All Association Spring Meeting, 2024

Our All Association Spring Meeting in 2024 will be held on Saturday, April 20, at First United Church of Christ, 217 E. High St., Ebensburg PA 15931, from 10 AM to 3 PM. Registrations are due April 10, 2024. The focus of our meeting will be on the work of the Keystone Working Group. We welcome the Conference Ministers (or their designees) from the four Pennsylvania United Church of Christ Conferences with us. We will also have a time for workshops and for our Associations to meet. Here is a schedule of the time:

• 9:30-10:00 Registration - Narthex
• 10:00-10:30 Welcome, Announcements, and Opening Worship – Sanctuary
• 10:30-12:30 Keystone Conversation – Sanctuary
• 12:30-1:15 Lunch – Fellowship Hall
• 1:15-2:15 Workshops – Classrooms
•      Racial Justice: Rev. Roberto Ochoa
•      A2A: Robin Stemple
•      Youth Ministry: Rev. Shannon Garrett-Doege
•      Search & Call: Revs. Jerry McCuller & Linda Miller-Pretz
• 2:15-2:45 Association Meetings – Classrooms
• 2:45-3:00 Closing Worship & Departure - Sanctuary

Click here for the registration flier. Please detach the bottom section and send your check for $30.00 (made out to Penn West Conference) to Penn West Conference, 312 South Maple Ave., Suite PWC, Greensburg PA 15601. The registration fee includes the cost of your lunch. You may also register online at https://tithe.ly/event-registration/#/8427242; the cost of online registration is $32.00. Thank you for registering for our All Association Spring Meeting!

2024 Clergy Convocation

The 2024 Clergy Convocation will be held from May 7-9 at the Double Tree Inn, 2400 Willow Street Pike, Lancaster PA. The theme is “Healing Together: Healing Me, Healing You.” We have already been awarded a Brown grant to help our pastors who attend with their expenses. Our time together for Clergy Convocation will focus on rest, renewal, connection and healing. Healing in our ministries and our world often begins with healing within. We know how important it is for clergy to have time away from their ministry settings and to find support. We will have times dedicated for worship, theological reflection, gatherings of affinity groups, connecting with folks from other Conferences, and free time. For more details, visit Clergy Convocation 2024: Healing Together: Healing Me, Healing You - PSEC. To register, visit https://clergyconvo24.eventbrite.com. It will also be an opportunity for us to explore together what it may mean for us to consider uniting together as a Keystone Conference (Keystone Project - PSEC).

2024 Annual Meeting

For the first time in history, the four Pennsylvania United Church of Christ Conferences will come together in person and virtually for a shared 2024 Annual Gathering & Meeting. We will meet at the Penn Stater in State College PA (The Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center) , and we will have an online option for those wishing to participate virtually. We will meet from Friday, June 7 through Sunday, June 9. Our keynote preacher on Sunday, June 9, is the General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ, the Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson.

A schedule for the gathering may be found along with all the registration materials here. Please contact our office if you have any questions about registration. Please note that you need to reserve your hotel room separately from the registration itself; the relevant links to the Penn Stater are provided on the registration webpage. We are trying to reduce costs for those for whom finances are an issue, especially because we know the costs are higher this year. Please use the following code to receive a 50% discount on your registration: PWAnnual50.

Our Conference Business Meeting will be held on Saturday, June 8, from 9 AM till 11:45 AM. We are planning on discussing a possible motion to General Synod 35 regarding the proposed Keystone Conference that we expect to bring back for a vote at a special Conference meeting on Saturday, November 9, beginning at 10 AM at First Reformed UCC in Greensburg.

Please note that all youth under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, who are responsible for the behavior and safety of their youth. Youth must be supervised by a parent/guardian at all times; no separate youth supervision will be available. And if you are planning to offer a speak-out, please inform our Office Secretary Andrea Kopcak about this, along with your topic, sometime before Tuesday, June 4. Reports and other materials and additional details should be posted on this website by Friday, May 31.

Thank you for registering for the 62nd Annual Gathering & Meeting, and we pray that it proves to be a meaningful time for you and for all of us in the Conference!

Prayers for our Partners in the Philippines

We give thanks to God for the partnership that Penn West Conference has with the Northwest Luzon Conference of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines. We ask that you continue to remember to support them our SHEEP Fund (Sustaining Hope for Educational Expenses in the Philippines). Gifts to the SHEEP Fund may be made electronically using the donate button on our homepage, and/or by sending a check to the Conference, with SHEEP Fund in the memo. Thank you for all the efforts you are doing to share God’s love across the globe!

"God is Still Speaking"

Welcome to the PWC Website! Welcome to the Penn West Conference website! On this site, you will find insights, resources, materials, and links that highlight the ministries of the United Church of Christ in the Penn West Conference. We're glad that you are visiting us! Blessings! Rev. David Ackerman Conference Minister Suggested Links: God Is Still Speaking - Become a Still Speaking Voice UCC Daily Devotion