Message to the Conference |
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Dear Friends and Members of Penn Central Conference,
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
Psalm 36:9 (NRSV)
With God is the fountain of life. As I read this week’s lectionary passages, this phrase just grabbed me by the heart. Life has felt a little more like a shallow tub most days over the past couple years. Even when we have glimpses of what life after the pandemic might look like, a fountain of life if you will, a new variant comes along that dramatically changes the moment and the vision. There are moments of fountain life, exploring new natural spaces with my family, some worship experiences brought only because of the forced changes to our worship practices and even some zoom prayer meetings. But they have felt more like the moving fountains at the splash park, unpredictable, than like the fountain of life I remember in the before-times.
I don’t think of myself as one who wants to return to life as it was, we have learned too much to do that, but I do long for the ever-flowing fountain of life I think I remember. How do we claim both?
In the mail this week I received a little book of “post-pandemic ponderments” from the UCC’s StillSpeaking Writers Group. The national setting has mailed this out to all active authorized ministers in their database according to the enclosed letter. I love questions and the personal and collective journeys that search for answers so this little book was right up my alley. “What if?” the title asks.
· What if the Church was fun (like, actual fun, like weird-Zoom-call fun)?
· What if you spent as much time thinking about spiritual and emotional lives as you spent thinking about physical bodies during the pandemic?
· What if God is transforming your pandemic pains into something new: faithful creativity, radical flexibility, hospitable fearlessness?
· What if the pandemic exposed new insights into biblical stories?
In the 20 minutes I spent with these questions and others in the book I could see the fountain of life again! I could see consistories wrestling with and for the faithful way forward for their congregation. I could hear clergy communities of practice seeking new understandings of call and pastoral identity in a new age. I pictured families gathered around the living room tv for church zoom game nights.
And in a flash, I was reminded that the fountain of life is with God and God is with us, even when I have to work to open myself to God’s presence, God is with me. God is with you. And with God is the fountain of life. How will I see it today? How will you experience this fountain of life today? Tomorrow? How will your church?
Shalom,
Nora
Rev. Nora Foust
Associate Conference Minister
Penn Central Conference
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Scheduling notes:
January 16 - Myerstown UCC, Myerstown - Rev. Dr. Marisa Laviola preaching
January 23 - Heidelberg UCC, York - Rev. Dr. Marisa Laviola preaching
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Printable eNews are available. Pastors and secretaries, please feel free to share with your congregation members that don't get this weekly email. Download and print this PDF with the weekly message to the conference, prayers for Penn Central and brief list of events. |
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Prayers for Penn Central Conference
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)
This week, we pray for each other as we continue to live into God's calling...
Grace UCC, Hanover
St. David's (Shermans) UCC, Hanover
St. Paul's (Dubs) UCC, Hanover
Trinity UCC, Hanover
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Outdoor Ministries Winter Events
CHICKEN & WAFFLES at Nawakwa
Sunday, January 16 from Noon-2:00 p.m.
Spend a Sunday at camp with a delicious home-made chicken and waffles meal. Bring your sleds if there’s snow! There is no cost for this meal, but a free will offering will be taken.
For more information and to register, visit:
WINTER FUN DAYS at Kirchenwald
Sundays, January 16 and February 20 from 1:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
Bring your family or youth group and enjoy an afternoon on Kirchenwald’s award-winning toboggan run, ice-skating on the lake, or drinking hot chocolate in the lodge.
For more information and to register, visit:
January 16 Event
February 20 Event
CAMPPERSON MEETINGS & TRAINING in-person & online
In-Person Meeting at Kirchenwald and Nawakwa: Jan 16 at 2:00 p.m.
Zoom Meeting: January 18 from 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Calling all CampPersons and people who would like to be a CampPerson for your church! The Lutheran Camping Corporation is an extension of your ministry in the local congregation. As a CampPerson, you will help inform those in your congregation about events and opportunities at the different sites: Kirchenwald, Nawakwa, and The Wittel Farm. [Basically, you will take the information I send in emails like this one and make sure it gets passed on to your pastor, secretaries, and members in your church!] *Added Bonus* Every summer camper from a congregation with a CampPerson receives a $20 discount on their week long registration!
"[Every]Body Of Christ" Youth/Confirmation Retreat
March 18-20 at Camp Nawakwa, located near Gettysburg. The weekend will begin at 7:00 on Friday evening and end with a closing program at 10:00 on Sunday morning. Cost is $100 for 2 nights of lodging and 4 meals (3 on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday) Learn more here. Registration link:
For more information and to register, visit:
Check out a full slate of winter and spring Outdoor Ministries events here! |
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"History & Polity of the UCC" Class for Spring 2022
This annual course is being taught by Carrie Call and Penn Central Conference staff with special guests. Join with students from all over the UCC to learn more about who we are and where we came from as a denomination!
Classes will take place Fridays at 2:00PM starting February 11, 2022 through April 01, 2022. Register by January 30th. Registration is limited. Classes are online via Zoom. Register here.
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Upcoming Book Study:
Thirteen Turns: A Theology Resurrected From the Gallows of Jim Crow Christianity – facilitated by the author Larry Covin Jr. and co-lead by David Bushnell
Tuesdays 6:30 to 7:30 PM February 15, 22, March 1, 8, 2022
“It is remarkable that African Americans, the descendants of slaves, embrace Christianity at all. The imagination that is necessary to parse biblical text and find within it a theology that speaks to their context is a testimony to their will to survive in a hostile land.” (from Dr. Covin’s book cover) More information and registration is available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/243226897197. The book study is limited to 15. Contact Rev. David Bushnell with questions.
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Travel with Pastor Julie: Presentations on Julie Holm’s Sabbatical
Zoom on Mondays (recordings available after)
● January 24: Scotland: Isolation, Highlands and the Holy Isle.
● February 7: Italy and Switzerland: The Great Church, the Saints, and the Swiss Reformation.
● February 21: Germany, Family, Refugees, and Luther Land.
● March 7: Greece: A Lagniappe, Journeys with Paul, and the Orthodox Church.
For Zoom information, please email julie@bvfof.org. Zoom capability provided via the Penn Central Conference of the United Church of Christ.
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Important Changes
to
“BEYOND WHITE PRIVILEGE:
Where Do We Go from Here?”
An Online Mini-Colloquy
Offered by the PCC-UEK Partnership Ministry Team
The interrelated issues of racism and white privilege continue to plague society both in the United States and in Germany, as well as in many other parts of the world. Our partnership between Penn Central Conference and the Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia (EKBO for short) has begun to address these issues together through several online colloquies, most recently with the Rev. Traci Blackmon in July. We invite you to continue this conversation with us on Tuesday, January 18, 2022, beginning at 1:00 p.m. EST and concluding by 3:30 p.m.
Sadly, an unanticipated occurrence has required us to make some major changes in the program for this event. Our scheduled keynote speaker, Mr. Sami Omar, died suddenly and unexpectedly on December 23, 2021. But on a brighter note, the Rev. Traci Blackmon, who was the speaker for our previous online event last July, and who is the Associate General Minister for Justice and Local Church Ministries of the UCC, has agreed to join us again for this event next week. If you participated in the July event, you may recall that Traci was unable to complete her presentation due to a power outage, so we are especially grateful that she is taking time out of her busy schedule to join us again.
Along with our German partners who organized this event, we feel that is important to pay tribute to Sami Omar’s anti-racism work in and for both church and society in Germany. The Rev. Ly Dang, an EKBO pastor who knew and worked with Sami Omar personally, will introduce us to his work, the work that we are called to continue together on both sides of the Atlantic.
Our “mini-colloquy” will begin at 1:00 p.m. EST with an opening devotion offered by our Conference Minister, the Rev. Dr. Carrie Call. This will be followed by Traci Blackmon’s presentation. There will be time for conversation in break-out groups which will combine participants both from PCC and from EKBO. There will also be brief presentations on the practical aspects of developing and serving multi-cultural congregation. One of these will be by the Rev. Dr. Laurene Bowers, who is well know to us in PCC.
If you have already registered for this event, Thank You! If not, please consider doing so as soon as possible. Please register here. You will receive the Zoom link for the event shortly after your registration is received.
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UCC Webinars
These webinars are designed to help you enhance your local church ministries. Most are free to attend. Check out the calendar here.
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Global H.O.P.E. Kit Matching Grant Application (20-22)
Requirements
- Grant Application will be awarded to churches that have submitted a completed Global H.O.P.E. Kit Matching Grant Application.
- Grant Applications for 2021 will be received through January 28, 2022.
- Congregations that raise $250 or more (monetary or in-kind supplies) for Church World Service Kits are eligible to apply for a $250 matching grant from UCC Global H.O.P.E.
- 100% of Matching Grant funds must be used for purchasing supplies for the assembly of the CWS Kits or for processing costs ($3/Clean Up Bucket, $2/School or Hygiene Kit).
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From our friends and partners |
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NEW online classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of Ministry:
Fundraising Fundamentals: Churches and Other Non-Profits, Feb. 22 – March 29, 2022. This class provides essential fundraising tools for lay leaders, pastors, and other ministerial leaders. Whether working in a congregation or not-for-profit, all ministerial leaders need to be able to raise money. Taught by an experienced fundraising consultant, this class helps participants hone their skills in developing the fundraising “ask,” writing letters for fundraising, and leveraging networks to grow your ministry.
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South Central PA Task Force Presents 2022 Congregation Security Webinar
Date: Saturday, February 26, 2022 Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Location: Virtual
Who should attend: This workshop is geared for all faith-based organization leaders, administrators, ushers and safety/security team members by providing exposure to resources and references from subject matter experts in houses of worship security. The workshop will provide the participants an opportunity to: ▪ Receive an overview on the safety & security role of the Ushers ▪ Learn about the preparation, response and recovery for an active shooter incident ▪ Obtain security best practices for Houses of Worship ▪ Learn about government resources and assistance to the faith-based community
To register for this event, click here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. There is no charge to attend this workshop as it is sponsored by the South Central PA Task Force and Millersville University. |
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UCC Homes is seeking an Accounts Payable/General Accounting Clerk for a full-time position working 75 hours in a two week pay period. This position requires previous general office experience, basic computer skills and attention to detail. Subject to reasonable accommodation for religious or medical reasons, proof of vaccination against the COVID-19 virus is a condition of employment for this position. Excellent wages and benefits, including retirement plan. EEOE
Interested persons should please mail, fax or e-mail resume and letter of interest to UCC Homes, Attn: Human Resources, 30 North 31st Street, Camp Hill, PA 17011; (717) 303-1607 FAX or corpjobs@ucc-homes.org by
December 20, 2021.
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Zion UCC, Arendtsville job openings
The Choir Director directs a 15-member choir to prepare music for regular Sunday morning services. The choir director also works with the minister and the organist to plan special services. Duties include preparing music, scheduling choir practices, identifying soloists, and developing special music presentations. Salary compensation is negotiable.
The organist/pianist accompanies a 15-member choir at regularly scheduled Sunday morning services. Applicants must have the ability to play both the piano and the organ, and be prepared for weekly choir rehearsals. Duties include following the direction of the choir director and minister in planning musical services. This includes Sunday worship and special services. He/she must attend regularly scheduled and special choir rehearsals. Salary compensation negotiable.
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Hamilton Park UCC, Lancaster has two positions open:
Director of Children & Family Ministry: Authentic, Out-going, Creative, Enthusiastic and have a passion for sharing the love of Christ with children and their families? Raise your hand if that is you! Hamilton Park United Church of Christ (HPUCC) is looking for someone like you to become our Director of Children and Family Ministries (DCFM). Join the commitment leaders and members of HPUCC in finding new, innovative ways to share and experience the love of Christ within the church and the community. Contact the Administrator of the Church for more information: admin@hpucc.org
Worship Accompanist: Like to lift a joyful noise? Do you love playing a wide variety of music among an enthusiastic congregation? Hamilton Park United Church of Christ (HPUCC) is searching for someone to bring their gifts to their Sunday morning worship service where we appreciate both piano and organ music as well as a blend of contemporary and traditional pieces. The successful candidate will provide piano and organ music during one Sunday worship service as well as accompany one weekly rehearsal throughout the choir season.
Contact the Administrator of the Church for more information: admin@hpucc.org Read more here.
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Directory
Rev. Dr. Carrie Call, Ph.D.
Conference Minister
Phone: 717-433-3196
Rev. Nora Driver Foust
Associate Conference Minister
Phone: 717-433-2587
Rev. Dr. Marisa Laviola, Ph.D.
Associate Conference Minister
Phone: 717-433-3564
Rev. Rick Luciotti
Coordinator of Care to Clergy & Clergy Families
Phone: 717-433-6306
Anne Rankin
Outdoor Ministries Liaison
phone: 717-945-4585
C. Paul Keller
Office Manager
Phone: 717-652-1560
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