Domestic Violence: The Faith Community Responds

Register by November 14!

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month–a timely call for more public awareness that is still direly needed in society and particularly in the church. The church is where many victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault turn. But too often they are turned off or turned away by insensitive, confused or ignorant responses by clergy and laity. Many leave and vow to never return.

The Eastern PA Conference’s new Domestic Violence Committee will sponsor a learning and advocacy seminar on Saturday, Nov. 17, at West Lawn UMC in Reading, from 9 AM to 2 PM. The Rev. Lydia Mulkey from FaithTrust Institute will keynote the event and teach a workshop. Her agency is a leading source of education about domestic violence and how clergy and churches should respond to this widespread, life-taking, family-destroying scourge on our society.

We now have a new Domestic Violence Response webpage, with links to information about this important event and access to registration for it, plus previous articles and resources. We invite you to print and share the new flyer and bulletin insert:

• Download the flyer
• Download the Bulletin Insert

Also, read and use the UMC Board of Church and Society’s new curriculum, Hidden in Plain Sight: A Call to End Domestic Violence.”  This study is designed to give adult education classes, church Bible studies, campus ministries and other small groups the tools to reflect on what the Bible and The United Methodist Church have to say about domestic violence. Learn more…

Four Stations of the Holy Spirit workshop, Nov. 17

The conference Congregational Development Team will host its fourth Four Stations of the Holy Spirit Training event on Saturday, Nov. 17, from 2:30 to 8 PM, at Bethany UMC, 3801 Brookside Rd., in Macungie Pa. The training will be in English and Spanish and will include a light meal and worship at 5 PM, with the Rev. Elena Ortiz, lead pastor of New Birth (Nuevo Nacimiento) UMC Lebanon, as the guest preacher. The $15 cost includes a book and other sacramental elements for the training. To attend please email the Rev. Gordon Hendrickson, coordinator, at gordonacts6@gmail.com or call him at 267-258-9507 by November 14.

Read about the Four Stations event held in August 2018: Conference offers bilingual Four Stations of the Holy Spirit training

Native American Worship Service

Sunday, Nov. 18, at 4 PM

Camp Innabah
712 Pughtown Road
Spring City, PA 19475

Rev Dennis Keen, new pastor at Nantmeal UMC, will share his experience visiting Dupree School in South Dakota, which little Nantmeal has been supporting for years.

A light meal will be included after the presentation. Sponsored by EPAUMC CONAM.

Please RSVP to fanderson@epaumc.org.

Download and share the flyer!

Eastern PA Conf. Youth Rally

District Events

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Conference Save-the-Dates

2019:

• Jan. 19: Equipping Church Leaders
• March 2: Tools for Ministry
• March 16: VIM & (Volunteers in Ministry) ERT (Early Response Team) training event
• March 16: Eastern PA Conf. Youth Rally: Wesley UMC Bethlehem
• March 23: Hope! Talks 2.0: Inspiration for Small Congregations
• April 5-7: Changing Racism Workshop
• April 9: The Art of Preaching, West Lawn UMC, $20 registration.
• May 5: District Conferences
• June 1: Cross-Racial/Cross-Cultural Ministry Workshop
• June 13-15: 2019 Annual Conference

Sexual Ethics Workshops

The Level 1 (Basic) Workshop is mandatory for all persons seeking certification as candidates in ministry, candidates for ministerial roles and for all other individuals beginning ministerial roles within the Eastern PA Conference. 

Other approved courses for BSE requirements:

• Peninsula-Delaware’s comparable BSE course
• Lancaster Theological Seminary’s Boundary Training class
• Evangelical Seminary’s Boundary Training class
• Drew University Theological School’s Sexual Ethics course — Drew Sexual Ethics Syllabus Fall 2017

Upcoming Sexual Ethics Workshops:

There are no upcoming events at this time.

Eastern PA Conference Local Church Events