The Rev. William Brawner, Coordinator of the EPA Conference’s Youth & Young Adult Ministries and Coordinator of the EPA’s Open Door Campus Ministry (Wesley Foundation) at Drexel University, will leave the Conference Connectional Ministries staff Sept. 15.

Summer camps connect 2,366 young hearts with God and each other
Two statements sum up the reactions of many children and youth to their summer camp adventures the past two months at the Eastern PA Conference’s four Camp & Retreat Centers: “I feel so much more connected with God, personally” and …

Hurricane Ida recovery, one year later
This weekend marks one year since Hurricane Ida unleashed its devastating winds and floods on Pennsylvania—from August 31 to Sept. 5. Just over a year earlier, August 4-5, 2020, it was Hurricane Isaias. Now the Eastern PA Conference’s Project Restoration …

Pathways initiative prepares for September launch
The Eastern PA Conference’s new Pathways to Congregational Fruitfulness & Health initiative has its crew and initial passengers all aboard, as it prepares to taxi down the runway for a September takeoff. Eighteen chosen facilitators have received an orientation to begin …

NEJ Conference to meet in November
Foster endorsed for election as bishop
The UMC’s 2022 Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference will meet Nov. 3-4 in Hunt Valley, Md. This year’s gathering of elected delegates from the NEJ’s 10 annual conferences was postponed from 2020, along with the UMC’s General Conference, due to the COVID …

District donates $20,000 to Ukrainian relief, resettlement, Aug. 1
The North District keeps showing its support for the beleaguered people of war-ravaged Ukraine. The district donated $5,000 in March to the Transfiguration Ukrainian Catholic Church in Shamokin, then more funds in April to the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Centralia …

Wholeness Centers to spur BIPOC church-community ministry partnerships
The Eastern PA Conference is placing a new milestone on its justice-centered Dismantling Racism: Path Toward Wholeness initiative with the launch of its Wholeness Centers program this month. Wholeness Centers are intentional church-based partnerships with local residents and groups in …

From a nudge, Leap of Faith praise band takes flight
“Right before the beginning of Covid shutdowns a small group of young adults who love music were nudged to begin a praise band.” That’s how the Rev. Jean Howe, former pastor of Grace UMC in Reading, began her email message …

Musicians partner with camp, church to spread gospel in verse
Ripe Creatives, a collective of young, dynamic, Christian poets, singers and rappers, has been delighting and discipling campers and staff at EPA’s Carson Simpson Farm Christian Center in Hatboro this summer. And they will bring their message-rich music—sung and spoken—to …

Project Restoration to host 4 CCYM Youth Days of Service
The EPA Conference Council on Youth Ministry (CCYM) will sponsor four Youth Days of Service in each of our four districts this fall, engaging youth in volunteer disaster recovery work with EPA’s Project Restoration…