AROUND THE CORNER
Information for and about our District
June 24, 2021
Grace and peace in the name of Jesus Christ!

I’m excited to share some news with you related to the Cornerstone District. Beginning July 1, the District office located in Jamestown: Christ First UMC will be moving!

I will be establishing an office in the “old” office space at the District parsonage (15 Morris Lane). Meetings with individuals and events will take place offsite, so fair warning that I will be looking for hospitality from churches throughout the District.

Patti Gridley, who has served as District Assistant for the Mountain View District since September 2010, will care for Cornerstone District operations from her office in Bath, NY. I’m grateful for Patti’s willingness to take on this additional responsibility. If you don’t know her already, Patti has a servant’s heart and I know you will give her a warm welcome and will enjoy getting to know her in the weeks and months ahead.

Operationally, the office phone numbers and email will remain the same. The new mailing address for the Cornerstone District office will be PO Box 687, Bath, NY 14810. I will continue to be available by cell/text (716-860-7860) and email (suzanneblock@unyumc.org).

I believe we’ve learned through the past 15+ months that we are open and able to do things in a new way. Change is never easy, but I’m confident that together, as sisters and brothers in Christ, we can continue to stay connected and be in relationship with each other as we always have.

As always, let us be in prayer together as we begin this new thing. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Grace, peace and love,
Suzanne
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Lord send your spirit in this place.
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Send us love, send us pow'r, send us grace.
-- Ken Medema
Please keep these pastors, their families and the Church families in your prayers throughout the coming weeks.

June 27
Ripley & South Ripley UMCs
Pastor Becky Ward and her family.

July 4
Brocton:Tri-Church Parish
Pastor Clara Wilder, her husband Gary and their family.

July 11
Cuba & Friendship UMCs
Pastor Becky Worth, her husband William and their family.

The 2021-2022 District Prayer Calendar begins July 25. To view or download, click here.
Welcome New Churches, Pastors to the
Cornerstone District
This year we welcome six new churches to our District, moving from the Mountain View District. The churches and their pastors are:
Allentown & Bolivar, CLM Elva Cornell;
KonXions, Rev. Stephen R. Crowell, Sr.;
Swain & Short Tract, Rev. Marian Luce; and
Wellsville, Pastor Craig Buelow (also serving Northern KonXions - Belfast, Friends in Christ & Rushford churches).

Churches welcoming new pastors/worship leaders as of July 1 include:
Caneadea, Pastor Harrison Putnam;
Charlotte Center, lay supply Dan & Olivia Pavlock;
Falconer, Pastor Mike Childs;
Fentonville, Pastor Deborah Westcott;
Forestville, lay supply Darlene Meeder;
Gerry, lay supply Tom Holland;
Napoli, lay supply Carlisle "Shorty" Gross; and
Pleasant Valley, lay supply Tony Gray.

And we say "Welcome back" to Cornerstone!
Rev. J. Paul Womack, serving Chautauqua:Hurlbut

Rev. Brian Lothridge, who was ordained a deacon at the 2021 Annual Conference.

Congratulations and best wishes to our retiring Cornerstone clergy:
Pastor Heather Allport-Cohoon (6/30/2021)
Pastor Jim Hankey (6/30/2021)
Rev. Tim Phelps (12/31/2020)
This week's Upper New York Conference Weekly Digest contains information galore about the 2021 Annual Conference sessions and special services. Click here to learn more.

To subscribe the Weekly Digest, click here.
Cornerstone District Office mailing address
(beginning July 1, 2021):

PO Box 687
Bath, NY, 14810
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Upper New York Assistant Director of Vital Congregations for Spiritual Life, the Rev. Nancy Dibelius, has been providing videos of helpful spiritual practices to help deepen people’s relationship to God during this difficult time.

For 2021, Rev. Dibelius is zeroing in on spiritual disciplines. She explains that spiritual disciplines are a way to get away with Jesus, walk with Jesus, and learn from Jesus.
 
Click here for Rev. Dibelius’s latest spiritual discipline exploration, True Service, which she explains as a lifestyle encompassing acts of compassion and acts of justice.
On June 30, 2021 Cathy Hall, Administrative Assistant to the Cornerstone District, will retire. She has served the District with outstanding service for seven years!
Please join me in wishing her well.

Grace, Peace and Love,
Suzanne
Job Descriptions and Leadership Training in the UMC has been published with minor updates for several quadrennia. Given our changing context, Discipleship Ministries is interested in enhancing the discipleship focus of this resource and learning about potential improvements. To make this book better, we need your input.
Please complete the survey at your earliest convenience. The survey will close July 18.
Please feel free to contact Naomi Annandale, Director of Research and Strategic Evaluation, (615) 340-1743, with any questions.
The June issue of the Bridge is now available for download. It is available in both color and black & white formats. Click here to select the version you prefer and make copies as necessary. The stories that are featured in this particular Bridge can also be accessed from the Annual Conference section of the Upper New York (UNY) Conference website for easy copying and pasting for those who wish to electronically distribute news featured in the Bridge. Click here to access the UNY Conference Annual Conference section.
 
This issue focuses on what you need to know to be prepared for the 12th session of the UNY Annual Conference to be held virtually, June 17-19, 2021.

PLEASE NOTE: Each year, the Bridge schedule changes from the usual two issues per month to one issue per month for the months of June, July, and August. The publication will be ready the week prior to the first Sundays in June, July, and August.
Summer has begun officially! Here are some ideas that will make it a season of meaningful ministry:

In honor of John Wesley’s birthday on June 28, Ask The UMC is exploring key historic places and sites from his life in Epworth, a small town in Lincolnshire in northeast England. Share this resource with your congregation so that they can learn more about Wesley’s life and ministry.
Make a Good First Impression!
How important are logos and who looks at them anyway? Explore the essential best practices you should consider when designing a new logo for your church or organization. Use these five tips to create that next great logo for your church or event.

Essential Training for Communications Ministry
UMCom Training
In 2020, because of COVID-19 safety concerns, UMCom’s Training Team saw a surge of interest in church leader training. The team launched a new set of online courses and updated others to help churches navigate through online worship experiences in a socially distanced world.
Looking Ahead
July 5
Conference & District Offices Closed in observance of Independence Day

July 5
Registration deadline for Mission u
Items from Celoron UMC Available
The congregation of Celoron United Methodist Church will be celebrating their final worship this Sunday, June 27. They are looking for a "good home" for the church's contents: pulpit furniture, worship supplies, office furniture, kitchen items, etc.

Click here for a compete inventory of available items. If you/your church/any other church is interested, please contact Chris Fandt, Celoron Trustee Chair, 716-488-1722.
Updated Church COVID-19 Guidelines
Following the announcement from Governor Andrew Cuomo that most New York State COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions have been lifted now that there is a 70% vaccination one-dose rate for persons 18 and older in the state, Church COVID-19 Guidelines have been updated on the Conference website.
 
Click here to review the updated Church COVID-19 Guidelines.
Mountain View District
Lay Servant Retreat Day
An all day, in-person retreat for UNY lay servants - and anyone who may be interested in knowing more about Lay Servant Ministry - will be held Saturday, August 21, at Avoca United Methodist Church, 8593 Jacob's Ladder Rd. in Avoca.

Scheduled from 9 am to 5 pm, the retreat will include time for worship and fellowship as well as opportunities for learning. Click here for a flyer with full details.

Advance registration is $15 (including lunch) and is due by August 1. Onsite registration will be accepted for a fee of $20. Click here for the online registration form or email Larry Crandell for more information.
LSM Classes Open to All
Please note the class facilitator and/or contact person and contact him/her with any questions.

NEW - Basic Lay Servant Course
The Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course is a foundational course designed to equip new church leaders and renew current leaders in The United Methodist Church.
July 11, 18, 25 & August 1 & 8, 6-9 pm
Class held via Zoom
To register, contact Dave Pritchard pdavepreacher@gmail.com

Polity
August 17, 24 & 31 6-9 pm and August 28, 9 am - 1 pm
Class held via Zoom
Course fee, $15  
Click here for the registration brochure.

To register or for more information on any of the LSM classes listed above, please contact Arlene Schmidt at adschmidt@nycap.rr.com.

NEW - Lay Servants Lead in Conflict Resolution
August 21 & 28, 8 am-1 pm
Class in-person, Watertown: Asbury UMC parlor,
200 Parker Street/327 Franklin Street
Watertown, NY 13601
Every church deals with conflict, both healthy and unhealthy, and this course equips and empowers lay servants to help lead through those times of conflict as a time of transformation.

A meal will not be served during the class, we will however, take a break around 11:30 AM. 
 
For additional information about the class, please contact the facilitator at 315-771-9142 or leonvanwie@gmail.com.

Imagine No Racism
September 8, 15, 22 & 29 and October 6 & 13 6:30-8 pm
Class held via Zoom
Course fee, $10
Facilitator: Thaddeus Pinckney thaddeusp1@yahoo.com

Lay Servants Lead in Conflict Resolution
September 11 & 18
9 am – 12 pm and 1-3 pm
Class held via Zoom
Course fee, $10
Facilitator: Pastor Danyal Mohammadzadeh – pastordanyal@livinghopeumc.org

Weekend Retreat: Lay Servants as Christian Transformational Leaders
October 15, 5 pm through October 17, 12 pm
Class held in person
Retreat fee, $65 (includes Friday dinner and Saturday lunch and dinner)
Hotel accommodations, $75 + taxes/night
Contact: Nancy Goddard – bngoddard@davespc.net
Click here for the June/July issue of the Media Resource Center newsletter! 
Mission u 2021
Registration Available 
There’s far more than here than meets the eye and we hope you’ll join us this summer for the 2021 Mission u! Hosted by the Upper New York United Methodist Women and United Methodist Church, this virtual study program will be presented Thursday evening, July 22, through Saturday afternoon, July 24.  

The program will feature group worship and plenary sessions and the participant’s choice of three different study options. A special mission presentation will be offered by Hope House in Utica, N.Y. 
 
Registration is $25, with a special fee of $15 for first-timers. Scholarships are available and the fee should not be an obstacle. Register by July 5; classes filled on a first-come, first-served basis. 
 
Mission u is a transformative education program that offers studies on several different topics and is open to everyone—not just women. 
 
For more information, click here for a flyer/ registration information or visit https://unyumw.wixsite.com/website. 
2021 Campaign for
Red Bird
It's not too early to begin planning for your congregation's response to the annual Upper New York Conference collection drive for Red Bird Mission. Please share the attached letter from David Alexander, Coordinator and member of Endwell UMC.

Ripley UMC has graciously agreed to serve as a collection point for our District again this year. If your church is willing to serve as an additional collection point please email David, Dalexander4@stny.rr.com
The Upper New York Camp & Retreat Ministry is excited to share their 2021 summer camp and retreat programs with you! All five sites will be offering a variety of programs.

Summer camp provides endless laughter, meaningful worship, and important friendships. Retreats provide a unique experience in a beautiful setting.
 
Click here to quickly browse this summer’s programs by site or filter the programs to pinpoint the perfect fit. Feel free to contact the CRM Ministry team with any questions.
New Teaching Series!
How to Have a Courageous Conversation: Racism
Understanding the Connection of Anti-Racism to Discipleship
Introducing an insightful new series building off the successful components of the original Courageous Conversations course.
A 3-session teaching series that dives deeper into themes around discipleship, the evils of racism, community engagement, and so much more!

Our hope is that these three sessions will encourage and equip church leaders to feel more confident about understanding the need for such a conversation and to glimpse potential outcomes for the local church.

Anti-Racism Resources from United Methodist General Agencies
Discipleship Ministries continues to have a commitment to anti-racism. Explore a collection of articles and videos that can support and assist local congregations in learning about issues of race, in working for justice, and in offering paths towards unity amid diversity.

Our hope is that these tools will help highlight individual growth areas and blind spots as well as shine a light on larger societal systemic issues.
CORNERSTONE DISTRICT [cornerstonedistrict.com]