Mohawk District E-newsletter for Churches and Pastors
January 15, 2020
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Mohawk District Churches
Get Ready!
All District Leaders can learn
Be sure to get it on
the calendar and invite
all church leaders. More
information is below.
Get registered today!
If you want to
include news
to the Mohawk District in
this publication, send
a minimum of eight
days in advance to:
To catch up on the latest,
past e-newsletters
are conveniently archived
on the Conference website at:
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Prayer Focus
Week of January 19
Lowell UMC
and
Rev. Fred Bailey
Please offer up healing
prayer for
Rev. Harold Beaudry
,
retired, who recently experienced some
health concerns. He
is at Sitrin Health Care.
the 2019-20 Prayer Calendar
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Churches and Pastors:
In less than a month the District will gather for learning and growing together. Please mark your calendars and share and
personally invite church leaders
to attend the
District Leadership Summit Feb. 1, 2020
.
The District Superintendent would love to see all clergy, lay pastors and local church leaders in attendance.
Please start
sharing the date immediately
before calendars fill up. This Summit will provide valuable information and training for your entire church.
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Change in insurance carrier starting January 1, 2020
The UNY Board of Trustees recently sent a letter to all churches
in the UNY Conference to inform them of the plan to change the Conference's insurance carrier from Church Mutual to Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company.
Click here
to read the letter. Invoices have been sent to churches. If you didn't get one, please check with the
Brotherhood Insurance Co.
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Important Dates to Remember
The
Ezra
site is now open to enter the church statistical data. The 2019
Statistical data
is
due by Sat., February 15, 2020.
This information is entered and saved online.
The
2019 annual audit
of your church financial records are due to the District Superintendents on
Sun., March 15, 2020
.
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Conference Ministry Teams Seek Nominees
The Nominations Committee is accepting nominations for almost all Upper New York Conference ministry teams. Their team has begun its work of developing a list of nominees for consideration at our upcoming Upper New York Annual Conference session (May 28-30, 2020).
While each Conference ministry team has a focus, all exist to equip clergy, laity, and their churches to live our mission of making disciples for the transformation of the world. The Nominations Committee believes all the gifts needed to live this mission have been given to the people of Upper New York by God. Prayerfully consider serving as a member of one of our Conference ministry teams.
Click here
for a description of the ministry teams that have vacancies. Nominees may
complete a nominations form on Survey Monkey. Should you need to print the form, please use the Survey Monkey link.
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Registration Cost:
$70/pp and includes t-shirt
(Meals are on your own--not included)
Overnight stay:
$115 per room per night. Up to 5 people per room is allowed. A $10 charge for an additional roll-away bed applies, first come, first served basis.
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Get Ready to Embark: Destination God
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Ethan Stierheim, Youth Service Fund Educator, reminds everyone that
our conference youth event, Outward, is coming up March 13-15, 2020 at the Holiday Inn in Liverpool, NY. He would like to extend an invitation for you to come and join in the event and see what is going on in youth ministry!
The YSF team has gift basket auctions each year at Outward. for a fund-raiser. This year, they are hoping the districts might get involved by providing a basket to auction that represents each district. It could have souvenirs, tickets, food, clothing, or whatever that is unique to the District's area. Each basket would be unique and perhaps some competition would happen!
If you are interested in attending Outward at all and/ or supplying a basket please let me know so we can plan accordingly.
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in UNY Conference. This learning opportunity takes place at
Casowasco Feb. 19-20 and Mar. 11-12. Participants attend all dates.
The complete, all-inclusive cost is $690 a person. To register,
Click Here
.
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Here's an invitation for you and up to 3 or 4 members of your church to attend the
Launchpad 2020 event
,
Fri. Jan. 31
st
and Sat., Feb. 1st at the United Methodist Center 7481 Henry Clay Blvd, Liverpool, NY.
In this new day and age if we are to reach new persons for Christ and be a part what new things God is creating, we need to nurture new expressions of Christian community - what we in UNY call a New Faith Community.
Launchpad is a ‘boot camp’ for anyone in the first year of planting a new faith community or feeling called to plant one OR
who just want the opportunity to dream about some new ministry that reaches new people outside your church.
Launchpad is an intensive crash course in the first five “Seasons of Planting: - Discerning, Visioning, Gathering, Worshiping and Disciplining. It is designed for lead planters to attend, along with 2-4 other team members. The more people who attend from your team, the stronger the impact of the training on your team, and ultimately, on your new faith community.
Launchpad will guide you in dreaming about and implementing a new faith community ministry.
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Letter from Conference Disaster Response Team
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We could use any and all help to prepare and organize our abilities to assist those effected by Disasters. The Adirondack, Albany, Binghamton, Mohawk, and Oneonta Districts could use some special help in requesting ERT folks to help in what looks like regular weather issues. ERT’s are basically trained to be ready if and when a disaster occurs in their own areas and if available help other areas too.
We have all heard of various natural disasters which have occurred across the country such as floods, tornados, and other severe storms. What we often don’t hear about is how survivors struggle to recover during the following days, weeks and often months after the disaster. We don’t think of people who have no power, no heat, no water, even though it is during winter months. We don’t think of those who can’t live in their home due to mold, or because the house is off its foundation. Instead we watch the news, see the destruction, and then sit down to eat dinner or go about our business the next day.
To bring this closer to home, in our own Conference, in the Utica area, there was a massive flood event on Halloween which damaged some 800+ homes. People are still suffering, cleaning, repairing, replacing furnaces a full 2 months later. Most of us didn’t hear about this flood, or have already forgotten about it.
But we can still help. Our Conference has a program to send people almost immediately into disaster areas to quickly, effectively, and appropriately provide a caring, Christian presence to assist survivors in recovery. It is called ERT. It stands for Early Response Team. Early Responders are trained by UMCOR during an 8 hour session with all the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How answers to the typical questions willing volunteers are apt to ask when they feel called to provide help. What do we do? We listen to survivors, we hold trembling hands, we hand out bottles of water, and listen some more. We give hugs, we assure that people care, and then we wash walls, remove wet carpet, wet wallboard, shovel mud, carry out ruined appliances, cover holes in roofs, and make homes secure again. But we don’t do repairs. That happens later with rebuilding teams who are often the very same people on the Early Response Team.
So where can you receive more information and training to become an Early Responder? Attend one of two Basic Early Response training events.
Feb. 8 at Broad St. UMC, Norwich , NY. which is northeast of Binghamton and east of Cortland. Registration information is at
http://bit.ly/20ERTNorwich
, or Feb. 29 at N. Chatham UMC, N. Chatham, NY near Albany with registration information at
http://bit.ly/20ERTNChatham
.
The Conference Disaster Response Team
Mike Block, Conference Disaster Response Coordinator
Donna & Roger Cullen, UMVIM Co-Chairs
Carl Shepard, ERT Trainer
MaryBeth Ingalls, UNY UMC Volunteer Coordinator, ERT Trainer (in training)
Brian Greenwald, ERT Trainer
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Upper New York
United Methodist Men
are sponsoring a mission to help hungry and homeless veterans. Churches are invited to join in this mission opportunity by collecting food at church. Please display a box from Feb. 2-29 dedicated to
Feed Our Vets
. Donations may be brought to 587 Main St., New York Mills, NY, 8-9 a.m., Sat., Feb. 29
th
. To make other arrangements or for additional information, contact Mark Jones, 315-749-3700, or
msjwelshman@yahoo.com
. See the flyer below about this tremendous mission and
click here for a prayer for veterans
.
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- Basic Lay Servant Course, 6 to 8 PM, Wednesdays, Jan. 22, Feb. 5, March 11, 18, 25 (with April 15 as snow date), Rotterdam UMC, 1915 Helderberg Ave., Schenectady (12306). To register, contact Nancy Goddard at bngoddard@davespc.net
- United Methodist Heritage with George Ramseyer at Baldwinsville UMC,
January 23 - February 27. This course will provide a deeper Wesleyan
understandings of UM beliefs and history.
Click here
for the registration form.
- Cancelled United Methodist Polity with Aaron Bouwens, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1
- Call to Preach, which is the required preaching course in the lay speaker track of study, 8:30 to 11 a.m., Saturdays, beginning Feb.15, at MANLIUS UMC, 111 Wesley St., Manlius. Interested students can print and complete the application form, have it signed by your pastor and return it to Manlius UMC, P.O. Box 177, Manlius NY 13104 with a check payable to "UNYAC" in the sum of $10.00 by Feb. 4, 2020. Please Note: This class is limited to six participants. Each participant is required to order in advance the participant's book, "From Pew to Pulpit", by Clifton F. Guthrie (available through Cokesbury.com, Amazon.com or any other bookstore). For more information, please contact Pastor Joseph Kim at church office (315) 682-8021; cell (315) 530-8568 ; jkim1107@gmail.com
- CHANGE - Lay Servants as Transformational Leaders with Bob Mueller, at Marcellus UMC, Tuesdays, March 3 through March 31. This class is not a required class but is offered to those who have completed the Basic class and beyond. Click here for the registration form. Contact Bob for more information Mueller915@yahoo.com
- Lay Speakers Tell Stories: Dancing with Words, 6 to 9 p.m. on the following dates: Monday, April 6; Tuesdays, April 14, 21, 28; Tuesday, May 5, at Malta Ridge UMC, 729 Malta Ave. Ext., Ballston Spa 12020. To register, contact Arlene Schmidt at adschmidt@nycap.rr.com .
- Advanced Course: From Your Heart to Theirs, 6 to 9 p.m. on the following dates: May 14; May 20; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., May 23, at Saratoga UMC, 175 Fifth Ave., Saratoga Springs (12866). To register, contact Arlene Schmidt at adschmidt@nycap.rr.com .
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New Direct Bill Arrearage Policy - Effective 1/1/2020
(Impacts full-time benefits eligible pastors)
The Conference Board of Pension and Health Benefits has approved a new arrearage policy that could have an impact on your benefits if you/your church carry an arrearage on your direct bill.
Currently, if you/your church has an arrearage on your direct bill, you likely receive notification from the Conference Office, your DS or both asking you to contact the Conference office to make payment arrangements. Some contact us; many do not.
How is this new policy different and why did the Board establish it?
Since the one-time arrearage forgiveness from the Board a few years ago, the total accumulated amount of direct bill's, UNPAID is
$787,673.04.
This is money that is supposed to be used to pay premiums to Wespath for your benefits. As a result of these arrearages, the CBOPHB has to pay Wespath at the end of the year out of the investment accounts. Unpaid direct bills accompanied by increasing benefit costs has not only resulted in increasing cost to the church and personal premiums from your paychecks, the Board has to continue to look at the sustainability of benefits and ways we can work together with you, so future benefits are not jeopardized for active clergy (or for current/future retiree's).
The new policy outlines the process, which now involves Wespath, and con-sequences (while active, potentially into retirement) for ongoing non-payment.
As always, we are here to care for those who serve God and God's Kingdom. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Thank you for your ministry.
CLICK HERE
for full letter. Susan Latessa, Director of Human Resources and Benefits.
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Dinner and a Movie
3 p.m., Jan. 18th
Constableville UMC
Potluck Dinner to Follow
Bring your favorite
casserole. Dessert and
beverage provided.
For information,
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UMM Chili Cook-Off
6 - 8 p.m., Jan. 24th
Manlius UMC
111 Wesley St., Manlius
The speaker is Colleen Merced,
of McMahon-Ryan Advocacy Center.
An offering for the Center will be
received. Competitors bring a crock
pot of their best chili and notify
you will take part. Prizes will be
awarded. Come and enjoy some
fellowship and delicious chili.
<>< <>< <>< <><
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Super Sunday Chicken BBQ
The United Church of Canastota,
144 Center St, is hosting a
Super Sunday chicken BBQ
and you’re invited! Our drive-thru
event is on Sun Feb 2 starting at
11 a.m. Better get there early for a
half chicken, salt taters, beans,
slaw, roll/butter and a dessert
for just $11! Drive up, pay and
drive away! The perfect meal
for your game day party!
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UPDATE: Contributions to Red Bird
On Sunday, Dec. 1, two 26-foot trucks were packed with 3,000 shoeboxes, back packs, school supplies, sheets, blankets, new clothes and gently-used clothes. This is by far the most ever transported to the Red Bird Mission. Thanks to all of the Churches who took part in this important mission.
Dave Alexander, Project Coordinator
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Mohawk District Office
105 Genesee Street
New Hartford, NY 13413
315-797-1777
Please use back entrance (full glass door) for Mohawk District
Office Hours:
Tues., Wed., Thurs., 9:30 to 6 p.m,
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