Page 1 - 2021 August-September Newsletter

Southern Pennsylvania District

Church of the Brethren

A Message from our District Executive

Emails started to come to my inbox asking if the message was from me.
Apparently, I had been hacked and someone with a Samsung Galaxy phone had
sent out messages on my account asking for help. The message instructed people to
contact me and to send me $400 in gift cards. It was not me and I do not even own
Give all your
worries a Samsung Galaxy phone! I instantly sent an email to my pastors informing them
and and asking them to contact their church offices that it was a scam.
cares Hacking has become commonplace these days. We have heard of the hacking that
to God,
for He cares is coming into our country and holding major corporations for ransom in the
about you. millions of dollars. Some of my DE colleagues have been scammed with messages
that sound suspiciously like the one purported to have come from me.
I Peter 5:7
One of our District pastors had a rather ominous email that threatened to
download obscene pictures into their computer if they did not pay up. Fortunately,
the police were contacted, and nothing has come from the threat. In a time when
people are so eager to see the worst in others, actions like that which was
threatened could easily ruin the life, reputation, and ministry of an innocent person.

Volume 39, Issue 4 The internet is a wonderful tool and social media has made it easy to contact long
Aug / Sept 2021 lost friends and distant family members. But its usage has a dark side. It seems that
criminals are spending time exploiting the access to people’s lives to do nefarious
things.
I N S I D E The Bible tells us to guard our hearts. In my way of thinking it is saying to be
T H I S
I S S U E : careful about what you expose yourself to. I think it also means to strive to fill your
heart with things that are admirable, pure, and true.
New & Events 2-13 We also need to guard our fingers when a keyboard is accessible to us. It is far too
Throughout the
District easy to take shots at someone or demean them when you can hide behind that
keyboard. I have seen a lot of things on Facebook that are cruel in their depictions
Giving Report 14 or descriptions of others. Also, some people share way too much information in
their postings. Please Sisters and Brothers, recognize the limitations that a social
media conversation has and be incredibly careful in what you say to and about
Training 15-22 others.
Opportunities
One of the downsides of the pandemic has been the isolation from others. While
Meeting & Event 25 we were trying to be safe, we spent more time devouring media and social media,
Schedule
and some have become ensconced in what has been called “silos” or listening
chambers.” They heard the same thing repeatedly and perhaps only heard negative
Annual Confer- 26-27 things. Eventually this became their feelings and beliefs. It could be matter of
ence
Wrap Up personalities, politics, or even about our beloved denomination. It is difficult to
counteract that effect and try to speak the truth in love.

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