News In & Around the District

Dec. 1st

NEXT ISSUE December 15

Words From DS Sherri Rood

Getting Ready

Prepare the way of the Lord! Clear a straight path for him!

Isaiah 40:3

Here we are in the season of Advent! The word Advent is rooted in the Latin word Adventus, which means, “to come.” This whole season leading up to Christmas is an opportunity for us to get ready to receive the Christ Child. We spend these days decorating, shopping, wrapping, sending Christmas cards and baking cookies, but how are we personally getting ready for Jesus? Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas and all those things! But sometimes, it feels like we forget the reason for the season.

I love the tradition of “readying the manger”. At the beginning of Advent, an empty manger is placed on a table or mantle - someplace in your home where it can stay for the season. Next to the manger are placed pieces of straw, or raffia. When someone in the family does a kindness for someone else – and it can be anything – emptying the dishwasher, shoveling a sidewalk for a neighbor, offering a kind word– they place a piece of straw in the manger – and they keep this act of kindness to themselves! Hopefully by Christmas Eve, the manger is filled with straw to receive the baby Jesus, evidence of the way we have been the hands, feet, and heart of Jesus to others. You can make a manger from a small box, popsicle sticks. It doesn’t have to be fancy; the first manger wasn’t! Be creative! I hope you will find ways to get ready to receive the Christ Child this year.

There are many ways to prepare to receive the Christ Child. Perhaps you have a special nativity scene, or some Christmons for your Christmas tree. There are many devotionals available that you can read daily with your family. Whatever you do, know that we can always find meaningful ways to connect our life and faith.

Happy Advent! I’m praying for you, please pray for me!

Grace and peace,

Sherri

12/1/22

From the Desk of Reverend Michael J Kelly,

Mountain View District Associate

Blessings Friends and Families of the Mountain View District,

Here we are arriving squarely in the season of hope, “Advent.” But it occurs to me that we as Christians and as churches of the Mountain View District provide that hope year-round. I know my churches have been very busy this year. Montour Falls has provided monthly dinners, a weekly thrift shop, food drives and multiple other mission projects. Odessa/Catharine has done so many things also, from monthly thrift shop, back to school and winter wear give aways, monthly food and necessity drives, along with an incredible literacy ministry, and again many other missions.

I mention our mission humbly and with pride acknowledging that we are doing what we say we will and what Jesus compels us to do. So friends as this year comes to a close, I ask you to send me highlights of your ministries and missions from 2022, with pictures if available so we can celebrate together the churches and people of the Mountain View District. Please forward this information by December 11^th, to Pastormichaeljkelly@gmail.com.

May you all continue to provide that glimmer of hope through Jesus Christ

Mike

12/1/2022

INFORMATION ON HOW TO CONTACT US

District Office contact Patti at:

607-962-8047

mountainviewdistrict@unyumc.org

District Superintendent contact Rev. Sherri Rood

315-898-2077

sherrirood@unyumc.org

Do You Have An Events For The Newsletter?

If your church is hosting events, dinners, VBS and you would like it put in the 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:

mountainviewdistrict@unyumc.org

District Office Will Be Closed December 7th-Jan. 2nd

Patti will be out of the office beginning Dec. 7th and will return Jan.3rd. I will not have access to emails during this time. If you have an emergency during this time please contact the District Superintendent Sherri Rood at sherrirood@unyumc.org or call 315-898-2077 and leave a message for her.

Pastors / Churches - is your church information correct?

Is the service time correct?
Is the address and phone number correct?
Is the contact information correct?
Has the chair of your committees changed since CC?

Please let the district office know of any updates you would like made to this listing by calling 607-962-8047 or email the office at mountainviewdistrict@unyumc.org

Click on the link below to see the information the conference has on your church. Click here for the link

11/3/22

Events To Check Out

Come Celebrate the Season of Advent

WHEN: Sunday, December 18th , 2022

WHERE: First UMC of Horseheads

1034 West Broad St.

Horseheads, NY 14845

TIME: 1-3pm

Live Nativity

Petting Zoo form Heartland Haven Farm

Stories & Music

Hot Cocoa

" O Come Let Us Adore Him"

Click here for Flyer

New Information

Dec.15th Will Be The Last Newsletter Sent In 2022

Dec.15th will be the last newsletter that will be sent out this year. If you have something that you would like put in this last newsletter please send it to me at mountainviewdistrict@unyumc.org by Dec.5th.

Bishop Webb's Farewell Gathering

Dozens of people across the Conference attended the Nov. 19 gathering to bid farewell to Upper New York (UNY) Area Resident Bishop, Mark J. Webb, and his wife, Jodi. Bishop Webb’s official retirement date is Dec. 31, 2022.

Folks across the Conference were able to connect for a time of fellowship before and after a one-hour formal farewell.

Click here to read the full story.

Bishop Webb’s top five tips for prevailing as a Conference

At his Nov. 19, 2022, farewell gathering at the UNY Conference Center, Upper New York Area Resident Bishop, Mark J. Webb, offered five tips to keep the mission of the United Methodist Church alive.

These are his tips:

Keep chasing after Jesus individually and corporately. Keep knowing the depth of God’s love for you and seek a deeper love for Jesus.

Be kind and compassionate to one another. Don’t make each other enemies. See the best in each other. “God’s call isn’t dependent on what the symbol on your shirt is; we’re all partners in ministry no matter what the future holds—we’re all going to be together in the place called Glory!”

Don’t allow anything to be a substitute for the Truth of the Word of God.

Stay focused on the reason we’re here. The purpose of the Church is to help one more person say “yes” to following Jesus.

Be a bold and courageous follower of Jesus Christ.

Casowasco Camp & Retreat Center

Site Director job opening

The Upper New York Conference of the United Methodist Church has an exciting opportunity for a Site Director at our Casowasco Camp & Retreat Center located in Moravia, NY, near the beautiful city of Auburn, NY. The Casowasco Camp & Retreat Center boasts over 200 wooded acres, a stunning gorge, and over a mile of shoreline on Owasco Lake. This position offers excellent benefits, including on-site housing. Relocation benefits are provided for this position.

Camp & Retreat Ministries operates sites, facilities, and programs for the purpose of extending the mission of The United Methodist Church to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. All staff are expected to help fulfill this purpose in the performance of the specific responsibilities of their job.

The Site Director is primarily responsible for the development, implementation, and administration of a wide range of services for Camp & Retreat Ministries (CRM) in accordance with policies and practices established by the Upper New York Conference and the Executive Director of Camp & Retreat Ministries. These include compliance, recruiting, training, supervision, maintenance, programming, and management.

Click here for job description and to apply.

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Custodian/Building Maintenance Technician job opening

The Upper New York Conference of the United Methodist Church has an exciting opportunity for a part time Custodian/Building Maintenance Technician at our Conference office located in Liverpool, NY. The Custodian/Building Maintenance Technician performs a wide variety of custodial and maintenance duties in order to provide a clean, orderly, and safe environment for employees and visitors. These duties will be performed either daily or on a rotating schedule as needed (subject to change based on condition of building). This position is 25 hours per week (6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday) with some flexible scheduling.

Click here for job description and to apply.

Local Church Financial Training Being Offered Jan. 7 By Zoom

Rev. Susan Ranous, Director of Christian Stewardship and Deacon specializing in Stewardship, Church Finances and Clergy Tax is offering a ZOOM training from 10 AM to Noon on Saturday, Jan. 7.

If you're interested in participating, please contact Carrie Boyer in the District Office, adirondackdistrict@unyumc.org or (518) 608-1246. The Zoom link will be sent as the date nears.

Workshop description:

Are you new to the financial areas of the local church? Maybe you’ve been a treasurer or financial secretary or finance chair? Do you need some help to understand what you have to do and how to do it? This workshop will give you the basic knowledge needed to understand what is needed and how to do the various financial tasks.

2023 Safe Sanctuaries Schedule

The UNY Safe Sanctuaries Team has schedule four

3.5 hour Zoom basic trainings in 2023. There are also two Training of Trainers sessions scheduled.

The Basic trainings will be held from 9 AM to 12:30 PM on Saturdays Feb. 4, May 6, Aug. 5 and Nov. 4.

The Training of Trainers will be held from 9 AM to Noon on Saturdays March 4 and Oct. 7.

The Basic training is for all clergy and anyone working with children or vulnerable adults. The Training of Trainers is for anyone who would like to become a church or District Safe Sanctuaries trainer in the UNY Conference. You need to have taken the Basic Training first.

If you need training between these dates, or would like to host an in-person training, please contact the District Office or send an email to the Safe Sanctuaries team (safesanctuaries@unyumc.org)

Registration for the February training will open Jan. 4. Look for the link in upcoming announcements.

For more information regarding Safe Sanctuaries, visit the Conference website: Click here.

To view the poster, click here.

2023 Lay Servant Courses Offered By ZOOM Open To All

Adirondack Lay Servant Ministries has scheduled the following courses beginning in January 2023.

Please remember that you MUST attend all class times and dates to receive credit.

No refunds or credit for courses will be given. All registrations and course fees MUST be in by the date due.

For a registration form or for more information, contact Arlene Schmidt, arlenedschmidt@gmail.com For more information about the courses (books, etc.) click here for the brochure.

*Basic Lay Servant Course

Wednesdays, January 11, 18 and 25, February 1 and 8, 6-9 pm

ZOOM: Course Fee: $15

Registration and course fees due by December 28

*Advanced Course: For the Common Good (Spiritual Gifts)

Thursdays, January 26, February 2, 9 and 16: 6-9 pm

ZOOM: Fee $15

Registration and course fees due by January 12

*Advanced Course: Leading Prayer

Wednesdays, March 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29: 6-9pm

ZOOM: Fee $15

Registration and course fees due by February 15^th

Previous Information Shared

Mohawk District Offering INR By Zoom

The Mohawk District Lay Servant Ministries Team is privileged to announce the course offering of the Conference-approved advanced Lay Servant class, “Imagine No Racism (INR)”, via Zoom beginning Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, and continuing for 6 weeks, ending on Feb. 23, 2023. Class times are 6 to 8 pm each Thursday. There is no textbook required. Information, literature and handouts will be emailed to participants. For information or to obtain the zoom link for the class, contact Mary Beth Greene, CLS, mbg@ntcnet.com, or 315-796-1290.

Are You Interested In A Clergy Tax Workshop?

I am planning on offering a two-hour workshop during the afternoon of December 8th or the evening of December 8th.

If you are interested, please email me at susanranous@unyumc.org. It will be held via Zoom. Once I hear from you, I will send you a link!

Clergy are treated differently under the tax code than virtually anybody else in the country.
Are clergy employees or self-employed? Hint: the answer isn’t obvious or easy!
Clergy have advantages and disadvantages that no one else has.
Often, confusion exists concerning clergy compensation, deductions and expenses.

This workshop will help you gain a better understanding of the current tax laws that affect clergy today.

At the end of this workshop, you will have a better understanding of the unique issues faced by a United Methodist Clergy Person. Topics will include: Defining the Dual-Status Tax Classification of Clergy, Defining What a Clergy Person Is, What Responsibilities the Church Has, What Responsibilities Clergy Have, Describing the Housing Allowance and Exclusion, Discussing Exemptions and Deductions, and Completing Your Tax Filing Forms.

Rev. Susan Ranous, Ordained Deacon

CONFERENCE ARCHIVES NEEDS YOUR HELP

The Conference Archives needs your help! We are inundated with boxes of church records to sort/save. Please do YOUR part. Sort your records BEFORE you send to us. If your church is merging, your records go to the NEW entity. If your church is closing, there is a prescribed list of records to send to the Archives.

If your church is disaffiliating, there is a prescribed list to send. Please do no send anything else!

To know what the Discipline says about what to keep, click the link. https://www.umc.org/en/content/book-of-discipline-2549-disposition-of-property-of-a-closed-local-church

This link tells how long to keep some records.http://s3.amazonaws.com/gcah.org/Resources/Guidelines_Publications/Closed-Local-Church-Records-Guidelines-2017.pdf

Another link is more specific about what to keep and how long. You may skip over the first few pages for in depth information.http://s3.amazonaws.com/gcah.org/Resources/Guidelines_Publications/Local-ChurchSched-2017.pdf

Several years ago, the CAH created a video you can watch to see “What to Toss and What to Keep”. You can also find it on the UNY Archives and History website. https://vimeo.com/303744535/ab78413ba8

One of the actions CAH recommends: If the item is not on the required list, see if some other group would like it, such as the local historical society. Be especially careful that you send all baptism, membership, marriage, and confirmation records. We constantly get requests to locate these records. Sadly, we often strike out. This includes digital (thumb drive-saved) records!

YOU CAN ALSO HELP:

We have no paid staff. We are a small, dedicated group of volunteers working a limited number of hours. We meet the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 1-4:00. Other Tuesday hours can be arranged. The Conference Archives are at the Conference Center in Liverpool. Please volunteer. Call Susan Slenker, Volunteers Coordinator, at 315-516-5289. Thanks!

11/3/22

The Commission of Archives & History's Responsibility

is to Keep the History of the Conference

As churches close, their records come to the Conference Archives for safe keeping and reference. With churches closing each year and disaffiliation's looming, we are running out of space.

Our existing rooms at the Conference Center are almost full already. Just since January we have received records from about 20 churches. They are filling the aisles as we go through them to discard the items we will not keep. For example, one church sent us 30 boxes of materials. After sorting through we kept 3 regular archival boxes and one small box. Most of the rest was recycled, trashed, or kindly taken to the local historical society by a CAH member who lived nearby.

To read more, click here.

Resource Central

Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference Details

If you would like to know all the details of what took place at the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference, click here to read all the daily Christian Advocates. A summary of the Christian Advocate will be available next week.

From Resurrection Pastor Adam Hamilton

Dear Friends,

Church of the Resurrection has released a series of videos I recorded describing why I am proud to be part of the United Methodist Church and why Resurrection, the largest United Methodist Church in the United States, plans to stay in the UMC. Videos can be viewed at proudtobeumc.com or the #ProudtobeUMC YouTube Channel.

As you know, the Global Methodist Church has been persuading churches to leave the UMC and join their more conservative denomination. This summer a series of videos was produced that used fear and misinformation to make the case for individuals and congregations to leave the UMC. I’ve heard from many United Methodists who have watched these videos and asked, ‘Is this really true? Does this represent the viewpoint and beliefs of United Methodists?”’

As a pastor and leader in our denomination, I felt compelled to respond to these videos and clarify misinformation that is shared in them. This series of videos offers a different perspective and is intended to help churches and individuals seeking to discern whether to leave The United Methodist Church. My aim was to be gracious, but to also speak clearly to what I see as misinformation.

Topics cover: who we are as United Methodists, how we read the Bible, our commitment to and faith in Christ and the historic essentials of the Christian faith, our love of scripture while also believing it is important to rightly interpret scripture, our denominational divisions of human sexuality, and the future of the UMC.

If these videos would be helpful for your church or other churches in your annual conference, please share them. In addition to the videos, we have created a website with other resources and a place where churches can commit to stay in the UMC and connect with other churches. That website is proudtobeumc.com.

Also, we just completed Resurrection’s annual Leadership Institute. I met many amazing leaders this week and am excited about the future of our denomination. Thank you to those of you who participated. Last night, we had what I call a “family meeting” and I shared some thoughts about the future of the United Methodist Church. If you are interested in seeing this presentation, here is the link .

Thank you for your leadership and commitment to the UMC.

In Christ's love,

Adam Hamilton

Questions?

Email proudtobeumc@cor.org

11/3/22

Step by Step Process for Developing

an Intentional Discipleship Plan

The Northern Flow District has created training resources for congregations and persons to walk through a “step-by-step” process for developing an Intentional Discipleship Plan.

Click here for steps 1 and 2 of the training; follow the guidance of the video trainers, use the provided PowerPoints and the resources (links) to enable your church and team to develop and implement your congregation’s Intentional Discipleship Plan.

Additional training steps will be provided over time. Imagine what God will do as more and more churches develop their process for Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World!

10/6/22

EEOC Releases Revised Poster

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued a revised version of its poster, entitled “Know Your Rights”. A copy of the revised poster can be located here.

The law requires an employer to post a notice describing the Federal laws prohibiting job discrimination based on race, color, sex (including pregnancy and related conditions, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, religion, age (40 and older), equal pay, disability or genetic information (including family medical history or genetic tests or services), and retaliation for filing a charge, reasonably opposing discrimination, or participating in a discrimination lawsuit, investigation, or proceeding.

The “Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal” poster, prepared by the EEOC, summarizes these laws and explains how employees or applicants can file a complaint if they believe that they have experienced discrimination.

The EEOC has not released a specific date by which the revised poster must be used but has said that employers should replace the old one with the revised one within “a reasonable amount of time”. The poster must be placed in a conspicuous location where notices to applicants and employees are customarily posted. It may also be distributed electronically, but electronic distribution does not remove an employer’s requirement to have the poster present in the workplace(s).

Employers who fail to use the revised poster may face penalties. It is recommended that you replace the EEO poster with the revised version as soon as possible. Please be sure you are using the version marked “(Revised 10/20/2022)” going forward.

If you have any questions on this topic, please contact Tracy Rickett, Human Resources Generalist, at 315-898-2017 or TracyRickett@unyumc.org.

11/3/22

Opportunities to disaffiliate

from the Upper New York Conference

During the upcoming session of the Upper New York Annual Conference (October 6-8), the Conference will receive its first requests from local churches to disaffiliate from the Conference under ¶2553 of the Book of Discipline. To be eligible to disaffiliate, a church must deposit with the Conference treasurer, all fees stipulated in the disaffiliation agreement at least one week prior to the start of Annual Conference. A complete listing of churches who have met this requirement will be posted on the Conference website on Oct 3.

During Annual Conference, members will be asked to ratify each disaffiliation request by a simple majority of members present and voting. This will be a simple up or down vote with no provision for amendment (see Judicial Council Decision 1379 and ¶ 2529.1_b_ (3)).

In addition to this year’s Annual Conference, there will be three other opportunities for local churches to request disaffiliation. These include next year’s regularly scheduled Annual Conference session in June as well as two special sessions – March 25, 2023, and Oct. 14, 2023.

Click here to learn more and to find needed forms for disaffiliation.

9.22.22

2022 UNY Journal Vol. I available for download or purchase

The 2022 Upper New York Conference Journal, Vol. I is now available for download as a free PDF and for purchase through online publisher Lulu.com. This comprehensive book provides all the details of Annual Conference for the year of 2022.

Click here for options to either view an online version or download a copy from Issuu or to purchase it for $5.06 (plus shipping and applicable sales tax) from Lulu.com.

9/22/22

Disaffiliation Information-From Wespath

Understanding Pension Liabilities-For Local Churches Considering Disaffiliation

Watch this video for easy-to-understand answers to complex questions related to pension plan funding and the withdrawal liability payment required for local churches that disaffiliate from the UMC.

Click here for video

Download the #BeUMC Discussion Guide

Did you know that the United Methodist Church has a free, downloadable 45-page discussion guide tied to the #BeUMC campaign? This is a great resource for your Sunday School class, Bible study, or small group to reflect on what it means to #BeUMC.

Click here to access the guide.