify a suitable organization. 
• Churches should identify an immigration attorney NOW who can be called by workers/volunteers if ICE shows up.
• This document may be helpful to begin.  National Immigration Law Center: What To Do If Immigration Comes To Your Workplace

Heather E. Kimmel (she/her)

General Counsel

United Church of Christ, National Ministries

216-736-2138 | kimmelh@ucc.org | UCC.org

“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.” 3 John 1:2 ESV 

Becoming the Keystone Conference

We prepare to birth that which is new among us. As we move through 2025, the year will be filled with transition tasks which allow us to end our solo ministry as the Penn Northeast Conference and move into the newly formed and birthed Keystone Conference. This is a time of bittersweet renewal. We move from being who we have been into who we will become.  Click Here to Read More...

300th Anniversary of the German Reformed Church in the United States

This year we will celebrate the 300^th Anniversary of the German Reformed Church in the United States which began with the first communion at Faulkner Swamp, October 15, 1725. This celebration of our immigrant heritage is particularly meaningful and instructive given the current conversations about immigration happening around the nation. 

An 300th Anniversary Committee of representatives from all four Pennsylvania UCC Conferences has begun the work of planning a series of events and worship celebrations to mark the occasion. They include (among other things) quarterly presentations of German Reformed History, a liturgy for congregations to share on the morning of Sunday, October 12^th and a Festival of Celebration on Wednesday, October 15^th.   

A history strong in its roots and its capacity to evolve within God’s unfolding creation leads us into an uncertain future by God’s certain presence. This is something to celebrate! Please watch your conference newsletters for more details will be forthcoming.

California Wildfires

The devastation caused by the California wildfires has left countless families without homes, communities in mourning, and landscapes forever changed. As the smoke clears, the work of recovery begins—and it’s a long road ahead. Your support can bring lasting hope to those affected by this crisis. Your gift will help provide resources including emotional and spiritual care to families in need. It will also support long-term recovery efforts, ensuring communities can rebuild stronger and more resilient.

When disaster strikes, the United Church of Christ responds. Together, we can show God’s love in action.

Will you help us meet this urgent need? Thank you for standing with California’s communities during this time of unreal hardship. Your generosity will make a difference.

In hope and solidarity, ~Rev. Kent Siladi, Interim Director of Philanthropy, United Church of Christ

P.S. 100% of your donation will go directly to disaster relief efforts. Every gift matters.

Please give today.

One of Touchstone Theatre’s Festival Unbound Initiatives

Becoming Practitioners of Peace 

Celebrate Diversity : Heal Division 

An Art-filled Interfaith Gathering 

Save the Date

IceHouse Performing Arts Center, Bethlehem PA

Sunday February 2, 2025, 3:00 - 5:30 pm

Join us as we unite around the mystery of life in gratitude, and in the pursuit of peace, beauty, and justice.

Our program features music, prayers, sacred texts, poetry, dance, and wisdom stories, followed by refreshments and conversation. Participants include:

Bel Canto Youth Chorale of The Bach Choir of Bethlehem,

Youth Dancers from the Hindu Temple Society,

& musicians, poets and readers from many Faith Communities including

Native American, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Baha’i, Hindu, Taoist,

Buddhist, Sufi, and Sikh, as well as non-affiliated contributors.

Co-sponsored by The Lehigh Conference of Churches Interfaith Action Committee & Bethlehem Interfaith Group ONLY 40 SEATS REMAINING

For information and registration

https://touchstone.org/festival_unbound/interfaith-gathering/

PATHWAYS

SUPERVISED MINISTRY CERTIFICATE

The Supervised Ministry Series (Six 9-week courses) is designed to provide a practical internship in pastoral ministry over an eighteen-month progression. The arc of this series begins with entering a new place of ministry (beginning March 5, 2025) and concludes with leaving a place of ministry. Along this arc, as part of six asynchronous online courses, participants will explore issues of pastoral role, identity, leadership, ministry functions, organizational dynamics, and theological reflection. To be enrolled in Supervised Ministry courses, a participant is required to be engaged in pastoral ministry for approximately 6 to 8 hours each week under the guidance of a site supervisor.

A mandatory 3-week course, Introduction to Supervised Ministry, begins February 19, 2025

Go to the website, pathwaystheological.org, to learn more about PATHWAYS or to apply. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prophetic Preaching on Christian Nationalism - A 6-week online course beginning March 5, 2025

 At a time when many of our progressive values are being threatened and undone - racial equity, inclusivity, social justice, human rights, pluralism, etc. - how can we tell the Good News in a way that is truly 'good'? Join us for this brand new six-week course to help churches address the growing threat of Christian Nationalism. We will explore the distorted relationship between religion, race, and democracy that has been arising within conservative Christian circles throughout the last few decades. 

 This course is offered by the Project Proclaim Partnership of the Southern New England UCC with PATHWAYS funded by the Lilly Foundation. Other courses beginning in February and March can be found on the PATHWAYS website, pathwaystheological.org. Visit our website to sign up for this course or others. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE BIBLE AS GUIDE: Biomes and Landforms in Scripture, one of PATHWAYS' Environmental Justice foundational courses begins on March 19, 2025. The course focuses on biomes and landforms in the Bible and then requires that one notice one's own neighborhood and regional flora, fauna, and landforms. Like all the foundational courses, the participant does not just read about Bible, history, or theology. For instance, the outcome project for this course will be a multimedia 3-session (1 hour each) Bible study that connects the biomes and land features of the Bible to the biomes and land features of the area in which the learner lives or serves. The challenges of environmental justice and creation care are local, not abstract.  

Go to the PATHWAYS website (pathwaystheological.org) to apply and sign up for THE BIBLE AS GUIDE: Biomes and Landforms in Scripture (beginning March 19) or other new courses beginning in March including Preaching Against Christian Nationalism beginning March 5.

SAVE THE DATE

Open and Affirming Ministry Team Winter Gathering

Saturday, March , 2025

THEME: Providing Support For One Another

Lancaster Theological Seminary

555 West James St., Lancaster, PA

9:30AM to 3:00PM

The planning committee comprising of members from ALL four PA Conferences are planning a day of speakers and workshops around the common theme of supporting one another. Breakfast items and lunch will be provided. Please watch for additional information in early February.

Register for Pennsylvania UCC Weekly Lenten Prayer Time

Join us at noon every Thursday in Lent for a short time of prayer led by Conference Staff from the Pennsylvania Conferences, March 6-April 10, with a renewal of ordination vows on April 17 at 11:00a. Please register here to receive the Zoom links.

UCC - Join us for Upcoming Webinars and Events

Nurture the Soul

•Thursday, January 23, 3:30pm ET - Reading Into the New Year: The Recovery of Joy while Living With

Depression with Robert Griggs

•Monday, January 27, 3:30pm ET - What's Next, Illusions and Realities of Christianity and Politics

•Thursday, January 30, 3:30pm ET - Reading Into the New Year: "Don't Just Give Me That Old Time

Religion" with Rev. Dr. Christine Y. Wiley

•Thursday, February 6, 3:30pm ET - Reading into the New Year: Rooted in Faith in Justice

Our Whole Lives (OWL)

•Wednesday, February 5, 12:00pm ET - 25 Years of OWL!

Celebrate this Good News with Us as Shared with the Conference Board at their January 15, 2025, Meeting

(the name after each Ministry Team or Working Group is the Convener)

(CLICK HERE TO READ...)

Climate Hope Art Contest

We have officially launched the UCC's 2025 Climate Hope Art Contest for children and youth. Our theme this year is “Planting Seeds of Hope.” We’ll accept art submissions from February 2nd to March 14th. Like last year, we will have winners for different age groups and an overall winner who will receive an all-expense paid trip to visit Washington, DC with a parent or guardian. (Last year's winner had two members of congress personally ask her for a poster of her artwork, so that they could hang it in their offices!) The winning art will additionally serve as the logo for UCC Climate Hope advocacy work throughout 2025. Register now for your church to participate!  

We will send you a PDF of the art contest page on which artists will create their masterpieces. We are looking forward to seeing the amazing creativity and talent of our children once again.

With gratitude for each of you,

~Sue Mueller, Lead Climate Hope Organizer, United Church of Christ 

National Fund for Sacred Places

Join us for an information session webinar on Thursday, February 6th at 3:00 PM EST to learn more about the National Fund for Sacred Places and whether your sacred place (or the sacred places in your community or judicatory) may qualify.

The National Fund for Sacred Places is a grant-making program that provides capital grants ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 as well as wrap-around support services to congregations undertaking once-in-a-generation preservation projects. To learn more, please visit us at fundforsacredplaces.org.

Lake Institute on Faith Giving

Remaking the Commons: Forming a Moral Imagination for Possession and Philanthropy in Place

Speaker: Dr. Willie Jennings

Friday, April 11, 2025, at 4:00 PM

Location: Witherspoon Presbyterian Church, 3535 W. Kessler Blvd N. Dr., Indianapolis, IN

Livestream will also be available. A reception will follow the lecture.

Register Here

Disaster Ministries

CALIFORNIA SUPPORT EFFORTS:

  The PA Disaster Ministries leaders heard back from folks doing support work on the ground in Southern California. As we’ve seen in the media, they are overwhelmed – joyfully and woefully at the same time – with donations. Instead of sending any physical items, they suggest donating money or sending kits and buckets to CWS for future needs. Online donations or retrieving a mailing address for checks can be found here. California Wildfires 2025 - United Church of Christ

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Click Here to read "Ready PA Monthly."