I have been in ministry with youth, young adults and families for over 25 years; and over time I have seen ministry with young people change as their needs have changed. Still, I felt there was more we could do. …
Holding on together
Cabinet epistle prescribes remedies to clergy stress, burnout
“In the midst of deeply felt challenges to our health, our churches and our society, it is normal for stress and anxiety to increase.” Thus begins a letter sent recently by the joint EPA&GNJ Cabinet to all clergy and chairs …
UMC scholarships aid EPA students pursuing careers of service
Seventeen Eastern PA Conference students are among over 2,000 United Methodists who received a total of $4 million in financial assistance in 2022 from the denomination’s Office of Loans and Scholarships. The total awarded to EPA recipients was $20,800. “These …
Church’s ministry serves 30,000 breakfasts, opens warming center
New ministry aided by EPA Wholeness Center grant Anchor Lancaster, a ministry at First UMC Lancaster, served 30,000 hot breakfast meals in 2022. The breakfast ministry, which serves every weekday, including holidays, was recognized as “the best non-profit in Lancaster.” …
EPA clergy of color invited to renewal retreat in June
Just weeks after an Annual Conference focused on the theme “Possibility,” Eastern PA clergy of color will get to explore their own possibilities of learning self-renewal and restoration through a joyful, guided process of spiritual and emotional nurture. And they …
Christmas season activities, resources for families
Elizabeth Christie, education director at Fritz UMC in Bethlehem, a specialist in ministries for children and families, offers video links to Christmastime activities and resources for children, youth and families to enjoy at church and at home. She hosted a …
Spotlight: recorded video courses on Safe Sanctuaries and more
Do your church members who work with young people still need to take EPA’s required Safe Sanctuaries training? If you missed the recent online trainings in September and November, you’re in luck. Video recordings and resources provided in those trainings …
Feb. 2023 Book Study: Tod Bolsinger’s Tempered Resilience
In Tempered Resilience: How Leaders are Formed in the Crucible of Change, Tod Bolsinger, author and leadership expert, will help us explore adaptive leadership qualities we can develop in changing times. Learn how to overcome the external challenges we face and the internal …
Veterans Day: Honoring former Buffalo Soldier, revered church scoutmaster
As America honors its military veterans on Friday, Nov. 11, Wharton-Wesley UMC in Philadelphia, is proud that one of its own served during World War II in a U.S. Army unit with a special inherited history. Louis M. Stukes Sr., …
Men’s group marks 30 years of monthly breakfasts
Bethel Hill UMC in Lansdale, the second oldest Methodist Church in Pennsylvania, is 252 years old. But the UM Men’s group there recently celebrated an anniversary almost as impressive as their church’s. They have gathered monthly to enjoy a savory …