The Season of Advent
What is Advent? “The season of Advent, which comes from the Latin word adventus meaning "coming" or "visit," begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. Advent is the beginning of the church year for Christians.
During Advent, we prepare for and anticipate the coming of Christ. We remember the longing of Jews for a Messiah and our own longing for and need of forgiveness, salvation and a new beginning. Even as we look back and celebrate the birth of Jesus in a humble stable in Bethlehem, we also look forward anticipating the second coming of Christ as the fulfillment of all that was promised by his first coming.
Although we are accustomed to celebrating Christmas on a single day, in both Christian tradition and on the church calendar, the Christmas season lasts from sundown on Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve) through Epiphany of the Lord (Jan. 6). This is sometimes referred to as "the 12 days of Christmas."
Advent begins with the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day. In 2022, Christmas falls on a Sunday, and Christmas Eve on Saturday night. Thus, in 2022 Advent begins Sunday, November 27, and ends at sundown on Saturday, Dec. 24 three weeks plus a portion of an additional day. If Christmas comes on a Sunday, Advent will begin on Nov. 27 and last four full weeks.
The color for Advent has traditionally been purple, although some churches have adopted blue. In practice, however, as churches increasingly incorporate the symbols and decorations of Christmas during Advent, more and more red, green and gold are appearing. The United Methodist Book of Worship upholds the traditional color of purple for Advent, signifying penitence and royalty, but also allows blue, the color of hope."
Adapted from "What is Advent?" and "Understanding Advent" by Dean McIntyre, retired director of music resources, Discipleship Ministries. Originally published in Interpreter Magazine, November–December, 2017.
In appreciation of the church liturgical calendar, I will list the Scriptures for each Sunday in Advent (as noted for Year A) as well as an Advent hymn and/or praise song. Let us journey together this Advent Season as we prepare to commit or recommit to following Jesus.
Advent, a time of preparation and a time of expectation. The four Sundays of Advent are hope, peace, joy, and love.
Journeying together through Avent with hope, peace, joy, and love,
Suzanne
11.23.22
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District Office Will Be
Closed Nov.18-28th
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Patti will be off the week of Thanksgiving off for a much needed rest. If you have an emergency please contact District Superintendent Suzanne Block at suzanneblock@unyumc.org or call 315-898-2089 and leave a message for her. |
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Prayers Calendar for Pastors & Churches |
November 13- East Otto UMC. Missy Ulinger, her husband Timothy and their family.
November 20-East Randolph UMC. Rev. Chuck Smith, his wife Kim and their family.
November 27-Edwards Chapel & Watts Flats UMCs. Pastor Warren VanDewark, his wife Diane and their family
December 4-Falconer & Lakewood UMCs. Pastor Mike Childs, his wife LeAnn and their family.
December 11-Fentonville & Wheeler Hill UMCs. Pastor Deborah Westcott, her husband Robert and their family.
11/10/22
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Charge Conference Forms Available
The 2022-2023 Church/Charge Conference & Annual Forms are now available to download. Click here
Please note that if you downloaded a 2023 comp form off the website prior to Sept. 14th. you will need to download a new one. There was an error in the formula. Please go to the conference website to get the correct comp sheet. Click here
PLEASE DO NOT MAIL CHARGE CONFERENCE FORM TO THE CONFERENCE OFFICE.
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If You Need To Contact The Cornerstone District Office Please Use The Number Below |
If you need to contact the District Office please call this number 607-962-8047 (this is the Mountain View District number) This is the number that sends the voicemail to my email so that if I am working remotely I am still able to receive your phone calls (if you leave a message that is).
Mailing Address:
PO Box 687
Bath, NY 14810
Thank you,
Patti Gridley
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Do You Have 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)
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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
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Registration for Winter Session of Course of Study is Due by Dec. 1 |
Licensed local Pastors....are you are planning to take COS for the Winter or Spring Weekends? If you are, please consider filling out your registrationform 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!!
11/10/22
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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.
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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!
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!
10.27.22
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Wesley Heritage Tour in 2024 |
Join Pastor Brett Johnson on the trip of a lifetime to visit John and Charles Wesley’s homeland of England. We will be visiting sites of great importance to United Methodists, including the Wesleys’ hometown of Epworth, Oxford, Bristol, and worship in the Wesley Chapel in London. We will also be stopping at Stonehenge and Stratford-on-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, and St Paul’s Cathedral.
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Charge Conference Dates Set |
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BE AWARE of PHISHING EMAILS
FROM CONFERENCE EMPLOYEES
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Please be aware that there are phishing emails that are being sent from employees of the UNY Conference. THESE ARE SCAMS!!!!! All UNY Conference employees emails would come from unyumc.org. If they are from any other email account....they are not from the person at UNY Conference. The Bishop and quite a few of the District Superintendents have had emails sent in their name but from an AT&T icloud email. DO NOT OPEN EMAILS THAT ARE NOT FROM unyumc.org .
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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.
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CORNERSTONE DISTRICT OFFICE
PO Box 687, Bath, NY 14810
607-962-8047
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