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JOYS & CONCERNS
During this extraordinary time, please keep these pastors, their families and the Church families in your prayers throughout the week.
May 10
Jamestown:Camp Street and
Kennedy 1st.
Pastor Jennifer Delahoy, her husband Brian and their family.
May 17
Knapp Creek Church.
Rev. Jerry Piper, his wife Kathy and their family.
May 24
Laona Emmanuel Church.
Pastor Mike Spell, his wife Jaimee and their daughter Allison.
Please keep family and friends of Pastor Bruce Fish, who died on April 23, in your prayers. The funeral will be held at a later date at Napoli United Methodist Church. Condolences may be sent to Bruce's wife, Sue, at P.O. Box 275, Cherry Creek, NY 14723. Click here to read Pastor Bruce's full obituary.
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NEW - Message from Suzanne
Over the last month these are some of the words and phrases that seem to cross my path almost on a daily basis: unprecedented times, daily COVID19 updates by the governors that include the number of hospitalizations and deaths, flatten the curve, frustration, protests, anger, fear, essential and frontline workers, sleepless nights, loneliness, grieving and the question, "How long...?" The weight of this event on my shoulders becomes unbearable at times.
Then, I turn off the news and social media. It is time to sit quietly and listen for the Holy Spirits leading. God's Word enters my mind. With a deep breath and a sigh of relief I am reassured that God is with me. And I remember, Jesus telling the disciples, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." The weight upon my shoulders is lifting.
Now, this scripture pops into my mind where the apostle Paul reminds us in Philippians 4, "for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength."
Contentment comes from: seeing your faces or hearing your voices as we gather together on Zoom meetings; by opening our eyes to the new life the season of spring brings - the trees are beginning to bud, leaf and blossom. Oh, the blossoms smell so sweet! Sunrises and sunsets are brilliantly displayed! The birds have returned - robins, cardinals, woodpeckers, blue jays and geese. What a beautiful melody of sounds to wake up to in the morning!
The rhythm of my life is changing. How about your life? Is the rhythm of your life changing? Take a moment to ponder this question.
The weight upon my shoulders is almost gone. God leads me to thinking of each one of you, the churches and all of the people who make up the Cornerstone District. My mind moves on to different words: resilience, obedience, patience, adaptable, gratefulness, creative, faithfulness, prayer, innovative, relationship, encouragement, beloved, peace and hope.
The weight upon my shoulders has vanished! Yes, we the church are in unprecedented times. We are in a time where new ideas and adaptability bring new life! This work is not easy, but this is where the good stuff is!
Finally, from Romans 5, "And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."
It is the hope, the hope we have in Jesus Christ, that will give us the strength and the perseverance to continue to be the church for such a time as this!
Thank-you Cornerstone District for all that you have done, all that you are doing and all that is yet to be, as you continue to be Kingdom focused, sharing the love of Jesus Christ, and relying on the power of the Holy Spirit!
May you be filled with grace, peace and love in abundance!
Suzanne
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NEW - UNY Cabinet to Offer Recorded Worship Service
The Upper New York (UNY) Communications team is preparing a worship video featuring the UNY Cabinet and other UNY leaders.
The video also includes worship songs with singer Nairobi Smith. This video can be used any Sunday in May in order to offer pastors and worship teams some well-deserved time off. The video will be available this Friday, May 8 and will be posted on the Upper New York website and the link will also be sent in a note.
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NEW - Bishop Webb Announces Clergy Appointments
Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb and the Upper New York Conference announce five appointments. View the full list of changes
here
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Bishop Webb to Host Times of Prayer
As we continue social distancing and online worshipping through the COVID-19 pandemic, Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb will be offering a second time of prayer for both clergy and laity. Many of you likely joined the first time of prayer with Bishop Webb on April 7 and 8.
Bishop Webb offers all clergy to join him on Zoom at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday May 13; he invites all laity to join him on Zoom at 7 p.m. on May 13.
Zoom invitations for both clergy and laity will be sent on Tuesday, May 12.
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May 10 - Celebration of the Christian Home/Mother's Day
As we celebrate loving families as well as nurturing women and men, may we pray:
Loving God, I am so grateful to be in your family! Thank you for the people who guide us on our Christian walk - mothers, fathers and other angels on earth. Amen.
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In accordance with Upper New York Conference guidelines, ALL gatherings in local churches and in our District - worship services, Bible studies, meals, prayer meetings - are postponed/suspended
through May 17. Please practice social distancing and healthy habits to limit the spread of COVID-19. Be safe and stay strong!
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Relief Efforts on HealthFlex, CPP
Please click on this
document link to read about relief efforts being offered to Upper New York churches by the Conference Board on Pension and Health Benefits (CBOPHB) and Wespath Benefits and Investments. If you have any questions about these relief efforts, please contact Susan Latessa, UNY Director of Benefits and Human Resources,
[email protected].
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Stay Informed, Up-To-Date Through These Links:
UNY Notes -Include notices From the Desk of Bishop Webb; Alerts; Announcements; Prayer requests; Death Notices; Camp & Retreat info
Weekly Digest - Sent every Wednesday. It will include a listing of all of the new information available.
This will help reduce the amount of e-news announcements coming to your computers.
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NEW - Lay Servant Training Opportunity Via Zoom
Our friends in the Oneonta District are offering a UMC Heritage class via Zoom from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on
May 19, 26 and June 2.
Pastor Anna Blinn-Cole will teach the class; please contact Pastor Anna at [email protected] to register.
Anyone interested should contact Pastor Anna at
[email protected]
to register.
Once registered, please purchase "Living Our Beliefs The United Methodist Way" by Kenneth L Carder through Cokesbury or Amazon.
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Download the
Bridge
The May Issue I 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.
This issue highlights amazing mission work that has been accomplished by Upper New York members locally, nationally, and internationally, pointing to the next issue of the Advocate, titled, "Being the Hands and Feet of Jesus," available May 1.
During the COVID-19 pandemic and the social distancing mandate, try to be creative in your distribution of the Bridge. Consider mailing or delivering them to your congregation members. Even better - post the link to the Bridge on your website or include a link to the Bridge in an email to your congregation.
If you have questions or are unable to make copies, please contact [email protected].
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Online Opportunities from The UMC
Discipleship Ministries
is offering a webinar,
"Talking About Money During the Coronavirus Crisis,"
at
7:30 p.m. EDT TODAY, Thursday, May 7
.
What do we say about money during the pandemic? How can we help our people respond to the financial challenges that confront our congregations? Ken Sloane, Director of Stewardship & Generosity will host author and pastor Jim Harnish for a presentation grounded in scripture, our Wesleyan tradition, and pastoral experience. Jim and Ken will lead us in exploring some practical and positive ways pastors and lay leaders can turn this crisis into a hopeful opportunity for spiritual growth in financial stewardship.
To register for the webinar, click here.
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UPDATE - Right Start Workshops
Due to the ever changing guidelines of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the UNY Cabinet has decided to make changes to the Right Start Workshops. The workshops have been moved from in-person meetings to an online format.
Also, they have decided to reduce the length of time for the online meetings,
10 a.m. to 12 noon.
Moving clergy now will meet via Zoom on
Tuesday, May 19;
retiring clergy will meet via Zoom on
Wednesday, May 20.
A zoom link will be emailed to registered participants closer to the date of the workshop. If you have not yet registered, please
click here.
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UPDATE - Guide to Online Worship Services
Missing your favorite Sunday church service or looking for somewhere new? The
Upper New York Conference Communications team has added a page on our Conference website (
www.unyumc.org) that showcases all the Methodist churches in our Conference that are hosting online worship services.
Click
here to see the listing services you can attend virtually. More services are added each day. If your church's livestream is missing from the list, please email the link(s) and time(s) to
[email protected].
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UPDATE - AC Information You Can Use!
The 2020 session of the Upper New York Annual Conference has been postponed until October 3.
Refunds for those of you who registered for the May 28-30 Annual Conference are in process. The Upper New York Conference Finance Team has set a goal to try and have all refunds processed by the end of April. This is a work in progress, so your patience is appreciated!
A separate registration form for the October 3 Annual Conference will be available at a later date.
If you have any questions, please call or email the District office:
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Keep Washing Your Hands!
Tired of singing "Happy Birthday" twice every time you wash your hands? If you haven't already changed your hand washing song, here are a few suggestions:
- Repeat The Lord's Prayer (twice)
- "This Little Light of Mine"
- Hum the Final Jeopardy theme song
- "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" (twice)
- A rewrite of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," credited to Erika Perzan:
"Twinkle, twinkle little star.
Look how clean my two hands are. Around my wrists and between my thumbs, lace my fingers, I'm almost done. Twinkle, twinkle little star. Look how clean my two hands are!"
Other ideas? Please email them to [email protected] and we'll share them in the next newsletter!
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Chuck Knows Church
Chuck Knows Church is back! He's teaming up with #SeeAllThePeople to share a few simple ideas that your church can do to help your community during this time of crisis.
During these uncertain times, we may feel isolated from one another and experiencing a sense of aloneness, but we can still provide community in Christ and fellowship in the spirit.
Watch as Chuck shows us how your congregation can turn isolation into engagement with our community.
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Rev. Suzanne Block
District Superintendent
Rich Preston
District Lay Leader
Cathy Hall
Administrative Assistant
716-665-2423
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