AROUND THE CORNER
Information for and about our District
June 10, 2021
Look forward to Suzanne's meditation for June in next week's Around the Corner!
Dear Pastors serving our Lord in the Southern Tier Region of our conference:

The southern tier districts are Cornerstone, Mountainview, Binghamton and Oneonta. We have three superintendents now serving four districts and to do so, we are adjusting the lines of our districts.

Beginning July 1, the following churches currently in the Mountainview District will become members of the Cornerstone District:
Allentown, Bolivar, KonXions, Swain, Short Tract and Wellsville.
The following churches currently in the Binghamton District will become members of the Mountainview District:
Barton, Halsey, Litchfield, Lounsberry, Nichols, Smithsboro, Spencer, Tioga Center, and Waverly.

Olean Christ will continue to be in the Cornerstone District and be supervised by Jeff McDowell from the Mountainview District.

We hope this will clear up some of the confusion and help us keep a focus on our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ across the land.

In Christ with you,
Jeff McDowell, Nancy Adams, and Suzanne Block, superintendents.
Please keep these pastors, their families and the Church families in your prayers throughout the coming weeks.

June 13
East Otto UMC
Missy Ulinger, her husband Timothy and their family.

June 20
Edwards Chapel & Watts Flats UMCs
Pastor Warren VanDewark, his wife Diane and their family.

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

Please be in prayer for everyone involved in the Upper New York Annual Conference, both in front of the camera and behind-the-scenes, June 17-19.

To download the 2020-2021 District Prayer Calendar, click here.
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.
Remember: District office mailing address is
PO Box 842
Jamestown, NY, 14702
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
Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb and the Upper New York Conference announce one ad interim appointment and ten appointments. View the full list of changes here.
Safe Sanctuaries Zoom Training THIS SATURDAY
  The Upper New York Annual Conference Team will be hosting our standard Basic Safe Sanctuaries training via Zoom from 9 am to 12:30 pm Saturday, June 12.  
 
This training is brought to you and paid for by your Upper New York Ministry Shares. This basic training is required for anyone working with children, youth and vulnerable adults as stated by the Minimum Standards. This training is a must no matter if you are meeting in-person or online.  
 
If you have already taken this training you DO NOT need to take it again. 
  
The training will follow the reformatted ZOOM curriculum developed by the Upper New York Annual Conference Safe Sanctuaries Team, educating those involved in ministries who work with children, youth and vulnerable adults on risks and prevention strategies related to abuse.  
 
There will be a link to the handout that should be printed and available to you for the training. 
 
You must REGISTER for the training. If you register and are no longer able to attend we ask that you let us know as soon as possible so we can fill your spot with someone else who is waiting to take the training.   
  
The training will be facilitated by Safe Sanctuaries Certified Trainers. 
  
Click on the link to register:  https://uny-ss-3hr-basic-june12.eventbrite.com 
 
If there are any questions please contact one of the co-chairs of the committee at safesanctuaries@unyumc.org  
  
For more information on Safe Sanctuaries, and on background checks, click here.   
The UMC is leading a sustained and coordinated effort to actively engage in the ministry of dismantling racism and promoting racial justice. The Upper New York (UNY) Conference Communications team will regularly share worship, advocacy, and educational resources to help with this important campaign.

This week, we feature two articles related to Juneteenth written by Upper New York Co-Convener of the Conference Commission on Religion & Race, George Whitney.
 
Click here to read Georgia’s article about the history and symbolism used in Juneteenth celebrations.
 
Click here to read Georgia’s article about Juneteenth celebrations in UNY this year. 
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. The usual two issues per month will resume in September with issues ready prior to the first and third Sundays of each month.
Historical Society Meeting
Learn how chaplains played an important role in the Civil War by attending a June 12 Zoom meeting of the UNY United Methodist Historical Society.

The Rev. Dr. Nancy Hale, pastor at Canton United Methodist Church and a Civil War reneactor, will be the presenter at 7:15 pm. Click here for more information and ways to connect to the session, by Zoom or telephone.
Explore the latest digital ministry resources, all created with local churches in mind.
This month, the People of God campaign is celebrating our commitment to strengthening our faith. Share this inspiring message with your congregation by downloading resources for social media, worship, websites and more, available in English and Spanish.
 
United Methodist Communications is offering Outreach Social free for one year to the first 250 United Methodist churches that sign up. This service provides over 3,000 graphics, a scheduler and reporting. You can even set up automated posts on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for the entire year in a matter of minutes!
 
The Leveraging Communication online training course includes on-demand workshops and Q&A sessions facilitated by leaders in innovative church communications. You will learn to leverage a variety of communication tools, such as social media, digital ministry and news writing, to share your church’s story.
Whether your church is meeting in-person, online or both, Zoom is the perfect tool for expanding connections with your community. Local churches who are new to Zoom or who already have a month-to-month Zoom plan can be a part of United Methodist Communications’ group Zoom Enterprise-level web conferencing license through April 19, 2022!
Where was America's first annual conference held? Ask The UMC!
Final Pre-Conference Training June 16
GNTV will host one final training session on Wednesday, June 16 beginning at 10 am. This training will be different than the previous pre-Conference trainings in that it will focus only on the technical components of Annual Conference; participants will use their actual personal ID number that will be sent from GNTV prior to the training. This will be great practice to become accustomed to the format of Annual Conference, which begins on June 17. Click here at 10 am on June 16 to join the training.

If you attended an earlier pre-Conference training you should receive your ID to login approximately one week prior to the start of Annual Conference.

If you need help logging in once your receive your ID, contact the GNTV helpline by calling/texting 478-245-4042 or call toll-free 833-259-3505.

If you'd like to review the briefings given by Conference leaders during the May trainings, click here. Video briefings from the Conference Board of Pensions and Health Benefits, the Trustees, Equitable Compensation, and the Conference Council on Finance and Administration are available.

What's Unique at AC This Year?
As is true at every Annual Conference, members will be asked to elect a variety of leaders to new terms of office at this year’s Annual Conference, held virtually, June 17-19. This year, though, there are several unique situations of which you need to be informed. Because General Conference was postponed, elections, nominations, and leadership roles will be voted on differently or extended. Click here to learn more.

Journal Volume 1 Updates
As is the case each year, there are items related to Annual Conference, that are not available until after the Journal Vol. 1 has been published. This year, you can find the links to updates, such as an updated agenda and the 2021 Nominations Report, by clicking here. 

All Laity Are Welcome!
All laity of the Upper New York Conference are welcome to participate in the virtual laity session at the 2021 Annual Conference (whether or not they are a registered voting member of Annual Conference). This two-hour webinar livestream will follow Opening Worship at Annual Conference on June 17 (10:15 am-12:15 pm) and will feature presentations from United Methodist Women, United Methodist Men, Young Adults, Lay Servant Ministry, and more.

Click here at 10:15 am next Thursday for this session. 
Updated COVID-19 Guidelines
On Wednesday May 19, New York adopted the CDC's updated guidance on masks and social distancing and many business capacity restrictions have been lifted.

What does this mean for Upper New York local churches? Keeping the safety of unvaccinated individuals in mind, UNY has answered many Frequently Asked Questions regarding these new guidelines as they relate to seating, singing, asking about vaccination status, and more. Click here for the latest COVID-19 FAQs.
Looking Ahead
June 12
Safe Sanctuaries Zoom training
Click here to register

June 12
UNY United Methodist Historical Society meeting, 7:15 pm

June 14
Flag Day

June 16
LAST CHANCE! Pre-Conference Training Session
Click here at 10 am on June 16 to join the training.

June 17-19
12th Session of the Upper New York Annual Conference

June 20
Father's Day
Summer Begins

July 5
Conference & District Offices Closed in observance of Independence Day
LSM Classes Open to All
Please note the class facilitator and/or contact person and contact him/her with any questions. All classes listed at advanced LSM classes.

Spiritual Gifts
June 14 & 21, 6-9 pm; June 26, 9 am - 1 pm; and July 1, 6-9 pm
Class held via Zoom
Course fee, $15  
Click here for the registration brochure.
 
Leading Worship
July 14, 21 & 28, 6-9 pm and August 7, 9 am - 1 pm
Class held via Zoom
Course fee, $15
Click here for the registration brochure. 

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.

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.

If your church is willing to serve as a collection point for our District as Ripley UMC has done in past years, 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 Webinar Series!
Engaging the Community for Social Transformation
Are you seeking ways your congregation can more fully engage your community and work for justice? Are you getting stuck thinking about what steps to take, in identifying the issues, or wondering where to start?

Introducing a new monthly webinar series that will answer those questions and more!
Starting Thursday, June 24, you’ll receive insight on how the local church can engage the community and build relationships in ways that bring about tangible change.

Annual Conference Resources!
Tools to Support Your Disciple-Making Journey
Explore a collection of digital resources to help your congregation take the next step in its disciple-making efforts!

Enjoy practical booklets, webinars, and more all designed to support your church’s intentional discipleship and community engagement!

Get Started Earning CEU Credits!
Summer is Here! Now is the time to take advantage of our e-Learning courses!
CEUs are required in many fields to ensure professionals keep their skills current; the same goes for pastors and professionals looking to promote effective ministry.

Discipleship Ministries offers affordable courses with high-quality information that will enrich your faith life and ministry.
CORNERSTONE DISTRICT [cornerstonedistrict.com]