2014 UEK report from Pennsylvania Southeast Conference

2014 UEK report from Pennsylvania Southeast Conference

by | published on Oct 10, 2014

Our conference is preparing a webpage that will feature a description of each of the teams carting on some aspect of the Conference, and/or representing some expression of the national church.

Our conference is preparing a webpage that will feature a description of each of the teams carting on some aspect of the Conference, and/or representing some expression of the national church.

Our submission also serves to report to the UEK meeting, with the inclusion of only those activities that relate to our German partnership with the Anhalt District Church.

Description: The Ecumenical Relations Mission Team (ERMT) represents and encourages the official and informal formal partnership between PSE Conference and Germany’s Anhalt District Church, so that each may be in dialogue and share in exchange visits and significant events.

Report

National:

Sharing this report at the UEK meeting in Cleveland: May 1 and 2 to which the PSEC’s ERMT (Ecumenical Relations Mission Team) brings the question: How do other UCC Conferences fund visits, to and from partner churches and special programs such as events involving youth?

PSEC:

  1. The visit in May, 2013 from the Wittenberg Gospel Choir. Concerts were held throughout the PSE area.
  2. Plans are underway for a return concert in May or October, 2016.
  3. The most recent new venture involves shared ministry pastors and congregations (Lutheran and UCC). An 8-day visit was hosted by the Anhalt District Church in Oct. and four pastors representing PSE and PNE shared ministry congregations were the first to visit. A PowerPoint is available, chronicling the trip and discussions and will have its premier showing to PSEC at the Spring meeting May 31, 2014.
  4. Possible follow-ups on the visit as suggested by the Anhalt UCC Working Group at its meeting in late March are:
    1. Begin an email discussion between the pastors involved in the Oct. 2013 visit starting with what was learned from the recent trip?
    2. A reciprocal visit of pastors from Anhalt in November 2015.
    3. As suggested by the Anhalt District President, Rev. Joachim Liebig, a formal delegation from Anhalt visit in PSEC in 2016, date to be determined.
    4. Pastors from PSEC invited to join in an official remembrance celebration of the Reformation Day, Oct. 31, scheduled for the first two weeks of November 2017.
  5. Future plans that need to be developed:
    1. 2016 youth bicycle trip with youth from PSEC joining with youth in Anhalt or-
    2. A mixed group (PSEC and Anhalt) youth in a work camp experience near Wittenberg.
  6. Engaging in conversations to expand the formal PSEC partnership to include PNEC.

Local PSEC churches:

  • Six are in partnership with churches in the Anhalt District Church: St. James, Havertown; Trinity, Holland; Good Shepherd, Tuckerton, Reading; Huff’s Church, Alburtis; Trinity, Collegeville. Presently Good Shepherd and Huffs Churches are anticipating a reaffirmation of their partnerships.
  • Trinity Church, Collegeville enjoys an informal tie with the recent university graduate, Ulrike (Ullie) Bischoff, who before beginning her two-year vicarship in the Anhalt District in the Fall of 2014 is on a self financed, low budget world tour to Russia, Japan, Mexico Columbia, and Southeastern Pennsylvania where she lives in the setting of mission and experiences the many varieties of worshiping communities.

Her journal (in German) can be read at: Blog name: Ulrike Bischoff Blog address: http://ulrikebischoff.wordpress.com

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