Next Issue: December 1, 2021 |
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Notes From District Associate Mike Kelly |
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From the Desk of Rev. Michael Kelly;
Mountain View District Associate
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It is so hard to believe that I have been your District Associate for nearly a year and a half. I have so enjoyed the position and I have really enjoy working side by side with our District Superintendent and Administrative Assistant, along with our District Lay Leader and other leadership teams within the district and conference. I encountered so many wonderful brothers and sisters and hope that I have positively impacted many churches, pastors and congregations alike, in building up this district as we build together the kingdom of God.
As I thought about it, I decided that I would share with you the five basic job tasks that I was given as a review.
• Implementation of strategies for providing leadership development of clergy and lay leaders, and training for congregations to become more effective in the living of the mission
• Development and implementation of strategies for mentoring and coaching of pastors and congregations
• Development and implementation of strategies for conflict resolution within congregations
• Development and implementation of strategies related to the work of District Boards of Location and Building, realignment of charges, New Faith Community development, and congregations moving to legacy/closure after initial consultation/conversation between superintendent and local church(es)
• Development of a process for providing pastoral care to clergy and clergy families
I have met with more than two-thirds of the churches and their pastors so far, with more to come. In a nutshell my position is a position of support and resource. I have tried to help the district through the pandemic along with charge conferences and day to day operations and issues within your churches, ministries and communities. I take this position very seriously and ask that if I send an email of inquiry to you to please respond. The district has responsibilities that we must take when events happen within your church, so we need to know so we can appropriately respond and help you respond. If there are questions or needs please call or email and I will respond as soon as I can and will come to you if that what it takes.
In closing, I have shared the assigned tasks that this position entails, so you can review those and see how I can be of service to your ministries. As a connection within the district lets take the opportunity to use our gifts and talents to grow together to make disciples and build His kingdom.
With God’s Peace and Grace, Mike
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Friends,
A brief update. Extreme caution is urged for all of you as we continue to work through this pandemic. We understand this has been a long bumpy journey, but it is no time to let up, in fact it is time to continue or to reinstate our strictest precautions that you previously had used especially in Chemung and Steuben Counties. Below are the statistics found just this morning:
Chemung County: 49 new cases, 294 active cases, 39 hospitalizations, 5.88 transmission rate
Steuben County: 121 new cases, 383 active cases, 22 hospitalizations, 2 new deaths, 7.87 transmission rate
Schuyler County: 21 new cases, 58 active cases, 1 hospitalization, 5.4% transmission rate
Alleghany County: 87 new cases, 273 active cases, 10 hospitalizations, 18% transmission rate
Tioga County NY: 222 active cases, 9.85 transmission rate
Please review this information with your committees and take appropriate steps for the safety of your congregations and communities.
Be blessed and safe,
Reverend Michael J Kelly
Mountain View District Associate
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Mountain View District Office Open By Appointment Only |
Office visits are still by appointment ONLY. We ask that you wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth. We also ask that you social distance while in the office. Please do not come to the office if you are not feeling well. We ask that you come another time.
Office is open: Mon.-Thurs.
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District & Conference Offices Will Be Closed |
Thursday, November 25th Thanksgiving Day &
Friday, November 26th
Patti will be on vacation Monday, Nov.22 thru Monday, Nov. 29th.
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Charge Conference 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.
Cluster Charge Conference Dates:
Saturday morning, Novemer 20 at New Beginnings UMC in Elmira
Sunday afternoon November 21 at the Centenary UMC in Bath.
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REMINDER: The Following Forms Are Due
November 1st:
To Be Completed Online And Printed
Then Mail A Signed Copy To District Office
*Pastor's Appointment Advisory Form
*S/PPRC Appointment Advisory Form
*Pastor-S/PPRC Covenant Form
December 1st:
*Church Profile
*Pastor's Profile
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Annual Election for 2022 HealthFlex Exchange plans begins Nov. 3 |
The Annual Election for 2022 HealthFlex Exchange plans begins next Wednesday Nov. 3 and runs through Nov. 18, 2021. You are electing your medical/Rx, dental, and vision plans for next year (2022) during annual election. Click here for all documents, information, and forms can be found on our Conference Health and Wellness page.
ALEX Benefits Counselor is live and updated for 2022. You can now use ALEX to estimate costs and receive a personalized recommendation for your 2022 HealthFlex Elections. Remember, ALEX does not make or save elections. Participants will still need to go to Benefits Access and make their elections. Click here to access ALEX. ALEX is also available through your Benefits Access portal as well.
If you have any questions about your HealthFlex Elections, contact UNY Benefits Administrator, Julie Valeski at 315-898-2001 or julievaleski@unyumc.org
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United Methodist Student Day is Nov. 28th |
There are some UMC students who might not have the resources to attend a college of their choice, or, for some, any school at all—help send them into the world God loves by giving on United Methodist (UM) Student Day. This year, UM Student Day is Nov. 28.
Click here for a UM Student Day video as well as a story about Ricky, whose parents were addicts. Ricky didn’t have much hope to be able to go to college, but the UM Students Day fund made it possible.
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LOCAL CHURCH EVENTS IN THE DISTRICT |
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Clergy Educational Opportunities |
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Course of Study Participants |
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR YOU
If you are registering for a COS class at GBHEM – you will need to list the name and email of your COS registrar. That information is as follows:
Betsy O’Flynn
We have had several lately list BOMregistrar@unyumc.org – this delays or causes you the student to miss the class entirely. |
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Developing Effective Communication to Grow Your Congregation
WHEN: Dec. 2, 2021
LEADER: Kevin Slimp
Participants receive a certificate for 1-hour CEU following the online class.
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Course of Study Through Wesley Seminary |
Licensed local Pastors....are you are planning to take COS for the Winter or Spring Weekends? If you are, please consider filling out your registration form and get it to the District office to have the DS sign it and then I will get it to the registrar. The deadline for registrations are Winter- Dec. 1st, 2021 and Spring-Feb.1st of 2022. (Reminder that the District office is CLOSED on Fridays)
Please, DO NOT WAIT to the last minute to register. When a class is filled, Wesley closes the registration for that class and there is no wiggle room.
I am putting this out now as one of the busiest times of the year is coming soon. There is no need for you to miss out on getting your course requirements met. There is NO MONEY due at the time of registration. You can register NOW for both Winter and Spring and if something comes up....you can cancel.
IF you need a specific class.....sign up now ....you need to remember that these courses are not just for UNY Conference....these are open to other Conferences as well. SO, sign up now
The steps to get registered:
· Get registration form-click here
· Fill out the form, print it, YOU sign it.
· Scan & email to your District Office
· District AA will get the DS to sign it and will send it to COS Registrar
· Registrar will fill out her part and get it to Sara Shephard.
· Sara Shephard will send the Registrar a confirmation of your registration.
· Registrar will send confirmation to the District AA
There is no reason to wait to the last minute because there is no money that needs to be sent with your registration. So, please sign up now!!
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Other Learning Opportunities |
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8 Keys to Improving Livestream Worship
Bob Whitesel has watched many online Sunday services to identify recurring weaknesses and help churches improve their livestreaming. He offers eight practical suggestions for engaging online worshipers more effectively.
3 Strategies for Creating More Adaptable Ministries
Meghan Hatcher explains that churches capable of adapting in response to the needs and assets of a community make it possible for more people to experience the transformative love and grace of Christ. She outlines three strategies to help a church be more innovative and adaptable.
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Tuesdays at The Table:
Discussions about our faith, our church and ourselves
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The global coronavirus pandemic and disagreements within our denomination are just two of many events that continue to affect United Methodists around the world. Tuesdays at the Table, a new discussion series, will help us think through these issues and enter into a time of exploration and broadened understanding.
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Come Home For Christmas
Advent is an invitation. For many, it is the invitation to get into that Christmas spirit, to count down the days to the grand celebration, and let the holiday transform everything around us. We’re not all about Christmas, the holiday, about December 25 with all the jingle bells and tinsel. We are about Christmas, the Mass of Christ, the celebration of the Incarnate one who comes to remind us that we are not alone, and God is with us. We are about the longing for the coming kin-dom, where we will study war no more, where people will walk in the light, where joy will be found, and love with be the tie that binds us together. That’s the home for which we long. That’s the invitation this Advent season to your church and the world: “Come home for Christmas.”
Crash Courses in Youth Ministry
New Youth Ministry eBooks designed with the Youth Worker in mind.
Each eBook is loaded with practical tips and basic wisdom that you can read today and put into practice tomorrow! If you are a part-time or no-time youth worker, these crash courses are especially for you.
The Church's Ministry with Dementia
Check out our new hybrid-model teaching series designed to help churches see and engage with those living with dementia and other vulnerable adults.
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ATTENTION:
LAY SERVANTS, LAY SPEAKERS & CLM's
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Every year lay servants, lay speakers, and CLM's are required to fill out an annual report that is due at your church charge conference.
Please make sure you fill out the correct form and it be completely filled out. Also, please make sure you have your Pastor sign it and that you have signed it before you hand it in.
LAY SERVANT COURSE OPPORTUNITIES
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NY State minimum salary to increase |
The New York State minimum salary for employees classified as exempt under the New York State Labor Law’s administrative and executive exemption will increase from $937.50/week to $990.00/week or $51,480 per year, effective Dec. 31, 2021.
Employers in the Upper New York Conference, regardless of number of employees, must pay employees classified as exempt under the administrative and executive exemption the New York State minimum salary.
Churches should review their wage and hour practices to ensure that their employees are classified properly as non-exempt or exempt and that current minimum wage and minimum salary levels are being paid to employees.
If you have any questions on this topic, please contact Tracy Rickett, Human Resources Generalist, at (315) 898-2017 or TracyRickett@unyumc.org
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Helping those in need in the U.S. |
The Mission team at Endwell United Methodist Church is again coordinating the collection and delivery of shoeboxes for the Red Bird Mission, located in Beverly, Kentucky. The Red Bird Missionary Conference is one of three United Methodist missionary conferences in the United States.
The need is even greater this year. Participating churches can drop off their filled shoeboxes to one of two locations: the Upper New York Conference Center, located at 7481 Henry Clay Boulevard in Liverpool, or the Endwell United Methodist Church, 3301 Watson Boulevard in Endwell, between November 1st and November 30th. Also, arrangements to have items picked up can be made by e-mailing Dave at Dalexander4@stny.rr.com.
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Overview of US Copyright Laws |
Has your ministry received a copyright claim on your worship streams? While you may have no malicious intent, copyright laws aren’t governed by intent. To help you avoid these issues, our Legal Services team has developed a comprehensive five-part article series to help your ministry understand copyright laws and licensing. |
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Bishop Webb Announces Clergy Appointments |
Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb and the Upper New York Conference announce 17 ad interim appointments and four retirements pending approval of clergy session. View the full list of changes here.
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NY Hero Act extended to Oct. 31 and additional details about COVID-19 in NY State |
On Monday, Sept. 6, 2021, Governor Hochul announced that The New York State Commissioner of Health designated COVID-19 as an airborne infectious disease.
The NY HERO Act plan
(a law signed by Governor Cuomo in May 5), mandates extensive new workplace health and safety protections in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the NY HERO Act is to protect employees against exposure and disease during a future airborne infectious disease outbreak.
Initially, the NYS Hero Act was effective through the end of Sept. 2021. The Hero Act has now been extended to Oct. 31, 2021 because COVID-19 continues to be a highly contagious communicable disease that presents a serious risk of harm to the public health in New York State.
Employers now must follow the requirements of their plans, as well as conduct mandatory training for employees on the plan and the law. Upper New York churches are responsible for the mandatory training for their staff.
Click here to learn why asking for vaccination status is not a violation of HIPAA.
Click here to learn paid-leave requirements related to COVID-19 in New York State.
Click here for the NY Hero ACT "General Model Standard" template
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MOUNTAIN VIEW DISTRICT OFFICE
35 Wilkes Ave. (Physical location)
PO Box 706 (Mailing Address)
Bath, NY 14810
607-962-8047
Office Is Open
Mon.-Thurs.
In Person by APPOINTMENT ONLY
District Superintendent: Rev. Dr. Jeff McDowell
District Associate: Pastor Mike Kelly
District Lay Leader: Ann Welch Wood
District Administrative Assistant: Patti Gridley
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