So That...

“Using the two important words “so that” has the power to change the way [church] leaders work... so that everything that God’s people do is shaped toward mission and results in fruitfulness.” 

— Lovett H. Weems, Jr. 

Recently, the Connectional Ministries staff of the Susquehanna Conference assessed our work areas to refocus on why we do what we do... 

Rev. Dr. Kathleen Kind

The Director of Connectional Ministries exists to be part of and lead the Connectional Ministries team so that we can resource and support clergy, laity, and congregations in being followers of Jesus who are making new followers of Jesus.

Amy Wynn

I serve as the Administrative Assistant to the Director of Connectional Ministries so that I can assist the director to provide resources and make connections to help pastors and laity to transform their lives, and those that they come into contact with, by sharing the love of Christ.

Connie Waggoner

As the Receptionist, I am here to greet, investigate, answer, help, and smile so that people know we are a loving, giving, and faithful community.

Liz Lennox

As Director of Communications, I strategize with and direct the Communications Team to share pertinent information with clergy and laity so that they remain well-informed and fully connected to the conference and one another. Stories and experiences are chronicled so that we can celebrate our transformative ministries while educating the public about who we are not just as United Methodists, but as followers of Jesus Christ. 

Stacy Eckert

As a Communications Specialist (Web/Graphic design) for the Communications Team, I help resource our Conference through effective and consistent communications in a variety of communication outlets, so that by witnessing God’s work and inspiring new ideas through these communications we can Grow, Equip and Connect in an ever-changing world.

Sandii Peiffer

As a member of the Communications Team, I publish the news of God’s work in and through United Methodists in the Susquehanna Conference and throughout the world so that our readers can understand and feel part of the powerful connection we have as a global church and be inspired to join us in making disciples and transforming the world. I also maintain a presence for the Susquehanna Conference on Facebook so that we can reach and connect with even more people about God’s work in and through United Methodists and portray a positive Social Media presence.

Rev. Kevin Witt

Age Level and Beloved Community Ministries provide opportunities for the wide diversity of people in our communities to experience the embrace of God so that all understand their giftedness and more deeply value each other; so that together we join Jesus in making the way of love our way of life; so that the world increasingly embodies the Beloved Community of God

Cindy Weaver

Our ministry area (Age Level Ministries, Equipping Vital Congregations, Building the Beloved Community) provides resources and learning opportunities to pastors, laity, and local churches so that they become energized and excited (as their next faithful steps occur) in creating new places for new people, revitalizing their ministries, bringing young people to know Jesus, and building the beloved community.

Kim Shockley

I serve as the Coordinator of Lay Excellence so that lay people throughout the Susquehanna Conference have the tools needed to engage others in abundant Christian love that transforms lives wherever they go.

Tricia Frye

I perform administrative tasks for the Camp & Retreat Ministry so that our camps and retreats are places where participants can be themselves, form new relationships, experience personal growth, appreciate nature, and encounter Jesus in new ways.

Douglas Hoy

We do Disaster Response Ministry so that members of the Susquehanna Annual Conference can be equipped and empowered to answer the fundamental calling to be missionary communities and missionaries in the community, share the love of Jesus with and be a caring, Christian presence in the lives of those suffering from disasters in their lives.

Michelle Schwartzman

As the Volunteer in Mission Coordinator for the Susquehanna Conference, I cultivate connectional relationships, and I train and mobilize volunteers so that we in the local church can put our “Love into Action.” We act in love with intentionality and awareness so that we enter into service as a partnership and uphold the dignity of our partners.

Joni Robison

Discovery Place provides free Bible study and spiritual growth resources, guidance, and support so that churches have access to a wide selection of materials from a variety of authors and viewpoints to nurture spiritual growth; so that study participants can grow in their faith or meet Jesus for the first time; so that Sunday School teachers will have access to a variety of teaching resources; so that teachers of children and youth have access to a myriad of creative ideas; so that people can find deeper meaning in seasonal studies such as for Advent and Lent; and so that churches can save money to fund other outreach and ministry programs.

Connecting With Your Community

By Doug Hoy, SUSUMC Disaster Response Coordinator

Growing up, I spent many hours watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and learning life lessons that have formed who I am today. Fred Rogers was a pastor and, through his ministry and television show, he emphasized the importance of kindness, community, and friendship.

He once said, “All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we’re giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That’s one of the things that connects us as neighbors—in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver.”

When we think of disasters, what comes to mind? Hurricanes…Flooding…Wildfires…Earthquakes? Have we considered the homeless, the hungry, single parents, seniors, or that forgotten population between 18 and twenty-something? While the needs of survivors of the former certainly should occupy our thoughts, prayers, and actions, the latter also suffer. They are our neighbors and friends. They live in our communities. They have needs!

And, while it is not about the numbers, research confirms this. Fifty seven percent of Americans surveyed indicated they only know some of their neighbors. Sixty nine percent of 13 to 25 year olds say they have three or four meaningful interactions within a day. Forty percent say they have no one to talk to and that no one really knows them well.

Our younger population is suffering as well. One in four young people say they have one or fewer adults in their lives they can turn to if they need to talk. Twenty-four percent of young people indicated they have no adult mentors and feel like their life has no meaning or purpose. 

In a world so fraught over the impact of a pandemic, troubled by social and political discord, and divided by racial and social injustice, there are people in our communities who are hurting, lonely, and in search of someone who cares. They want to connect, talk, and find meaning and purpose in their lives.

Philippians 4:19 says, “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” This verse reveals that our God is an abundantly loving, caring, and giving. When we keep our eyes focused on Him, He will work in our lives and communities and give us opportunities to meet every need. He will supply us with the ability to be a caring, Christian presence to someone in need. And, according to the numbers, all we need to do is reach out.

So, who are those people in our neighborhoods? And, how can we identify their needs?

The Disaster Response Ministry offers the Connecting Neighbors program, which provides church leaders, laity, and congregations with ideas about how to do mission in our own back yards. Equipping Vital Congregations offers the Mission Insite program that can help congregations identify those areas of need within our community. Using these resources will help us to learn more about our communities. Through these programs, we can discover new, tangible ministry areas where we can connect and engage with them.

As your congregation works to identify opportunities and develop a plan, consider Mister Rogers’ advice. 

“What really matters is helping others win, too, even if it means slowing down and changing our course now and then.”

Ephesians 4 tells us we have all been equipped “for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Everyone has something they can contribute. And, by keeping our focus on God, prayerfully considering the needs of our community, and acting on the opportunities He provides, we can meet the needs of our neighbors and build the kingdom of God.

For additional information on these programs:

Connecting Neighbors – Visit the Disaster Response Ministry webpage at www.susmb.org/drm and click on the Connecting Neighbors Training link under Resources.

Mission Insite – Visit the Equipping Vital Congregations webpage at www.susumc.org/evc-mission-insite

Contact Doug Hoy at 717-766-7441, ext. 3402 or email drc@susumc.org

Equipping Vital Congregations: I Dare You to Read This! (It may change your church’s life!)

Rev. Gary ALAN Shockley, Director of Equipping Vital Congregations

Many years ago, in a different annual conference, I was sent to meet with a church in a “sketchy” part of the city notorious for drugs, gang violence and decline. I was given the unenviable task of guiding them toward closure. Seated around the table with me were seven adults all of whom were in their 70’s and 80’s and white. Half of them lived outside of town and commuted in for worship. 

The council chair described his church as “in its final steps” of their 100+ year journey as a community of faith and wanted to know what was next. Questions emerged like, “Why did this happen? Why have people stopped coming to church? How could the community abandon us? Why hasn’t the conference fixed this?” I listened. In time the questions shifted. “How do we turn this around? What should we be thinking about? Is there still a mission for us?” I could not help but notice the “shiny eyes” of some the people around me. I leaned forward with a twinge of excitement. 

“Tell me about the people who live around here,” I asked. They essentially described themselves. “There’s just a bunch of old people like us. No younger families. No kids.” Now, as I drove into town earlier that day, I could not help but notice the projects that bordered two sides of their building. As was my custom, I drove through the area and away from the main drag. I stopped at two parks where a dozen or so teenagers were shooting hoops. All of them people of color. I saw young mothers sitting on the stoops of their apartments in the projects with small children on their knees. Again, mostly people of color. I visited a convenience store and acted as though I was lost and looking for the church. I got shrugs and expressions of confusion. One young man pointed away from where the church was (which was within easy walking distance and on the main drag) and said, “I think it’s down there but closed years ago.” My tour of the area yielded a vastly different picture of the community than the folks around me had painted. 

I suggested a few simple things for them to do between this meeting and the one we had scheduled in two weeks. “First, get out and visit parts of the town you never frequent. Stop and observe who you see and what is happening around you. Take notes. Second, eat at other places you would normally never go to and vary the times you dine out. Stop and visit a bar even if it is just to have a Coke. Pay particular attention to the people right around your building. Sit outside. Walk the block (in pairs!). Say “hi” to the people you see. And, as you are doing these things, PRAY for God to give you the eyes and hearts you need to SEE your community.” You get the idea. 

Between meetings I did a pretty thorough demographic study of the area. When we gathered again there was a noticeable buzz of energy in the room. There were three new people at the table. They could not wait to share with me what they had learned. I listened and often had to choke back tears. When they were finished, I shared what I had learned from my study. The largest population group right around their church (which was in the projects) were twenty-two-year-old single mothers. Over 80% were people of color! We sat with this information for several minutes. “There IS your mission field!”

We then had a conversation about their assets. Not just financial but human assets. What gifts, experiences, heart, and passions had they received from God for such a time as this. I will never forget the statement made that changed the course of their lives and their church. “These young women have no families, no support for their children, no opportunity to work because they can’t afford child-care. WE can be their surrogate parents and grandparents. WE can watch their children. WE can teach them how to cook good food on a tight budget. WE can be with them!”

Fast forward. This group of seventy and eighty-year-old men and women opened and staffed a day care. They held cooking classes and regular meals for their neighbors (and ate with them at the table). They hosted birthday parties for the children and managed to create Sunday School classes which allowed the mothers to attend worship. 

Instead of the church closing, they received a new pastor (the former part-time pastor was retiring for the second time) and when I was invited back to preach a year later, I was stunned to see a sanctuary filled with young women of color and their surrogate family members who beamed with joy at the new life they and their church had experienced. 

First, they had to SEE the people. Second, they had to LEARN of their needs. Third, they had to make an ASSESSMENT of what God had provided them to meet those needs. Fourth, they had to STEP UP, try something new and TRUST God to guide and provide. 

What about your church?

The office of Equipping Vital Congregations is interested in having a conversation with you. Call 717-545-0525 or email evcoffice@susumc.org. 

Find tools and training to equip your church at  facebook.com/EquippingVitalCongregations

Equipping Vital Congregations - Becoming a Vital and Thriving Post-Pandemic Church

Rev. Gary Alan Shockley, Director of Equipping Vital Congregations

There’s quite a bit of speculation going on right now about what the church should look like post-pandemic. For sure, it will look different. The idea of going back to normal is a fantasy because “normal” has changed. 

Like many of you, I’ve been reading blogs of popular authors and church experts and have read books seeking to describe what a post-pandemic church might look like. This is my attempt to summarize.

My goal here is to give you the broad categories and encourage you to have conversation, in your own context, about what this means for the future of your church. Please know that the offices of Grow, Equip and Connect are available to resource, coach and consult your congregation in this time of transition. 

Churches that will thrive post-pandemic…

#1 Get clear about and stay focused on WHY. “Why do we exist?” This doesn’t require a lengthy process a developing a finely crafted mission or vision statement but simply to go back to the beginning of what Jesus intended the church to BE and Do. I would invite you to read the following scriptures, preferably with a group, and then write in your own words a Why Statement of less than 15 words that begins with, “Our church exists so that…” Once you have agreement on the WHY, everything (and I do mean EVERYTHING) your church does should align with that WHY. (Matthew 22:34-40; Matthew 25:31-46 and Matthew 28:16-20)

#2 Focus on formation rather than information. Discipleship is less about knowing who Jesus is and more about doing the things that Jesus did. Being formed in the image of Jesus is vastly more important than being informed about Jesus. We already know more about Jesus than we need to do be about his WHY for us! What are you doing, or will you do, to help your people become formed in the image and likeness of Jesus? 

#3 Recapture a sense of being a neighborhood church. Your church exists in the community for a reason. Do you know what that is? When we begin to see our community as part of our church parish (and vice versa) we will begin to treat those who live around us as though they already belong to us. We will learn their names. We will hear their stories. We will feel their pain. We will recognize their needs. And we will become their friends. Together, we will be on the journey as God’s beloved people transforming the neighborhood and the wider community for good. Is your church neighborhood friendly? Well, how thick is your policy manual designed to protect your building from outsiders? Do your policies make it easier for the people of your community to use your facilities? Do you understand your buildings as God’s gifts intended for your community?

#4 Move more fully into the digital world. In person worship will continue post-pandemic but will likely be smaller in attendance for some time. Online worship, online small groups, virtual community engagement, are not just temporary things we do until the pandemic is over. Our digital presence will become one of the most essential evangelism tools we have to fulfil our mission. Much like God used the persecution of the early church to move it out of its comfort zone (Jerusalem) God is using this pandemic to move us out of our comfort zones to meet people where they are…online! How wonderful that many of our congregations have experienced a growth in worship attendance through digital means. Maintaining and growing our digital presence will ensure that we stay connected with those whom we have met online (maybe God has sent us) during this pandemic. How will we continue to connect with people we may never see in person and disciple them in the ways of Jesus? Think Both/And when planning worship with a mixture of in-person and virtual experiences. 

#5 Learn how to pivot more quickly as the world around us changes at a dizzying pace. They will learn how to abandon the things that no longer work in fulfilling their mission. They will practice simplicity by letting go of those things that drain away energy and limited resources and may not serve the mission (the WHY). They will encourage families who have found opportunities to spend more time together during the pandemic to continue doing so rather than creating new ministries and programs that will try to pull them back into business. 

#6 Take seriously a call to prayer. May I ask you directly? When was the last time you prayed for your church? Your pastor and staff? Your leaders? Your community? Your people and your newcomers by name? Now, when was the last time you sat and listened for response from God? I’d like to add a simple prayer for your use especially as you move back to in-person gatherings: “Lord, what do you want to do through ME (or US in a corporate setting) to fulfil your WHY for my/our church?” Simple. Powerful. Revitalizing. Take time to sit and listen. “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” (Martin Luther)

Many more books and blogs will likely be written with better lists than mine. But this is enough, I believe, to get us started. I encourage you to print this and use it for conversation with your leadership team.

These are the things we in the church should have been doing all along. We lost our focus (our WHY) became distracted by our own needs and desires and forget to stay focused outward where God is working in the world. 

Isn’t it wonderful how God is using this present crisis to bring us back to center? How exciting to contemplate the marvelous works of God ahead of us and to know that we are still invited to be partners in it!

EQUIP: Wait! God is Doing WHAT?

By Rev. Gary Alan Shockley, Director of Equipping Vital Congregations

“Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19 (NRSV) 

I believe God guided me to this passage in February when I led devotions for our EVC Team retreat. Little did I know then that Covid-19 was already lurking in the shadows. We opened our hearts and minds to scripture and sensed the Spirit’s leading as we expressed our mutual desire to become even more effective in our work together. We formed our plans. We had direction! It was very good. And then Covid. (I can’t wait for the time when I can end a thought or a sentence without adding those three words! How about you?) 

This scripture from Isaiah 43 has followed me around this past year like a voice of hope echoing through the chaos and the fear that has threatened all of us on planet earth. 

This morning, I went back to this passage but felt guided this time to the chapter before it. God says something astounding! I never saw it before or maybe I never paid any mind. “For a long time I have held my peace, I have kept still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor. I will gasp and pant.” (Isaiah 42:14) 

Now, couple this with my opening scripture: “Now I will cry out like a woman in labor. I will gasp and pant. I am about to do a new thing, now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” 

God is giving birth! Wait…what? What on earth does this mean? God giving birth? 

I have never given birth but I was right there when it happened-twice. The life inside was hidden from view. I knew it was there. I made preparations to receive it. I waited with excitement, and honestly, a little trepidation. And then there it was. Bam! Right before me. In my arms. In the world for all to see! I was never the same again. The whole wide world was never the same again! I had NO idea how much this new life would change EVERYTHING! 

These days I carry around within me a strange sense of expectation. It was very small in the beginning of this mess but it has been growing. I’m finding myself asking, ‘What IS this? What’s going on?’ And I find myself leaning forward on tip toe and with eyes wide open straining to see. See what? And I’ve been speaking with others, pastors and lay folk alike, who have also been carrying around this strange sense of pregnant pause. They too have been leaning forward asking questions—of God. ‘What’s happening? What are you up to? What do you need from us?’ 

All along God has been crying out, “I’m pregnant! I’m about to birth new life, new possibilities, new hopes and dreams, new chances to be whom I created you to be. And I want YOU to be the mid-wives.” Silence. What can one say to this? I mean the promise is so spectacular. The implications so earth shattering. The invitation so startling! Silence. Reflection. Longing is all I’ve been able to offer back. Until now.

Yes God! Do it! Continue the fulfillment of your promises and purposes for us. Keep us from shrinking back into our familiar lives. Free us from the indifference that has rendered us bland in a world that longs for the vibrant flavor palette that only you can give. Help us leave behind the familiar things that have held us in place. Free us from the fear of change because there can be no new life when we allow fear to blind us and bind us to a past that was no longer working anyway. Help us ‘forget the former things’ to free up the space we need in our heads and hearts to ‘perceive the new things’ and then help to birth them. 

When these words from Isaiah 43 blew into my heart like a mighty rush of wind this thought appeared in prayer: ‘Who am I, now that I am no longer who I used to be? And I would expand that to include you and your community of faith and invite you to pray in preparation for the birth of whatever God is doing among us: Who are WE becoming, now that we are no longer who we used to be?’

Through all the “gasping and panting” our laboring God is calling us to be the midwives of what is about to be born- in you, in your church, and in this waiting world. What will be our response? Let’s choose faith over fear and commitment over complacency! 

This is not the time to throw up our hands and walk away. Don your mask, cleanse your hands, lean forward—God is about to give birth. Are you ready?