Looking for ways to fund ministry in your church? The Eastern PA Conference is making it easier to apply for church grants with its new its Congregational Development and Community Outreach unified grant application process for 2024, which launched Sept. …

‘In old age they still produce fruit’
‘In old age they still produce fruit…” —Psalm 92:14 My wife Joan and I, as we approach retirement, are venturing deep into the previously-foreign world of Social Security and Medicare. Mercy! Where did the last forty years go? I recently …

Church ends VBS with lively worship and carnival
Black Creek United Methodist Church in Sugarloaf, near Hazleton, climaxed its Vacation Bible School on Sunday, August 20, by sharing worship and a free carnival with its congregation and community. “Our small but awesome group of VBS children led the …

A Path Toward Wholeness | Journey of Hope
A Church for All People, Serving All People with Justice and Equity A Path Toward Wholeness/Journey of Hope (PTW/JOH) is the plan developed and approved by the 2022 Eastern PA Annual Conference in its quest to dismantle and end the …

EPA, GNJ Advance Special projects Loving abundantly, pursuing possibilities
“With God, all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) The spirit of that scripture, which inspired the 2023 Annual Conference theme Possible, is also infused into the work of both Greater New Jersey’s and Eastern Pennsylvania’s Advance Special Projects. Both conferences …

Unlock your congregation’s full potential with Introduction to Pathways
Unlock your congregation’s full potential with an Introduction to Pathways for Congregational Development. Attend one of two orientations August 26 or 28 via Zoom. Are you eager to strengthen your congregation’s mission and make a positive impact in your community …

Sharing the Journey to end the sin of racism
EPA&GNJ staff leaders met April 27 at EPA’s Carson Simpson Farm Camp & Retreat Center to learn about each conference’s work to end the sin of racism and to explore how they might work together in affiliation. “We saw significant …

Moving Forward on Two Journeys to End the Sin of Racism
Published in NEWSpirit newspaper, Summer 2023 issue. The United Methodists of Eastern Pennsylvania and Greater New Jersey are committed to “Ending the Sin of Racism,” a clarion call answered in both conferences by some promising initiatives. They include coaching, giving …

Progress report follows bishop’s meetings with EPA members
Bishop John Schol will hold video-conference listening sessions, as promised, with EPA lay and clergy conference members via Zoom on August 29, at 11 a.m., and August 31 at 6:30 p.m.* He will discuss and answer questions about the proposed …

Clergy invited to ‘reset’ at spiritual retreat, Sept. 20
Enjoy a day of spiritual retreat and renewal on Wednesday, Sept. 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Daylesford Abbey, a monastery located in Paoli, Chester County. This time of respite is designed for pastors who welcome fresh training, …