“The Lord had said to Abram, “go to the land I will show you.” So Abram left as the Lord told him. The Lord took Abram outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars – if indeed you can count them. So shall your offspring be.” Abram believed the Lord, and he credited to him as righteous.” Genesis 12:1b & 15:5-6

Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed!  Alleluia! We have entered the Easter season in the life of the church. A time of rejoicing and change. A time of new beginnings. Christ’s resurrection changed the world. Those who followed Christ experienced change, challenges, rejection and a new way of life in experiencing ministry.

As Jesus journeyed to the cross he went to the garden alone to pray. In Luke 22:42 "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Jesus knew where he was being led. In this struggle he asked his Father to take the cup from him. Yet, Jesus was willing to be faithful and obedient to his Father’s will. 

Recall the story of Abram. The Lord told Abram to “leave his country, his people and his father’s household and go to the land I will show you. Abram left as the Lord told him.” Abram was willing to be faithful and obedient to the Lord.

Time passes and Abram is concerned about having an heir. What happens? Abram is inside his tent and God takes him outside. When Abram was in his tent he could see only as far as his manmade tent ceiling. God takes Abram outside and tells him to look up into the sky, the heavens, the expanse, the vastness of space that stretches in every direction beyond what we can see or even imagine.

Let’s look at two main points in this story. First, Abram was inside his tent. He was focused on his own ability and his circumstances. So, God gives him a different vantage point by taking Abram outside of his tent. God helps Abram to see beyond his manmade tent ceiling. The manmade tent ceiling obscured and blocked Abram’s vision. The farthest Abram could see was ceiling of the tent. Had Abram’s faith had been reduced to the size of his tent?

Second, Abram did what so many of us do: we put a ceiling (a limit) on what God can do. We put a ceiling on God’s love, faithfulness, power and wisdom. God helped Abram to refocus by making Abram look up into the night sky. God gets Abram’s eyes off of his own circumstances and helps Abram refocus on God’s faithfulness. 

That is where we live our lives between our human circumstances and the faithfulness of God. What we decide to focus on will make all the difference in this world and the next. As we continue our focus on becoming stronger disciples of Jesus, let us make a commitment to God, each other and our selves. That together we will: Live an Intentional Faith Life (praying daily, reading the scriptures, fasting, participating in the Sacraments of Holy Communion & Baptism, being part of a Bible Study and/or an accountability group) ; Take Holy Risks (by intentionally serving others, being part of a Bible Study and/or an accountability group, stepping out in faith as a congregation by allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us in building relationships within our community and beyond ); Help to Bring the Kingdom of God here on earth (living our lives demonstrating the love, compassion of Jesus to this hurting world) .   

Remember, God’s promise to Abram didn’t happen overnight. There was a span of years, of second-guessing between when God’s promise was given and then fulfilled.  

Each of us will experience our growth as disciples differently. Even as we are experiencing changes in our lives, in the life of the Cornerstone District and in the life of the Upper New York Conference, like Abram let us be faithful and obedient as God leads us outside of our tents and see where this new journey in faith takes us as we continue to touch hearts and lives for Jesus Christ.

Rejoicing in our Risen Lord,  

After the prayerful discernment of the Upper New York (UNY) Cabinet, Upper New York Area Resident Bishop, Héctor Burgos Núñez announces the following appointments. All appointments, otherwise noted, are effective July 1, 2023. 

There will be NO LATE online registration accepted. If you miss registering online by April 27^th then your next opportunity to register will be in person at the SRC Arena & Events Center at Onondaga Community College with a late charge of $50.00.

The Upper New York Extended Cabinet shared its plan to reconfigure how administrative support is provided to its districts. Beginning July 1, 2023, the current structure of eight part-time and two full-time administrative assistants serving districts will be replaced by six full-time Superintendency Administrative Assistants, each serving two districts as well as working collaboratively on the superintendency support team.  

The Geneseo United Methodist Church, under the appointment of Pastor Beth Malone, is beginning to revive the SUNY Wesley Fellowship which meets at the InterFaith Center near campus. We are reaching out to all of the churches in our conference who could have students attending SUNY Geneseo or nearby community colleges for contact information. I would appreciate it if you could provide me with any student information. They could also contact me directly at shadetreeauthor@gmail.com or via telephone (585) 969-0127.

Two new job openings for a part-time Cook and part-time Kitchen Assistant for Casowasco Camp & Retreat Center have been posted to the website. If you have any referrals for any open positions, please ask folks to apply through the link on the website. https://www.unyumc.org/about/jobs

Please contact Tracy Ricketts with any questions. Email: tracyrickett@unyumc.org

WHERE:LETOURNEAU CHRISTIAN CENTER

WHERE: Olean: Christ UMC

TIME: Fri., 5-9pm, Sat., 8am-5pm

COST: $25 (plus purchase of your own books)

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: April 7, 2023

Click here for registration flyer

WHERE: Horseheads UMC

TIME: 6pm-8pm

COST: $25 (plus purchase of your own books)

Click here for flyer

Please remember that you MUST attend all class times and dates to receive credit.

For a registration form or for more information, contact Arlene Schmidt, arlenedschmidt@gmail.com For more information about the courses (books, etc.) click here for the updated brochure.

Facilitators: Jacqueline Kim & Team member

Registration and course fees due by March 28

Registration and course fees due by April 19

Registration and course fees due by April 20

Do you have a puppet ministry? Would you like to start one? We have several Puppet Production puppets available along with staging.

For more details please contact Rev. Doug Knopp at dkrev@yahoo.com

To sign up either click the following link: https://bit.ly/UNYnotes.      

The Upper New York New Faith Communities' Team is excited to announce the “Engage New People Grant” to benefit local churches in the Upper New York Conference that are working to Engage New People not already in their church/ministry. New Faith Communities Conference-wide purpose is to reach people outside the Church in new and contextual ways. 

Click here to apply for the “Engage New People Grant.”

Upon completing the application, the New Faith Communities' team will reach out to the pastor/lead planter of the church and/or contact person listed to confirm your submission.

Click here for laws related to posting requirements. Click here for three laws related to leave. Click here to learn the pay requirements for exempt employees and a new law requiring pay transparency. Click here to learn about the Human Rights Law update. Click here to learn about amendments to the Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act.

With these many new requirements, now is a good time to dust off your handbooks and update them if you have not done so recently. Tracy Rickett is happy to draft or review any handbooks or other policies for legal compliance. You can contact her at tracyrickett@unyumc.org or (315) 898-2017.