Despite the pandemic UM missionaries remain deeply engaged in work around the world. Normally, a number of them “itinerate” each year to visit the churches and individuals that support them in ministry. COVID-19 has put a stop to most travel …

Inmates receive 4,700 Christmas cards from Eastern PA members
The year 2020 was a difficult one for everyone, due to COVID-19 , but especially for inmates who were incarcerated and struggling with fear and isolation. Some correctional institutions were able to decrease their populations of non-violent offenders in an …
Houses of Worship Security Self-Assessment Tool
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provides this Houses of Worship Security Self-Assessment Tool. Prepared by the DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), it is a security planning resource useful for church facilities. This tool along with …

UM missionaries Mark and Deidre Zimmerman: The gift of being present
United Methodist missionaries Mark and Deidre Zimmerman, who serve as healthcare professionals in Nepal, share the importance of being present to God and with their patients. Watch this episode of “Get Your Spirit in Shape” and learn more here.

Young adults, college students invited to new Fireside Chat & Prayer
The Open Door Christian Community, our UM campus ministry at Drexel University in Philadelphia, will partner with the Eastern PA Conference’s Young Adults Ministry to offer a new, weekly Fireside Chat & Prayer ministry on Tuesdays, 7 to 8 PM, …

Human Relations Day offering supports justice ministries
Not long ago the world watched as a police officer placed his knee for nearly 9 minutes on an unarmed African American man’s neck while he pleaded for his life. George Floyd died from that brutal attack by an officer …

Morgan retires as Coordinator of UM Advocacy in PA
Urges signatures to letter seeking protection from evictions With submission of his final monthly advocacy report, the Rev. Dai Morgan retired from being Coordinator of UM Advocacy in Pennsylvania Dec. 31, while also ending his brief tenure as Interim-Executive Director …

CDT Book Club to explore Caste for Lent
On the heels of Gil Rendle’s Quietly Courageous (Jan. 13 to Feb 3), the Congregational Development Team (CDT) Book Club will next launch into the Lenten season with a study of a new, highly touted, instant classic. Caste: The Origins …
2020 Monthly Legislative Advocacy Reports
December 2020 Advocacy Report November 2020 Advocacy Report October 2020 Advocacy September 2020 Advocacy August 2020 Advocacy July 2020 Advocacy June 2020 Advocacy May 2020 Advocacy Governor-Tom-Wolf-COVID-19-Letter-5-6-2020 – May 6 letter from the three Pennsylvania United Methodist Bishops in support of …

District team shares donated masks, sanitizer with communities
As the COVID-10 pandemic rages, the use of protective masks and hand sanitizer has become more crucial and widespread. The Rev. Myra Maxwell, East District Disaster Response Coordinator, and her team have been collecting and distributing both to disadvantaged communities …