Dear Friends,

   By now, I’m sure you’ve heard that church buildings are allowed to open at 25% capacity.  There is much excitement to get back into our buildings, and understandably so.  

   However, I do want to remind everyone – lay and clergy – that we all must follow the guidelines of the New York State Department of Health.  

    A requirement BEFORE you can open, is to have a written plan in place for how you are going to be caring for everyone’s safety. On the website, https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home, there is a template for writing a plan. It is not specifically geared for churches, so it needs to be adapted for your setting. If someone from the state or county department of health came to your church and asked for your plan, you would need to produce it, or likely be shut down again. Someone from your church (Pastor, Lay Leader, Ad. Council Chair, Trustee Chair) needs to sign a covenant on the state health department website, stating that you have read the guidelines and that you will follow them. This is very serious. None of us wants to have to close after we re-launch because someone got sick – or worse – because we didn’t follow the guidelines. This covenant needs to be signed, whether your average attendance is 10 or 10,000. In addition, you will be receiving a short “check the box” form that needs to be sent back to the District Office, stating that you are complying with the state regulations. There’s a possibility that if you don’t follow these guidelines and someone gets sick, that insurance won’t cover you.  

   I can’t stress enough how serious this is. Persons who do not live under the same roof must be 6 feet apart, and EVERYONE needs to be masked. If someone comes without a mask, you will need to provide one for them. If that is not possible, or if they decline, I hate to say this, you’ll have to turn them away. If a visitor comes and you are over 25% capacity, do the math, make sure some members agree to leave so that the visitors can stay. If you sing, you must be 12 feet from the person in front of you, and you need to put your mask back on IMMEDIATELY after singing. Pastors need to be at least 12 feet from the closest person in the congregation if you are preaching without a mask, which you’ll need to do for people to hear and understand you. Some churches are measuring and roping or taping the pews so that people can know how far 6 feet is. In addition, hymnals and Bibles must be removed from the sanctuary, and there can be no bulletins as each of these items could carry the virus. If you email the bulletin, I suppose people could bring their own. Persons need to leave the service without congregating together, and there can be no coffee hour. Communion by intinction is not allowed for the foreseeable future. Many churches have ordered the pre-packaged cups with grape juice and a wafer on top. They can be passed out with tongs. Offering plates are not to be passed, but can be by the door so people can still give their tithes as they come in or go out. 

  I know that all this can be overwhelming. We need to realize a couple of things. First, God is still God, and there are still disciples of Jesus Christ to be made. That’s why it’s SO important to keep on with the online services even after we are back in our buildings. God is doing amazing things, as people are being reached for the Gospel who would never come to church. Thanks be to God! Secondly, people need to be and feel safe coming back to worship in our buildings. Just because we are allowed to open now at 25% capacity, doesn’t mean we HAVE to. I’ve spoken with several of you who have said you will keep your online and drive in services going throughout the summer.  That is just fine. Please don’t pressure anyone to come back who is not ready.  

    Thanks for “listening,” and let me know if I can help in any way. Know that you are in my prayers. God bless, and stay well!

        

        With You in the Journey,

       Nancy

Please connect through email and telephone.

The office building is temporarily closed.

The Mountain View District Office Administrative Assistant is available via phone and email.

7 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., Monday-Thursdays generally.

Call the District 607-962-8047, or

send email to: mountainviewdistrict@unyumc.org.

In-person assistance may be available by appointment.

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 .  

The Conference website has webinars to assist you with the following:

• How to Facebook Live

• Using ZOOM to keep church connection

• Online Giving

• Streaming worship online

Click here

6/11/20

The General Commission on Archives and History of the United Methodist Church will be offering a Local Church Historian School in 2020 for church historians---or anyone interested in the story of their church.

The curriculum will cover a wide range of skills necessary to become a "complete" church historian.

The school will begin on September, 14, 2020. Plan now to use this opportunity to ensure that the heritage of each of our churches will be celebrated and that each church can receive the full benefit of its own amazing story.

The school is free to attend. Click here to register.

6/11/2020

Please note that the Upper New York Conference Center in Liverpool, including the Episcopal office and Crossroads District office will remain closed to the public until Tuesday Sept. 8, the day after Labor Day at the earliest.

Sidney Williams writes that a top priority for a new pastor needs to be listening to the stories of congregants to discern needs, learn who the leaders are, and build community. The importance of spending time listening, sharing, laughing, and crying together cannot be overstated.

Read more now.

Click here  to watch the June 2 webinar hosted by the Upper New York Conference Reopening Taskforce and  click here  to see the PowerPoint that accompanied the webinar.  

6/4/2020



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FAQs about churches reopening

Last week, the UNY Conference published a news item overviewing reopening guideline with a link to view an up-to-date comprehensive guide to help local churches understand when they can open and resume services. Since then, we have been getting some questions.

Click here for a compilation of the Frequently-Asked-Questions with answers. If you have a question related to reopening, feel free to contact our COVID-19 hotline at (315) 898-2012 or  COVID-19response@unyumc.org  and someone will contact you and add the question and answer to our compilation.

5/28/2020

Great news for Lay Servant Ministries! Imagine No Racism (INR) has been approved as an advanced course for Upper New York. The curriculum, which has a deeply spiritual foundation, has been formatted as a 10-hour course including videos, conversations, and experiential learning. An INR facilitator will lead each course. Each District has at least three trained facilitators who will guide the conversation as the participants experience vital concepts dealing with racism in today’s world. The goal of this experience is to develop each lay servant’s ability to be an ally who walks with people of color to build relationships and take action for justice.



Stay connected to the Conference communications platforms for more details to come.

5/28/2020

During this time of anxiety and isolation The Upper Room wants to make it as easy as possible for people to find resources to support spiritual health. We are providing the May/June 2020 issue of The Upper Room magazine, both in English and Spanish, for download at no cost.

In addition, four short prayer resources that address specific needs are also available below. Please download and share as you wish. Peace be with you.

Helpful links to put resources at your finger tips!