MOUNTAIN VIEW DISTRICT NEWS
The Mountain View District Office Will Continue to Work Remotely Through Labor Day
The office building is temporarily closed.
Please connect with us through email and telephone.

The Mountain View District Office Administrative Assistant is available via phone and email.
7 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., Monday-Thursdays generally.
Call the District 607-962-8047, or
In-person assistance may be available by appointment.
Please consider subscribing to the following links. These will keep you updated on all the news coming from the conference office during this time. It will help keep repeated emails from being received.
Bishop Webb Announces Clergy Appointments
View the full list of changes here .  
NEWSLETTER IS GOING TO BE CHANGING
The Newsletter is changing again!!! We will be sending out the newsletter every two weeks. It may also be look different.
If you have a local church event please make sure it is sent by Monday morning of the week that the newsletter is due to go out.

The next newsletter will be sent out July 30th.
NEW NEWS
Background Check Reminder
Remember Upper New York Safe Sanctuaries minimum standards require background checks every two years for those working with children, youth and vulnerable adults.

Our insurance company, Brotherhood Insurance, partners with three companies to provide background screenings for their policyholders. They are:

·    Safe Hiring Solutions
·    C 4 Operations
·    Protect My Ministry

Please visit the Brotherhood web site link below to review the detailed information.

Each offers many choices for the type of information for which you are looking.
 
You are still able to use Trusted Employees that was a partner with our former insurance company, Church Mutual, but you will not be receiving the Church Mutual discount so your rates will be higher .
Register now for fall HealthFlex Exchange ZOOM workshops
The Upper New York Conference Benefits Office will be hosting multiple HealthFlex Exchange ZOOM workshops this fall. Participants will receive information about the plans and tools to help with plan choices. Starting for January 1, 2021, all eligible,  under 65  participants must choose their health, vision, and dental plans through the HealthFlex Exchange.

In the HeathFlex Exchange, participants are given a monthly allowance, called a Premium Credit, with which to “shop” for their medical, dental, and vision plans. Premium Credits vary based on coverage tier (participant only, participant +1, and family).

Also, depending on the plan you elect, you will have the opportunity to contribute to either a Health Savings Account (HSA), Dependent Care Account (DCA), or Medical Reimbursement Account (MRA). Two of the plans come with Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs) which include employer contributions.

HealthFlex Exchange offers a broad range of plan designs, including:
  •  Six medical/pharmacy plans(Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois), most of which include a health savings account (HSA) or health reimbursement account (HRA) to help offset out-of-pocket expenses
  •  Three dental plans (Cigna)
  • Three vision plans (Vision Service Plan)

All Six Medical Plans will still include:
  • Preventative and wellness services are covered at 100%, with no deductible required.
  • The same network providers and the same prescription drug formularies.
  • All plans include vision exam core
  • All plans include a deductible which must be met before the insurance pays.
  • Wellness programs, such as VirginPulse, Health Coaching, Employee Assistance Program, MDLIve tele-medicine, Weight Watchers and others

Choosing your health plan is a big decision , and Wespath provides training and decision-support tools, like ALEX Benefits Counselor, to help you compare your options.

The HealthFlex Exchange is for ALL participants and/or dependents that are eligible for Conference health benefits AND are under 65.

You must register in advance for the workshop . The deadline for registration is one week prior to the workshop you are signing up to attend.

Click here  to register for one of the seven dates. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Julie Valeski at 315-898-2001 or  julievaleski@unyumc.org
7/16/2020
What delay means for General Conference
Until COVID-19, The United Methodist Church and its predecessors have never delayed the church's top lawmaking assembly by more than a year.
 
With General Conference now postponed from May this year until Aug. 29-Sept. 7 in 2021, organizers are navigating uncharted territory. The Commission on the General Conference answered questions related to this delay. Click here to learn how this delay will impact the session of General Conference.
7/16/2020
Discover, Develop, Deploy Christ-Following
Leaders Initiative
How can we assure that Upper New York is making more disciples? What does it take for more people to say "Yes!" to following Jesus? Over the last seven years, the Conference Leadership Team, the Bishop's Operational Team, and the UNY Cabinet have developed measurable goals for this work to be reached by June 30, 2025.
 
Click here to read more.
7/16/2020
New Job Opening
for District Administrative Assistant
A new job opening has been posted on the website for a District Administrative Assistant for the Niagara Frontier District. If you have any referrals for this position, please ask candidates to apply online or click on the button below.
UNY Conference Regional and
District Associates appointed
July 1 is always significant in the life of the United Methodist Church in Upper New York—it’s the start date for new appointments. This year, July 1 also marked the start date for Regional and District Associates across Upper New York. 

Nineteen people have been appointed Associate roles throughout the Conference. Click here to learn more.  
 7/16/2020
PREVIOUSLY RUN NEWS ITEMS
General Conference 2021 dates announced
and will explore use of technology
The quadrennial legislative event will take place on Aug. 29 - Sept. 7, 2021 , at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, Minn.   Click here for more information

*******************************************
UMC Bishops announce dates
for postponed 2020 Jurisdictional Conferences

The Jurisdictional Conferences in the United States will be held Nov. 10-12, 2021.
Click here for more information
5/28/2020
Helping to combat loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic
While a virus may limit where you can go and what you can do, it cannot limit your affection for others or their affections for you. Social distancing may physically isolate people, but technology and creativity can bridge the gap. The best cure for loneliness is genuine companionship.

Resource UMC has provided dozens of creative ways you can help your congregants combat loneliness. Click here to read this resourceful compilation of ideas. 
6/25/2020
UNY Conference Commission on Religion and Race Statement on recent racial violence and subsequent demonstrations
The UNY Conference Commission on Religion and Race (CCORR) has released a statement about the recent acts of racial violence and the subsequent demonstrations. CCORR explains that these recent killings represent more than a few bad apples among us—they are the result of a white supremacist system that dehumanizes people of color.
 
Click here to read the full statement, which includes suggestions on deliberate steps to take to help address the challenges before us
6/25/2020
UNY clergy are eligible for 1 CEU from BOM
The Upper New York Board of Ordained Ministry (BOM) has approved the following motion: It is moved that all clergy, including local pastors, and all Certified Lay Ministers serving as leaders of congregations, shall be eligible to receive one (1) CEU from the Board of Ordained Ministry, for leading congregations through the COVID-19 pandemic in the Upper New York Conference.

Eligible clergy would apply for the certification by Dec. 1, 2020 and would need to briefly share in a paragraph for two, the nature of the work during the New York State PAUSE , how it worked, and what the response was. Eligible Clergy and CLMs would then receive a CEU certificate.

BOM’s policy on this would be as follows: Pastors would apply for the CEU by filling out a short form, with a paragraph, describing what they did to keep churches connected and how it worked. Certificates would then be issued by BOM.  Click here to fill out the form. The deadline to submit the form to BOM is Dec. 1, 2020. The form should be emailed to Pastor Bob Kolvik-Campbell at pastorbob@hotmail.com or sent by regular mail to Bob Kolvik-Campbell, Christ Church UMC, 417 Park Street, Sherrill, NY 13461.
Dismantling racism resource

The UMC will lead a sustained and coordinated effort beginning now and continuing through General Conference, August 29 to September 7, 2021, to actively engage in the ministry of dismantling racism and promoting racial justice. The UNY Conference Communications team will regularly share worship, advocacy, and educational resources to help with this important campaign.

This week, we recommend graphics you can use on social media to promote the need to end racism. Use the hashtag #EndRacism and click here to access graphics you can use.
6/18/2020
NOW ARE PAST DUE
Deadlines for Annual Reports
is July 15th
Deadline for the following Reports:
  • Report of Trustees
  • Report of the Finance Committee
  • 2019 Local Church Financial Audit
Local Church Historian School
The General Commission on Archives and History of the United Methodist Church will be offering a Local Church Historian School in 2020 for church historians---or anyone interested in the story of their church.

The curriculum will cover a wide range of skills necessary to become a "complete" church historian.

The school will begin on September, 14, 2020. Plan now to use this opportunity to ensure that the heritage of each of our churches will be celebrated and that each church can receive the full benefit of its own amazing story.

The school is free to attend. Click here to register.
6/11/2020
COS Satellite School Registration
for 2020-2021 Sessions
All of us at Wesley and the UNY conference pray that you are well and your congregations are healthy. We are hoping to hold courses in person in the fall, but those decisions have not yet been made. Everyone, faculty and students, should be prepared to hold courses on-line should the stay at home orders and social distancing requirements remain in effect.  
 
If you have any questions about this, please contact Sara Sheppard at ssheppard@wesleyseminary.edu   Please check Blackboard close to the start of your class for instruction information.  
 
Thank you!
 
Sara
*******************************************
Click here for the registration form
Please remember your DS needs to sign;
then the UNY COS registrar ( candidacy@unyumc.org) needs to sign BEFORE it gets forwarded on to the school.
The registration form can also be found on the conference website - under Ministries in the toolbar - under Board of Ordained Ministry -
right hand side of screen - COS satellite school
UNY Conference Center remaining closed
to the public
Please note that the Upper New York Conference Center in Liverpool, including the Episcopal office and Crossroads District office will remain closed to the public until Tuesday Sept. 8, the day after Labor Day at the earliest.
RESOURCE CENTRAL
Helpful links to put resources at your finger tips!