AROUND THE CORNER
January 6, 2022
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Around the Corner will be published/distributed
every other week. Next Issue Jan. 20th, 2022
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Visioning into the New Year
Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
The year of 2022 has begun! How many of us have made New Year’s resolutions? Resolutions are the promises we make to lose weight, exercise regularly, eat healthier, offer random acts of kindness, to laugh daily and to begin or return to church.
What if we changed our way of thinking and change our resolutions to practicing spiritual disciplines in order to grow in faith individually, as a family, as a church, as a district, and as a conference? The spiritual disciplines I follow are Wesley’s Five Means of Grace: Prayer, Searching the Scriptures, The Lord’s Supper, Fasting and Christian Conferencing.
During my times of prayer, I seek God’s leading for the Cornerstone District, the Upper New York Conference, and the United Methodist Church, by asking the questions, “what is God’s will and what is God’s vision, for 2022 as we continue to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world? And living the Gospel of Jesus Christ and being God's love with our neighbors in all places.” (The Upper New York Conference)
So, what is a vision?
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· “A vision is developed with the tension between what is and what could be. (We currently pay our Shared Ministries in full but not on time.)
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· There is a moral element and a sense of conviction. (Shared Ministries is our first benevolence and a desire to do good to others as a United Methodist Church.)
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· A vision is a preferred future and destination. (Paying our Shared Ministries in full and on time).
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· A vision always stands in contrast to the world as it is. (As a connectional church we can do more good together than we can do alone. We accomplish what no single church, district or annual conference ever could hope to do alone.)
· A vision sets our direction and it serves as a road map.” (We combine our prayers, presence, gifts and service to make a significant difference in the lives of God's people. Our Shared Ministries reach people locally, nationally and globally.)
(Each bullet: “Visioneering,” by Stanley and (UMC.Org)
I am grateful for all of the churches who were able to pay their 2020 shared ministries in full. I am grateful for all of the churches who are able to pay their shared ministries in full or are making significant strides in 2021 toward paying 100% of their share ministries in full.
The last two years have been a challenge in so many ways as we continue to live in and through the pandemic. I am reminded that all things are possible with God and from Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
I prayerfully challenge us together, to make 2022 a year of paying our Shared Ministries in full, and on time and in doing so making a significant difference in the lives of God’s people, sharing the hope that is found only in Jesus Christ. Remembering that we can do more together than we ever could alone and truly being God's love with our neighbors in all places. Trusting that God can do more than we ask or imagine!
With joy, peace, and gentleness,
Pastor Suzanne
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Please send directly to UMCOR using Advance #901670
Please do NOT send to the District or Conference Office.
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Announcement: Mask Mandate for all Church Gatherings (Dec. 13 - Jan. 15) |
Unless a church enforces a strict vaccination requirement, all persons entering church buildings must wear an appropriately fitting mask covering to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus, effective Dec. 13 through Jan. 15.
As per the governor’s announcement, “any person, past their second birthday and medically able to tolerate a face covering, must wear an appropriate mask while in any indoor place, regardless of vaccination status. However, businesses and venues can choose to implement a vaccination requirement, requiring proof of vaccination as a condition of entry inside the business or venue. Whichever requirement is selected, it must apply to all within the business/venue’s capacity, including staff, patrons, visitors, and guests. A business and venue cannot do a “combination” requirement.”
To properly enforce a vaccination requirement, every person’s vaccination status must be confirmed prior to entering the church facilities. Any church unable to accomplish this should require all persons to wear a mask.
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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.
Please Pass this information on to others!!!!
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There is NO Physical District Office |
Please make sure that you share this information as well. There is NO Physical District Office in Cornerstone. Please make sure that you mail anything that needs to go to the District Office to this MAILING address:
Cornerstone District Office
PO Box 687
Bath, NY 14810
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The District and Conference Offices
will be closed on Monday Jan. 17th
for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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Pastors & Their Churches to in Prayer for Month of Jan. |
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--
January 9-East Randolph UMC. Rev. Chuck Smith, his wife Kim and their family.
January 16-Edwards Chapel & Watts Flats UMCs. Pastor Warren VanDewark, his wife Diane and their family.
January 23- Findley Lake UMC. Rev. Dave Cooke, his wife Heather and their children Ben, Grace & Nathan.
January 30-Fredonia:First UMC. Pastor Nettie Puleff and her family.
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Bishop Webb announces clergy appointments |
Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb and the Upper New York Conference announce 17 ad interim appointments and four retirements pending approval of clergy session. View the full list of changes here.
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Statistics for 2021- The Ezra site will be opened Saturday January 1, 2022 to enter the church statistical data. This year Ezra will still be on the same Ezra site as previous years. Nothing has changed other than the submission date.The new submission date is February 28, 2022.
The 2021 stat reports will be used for the 2023 Ministry Share calculations.
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UNY Conference office COVID-19 protocol changes |
Given the spread of the omicron variant, significant increase of cases in Onondaga County and our need to keep everyone safe, we have updated our office protocols.
It is strongly encouraged that non-Conference staff in-person meetings be moved to Zoom, at least through the end of January, as infection rates are on the rise even amongst vaccinated individuals.
HUB activities through the end of January will be rescheduled for a future date.
If you have any questions or concerns, contact Susan Latessa, Director of Human Resources/Benefits at susanlatessa@unyumc.org
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Continue to Watch Out for Phishing Emails |
Please note that phishing-scheme emails are still frequently arriving in the Upper New York (UNY) Conference inboxes. Do not open any links in these emails.
These emails may look like they are coming from someone you know with a unyumc.org email, but carefully look at the email address—a lot of time it’s NOT the person you know—it’s a phishing email (the email extension will be “yahoo.com,” “gmail.com,” or some other email extension and not unyumc.org).
These emails will often have a subject line that say “urgent” and the email will often involve a request for financial help.
There was an email like this that many of you may have received over the holidays appearing as though it was from Bishop Webb; some even included his photo. This was a phishing scheme.
Delete these emails. Mark them as junk. And do not respond to them!
If you have any questions or concerns about this phishing scheme, contact Doug Thomas, UNY IT Manager, at dougthomas@unyumc.org
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NY Paid Family leave changes for 2022 |
New York State Paid Family Leave provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of job protected, paid time off to bond with a new child, care for a family member with a serious health condition, or to assist loved ones when a family member is deployed abroad on active military service. This time can be taken all at once, or in increments of full days.
Paid Family Leave may also be available in some situations when an employee or their minor, dependent child is under an order of quarantine or isolation due to COVID-19.
Click here for all the details you need to know about 2022 Paid Family Leave in UNY.
If you have additional questions on the New York State Paid Family Leave benefit, please contact Tracy Rickett, Human Resources Generalist, at (315) 898-2017 or tracyrickett@unyumc.org. You may also contact Guardian directly at 1-800-268-2525.
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Beginning Jan. 1, 2022, the Media Resource Center will be operating on a limited basis for Resource orders. More details and specifics will be included in the February newsletter
Media Resource Center
315-898-2027
7481 Henry Clay Blvd.
Liverpool, NY 13088
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If you're interested in raising your awareness, expanding your knowledge, and developing skills for addressing racism in all its forms, you'll want to enroll in the next Imagine No Racism class. The six-week curriculum, taught on Zoom, will empower you and your church to discern how God is calling you to apply this new knowledge and skills in your life and mission.
The next class starts Wednesday, January 12th, at 6:30 pm, and runs for six weeks. Each class lasts for about 1.5 hours.
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Rev. Nancy Dibelius-Spiritual Disciplines |
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Upper New York Assistant Director of Vital Congregations for Spiritual Life, the Rev. Nancy Dibelius, has been providing videos of helpful spiritual practices to help deepen people’s relationship to God during this difficult time.
For 2021, Rev. Dibelius is zeroing in on spiritual disciplines. She explains that spiritual disciplines are a way to get away with Jesus, walk with Jesus, and learn from Jesus.
In her latest series, Rev. Dibelius discussed the spiritual discipline of celebration, click here to watch the first video in this series.
In her final video of 2021 and second video about celebration, Rev. Dibelius discusses how to create a celebration collage with images of objects that you are drawn to beyond the season’s tinsel and glitter. Click here to watch her latest video.
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Don't Wait, Get Your Federal Tax Exemption Letter! |
Did you know that, as a United Methodist ministry, it is easy to get a letter proving your tax-exempt status – without applying directly to the Internal Revenue Service? The General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA), and sister agency to (GBHEM), United Methodist Women, and others, have received a “group ruling” designation from the IRS.
Basically, an umbrella or central organization (GCFA) takes over some of the administrative functions that would normally fall to a backlogged IRS, so that subordinate organizations, like United Methodist camps, churches, and other ministries can apply to the central organization for inclusion in their group. What that means for you is that, rather than applying directly to the IRS, you can apply online easily and quickly through GCFA. GCFA, rather than the IRS, will check your documentation and issue a letter of inclusion – meaning that you are included in the overall United Methodist group ruling for tax exemption.
Don't wait. Recently the IRS issued notice that it may change the group ruling policy. While we don’t know when those changes may take place, it is quick and easy to get a letter of inclusion in the denominational group ruling currently, so act quickly, before any changes take place.
There are a couple of important things to note: The online form is very straightforward for local United Methodist churches and the local church can quickly get its letter at the below link. For ministries that are affiliated as United Methodist organizations, such as a church, child care program, or a summer camp, the organization must have its own EIN, board, and organizing documents. Also, this tax exemption verifies your federal status and does not affect any state tax ruling.
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Church Copyright License Options-Copyrights Can Be Confusing |
There are essential licenses that fit most churches' use of copyrighted materials. However, several supplemental licenses exist that grant permission for more specific services such as rehearsals, live streaming, podcasts, videos, and video clips. It is essential to note that if your church obtains permission to use copyrighted material for one activity or exclusive right, it doesn't mean you have permission with that same license for another exclusive right. For example, for musical works, it is essential to remember that you will need a license to both the musical composition (the music notes on the page) and the lyrics. Not all licenses provide permission for both.
We've assembled this free guide to Church Copyright License Options to help you understand the basics of different types of copyrights. CCLI? Church Rehearsal License? Learn them all.
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Mission Insite Free to Churches |
A reminder that Mission Insite is a web-based demographics provider for local church use. In planning ministry, it is important to know the context.
Mission Insite provides demographic data that is updated on a regular basis and the reports are user friendly to the novice or experienced demographer.
The reports are free to the local church because the Annual Conferences is under contract with Mission Insite, but in order to access the website you will need to register your local church.
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Educational Opportunities |
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Course of Study Participants |
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR YOU
If you are registering for a COS class at GBHEM – you will need to list the name and email of your COS registrar. That information is as follows:
Betsy O’Flynn
We have had several lately list BOMregistrar@unyumc.org – this delays or causes you the student to miss the class entirely.
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F. Douglas Powe Jr. and Ann A. Michel of the Lewis Center staff name some of the changes church leaders should keep top of mind as we embark on 2022. They include still evolving patterns of worship and congregational life, worrying attendance trends, churches reevaluating their building needs, and underlying demographic changes that challenge assumptions many churches hold regarding their future.
Do you want amazing worship on a small church budget? Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe Jr. interviews Teresa Stewart, a blogger and creator of the website Paper Bag Cathedrals, on ways small congregations can enliven their worship.
Vital churches provide ways for people of all ages to grow in faith through learning. These 50 tips and strategies can help your congregation build a strong program of Christian education for adults.
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Lay Servant Courses Offered Around the Conference |
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Preaching During Lent & Easter
Bishop Sharma Lewis-January 11th
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Bring two pens. You’ll need them. Bishop Lewis always brings new, fresh, information to each of her webinars. She will cover her tips related to sermon preparation, topics, preaching tips and more.
As clergy, we are called, among other things, to preach. Bishop Lewis, author of best-selling Lenten guide, Journey to Transformation, will be with us January 11 to lead a one-hour session on Preaching During Lent.
Bring two pens. You’ll need them. Bishop Lewis always brings new, fresh, information to each of her webinars. She will cover her tips related to sermon preparation, topics, preaching tips and more.
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Effective Communication to Grow Your Church
Kevin Slimp-January 20th
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For twenty-five years, Kevin Slimp has been a household name in the world of corporate and United Methodist communications. Having keynoted thousands of conventions and events internationally, Kevin understands the worlds of both corporate and church communications.
As a former annual conference director of communications and current publisher of Market Square Books, Kevin will share tools often overlooked by local churches in reaching out to both the members and the unchurched of their communities.
He will discuss what attracts and what turns away potential visitors. Kevin will lead you to take a look at your printed communications tools, your website and more.
Kevin’s mantra over the past twenty-five years as a popular speaker and consultant has been to learn what actually works, not just what’s popular, in the area of communication.
More than 500 clergypersons have attended Kevin’s previous webinars on Effective Communication to Grow Your Church. This is the first of two webinars Kevin leads on the topic of communication.
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Cornerstone District Office
PO Box 687
Bath, NY 14810
716-665-2423
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