Events

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• District Events
• Local Church & Mission Link Events
• Save-the-Dates
• Full Conference Calendar

Printable Listing of Eastern PA Conference Events (Updated weekly)

Academies, workshops, training events, convocations, retreats. The Eastern PA Conference is a vibrant, living organism that survives and indeed, thrives in community as we gather and grow together. Our connectional life is enhanced by these types of learning events and by other gatherings as well: worship and prayer services; concerts, theater, film viewings and other performances; celebrations; picnics; sports and recreation events–the list is endless.

We also provide access to a list of upcoming Conference meetings of boards, teams and committees, and to a list of recent and upcoming Local Church events. Please send us your complete information about meetings and events right away by using our Submit News page.

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Leadership Launch 2020: Bearing Fruitful Ministry

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  John 15:5

Oct. 3, 2020, 9 AM to 11:30 AM

An interactive Zoom video-conferencing event.

All leaders are welcome and highly encouraged to attend. That includes: Connectional Ministry/Table teams and committees; Lay Leaders; Christ Servant Ministers, Certified Lay Ministers and anyone else in a church leadership role.

Free, but registration is required. Register now.

Come join fellow church and conference leaders, as we discern what it means to lead well in challenging times. 

Keynote Speaker: Rev. Dawn Taylor-Storm, New Eastern PA Conference Director of Connectional Ministries

Break-out sessions led by Connectional Table Members.

Rev. Taylor-Storm shares the following: “As ministry leaders, we are called to ‘bloom where we are planted.’  Even now, in this new vineyard where we find ourselves, fruitful discipleship is possible.  Come and learn alongside other ministry leaders in this interactive training.”

Download the flyer.

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Christmas & COVID
How to Celebrate Advent & Christmas During COVID

Oct. 5, 2020 @ 6:30 – 7:45pm

An Interactive ZOOM Conversation Led by EPA CDT

The Congregational Development team (CDT), supported by the Rev. Dawn Taylor-Storm, will sponsor an event of open conversation on Monday, October 5 beginning at 6:30 PM in order to help local church leaders think through the challenges of traditional Christmas Eve worship in the midst of the pandemic and its restrictions.

  Your churches are similarly already stretched thin for the holiday in their normal operation!

What to do?

Let’s talk on Monday night, October 5.

Come and share ideas for how to celebrate Advent and Christmas Season during COVID. All are welcome. Free. CDT Team Members, DS Morton and DCM Taylor-Storm will be present to share ideas and answer questions churches may have about meeting safely during the Advent & Christmas season.

• Steve Morton, North District Sharing Ideas – How Large Churches Can Structure for the Christmas season
• Mike Netznik, Reaching the Community – Drive Thru Nativity Ideas//Reaching the Community at Advent
• Suzette James, The Importance of  Remaining Connected in COVID

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‘When Home Hurts’
Domestic Violence and Families: The Church Responds

October 9-10, 2020.
Friday, 7 PM to 9 PM; and Saturday, 9 AM to 12 PM.
A Zoom video-conference event.

Register online to receive access information. Cost: $10.

Download the flyer!

Learn more: ‘When Home Hurts’–Conference to explore Domestic Violence and Families

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Healing Communities

October 21, 24, & 28

HEALING COMMUNITIES TRAINING AVAILABLE – REGISTER NOW!

Healing Communities is an excellent training program designed to assist churches in becoming “stations of hope” for those who have been impacted by the criminal justice system in any way.  Come, learn,  and help design a plan for how your church can provide hope and care for those whose struggles are often ignored in our society today.

This is a rare opportunity to obtain this training at no cost, as the event is sponsored by the West Chester Mission Link, via a Dewees Grant.  The 6 hr training will be broken into three, 2-hr ZOOM sessions:  Wednesday, October 21 and 28 from 6:30-8:30pm and Saturday, October 24 from 9:30-11:30am  

CEU credit (6hrs, leadership) will be provided for CSMs and CLMs and clergy.  You must attend all three sessions to complete the training and receive credit

Please register as quickly as possible before the 30 slots for this training are filled.   Deadline for registration is October 11. 

Register at:  https://forms.gle/5mKT7LYRFWpzq3w18

Questions?  Contact prisonministries@epaumc.org 

Download the flyer.

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Learn to lead more like Christ: Emotional Intelligence and Diversity training

October 31 & November 7, 2020
Attend just two, 3-hour, afternoon sessions on Zoom

Want to improve your communication, teamwork and conflict management skills?
Want to create a more welcoming, inclusive environment in your church and community?
Then, understanding and using Emotional Intelligence (EQ) can help.

Emotional intelligence is innate to everyone, and it is important for every church. In fact, it’s a must-learn for church leaders who want to lead more like Christ and abide in Christ.

This training provides insights into biblical precepts and Jesus’ approach to managing conflict and creating believers. It helps us understand bias, ambiguity and empathy, and to withstand the sins of prejudice and injustice, as well as fear, anger and violence.

Our expert EQ & Diversity trainers are the Revs. David Piltz and Anita Powell of the Eastern PA Conference Commission on Religion & Race (CORR).

Register for only $10! 0.6 CEUs granted upon request.

This dual-session, 6-hour video-conferencing workshop on Zoom is scheduled for two Saturday afternoons: October 31 and November 7, each from 12:30 to 3:30 PM (just 3 hours each day).

Learn more from What Does Emotional Intelligence Have to do With Diversity? 

Sponsored by the Commission on Religion & Race (CORR), Eastern PA Conference, The United Methodist Church.

Download the flyer.

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By Water & the Spirit: Theology & Practice of Baptism

A Zoom-based study offered by the Board of Ordained Ministry

Zoom Sessions:

• Saturday November 7, 9:00-11:30 AM
• Saturday November 21, 9:00-11:30 AM

Baptism is at the core of who we are as Christians — but how well do we truly understand this sacrament? Those of us who serve in church leadership often face practical questions with deep theological roots. Why do we baptize? What happens in baptism? Why do we baptize infants? What do we mean when we say “remember your baptism” — especially if baptized as an infant? Why don’t we re-baptize? Why don’t we do private baptisms? And how do we navigate the sacrament of baptism in a season of social distancing? By getting to the theological heart of baptism, we as church leaders can offer better and more meaningful answers to these questions that so often arise from the pews. 

This Zoom-based study is designed to help all church leaders — and in particular, our licensed local pastors and lay-supply pastors — to wrestle with this theological foundation of baptism. 

To participate, individuals should read Gayle Carlton Felton’s By Water and the Spirit (available at cokesbury.com) and share any questions with the study leaders via email. (Real-world questions — as in: What do I say when a person from my church asks _________? — are most welcome!) Questions are due by Saturday, October 17, and Zoom sessions will take place on Saturday November 7 and Saturday November 21, both from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM via Zoom. (Zoom links will be sent upon registration.) 0.5 CEUs will be offered to those who complete this course. 

Study leaders:

Rev. Gary Knerr (pastorknerr@grovechurch.org)

Rev. Gary Knerr is the Lead Pastor at Grove UMC near West Chester, PA.  A graduate of Albright College & Princeton Theological Seminary, he is an ordained elder since 1990, and served six charges in Eastern Pennsylvania, comprising suburban, rural, & small town congregations.  He is the Co-chairman of the Board of Ordained Ministry with a particular interest in sacramental theology and a retired chief officer in the volunteer fire service.  He is married to Deb, an interpreter & professor of American Sign Language at West Chester University and the father of two twenty-something adopted daughters from India. 

Rev. Candy LaBar (revclabar@gmail.com)

Rev. Candy LaBar currently serves as Lead Pastor of Wesley UMC in Bethlehem, PA. Originally from the former Wyoming Annual Conference, she transferred to Eastern Pennsylvania in 2008 and was ordained as an elder in 2012. She previously served as a coordinator of Annual Conference worship and currently serves as the chair of the North DCOM. A graduate of Moravian College and Drew Theological School, she nurtures a passion for interfaith dialogue, liturgy writing, and worship design… and on occasion, does Hebrew homework just for the sheer fun of it. In her spare time, she enjoys crocheting, listening to podcasts, and binging episodes of The Great British Baking Show. She and her husband Keith (a high school choir director) live in the Poconos with their two young children. 

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2020 Faith-Sharing Event: Evangelism in a Changing Landscape

November 14 @ 9 am – 12 pm
Online Zoom Event

0.6 CEUs are available. 

Register online!

Download the flyer.

Our featured speaker:
The Rev. Lisa Greenwood
Vice-President for Leadership Ministry of TMF
(the Texas Methodist Foundation), Dallas, Texas

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OTHER EVENTS

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GCSRW presents: Women’s Leadership Summit 2020

October 8-10, 2020

Theme:  “I AM Her” (Solomon 4:7)

Save the date for this important and inspirational virtual conference. More details and registration information to come.

Download the flyer

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DISTRICT EVENTS

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2020 District Conferences

District conferences are now scheduled to convene on the following dates:

• South District: Tuesday, Sept. 15, 6:30 PM
• East District: Wednesday, Sept. 16, 6:30 PM
• West District: Thursday Sept. 17, 6:30 PM
• North District: Monday, Sept. 21, 6:30 PM

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Other Events

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‘Share Your Story’ seminar to teach church branding

Quakertown UMC has moved its rescheduled 2020 annual Northeastern PA Pastors Seminar to Zoom as an online video-conference on Thursday, Sept. 24, from 9 AM to 4 PM. “Share Your Story! Communicate Your Church Creatively” will feature the Rev. LenWilson, an expert strategist in communications and creativity in church life.

Dr. Wilson, who has authored or co-authored 10 books, is known for his pioneering work in visual storytelling and has taught and consulted with large churches, organizations and ministries across the country. The all-day seminar, open ecumenically to all clergy and laity, will offer six 50-minute sessions with breaks throughout for intensive learning. The cost is only $35 per person. Registrants will receive a Zoom link for the seminar and can receive .6 CEUs if requested.

Participants will learn a process to develop and implement their church’s unique brand—a clear, concise, creative, and compelling message to effectively communicate who they are.

To register send payments, along with names, church or ministry affiliations, and full contact information for all attendees to Rev. Dr. Lori Wagner, Quakertown UMC, 1875 Freier Road, Quakertown, PA 18951. Attn: Northeastern PA Pastor Seminar. Please write NPPS on the memo line of checks. For more information contact loribethwagner@gmail.com or call 360-298-8327.

Download the flyer.

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Save-the-Dates

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• September 19, 2020: Dismantling Racism Level II Workshop. Zoom. 9 AM – 12 PM. Theme: “The Experience and Impact of Racism on People of Asian Ancestry.” Register online.
• October 3, 2020: Connectional Ministries Leadership Training Event. Zoom online meeting. Register online.
• October 4: Practice Vote & Information Session for Annual Conference. 3 PM, Zoom webinar. 
• October 5: Christmas & COVID–How to Celebrate Advent & Christmas During COVID. 6:30 PM, Zoom meeting. Register online.
• October 9 & 10, 2020: Domestic Violence Seminar on Zoom. Friday, Oct. 9, 7-9 PM and Saturday, Oct. 10, 9 AM-12 PM.
• October 13 & 14: 2020 Annual Conference. Zoom webinar and livestreaming. Learn more at epaumc.org/annual-conference.
• October 17, 2020: UMW Annual Celebration. Download the flyer!
• October 17, 2020: “Racism, Post-Traumatic Stress, & Transformation.” Register online.
• October 17 & and October 24: Basic Sexual Ethics, via Zoom, in two parts. Register online.
• October 23 – 25: Dismantling Racism Training. Friday 5 PM – Sunday 3 PM. Zoom Meeting (online).
• October 24: Racial Justice Ministries Summit. 11 AM. Carson-Simpson Farm. Simultaneously Zoom-cast.
• October 31st & November 7: Emotional Intelligence and Diversity Training. Part 1: 10/31 at 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM. Part 2: 11/7 at12:30 PM – 3:30 PM. Download the flyer. Register online.
• November 14, 2020: Annual Faith-Sharing Event–Evangelism in a Changing Landscape. Zoom, 9 AM – 12 PM. Register online.
• November 21, 2020: Dismantling Racism II. 9 AM – 11:30 AM. Zoom Meeting (online).
• December 13, 2020: Annual “Celebrating our Cultures” Event, Zoom online meeting
• January 30, 2021: Basic Sexual Ethics Workshop, via Zoom.
• March 6, 2021: Advanced Sexual Ethics Workshop. 9:30 AM – 3 PM. Register Online.
• March 13, 2021: Tools for Ministry. Times and Places TBD by Districts.
• May 15, 2021: Latino Holy Convocation and Assembly
• May 15, 2021: Clergy Transition Workshop led by Dave Woolverton. Location TBD.

Printable Listing of Eastern PA Conference Events