AROUND THE CORNER
Next Issue May 26, 2022
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Spring has sprung! Trees with unfurling green leaves are everywhere. The sweet scents of lilacs and honeysuckle are in the air. God’s creation abounds with beauty. New seasons bring with them change. Through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, we change. We begin to see our surroundings and each person through kingdom eyes and with the love that God has given us.
Recall, 1 John 4:19, “We love because God first loved us.” And from Matthew 22: 34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Even with changes that may happen within our denomination, these changes will take time. I prayerfully encourage you, your families, the church family you are a part of to reflect on the scriptures and hymn lyrics in this newsletter. To remember the mission of the church does not change. Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Keeping Jesus at the center of all we do and all that we are. Remember, love is a verb, an action, as we are called to love and care for one another. This love is different than the love of emotion we are so familiar with.
From Colossians 3:12 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (NIV)
Colossians 3:12-14 “So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. 15-17 Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.” (The Message)
From Ephesians 4 “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (NIV)
Ephesians: 4 1-3 “In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences. 4-6 You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ’s followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.” (The Message)
The Gift of Love by Hal Hopson United Methodist Hymnal #408
“Though I may speak with bravest fire, And have the gift to all inspire,
And have not love, my words are vain, As sounding brass, and hopeless gain.
Though I may give all I possess, And striving so my love profess,
But not be given by love within, The profit soon turns strangely thin.
Come, Spirit, come, our hearts control, Our spirits long to be made whole.
Let inward love guide every deed; By this we worship, and are freed.”
Use your kingdom eyes to see what God is already blessing and join God in that venture. Use the love that God has filled you to overflowing with to love your neighbors. Help others to find their God given giftedness for kingdom building. Be filled with grace toward one another as we move through this new season together. Share the love and hope that only comes through Jesus Christ.
With joy, peace and gentleness,
Suzanne
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Let Us Continue to Keep the Ukrainian People In Our Thoughts & Prayers |
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Giving opportunities in response to the war in Ukraine |
Individuals can give directly to the Ukrainian people through local church offerings by writing a check to the Upper New York Conference with Advance #14053A in the memo line of the checks. These checks can either be placed in an offering plate or sent directly to the Conference office.
The Ukraine UMC has created a crisis committee that will oversee all the global support that is coming in through UMCOR’s Advance #14053A “Eurasia In Mission Together - Ukraine and Moldova.” The money channeled through this Advance fund will go to the Ukraine UMC church account and decisions on how this will be used will be considered by the crisis committee, which includes pastors as well as lay leaders.
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Important Information to Share |
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Cornerstone District Website |
Please be aware that the only website that Cornerstone District is using is the one found on the Upper New York Conference Website.
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Pastors & Their Churches to Pray for Month of April |
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Lord send your spirit in this place.
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Send us love, send us pow'r, send us grace.
-- Ken Medema--
May 1 Olean:Christ UMC- Rev. Chad Sayers, his wife Jessica and their sons Isaiah & Micah.
May 8 Olean:Trinity & River’s Edge UMCs. Pastor Dawn Quesenberry, her husband Mike and their family.
May 15 Panama UMC. Rev. Steve Taylor, his wife Stacy and their family.
May 22 Ripley & South Ripley UMCs. Pastor Becky Ward and her family.
May 29 Sheridan UMC. David Watson, his wife MaryEllen and their family.
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H2022 Annual Conference Postponed Until Oct. 6-8 |
Annual Conference has been postponed until Oct. 6th-8th, 2022 and will be virtual.
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Do You Have An Events For The Newsletter? |
If your church is hosting events, dinners, VBS and you would like it put in the Around The Corner Newsletter. Please send me the particulars of the event. Please include the Date, Time, Name of your Church or Place it is being held, Address where event is happening, Contact info if needed, a Small Blurb on the event. Please do make sure I receive the information by the Tuesday of the week that the Newsletter will be sent. The Newsletter is sent every other week (the next newsletter date is always found at the top the newsletter)
Send your information to:
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Laity Gatherings with Bishop Webb |
Next month, Upper New York Area Resident Bishop, Mark J. Webb, will be hosting regional gatherings with laity for a time of worship, conversation, and celebration of mission and ministry. This will be a time to converse about the current realities within the UMC and the opportunities found in our call to live out the mission of Jesus Christ for today and into the future.
The following are the dates and times for the gatherings with Bishop Webb:
June 12, 2022 @ 3:00 p.m. 4:30 p.m. at LeRoy UMC
6/13/22
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Cornerstone District Lay Servant Training School
This is In Person at East Randolph UMC
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The Lay Servant Ministry Team is offering courses this June. Please register soon! The deadline for registration is June 10th.
Click here for brochure and registration form.
Courses being offered are:
- Called to Preach
- Leading Missional Small Groups
- The Basic Course
Classes being held:
Friday, June 24th 5pm-9pm
Saturday, June 25th 8am-5pm
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Death Notice: Rev. Vonda J. Fossitt |
Please keep family and friends of the Rev. Vonda J. Fossitt in your prayers. Rev. Fossitt, 56, died on May 11, 2022. DS Vonda was the Genesee Valley District Superintendent and has been on short-term medical leave for the last several months. In addition to District Superintendent, Rev. Fossitt served several Upper New York churches, including Binghamton: High Street UMC, Brookvale UMC, Albion UMC, and Rochester: Wesley UMC. Service information and an obituary are not yet available but will be shared when made public. |
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At this stage of the pandemic, the impact of COVID across the Conference varies by county. To determine how your church can continue to keep participants safe, please consult the CDC website for recommendations.
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Who Helps Your Pastor Prioritize Wellness? |
Pastors have a lot of responsibilities that go far beyond preparing for worship. They are on call to congregants who need support; they perform weddings and funerals; they have meetings throughout the week with different ministry teams at their church.
The COVID-19 pandemic placed more demands on these pastors—for many, they had to recreate the way they did worship to digital platforms.
We want to know how congregants are helping their pastors renew and replenish their souls and we’d like to share these stories with the entire Upper New York Conference.
By sharing these stories, our hope is that others throughout the Conference will be inspired to help their pastors prioritize wellness during these difficult times.
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The Rev. John R. Tyson, Ph.D. will be retiring from CRCDS at the end of this academic year. From 2010–12, Dr. Tyson served as Visiting Professor of Methodist Studies. From 2012 to present he served as Professor of Church History and Director of United Methodist Studies. He has authored multiple books and articles, including School of Prophets: A Bicentennial History of Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School.
Dr. Tyson is a dedicated member of the faculty and ecclesial leader whose service has been a blessing to many. We are sad to see Dr. Tyson go, we wish him the best in his retirement. Please join in thanking Dr. Tyson for his 12 years of service to our community.
We look forward to celebrating Dr. Tyson’s myriad contributions to CRCDS, academia and the church at 5 p.m., Eastern, Monday, May 16. All are welcome to join us for this virtual event. Please feel free to forward this invitation to others in our community and beyond who would like to attend. There will be time during this event where you can offer your congratulations to Dr. Tyson in this virtual space.
David Riddell
Director of Advancement & Communications
COLGATE ROCHESTER CROZER DIVINITY SCHOOL (CRCDS)
5/16/22
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Public Prayer- Advanced Lay Servant Course Being Offered by Zoom |
Rev. Nancy Dibelius is offering the Advanced Lay Servant Course (Required Lay Speaker Course) “Public Prayer” for a second time on Wednesdays, June 8, 15, 22, 29, July 6, 2022 from 6:30-8:30 pm via Zoom. “Praying in public can be daunting, but prayer is something one learns. This course on praying in public will help participants grown in confidence and skill in public prayer and enrich their personal prayer life.” (2021 Lay Servant Ministries Catalog, p. 24). Participants must purchase Shaping the Prayers of the People: The Art of Intercession by Samuel Wells and Abigail Kocher. ISBN: 978-0-8028-7097-1. Contact Nancy Goddard @ bngoddard@davespc.net for a registration form.
6/7/22
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Caneadea UMC to Host Chicken & Biscuit Dinner
WHEN: Saturday, May 21st
WHERE: Caneadea UMC
8029 State Rte. 19
Caneadea, NY 14717
TIME: 5pm
MENU: Chicken & Biscuits, Coleslaw, Cranberries, peas and delicious desserts.
COST: Donations of $12 will be appreciated
OTHER: Takeouts & Sit down dining will be available.
Please come and fellowship with us.
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"We Believe" 12 Step Christ-Centered Support Group
Kidder Memorial UMC
will be hosting a weekly "We Believe" 12 step, Christ-centered support group beginning Thursday, April 21.
WHEN: Beginning Thursday, April 21st
WHERE: Kidder Memorial UMC
385 South Main
Jamestown, NY 14701
TIME: 6pm
CONTACTS: Scott Robert-716-490-8844 OR
Pastor Tom LeBeau-716-488-1680
What Is "We Believe"?
"We Believe" is a Christ-centered support group for individuals struggling with addiction or brokenness. It is built upon the conviction that the Gospel of Jesus Christ holds both the promise and power for freedom and new life. It is one group of the Addiction Response Ministry (ARM) of Chautauqua County. ARM exists to help individuals and their families in their recovery journey.
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Pastors Facing Stress and Slow Burn Burnout |
The life of a pastor is stressful under any circumstances, but the past few years have brought unprecedented challenges. Across the United States, a pandemic that emptied churches, hurricanes and tornadoes, denominational uncertainty, and racial issues have all made a mark.
Click here to read more about how stress is impacting Methodist pastors across the country.
Acknowledging the stress that is affecting pastors, the Upper New York Conference has created a wellness initiative to learn more about UNY pastors’ spiritual needs and to create resources to help them prioritize self-care. Continue following all UNY Conference news platforms for information about this initiative that will be released in the coming weeks.
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IN PERSON ANNUAL CONFERENCE POSTPONED
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Annual Conference will be postponed to Oct. 6-8, and it will be a virtual gathering. The plan is to use the same technology that was used at the 2021 virtual Annual Conference gathering, which was relatively well received.
The processing of refunds will start immediately but could take a couple of weeks to complete. If you made a hotel reservation, you should contact the hotel directly to cancel
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Grants Available for Projects
It is the desire of the UNY Conference United Women in Faith (formerly UMW) to offer grants to non-profit community and faith-based organizations that follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and address the needs of women, children and youth within the boundaries of our conference.
Exp. 6.15.22
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Giving Opportunity in Response to the War in Ukraineservices
Individuals can give directly to the Ukrainian people through local church offerings by writing a check to the Upper New York Conference with Advance #14053A in the memo line of the checks. These checks can either be placed in an offering plate or sent directly to the Conference office at 7481 Henry Clay Blvd., Liverpool, NY 13088.
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Reminder: Sexual Harassment Training Is Mandatory |
This is a reminder that New York State employers must adopt a sexual harassment prevention policy and provide training on sexual harassment prevention to their employees on an annual basis. This includes all those employed by the local church.
There is a free on-line training that is available to all. A certificate of completion is provided when the training is complete.
PLEASE NOTE:
Safe Sanctuaries training does not exempt churches from the NYS sexual harassment prevention training requirement.
If you have questions on this topic, please contact Tracy Rickett, Human Resources Generalist, at tracyrickett@unyumc.org or (315) 898-2017.
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Disaffiliating from the UNY Conference
and the UMC
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During the Upper New York (UNY) Annual Conference held virtually in June of 2021, the body passed Resolution UNYAC2021.7 which created a Study Commission to examine the readiness in the UNYUMC for the Implementation of the Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace through Separation.
Last fall, the UNY Study Commission issued surveys to clergy and congregations in the UNY Conference about the Protocol. Despite there only being a 30 percent response rate, some congregations and clergy did report that if the Protocol passes, they will leave the United Methodist Church. Click here to read the survey report.
Earlier this month, the Global Methodist Church announced that it will launch on May 1, 2022. Click here to read the announcement.
Given these changes, the Conference Board of Trustees anticipated there would be congregations who might now desire to explore disaffiliation.
Click here to read an article that outlines the disaffiliation process.
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Upcoming Upper NY Safe Sanctuary Zoom Training Sessions.
Click here for flyer and more information on these upcoming trainings
For more information on Safe Sanctuaries, and on background checks, click here.
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Tending the Soul
2022-2024 A Two-year Training Program for Lay and Clergy
Exp.11.14.22
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The “Connect with Us” Academy for Continuing Education 2022 Course Schedule including
A Course Series: Refreshing My Preaching Ministry
exp.6.30.22
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Bishop Webb announces clergy appointments
View the full list of changes here.
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Media Resource Center
Click here for tips on ordering through our website.
Media Resource Center
315-898-2027
7481 Henry Clay Blvd.
Liverpool, NY 13088
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Lay Servant Courses Offered Around the Conference
Click here to find out when, where and how you can sign up for a lay servant course that you need or are interested in taking. This link connects you to all the Districts in UNY Conference that are offering courses. Just click and start exploring your options!
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Cornerstone District Office
PO Box 687
Bath, NY 14810
716-665-2423
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