“Be purposeful and fruitful.” That creative challenge is in the last line of Bishop John Schol’s April 4 essay titled “ Direction: A Key Ingredient for Successful Leadership – Part 2: Mission.” He reminds us of the Eastern PA Conference’s mission: “Recruit …
Ordinands’ fruitfulness projects respond to individual, church, community needs
As the COVID pandemic in late 2020 took a heavy toll on many lives—including health, housing, businesses, jobs and family incomes—members of Wooddale UMC in East Stroudsburg and nearby rural Analomink UMC saw their communities increasingly in dire need of …
3 Annual Conference offerings, 3 ways to give
The 2022 Annual Conference, May 20-21, will again receive offerings to provide crucial support to conference youth and young adult ministries and scholarships for higher education—both undergraduate and seminary. While the Annual Conference will take place online for a third …
Black-Brown Youth Retreat explores identity, relationships
“Black, brown, black, brown, black, brown.” That’s how the Rev. Will Brawner instructed the youth at the Black and Brown Youth Retreat, April 1-3, to sit in chairs encircling Gretna Glen Camp & Retreat Center’s largest meeting room. He mixed …
Weekly prayer ministry still powerful after 2 years
There’s a growing number of small groups of United Methodists across Eastern PA who gather periodically online via Zoom, mostly for learning, dialogue and conference-wide ministry planning. But there may be only one that is devoted solely to prayer. The …
Project Restoration underway; seeks volunteers for disaster recovery efforts
Project Restoration is fully staffed and doing needs assessments, building strategic partnerships, finding resources and recruiting volunteers to help residents recover from the severe damages—physical, financial and emotional—wreaked by floods caused by recent hurricanes. The three staff members—Denise Shelton, director; …
EPA leaders learning ‘3R’s’ of dismantling racism
Dismantling Racism may start with learning a new form of “the 3Rs”: Relationships, Recognition and Revelation. Relating openly and lovingly to others who are different—especially cross-racially or cross-culturally—can lead to honest recognition of what one doesn’t know and then to …
Merged churches inspire hope through mission center
“Hope Starts Here,” penned in colorful letters, is a small sign on the door of a big room where food is prepared at Mission First, a ministry located at the former First United Methodist Church in downtown Pottstown. And that …
As JFON’s immigration cases grow, so does its need for help
Justice for Our Neighbors of the Delaware Valley (JFON-DV) has been operating immigration legal clinics for 13 months in three states, handling a growing docket of cases, as it looks for volunteers, especially language interpreters. The Eastern PA regional office moved …
Communications Learning Week to advance church leaders’ skills
United Methodist Communication (UMCom) announces a week-long ecumenical training opportunity launching this spring for anyone in ministry seeking to enhance their communications skills. Communications Learning Week: Taking the Next Step will be held May 9-13, and it is designed with busy …