A New Ministry Takes Shape: A Pay What You Can Community Café Come to Life

For about 6 months, a group of Moravian dreamers has been active behind the scenes to bring a Pay What You Can Community Café to a Bethlehem neighborhood, and now it’s time to announce this initiative to our Moravian community. The project took a big step forward on March 1 when the PWYCCC Working Team received a Hunger and Thirst Field of Interest Grant from the Moravian Ministries Foundation in the amount of $50,000. With deep humility and pure enthusiasm, the Working Team now invites your prayers and participation to move this God-blessed ministry forward.

Styled after the flourishing and sustainable Tricklebee Café, a mission of the Moravian Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, our local PWYCCC will be a hospitable place where everyone, regardless of ability to pay, will experience inclusion, acceptance, kindness, and hope along with a delicious, nutritious, often locally sourced meal. We anticipate it will be located in or near West Bethlehem in a mixed-income, mixed-need neighborhood where we will have a beautiful opportunity to address the reality of food insecurity. We envision attracting single parents, working poor, university students, the homeless, seniors on fixed incomes, and anyone who simply needs a break from cooking a decent meal on a hectic day. We will do this all, of course, under the influence and inspiration of Jesus.

We envision the PWYCCC to be a place where volunteerism thrives. Café patrons who are light on funds will have the option to “pay” by helping with the chores that keep a café operational. It will also be a place where our congregations can engage in meaningful mission, thus strengthening our ties and our fellowship as we work together to be God’s hands and feet in the world. Naturally, we see this as being a shared ministry among the Moravian churches in Bethlehem, but we do not see it as being limited to these congregations alone. We hope other individuals and congregations across the Lehigh Valley might be regular supporters, and that folks across the entire Eastern District might discover inspiration in the project and find ways to engage. (Mission Trip, anyone?)

Above all, we see the PWYCCC as a place where community is cultivated and God’s love is offered authentically on a daily basis. There will be countless ways to bring this about. Let’s begin!

One way everyone in the Eastern District can participate is by helping us NAME THE CAFÉ. From now through the end of May, we are soliciting your input. Be creative, be sincere, be clever! Please submit your suggestions to [email protected]. Stay tuned for a naming announcement in the coming months, and for other tangible ways you can get involved.

The PWYCCC Working Team includes Dawn Fenner, Rebecca Miller, Kasey Thomas, and The Reverends Tammie Rinker, Lynnette Delbridge, and Christine Johnson.

Editor’s Note:  Thank you to Christine Johnson for providing this article.

Six Essential Strategies to Help Young People Discover and Love Your Church

             At the Growing Young Workshop, you will explore practical ideas for your congregation to:

•           Engage and retain the young people you have

•           Attract their unchurched peers, and

•           Harness the next generation’s vitality and passion for Christ.

The Eastern District Executive Board, in response to regional listening sessions where congregations shared a desire to minister in a way that is meaningful – and attractive- to young people, is offering four regional Growing Young Workshops. The first was in the NY/Metro Region and was hosted at United Moravian Church, March 26, 2022.

Regional GrowingYoung Workshops are perfect for congregational members of all ages, lay leaders, and clergy.

Registration fee is $20.00 per person and includes program materials and lunch. 

For more information and or a registration form email Rev. Cynthia Rader Geyer

at.   [email protected]

Growing Young Workshops: 

Penn Mar Region:

Lititz Moravian Church

April 23, 2022

9:30 AM to 2:30 PM

 

Lehigh Valley North and South

Region:

Palmer Moravian Church

April 30, 2022

9:30 AM to 2:30 PM

 

Delaware Valley Region:

Redeemer Moravian Church

May 7, 2022

9:00 AM to 2:00 PM

 

2022 Service Camps

The Board of World Mission, together with the staff of our Moravian camping facilities, invites volunteers to join together in preparing Mt. Morris Camp & Retreat Center and Hope Conference & Renewal Center for their summer programs.

There is no cost to attend the service camps. Food and lodging will be provided to volunteers. The Mt. Morris service camp is open to all ages, while the Camp Hope service camp is geared toward young adult volunteers.

Mt. Morris in Wautoma, WI

May 13-18, 2022

Come for as many days as you are able. Volunteers of all ages and abilities are welcome! Contact BWM Director of Mission Service at [email protected] or (920)256-9472 by April 29th to reserve your spot. Space is limited.

Camp Hope in Blairstown, NJ

June 13-19, 2022

 Come for as many days as you are able. Young adults aged 18-25 are invited to register on WWW.CampHope.org Select “Young Adult Mission Camp” under “Summer Camps 2022!”.

Camp Hope – Summer of 2022 Covid-19 Vaccination Requirement Lifted

On March 12th, the Camp Hope Board of Management met and after much discussion we have decided that we are lifting the Covid-19 vaccination requirement for the upcoming camping season.

We do strongly encourage anyone who is eligible for the Covid-19 vaccination to get vaccinated to protect themselves and others from serious illness.

We will be testing every staff member and camper when they arrive at camp. If anyone has a positive result, they will be unable to stay at camp. If a camper or staff member develops symptoms during the week, they will be tested for Covid-19 and if the results are positive they will need to go home.

Please register for Camp by going to the www.camphope.org

 

Where did your money go in 2021?

By Vince Holbrook

At the close of 2021 Moravians had $206,902,460 under investment through the Moravian Ministries Foundation in America (MMFA). It’s the largest amount in the foundation’s history.

These assets represent your collective endowments, trusts, scholarship funds, donor advised funds, gift annuities, pensions and various other investment accounts — all invested for the glory of our Chief Elder, Jesus Christ.

MMFA oversaw $8,971,256.44 in distributions for 2021 represented by the pie chart. When looking at MMFA’s controlled funds, our foundation stewarded $591,740.85 in distributions to ministry for 2021.

Click here to view the entire Impact Statement for 2021.

 

Readings for Holy Week

There is still time to purchase Readings for Holy Week for yourself, a neighbor, or for shut-ins. Experience the story with these special Readings for Holy Week book and CD sets:

Audio CDs and Large Print Edition Set: $28.00 (save $8.90)

Audio CDs and Music Edition Set: $30.00 (save $8.90)

Items can be purchased separately. Call Jill Bruckart for details.

 

Special Discount on 2022 Moravian Daily Texts

The IBOC is offering a deep discount on the remaining 2022 Moravian Daily Texts to help congregations include this uniquely Moravian tradition in their outreach and ministry efforts. Through this offer, you can help deepen the faith of new members, visitors, and guests with a gift of the “World’s oldest daily devotional…that is new every morning!”  You can now purchase a case of surplus paperback editions for $75 (30 books at $2.50 ea.) + shipping via USPS Media Mail; that’s more than 75% off! Free Moravian brochures included. (Discount applies to lesser quantities; call for pricing.)

To order, visit store.moravian.org: call Jill Bruckart at 800.732.0591 ext. 703 or email jill@mcnp.