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 …
Clergy, church staff to get COVID vaccinations, paycheck support soon
With COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths surging since Christmas, the rollout of vaccines, although sluggish, is encouraging to many, including clergy and church staff who can expect to receive their first shots in just a few weeks. Meanwhile, Congress’ long-delayed …
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 …
New Lenten study to feature North District clergy
The Rev. Steve Morton, Superintendent of the North District, continues his tradition of producing and offering churches thought-provoking, video-recorded Lenten devotions featuring fellow clergy presenters. “For about a dozen years, first at Hopewell UMC and now on the North District,” …
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 …
A Digital Ministry forum ‘for the rest of us’
“Digital Ministry for the Rest of Us” was an ideal title for a helpful online forum offered by the Eastern PA Conference Dec. 5, where church practitioners shared valuable knowledge and experience using limited tech-speak. The Congregational Development Team (CDT) …
Pickens to head PA Council of Churches
The Pennsylvania Council of Churches (PCC) has elected the Rev. Larry D. Pickens of Allentown, a longtime UM leader in ecumenical ministry and relations, as its new executive director beginning in January 2021. Dr. Pickens, who for years led the …
The spirit of Christmas giving lives!
Local church ministry reports Several churches generously responded to our appeal for information with news of their Advent and Christmas activities. Many thanks! Here are their lightly edited reports. Conshohocken UMC Conshohocken UMC is trying “to make this highly unusual …
Cabinet gifts churches with recorded sermons through January
Christmastide-Epiphany Sermon Series YouTube playlist. Or, click here to download the files from Dropbox. The COVID-19 pandemic prevented Bishop Peggy Johnson and her Cabinet from doing their annual December outreach visit to a church or ministry site this year. But …
Wise Worshipers
Sermon Outline for Epiphany Sunday, January 3, 2021 By Bishop Peggy A. Johnson Text: Matthew 2:1-12 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in Judea, during the time of King Herod, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, …