Mountain View District Newsletter
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Hello, Friends!
Fall is certainly a busy and beautiful season. I am reminded of God’s masterful artistry with all the colors. I had occasion to go all the way up to Plattsburgh on Sunday for my colleague Debbie Earthrowl’s installation as Superintendent of the Adirondack District. The farther north I drove, the more trees that had changed or were changing color. In the midst of our busyness, let’s make sure we remember to thank God for the masterpiece of the creation.
Once again, I want to make sure there are 3 dates marked on your calendar. First, the date of your charge (church) conference. All members of your congregation have voice and vote at this meeting, so please come and participate! We will also be having a very meaningful time of worship at that same time, around the theme, “Holy Boldness.” Come and worship with folks from other congregations that day. The date of your meeting should be being announced each week during worship.
The 2nd date I want you to be aware of is
October 28
th
.
We will be meeting with our brothers and sisters from the Cornerstone District, together with
Bishop Webb
from
4-6 p.m.
at the Wellsville UMC, 79 Madison Street, Wellsville, NY 14895. The purpose of this meeting is to be as informed as possible and of course, to pray, for the special session of General Conference to be held in St. Louis, February 23-26, 2019, concerning matters of human sexuality. Last week I wrote in this space about this, and about setting the alarm on your phone to go off at 2:23 everyday to pray for the special session that will begin on 2/23/19.
The 3rd date I want you to make sure is on your calendar is
November 10
th
.
This is our district training day at Avoca UMC, that I wrote about 2 weeks ago in this space. Registration forms can be downloaded elsewhere in this newsletter. You need to come to this training event to learn more about how to develop an intentional disciple-making plan in your congregation! SPR Chairs and SPR committee members, you need to be at this training event! Treasurers, you need to be at this training event! Those with a passion for mission, you need to be at this training event! Those who want to learn how better to lead in worship, you need to be at this training event! Trustees, you need to be at this event! All are welcome, but please register ahead of time, so we can better accommodate the different workshops and plan for lunch. Thanks so much, and see you there!
With You in the Journey,
Nancy
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Keep those flood buckets coming, and bring them to the training event on November 10
th
at Avoca UMC! Seven flood buckets have already come to the office, 3 of which have been delivered, with 4 more being delivered to the Mission Hub at the Conference Office on Monday.
With the onslaughts of Hurricanes Florence and Michael, the need is even greater now. Let us remember those devastated by the hurricanes in our prayers, and with our actions by filling flood buckets. Thank you!
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OCTOBER is Pastor Appreciation Month
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Dear Church Leaders:
Did you know October is Pastor Appreciation Month?
SPRs and congregations as a whole, how are you showing your pastor that he or she is especially appreciated?
Please find ways to recognize, thank God for, and celebrate the ministry of your Pastor this month!
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Where to find the Charge Conference Form
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PLEASE Do NOT Fax the office anything at this time.
Our Fax is not working at this time.
Thank you!!!!
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Mountain View District/Regional
Fall Gathering
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Saturday, November 17
9:30 a.m – 4 p.m.
Bath: Centenary UMC
3 West Washington St. in Bath
THEME
“Love: digging deep, branching out”
1 Corinthians 13:13,14:1a
Worship with Praise Music, Games, Family Groups,
Meeting New Friends, Creative Prayer Stations,
Morning Donuts, Pizza Lunch,
Lots of Fun With Friends Old and New!
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UNY plans early Nov. ERT trip to North Carolina
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Ray McCabe from the Buffalo area and John Carney from the Jamestown area will be leading a team to do disaster relief work in North Carolina Nov. 4-10.
Requests to join the team are now being accepted from any Upper New York ERT, even those newly trained but inexperienced in the disaster zone. People from other denominations are also welcomed as long as they are willing to work within the UMCOR protocols.
The North Carolina Conference will most likely ask the UNY mission team to clean out muddy houses and remove debris or perhaps place tarps on roofs. The exact destination of this relief work is still being planned.
Team members must be age 18 or over and able to carry a bucket of water up a flight of stairs, and be willing to work as a team member, taking directions from the team leaders. If you're interested in applying, contact Brian Greenwald at
bngreenwald@windstream.net
.
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An ERT course in the Albany District is scheduled Nov. 10, 2018 at
Calvary UMC
. This eight-hour Early Response Team course is facilitated by Carl Shepard.
UMCOR's Early Response Teams (ERT) provide a caring Christian presence in the aftermath of disaster. The training equips you to help communities clean up after a natural disaster - flood, tornado, hurricanes. ERTs carry out tasks such as damage assessment, debris removal, placing tarps on homes, and helping to prevent further damage. This training credentials you to enter disaster zones. An ERT badge is issued by UMCOR to applicants over the age of 18 after successful completion of the course and a background check. Badges are valid for 3 years. Individuals need not be United Methodist to take the training.
The fee is $25. Make checks payable to "UNYC" with "VIM-ERT" written on memo line and please mail it to UNYVIM, 9 Fox Holw, Ionia, NY 14475.
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HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS in DISTRICT
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Is Your Church Offering Disciple I ???
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If your church is planning on doing a Disciple I class would you let us know. If there is a church in the
Binghamton District
,
Finger Lakes District
or
Genesee Valley District
offering Disciple I class..would you let us know.
Please contact Mountain View Office.
Email or call 607-962-8047
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DON'T FORGET
Fall Gathering with Bishop
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This fall, Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb is hosting six gatherings around the Conference in preparation for Special Session of General Conference to talk about Commission on a Way Forward for The United Methodist Church.
Bishop Webb will meet with clergy and laity of the
Cornerstone
and
Mountain View Districts
from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday, October 28
, at
Wellsville 1st United Methodist Church, 79 Madison St., Wellsville, NY, 14895.
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The Upper New York Conference of the United Methodist Church Mission Central HUB is announcing the
Golden Bucket Award
to the District that donates the most UMCOR Cleaning Kits!
Monthly recognition will be shared throughout the conference with a certificate to be displayed at the District Office. The District that collected the most UMCOR Cleaning Kits throughout the period will be awarded the prestigious
Golden Bucket Award
!
This award starts on October 1
st
, 2018 and runs till May 25
th
, 2019. The
Golden Bucket
will be awarded at the 2019 Annual Conference.
It is important to follow the UMCOR Cleaning Kit.
Click here
for a list of UMCOR certified supplies used in cleaning kits and
click here
for your closest drop-off location. If you or a few friends can help assemble kits in the very near future at the UNY Mission Central HUB, please contact Mike Block at (315) 898-2066 or
mikeblock@unyumc.org
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Native American Festivals
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November 11
Canandaigua Treaty Celebration. 12 noon - 9 pm, Courthouse lawn, Canandaigua and Elementary Schoo
l
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Bishop Webb offering fall gatherings for A Way Forward
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This fall, Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb is hosting six gatherings around the Conference in preparation for Special Session of General Conference to talk about Commission on a Way Forward for The United Methodist Church.
The gatherings will include a presentation of the plan and process of General Conference, a time to remember our mission, and worship and prayer.
Click here
to find the dates and times when Bishop Webb will be in your area.
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Lewis Pastoral
Leadership Inventory
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All District Clergy, Pastors, Lay Pastors and Certified Lay Ministers are invited to participate in the Lewis Pastoral Leadership Inventory™ (LPLI), an online 360-degree leadership assessment that will help them gain valuable insights into their leadership abilities and provide important feedback from colleagues so that they can improve and grow in their ministry.
All clergy under appointment are required by Board of Ordained Ministries to do so
.
As part of the LPLI, clergy will be inviting 5 to 10 "observers" to participate in the inventory with them: S/PPR committees and other church leaders who are familiar with their work in the ministry setting. Observers will be asked to answer a set of 75 questions comparable to those that clergy will answer. Individual feedback is confidential.
The time frame for the completion of the LPLI is between
Aug. 1 and Nov.1, 2018.
Cost for the LPLI ($65) is to be paid by the clergy with the understanding that the Accountable Reimbursement Plan (ARP) expense account can and should be used.
Click here
for the instruction on how to start the process
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Genesee Valley District Lay Servant Ministries Fall Retreat
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GVD Lay Servant Ministries Committee presents
The Fall Training Retreat
featuring the opportunity to take
The Basic Lay Servant Course
or Advanced Course
"Polity"
or
Advanced Course
"Equipping Yourself for Spiritual Care Visitations"
or
Advanced Course
"Leading/Planning Worship"
November 2, 3, 4, 2018
(Ten hours required for course credit. That will include attendance and participation in Sunday worship)
at
Asbury Camp & Retreat Center
16 Lakeside Avenue
Silver Lake, NY 14549
Office 585-237-5262
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An Invitation to Two Events in Buffalo, NY
Sponsored by The Voyagers
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- Introduction to Family Systems Thinking The Voyagers
Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018
The Westin Hotel, Buffalo
- Bowen Theory’s Secrets: The Hidden Lives of Families Dr. Mike Kerr Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018 Christ the King Seminary, E. Aurora
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Save the date for Order of Elders Gathering
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Elders, mark your calendars and save the date for the Order of Elders Gathering with the theme, "Leading with a Heart of Peace." Join Bishop Webb as he welcomes Bishop Grant Hagiya from the California-Pacific Annual Conference. The event will be held
Dec. 6
from 10-3 p.m. at the Holiday Inn in Liverpool. All elders are expected to attend. Additional details and registration info will be released soon.
Click here
for more information.
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Registration now open for Dec. 6 Order of Elders Gathering
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All Upper New York (UNY) elders are invited to join UNY Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb as he welcomes Bishop Grant Hagiya from the California-Pacific Annual Conference on Dec. 6, 2018 from 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. for an Order of Elders Gathering at the Holiday Inn in Liverpool. This will be a time of worship, learning, and fellowship and qualifies for .5 CEU. The registration cost is $25 and includes lunch. The registration deadline is Nov. 28.
Click here
to see the schedule for the day and/or to register.
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The Commission on Equitable Compensation has issued guidelines and application forms for salary grants to local churches for the period January 1 to June 30, 2019.
To apply for salary assistance from the Equitable Compensation Fund, applicants should review the policies and procedures in the application document for guidance, and then complete the application according to the directions provided by the November 2, 2018 deadline.
Click here
to review the policies and procedures or to complete the application.
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What works well at your worship services?
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A future issue of the Advocate will focus on inviting and inspiring worship across the Upper New York Conference so we are asking you to share "What makes worshipping at your church special?" Email us with your response at
news@unyumc.org
by Monday Oct. 1 to share your story.
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Support UMCOR with your Amazon purchases
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Do you shop on Amazon? If so, we suggest you shop on AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon with the same products, prices, and shopping features as Amazon.com. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organization of your choice. Every item available for purchase on
www.amazon.com
is also available on AmazonSmile (
smile.amazon.com
) at the same price. You will see eligible products marked "Eligible for AmazonSmile donation" on their product detail pages.
As we are in the midst of hurricane season, now is a great time to support the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). UMCOR is one of the charities you can support on AmazonSmile. The next time you hop online to make a purchase on Amazon, remember to go to AmazonSmile and help support UMCOR.
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Do You Have Questions about the United Methodist Church?
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Need help deciphering the hows and whys of who we are or what we believe? Maybe you have a faith question you've been pondering?
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The 2018 UNY Conference Journal Directory now available
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The 2018 Upper New York Conference Journal Directory is now available. This volume of the journal contains all business from the 9th session of the Upper New York Annual Conference, held May 30-June 2. There are two ways to receive the Journal Directory:
If you order directly from Lulu.com, you can have it delivered to the address of your choice. (Note: You will need a major credit card to place an order.) A paperback copy of the Journal Directory costs $5.54 plus tax and shipping.
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2018 Redbird Shoebox Mission
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The Commission on a Way Forward
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The Commission on a Way Forward has released series of videos that the Commission hopes will inform The United Methodist Church on its processes and work done during the 18-month period of its meetings and deliberations. The videos can be viewed on Facebook or YouTube and can be downloaded for viewing offline.
The videos can be found
here
.
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There is still space for
YOU
at one of our fall, winter, or spring gatherings – explore the opportunities available at our Camp & Retreat Centers. Head to
www.campsandretreats.org
for more information or to sign up/register, contact the site directly, or contact the CRM Central Office at 315-898-2026 with any questions.
Aldersgate:
October 13, 9am-4pm: Volunteer Work Day (All Ages)
Asbury:
January 4-6, 2019: Youth Winter Retreat (Youth & their Adult Leader(s))
Casowasco:
December 7-9: Retreat: Be Still {a silent retreat} (Adults)
**Note: Date Correction**
December 30-January 1, 2019: Retreat: Camp Echo (Ages 7-18)
January 25-27, 2019: SOLID: Youth Retreat (Youth & their Adult Leader(s))
March 1-3, 2019: Women’s Chocolate Getaway (Women)
April 11-14, 2019: Quilt by Faith: Spring (Women)
May 12, 2019: Mother’s Day Brunch (Families & Adults)
Sky Lake:
October 5-7: Retreat: Ladies of the Lake (Adults/Women)
October 21: Retreat: S’MORE Time (Grades 6-12)
November 8-10: Leadership: L.E.A.D. (Leadership Enrichment & Development) (Adults)
January 3-5, 2019: Special Needs Winter Retreat (Ages 18+ with Special Needs)
January 18-21, 2019: Family Winter Weekend (Families & Adults)
February 15-18, 2019: Family Winter Weekend II (Families & Adults)
April 5-7, 2019: Church Family Getaway (Families & Adults)
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Download October Issue I
of the Bridge
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The October Issue I copy 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.
This issue features news about the Upper New York Delegates who will be attending the Special Session of General Conference in February 2019.
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1.
Develop a ministry plan for your church.
Join Craig Kennet Miller from Discipleship Ministries for a two-part webinar on Developing Your Ministry Plan. The webinars come with a downloadable study guide and material to enable your church team to build an effective strategy for ministry. For more information and to register for Plan 1 at 10 a.m. CDT on Oct. 23, go to
https://bit.ly/2NhulGO
. For the Plan 2 webinar at 10 a.m. CDT on Oct. 30, go to
https://bit.ly/2xWkem5
. Both events will be available later at the webinar archive
here
.
2.
Approach your church’s ‘mission field’ like a missionary
. The book, A Missionary Mindset: What Church Leaders Need to Know to Reach Their Community, helps local congregations make better bridges of love and understanding in their neighborhoods. Douglas Ruffle of New Church Starts (Path 1) at Discipleship Ministries outlines how to use the same principles of E. Stanley Jones, who served in India among Muslims, Hindus and persons from many other faith traditions. The book is available in both English and Spanish from The Upper Room Bookstore
here
3.
Plan to help struggling people during the Christmas season.
Not all Christmases are white – some are blue, especially for those who are grieving or experiencing other struggles. Prepare to offer hope and healing through a “Blue Christmas” or “Longest Night” worship service this holiday season. The Upper Room invites you to lift up any darkness to the God of Light by sharing an online Blue Christmas video prayer service with members of your congregation. Go to
https://bit.ly/2OvXyT2
4.
Apply for the Holy Land Discernment Pilgrimage for young adults.
This pilgrimage on Aug. 4-14, 2019, will help young United Methodist leaders ages 18-35 understand conflict and discern their calling. One participant from each jurisdiction or central conference will be chosen to participate. The pilgrimage is being organized by Young People’s Ministries at Discipleship Ministries and supported by the Young Clergy Initiative of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Applications will be accepted until Nov. 9, 2018. To learn more about the event and how to apply, go to
https://bit.ly/2NiJjwq
.
5.
Delve deep into the traditions of Christmas.
Who came up with the idea of using nativity scenes during Christmas? Author Larry Peacock’s book, The Living Nativity: Preparing for Christmas with Saint Francis, will help your group answer this question and others about Christmas traditions. The book offers a prayer, meditation and reflection questions for each day of Advent and a leader’s guide that includes suggestions for worship, group discussion questions and a mini-retreat. To order, to go
https://bit.ly/2zMwJSy.
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For Enrollee's in HealthFlex Plan
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Now's the time to take your
HealthQuotient
(HQ) online health risk assessment
to lower your 2019 HealthFlex deductible
. This is step two of your HealthFlex "Three Steps for Better Wellness." Completing the HQ assessment between August 1 and September 30, 2018
could save you up to $500 extra for a family deductible towards your 2019 HealthFlex medical plan
. Both enrolled participant and enrolled spouse must complete the HQ assessment.
Click here
for more information and to begin the assessment.
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You can't prevent disaster. But you can prepare. United Methodist Insurance has created a comprehensive, robust handbook on Emergency Preparedness for Natural Disasters and Extreme Weather for Churches.
Click here
to download the eBook.
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A number of churches in our Districts are already using the VitalSigns Dashboard with great success/results. A downloadable (PDF) guide for local churches is available
here
.
To sign up to record your weekly VitalSigns,
click here
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Rev. Nancy Adams
District Superintendent
Patti Gridley
Administrative Assistant
PO Box 706
35 Wilkes Ave., Suite 101
Bath, NY 14810-0706
(607) 962-8047
Check out our Facebook Page
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The United Methodist Center of Upper New York
7481 Henry Clay Blvd.
Liverpool, NY 13088
(315) 898-2000
Toll-Free (855) 424-7878
Fax (315) 898-2150
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Camps & Retreat Centers
or call toll free- 855-414-6400
Safety & Security for your Organization:
Click here
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Mountain View District Office| Upper New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church | 607-962-8047 | 607-962-8045 | mountainviewdistrict@unyumc.org |
Website
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