“But those who wait [actively] for the LORD shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.”     Isaiah 40:31

If you had told me back in March that we would still be wrestling with Coronavirus for yet another holiday season, I would not have believed it!  Yet, especially since we cannot observe Advent and Christmas in the traditional manner this year, especially since we cannot gather and blast out Christmas carols at the top of our lungs, or share special Christmas sweets together, let’s make this season meaningful in a new way.

There are two major themes that permeate Advent.  The first is waiting (for the Christ child or promised Messiah), something that we have done a lot of in 2020.  Many scheduled activities have been postponed, delayed, or cancelled.  We’ve waited for updates on the course of the Coronavirus pandemic.  We’ve waited for a vaccine.  We’ve waited longer for appointments at the doctor’s or dentist’s office.   We’ve waited in extended lines at the grocery store, pharmacy, and at election polling places.  We’ve waited for election results to become clear.  We’ve waited to travel again and gather with our families.  Most of all, we’ve waited for this pandemic to end!

The waiting has been both passive and active.  Passively, and somewhat helplessly, we’ve waited for relief from Covid-19 concerns, sometimes with great frustration.  Unlike this waiting, Advent calls for an active waiting – the kind of waiting that new parents do in getting ready for the birth of a child.  Expectant parents prepare for the new arrival.  They actively wait the required nine months by setting up a home nursery, child proofing their house, learning about the care of a newborn, etc.  They wait with preparation and anticipation.

That leads us to the second major theme of Advent – being alert and prepared for the coming of Christ anew.  Because we’ve already done so much waiting this year, perhaps preparation and readiness could be our focus this Advent season.  Specifically, let’s prepare for the end of this pandemic.  Though we do not know when that will be (just as we don’t know when the second coming of Christ will come), let’s use this season of preparation to get ready for that happy day.  For our churches, such preparation might include getting ourselves and others ready to return to worship in our sanctuaries full-time after Covid-19 while nurturing and expanding our commitment to grow the community of faith.

What if we were to use this season to prepare for a new church community when Covid-19 is over?  What if we were to work toward coming back stronger instead of worrying about limping back weakly?  While our on-line community is expanded, isn’t it possible to also expand our church family?  Who can we gladly add to our community when we return to worship in our buildings?  How can we use these weeks to invite people into our on-line worship and prepare them to step through the door and attend in-sanctuary worship?  Who do you know who could be nurtured from a distance and who could be drawn nearer when Covid-19 vanishes?

Yes, this is bold, scary stepping out in faith.  It is daring to invite someone who could respond with apathy or offense.  It is the difficult discipleship of building up the community of the church through personal outreach, invitation, and diligent, intentional nurturing of relationship.  It prepares for better days with an intensity that requires much more than passive waiting.  It’s about not just enduring until Covid-19 is over.  It’s about using this time to grow our churches into a new day.  Won’t you reach out in love to just one new person and prepare them to join worship regularly, as a new habit, both on-line now and when the pandemic is behind us?

We hope for better days in 2021.  We wait and prepare for the Lord to appear in new and powerful ways.  We pray for our church’s health as the pandemic continues to rage.  Let’s prepare now for an unforgettable comeback!

-Rev. Anita Bernhardt – Pastor of Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, Erie

2020 is proving to be a year of unanticipated challenges. The Presbytery of Lake Erie is in the process of seeking a new general presbyter following the retirement of Rev. Dr. David Oyler in July. Add to that a global Coronavirus pandemic which has resulted in numerous cascading impacts on pastoring,  and ‘being the church’ in 2020.

Helping to meet these challenges at the Presbytery of Lake Erie is the Reverend Keith Sundberg, retired pastor. In 2019, Keith served as the Associate Pastor at Wayside Presbyterian Church in Erie. He was selected as the Educator of the Year from the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE). In an article posted on the Synod of the Trinity website, Keith was recognized for his efforts to revive the national APCE and secure substantial funding to do so. This national award also underscored and acknowledged Keith’s lifelong commitment to educating others, including pastors, educators, elders, children and youth about the Presbyterian faith.

2019 is also the year Keith ‘officially’ retired. He has served four churches during his years of ministry: one in Bethlehem PA and three in Erie. He also had an eleven-and-a-half-year stint at the Burton Funeral Home as a licensed funeral director. He was very involved in the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators both in the Eastern Region and at the national level. He remained active in the presbytery serving on a number of committees. He is a graduate of Grove City College, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science.

He and his wife Barbara are pleased to have their three married children and nine grandchildren living within a few miles of their Fairview home.

The following is a conversation with Keith in a Q & A format about his ministry in pastoring, educating and now guiding the Presbytery of Lake Erie to the next phase in it’s growth.  Marsha MacKinnon – Webmaster for the Presbytery of Lake Erie

You retired in 2019. What have you been doing in your retirement?

“I had sort of vague desires and nothing definitive. Within a few weeks a friend, Bobbi Jo Fye put a good word in for me at Gannon University and I was invited to teach an introductory course to the Bible. I have really enjoyed that experience. I was nominated to be vice moderator of the presbytery. Those responsibilities expanded when David Oyler retired. All the youth events and The Big Event that I oversaw were canceled because of Covid. Three of our children and two of their spouses are teachers, so Barb and I are needed to watch grandchildren several days a week. I have been asked to help write an on-line teacher training program with friends from APCE. Retirement has seemed to fill up.”

You may have been retired but you were given an assignment to organize and promote “The Big Event.” Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that event had to be put on hold. When everything shutdown, including our churches, the impact of the pandemic would prove to be epic. What do you recall thinking at the time?

“Like so many others I was second guessing myself as to what to do. There was a reticent part of me and the committee members to postpone it. All the arrangements had been made and we wondered if we really needed to be so cautious. At the time we simply imagined we could hold it in the fall. Then a few speakers withdrew and our direction became clear. Now I wonder if what we planned is relevant any more. The world has changed and so have the needs of the church.”

Can you point to anything during your many years of ministry and pastoring that prepared you for our current circumstances amid a global pandemic?

“Spiritual Formation required that the leaders and I think creatively on the spot. When the plans didn’t work, we would have to punt. But this is beyond any challenges I remember. I am no longer in the trenches of youth and children’s ministry and those pastors and leaders are the ones who will discover how ministry will go on. The one thing I did which I think was fortuitous is that in the last few years I emphasized the education of parents to provide spiritual nurture in their homes. That has become more relevant that I ever imagined.”

Explain your new role at the Presbytery of Lake Erie?

“The Coordinating Committee decided that rather than have an interim presbyter, we would encourage our committee chairs and members to do the work of the presbytery by relying on their own knowledge of what was needed. The past moderator, current moderator and vice moderator in conjunction with our Stated Clerk, would be a team of coordination. Since I lived in Erie it made sense for me to provide communication with the staff and the outside world. A careful thought-out job description was written by David Oyler covering what he thought would be essential to make things work smoothly. The goal was for me not to be needed more than 14 hours a week and to empower the committees to bear the lion’s share of the work. The plan has worked. I have been needed for a few immediate concerns which has made me glad we designed it this way.”

While the search committee continues its work to select a new general presbyter for the PLE, what have become your priorities during this pandemic?

“My main concern has been care of people. I listen in on the pastor groups and have reached out to others as I have time and opportunity. I am well aware that I am not David Oyler but have tried to wonder what he would be doing. He is a wonderful person to emulate. I was told visiting every church would be beyond what I could do but I have been invited to preach in several. I am guessing those requests will increase as pastors retire and others need a break.”

What are you doing in your spare time?

“My daughter told a friend I was failing at retirement. I don’t really have a day off to do nothing. There is always something to do. If I am honest, I like to be busy. The pace is different now than serving a church and I do have time to garden and work out at the gym. I am grateful for days to play with grandchildren and times to talk with my children and their spouses.”

We are all feeling kind of weary due to the pandemic, so what are you enjoying as a diversion right now?

“Barb and I are on the look out for TV shows to distract us from the stress of the pandemic. Our favorite program is Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley. We hunt down movies and enjoyed cheering on the Cleveland Indians for a while. Barb walks three times a day and I head over to the gym several times a week.”

For far too many there is an overwhelming sense of uncertainty, tension and even turmoil in this country right now. The pandemic, the election, and race related deaths and violence have combined to create all of the above. What do we need to focus on?

“My class preparations have been a wonderful source of strength and hope to me. I am reading the bible for the first time with insight into the problems it addresses. I have told the youth this time is NOT unprecedented. There are examples of all our problems in her pages. Bigotry, illness, tragedy, terrible weather, resentment of others. Our ancestors all went through these things. Now it is our turn. And when we can’t do it on our own we discover the closeness of the God who loves us.”

We know this pandemic will not be over any time soon. We also know it will be some time before a vaccine for COVID-19 is available for the general population, what do you believe we all need to keep in mind?

“The Hebrews lost their world in the Babylonian exile until God inspired a new king to send them home. It is difficult to be patient in the midst of the “waiting time” but we have a gift of hope in our God who is working on our behalf. God knows our deepest hopes and longings and will not leave us in despair. We too will be able to return to our beloved Jerusalem.”

An Update from your General Presbyter Nominating Committee
Thank you for entrusting us with the important work of discerning who will be the next General Presbyter for our presbytery. Though our work is confidential, we will provide periodic updates, so you are aware of how things are progressing.

During the month of May, the committee met to draft, review, and finalize our Ministry Information Form (MIF) that will be posted on the Church Leadership Connection (CLC) job site. The completed MIF was presented to the Coordinating Committee at their May 26th meeting and the Coordinating Committee accepted our work to date and approved the posting of the position.

The MIF has been officially posted and we are now accepting applications for the General Presbyter position. You can support us by praying for us as a team and by praying for the person we will call to this position.

Emily Zeig Lindsey, Moderator GPNC
On behalf of the GPNC: Art Amann (Vice Moderator), Don Hall (Secretary), Ronee Christy, Matt McCullough, Dan McEldowney, Katherine Randall, and Buddy Ward.

Transition Details
There are a few address changes as David Oyler concludes service as General Presbyter on July 31.
1.    The email address of [email protected] will no longer be active after July 31.
2.    Rev. Keith Sundberg will be serving as Transition Team Coordinator until a full time General Presbyter is called by the presbytery.  This is a part time position as he helps to address various details in this ‘in between’ time.  His email address is [email protected]
3.    David Oyler’s new personal email address is [email protected]

Written by Marsha MacKinnon, Webmaster for the Presbytery of Lake Erie

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed our lives. Changes that are now necessary to remain safe. Our households, workplaces and houses of worship have had to adapt daily and sometimes hourly. During a crisis, there are many challenges and yet at the same time numerous opportunities are revealed in unexpected ways.

I have asked three pastors in the Presbytery of Lake Erie for their insights on pastoring in a time of pandemic. All are embracing the day-to-day challenges, pastoring in new and creative ways, and guiding their congregations with hope and faith not fear.

Rev. Gregg Townsend, Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of North East, PA. – on the right, his wife, Jane Livingston, music director at North East.

Rev. Gregg Townsend is the Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of North East. He was installed at North East in 2008 and has 34 years experience in the pulpit.  North East is in Erie County near the Pennsylvania-New York state line. Since the Coronavirus crisis began Pastor Gregg says the challenges have been many. “Not being able to personally visit home-bound members. Not worshiping with and preaching to people in-person, says Pastor Gregg.  “However, when we all get to heaven and you see an iPhone there, it’s mine — that little thing has come to know Jesus these past months!”

In Warren County, Rev. Rebecca Taylor is the Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in the city of Warren. She has been pastoring for nearly 40 years.“One of the biggest challenges is overcoming a feeling of helplessness,” says Pastor Rebecca. “Feeling inadequate with technology and feeling sad not being able to visit!”

Rev. Dr. Tim Harmon, Pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church, Oil City, PA – on the right – Church Deacon Louise Droney

Rev. Dr. Tim Harmon is the Pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church of Oil City in Venango County. He answered a call to Oil City about a year ago and has been pastoring for 11 years.  He agrees with the other pastors that effectively communicating with all church members during a pandemic has been especially difficult.

“Connecting with people in many different ways has been the hardest thing, as so many folks do not communicate in the same platform, says Pastor Tim. “Many without any online (access) at all, many who do not answer phones, and some who only pick up mail once or twice a month! There are some who will not text or email, so communicating and touching base without the in-person worship has been very difficult.”

Learning and embracing new technology and getting it up and running quickly is a common theme across the Presbytery of Lake Erie. Many churches are now live-streaming worship services and bible studies on Facebook Live or on their own YouTube channels. Yet despite the many challenges over the last five months, there have also been many unexpected benefits and new insights into pastoring since the Coronavirus pandemic began.

“God’s work among us in Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is not bound by church buildings and in-person worship,” says Pastor Gregg. “It has been inspiring and humbling to speak with numerous members of our congregation whose participation was previously almost completely inactive now experiencing a reinvigorated faith.  There are also old friends (who live thousands of miles away!) that have wandered from the Christian faith and have now returned and are starting to take discipleship seriously.  The Holy Spirit is happy to use Facebook Live-Streaming!”

Using internet technology has brought virtual worship to North East, Warren, Oil City, and many other churches across the Presbytery of Lake Erie and across the country. Those churches are not only connecting with members who cannot gather for in-person worship because of COVID-19, they are now connected to the world and now have global reach. That is an unanticipated benefit of pastoring in a time of pandemic.

“It’s the power and pleasure of connectionalism,” says Pastor Gregg. “Beyond our local congregation, ministry and outreach have continued and thrived. Each week during this pandemic period encouragement has come from colleagues in the presbytery, challenges to support missional efforts overseas have been met (for example, financially supporting a congregation in Ghana), and local mission outreach is continuing (for example, we are currently preparing backpacks and clothing for students in need). Pandemics do not stop mission. They help us do mission imaginatively and give us the gift of relying ever more on God’s loving power.”

Rev. Rebecca Taylor, Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Warren, PA.

Pastor Rebecca admits to gaining a new appreciation for the little things. “I do believe this has opened many eyes to how comfortable and complacent we had become, especially about our faith and about being in community!”

While the new technology has presented new mission and ministry opportunities, old technology is steadfastly reliable in making people feel connected with another human voice. Many churches have revived the phone-tree, where a personal call is placed to connect with members.

“I was so very impressed with how well the deacons reached out to folks naturally, says Pastor Tim Harmon. “With the deacons calling,  it made me very aware at how we leaders need to make more regular and natural connections within the life of the church.”

Pastor Gregg says “for generations, God has been graciously and powerfully binding us together in Christ.  Now that we cannot be together, the strength of those ties is proving itself.  Prayer and pastoral care, for instance, have not stopped. Some members have been busy doing grocery shopping for the more vulnerable members of our congregation who are not comfortable going out.  Fellowship has continued in different ways, but perhaps with more sensitivity and concern than ever.”

The Coronavirus pandemic has created numerous challenges for our pastors, our faith communities, and our individual households.  Some people are now very fearful, and others are extremely anxious about the impact the pandemic is having on their lives. 

All three pastors agree this is not the time for fear, but for trust.

Pastor Tim Harmon: “Jesus is really here with us and we are not alone.  But it feels like it sometimes.  God does not shame or ridicule or downplay or sideline things but stands in it with us.  And it is faithful to stand there, to admit the fears, to reach out to others, and to place our anxieties out there.”

Pastor Gregg Townsend:  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6,7)

Pastor Rebecca Taylor: “God understands and hasn’t abandoned us! God is grieved by the loss of life and by the insensitivity of some toward others! And God can bring good out of even the most difficult circumstances!! (Romans 8:28)”

Safe and fun summer ministry for children and families

By Becky D’Angelo-Veitch | Presbyterians Today

In the midst of canceled events, ranging from graduations and weddings to the 2020 Summer Olympics, and even the PC(USA)’s 224th General Assembly — which opted for an abbreviated virtual assembly in June — local church programs like Vacation Bible School are perhaps “small potatoes.” However, as congregations have long moved on from “How are we going to celebrate Easter?” to the ever-burning question, “What is the new normal?” one thing is apparent: How congregations approach summer ministry might provide answers for the wider life of the church, as lessons learned by doing things differently in July and August may provide the groundwork for post-pandemic ministries — especially ministries to children.

(read more…)

“Words are inadequate.  Actions, while crucial, are not easy to initiate.  Even so, go back to the Scripture from Mark 12.  Love of neighbor compels response.  The vast majority of the 121 congregations in the Lake Erie and Beaver-Butler Presbyteries are of European American descent.  And there may be a temptation to ignore the racial tensions that are exploding across the country.  I would urge you to engage the conversation.  Regardless of church size, might it be possible for you to…

+ engage in Biblical discussions about race (there are great resources and great people out there to facilitate these discussions); 

+ pray for those who are different than ourselves (different in race, economics, etc.);