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Happy New Year to Mohawk District
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Prayer is needed for the family of Rev. Daniel Thomas Moore, 64, who passed away Jan. 1, 2018. Prior to his retirement, Rev. Moore served churches in New York, including on the Mohawk District at Lee Center and Point Rock UMCs. A Memorial Service takes place 2 p.m., Jan. 13, at Liverpool: First UMC, 604 Oswego St., Liverpool, NY. Send condolences to: Diana Moore, 6 Juneberry Lane, Liverpool, NY 13090.
January 7th Prayer Focus
Lee UMC and West Winfield Federated Church
Robbin Harris and Rev. Ken McKenzie
The Northeastern Jurisdiction Mission of Peace is underway in Cuba. Please pray for these 14 youth participants and their six adult leaders. From UNY Conference, the following are attending: Gavin Hill, Rachel John, Madeline Klein, Connor Nelson, Rev. Ted Anderson, Mary Anderson, Thomas Schmidt and Rev. Heather Stierheim.
Would you like to have a paper copy of the Prayer Calendar? Simply Click here to will open the document in a new window. Then you can print it out for yourself.
All are encouraged to pray for these churches and pastors.
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Safe Sanctuaries Training Jan. 14
Sunday, Jan. 14, from Noon to 3 p.m., a Safe Sanctuaries Training takes place at Oneida: St. Paul's UMC, 551 Sayles St., Oneida. All are welcome to attend with advance registration by Jan. 8th.
This course uses the required UNY Conference curriculum and is appropriate for all who have responsibility for the safety of children, youth and vulnerable adults in the churches' ministries, especially, pastors, Christian education workers, youth workers and church leaders.
To register, send name, church name and contact phone number to:
mohawkdistrict@unyumc.org or call 315-797-1777 by January 8th at Noon.
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Human Relations Day - Special Giving Sunday - January 14, 2018
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UMM/Feed Our Vets Project
Churches and businesses in Central and Northern NY are asked to display a decorated food collection box from
Feb. 1-28 and then deliver the collected food
8-9 a.m., March 3, to 205 Genesee St., Utica. If necessary, make pick up arrangements with Mark Jones, 315-749-3700. For more information or a list of suggested food items,
click here for a flyer.
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CenterPoint Leadership Summit Endorsed by Mohawk District
CenterPoint Christian Fellowship (United Methodist) is offering a leadership summit
10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sat., Jan. 27th. Take this opportunity to learn more about church leadership in a small-group break out setting. Lunch is provided. This event is free of charge with advance registration. Call (315)896-5111, or email
centerpointcf@gmail.com with
Name, Church Name, contact info, and choice of two break out preferences PER PERSON registering. Choices are: Church Council, Finance, Trustees, Staff Parish Relations Committee,
Discipleship and Leadership.
The church is located at 8021 State Route 12 in Barneveld, NY. Mohawk District endorses this event and strongly encourages local church leaders to attend, especially those who have not yet received training.
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How to use VitalSigns
VitalSigns is a platform that can help your church track key indicators and uncover important insights. Click here to watch a video that shows you just how easy this program is to use.
Track data, gain insight, and help your church with VitalSigns
The VitalSigns dashboard is a tool that allows churches to track church growth indicators, such as weekly worship attendance, professions of faith, small group participation, missional participation, and financial giving. It is a deeper level of insight, support, and accountability that tracks and trends vital information in an easy-to-understand dashboard.
The General Council on Finance and Administration pays for this software through General Church apportionments - which the Upper New York Conference paid in full in 2016. The UNY Conference began using VitalSigns about 18 months ago, and so far, 38 UNY churches have signed up. Click here to learn how VitalSigns can help your church.
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All District Pastors:
You are part of the Mohawk District's Pastor Area Connection
West PAC:
10 a.m., Jan. 4, Oneida: First UMC
North PAC: 10 a.m., Jan. 11, Boonville UMC
South/Southeast PAC: 10: a.m., Jan. 16, New Hartford: First UMC
MV/East PAC: 4:30 p.m., Jan. 22, Herkimer UMC
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Planning for Annual Conference in 2018
Annual Conference petitions, resolutions, and reports due Feb. 15, 2018
The Committee on Petitions and Resolutions is charged with overseeing the submission, review, and presentation of petitions and resolutions to the Annual Conference.
All resolutions and petitions for the 2018 Annual Conference session must be submitted to the Committee no later than Feb. 15, 2018. Submissions should be emailed to the Director of Connectional Ministries Office at DCMOffice@unyumc.org.
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Final Reminder: Shared Ministry Giving
As we near year-end for 2017, please note the cut-off date for churches remitting 2017 Ministry Share payments to the conference office is 4:30 p.m.,
Wed., Jan. 10, 2018. Remittances received after that date will be credited to 2017 Prior Year Ministry Shares.
The capability exists to accept electronic bank transferred payments, if churches call and make arrangements, which allows payments to be withdrawn on or before the deadline.
Paid Family Leave
Starting Jan. 1, 2018, New York State's new Paid Family Leave will go into effect. The purpose of this insurance coverage is to provide paid time off for an employee to care for a family member with a serious health condition, to foster parent-child bonding for an employee's newborn or newly placed adoptive or foster child, and for an employee experiencing any qualifying exigency related to a spouse, domestic partner, child or parent on active military duty.
The Upper New York Conference benefits office has been studying the regulations in consultation with Guardian Insurance, the carrier for our umbrella disability policy. Guardian will also be carrying our paid family leave policy. Churches should not purchase their own coverage, nor withhold contributions from employee paychecks. Claim forms and contact information will be added to the Church Employers web page in the future.
More Info: Paid family leave for churches, click here.
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Register by Jan. 9: Basic Lay Servant Course, January 13 and 20
BASIC Lay Servant Ministries Training will be two Saturdays, January 13 and 20, 2018 at
MANLIUS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
, 111 Wesley St. Manlius, NY 13104, from 9:45 am until 3:30 pm.
If you are interested in this course, please print and complete the application form
click here
, have it signed by your pastor and return it to United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 177, Manlius NY 13104 with a check payable to "UNYAC" in the sum of $10 by January 9, 2018.
Each participant is required to order in advance the participant's book "Lay Servant Ministries" by Sandy Zeigler Jackson and Brian Jackson (available through Cokesbury.com, Amazon.com or any other bookstore).
For information, contact Pastor Joseph at: jkim1107@gmail.com church office (315) 682-8021 or cell (315) 530-8568.
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Please read this letter from UNY Task Force on
Peace with Justice in Palestine/Israel
Did you know that our Annual Conference is working for social justice throughout our world? As a part of this mission, at our Annual Conference meeting this past June, the Body approved two recommendations that were presented by the Task Force on Peace with Justice in Palestine/Israel that will help our Annual Conference to be faithful to this mission.
The first of these recommendation calls on each local congregation and the administrative arms of our conference to avoid purchasing products from Hewlett-Packard. This corporation is the main supplier of computer technology for the Israeli military and for the security groups who oversee the Israeli settlements that are built on Palestinian lands in opposition to international policies.
The second recommendation calls on all conference personnel who are eligible to participate in the investment plans provided through the conference to move their investments into the Equity Social Values Plus Fund (ESVPF). This fund, also offered through Wespath, was created to help those investing to do so in a socially conscious way, while avoiding companies who are involved in the Israeli occupation, or are known for poor ecological practices throughout the world.
The Task Force on Peace with Justice in Palestine/Israel would love to hear from you about how your congregation is helping us as a conference live into our mission for peace and justice throughout the world. Have you been able to change to a different provider for your technology needs? Has your pastor changed her/his investment plan? Please contact one of the task force members listed below by e-mail to let us know what your congregation is doing, or to inquire of us how we can walk beside you as we seek to live into the vision and mission of God's church.
Peace,
Pastor Gary Kubitz
First United Methodist Church of Voorheesville
The Upper NY Annual Conference Task Force on Peace with Justice in Palestine/Israel
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Worship Without Wall News
"Worship without Walls"
started July 7, 2016 on the sidewalk in front of the Central NY Veterans Outreach Center. Every Thursday from 12-1, a table is set up with a seasonal gifts (hats, gloves, scarves, hand warmers, shirts etc), peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the summer and hot tomato soup in the winter, bottled water and offering of a prayer. We have a banner that is next to the table that reads "Worship without Walls, Gods Love to All, Peace to All". No matter the weather, we are there!
There are so many people who feel disenfranchised and marginalized not only throughout the world but right here in our own neighborhoods. These folks are not just down in their luck but down in spirit. They might be professionals walking past us on their lunch hour or a veteran who is in need of services, or someone going to the Thrift Shop next door to buy a kitchen item or someone looking for the Food Pantry or someone who is driving past and asked what we are doing. I believe that everyone needs to know they are loved, loved by God who created us and gave us Jesus to show us how to live and love. It is my prayer that we are an example of that love. Not just being Jesus' hands and feet but being his heart!
John Wesley has taught us
"Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can."
We reach out to area churches by way of our District Newsletter and invite churches to be in mission along side of us by way of donations and by offering to share this ministry during worship service and outreach gatherings. We have collected hundreds of jars of peanut butter and jelly, over 500 pairs of gloves, cases of socks, scarves and hats, boxes of scripture books to hand out (the life of John), hand warmers, bibles, and many monetary donations that help support this ministry. 100% of all donations goes directly to those we are meeting out on the streets.
If you would like to know more about this ministry or would like someone to come to share this ministry during worship, email Rev. Carol Jubenville at: CJubenville@Sunsetwood.org or call (315)796-8980.
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Local Church News
CNY Medical Mission to Nicaragua medicine fund will benefit from a
spaghetti dinner fundraiser 4-7 p.m., Jan. 13, 2018, at First Presbyterian of Oneida, 304 Broad St., Oneida. Cost is $8, adult dinner; $5, child dinner; Free, children age 4 and younger. Take outs are available. Bring returnable cans and bottles to donate or money for purchasing rice, beans and salt to be distributed in Nicaragua.
First UMC offers a support group for people with depression 7:30 p.m., Mondays, at the Church, 127 N. Prospect St., Herkimer, NY 13350.
This is a 12-step program to prevent depression through education and creating a supportive, caring community through support groups, thereby successfully keeping individuals from relapsing into depression.
SAVE THE DATE:
All pastors and those serving in the pastoral role must reserve
Noon to 3 p.m., Feb. 13, 2018, for Bishop's Day on Mohawk District.
Pastors with valid reason who cannot attend may attend another date on another district. Click here to see the other dates. Crossroads District Day at the UM Center in Liverpool is Feb. 1. Please contact that District's Office if you want to attend another date. Both day and evening sessions take place at:
Christ Church, 417 Park St., Sherrill, NY 13461
A laity session with Bishop Webb is 6:30-8:30 p.m., Feb. 13, 2018 at Christ Church, 417 Park St., Sherrill, NY 13461.
All people are welcome to attend any local church event unless a specific population is mentioned.
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Mohawk District
of the Upper New York Conference
Rev. Abel Roy
,
District Superintendent
Cindy Muder,
Administrative Assistant
105 Genesee St., New Hartford, NY 13413
Mon. - Thurs., 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Fri., 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Mohawk District Office is located within First UMC, 105 Genesee Street, New Hartford. Please use the back door n
ear the District Office when you enter and exit the building when coming to the District Office.
You need to be buzzed in.
Remember, the back door is the way in.
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