E-News from the Valley! September 21, 2021

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This is sent on Tuesday - Items you would like to see in the E-News should be submitted to the district office by the Friday before

Click here to go to the Genesee Valley District website.

Please click on the following links:

UNY Notes - these include notices From the Desk of Bishop Webb; Alerts; Announcements; Prayer requests; Death Notices;

Camp & Retreat info

Weekly Digest - this will be 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.

District Office is open by appt only.

Call Betsy at 585-340-9525

Please click here for guidelines to come into the office

NEW! Thoughts from our District Associate:

preparing to leave

Recently we packed up and prepared for a 2 month journey. We know where we are going (kind of) and we know about when we are returning. We learned that it takes time prepare to be gone for 2 months. First there is the packing of the things… food, clothes, supplies… then there is the preparing of the vehicle…then…

and this took the longest time…there is the preparing of the house for being away for 2 months. It takes longer to prepare to leave for 2 months than for 2 weeks.

Clearing out the frig…bringing in the plants…(how will they

be watered?)…putting away outdoor stuff that normally

would be put away gradually in October-November.

Our departure was delayed by a whole day… because we

were not prepared to leave.

So this causes some thoughts about Sarai and Abram. They did not know where they were going… they were probably never returning home…and they probably understood that their journey was going to last a life-time. How does one prepare for such a journey? Certainly they had camels and donkeys to carry all their stuff. Certainly they had family, friends and servants who were going along to provide assistance. Still, how does one prepare for a journey when the destination is unknown?

God said go…and so they went. They probably prepared

and packed for 3 months!

And even then… they probably realized they could never

be completely prepared and packed for the journey of a

life-time.

God has similarly called on us…the church…to be on a journey. We might know where we are going…but we don’t really know how we are going to get there. And, we might

not know what to take with us. It is good to know that we

are on this journey with others, who like us, want to go

where God calls us to go.

Since we should always be ready when God calls… we should always be in an attitude of preparation. Are we always preparing to go? Or are we preparing to stay? Settling in, on the spiritual journey, may not be our best option when it comes to being prepared to be who God calls us to be… or do what God calls us to do. Are we ready?...prepared and packed?

Turns out… just like us… Sarai and Abram were not perfect.

But they got up and went when God called them to leave home and family for an unknown destination. Their story reminds us that we too should be ready to get up and go when God calls. And God is calling….

Ted Anderson

District Associate

NEW! Upper NY’s Safe Sanctuaries® Training of Trainers

WHO: Individuals interested in facilitating Upper NY’s Safe Sanctuaries Training as part of their District training team and/or for their local church.

WHEN: Saturday, October 9^th from 9am-12pm.

PREREQUISITE: Upper NY’s 3-hour Safe Sanctuaries Training is a prerequisite for Training of Trainers. This needs to be completed sometime since June 2016 and must be the standard learning station format facilitated by a certified UNY Safe Sanctuaries trainer. This is non-negotiable.

Members of the District training team should be affirmed by their District Superintendent.

PRE-REGISTRATION is a must for the TOT by October 6^th at Eventbrite

https://uny-ss-tot-oct9.eventbrite.com

There is no charge as Ministry Shares benevolences from local churches cover the expenses.

QUESTIONS: Questions should be directed to Co-Chairs Christine Mitchell, Pastor and Arlene Schmidt at email safesanctuaries@unyumc.org

NEW! Register Now For Conference UMW

Annual Meeting Oct. 16

All are invited to join the UNY Conference UMW for an all-virtual 2021 Annual Meeting on Saturday, Oct. 16, from 9:00a – 12:00p. We will worship together, conduct formal business, hear from National Office CEO Harriett J. Olson, and grow in our understand of our sisters through our program on “Push Out” with UMW Director Valerie Clark.

Registration is now open: https://unyumw.wixsite.com/website/annual-meeting-flyer

Documents for the meeting can be found here: https://unyumw.wixsite.com/website/annual-meeting-documents

Once registered, an agenda and Zoom link will be sent to you.

If you wish to make a nomination to the Leadership Team

“from the floor,” the form is available on the website and must be returned by Oct. 1.

We look forward to being with you on Oct. 16 as we make plans

for 2022 and the mission and justice work we will continue to do

for God.

MEN’S RETREAT AT CAMP CASOWASCO

OCTOBER 1ST-2ND, 2021

KEYNNOTE SPEAKER - PASTOR STEVE MCKNIGHT

ROCHESTER: WESLEY/ NEW LIGHT UMC’S

FAITH IN ACTION

MUSIC WILL BE PROVIDED BY: PRAISE & WORSHIP RETREAT BAND

“LIVE SKIT” GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD OLYMPICS

CIRCLE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING PAYMENT OPTIONS:

A- (1) NIGHT PLUS (3) MEALS $125.00

B-FRIDAY -SATURDAY COMMUTER PLUS (3) MEALS $90

C-FRIDAY PROGRAM PLUS DINNER $65

D-SATURDAY PLUS (2) MEALS $65

Registration is Friday between 4:30-5:45pm - Dinner @6pm

Retreat will end Saturday @ 3pm

PLEASE BRING -CAMPING GEAR, SLEEPING BAG,

PILLOW, FLASHLIGHT,

BIBLE AND A MASK (masks my by required per UNYAC and CDC)

COMPLETED EVENT REGISTRATION / CHECKS PAYABLE TO UNYUMM MAIL TO

UNYUMM CONFERENCE TREASURER :

DAVE GREER

2432 BIGELOW LANE

BALDWINSVILLE NY 13027

HOSTED BY THE UNYUMM/NGMM

CLICK HERE for Registration Form

CLICK HERE for Agenda for the weekend

Equitable Compensation Application for

January-June 2022 available

The Commission on Equitable Compensation has issued guidelines and application forms for salary grants to local churches for the period January to June 2022. Salary grants are available only to churches with a pastor under full time appointment.

The Equitable Compensation applications are on the website: https://www.unyumc.org/news/article/equitable-compensation-application-for-january-june-2022-available

Deadlines and Dates

10/15/2021 – Application is due to the DS

2022 Clergy Compensation Report Form

Each year churches are asked to complete the UNY Clergy Compensation Report for their Pastor/lay pastor. This report is:

· Completed by the local church's Staff Pastor Parish Relations Committee and then sent to;

· The Finance Team for approval;

· Then the Church Council approves Pastor's Compensation;

· Finally the Annual Church Conference will give the approval for Pastor's Compensation, which begins on Jan. 1, 2022.

Even if there is no change in the amount from 2021, a 2022 Report must be completed. The SPRCs should be scheduling a meeting by the end of August or first week in Sept. for this work to begin. The Finance Team and Church Council should plan to act on this Compensation no later than September or beginning of October. The Annual Church Conference is not the place for continued discussion and questions on the Pastor's Compensation. Please contact the Superintendent well in advance of the Church Conference if SPRC, finance team or church council have difficulty completing this work.

The S/PPRC chairpersons and church treasurers for whom churches have provided email contacts should have received the information below. There have been no paper packets mailed for some time now. Pastors, please ensure this work is taking place. If the SPRC chair did not receive this email, they should contact the District Office to verify their email address on file and restore communication.

2022 UNY Clergy Compensation Report Form

Setting the Pastor's Compensation 2022

Clergy Support Policies

Letter form UNY HR Benefits

Click here if you need any of the above information

CHARGE CONFERENCE FORMS ARE NOW AVAILABLE

The 2021-2022 Church/Charge Conference and Annual Forms are now available to download. All information can be found by clicking here.

If you have any issues accessing this page, please click here for help.

GVD Church Conference sign up is in a holding pattern for now as we wait and watch what is happening with the Virus. It looks like we will holding the conferences in November but no word yet if they will be in person, in small regional groups or via zoom like last year. Notices will be sent out once a decision is made.

It is also looking like we will move the Fall Pastor's meeting from it's usual place in September to sometime in October. Again, a notice will be sent out when a decision is made.

Please note: You CAN start your church conference forms now and have them completed so once a decision is reached your church will be ready to go. Please DO NOT wait on completing these forms.

Any questions, please feel free to contact the office.

Revised CDC Guidelines Affecting Local Churches

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has issued revised guidelines for indoor gatherings due to the rising number of coronavirus cases as a result of the Delta variant.

The CDC is recommending masks be worn indoors by all individuals regardless of vaccination status in areas of high concentration.

Click here to read the UNY Church COVID guidelines and to determine your county’s level of transmission.

Genesee Valley District Lay Servant Ministries Committee

Is offering

Certified Lay Ministry Training

First Session

Saturday, October 2, 2021

at Hilton UMC

21 West Ave

Hilton, NY 14468

from 9:30am to 12:30pm

There is no fee for taking this course but participants will be responsible for the purchase of the books needed. A book list will be sent upon registration. The modules will be provided and will need to be downloaded to your computer.

This will be the first session, with the following four to five sessions to be decided on by the group. Total class time will be close to 25 hours and this does not include the outside reading and activities that are required.

It would be best practice for you to talk it through with your pastor and the DS to get their affirmation before you begin these sessions. If you have met the Lay Servant requirements, filled out the application and have the support of your church, these sessions would be the next step.

You do not need to be recommended to take the modules but you do need to be recommended to begin the process for CLM certification. It is possible for you to take the courses without ever becoming a CLM. However, if your goal is to be a CLM, the process will also include the District Superintendent and the District Committee on Ministry committee being involved. The role of the CLM is not specifically for pulpit support (not that they don’t do that) but to be missional support for the church.

CLICK HERE for more information and to register for this course

Safe Sanctuaries ZOOM training:

The Upper New York Annual Conference Team will host a standard Basic Safe Sanctuaries training via ZOOM from

9 AM to 12:30 PM Saturday, September 25.

More information: click here

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.

Click here to register for Sept. 25th session

How can the Board of Trustees Assist your Church?

If your church has questions on the following:

Contacts; Billing; Claims; Certificates of Insurance; Auto Insurance

Background Checks

Boiler Inspections; Water Sensor Program; On-Line Payment

Workers Compensations, Short term Disability and family Leave

Please click here to go to the UNY Board of Trustees Page

Here is a Quick Contact Sheet for you to have

Genesee Valley District

of the Upper New York Conference

of the United Methodist Church

Peter Lagueras, District Lay Leader

Rev. Ted Anderson & Rev. David Underwood, District Associates

Betsy O'Flynn, District Adminstrative Assistant

Rev. Vonda J. Fossitt, District Superintendent

MAILING: 1050 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14607

PHYSICAL: 1040 East Ave, 2nd Floor, Rochester, NY 14607

(585) 340-9525 * GeneseeValleyDistrict@unyumc.org