Oneonta District Newsletter
August 30th, 2017
"Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world by... living the gospel of Jesus Christ and to be God's love with our neighbors in all places."
|
 Your prayers for the ongoing turmoil and disasters in our country and throughout the world.
Your prayers for those affected by the most recent flooding in our Conference area
Your prayers and support for all those who are ill
and pained in body, mind and heart.
Please continue to keep Pastor Carol Coltrain, her family and Huntersland
congregation in your prayers.
Please continue to pray for Mary Ann Linder.
|
| Message from DS Rev. Everett Bassett |
Can I Get a Witness? 
In 2008, the General Conference of The United Methodist Church made a significant change to the membership vows in United Methodist churches. While it only added a word, it was a dramatic addition.
Prior to 2008, members pledged to their church and their Lord four things: Prayers, Presence, Gifts and Service. The word added to this list was 'Witness.' Every member of the church pledges to be a 'witness' of the love of Jesus Christ, fulfilling Jesus' last recorded words to his followers: 'you shall be my witnesses...to the ends of the earth.'
What does this mean? Well, a witness is someone who sees something and reports it, for the sake of others knowing the truth. This new membership vow asserts that reporting what God has done and is doing is part of what it means to be a United Methodist.
In the past year, I have visited and talked with leadership from every church in our district. There is so much to celebrate in our churches. But in many churches there is a survival mentality, asking questions like, 'How much longer can we stay open?' As we discussed this reality among the District Leadership Team, we asked, 'How can we help churches move past a survival mentality to a revival mentality?' Much of what we will be offering on the district moving ahead will be defined by that question.
I believe our newest membership vow offers a key. We have fallen out of the practice of witnessing, and it is leaving us unable to see and celebrate the power of God in our midst.
With that in mind, our DLT is offering five training sessions across our district in the month of October around the theme 'Can I Get a Witness?' Details of these meetings will be shared shortly. We will focus on learning to share our faith experiences without being offensive, manipulative, or disrespectful. What we have found is that even in planning this event, our energy level for expressing faith has been elevated. We believe this could happen in any church in our district, and it is as natural as breathing. We are hoping for a team from every one of churches to attend one of these.
I truly believe we could find seeds of powerful Spirit-led revival in the simple act of witnessing what God is doing right now.
Blessings, Everett
|
| From the desk of Bishop Mark J. Webb: Flooding from Hurricane Harvey |
Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
As you are aware, Hurricane Harvey continues to cause tremendous devastation to the greater Houston area, forcing thousands to evacuate. When the waters subside, many people will return to discover their homes and businesses have been destroyed. Rebuilding will take weeks, months, even years. I know you have been keeping these people in your prayers; I ask you to continue. And I ask you to allow God to make you part of the answer to these prayers.
I have been in conversation with Bishop Scott Jones of the Texas Conference, and have reached out to Bishop Robert Schnase of the Rio Texas Conference assuring them of our prayers and to determine specific ways we can assist in the future, but right now there are two immediate material needs you and your congregation can meet:
1. Invite your congregation to take up a special collection one Sunday in September. Announce to your people which Sunday you will do this and ask them to be especially generous. You may forward these funds to the Conference Office with a single check, made out to Upper New York Conference with FUND # 481 - "2017 Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief" on the memo line.
2. Assemble Cleaning Kits (Flood Buckets) and bring these to the Mission Central Hub at the United Methodist Center. Click here for instructions.
In the future,
...Click here to Read More
|
| News Column by: Rev. Kathy Brumbaugh |
|
Friends,
Below is a recent column written by: Kathy Brumbaugh, of Schenevus UMC - that appeared this month in The Lancaster Farming News. People who want to read more can find this newspaper at
lancasterfarming.com.
Kathy's column appears on the Editorial page (usually page 8) every other week.
It also appears in an Indiana newspaper every two weeks as well.
Many Thanks to Kathy for sharing this with us.
The Word Lives
Rev. Kathy Brumbaugh
Our Christian Race
Background Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Devotional Text: 1 Timothy 4:7-8
I like how the Apostle Paul likens our lives as Christians in a way similar to those who are running a race. It doesn't mean that we ourselves are at a run. What Paul refers to is what lies behind the race, that is the training, all the necessary preparation and learning about the rules.
It doesn't matter if the race was held in first century Jerusalem, or twenty-first century America, all those who wish to race must begin by training, making themselves ready for what they will face ahead. Then, once a person is trained and ready for the race, it is also most important to follow the rules associated with the race.
Paul wrote in a way that could easily be understood by his readers, often referring to the times in which the people lived. As we begin to look at today's scriptures, let's also look at the places and times of Paul's letters.
The Isthmian Games
Every two years, athletes throughout Greece .... Read More
|
| SAVE THESE DATES |
|
Date
|
Event
|
Details
|
Sat. Sept 9th
|
Cafe Chocolat- Womens Retreat
See below for details
|
8:30 - 4:30 pm at Sand Hill UMC Community House
|
| Tues. Sept 26th |
Fall Clergy Gathering & Orientation -
Click here to read the letter that was sentto all Pastors, worship Leaders and Lay Leaders |
5:15 -8:45 pm at Oneonta: First UMC |
Oct. 24th-26th
|
Bishops Retreat - See below fore details
|
See below for details
|
Mon. Oct. 30th
|
Bishop Webb on the District -
see below for details
|
Location - Unadilla UMC
|
|
|
Fun had by all at Clergy and Family Picnic
|
Looking for some time away from the busyness of life?
Join us at our
Cafe Chocolat Women's Retreat on Saturday September 9 from 8:30-4:30.
This one day women's retreat will take place in the lovely country setting at Sand Hill United Methodist Church Community House located on Sand Hill Road, just off of Rte 7 between Unadilla and Wells Bridge. At Cafe Chocolat women will delight in the extravagant grace of God as they explore how it is evident in their own lives and in the lives of others. Using chocolate as a metaphor ( and sometimes to eat!), women will be drawn closer to Jesus through worship, discussion, quiet reflection, Christian service and more. The cost is $15 which will cover your necessary materials. This retreat is being brought to you by the Sand Hill, Mt. Upton, and Unadilla Center United Methodist Churches. Lunch will be prepared by the good cooks of the churches and is at no extra cost. Call 563-7713 for more information and to register. Space is limited so don't delay
|
Oneonta District United Methodist Women are cordially  invited .....
Heather Smith, Peace with Justice Coordinator, Convener, Special Sunday Task Force will be at the Smyrna United Methodist UMW meeting on Tuesday, September 5, 7:00 P.M.
Heather brings a great
enthusiasm for these offerings and
will help us understand the importance of participating in them annually.
All are welcome to attend. -Meeting begins promptly at 7pm at the
Smyrna UMC, 3 E Main
St, Smyrna, NY.
All United Methodist Women in the Oneonta District are welcome to attend .
RSVP to Nancy Funk at 607-627-6631.
|
|
UMW News
2017 Annual Meeting of the UNYAC United Methodist Women
September 15-16 - at the Saratoga Springs UMC.
Click here to go to the UNY Conference UMW website for more information and the registration form. The meeting is fairly close for the northern end of the Oneonta District in particular, so we hope you can take advantage of this. The Main Speaker on Saturday will be Carol Van Gorp from the National Office of UMW. She works in International Ministries. Come and learn how your pledge money is being spent on the International Level of UMW and how we partner with United Methodist Women in other countries.
Saturday, October 21 -
Fall Meeting of the Oneonta District UMW at Elm Park UMC in Oneonta. It will be a morning meeting concluding with lunch...more specific details to follow.
The program will be a speaker from "Caring Connections". She will speak about the Oneonta options for supporting the homeless and other persons in need of transportation, housing, paying utility bills, etc.
Come with information on how these needs are being met in your community. We can all learn from each other. "Caring Connections" is a part of Catholic Charities and Catholic Charities works in most, if not all, of the counties in our District.
|
How the UMC is denouncing racism 
As a response
to the racist events that took place in Charlottesville, VA early this month, the UMC is taking action. Here are just a few of the ways the UMChas responded to what took place in Charlottesville, VA.
They placed a full page ad in The New York Times and USAToday on Aug. 16. Together, these two papers reach about 2 million people.
They developed several articles, which cover the incident but also provide help and guidance on various fronts.
They created video ad spots on denouncing racism.Click here to visit their comprehensive landing page at UMC.org/EmbraceLove that provides up-to-date content on the response from across the church, including resources and helpful tips.
|
Regional Annual Church Conference Schedule
Sun. Nov. 5th 1-4 pm - Schoharie Regional Church Conferences
at Middleburgh UMC - Coordinator:Anna Blinn-Cole
Includes The Following Churches:
Cobleskill, Central Bridge, Delanson
Esperance-Sloansville & Gallupville
Huntersland, Middleburgh/Grosv.Corners/Barnerville
Sharon Springs, Richmondville, Warnerville
Sun. Nov. 5th , 5-8 pm -Cooperstown Regional Church Conferences
LOCATION & Coordinator TBA
Includes The Following Churches:
Cooperstown, East Worcester/Worcester
Fly Creek/Schuyler Lake,
Hartwick/Mt. Vision , Middlefield/Roseboom,
Schenuvus, Westville/Westford, West Exeter
Wed. Nov. 8th 6-9 pm - Oneonta Regional Church Conferences
Davenport UMC - Coordinator: Donna Taylor Martin
Includes The Following Churches:
Davenport, Elm Park Oneonta , Emmons/Cooperstown Junction
First Oneonta, Milford/Portlandville , Otego
West Davenport
Sun. Nov. 12, 1-4 pm - Sidney Regional Church Conferences
at Afton UMC - Coordinator : Cathy Honrath
Includes The Following Churches:
Afton/Bainbridge, Franklin/Treadwell
Guilford, North Afton, Unadilla, Sidney, Mount Upton
Unadilla Center/Sand Hill
Sun. Nov. 12, 5-8 pm- Norwich Regional Church Conferences
New Berlin UMC -Coordinator: George Gallandorm
Includes The Following Churches:
Broad St. Norwich, Morris/Edmeston
Smithville Center, New Berlin, Oxford/McDonough
Plymouth/Preston/ North Norwich , Sherburne/Smyrna
IMPORTANT -
Please contact Teresa at the District office by no later than Sept 8th with the name of your Regional Coordinator and the Location that your Regional Charge Conference will be at. Call (607) 441-5102 or Email: [email protected]
|
In preparation for the upcoming Church/Charge Conferences, the following information is now available:
Charge Conference Forms are all located on the following page:
2017-18 Charge Conference Forms. There is a downloadable/printable forms check list to help ensure that each church is on track to completing the forms necessary for their Church/Charge Conference on time. Many of the forms need to be submitted to the District Office two weeks prior to your scheduled Charge Conference. Other forms, such as the annual audit, have later deadlines. Questions can be directed to your District Office or as noted on the forms page.
The 2018 Clergy Compensation Package information has been mailed to the Staff Parish Relations Committee chairs for those churches which have provided contact information. Pastors have been emailed the materials and local church treasurers have been advised where to obtain the basic information contained in the packet. The United Methodist Discipline directs the SPPRC to consult with pastor and staff regarding all aspects of compensation and to then recommend appropriate proposals to the Church Council on an annual basis.
Information and forms, including the Salary Report Form and benefit cost information for 2018, can be on the following page:
2018 Clergy Compensation Information. Questions about completing the compensation form can be directed either to your District Office or to the Benefits Office.
Thank you for your attention to these important administrative ministries of your local church!
|
|
Please Save these Dates - and plan to attend
|
|
Bishop's Retreat - October 24-26, 2017
Join us for the 2017 Bishop's Retreat: October 24-26, 2017
Location: Double Tree Hotel in Binghamton, NY!
Keynote Speaker - Bishop Young Jin Cho. The theme will be "Leading through Prayer."-
********************************************************
October 30th , 2017
Oneonta District Day Clergy and Laity gather with Bishop Webb
Clergy...
When: Monday, October 30, 2017
12:00 PM-3:00 PM (with lunch provided)
Where: Unadilla UMC
Laity...When: Monday, October 30, 2017
6:30 PM-8:30 PM
Where: Unadilla UMC
NOTE:
We will be discussing the work of
Commission on the Way Forward, whose focus is matters of human
sexuality in the United Methodist Church. There will be ample time for discussion at both sessions. Pastors, you are expected to be there.
If you are unable to come to the afternoon session, please come to
the evening session. Pastors and Lay Leaders, I trust you have been
announcing this from the pulpit and putting the information in your bulletins and newsletters. Please continue to do so.
What to expect at the 2017-18 District Day
Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb will be visiting each of the Districts in the Upper New York Conference during his 2017-2018 District Days tour. The theme of the tour will be "A Way Forward." Click here to learn more about the fellowship and conversations that will take place during the District Days and find out when and where your District's day will take place!
|
| " Can I Get a Witness" - Event coming - mark your calendars and plan to attend |
| What's going on at YOUR Church ??? |
If your church has events that you would like advertised in this section please email Teresa at [email protected]
Unadilla Center UMC invites you to join us on our trip to Sight and Sound Theatre to see Jonah on
Saturday, September 16. There will be pickups at Oneonta, Sidney and Binghamton. The cost is $150 for adults and &95 for children 12 and under. This is a one day trip and the fee includes the bus (Oneonta Bus Lines coach), show ticket and meal at Hershey Farms Restaurant. Call Claudia Jenkins at 607-563-7713 to reserve your seat.
|
"Walk to Emmaus" This Fall
 The Walk to Emmaus, a program created by The Upper Room, is an experience of Christian spiritual renewal and formation that begins with a three-day short course in Christianity. It is an opportunity to meet Jesus Christ in a new way as God's grace and love are revealed to you through other believers.
Pastor can earn 3 CEUs through the Upper Room for attending their initial Walk to Emmaus weekend. The cost is only $5 per CEU or $15.
There are two Walks scheduled for this fall at Sky Lake. The men's Walk is October 26-29, 2017 and the Women's Walk is November 2-5, 2017.
Be watching for Application to Apply .
|
STILL TIME TO ENROLL FOR THE HOLY LAND TRIP HAPPENING IN JANUARY 2018!
There is still plenty of time to register for a wonderful spiritual pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Sharon and Everett will be hosting under Bishop Webb's Holy Land Journey. All you need to do is go to www.eo.travelwithus.com/ and enter Tour=HL18, Date=010918, Code+N, and ID=12303.
This is an outstanding tour and Educational Opportunities has been conducting these for many years. This time will be Everett's 7th and Sharon's 4th. This pilgrimage to the sites where Jesus walked will bring your faith to a deeper level and the Bible to life!
If you have any questions or need further information, please call Sharon at 315-430-6149.
CEU Credits- 2
|
New -
Route 122 - A Development Opportunity
- a gathering designed for those focused on increasing the vitality of existing congregations as Conference staff, District Superintendents, and pastors of local churches.
This coming November, Bishop Webb, Sherri Rood, and I will be presenting at the gathering. If there is a group that is interested in going we might be able to work out a group rate for airfare. I hope you will consider joining us. By the way it is in Las Vegas at the end of November.
Here is the link for information and registration:
https://dscumc.org/event/route-122/
Please contact Aaron Bouwens if you have any questions.
Rev. Dr. Aaron M. Bouwens -
Director of Vital Congregations
Upper New York Annual Conference
7481 Henry Clay Blvd.
Liverpool, NY 13088
(o) 315-898-2014
(c) 607-591-5780
|
Pre-retirement seminar scheduled for Sept. 25
There will be a Pre-retirement seminar held on Monday Sept. 25 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Upper New York United Methodist Center (7481 Henry Clay Blvd., Liverpool). This seminar will highlight and explain the benefits available through The United Methodist Church to retiring clergy. It is intended to assist persons in their later years of ministry understand the current pension plan, health insurance options, Social Security, and moving assistance available. ONLINE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED, as we will provide clergy-specific retirement projections, and also need to plan for lunch. The deadline to register is Friday, Sept. 15, 2017.
|
New -
CONAM - Committee on Native American Ministries -
All of us in the Upper New York Conference celebrated the Act of Repentance and Building Relationships with Indigenous Persons at the 2015 Annual Conference service. Wonderful words were spoken by Rev. Dr. Thom WhiteWolf Fassett, witty, funny, poignant and at times starkly honest.
As our AOR work continues, I would like to introduce you to opportunities to become involved in ministry that will directly benefit Native peoples, particularly the elderly and disabled population.
Read more .......
|
Shoe Boxes for Red Bird Mission 
The Endwell United Methodist Church mission's team is again coordinating the collection and delivery of shoe boxes for Red Bird Mission, located in Beverly, Kentucky. The Red Bird Missionary Conference is one of three missionary United Methodist conferences in the United States. It is the most comprehensive mission effort of the United Methodist Church, providing outreach
and services that minister to the whole person (spiritual, physical, social and economic).
Last year our team drove two-26 foot trucks to the Red Bird Mission. Because of
your generosity, one truck was filled with over 3,000 shoe boxes and the other with clothes, books, school and cleaning supplies. We have begun to collect shoe boxes with the goal of having everything ready by November 22, 2017. We plan on transporting all items the first week of December.
This year we are asking churches that want to participate in this project to help us by dropping off all filled shoe boxes to the following two locations: the Upper New York Conference Center at 7481 Henry Clay Blvd. in Liverpool or to the Endwell United Methodist Church located at 3301 Watson Boulevard in Endwell. Drop off dates will be November 1st-17th. If needed,
arrangements can be made to have a pickup of items by contacting Dave Alexander at (607) 743-8955 or by e-mail to
[email protected]
There are two different styles of shoe boxes: adult and children. Please do not wrap the boxes. Items needed for the adult shoe boxes (please mark for a man or woman) include a comb/brush, shampoo, hand lotion, deodorant, toothbrush and paste, chap stick, full size bath soap, wash cloth, mittens, disposable razors, shaving cream, scarves and hats, nail care supplies, socks, work gloves, and mittens.
Items for the children's shoe boxes (please mark for a boy or girl) include two or
three toy items, two or three school items, bar soap, children's toothbrush, children's toothpaste, shampoo, lotion, wash cloth, comb/brush, chap stick, mittens, hats, socks, and small flashlights. Christian bookmarks, wrist bands, and other spiritual items are also appreciated. There is also a great need for sheets and blankets for children beds
Most of these items can be purchased at a local Dollar Store. Please include $1.00 for each shoe box in a separate envelope to help with shipping costs. Monetary donations are also needed to cover the cost of truck rental, fuel, lodging and the trip back home. All items should be put in clear plastic shoe box sized storage containers with lids.
If any Church would like a power point presentation we can send you one or make a presentation to your group.
Blessings,
Dave Alexander, lay person
Endwell United Methodist Church
|
 Does your church have a Medical Emergency Response plan in place in the event that a member of your congregation has a heart attack while attending a service or event at your church?
It can often take upto 15 minutes forEMTsto respondtoour locationin an emergency. In the caseof a heart attack, anindividual cannot waitfor10-15 minutes toreceive medical attention.
An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) can greatly increase the rate at which an individual survives a heart attack. As AEDs are expensive, The Conference is interested in learning how many churches might potentially be interested in purchasing one-if many are, we may be able to obtain a group rate.
Please
click here and take a couple of minutes to fill out this electronic survey so that we may be able to gauge interest.
|
|
Bishop Webb announces clergy appointments
Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb has announced new appointments and retirements.
|
|
Vital Congregations Opportunities this fall
There is still time to register for the fall opportunities from Vital Congregations. In reaching toward our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, all of us will need to continue to grow in our capacity as leaders.
Click here to read about many opportunities to do so, including: Leadership Academy, Illuminate Preaching Academy, Tending the Fire, Growing with God, and Tending the Soul, all of which begin this fall.
|
A new program starting this fall entitled
Growing with God. The intent of the program is to equip participants to attend to their spiritual lives, attend to God's presence and movement in their lives, and offer tools with which they can better discern God's invitation for their lives and ministry.
Contact the District Office if you are interested in attending and are
willing to bring the information back to the district to share .
|
2017 UNY Conference Trip to South Korea - B
log series:
Are we accessible?
Impressed by the sites visited throughout South Korea and the several worship services attended, what touched the Rev. Nola Anderson, Crossroads District Superintendent, most was the depth of the South Koreans' commitment to Jesus Christ from which everything flows. She said, "God is first in all that they do- from the insignificant to the greatest."
Click here to read Rev. Anderson's eloquent blog.
Rev Nola Anderson
|
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection invites you to Leadership Institute 2017,
which takes place at the Leawood, KS campus, September 27-29, 2017.
Registration is now open!
CEU Credits- 7.2
|
Tending the Soul
Spiritual Direction & Congregational Formation
2017-2019 - beginning a new 2-year training group in Oct. 2017;
Tending the Soul is a program designed to train individuals
in Spiritual Direction and Congregational Formation. The
two-year training program offers guidance in discerning a
participant's sense of giftedness and call to one-on-one
spiritual direction.
For more information or to learn how to apply contact Nancy Dibelius
[email protected] or call (518)369-9147
CEU Credits 8 (24 month program)
|
| Click here for ... Leading Ideas,  Resources & Quick Links |
Upper New York Camp & Retreat Ministries (CRM)
|
|
"Building Community: Because It Doesn't Just Happen"
If, over a two day presentation, you could learn and practice skills and methods that could help you better understand your own strengths and those of others, help build a sense of community in your congregation, clarify the decision making process in committee meetings, clarify the lines of communication and get to the "real information" in tense situations, foster team building and help you feel more confident about dealing with difficult people as well as building collegiality among your peers, would you attend?
This two-day learning opportunity
will be provided on Tuesday, October 17 and Wednesday, October 18 from 9 AM to 5 PM each day by retired UMC pastors Ray Stees and Terrence O'Neill at the McKownville UMC, 1565 Western Ave., Albany, NY 12203. (2 C.E.Us.) will be awarded
Registration deadline is October 2nd. A registration fee of $5.00
To register for the event please contact Ray Stees
|
 2017 UNY Conference Journal Directory now available for purchase and download
The 2017 Upper New York Conference Journal Directory is now available. This directory contains up-to-date contact information of all UNY churches, clergy, members to Annual Conference, and surviving spouses for the 2017 Upper New York Annual Conference Session. There are two ways to receive the Journal Directory:
Click here to purchase a hard copy from online publisher Lulu.com OR
A free downloadable PDF version is available on our Issuu page
If you order directly from Lulu.com, you can have it delivered to the address of your choice (Note: You will need a major credit card to place an order). A hard copy of the Journal Directory
costs $5.54 plus tax and shipping.
Vol. 2 of the Journal will be available later this fall. Vol. 1 of the Journal (published last spring), the Journal Directory, and Vol. 2 of the Journal will make up the entirety of the 2017 Journal
|
|
UNYAC Job Postings
Current Job Openings at Upper New York
|
|
Conference Offices Have Moved
The Upper New York Conference office has moved to the new: United Methodist Center
7481 Henry Clay Blvd
Liverpool, N.Y. 13088
NEW Phone: 315-898-2000 Toll Free: (same) 1-855-424-7878
For additional information, click here.
|
| UNY Media Resource Center ...Click here Watch the Media Resource Center Video ...Click here Flyer |
Quick Links
The Oneonta District newsletter and calendar can be found
|
| Please share this issue of the Oneonta District Newsletter with church members and staff, teams and organizations. If you wish to include news about your missions or disciple formation ministries, please send it on Mondays to be published - that week - email: [email protected] Also - If you have ideas for making our District Newsletter better - we would like to hear from you . |
Oneonta District Office
of the Upper New York Conference
of the United Methodist Church
"Living the gospel of Jesus Christ and Being God's love with our neighbors in all places."
Your Partners in Ministry at the Oneonta District Office
Rev. Everett Bassett
, District Superintendent
Teresa Wood, Administrative Assistant
64 Chestnut St. (GPS) / PO Box 668 (Mailing), Oneonta, NY 13820
|
|
|
|
|
