JOYS & CONCERNS

Please include these prayer requests in your weekly church bulletin, in your prayers during your Sunday worship if you have a time of "pastoral prayer" and keep these pastors, their families and the Church families in your prayers throughout the week.

June 9
The Little Valley Church. Pastor Lee Capodagli and his family.

June 16
The Magnolia Church. Pastor John Bowen, his wife Cordie and their family.

June 23
The North Harmony Church. Joe Osborne, his wife Kelly and their family.

Prayers for the 10th Session of the Upper New York Annual Conference, June 5-8 at The Oncenter in Syracuse. Pray for our Bishop, clergy & lay members of the Annual Conference and all who have been and will be working "out front" and behind the scenes. Please note that the District office will be closed during Annual Conference.

Also be in prayer for all who are  in need of physical healing, burdened by stress, living with grief, and more.
UPDATED - Please Save the Date!
As most of you know, Rev. Sherri Rood will complete her tenure as Cornerstone's District Superintendent on June 30. To show our appreciation to Sherri for her eight years of ministry in our District, we have planned a time to celebrate with her through worship and fellowship on Thursday, June 27, with worship at 7 p.m. and fun and fellowship to follow.

Please plan to come and share in this time with people from around our district along with our host church, Christ First UMC, 663 Lakeview Ave. in Jamestown. All are welcome! Click here for a flyer to share with your church family.
NEW - Bishop Webb Announces Clergy Appointments
Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb and the Upper New York Conference announce one ad interim appointments, 17 new appointments, and one retirement, pending approval at the 2019 Clergy Session. View the full list of changes (as of May 29, 2019) here. 
NEW - Watch Live Stream of UNYAC
Click here to watch the live stream of the 10th session of the Upper New York Annual Conference.

Wednesday, June 5
10-11:30 AM Opening Worship
1-3:15 PM Laity Session
3:30-5:15 PM Plenary
7:30-10 PM Plenary
Thursday, June 6
8:15-9:15 AM Teaching Time: Rev. Vance Ross
9:30-11:30 AM Plenary
1-2 PM Teaching Time: Rev. Vance Ross
2:15-5:30 PM Plenary
7:30-9 PM Memorial Service
9-9:05 PM Plenary (to take a vote for GC & NEJ delegates)

Friday, June 7
8:15-8:30 AM  Devotional Time
8:30-12:15 PM  Plenary
1:30-5:30 PM Plenary
7:30-9 PM Service of Blessing and Anointing
9-10 PM Plenary

Saturday, June 8
8:15-9:30 AM  Worship led by Young Adults and Youth
9:30-12:15 PM  Plenary
2-4:30 PM  Ordination, Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball
NEW - Reporting on the Business of Annual Conference
Reading secondhand reports from a business session of annual conference may be the ideal sleep aid. The endless stream of motions, petitions and amendments are far from the hymns and sermons associated with the experience of church.

Because of the (sometimes) dry and political nature, leaders may avoid talking with members about Annual Conference. Yet, it's important in the life of the church and needs to be reported. These tips will help you do that in a way that conveys importance without prompting yawns.

Ideas like this one and more are available at Resource UMC - check it out!
UPDATED - Prayer for Graduates
Graduation marks a major milestone in life, a time when we celebrate accomplishments and transition to another phase. Click here to view a video that combines images of graduates with the words of a  benediction written by the Rev. Jay Moyers . 

If you have a graduate in your family and would like to share that information (name, school graduating from, future plans) with the district office, please email us at [email protected].
Click here for the June/July issue of
the Media Resource Center newsletter!
NEW - CLM Training to be Offered
The four-module Certified Lay Minister training (approximately 8 hours per module) will be offered in the Cornerstone District in the near future. A Certified Lay Minister (CLM) is a certified lay servant - someone who has completed the Introduction to Lay Ministries course and an advanced LSM course - who is called & equipped to enhance the quality of local church ministry, much like a class leader did in early Methodism.

We are asking that if you or someone in your church is interested in this training to please call or email the district office (716-665-2423, [email protected]). To read more about becoming a Certified Lay Minister, please click here.
Monthly Breakfast at Ripley
A hearty breakfast (pancakes, sausage, bacon, eggs, home fries) awaits you at Ripley United Methodist Church, 84 W. Main St., on Saturday, June 8.

All you can eat & drink for $7. Food is served from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Proceeds will benefit the South Ripley Cemetery Association.
REMINDER - When you get a call from the District Office . . 
The phone at the District Office goes through the Conference Office system. So a call from the Cornerstone district office will display 315-898-2000 (Conference Office main number) on your caller ID.  We will leave a message for you,  but please don't hit "redial" to call us back; dial 716-665-2423 to call us back . 
Blessing of the Bikes
Calling all bikers! Panama United Methodist Church, 22 E. Main St., will be the site of a Blessing of the Bikes on Sunday, June 9.

Folks are invited to gather at 12 noon at the church's picnic pavilion (in the church's community room if the weather is bad) for pulled pork, all the sides, drinks, music, etc. The blessing of bikes and riders will take place at approximately 1:20 p.m. with kickstands up at 1:30 p.m. for a ride together.

The event is intended for motorcycle riders but all bikes are welcome! Please share this poster with your riding circles and make plans to attend. If possible, please let Pastor Steve Taylor if you plan to attend to help with planning for the meal: [email protected] . 
UPDATE - "New Places for New People"
Upper New York Area Resident Bishop, Mark J. Webb and  Rev. David Masland, the Director of New Faith Communities,  are offering the opportunity for individual clergy and laity, as well as every United Methodist Church in Upper NY to become a  "New Places for New People" Partner . 
 
Click here to watch a video featuring Bishop Webb and Rev. Masland; for handouts, a PowerPoint presentation, a video, and the platform to make a donation online, click here.  

NEW - Camp & Retreat Ministries Looking for Summer Help
Camp & Retreat Ministries (CRM) is looking forward to a great summer programming season at Aldersgate , Asbury , Casowasco , Sky Lake , and Skye Farm . We are excited that campers, families, and retreat guests are registering for fun-filled and life-changing programs where skills will be learned and honed, and confidence will be gained. They will join us in learning and deepening their understanding of what it means to live in a Christian Community being reminded that: There is a God, God loves you, and God wants a relationship with you. If you have yet to sign up your camper, yourself, or your family, there are still spaces in most programs - check them out here .
 
CRM is also looking for some key summer staff for this summer. There is a critical need for a Health Director at Casowasco and Skye Farm. This can be an EMT, LPN, RN, PA, NP or Physician with current CPR FPR w/AED and valid Driver's License. This individual would live on site for 1 week to the full summer season depending on availability. Please feel free to share this  Health Director flyer with your local EMS, Hospital, School Nurse, or Fire Department to help us recruit this key position. If interested or more information is needed, call Casowasco (315) 364-8756 or apply here or call Skye Farm (518) 494-7170 or apply here.
 
Aldersgate, Casowasco, Sky Lake, and Skye Farm are also in need of additional summer staff as male counselors and lifeguards. If you know anyone that would make a good candidate, please let us know or ask them to contact us. If YOU would be interested in serving at our sites and being a part of the team of staff caring for campers and our site so they may know and experience God's love, please contact us. It may be the most impactful experience (week or summer) of your life!
Call Aldersgate (315) 348-8833 or apply
Call Casowasco (315) 364-8756 or apply here.
Call Sky Lake (607) 467-2750 or apply
Call Skye Farm (518) 494-7170 or apply here.
 
If you are interested in receiving training and participating as a volunteer at any of our sites, there are many ways you can serve.  Please call the site where you'd like to volunteer for more information.
 
And don't forget to come to our sites for their Open House. See the flyer here!
              Skye Farm: June 1, 1-6pm
              Sky Lake: June 2, 1:30-5pm
              Aldersgate: June 15, 2-7pm
              Casowasco: June 16, 2-7pm
              Asbury: June 30, 1-4pm
 
See you soon!
Important Dates For Your Calendar!
June 5-8
Upper New York Annual Conference
The Oncenter, Syracuse, NY (Click here for agenda)
(District Office will be closed during Annual Conference)

June 9 
Pentecost

June 16
Peace with Justice Sunday
June 27
Celebration of DS Sherri Rood 
7 p.m. worship with fellowship to follow
Christ First UMC, 663 Lakeview Ave., Jamestown
UNY United Methodist Historical Society to Meet
The Upper New York United Methodist Historical Society will meet on Saturday, June 15 at the UNY Conference Center (7481 Henry Clay Blvd.) in Liverpool (click here to download a flyer). "Early birds" may volunteer in the Conference archives beginning at 9:30 a.m. Bring your own lunch if eating at the Center.

The Society meeting will start about 12:40 p.m. with a business meeting, followed by a PowerPoint presentation by Nancy Rutenber on UMC Historic Sites connected to Upper New York Conference. Then there will be a ceremony for retiring old Bibles led by the Rev. Jim Barnes II. Bring your worn-out Bibles for recycling or burning. Hard covers and any metal may need to be removed before any recycling. The meeting is open to all those interested.
Peace With Justice Sunday, June 16
Peace with Justice Sunday is one of six churchwide Special Sundays with offerings of The United Methodist Church. Peace with Justice Sunday enables The United Methodist Church to have a voice in advocating for peace and justice through a broad spectrum of global programs. The special offering benefits peace with justice ministries in the annual conference and through the General Board of Church and Society.

To learn more, please click here.
2019 Mission u
Mission u offers opportunities to study current issues that have an impact on society based on recent mission study topics. Mission u is open to women, men, youth, clergy and laity. You are invited to come to Asbury Camp & Retreat Center on July 25-27 for this retreat that offer two study groups that all participants attend: Practicing Resurrection: Gospel of Mark and Discipleship (spiritual growth) and What About Our Money? A Faith Response (social action). Besides the study groups, there is worship & singing, interest groups and fellowship.

Cost includes registration, room and board. Registration deadline is July 10. Click here to download a brochure and for more information.
Check Out ResourceUMC!
ResourceUMC is a new site rich with content from around The United Methodist Church - all to provide quick access to the information and inspiration local church and connectional leaders need to make effective disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Here you will find practical and timely resources on specific topics such as worship, stewardship, mission, church administration, specialized ministries and much more. You will also find detailed information on each general agency and other denominational entities such as the Council of Bishops, Connectional Table, General Conference and the ethnic/language national plans. Whether you are looking for ideas for a children's ministry, launching a church website or want to learn about how we celebrate Holy Communion, we want to connect you with the best resources available.

ResourceUMC will continue to grow - it will never be finished! As you explore the site you may find some areas more filled out than others. Watch for more content and new topics in the coming weeks and months. New resources will be added constantly. You can help us fulfill our mission to resource leaders by telling us what would be helpful to you and sending suggestions. Share questions, critiques and ideas by emailing us at [email protected].


Rev. Sherri Rood
District Superintendent
[email protected]

Rich Preston
District Lay Leader
[email protected]

Cathy Hall
Administrative Assistant
716-665-2423
[email protected]