Pocono Plateau Staff Spotlight As the summer winds down and we prepare to say goodbye to Rev. Carmen O’Shea as the director of Pocono Plateau, and welcome to Rev. Jared Stoltzfus, we want to pause to celebrate their ministry and giftedness. …
State Lawmakers Honor Frackville’s First United Methodist Church on 146th Anniversary Milestone
On June 14, 2026, the First United Methodist Church of Frackville celebrated its 146th founding anniversary with a special focus on how God’s faithfulness continues through all generations. The event, led by the Rev. A. L. Bautista, Jr. (Pastor Nong), Frackville Mayor …
Filipino Ministry Caucus’ CAMP-PASSION deepens faith, shapes young leaders
From June 26-28, nearly fifty youth, young adults, and volunteers gathered at Gretna Glen Camp & Retreat Center in Lebanon, PA, for the first ever CAMP-PASSION, an identity-faith formation and leadership summer camp hosted by Eastern Pennsylvania and Greater New …
OCDEL Functional Assessment for Preschools & Childcare Programs
The New Functional Test Although C-26-01 does not use the phrase “functional test,” that is effectively what itadopts. OCDEL will look beyond the name of the program and examine questions such as: If these characteristics are present, OCDEL indicates that …
Pressley STEM Boot Camp 2026 concludes with electrifying results
This summer, Pressley STEM Foundation finished its 3-day Boot Camp program which ran from July 7-9 at its Satellite Lab at Mt. Zion UMC in North Philadelphia. The initiative, founded by Carolyn Pressley, Lay Leader of Mt. Zion UMC, is …
Connectional table and contextual ministry plan leaders meet to discern annual conference goals
On Saturday July 11th, as some of the most talented soccer players in the world prepared for the quarter finals of the World Cup, leaders from across EPA & GNJ gathered to make some goals of their own. Leaders from …
Pull up a chair: Why LAPI is for you, too
There is a moment that happens in almost every church.It’s not during the sermon.It’s not during a committee meeting.It’s not even during worship. It’s the conversation in the hallway. The volunteer who notices someone sitting alone. The person who organizes …
Office Renovation FAQs
Will this increase costs for the local church? No. The funding for the conference center is coming from funds held by the EPA Board of Trustees, not from Shared Ministries. What trustee funds are being spent? The conference center renovation …
Camp Corner: Stories from Summer 2026
Pocono Plateau Day Camp gets sisters choosing kindness by Rev. Carmen O’Shea A parent reached out with the quote below. She tried a different camp closer to their home last year and came back to Pocono Plateau this summer because …
A tax message from GCFA
The IRS recently issued new rules for group tax exemption rulings—the first major update in more than four decades. These changes don’t affect day-to-day operations or tax-exempt status for United Methodist churches, but they do require the General Council on Finance and …