Words From DS Sherri Rood |
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Dear Friends,
Sisters and brothers in Christ, I’m writing to you from The Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference in Baltimore. Like our annual conference, elected delegates of laity and clergy gather from across the jurisdiction with the tasks of electing bishops, and approving ways to resource conferences and churches to empower leadership in the area.
Last night we celebrated the retirement of Bishop Mark Webb. A witness of Bishop Webb’s ministry was given by his Bishop, Bishop Jane Middleton. There was much laughter, but also a deep affirmation of Bishop Webb’s ministry among us for the past ten years. I join in offering thanks for Bishop Webb’s ministry. I have found him to be a deeply spiritual follower of Jesus Christ and a gifted leader. We have been blessed by his leadership. I hope you will join me in thanking Bishop Webb for his service among us.
Hopefully tomorrow morning we will know who our next bishop will be. Please be in prayer for this person and their family. I am trusting God will send us the leader we need for such a time as this. Know that God is with us, even as we live through this season of change. May we continue to be people of hope and faith, sharing the love of Christ wherever we find ourselves.
Please know I’m praying for you. Please pray for me.
Grace and peace,
Sherri
11/3/22
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Pre-Advent Gathering
for Active and Retired Clergy
and CLMs Providing Worship Leadership
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A time for worship, prayer, reflection, and conversation
as we prepare for the Advent Season
This is an opportunity to care for your soul and gather with colleagues!
Wednesday, November 9th from 9 am to 1 pm
At Fresh Start Church Miracle Mile Campus
2447 Corning Road
Elmira, NY
Please RSVP with Patti at the District Office
by November 4th
or phone at 607-962-8047
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From the Desk of Reverend Michael J Kelly,
Mountain View District Associate
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Blessings Friends,
It’s hard to believe with the weather that we have been enjoying that it is November. November the month of many things, All Saints Day, Veterans Day, Christ the King Sunday, Thanksgiving and the first Sunday of Advent. Wow! Along with that, this year many areas are holding their Jurisdictional Conferences and electing new Bishops, including our own Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference of which four Bishops will retire including Bishop Mark Webb from Upper New York.
We begin the month celebrating our Saints, celebrating the work they have done, the legacy they have left behind and work of many still. On the 11th we honor our men and women who served our country, recently speaking to one particular veteran and knowing many who believe the same they live, “God and Country!” On November 20th we recognize Christ the King Sunday, where we celebrate Jesus Christ as the King of Kings and it is the last Sunday of the liturgical year. And after the last two years with everything that has gone on with COVID and all else, this Thanksgiving we really need to be showing our gratitude. And the next Sunday we begin Advent.
Advent is what I really want to focus on today as we prepare for such an incredible time. While Advent is certainly a time of celebration and anticipation of Christ’s birth, it is between the fulfilled promise of Christ’s first coming and the yet-to-be-fulfilled promise of his second coming. Karl Barth penned these words: “Unfulfilled and fulfilled promise are related to each other, as are dawn and sunrise. Both promise and in fact the same promise. If anywhere at all, then it is precisely in the light of the coming of Christ that faith has become Advent faith, the expectation of future revelation. But faith knows for whom and for what it is waiting. It is fulfilled faith because it lays hold on the fulfilled promise.” Amazing words from Barth.
So today and every day, we can celebrate, even with the pitfalls of the world that we have gone through, because of our faith. As you prepare as churches and as individuals spend a lot of time in prayer and meditation individually and together, because friends here is our HOPE!
With God’s Love,
Mike
11/3/2022
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Don't forget to set your clocks back 1 hour before you go to bed on Saturday night. |
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INFORMATION ON HOW TO CONTACT US |
District Office contact Patti at:
607-962-8047
District Superintendent contact Rev. Sherri Rood
315-898-2077
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The Charge Conference forms are all available on the Conference website.
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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 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:
9.22.2022
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Pastors / Churches - is your church information correct?
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Is the service time correct?
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Is the address and phone number correct?
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Is the contact information correct?
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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
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Mountain View District Lay Servant Fall-Winter Classes |
Courses Being Offered Are:
- Ministry With the Forgotten
- Teaching Biblical Faith
- Basic Lay Servant
WHEN: Friday, November 4th 4 -8 pm
Saturday, Nov. 5th, 9 am - 4 pm
WHERE: Horseheads UMC
1034 W. Broad Street, Horseheads, NY 14845
9.8.22
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Genesee Valley District Fall Training Retreat |
Courses being offered are:
- The Basic Lay Servant Course
ADVANCED COURSES:
- United Methodist Heritage
- Biblical Storytelling
- Imagine No Racism
WHEN: November 4-6, 2022
(ten hours are required for course credit. That will include attendance & participation in Sunday Worship.)
WHERE: Asbury Camp & Retreat Center
16 Lakeside Avenue
Silver Lake, NY 14549
Office # 585-237-5262
Click here for more lay servant ministry information
10.6.22
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Save the Date for Bishop Webb’s Farewell Gathering |
You Are Invited to Attend
WHEN: Sat., Nov. 19th, 2022
WHERE: UNY Conference Center
7481 Henry Clay Blvd.
Liverpool, NY
TIME: 1-4pm
Join others throughout the Conference to celebrate Bishop Webb’s 10 years of ministry as Bishop of the UNY Conference. More details will be released once they become available.
9.8.22
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AVOCA UMC Pancake Breakfast |
WHEN: Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022
WHERE: 8593 Jacob's Ladder Rd.
Avoca, NY 14809 (corner of Jacob's Ladder Rd. & State Rte. 415, one mile north of village of Avoca)
TIME: 8:00-10:00 am
MENU:Buffet Serving: Buttermilk Pancakes, Sausage, Scrambled Eggs, Home Fries, Applesauce, Juice, Coffee, Tea
COST: Free Will Offering
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Registration for Winter Session of Course of Study
is Due by Dec. 1
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Licensed local Pastors....are you are planning to take COS for the Winter or Spring Weekends? If you are, please consider filling out your registration form and get it to the District office to have the DS sign it and then I will get it to the registrar.
The deadline for registration for the Winter Sessions-Dec.1st of 2022. (Reminder that the District office is CLOSED on Fridays)
Please, DO NOT WAIT to the last minute to register. When a class is filled, Wesley closes the registration for that class and there is no wiggle room.
I am putting this out now as one of the busiest times of the year is coming soon. There is no need for you to miss out on getting your course requirements met. There is NO MONEY due at the time of registration. You can register NOW for all three sessions...... Fall, Winter and Spring and if something comes up....you can cancel.
IF you need a specific class.....sign up now ....you need to remember that these courses are not just for UNY Conference....these are open to other Conferences as well. SO, sign up now. Click here for all the information you need for COS Satellite School. You will find all the forms you need here as well.
The steps to get registered:
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Get registration form-click here
- Fill out the form, print it, YOU sign it.
- Scan & email to your District Office
- District AA will get the DS to sign it and will send it to COS Registrar
- Registrar will fill out her part and get it to Sara Shephard.
- Sara Shephard will send the Registrar a confirmation of your registration.
- Registrar will send confirmation to the District AA
There is no reason to wait to the last minute because there is no money that needs to be sent with your registration. So, please sign up now!!
11/3/22
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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?
11/3/22
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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!
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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
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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
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Previous Information Shared |
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Find out all you need to know about Annual Conference |
The Upper New York (UNY) Annual Conference took place from Oct. 6-8 on a virtual platform.
The UNY Communications team has provided valuable tools for all who are interested in a recap of the conference.
Click here to access bulleted notes, news stories, and videos of the 2022 UNY Annual Conference.
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Update on the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference |
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During a special session held virtually on Oct. 15, delegates to the Northeastern Jurisdictional (NEJ) Conference voted to elect two new Bishops at the upcoming Nov. 2-5 conference. The vote was 81 to 69.
The delegates made the decision after hearing reports from the NEJ Committee on Episcopacy and the NEJ College of Bishops regarding episcopal elections. The College of Bishops had recommended that there be no election of new Bishops during the 2022 Session of Jurisdictional Conference.
The NEJ Committee on Episcopacy had recommended one election.
Since the November 2022 is a regular session of the Jurisdictional Conference, all Bishops will be eligible for the assignment process by the Committee on Episcopacy. The Committee could recommend assignments for all Bishops and could leave some Conferences open for the Council of Bishops through the College of Bishops’ recommendations to fill episcopal coverage in those open areas.
Bishop John Schol of the Greater New Jersey Area presided over the special session.
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The Commission of Archives & History's Responsibility
is to Keep the History of the Conference
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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.
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How You Can Help Those Affected by Hurricane Ian |
United Methodists plan to lead the way to recovery after Hurricane Ian unleashed substantial damage in Florida and South Carolina. At this time, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has asked for prayers, monetary donations to UMCOR, and for congregations to continue assembling supply kits.
There are so many ways to help!
Click here for monetary donations to go directly to UMCOR.
Click here to access kit supply lists and instructions.
You can also bring the kits and/or appropriate supplies directly to the Upper New York (UNY) Mission Central HUB in Liverpool—contact the UNY Director of Missional Engagement, Kristina Clark (kristinaclark@unyumc.org), to coordinate a drop-off date and time.
Congregations can also buy supplies for the kits off the UNY Mission Central HUB Amazon wish lists and have them shipped directly to the HUB. If purchasing from another website, congregations or groups can ship the supplies directly to the HUB by setting the mailing address to Mission Central HUB 7481 Henry Clay Blvd, Liverpool NY 13088.
Click here for the UNY HUB hygiene kit Amazon wish list.
Click here for the UNY HUB menstrual hygiene Amazon wish list.
Click here for the UNY HUB cleaning bucket Amazon wish list.
Monetary donations to the UNY Mission Central HUB can be given by clicking here.
Please continue to pray for those affected by Hurricane Ian.
10.6.22
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Opportunities to disaffiliate
from the Upper New York Conference
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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
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Step by Step Process for Developing
an Intentional Discipleship Plan
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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
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We are in the planning stages for this years collection of shoeboxes and other items for the Red Bird Mission. We are looking for drop off sites in the various districts where various Churches could drop off their shoeboxes and or other items that are going to the Red Bird Mission. We are looking for sites from October 16 thru November 16. The trip is planned for November 28 with the packing of the trucks on Saturday, November 26.
The need for shoeboxes filled with personal hygiene supplies, backpacks, new blankets and sheet sets and diapers are in great need this year. The need for used clothing is not a critical need at this time as their warehouse is full. We will still take new cloths as they can be used at the Community Outreach Center for distribution. If there are Churches that can be drop off sites, please send an email to Dalexander4@stny.rr.com , so a list can be made available in our future emails.
Your help in this project is greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, I can be reached by email or you can call 607-743-8955. Thank you for helping us start the process of getting things ready to take to the Red Bird Mission.
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Disaffiliation Information-From Wespath
Understanding Pension Liabilities-For Local Churches Considering Disaffiliation
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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.
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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.
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MOUNTAIN VIEW DISTRICT OFFICE |
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