Northeast District enews EPA Conference - UMC February 2016 DISTRICT NEWS TOOLS FOR MINISTRY A Training Event for Laity & Clergy with a Focus on Povery Saturday, March 12th - Online Registration Open APPLY NOW: Dewees Grant Application deadline, Thursday, March 3rd - email to the District Office. Advance Application deadline, Wednesday, March 9 - email to the District Office. REGISTER NOW: Tools for Ministry, March 12 from 9 am - 3 pm at Grace UMC, Pen Argyl. (See Article) POSTPONED: Clergy Breakfast, Tuesday, March 15 from 9 am - 12 pm at Asbury UMC in Allentown. (See Article) Join us for Tools for Ministry as we participate in a morning poverty simulation and other workshops in the afternoon to grow together in building up the body of Christ. We will focus on the Word in Matthew 25:40, I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me. LOCATION: Grace UM Church 404 E. Mountain Avenue Pen Argyl, PA 18072 SCHEDULE FOR THE DAY: 8:30-8:55 Registration & Cont. Breakfast 9:00-11:40 Morning Plenary Session 12:45-12:45 Lunch 1:00-3:00 Afternoon Workshops COST: $12 for early registration
Faith Sharing Seminar Rev. Romal Tune, Saturday, March 19 from 9 am - 12 pm at New Hanover UMC in Gilbertsville. (Registration) SAVE-THE-DATES: Town Hall Meeting on Redistricting with Bishop Johnson, Wed., April 27 from 7-8:30 pm at Quakertown UMC. Time Management Workshop with Ken Willard, Thurs., May 5 from 9 am - 12 pm at Wesley UMC, Bethlehem. District Conference, June 5 from 3-5:30 pm at Bethany UMC, Wescosville campus. Annual Conference, June 16-18 at Lancaster Marriot at Penn Square in Lancaster, PA. (Hotel Reservations) Clergy Breakfast, Tuesday, June 9, 2015 from 9-11:30 am at Asbury UMC in Allentown. Iron Pigs Baseball Game, Monday, June 27 at Coca Cola Park in Allentown. (See Article) Clergy Family Picnic, Saturday, August 20 from 10:30 am - 2 pm at Covenant UMC in Moore Twp (Bath). Rain date - Saturday, September 10. Fee includes continental breakfast, lunch, and materials. Standard Registration by Feb. 27: $12 Registration from Feb. 28 - March 5: $15 Late Registration after Feb. 28: $20 SNOW DATE: Saturday, April 25th REGISTRATION INFORMATION: * Register Online for only $12 by February 27. * Download the Brochure with mailing registration information. For further information, email Sheila Milz or call 610-395-6661. CLERGY BREAKFAST POSTPONED Tuesday, March 15th The February clergy breakfast was postponed due to bad weather. Instead we will meet Tuesday, March 15th with registration beginning at 9 am at Asbury UMC. As usual, we will eat heartily, worship together, hear a Bible study reflection and presentation from Dr. Amy Beth Jones, United Methodist Liaison at Drew Theological School, give an offering for District Mission Projects, and partake in communion. If you are interested in participating in Free Spirit, our NE District praise band, please contact Sheila Milz. The breakfast is $5 which will be collected at the door. Please RSVP to insure enough food for all. Asbury Church is located at 1533 Springhouse Road, Allentown, PA 18104. DISTRICT PHOTO MOMENT! RETURNING PASTOR
Quick Links... District Website Conference Website Vital Congregations link District Office Email DS E-mail PRAISES & PRAYERS After nearly two years in retirement, Rev. Sherry Feuerstein celebrates with DS Dr. Irving Cotto as she receives a license for part-time Local Pastor. She will serve as Pastor for Spiritual Development at Epworth UMC in Bethlehem. PRAISES: Bill Kuntze (RE - Wind Gap) is progressing well and starting cardiac therapy. His wife Janice and he rejoice that he is on the path to recovery and are thankful for the prayers. PRAYERS: Please lift up Edee Boyer, wife of Gene Boyer (FL - Black Creek). She will have the second of two eye surgeries on Wed., March 9th. The first one went well. Please pray that there won't be any complications with the second. CONFERENCE NEWS SERVICE HONORING CERTIFIED LAY MINISTERS Sunday, April 17, 2016 You are Cordially Invited to a Service of Recognition Honoring the Certified Lay Minister Graduates Spring Class of 2016 of the EPA Conference of the UMC, including
CHURCH NEWS NE District CLMs: Pamela Snyder - Faith Alive UMC in Bowmanstown Dorothy Stem - Analomink UMC John Vidal - Grace St. Paul's UMC in Jim Thorpe Come support these faithful servants on Sunday, April 17, 2016 at 3:00 P.M. West Lawn United Methodist Church 15 Woodside Ave Reading, PA 19609 GIVING IS FUNDAMENTAL! Giving is a topic that comes to the surface in homes all across the globe as households put together their budget for the upcoming year. Well, as I'm sure each of us knows all too well, the topic comes up in administrative board meetings also...how much should we allocate for outreach, missions, etc... At St. Peters the topic of how much doesn't come up; for us the topic of discussion is "where" should we give. The Administrative Board of St. Peters UMC in Saylorsburg A number of years ago, the administrative board of our small 1/4 time congregation (pictured above) decided that they wanted to give back to the community. They decided on an arbitrary amount of $300.00 per month (or $3,600.00 per year.) Each month a different organization (local and beyond) were selected and a check was simply sent to that organization. Over the years that giving has evolved into what we now
refer to simply as our "Tithing Program." Since the program began, we have tripled what we give away each month. We now give away $900.00 per month ($10,810.00 per year). In 2014 our focus was primarily on helping other churches with the checks. We gave to 8 different churches in 2014 (6 of them United Methodist: Bangor, Bethany, Cherry Valley, Effort, McMichaels, and Reeders). Some of those churches are smaller than us, some of them bigger than us, but the same is true in all churches, money from an unexpected source can always help the bottom line. In 2015 our focus shifted away from churches to local organizations such as The Pregnancy Resource Center of the Poconos, Pleasant Valley Ecumenical Network, Give Kids the World, the Zoe Project, Active Heroes, The Heifer Foundation, Allentown Rescue Mission, Ocean Grove Camp, the Christian Appalachian Project, and UNICEF, just to name a few. As you sit down to decide what and where your church will spend it's money, keep 2nd Corinthians 9:6-7 in mind, for as you sow, you will also reap. Pastor Todd Glasmire PL - Neola & St. Peters in Saylorsburg DISTRICT LEADERSHIP District Lay Leaders: Ken Ghorm, Phone: 610-428-1981, kgorm@jsp.com and Patricia Wilson, Phone: 570-688-4045, mundann@aol.com. Chair, District Committee on the Superintendency: The Rev. William Thompson, Retired, 81 Willow Drive, Jim Thorpe, PA 18229; Phone: 570-325-2121; firerevbill@gmail.com. Chair, District Board of Church Location and Building: The Rev. Eugene Boyer, Black Creek UMC, 158 Golf Course Road, Sugarloaf, PA 18249; Phone: 570-384-4087; revgboyer@frontiernet.net Chair, District Committee on Ordained Ministry: The Rev. Dr. Thomas Robinson III, Green Pond UMC, 4411 Green Pond Road, Easton, PA 18045; Phone: 610-253-2731; pastortom@rcn.com. Registrar, District Committee on Ordained Ministry: The Rev. Blaik Westhoff, Tabor UMC, PO Box 38, Woxall, PA 18979; Phone: 215-234-4852; pastorblaik@taborumc.org.
Chair, District Transformation Team: The Rev. Christina Keller, Covenant UMC, 2715 Mountain View Drive, Bath, PA 18014; Phone: 610-837-7517; pastorkeller@hotmail.com. Chair, District Children & Youth Ministries: Mrs. Beth Keretzman, Phone: 570-595-7634; bethjohnk4@frontiernet.net Chair, District Young Adult Ministries: The Rev. Candy LaBar, Faith UMC, 1160 South Drive, Stroudsburg, PA 18360; Phone: 610-424-0712; revclabar@gmail.com. District Emergency Response Coordinator: The Rev. Greg Ellis, Phone: 484-350-5965, gsellis66@msn.com. Safe Sanctuaries Representative: Kathy Dries, kldries@ptd.net DISTRICT OFFICE The NE District Office is open Mondays - Fridays from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm. In case of an emergency or an urgent matter, please contact the DS at 215-470- 2234. Please note that the DS and the DRA attend off-site meetings periodically. Therefore, if you are planning to stop by, please call in advance to guarantee that someone will be in the office. Dr. Irving Cotto District Superintendent and Sheila Milz District Resource Assistant The Northeast District Office of the EPA Conference of the UM Church 2336 S. 9 th Street, Unit 3 Allentown, PA 18103 610-395-6661 610-395-5117 (fax) nesuper@rcn.com www.nedistrictepaumc.org