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2017 PSEC Fall Meeting - Registration Open
2017 Fall Youth Event - Registration Open

 

Communitas Link - Click here

2017 PSEC Fall Meeting
November 18, 2017
10:00 am - 3:00 pm

First UCC, Schuylkill Haven



“Covenant” is the relationship God initiated with our Biblical ancestors, the church and all of creation. The primacy of covenantal language has evolved in the United Church of Christ; to our benefit when it reinforces our connections to God, the Holy Spirit and each other; to our detriment when the freedom inherent in covenantal relationships leads to the tyranny of the individual.
The Fall Annual Meeting is our time to celebrate the benefits and confront the detriment that we might build up the Body of Christ among clergy, congregations and community.

For more information and a link to registration, click here.

2018 Pastoral Compensation Guidelines

The 2018 Pastoral Compensation guidelines have been set by the Personnel Committee and have been posted to the PSEC website.
To access them, click here.

FALL YOUTH EVENT
November 10-12, 2017
 

Focus Scripture:  “Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called” -1 Timothy 6:12a 

Registration:  The Registration Deadline is October 29th. You must register through the conference website at www.psec.org or by contacting the conference office. The event is open to Youth grades: 7-12. Please be sure to complete the attached Medical, Assumption of Risks and Permission Form. A signed form is required for all youth participants and may be turned in upon arrival at the event. Please do not email forms in advance.

Location:  South Mountain YMCA Camp (Camp Conrad Weiser), Cushion Peak Road, Reinholds, PA 17569

For more information and a link to registration, click here.

Clean-up Buckets needed by Church World Service
UCC provides grants to help churches replenish CWS storm supplies

 

 United Church of Christ Disaster Ministries is turning to church congregations to help overcome a shortage of much-needed cleanup buckets, stocked with essential supplies that are used after a natural disaster strikes.
UCC Disaster Ministries is offering congregations matching grants of up to $250 as an incentive to assemble Church World Service kits — in particular, the CWS Emergency Cleanup Buckets in short supply.  For Hurricane Harvey alone, CWS provided more than 8,000 kits.  The Disaster Ministries team is hoping the financial aid offered to congregations will kick start a church-wide effort to restock these much-needed supplies before they are needed for another event.
To discover what each kit should contain and how to apply for the grant go to http://www.ucc.org/disaster_2017_matching_grants_for_cws_kits_home_page.

For drop off locations and more information, click here.

CANCELLED!!
 

for the September 28th event with author
Peter Schmiechen

"Gift & Promise"

 

Location:  Trinity UCC, 60 N. Hanover St., Pottstown
Times:  9:30 am - 12:00 noon

Spirit on Tap - September 26, 2017

Contributions of Islam
to Western Civilization

                       
 
Tahara Akmal, Rubina Tareen, Elsayed Elmarzouky, three leaders of the Islamic community in Reading, will present a program addressing the contributions of Islam to Western civilization from various perspectives, including theological, cultural, and political.

7:00 p.m.

DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton
701 Penn Street, Reading, PA 19601

Spirit on Tap’s purpose is to encourage theological discussion, explore alternative views, and stimulate dialogue around issues of faith and spirituality. There is no charge and all are welcome.

 


The Fall 2017 UCC Statistical Profile
is now available!

Click here to access.   

Attention Pastors !!
Sign up now...
Manual on Ministry Re-Visioned Training

Wed. Oct. 11, 2017 @ Zwingli UCC
350 Wile Ave., Souderton
10:00 am - 12:00 noon


Click here to register. 

Is Your Church Prepared ?

ALICE Training
November 4th
10:00 am - 12:00 noon
Church of the Good Shepherd, Boyertown


 

In order to participate you must do the following:

1. Contact Gabe Michael at gmichaels@lmkinsurance.com to register
2. You must complete the eLearning section of the course prior to Nov. 4th
3. Attend the two-hr. session on Nov. 4th

For a flyer for this event, click here.

 

Registration deadline is October 20th!

Disaster Spiritual Care Training
Date
: October 25 - 26, 2017
Time: 9:00 AM—4:00 PM daily
Location: Lehigh Carbon Community College


Disasters  rips  the  fabric  of  one’s  assumptions  about life, security, hope, and about death. Disaster Spiritual Care seeks to assist an individual, family or community to draw up-on their own spiritual perspective as a source of strength, hope and healing. In disaster, anything that nurtures the human spirit in coping with the crisis is Disaster Spiritual Care. Please join us for this 2-day training that can help you provide spiritual care to individuals and communities who have experienced disasters.
 
Learning Objectives:

  • Principles of disaster spiritual care
  • “Life cycle” of a disaster
  • Difference between “religious” and “spiritual” care
  • Effective listening skills
  • How to Care for those with different religious backgrounds
  • Self-care and its importance to responders
  • How to make death notifications
  • How to help others re-discover their own spiritual resources

For a flyer for this event, click here.

Theological Table Talks: October through April
 2:00PM to 4:00 PM  one Thursday each month
Trinity UCC, Telford, PA


We might say Game of Thrones is a continual Biblical story.  The entire scriptural account may be said to be a game, or contest, or struggle in the battle between good and evil: the King of the Universe and sinful humanity.  Our monthly table talks will follow that story.  The series will track the dynamic encounters between the King of Kings and the kings on earth.  By following these stories, along with reading N. T. Wright’s book How God Became King, Harper One, 2012, we will explore (in Wright’s words) the forgotten story of the Gospels as well as how the great salvation story unfolds. 

October 12:          God and Pharaoh        Exodus 1:8-22,3:7-12,14:5-14        Wright, chapter 1&2
November 16:      Saul/David/Solomon    I Samuel 8, II Samuel 23:1-7         Wright,  chapter 4&5
December 14:       Ahab and Jezebel        I Kings 16:29-33,21:17-29             Wright, chapter 6&7
January 18:          Josiah and the Law      2 Kings 22:1-2,23:1-4,21-25         Wright, chapter 8
February 15:         Zedekiah                      Jeremiah 52:1-16                           Wright, chapter 9
March 15:             Caesar and Herod        Matthew 1:1-17,2:1-23                  Wright, chapter 10
April 13:                Pilate and Christ          John 18:28-19:22                          Wright, chapter 11



Convener is Rev. Dr. Deborah Rahn Clemens.             For a flyer for this series, click here.


Ordination and Installation
October 1 - Sharell Shippin at Grace Christian Fellowship
                              Philadelphia - 3:00 pm

Boundary Training Dates in October 
Sponsored by PNEC
 

The Penn Northeast Conference is offering two boundary training events.  Remember boundary training is required every three years.

 

October 4, 2017                                     OR                 October 5, 2017
Rev. Diane Wheatley, Presenter                                    Rev. Diane Wheatley, Presenter
@ St. John’s UCC, 183 S. Broad St., Nazareth            @ Faith UCC, 21 Faith Dr., Hazelton
Fee:  $20.00                                                                  $20.00

For a flyer and registration information, click here.



The Insurance Board is pleased to present the following upcoming Loss Control webinars, available to all participants and members.

 
 How to Avoid Background Screening Litigation
 Wednesday, October 11th, 2pm Eastern (Praesidium)
 
  
Here's a link to their Web site to register:
https://www.insuranceboard.org/online-learning

MINISTRY DAY
Thursday, October 19th 
 

SPEAKER: Rev. Lee Barrett, the Mary B. & Henry P. Stager Professor of Theology at Lancaster Theological Seminary where he has taught since September 1993.

TOPIC:    Dialog & Reflection on...where we are as the church of Jesus Christ and where we want to be headed
 
  • What is the church today?
  • How does the theology of the call to be church today shape how we do/view the church?
  • Is the church in crisis & is the shape and call of the church morphing into something different?
  • How do we respond to these new directions as the church together, the wider church?
  • Is growing the church, as individual congregations our goal or should our focus be on reaching people for Christ first, and worrying about the institutional church second?
  • How do we change the focus from shrinking/dying & just staying afloat to living & thriving?
  • What can we as churches and pastors do together that we can’t currently do alone?
  • As the pastoral leaders of the church, what do we see as the direction of our ministry together?
  • How do we as full time clergy reframe the question about part time ministry, especially when it affects our livelihood and the church asks us to aid them in the process of downsizing?
This invitation is being shared by the PNEC Conference! 

Please email or call Patty Rehrig at the Penn Northeast Conference Office   
pattyr@pnec.org        610-826-3113
to make your reservation for Ministry Day 2017 & please let her know if you have any food restrictions/preferences.


For a flyer for this event, click here.

Additional Events to Assist you in Your Ministry
 


 


 


Sept. 25 - Contemplative Spirituality
w/ Pat Diefenderfer

Monday, September 25, at 10:00 a.m.
at Christ Church UCC, 4870 Kutztown Rd at Euclid Ave. in Temple.

Pat Diefenderfer will lead the program on “Words That Inspire,” focusing particularly on words and acts of kindness and compassion as inspiration. In view of the recent natural disasters where so many have lost so much, it is important to consider the relevance of generosity and grace at every level
to restore the human spirit. 



Sept. 29 - Chaplaincy Lecture - Pallative Care
w/ Dr. Ric Baxter

Friday, September 29  @ 9:00 am - 12:00 noon
@ Moravian Seminary


For more information and/or to register click here.





October 29 - Celebrating One Baptism in Christ
An Ecumenical Commemoration on the
500th Anniversary of the Reformation

Sunday, October 29  @ 3:00 pm
@ The Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral

23 S. 38th Street, Philadelphia
For a flyer, click here.

Educational Opportunities

 

Four Class Series in Old & New Testament Studies
Three options remaining:
Old Testament II is scheduled for Oct 21st,
New Testament I is Dec. 9th
New Testament II is on Jan. 13, 2018. 

Please go to www.paacademyofministry.org to register online or print off the PDF registration form attached to this announcement. Reading assignments and pre-class writing assignments can be found on the 2nd page of the registration. 
. These classes are excellent forms of continuing education for our Licensed Ministers or for laity interested in expanding their biblical knowledge.  We hope you will take advantage of this educational opportunity close to home.
For more information and to register, click here.

 



Sabbath Reading for Preachers
October 24-26, 2017
 @ Mariawald Renewal Center, Reading
Facilitated by: Daniel Moser and Hilary Barrett
Sabbath Time Ministries

We invite you to experience 3 days of Sabbath-keeping and renewal in the middle of the week.  Our time together will include reflections on six works of literature.
For more information and how to register for this Continuing Education event, click here.



New Testament w/ Greg Carey
October 25 - Feb. 2 NT101 Wed. and Fridays from 8:30 - 10:40 am
Oct. 27 - Feb 2, NT101W H Fridays from 6:30 - 9:30 pm

@ Lancaster Theological Seminary
 3 Credit Hours ($525)

This course provides a theological introduction to the literature of the New Testament and earliest Christianity. Students will become acquainted with this literature’s emergence in its historical and cultural contexts, the overall shape of the New Testament canon, distinctive traits of representative documents, significant debates in the interpretation of these texts, and the diversity of early Christian literature. Students will cultivate skills in public biblical interpretation through exposure to matters of text and translation, historical development and social context, literary and social scientific approaches to interpretation, thematic and theological models of interpretation, and dialogue with other interpreters, including interpreters from other global, ecclesiastical, and historical contexts.
For more information and how to register for this Continuing Education event, click here




Christianity and the Arts
Oct. 25 - Feb. 2, IS220 - Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:30 - 10:40 am
Oct. 27 - Feb 2, US@@0W H - Fridays from 6:30 - 9:30 pm

@ Lancaster Theological Seminary
 3 Credit Hours  ($525)

This course will examine the role that selective art forms do (and can) play in helping Christian individuals and communities interpret, illustrate, express, and create meaning. Paying special attention to the spoken word, visual arts, and movement, students will not only learn the theoretical and historical dimensions of art but also create and experience art. 
For more information and how to register for this Continuing Education event, click here

                   CLASSIFIED ADS


Submit your ad using this form
To see a
complete list of Classified ads on the PSEC website click here

 

Free VHS Movies available @ St. Peter's, Pine Grove 
Church Secretary (Full-time) Position available @ St. Paul’s UCC, Fleetwood

 

UPCOMING EVENTS IN PSEC CONGREGATIONS
Submit your event using this form
 


September 23 – Apple Dumpling Sale @ Rosedale UCC, Reading
September 23, 25, 26 – Rummage Sale @ St. John UCC, Tamaqua
September 24 – Blessing of the Animals @ First UCC, Royersford

Click to see a full list of the PSEC Local Church Events

CONFERENCE-WIDE EVENTS     
Click below to learn more or to register online with a credit card





Sept. 26-28 - Ventures: "Opening to Grace: God's Healing Ways" @ Mariawald
Sept. 28 - Book Club - "Gift & Promise" w/ Author, Peter Schmiechen

Oct. 4 - Boundary Training by PNEC @ St. John's , Nazareth
Oct. 5 - Boundary Training by PNEC @ Faith UCC, Hazleton
Oct. 11 -New MOM Training @ Zwingli UCC, Souderton
Oct 12 - Biblical Game of Thrones (Session 1) @ Trinity UCC, Telford
Oct. 13-14 - Walking with God: "Music for Body and Soul" @ Mariawald
Oct. 18 - Church & Ministry Council @ Trinity, UCC, Pottstown
Oct. 23-24 - Mini AM-21 Conference, Philadelphia
Oct. 25 - MID Mentor Training @ Ref. Ch. of the Ascension, Norristown
Oct. 28 -  Church Planting Discernment Gathering @ UCC Valley Forge, Wayne

Nov. 2 - Retiree Event @ Phobe Wyncote
Nov. 4 - ALICE Training @ Church of the Good Shepherd, Boyertown
Nov. 8 - Retiree Event @ Phoebe Berks
Nov. 10-12 - Fall Youth Event
Nov .16 - Book Club - "Through Her Eyes: Bible Studies on Women in Scripture 
                w/ Author, Deborah Winters
Nov. 16 - Biblical Game of Thrones (Session 2) @ Trinity UCC, Telford
Nov. 18 - Fall Meeting @ First UCC, Schuylkill Haven

Dec. 13 - Church & Ministry Council @ Trinity, UCC, Pottstown

Dec. 14 - Biblical Game of Thrones (Session 3) @ Trinity UCC, Telford
 

PENNSYLVANIA SOUTHEAST CONFERENCE of the UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
The Administrative Center is located at 1441 Laura Lane, Suite 100, Pottstown, PA 19464.
Walk-in Office Hours :  9 am to 3 pm, Monday through Thursday
                                     9 am to 12 noon on Friday                      .
Phone: 484-949-8774    FAX: 484-949-8784

 

Rev. Bill Worley, Conference Minister (x308): worley@psec.org
Rev. Sharon S. Morris, Associate Conference Minister (x 302): morris@psec.org
Rev. Cean James, Associate Conference Minister for Congregational Development (x303) james@psec.org
Susan Creswell, Executive Assistant for Conference Communications and to the Conference Minister (x312): susan@psec.org
Donna Daloisio, Bookkeeper (x309): donna@psec.org
Brea Rarick, Conference Registrar and Assistant for Search and Call (x 311): brea@psec.org
Tammie Wisniewski, Financial Operations Manager (x 304): tammie@psec.org 


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Pennsylvania Southeast Conference of the United Church of Christ · 1441 Laura Lane, Suite 100 · Pottstown, PA 19464 · USA