In Concert from Nashville
Ernie and Jason Couch Revival
First United Methodist Church of Watertown will be hosting this musical duo from Nashville on Wednesday August 17th at 7:00 p.m. in the sanctuary. There is no cost for the concert but a free will offering will be taken.
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Aldersgate Camp & Retreat Center
to offer Autism Friendly Family Camp
The Autism Friendly Family Camp is a three-night experience for the whole family to participate together in all the fun camp has to offer. The camp will be held at Aldersgate Camp & Retreat Center, a 200-acre site, nestled in the refreshing beauty of the Adirondacks. Children and adults with autism will have an opportunity to come together and experience the joys of camp. Similarly, their families will have the opportunity to join with others who also love and support a neurodivergent family member. Aldersgate's program offerings including swimming, boating, crafts, and outdoor games will all be available in a sensory conscious setting. There is no age requirement.
Autism Friendly Family Camp will be a wonderful, sensory-gentle experience.
Dates are August 21st - 24th Rates are $65.00 per person per night.
Click here to learn how this camp was inspired by, Geneva First UMC pastor, the Rev. Emily Huyge’s desire to create an autism-friendly family camp for her six-year-old son, Jacob.
And read about how excited the Conference is to offer this camp.
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Applications are Now Open for 2022 Mustard Seed Migration Grants
Every day, thousands of people flee their homes in search of a better life for their families.
The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) Mustard Seed Migration Grants, inspired by the well-known parable, are available to provide up to 50 congregations in the United States with up to $2,000 in funding to support one-time, community-based projects that assist refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented persons and migrants of all types.
Applications will be accepted at any time prior to the Sept. 1, 2022 deadline, and will be reviewed and processed within a month of receipt. Churches receiving grants in 2021 are not eligible for the 2022 program (review 2021 list here).
For information on the application process, including selection criteria, click here.
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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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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.
Redbird Mission
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, 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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A Call from the Mission Central HUB
I hope this note helps you with a little push to help people in need. Since the covid outbreak The HUB has been struggling to receive donation and volunteers are few. I hope this note brings a ripple of volunteers to the HUB again. The need is high.
Most of what we do here at Mission Central HUB is based on faith. Listening to the Holy Spirit and acting on it. Not always easy, definitely can be scary. I have been seeing this phrase a lot lately.
“Trusting in GOD’s truth and not on the thoughts in your head”
So much going on with distractions pulling us in many different directions, it can sometimes be hard to focus on HIS voice in your head. Another saying I hold onto when in times of struggle
“ Be still and know I AM who I AM.” Again sometimes hard to do.
Taking time to just breath and take notice of ourselves focus on where we need to get calm, notice the little things are actually the big things. Some things we cant change, but we may be able to help relieve some stress for folks in need when life disrupts living.. We don’t need to be in the limelight to be a Blessing to someone. Sometimes we have forgotten that helping others helps ourselves. We can get overwhelmed thinking we have to do everything and their isn’t enough time or energy to help everyone. I have seen so many cry since covid that feel that haven’t done enough to help people. I am one of them.
One of the things I love about my job here at The HUB (that I do know GOD lead me to) is the way folks help others with no questions, no need of getting gratification, no expectations. Folks need help, every little or big thing that gets filtered through Mission Central HUB sends ripples to others in need. To us some of those ripples are small but could be a huge blessing to that person in need. GOD and the Holy Spirit placed it on our hearts to help people, all we need do is react to it. To me that is Faith in knowing GOD has his hand in it and listening to that HOLY SPIRIT saying, “ someone needs help, make that call.” Like I just felt tugged to write this letter. Severe weather season is upon us, this will never change. we are not fully prepared, can you help?
To schedule a volunteer group visit to the HUB please contact
MaryBeth Ingalls
Upper New York Conference
Mission Volunteer Coordinator
7481 Henry Clay Boulevard Liverpool, N.Y. 13088
1-315-898-2064
1-315-372-0285
God Bless 🙏👣💞
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Belleville UMC
Looking for a Keyboardist
Belleville UMC is looking for a part time - paid keyboardist. Interested persons please contact Dwight Greene at 315-232-2607
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In Person Conference Postponed
to October 6-8 to be held Remotely
The Sessions Committee of the Upper New York Conference gathered by Zoom on the morning of Thursday, April 21 to discuss growing concerns about the uptick in COVID-19 cases in Upstate New York and throughout the United States.
Members of the Committee shared both their own perspectives and what they have been hearing from others regarding the comfort level of gathering more than a thousand United Methodist from across Upper New York at Onondaga Community College’s SRC Arena. In the end, while there was a great sense of loss about not being able to gather in-person for the third year in a row, the Committee overwhelmingly agreed that the top priority had to be the health and safety of the individuals that would be asked to attend. The decision was made to institute a backup plan that has been in place since the Committee started planning for an in-person Annual Conference gathering.
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.
Postponing Annual Conference creates a new set of logistical concerns to address and the decisions about those concerns will be shared once they are made. In the meantime, anyone who has already registered for the planned in-person Annual Conference gathering will receive full refunds. 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.
“We know that there will be many different reactions to the news of Annual Conference being postponed and moved to a virtual event,” said the Rev. Joellyn Tuttle, Chair of the Sessions Committee. “Many will be disappointed; many will be relieved; and many more will be some combination of the two. Ultimately, this decision puts the health of the members of the Annual Conference first and that felt right to the Committee. Our first desire was to do no harm, and we are confident that we can pull together an excellent virtual event in October.”
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Trip to Holy Land 2023
The clergy team of Syracuse United Methodist Ministries (Revs. Andy Anderson, B.J. Norrix, Jee Hae Song, and Alicia Wood) invite you to join them on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Feb. 14 – Feb. 24, 2023.
You will explore, learn, and fellowship as you visit Caesarea, the Sea of Galilee, Cana, Nazareth, Samaria, Jacob's Well, the Dead Sea, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and much more. The cost of the trip starts at $3,448, leaving from JFK, New York. There is also an option to extend your trip through Jordan for an additional cost.
You are encouraged to register immediately with only $100. Register by, August 14 ($25 off). Brochures with more details and registration forms are available. Please contact:
Jee Hae: jeehaesong611@gmail.com, 404-825-8025 (cell), for a brochure, online registration link, if you have any questions, or need more information.
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Job Opportunities for Upper New York Conference
The Upper New York Conference has job openings, please click here for more information.
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Family Life and Youth Director Job Opportunity
Baker Memorial United Methodist Church in East Aurora, NY, is seeking a Director of Family Life and Youth to lead practical and spiritual education in Christian ministries for local families, children, and youth. This is a full time position that requires a flexible schedule. The compensation package includes competitive salary, housing, health and retirement benefits.
To respond to this opportunity please contact the church office at
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Positions Open at the Methodist Missionary Vacation Home in Chautauqua, NY
Seeking host and hostess couple to open and close the home, process reservations, supervise a staff of four, and all operations of the house, including kitchen, laundry, maintenance, and care of the lawn. Host and Hostess should be on site from May 15 to Sept. 15 starting in 2023.
Salary, plus room and board, gate pass, parking.
Please send resumes to:
Marie Follett, 331 West Academy Street, Albion, New York 14411
by Aug. 15, 2022. A more detailed list of duties will be available to interested parties.
7/21/22
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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 appointments and retirements pending approval of clergy session. View the full list of changes here.
Wondering how clergy appointments are made?
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Tending the Soul Training
Tending the Soul, a training program in Missional Spiritual Direction and Congregational Formation, will be starting a new cohort in November 2022. The program is designed for lay and clergy. Perhaps more than any other time in our recent past, the ability to listen deeply for God, to remain centered and non-anxious, and to hold sacred space for others is an essential tool in ministry (both within your local congregation and the greater community).
Click here for more information and a brochure with all details on the program and how to apply.
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Stewardship with
Rev. Susan Ranous
July 20, 2022
DISCIPLESHIP AND GENEROSITY
I’m continuing my conversation on discipleship, by talking about how interwoven it has to be in generosity and in the lives of pastors.
When we talk about intentional discipleship plans or pathways, doesn’t the focus always seem to be on the congregation. We have to intentionally lay out how we disciple others. We leave the pastor out of the discipleship pathway, other than as the person who helps create the plan.
Last week, I talked about how stewardship and discipleship are intertwined. More important than that, though, is that generosity and discipleship are intertwined. So…here’s where the pastor is going to come into it. “Pastors must have a passion for giving and believe in developing a generosity journey as an important statement about discipleship.”[1]
While we talk about preaching and teaching about stewardship and generosity, being an example of generosity and modeling it genuinely is more powerful than the best series of sermons could ever hope to be.
But the pastor can’t do it alone. Staff need to be involved. Leadership needs to be involved. Both staff and leadership also need to cultivate their own giving journey, just as we are asking our congregation to do the same. The pastor also needs to cultivate his or her own giving journey and be able to articulate it and model it.
Sometimes it’s difficult to have the conversations about it, but we can avoid them. If we have our own giving journey cultivated, we have something to talk about.
What is your giving journey? How would you talk about generosity in your own life?
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Disaffiliating from the UNY Conference and the UMC
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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2022 Holiday Schedule
The District Office Will Be closed on the Following Dates
September 5th Labor Day
November 24th and 25th Thanksgiving
December 23rd Christmas Eve (Observed)
December 26th Christmas (Observed)
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Northern Flow District
District Superintendent
Rev. Michael Weeden
Administrative Assistant
Tammy McAdam
Regional Associate
Rev. Rich Weihing
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Northern Flow District Office Hours |
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Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
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Northern Flow District
93 East Main Street, Second Floor
PO Box 208
Gouverneur, NY 13642
Phone: (315) 535-5149 FAX: (315) 535-5151
Upper New York Annual Conference
7481 Henry Clay Blvd,
Liverpool, NY 13088
Phone: (315) 898-2000 Fax: (315) 898-2027
Bishop's Office
7481 Henry Clay Blvd,
Liverpool, NY 13088
Phone: (315) 898-2020 Fax: (315) 898-2150
The Media Resource Center of UNYAC
Visit the website at
Our mission is to “make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."
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