Next Issue: June 16th, 2022 |
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Words From the
District Superintendent
& District Associate
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District Superintendent News |
“God didn’t set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. He died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether we’re awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we’re alive with him! So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing it.” I Thessalonians 5:11
Violent actions have the headlines. The word of God has preventive measures against violence. We in the church are not immune to violence, though our usually calm demeanor shows little of the usual signs. We in the church of Jesus Christ are instructed to speak words that encourage others. We are to build one another up and include them. A low self-esteem is common, often stemming from early childhood rejection. It can result in anger with no outlet, and for some, violent acts. We think our failures rule us out of being loved. But God speaks to that: “He died for us …. we are alive with Christ!”
May the bullies of our world come to know that God sent His only Son for them too! May our words of correction be firm on behavior while speaking to the root of love and salvation! May our faith in Christ lead us to encourage each other and tell each their worth, turning rejection into acceptance and our anger into peace. May Christ’s church be the place we teach and exhibit peace in our words, actions and lives. It begins with our words.
In Christ, Jeff McDowell
Jeff McDowell
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From the desk of Reverend Michael Kelly:
MV District Associate
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Good morning, friends,
We continue to reel from the acts of active shooters and of course this includes active shooters that have many times inflicted harm upon our places of worship. To date there have been 270 accounts of active shooters in the US that have accounted for 313 deaths and 1114 injuries. As far as I can tell from researching statistics there have been more than 20 active shooting event in houses of worship in the United States in the last ten years, unfortunately there have already been two this year, resulting in six people killed and five wounded.
And while we would all like to believe that it could never happen to us, we only pray that it doesn’t and continue to pray when it does happen to others. There is little we can do but I believe that one thing that we can do it try to be prepared. With that in mind, the district will offer a specialized training to pastor and laity for Active Shooter Training, on June 9th at 2 PM at the Beaver Dams United Methodist Church. The training will be conducted by Lt. Todd Day, a certified Active Shooter Trainer, from Schuyler County Sheriff’s Department. Please RSVP by phone at 607-220-7873 or by email at Pastormichaeljkelly@gmail.com. Again, this informative and critical training is open to all. I am also currently trying to facilitate an additional training session in Western Steuben County at a later time, but with staffing issues among law enforcement it has been difficult, so you may wish to take advantage of this opportunity.
Other than prayer, perhaps the best thing we can do is be prepared.
With blessings, be a blessing to others.
Mike Kelly
6..2.22
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District Office will be closed June 27 thru July 11 |
Patti will be taking some much needed vacation time from June 27-July 11th. She will be back in the office on Tuesday, July 12th.
I hope to have all the emergency contact information for you in the next newsletter
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ANNUAL CONFERENCE POSTPONED
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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.
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
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Mountain View District Office Open By Appointment Only |
Office visits are still by appointment ONLY. We also ask that you social distance while in the office. Please do not come to the office if you are not feeling well. We ask that you come another time.
Office is open: Mon.-Thurs.
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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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Bishop Webb to offer a virtual conversation with UNY laity on June 21 |
Upper New York (UNY) Area Resident Bishop, Mark J. Webb, had planned on in-person meetings with UNY laity this month, but these meetings had to be canceled due to expressed concerns, related to the COVID pandemic.
To create an opportunity for these conversations to be held, Bishop Webb will be hosting a live webinar on Vimeo on Tuesday June 21 at 6:30 p.m.
During this webinar, Bishop Webb will address recent denominational developments and discuss the importance of keeping focused on the mission of the Church. The webinar will include a time for questions and answers.
Individuals are invited to send questions in advance, along with their name and church, for Bishop Webb to address by emailing them to news@unyumc.org by June 17. An opportunity to submit questions during the webinar will be available through a chat function.
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Pentecost Sunday
June 5, 2022
Pentecost, a high holy day of the Christian calendar, is often called the birthday of the church. It's a day of celebration for all that God has done and is doing within the life of the church.
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Peace with Justice Sunday, June 12, 2022
United Methodists relate to this special Sunday by seeking peaceful solutions, creating and supporting peace-related ministries in their conference and learning about peaceful, just efforts around the world. Our Social Principles call us to love our enemies, seek justice, and serve as reconcilers of conflict. We insist that the first moral duty of all nations is to work together to resolve by peaceful means every dispute that arises between or among them.
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United Methodist Communications Offering Free Resources for Fall Outreach |
Fall is the perfect time to invite people back to church and celebrate back-to-school time with customized banners, yard signs, sandwich board signs, postcards, invitation cards and more. Click here to view the resources and order using coupon code UMCFA22 for $300 worth of free resources!
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In Need Of Summer Pulpit Supply?
The Mountain View District Lay Servant Ministry Team has put together a short video about the role of a Lay Servant. One of our team members can bring this to your church and provide a meaningful worship experience based upon the laity in service. If you would like to schedule such a program this summer please contact any one of the following individuals.
- Pete O’Neill (516) 314- 1994
- Sue Silhan (607) 703-0010
- Ernie Warren (716) 490-3676
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In Person Laity Gatherings with Bishop Webb |
June 12, 2022 @ 3:00 p.m. 4:30 p.m. at LeRoy UMC
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From the Desk of Bishop Webb: Texas School Shooting |
Upper New York Area Resident Bishop, Mark J. Webb, sent a note to the Upper New York Conference on May 25 as a response to the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on May 24.
He asked for prayers for the families and victims, for the parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers, aunts, and uncles, who had their precious loved ones, their children, violently taken away from them. He asked for prayers for the families of the teachers murdered and healing prayers for those injured and in critical condition.
Bishop Webb also stated how our society and systems must change. He asked for everyone to call out injustice and sin by showing people another way – the way of following Jesus.
6.2.22
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Previous Information and Events |
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At this stage of the pandemic, the impact of COVID across the Conference varies by county. To determine how your church can continue to keep participants safe, please consult the CDC website for recommendations.
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UNY Pastoral Wellness Initiative Launches |
Over the past year, the Upper New York (UNY) Conference has formed a Wellness Team, comprised of Conference leaders and wellness experts. The Wellness Team was derived from conversations among the UNY Conference Leadership Team and the UNY Operational Team and formed to gain a deeper understanding of the stresses those in pastoral leadership are facing, and to form some holistic solutions.
The Wellness Team is now working on collecting data specific to the UNY Conference.
They recently sent a survey to UNY church leaders to determine such factors as
- What spiritual practices do they engage in regularly?
- What would help them in their spiritual growth?
- What helps them to take a Sabbath?
In addition to the Wellness Team issuing a survey, in the coming months, the UNY Cabinet and Wellness Team will partner with the UNY Communications Team to publish stories of how pastors are successfully supporting their personal wellbeing. Resources will also be shared on ways in which church leaders can replenish their souls.
Click here to learn more about the UNY Pastoral Wellness initiative.
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Who Helps Your Pastor Prioritize Wellness? |
Pastors have a lot of responsibilities that go far beyond preparing for worship. They are on call to congregants who need support; they perform weddings and funerals; they have meetings throughout the week with different ministry teams at their church.
The COVID-19 pandemic placed more demands on these pastors—for many, they had to recreate the way they did worship to digital platforms.
We want to know how congregants are helping their pastors renew and replenish their souls and we’d like to share these stories with the entire Upper New York Conference.
By sharing these stories, our hope is that others throughout the Conference will be inspired to help their pastors prioritize wellness during these difficult times.
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Trauma Evident in Ukrainian Refugees |
Many Methodist women and men in various countries prove to be wide-hearted and helpful. However, the longer people in Ukraine have to live with the war, the more psychological support will be required.
Click here to read a summary of the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe’s efforts to support Ukrainian refugees.
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Grants Available for Projects
It is the desire of the UNY Conference United Women in Faith (formerly UMW) to offer grants to non-profit community and faith-based organizations that follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and address the needs of women, children and youth within the boundaries of our conference.
Exp. 6.15.22
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Giving Opportunity in Response to the War in Ukraineservices
Individuals can give directly to the Ukrainian people through local church offerings by writing a check to the Upper New York Conference with Advance #14053A in the memo line of the checks. These checks can either be placed in an offering plate or sent directly to the Conference office at 7481 Henry Clay Blvd., Liverpool, NY 13088.
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Hand Bells Wanted – If your church is no longer using your hand bells - the United Methodist Church of Webster may be interested in purchasing your bells.
Please contact the church office at office@umcwebster.org, or call weekdays between 9:30 to 4:30 PM ( 585-265-9720).
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Other Learning Opportunities |
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Check out the courses being offered by ALL the Districts in the UNYAC. Click here to see what courses are being offered.
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Lay Servant Courses Offered Around the Conference
Click here to find out when, where and how you can sign up for a lay servant course that you need or are interested in taking. This link connects you to all the Districts in UNY Conference that are offering courses. Just click and start exploring your options!
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Trustee & SPRC Webinars Available |
Do you have someone new who is now a trustee or a member of your SPRC? Here are some resources to help them learn. New materials and webinar recordings room April 26 and 28, 2022 were developed for churches in the Southern Tier Region, which consists of the Cornerstone, Mountain View, Binghamton, and Oneonta Districts. District Superintendents the Rev. Suzanne Block, the Rev. Dr. Jeff McDowell, and the Rev. Nancy Adams led the sessions.
One webinar was related to church trustees with included resources and the other webinar was related to staff-parish-relations committees with included resources.
Click here to watch these helpful recordings and access the useful resources.
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Reminder: Sexual Harassment Training Is Mandatory |
This is a reminder that New York State employers must adopt a sexual harassment prevention policy and provide training on sexual harassment prevention to their employees on an annual basis. This includes all those employed by the local church.
There is a free on-line training that is available to all. A certificate of completion is provided when the training is complete.
PLEASE NOTE:
Safe Sanctuaries training does not exempt churches from the NYS sexual harassment prevention training requirement.
If you have questions on this topic, please contact Tracy Rickett, Human Resources Generalist, at tracyrickett@unyumc.org or (315) 898-2017.
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Tending the Soul 2022-2024 A Two-year Training Program for Lay and Clergy
Exp. 11.14.22
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The “Connect with Us” Academy for Continuing Education 2022 Course Schedule including
A Course Series: Refreshing My Preaching Ministry
Exp.6.30.22
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For more information on Safe Sanctuaries, and on background checks
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Media Resource Center
Media Resource Center
315-898-2027
7481 Henry Clay Blvd.
Liverpool, NY 13088
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Subscribe to the GCFA "Collaborator" for Finance & Administration resources for your Ministry. A Support newsletter from GCFA - Click here
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https://www.unyumc.org/resources/mission-insite |
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MOUNTAIN VIEW DISTRICT OFFICE
35 Wilkes Ave. (Physical location)
PO Box 706 (Mailing Address)
Bath, NY 14810
607-962-8047
Office Is Open
Mon.-Thurs.
In Person by APPOINTMENT ONLY
District Superintendent: Rev. Dr. Jeff McDowell
District Associate: Pastor Mike Kelly
District Lay Leader: Ann Welch Wood
District Administrative Assistant: Patti Gridley
If the office is closed and you have an emergency please call 315-898-2077 and leave a message or email the DS at jeffmcdowell@unyumc.org
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