March LINK 2018

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Mackey appointed DCM, July 1

Rev. Jason Mackey

Dear Sisters and Brothers of the Susquehanna Conference; grace to you in the name of Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace, Healer of Our Brokenness, and Hope of the World!

Joyfully, I want to share this very exciting news with our entire conference family. Rev. Jason R. Mackey will be appointed as the new Director of Connectional Ministries and Administrative Services of the Susquehanna Annual Conference, effective July 1, 2018. Jason will be a member of the Extended Cabinet in his new role.

Rev. Mackey is currently serving as the senior pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church, Hummelstown. During his time as their pastor, the Trinity congregation has demonstrated a strong ability and witness as a vibrant, vital congregation, and is experiencing significant growth spiritually, as well as numerically. Prior to this appointment, Jason was one of the pastors at CrossPoint United Methodist Church. While on staff, he was instrumental in the establishment of Perking Point, a coffee house ministry in Hummelstown. Jason’s first appointment was Stevens Emmanuel United Methodist Church in Harrisburg.

Rev. Mackey has also been serving as the chairperson of our conference Board of Pensions and Health Benefits. His knowledge and leadership of these very critical areas is greatly appreciated and will continue to be a huge asset to the conference. He has also served on the Sessions Committee.

Jason is a transformational leader who is very excited about what God is birthing today. In each of his appointments, Rev. Mackey has been intentional and instrumental in helping each congregation connect with their neighborhood. The same capacity and spirit will flow into his new ministry setting and flourish. He will respond to the demanding responsibilities with competence, confidence, and grace. I know that God has many wonderful things in store for the Susquehanna Conference in and through his outstanding gifts in ministry.

I would like to ask you to uphold Jason, his wife, Christy, and their children Eli and Christian in prayer. Also, please pray as well for the Trinity congregation during this time of transition. God is faithful and will continue to be with us for such a time as this.

With You in Christ’s Ministry,
Bishop Jeremiah J. Park

Moving our church into the future - Bishop's Clergy Retreat

By Shawn Gilgore, Director of Communications Ministry

The 2018 Bishop’s Retreat for Clergy Families was held January 15-17 at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center. The retreat was a time away for clergy and their families to be able to re-center on God and to learn more ways to be fruitful for the people of the Susquehanna Conference. Keynote speaker was Rev. Tom Berlin, lead pastor at Floris United Methodist Church in Herndon, Virginia. Rev. Berlin’s theme for the retreat was, ‘Bearing Fruit: Ministry with Real Results.’

Monday evening’s opening worship, which was on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, featured guest preacher Rev. Greg Milinovich, pastor of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in State College. His message spoke to the mission statement of the Annual Conference: ‘To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.’ “It isn’t just something we say,” said Milinovich. “It’s about living the way Jesus lived and loving the way Jesus loved … if we love in action, we march toward freedom.

“Fifty-three years ago, Dr. King spoke in the town that I serve, State College, Pennsylvania, using a refrain that night that has brought hope to many people in the years since. He said ‘Yes, we shall overcome. Because the arc of the moral is long, but it bends toward justice.’”

Later in his sermon, Milinovich found a rallying call for all of us to come together in Christ. “It’s the brokenness of Jesus in unconditional love. It’s in that, that the community of faith could have a common purpose – they could rally around something – a guiding force, a unifying power that would bind them together. That in the darkness of death and despair, in the utter darkness of the death of Jesus, we meet the one who is the light and who is love … and there is nothing that can separate us from that love.”

In the teaching sessions, Rev. Berlin took steps to make sure that we think about the United Methodist Church the right way. He asked, “Share some statements that sum up your experience with our church. Hear the word ‘our’? Notice that I didn’t say ‘your.’ Your means, ‘They own it.’ Our means, ‘We are in this together.’ And if you ask ‘Is it really that important?’ Yes, it is. Words are important … I’ve learned story after story from the members of my church who told me how God had used them. I learned stories of hardship. I learned things that I had to work through, and I learned things not to do.”

“You need to know your creation story,” said Berlin. “If you know your creation story, you can use that to get your church toward its future. You can get to a future that is consistent with your past, and your church’s values you care about the most will be reflected in a future that we make together and that is based on your past. And it should bring hope.

“Methodists value some things: vital worship; they love music; they love preaching; they value knowing God, and they love the corporate aspects of that; meeting in small groups to study the Bible together and to go deeper in their faith. And Methodists have always been people who love to bless their community. We have always been at the center of the community so that Christ can be at the center of our communities.”

Commission moderators emphasize mission as key to way forward

Commission on a Way Forward

Read the story here: http://www.umc.org/who-we-are/commission-moderators-emphasize-mission-as-key-to-way-forward

2018 Summer Camps & Retreats

Register now at susumcamps.org

Find out more here!

From Where I Sit: Status, privilege, and church membership

By Rev. Dr. Tom Salsgiver, Director of Connectional Ministries

This last year has been incredibly busy. I’ve had more flights to meetings and stayed in more hotels than probably almost any time in my recent memory. I must admit that the only perk for being on the road is that I now have “status” on one of the airlines and with one hotel chain.

It sounds more glamorous than it really is. But I must admit that with the airline, I don’t have to pay for my first checked piece of luggage. It also means that I can board the airplane with group four instead of waiting until group six or seven. The perk with this is, if I have a carry-on to go in the overhead bin, there is room when you’re with group four, and not always with group seven. And, occasionally, but not often, I can get upgraded to first class (which I must admit is great).

With the hotel chain, I’m not charged for things like internet use, and with some, I get free breakfast. And with one chain there is reserved parking right out front.
I must admit these are nice perks, but they certainly don’t define who I am or what I believe, or even how I act when I travel.

I’m reminded of an old TV advertisement that says, “With membership comes privilege.” While that may be true with credit cards, hotel chains, and airlines, it isn’t, nor should it be, true for those of us who belong to the church.

I wonder how many persons believe that in their local church, membership has privileges. How many of us believe that because I’m a member I can claim the same seat week after week – and heaven help the visitor who doesn’t know that’s my seat.

How many of us think that on Easter, Christmas Eve, and other crowded Sundays, the privilege of membership means I can spread my coat out and save seats.

Maybe some of us think that because of our long-term association with the church we attend, or because of how much money we give, our privilege is that we deserve to be on boards or make decisions.

Three examples of this come from personal experience as a pastor and as the DCM. It was late summer and we were working on the slate of officers and committees for the new year. We came to discussion about the Board of Trustees and I made a few suggestions of new persons who had the skill and desire to serve as trustee. The discussion (honestly, I can’t make this up) was, “they haven’t been here long enough to know how we do things.”

Another example was when I was working with a church that was considering Matthew 28. We got to the structure, and three different people said, “if we aren’t on the committees, what do we do if these new people do something we don’t like”? (Again, I can’t make this up).

Many years ago I was leading a Bible study and we were talking about the passage of, “in my Father’s house are many rooms.” As we talked about that a woman (who was very faithful to the church and a wonderful Christian) said that she really believed that the many rooms meant that the “nicer” rooms were reserved for long-time church members.

These three examples are from a mindset that says, “my church membership comes with privilege.”

Indeed being a Christian and belonging to a church does have its privileges. Our privileges include being the hands and feet of Christ. Our privilege is feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, reaching out to the least, the last, and the lost. Our privilege is that we get the awesome joy of opening our arms wide to the children of God – whoever they are, wherever they live, and no matter their age.

Our privilege has nothing to do with status, seating, or the expectation that the pastor will care for me first. However, it has everything to do with living out a life that follows Jesus without regard to race, color, creed, where people have come from – without regard to sexual orientation, size of the house, or the neighborhood someone lives in.

The privilege of our call and commitment is to walk in the footsteps and the shadow of one and to emulate the one who cared so deeply and so fully that He gave His life for all.

God’s Blessings. — Tom

Pathways of Discipleship: The nature of Christian discipleship

By Kevin Witt, Director of Camp & Retreat and Discipleship Ministries

Offering intentional pathways of discipleship dramatically increases the likelihood that people will begin and continue growing in Christian faith and action. Pathway infers that discipleship involves journey and movement. When Jesus made the invitation, “Come, follow Me,” he wasn’t speaking metaphorically. People literally left routines and preoccupations of their lives to explore what life can become by walking with God. Recall how much of the Bible highlights journeys and encounters as avenues of God’s presence and formational opportunities for growth.

I think this speaks to the nature of Christian discipleship itself. What do we mean by our shared mission together “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world?” Jesus provides clarity in response to a question.

One of the religion scholars came up. Hearing the lively exchanges of question and answer and seeing how sharp Jesus was in his answers, he put in his question: “Which is most important of all the commandments?” Jesus said, “The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ — Mark 12:28-31

Relationship is where love happens. Love calls us into new frontiers of connection, even with ourselves. Love outdistances the pondering of ideas. It surpasses even belief, because it moves and calls us to embody, not just think. God’s graceful compassion is a life force that fuels us to reach out and expend our energy for the good of all, especially the most vulnerable. Love is experiential and transformative – sacred in the giving and receiving. Our faith and practice arises from the affirmation that “God is Love.”

With this understanding in mind, Jesus’ Great Commission for all of us makes so much sense.

“God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” — Matthew 28:19-20


This new column in the LINK, Pathways of Discipleship, will highlight stories and ideas from congregations, extension ministries, and people’s lives that reveal a network of paths, journeys and relationships, which encourage persons to powerful intentionality in going deeper and wider in loving God, loving those we know, loving strangers, and loving the world. What are new pathways and possibilities that your congregation can implement to consistently help persons journey further in faith and love? Stayed tuned for the next installment – Why camps and retreats make powerful pathways of discipleship.

Growing Effective Churches: It's all about relationships

By Kay L. Kotan, Director of Congregational Development


In every church, every pastor and leader say they desire their congregation to grow. Yet we struggle mightily with what appears to be some big obstacles. Despite our desire, eighty percent of our congregations are either plateaued, slowly declining, or rapidly declining. Though there are many facets of the life of any given congregation that could be improved, it is obvious we are not connecting with people we don’t know outside our congregations. If we don’t figure out how to connect with new people and the mission field around our buildings, the rest of the facets of the life of the congregation are all for naught. We will continue to lose ground and decline. It is easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day operation of running our church. We lose sight of our purpose, our priorities, and of the very mission of the church - build relationships with God, with each other, and with other people we don’t know.

The first step in reaching new people we do not know is to create and extend radical hospitality beyond the church walls. Hospitality is a part of extending ourselves in relationships. Hospitality creates an opportunity for a new relationship to be built with the community of faith. Hospitality is crafted in an outwardly focused culture of the community of faith. Evangelism is often defined as an invitation to church. Stop it! Evangelism is an invitation to experience God through Jesus Christ. Evangelism is very much a one-on-one process. The first step of evangelism is not the church, but a relationship. The only way the nonbelieving world is going to give us (disciples) a chance is to build trust through an authentic relationship. We are no longer living in a church-centric world. The church is no longer a valued institution. Therefore, we must rebuild trust and value with people we do not know. That begins through one-on-one trusting relationships. Through that trusting relationship, you might have the opportunity to share your faith and bring someone back to the gathered community of faith in hopes that the Holy Spirit would move their life for a life-changing experience. It is still true that most people find their faith with the help of another person. The sequence of evangelism that we need to learn is: get their name (without being weird), have a conversation, build an authentic relationship over time that leads to a moment where you can share your faith and a chance to bring that person back to the gathered community of faith. We will let the Holy Spirit take it from there.

Here are what I might consider the top five common myths about evangelism in the twenty-first century:

• Evangelism means inviting people to church. 
• If people will just come into the building, they will see how nice we are and will want to return. 
• If we do good deeds in our community, people will see it and want to come to our church.
• Everybody I know already goes to church.
• If we just had the right program, everyone would want to come to church.

Here are some best practices on effective evangelism to counter the myths above:

• Invitation flows from authentic relationships. It is about experiential faith-sharing – not church selling.
• If you are going to use the building for community activities, consider how you will follow-up and build relationships with the people coming into your building.
• If you are going to do good deeds in the community, follow the good deeds to the house. In other words, get to know the people you are helping. Invest in them — the person — not just the service.
• It may be true that everybody you know already goes to church. Where are you willing to hang out to meet people who do not go to church? More than half of the population in every state in America does not have an active faith. Surely you can find a new person or two with whom you can build a relationship.
• People don’t come to church because of a program. People come to church for a genuine experience that gives their life hope and grace.

While working on a consultation team a few years ago, I encountered one of those pivotal moments of truth as transformational leaders. We consistently challenge churches to build relationships with the people in their own community so they might come to know Christ. On one particular occasion, an older congregant confronted us. He told us we had asked him to reach people in a new way. He has never been equipped to do so. Most importantly, he could not fathom a way to do this without feeling weird or being seen as weird by the other person. That very conversation set in motion the desire to help congregations once again become familiar with a faith-sharing process that was not so scary. This is exactly how one of our books, “Get Their Name,” came to be.

Through hundreds of consultations, we discovered that most churches have some very common blind spots. Those common blind spots include lack of vision, no intentional discipleship pathway, lack of genuine hospitality, no connection process, lack of leadership development, and worship that is not compelling to the mission field. To reach new people in our communities we mostly likely need to re-think “doing church” in a different way than perhaps we have done before. Addressing our blind spots makes us get outside our walls and learn to be contextually relevant with our neighbors. It moves us outside our comfort zones of having “them” come to us, instead of us going to be a part of the community we are called to reach.

I encourage you to sit down with other leaders in your church and evaluate how your church is doing when it comes to building relationships – with one another, Christ, and new folks. Where are the gaps? What do you need to start doing differently?

Council of Bishops: Bishop Ough Address February 26

FEBRUARY 26, 2018

DALLAS - Council of Bishops President Bishop Bruce Ough has urged his fellow bishops to be open to Christ changing their minds as they counter disagreements and to be prepared to lead The United Methodist Church into uncharted territories.

Bishop Ough issued the challenged Sunday, February 25, at the opening of the special meeting of the Council of Bishops as the top leaders in the denominations began to receive an updated report from the Commission on a Way Forward.

In a sermon entitled “On Changing Our Minds,” which also doubled as his presidential address, Bishop Ough called on his colleagues to unbind United Methodists and guide them home.

“Let’s help our people empty themselves of the need to control one another. Let’s help our people empty themselves of their fear of the future and their fear of a changed church. Let’s help our people empty themselves of their obsession for security. Let’s not hinder or harm one another. Let’s take our people off the map. Let’s be open to Christ changing our minds,” he said.

THE FULL TEXT OF BISHOP OUGH’S ADDRESS CAN BE READ HERE

Navigate

https://www.susumc.org/index.php/ministries/connectional-ministries/ministry-teams/congregational-development/navigate

For Your Information

FYI

As of January 1, 2018, the conference office is no longer using 1-800 toll-free numbers. Please refer to http://www.susumc.org/index.php/about-us/conference-center/contact-information for contact information.

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Michelle Schwartzman is the new Harrisburg District Administrative Assistant. You can contact Harrisburg District office at: harrisburg@susumc.org or
717-766-8124

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Mary Beth Mattson will be the new Administrative Assistant in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre District starting in June. You can contact District office at: scrantonwilkesbarre@susumc.org or 570-901-1569

Young People's Ministry

YPMC calling for student leaders

The Young People’s Ministry Council is comprised of student and adult youth leaders from around the Susquehanna Conference. The mission of the YPMC is to equip student leaders to empower their peers to make disciples. In May 2018 the YPMC will graduate two student leaders, who, while having not served many years, have made an impact on the lives of many of their peers.

Hayden only officially joined the YPMC in the summer of 2017, but he has been attending Annual Conference for many years, making him part of the family by default. Hayden is a deep thinker, always smiling, and a marvelous musician. His positive attitude and willingness to do whatever is necessary has made him a valuable member of our team.

Alex has been on the YPMC since 2016 and has grown not only in leadership in our group, but also in his local church. At Annual Conference 2017, Alex accepted a calling into ministry and will be pursing that calling at Eastern University in the fall. We thank these talented young men for their service and commitment to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We currently have five rising seniors that will graduate and leave our team in May 2019. Several of these members have been with us since middle school, and have taken the YPMC in new directions. While we have a stable group of freshmen, sophomores, and juniors to continue the ministry, we are hoping to bring in more students to be mentored by our strong senior class.

Applications to join our leadership team will be available online at igniteyoungpeople.org from April 1, 2018, through July 1, 2018. We use applications to help the team understand the skills present and those that need to be developed in each applicant. We seek students who have been confirmed in the United Methodist Church and are members of a congregation in the Susquehanna Conference. We love to have students who have little experience leading, and those with lots of experience. We love students from big youth groups and students with no youth group at all. If you know a teenager God is calling to leadership, we have a place for them at our table. Please send us these leaders of our conference and for your church.

Youth Rallies

Over the past two months the Young People’s Ministry has lead two youth rallies in the southern and northern areas of the conference.

We started the new year on January 7 with a youth rally at Shepherdstown UMC. There were 58 students in attendance, and they brought 25 leaders with them. Worship was led by Fishburn UMC worship band, consisting of four students and five adults. YPMC student leader Julia Briselli of Grace UMC Hummelstown delivered a message about the importance of staying connected to God. Throughout worship there were many opportunities for students to be in leadership with peers from their own district.

Following worship, the students participated in small group discussion and mission projects. The students prepared two quilts, which will be given to a VIM team going to Florida. The quilts are gifts to the families the VIM team is assisting. Students also made over 40 Valentine’s Day cards that were delivered to the United Methodist Home for Children in Mechanicsburg to be delivered to their residents. Through these mission projects, these students had the opportunity to be a part of the United Methodist connection far beyond their local church youth group. The YPMC tries to help demonstrate to students the breadth of the United Methodist Church and how their service and ministry here impacts the lives of others they may never meet.

February brought the YPMC to Shavertown UMC. The student and adult members of the congregation, along with Rev. Judy Walker, provided a hospitable environment to come into out of the ice and fog. Students from six area churches gathered with Kevin Witt and Emily Sliski from Camp & Retreat Ministries for high-energy icebreaker games and team building activities. Later, the gifts of the members of the YPMC were further utilized as Pastor Scott Miller and student leader Jacob Drexler led an acoustic worship service. Along with playing the cajon (drum box), Jacob also delivered the message emphasizing the importance of choosing to follow Christ even when times are difficult.

Again, students were separated into small groups to have discussion and participate in a mission project. Shavertown UMC member Cathy Berkey offered an information session about how their church supports children with hearing impairments at a specialized school in Dakar, Senegal, in West Africa. The attendees then had an opportunity to make prayer bead bracelets to be taken by Shavertown missionary Susan Roese and distributed at the boarding school in March. Students enjoyed the opportunity to make something themselves that would provide joy for someone their age half way across the world. We also celebrated the joy of supporting a local church in their mission to love children they may never meet.

The YPMC has one more Recalculating Youth Rally left. We hope that many of you will join us at Watsontown UMC, Sunday, April 8, from 3-7 p.m.
Registration will remain open until Wednesday, March 28, 2018. Holy Week is a busy week, but still remember to register at igniteyoungpeople.org for the youth rally.

Youth Rally Highlights

Pension educational meetings

Two pension educational meetings will be held April 18, 2018, at Beaver Memorial United Methodist Church, 42 S. 3rd St., Lewisburg, PA 17837.
These meetings are geared for the following participants:

Session 1 - This meeting is designed for newer clergy. We will review how the pension plan works and your options under the plan. This meeting will start at 9 a.m. and run until about 11:30 a.m.

Session 2 - This meeting is designed for clergy within five years of retirement. Topics reviewed will include social security considerations, health insurance information, and other considerations that may impact your retirement date. This meeting will start at 1 p.m. and run until about 3:30 p.m.

In order to help us properly plan for your attendance, please register for the sessions at tinyurl.com/ped2018

Continue Your Mission at Albright

Volunteers Keep the RiverWoods and Normandie Ridge Auxiliaries Thriving!

The auxiliaries at Normandie Ridge and RiverWoods are very active, having members from many area churches as well as residents from each campus. The purpose of the auxiliaries is to enhance the lives of the residents.

The RiverWoods Auxiliary’s primary source of income is through their gift shops. In 1971, they opened a gift shop in the nursing care center. When RidgeCrest Commons opened in 2003, space was included to display gift shop items for sale, increasing their visibility and income. Beautifully handcrafted items from the woodshop and studio are also sold at both locations.

The recent addition of the Adams Center for Transitional Care and Rehabilitation included the renovation of the gift shop. Due to the retirement of Jan Bender as manager at the end of 2017, a newly established committee of auxiliary members has taken over its management and is making some changes. A grand opening is planned for later this spring.

The Normandie Ridge Auxiliary was founded in 1993. Each year, on the second Saturday of October, an Anniversary Celebration is held on campus. For the past 17 years, Flo Waybright has been chair of the auxiliary committee that plans and carries out the celebration, with the help and support of many local church volunteers in addition to residents and staff. It is a day filled with music, delicious food, crafts, and books for sale, and themed baskets in a silent auction.
Four years ago, the auxiliary added a spring fashion show as an annual event which is attended by residents and guests. Residents model the clothing and a percentage of the sales total is donated by the vendor. Donated themed baskets are placed in a silent auction to raise additional funds.

Each auxiliary uses the funds raised for the purchase of equipment and funding of programs that are used at all levels of care. Recent purchases include Automated External Defibrillators, electronic tablets, specialty wheelchairs, therapy equipment, and flat screen televisions. In 2016 they contributed to fund the printing of the recent centennial book, “Memories, Reflections and Dreams: an Illustrated History of Albright Care Services.” The book is for sale at each campus. In addition, they donate to the Benevolent Care Fund, which is used to help pay for food, housing, and medicine for residents who outlive their financial resources.

We are grateful for all that the auxiliaries do for residents, and invite you to continue your mission by becoming an auxiliary member. Membership dues are currently $5 per calendar year and membership is open to anyone interested in the well-being of the residents.

Visit www.albrightcare.org for information on senior living, day programs, giving, or volunteering.

The Spirit of Invention - Charge puts Health Ministries Grants to work

In 2017 Rouzerville UMC and Wesley Chapel UMC, Rouzerville Charge, each received a $500 Health Ministries Grant from Susquehanna Conference Congregational Health Ministries.

Rouzerville UMC

Rouzerville UMC joined the Global Ministries Abundant Health Initiative’s 10,000 church challenge, committing to promote activities in areas of health as a practice of their congregation, such as:

• Providing opportunities for physical activity
• Promoting healthy diet and nutrition
• Supporting those who are dependent on or impacted by addictive substances to quit or recover
• Promoting mental well-being of our congregants and community. 

Their efforts started with a drug prevention program for youth from the two charge churches, plus another United Methodist youth group in the area. Eighteen youth attended. The presenter was a health advocate from the Charge Health Ministries Team who is also the mother of a drug-addicted child. The youth really engaged with what she had to say. They received drug awareness pamphlets (purchased with grant money) and information that should not only help them, but perhaps their friends, too.

The Health Ministries Team then challenged 23 youth from the three churches to a Pedometer Challenge. Each youth received their own pedometer (purchased with grant money) for the challenge. The purpose of this program was to increase each youth’s activity and awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. The Pedometer Challenge included presentations on the following topics:

• Healthy eating - Cynde Overholtzer, RN parish nurse
• Importance of exercise - Rita Caviness, RN parish nurse
• Importance of water/fluid intake - Becky Buffington, RN parish nurse
• Spiritual health - Missy Miller, health advocate
• How to keep track of your steps - Susan Barlup, health advocate
• How to use the pedometer - Donna Beard, health advocate

The winners of the Pedometer Challenge were announced at the youth Christmas party in December. The first place winner received a FitBit, the second and third place winners received a $25 gift card. The prizes were purchased with grant money.

“We hope the youth have a better awareness of a healthy lifestyle physically, mentally, and spiritually,” said Becky Buffinton, RN parish nurse. “We hope they can be disciples of Jesus and share the information they’ve learned with other youth in the community.”

In an effort to “create a healthy society where children … experience abundant health,” they participated in Waynesboro Market Days in October 2017. With a “Drink Less Sugar” display and a game, they educated children in the community about healthy eating and drinking choices, and also about Jesus. After the game each child received healthy snacks, water, and ‘spiritual’ gifts.

Wesley Chapel UMC

As part of the Health Ministries Team of the Rouzerville Charge, Wesley Chapel UMC strives to educate and inform their members and the community about health and wellness.

Their recent three-year focus was disaster preparedness. In 2015 they focused on personal preparedness. In 2016 they taught about church preparedness. Their goal in 2017 was to reach out to the community with disaster preparedness education.

The funds from the Health Ministries Grant allowed Wesley Chapel to provide information and programs to help both charge churches and the community be better prepared for a disaster.

They participated in a health fair in March 2017, sponsored by the local hospital, with a booth that promoted disaster preparedness for the home and the community, and interacted with more than 250 of the 1,400 people who attended.
They also participated in Waynesboro Market Days in October 2017, where they had a booth to promote information about disaster preparedness, plus information about the churches and how they are trying to be disciples of Jesus.
The Health Ministries grant money was used to purchase:

• Scripture cards and action Bible cards that are in the churches’ disaster-preparedness bins, to be used by members and children for spiritual comfort during a disaster.
• “Making Sense of Suffering” pamphlets for both churches, which will be used in the churches and community in the wake of a disaster. 
• Medical supplies for disaster preparedness bins for both churches
• Materials to educate the community on disaster preparedness as part of the 2017 outreach. These materials were used at both the health fair and Waynesboro Market Days booths.

“Our Health Ministries Team has been such an exciting mission. We know our Lord led us in this direction,” said Buffington.

Find out more about Susquehanna Conference Congregational Health Ministries at tinyurl.com/susconfCHM and Mental Health Ministries at
tinyurl.com/susconfMHM

United Methodist Missionaries in Service

http://www.umcmission.org/Explore-Our-Work/Missionaries-in-Service

Community outreach spreads further than planned

By Ann Geyer and Dana Myers

As an expression of its mission to share the love of Christ with its community, Mount Zion United Methodist Church in Enola began the new year by inviting members of the congregation to collect gently used flat shoes, coats, sweaters, hats, scarves, and gloves for Downtown Daily Bread in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The church’s Fund Raising Committee coordinated the effort.

As word of the outreach spread on social media, persons from across the local community, and as far away as New York and Oklahoma, sent bags of winter wear to the church. Shoes were placed next to the pews, coats were laid on the altar of the church’s sanctuary, and many more items filled bins placed in the church’s gathering area. These items were blessed before they were delivered to area ministries.

The overwhelming response meant that Mount Zion Church was able to expand this outreach to include Bethesda Mission, New Digs Ministries in Mechanicsburg, and a domestic shelter in Lebanon, which made fourteen bags of clothing available to families displaced from Puerto Rico by Hurricane Maria.

Active Shooter Training video and resources

After the recent mass shooter events in locations around the country and the world, it has become all the more important for local congregations to be prepared for these kinds of situations.

In cooperation with the Harrisburg Police Department, the Communications Ministry of the Susquehanna Conference has produced an Active Shooter Training video for congregations to use. A special thanks to Deputy Chief Deric Moody for coordination and to Lt. Terry Wealand, Det. Kirk Aldridge, and Ofc. Mark Hall for their help in presenting this material.

The video can be viewed at tinyurl.com/susconfAST and supporting slides can be found at tinyurl.com/susconfASTslides

Congregation Security Workshop 
The South Central PA Task Force will present a Congregation Security Workshop Saturday, April 7, 2018, at Milton Hershey School in Hershey, Pa. This workshop will cover developing emergency plans, proper responses to active shooter incidents, crime prevention tips for local churches, and more.
Registration is free. Lunch will be provided, with special thanks to the South Central PA Task Force and Milton Hershey School.

Register: tinyurl.com/sctfASTreg
Information: tinyurl.com/sctfASTinfo
Agenda: tinyurl.com/sctfASTagenda

This event will also be videotaped and shared as a resource through the conference website at susumc.org and YouTube page at tinyurl.com/susumcYT

The value of ALICE training

By Rev. George Reynolds

Armed intruders are a part of our lives. Sadly, this reality is one we will all have to accept for the time being. But we can be prepared. We must be prepared, because it can happen anywhere.

Recognizing the threat and acknowledging the need to be prepared, Linglestown Life in the Harrisburg District has engaged a number of steps to be proactive for our community of faith. This has included training through the South Central PA Emergency Task Force - Congregation Security Workshop; revising and updating our Emergency Response Plan for the church and nursery school; and engaging the services of ALICE Training Institute to train and equip our staff and volunteers.

That’s the value of ALICE. ALICE teaches participants a proactive, options-based plan for civilian response to a violent critical incident. ALICE authorizes and empowers individuals to utilize human action, building infrastructure, and communication options to increase their chance of survival. Simply put, ALICE’s mission is to save more lives.

Churches wanting to learn more about the ALICE Training programs can explore their website at www.alicetraining.com.

United Nations Seminar in NYC

Twenty clergy and lay persons from Susquehanna Conference attended the conference-sponsored United Nations Seminar February 4-7, 2018.

The 2018 United Nations Seminar caught my attention when I read the theme was to be Terrorism, Violence, and Peace. For many years I had wanted to stand in the space of the United Nations building in New York City — where people from countries throughout the world dared to work toward peace. Touring the United Nations I “felt” the presence of people who had come together for that purpose. As a pastor of a local church, I have felt an increased urgency to develop more tools to work toward peace. As we listened to input and shared our experience, despair, and hope, I found help in adding to my toolkit. Thanks to the United Methodist Women’s seminar planning staff who led us! — Rev. Susan Halverstadt

On our trip to the Church Center for the United Nations, we learned about the importance of having difficult conversations in our local churches. We can’t sit back and pretend social issues are not happening, simply because it’s uncomfortable to talk about. As leaders, I feel we all need to learn to be better listeners. My most important take away from our trip is that we can disagree and still be friends.  — Pastor Joshua Wargo, Rouzerville Charge

I was truly blessed to be a part of the recent UN Seminar. I have attended many conferences, seminars, and extended learning events over the years, but this one was one of the best! We had a great and diverse group and we're able to spend much time together learning about terror and violence. We explored issues like root causes, proper definitions, and action steps we could make. We also toured the UN building, which was special in itself. A well planned, fine event! — Rev. Stevan Atanasoff, Geyers United Methodist Church

Jubilee of the UMC

By Rev. Fred Day, General Secretary, 
General Commission on Archives and History

Fifty years ago, Evangelical United Brethren (EUB) Bishop Rueben H. Mueller and Methodist Bishop Lloyd C. Wicke joined hands over a table laden with symbols—the Bible, hymnals, books of Discipline and a 307-page “Plan of Union.” 1,300 delegates and 10,000 visitors met in Dallas, Texas on April 23, 1968 proclaiming the formation of the newly-constituted United Methodist Church. 10.3 million Methodists and 750,000 members of the EUB Church merged into one of the largest Protestant denominations in the world. Flags from fifty-three countries testified to the breadth of the new reality. At the same time, the systematic racism of the former Methodist Church’s segregating Central Jurisdiction began dismantling. 

That same year, the United Methodist Council of Bishops signed a concordat with the British Methodist Conference committing to ongoing dialogue and increasing shared experiences saying “members of the same family belong together and British and American Methodists are the same family.”

Returning from the holiday break, I found a copy on my desk of Albert Outler’s sermon “Visions and Dreams” preached at the uniting General Conference. It was a reminder from a faithful staff member that it was time to begin preparations for Heritage Sunday, to be held this year on May 20. This year’s theme is “JUBILEE: The 50th Anniversary of The United Methodist Church.”
Outler’s sermon celebrates the April 23, 1968 birthday of The United Methodist Church with “an aura of hope,” as the new church gathered at the “threshold of a new horizon.”

My first read struck me powerfully with the sense of the moment in time when the sermon was delivered in 1968—Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy’s assassinations April 4 and June 5, the sexual revolution, Chicago Democratic National Convention, Vietnam War and protests, the law and order platform of the Richard Nixon election—times as turbulent, divided, fearful, discontented and demoralizing as any time since. Citing the biblical text for Pentecost (Acts 2: 2-21), Outler calls the new Church to a bold choice of unity in the face of the surrounding chaos and offers markers for living-into a truly United Methodist Church. His words speak as loudly today as our denomination’s birthdate. Outler asks the faithful to consider that if the Church cannot be a hope-filled difference-maker in and for the world—let alone itself—then who will?

Where once there were five different churches, now there is one. Differences that once kept us apart—language, race, folkways, piety, personality and differing practices of democracy have been overcome. Separated Christian brothers and sisters rooted in a shared ethos of personal and social holiness are joined as family.

The real work of The United Methodist Church begun that day in April, 1968, Outler says. Though fraught with the same complexities, doubts, frustrations and failures of the first Pentecost, the new United Methodist Church will also be filled with new possibilities for reformation and renewal because the joining of what was once separate will make for a better, stronger, more complete, well-equipped church. However, this will only come to pass if the new church raises-up “frontiersman for tomorrow, dynamically adaptive to the new world as our forefathers were in theirs.”

The sermon then stakes-out the life of the new United Methodist Church in tripartite form—”truly catholic, truly evangelical, and truly reforming,”—not in hierarchy but in careful balance:

• Catholic-a church “inclusive” (not a buzz word in 1968!), “open” and boundaried by the “bare essentials” of the canons of Christ and Christian discipline derived from our confession of faith and opening hearts and minds to new and bold ventures in Christian unity.
• Evangelical-called to mission flowing from the heart of the Gospel that ALL are loved by God with a special love demonstrated by and centered in Jesus Christ’s pardoning, healing and reconciling ways which create new possibilities for all.
• Reforming-an eagerness to be renewed again and again, judged by the future as much as the past, “self-examining without self-justification and self-loathing ... creative in discontent and rooted in the conviction that mere good is the enemy of the best.”

 The eyes of the whole Christian Church are on us at this moment, Outler said of April 23, 1968. “This is also the day the Lord has made, one for United Methodists to rejoice and be glad ... glad for the new chance God now gives us to be a church united, to be uniting, a church repentant, to be a church redemptive, a church cruciform in order to manifest God’s triumphant agony for mankind.”
From Albert’s mouth to God’s ears. Or perhaps now from Albert’s mouth to The United Methodist Church’s inner ear.

I haven’t been able to put this sermon down. I’ve shared it with the Council of Bishops, the Connectional Table, the General Secretaries Table and The Commission on A Way Forward. It will be one of the Heritage Sunday resources we share this year with every congregation across the Connection.
Some will say “that was then and this is now.” Times have changed, and circumstances and issues with them.

I cannot help but be struck that at The UMC’s 50th birthday, the mood of the church is anything but jubilation. Jubilees aren’t on the agendas, church news or denominational blogs I read. What I sense there is more anxiety, edginess, defensiveness, anger, and negative predictions—more “coming-undone” than “coming-together.”

I’m with Albert Outler—the eyes of the whole Church are on us.
In that context, I offer “Visions and Dreams” as required reading to remember and stoke the hope of our 1968 birthright—boldly choosing unity while the world around seemed set on pulling-apart, embracing the challenging and complex work of unity, trusting the creative work of Holy Spirit and setting its feet to the path of a church that in Albert Outler’s words lives and grows by its being “united to be uniting, repentant to be redemptive and cruciform in order to manifest God’s triumphant agony for mankind.”

Moving to and through 2018 and towards 2019 and a special General Conference, God give us a golden anniversary year.

View the video of the 1968 Methodist and EUB union at tinyurl.com/1968merger

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By understanding the past, General Commission on Archives and History helps envision the future. www.gcah.org

Discovery Place - Resources by Andy Stanley

This month we are featuring resources by Andy Stanley. Andy is a pastor, communicator, author, and founder of North Point Ministries Inc., with three campuses in the Atlanta area, at which 20,000 adults attend worship each Sunday. If you have never experienced any of Andy’s DVD studies, you’re in for a treat.

Christian: It’s Not What You Think – In this study you will learn what one word should be descriptive of every disciple, how Jesus’ followers should treat those who are outside the faith, and why people love Jesus but can’t stand His followers. In this 8-session study, Andy challenges us to change the name and reputation of Christianity by becoming a group of followers characterized by one thing – love.

Five Things God Uses to Grow Your Faith – Imagine what it would be like to have perfect faith. This 6-session study establishes the biblical case for five things God uses to grow big faith.

Faith, Hope, and Luck – When our prayers are answered, our faith soars. When God is silent, it becomes harder to trust Him. This 5-session study is guaranteed to transform your thinking about faith. You will discover the difference between faith and hope. Andy explains what we can expect of God every time we come to Him with a request.

Breakaway: Because You Didn’t Set Out to be Just Like Everybody Else – None of us sets out to be like everybody else, but it happens. Life begins to squeeze us into a mold until one day we wake up feeling trapped. This 6-session study is designed to renovate your thinking by exposing you to four core beliefs that have the power to change the trajectory of your life. Breakaway illustrates how our core beliefs dictate our decisions, which dictate the outcomes of our lives.

Follow – Religion says change and you can join us. Jesus says join us and you will change. Jesus doesn’t expect us to be perfect. He just wants us to follow Him. In this 8-session study Andy uses the Gospels to explain Jesus’ teaching on what it means to follow.

How To Be Rich: It’s Not What You Have. It’s What You Do With What You Have – Andy is convinced that most of us are richer than we believe. We can be rich without knowing it, feeling it, or acting like it. This 4-session study encourages us to not just be rich, but to learn to be good at it.

Discovery Place has at least two copies of each of the resources listed above. In addition, we have single copies of the following: Twisting the Truth; Life Rules: Instructions for Life; The Best Question Ever: Learning to Foolproof Your Life; Discovering God’s Will; and Guardrails: Avoiding Regrets in Your Life.

To read complete descriptions of these resources, go to our website, www.discovery-place.org, and search by title in our online catalog. You can place an order from the website, e-mail discovery@susumc.org, or call 717-766-7968. I hope to hear from you!

Where Your Treasure Is - Anticipating God’s preferred future

Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasure in heaven...for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

Matthew 6:19-21

From Rev. Phyllis Bowers, Executive Director United Methodist Stewardship Foundation — This month I asked Rev. G. Edwin Zeiders to share a reflection. I am grateful for his wisdom; this is what he wrote:

Anticipating God’s preferred future

One of my friends talked enthusiastically about glimpsing God’s preferred future for the United Methodist Church. Looking into the future is usually reserved for prophets or prognosticators, but Christians in particular, like my friend, benefit from a keen sense of urgency about things yet to be.

Facing the future personally, and in our families, is not much different. Living into God’s preferred future is a meaningful manifestation of Christian discipleship no matter our age or perspective. We live with certainty that God is with us. We have assurance that we are not abandoned and confidence that leading lives “worthy of the gospel” fulfills God’s vision for us.

But a necessary part are those periodic glances backward to discern and celebrate the measure of what God has done through us. We may look back with gratitude for all those who have loved and cared for us and rejoice in the ways God has deployed us into the majesty and mystery of God’s own will. A holy retrospective in prayer and humility is a good thing indeed.

Planning for those who follow after us is a substantial way of leaving a legacy that assures a measure of continuity and support for things that have mattered to us. Planning deferred gifts in our estate makes it possible for others to live, labor, pray, and “love the world forward.”

All that God has done yields a life of praise and contemplation. A love well lived is the fulfillment of the prayers of previous generations and their commitment to inspire us. A planned estate gift is not something to fear or shy away from; rather, such a commitment celebrates how God has embraced and deployed us.
We leave a gift because we first received the gifts entrusted to us. Together we live in anticipation of God’s preferred future. Our gifts now, and our gifts left for others are how the transformation of the world actually happens.

The UMC Foundation Board announces two new board members

Nashville, TN - The United Methodist Church Foundation, an investment management company of The United Methodist Church since 1999, announces the appointment of two new members of its Board of Directors.

Joining the Board of Directors are Phyllis Bowers and Barry Kyte Jr. “Both of our newest board members embody faith in Christ and bring talent, expertise, and energy to the table. We are very fortunate to have them with us as we continue in our mission to strengthen the congregations of The United Methodist Church,” said Ehren Congdon, foundation director.

Phyllis Bowers has served as the Executive Director of The United Methodist Stewardship Foundation since 2005. Prior to that, Bowers served for eighteen years as Director of Planned Giving and Stewardship Services for the U.M. Stewardship Foundation of Central PA. She is a graduate of York College of Pennsylvania and The National Institute of Planned Giving at the College of William and Mary. Phyllis Bowers is also one of the founding board members of the United Methodist Church Foundation, having served one term from 1999 until 2003. She and her husband, Rev. Richard L. Bowers have two children and four grandchildren.

Barry Kyte Jr.is the Chief Financial Officer at T Bayou LLC. Kyte spent eleven years as a financial planner and analyst with TrustCore Financial, where he earned both his chartered financial analyst and certified financial planner designations. He earned his Master of Business Administration, Finance, from Florida State University. Kyte lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with his wife, Mindy, and their two children.

“The energy and motivation that we will receive from both Phyllis and Barry will help the United Methodist Church Foundation move forward with renewed focus and fervor to continue in our mission to increase the vitality of The United Methodist Church,.” said Congdon.

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The mission of the United Methodist Church Foundation is to empower the church, local to global, by modeling a generosity in trusted partnership with agencies and institutions to endow its mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Our Heritage

By Dr. Milton Loyer, Conference Archivist

March – 100 years ago

The Central Pennsylvania Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church held its 50th annual session March 20-25, 1918, at Newberry Church in Lycoming County. The Semi-Centennial Celebration featured an address by Bishop William Frazier McDowell, greetings from the mother conference (the Baltimore Conference), and the presentation by Rev. A.S. Bowman of a gavel made of wood from Old Stone Church, three miles west of Berwick – built in 1808 and the oldest church still standing in the conference. That gavel is now on display at the conference archives. Old Stone Church, one of our conference historic sites, was restored and rededicated two years ago by its daughter congregation, First Church Berwick.

The previous fall the host Newberry congregation had dedicated an extensive Sunday school addition which included an auditorium, several classrooms, and a basketball court on the lower level. While that complex is no longer used for regular worship, it continues in ministry as the West End Christian Community Center of St. John’s – Newberry UMC.

April – 50 years ago

The United Methodist Church came into being April 23, 1968, in Dallas, Texas. At that time, the Methodist Church (formed in 1939 by the union of the Methodist Protestant Church and the northern and southern branches of the Methodist Episcopal Church) and the Evangelical United Brethren Church (formed in 1946 by the union of the Evangelical and United Brethren denominations) united to create the new ecclesiastical body. The two former denominations were essentially identical in theology and polity and differed only in their founding language, as the former EUB churches had their circa 1800 origins among the German settlers in America.

The United Methodist Church in Pennsylvania maintained overlapping former Methodist and EUB conferences for two years. In 1970 the boundaries were redrawn and the state divided into the Eastern, Central, and Western Pennsylvania conferences – with the northeast corner of Pennsylvania state remaining with southern New York congregations in the Wyoming Conference.