It’s Essential! PWYCCC Makes Key Announcements
The plan to establish a Pay What You Can Community Café in Bethlehem is well underway, and the working team is delighted to reveal the project’s name and location:
Essentials Café
418 3rd Avenue
About the Name
Food is essential. Love is essential. With a nod to a favorite Moravian saying, but without excluding anyone, we think Essentials Café says a lot! We thank James Joniec for entering the suggestion in the recently conducted naming contest. We give thanks also to the 38 people from across the Eastern District (and beyond!) who submitted 91 marvelously creative ideas!
About the Location
Presently, 418 3rd Avenue is the parsonage of the West Side Moravian Church. In an extraordinarily bold move, the congregation has blessed the project and entered into a rental agreement with the PWYCCC. The congregation views the arrangement as an extension of its mission to serve the immediate neighborhood.
The West Side neighborhood is socioeconomically diverse, an important quality for this type of venture. The building itself comes with access to the church’s parking lot and, by agreement, the church’s commercial kitchen. Plus, it’s a cute house! With a few modifications, it will become a charming, welcoming, public space.
What’s Next
The team has been working with community officials to navigate zoning rules and regulations. An architect has been employed to render plans for creating a fully accessible entrance and restroom. Upon the architectural drawings receiving the city’s approval, the café will enter a construction phase. For the current occupants of the parsonage (the pastor and her family), finding suitable housing is a necessary step, too.
In the meantime, details are being dreamed up: What might be on the menu? How will we obtain needed furniture, equipment, and kitchenware? How will we approach communication and marketing? How can congregations and individuals get involved? When will we open for business?
There are many questions to be answered and tasks to be undertaken, but it’s undeniable that interest and enthusiasm for this project are building. Please keep Essentials Café and all the people it will come to impact in your prayers.
The PWYCCC Working Team includes Dawn Fenner, Rebecca Miller, Kasey Thomas, and The Reverends Tammie Rinker, Lynnette Delbridge, and Christine Johnson.
July 3 – 9 Middler Conference
July 10 – 16 Junior High Conference
July 17 – 23 Musical Theater Camp
July 24 – 30 Senior High Conference
July 31 – August 6 Primary Conference
August 7 – 13 All New Specialty Camps!
To Register for any of these camps or for more information, please visit their website at:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 908-459-4435
Each year, the Board of World Mission presents the Ted Wilde Mission Service Award and the Herrnhut Congregational or Organizational Affirmation to Moravians who have given of themselves for the benefit of others either down the street or around the world.
The Ted Wilde Mission Service Award honors the memory of former BWM Executive Director Ted Wilde by recognizing individuals who have been willing to take up the great commission by learning from our Chief Elder, Jesus Christ, and then engaging in humble service in his name.
The Herrnhut Affirmation and Celebration for Dedicated Mission and Service goes to a Moravian congregation or organization that is following the example of the Moravian community in Herrnhut by actively giving of themselves in terms of time, talent, and treasure to be the light of Christ to others.
We invite you to submit nominations for the 2023 Ted Wilde and Herrnhut Awards. You can find more information and submit nominations at MoravianMission.org/Awards.
Regional “Confirmation Mission Experience” Program
This program for confirmands will focus on the history of Moravian Missions as well as the development of one’s own personal mission statement. This is an outdoor event, where participants will “travel the Moravian mission world,” learning about each of the full Unity Provinces.
September 10 — New Dorp Moravian Church
September 17 — Advent Moravian Church
September 24 — Lititz Moravian Church
Each event will be held 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and participants may attend at any area and are asked to bring their own lunch — beverage will be provided. This is an outdoor event – and pastors will receive a letter with details for registering.
For more information please contact Marie Couts – 330.401.1212 or [email protected]
Crossroads Info Session #2:
Saturday, July 23rd, 10 AM at Moravian Theological Seminary, 60 W. Locust, Bethlehem, PA. Come and learn about our program, meet others who are inquiring about their next steps, and take your next step in discovering more about your sense of call as a lay person. Participants in Crossroads take active roles in their congregation and in community ministries, some become lay pastors or serve as pulpit supply, and a few go on to more formal theological education such as seminary courses. Whatever your path, Crossroads is a great place to discern the next step. We have been described as the intersection of your call and God’s mission. At our Info Session we talk about the program, what is required, the list of upcoming courses and we try to answer all of your questions. If coming in person is not possible, just request our Zoom link at [email protected]. Thank you, Jill Peters.
Please Pray for the following churches who are without pastors:
Canadian District:
Good Shepherd in Calgary, Alberta
Heimtal, Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta
Eastern District:
Battle Hill, Union, New Jersey
Central (Associate Pastor), Bethlehem, PA
Covenant, York, PA
York First, York, PA
New Dorp, Staten Island NY
Tremont Terrace, Bronx, NY
Trinity, New Carrolton, MD
Western District:
Unionville, Michigan
West Salem, Illinois
Our Saviors Moravian in
Altura, Minnesota
Additionally: two congregations that are not in the call process but are currently without pastors: Grace Moravian in Westland, Michigan and Daggett Moravian in Daggett, Michigan.
For More Information:
From the IBOC:
It’s almost that time! Pre-orders for the 2023 Moravian Daily Texts will be starting soon.
Keep a look out for the flyer being mailed to homes by July 1st.
