Pre-Retirement Workshop

Click here to register for the pre-retirement workshop on Friday, October 20.

All clergy looking to retire in the next year are encouraged to attend a pre-retirement workshop. A pre-retirement workshop is held once each year in the fall and spring. The purpose of the workshop is to highlight and explain the benefits available through The United Methodist Church. 

The workshop will be held on Friday, October 20 from 10-3 p.m. at the United Methodist Center in Liverpool, NY (7481 Henry Clay Blvd.) and participants are allowed to bring a guest.

Join Susan Latessa (UNY Director of Human Resources and Benefits), Julie Valeski (UNY Benefits Administrator), and Robert Christophel (Wespath Director of Benefits Education) for this important meeting to discuss retirement health care, for those that are eligible, and the retirement moving policy.

If you would like to schedule a private, pre-retirement consultation with a benefits educator, you can request during registration. Private consults are on a first-come, first-served basis and are 15 minutes in length.

Pre-registration is required in order to have all materials prepared for the day of the meeting. The registration deadline is October 6, 2023. If you would like to schedule a private, pre-retirement consultation with a benefits educator, you can do so on the registration page.



The pre-retirement workshop is sponsored by the Conference Board of Pension & Health Benefits, through the generosity of our local churches’ ministry share giving.  

News Article:  New York State Minimum Wage Increase effective January 1, 2024

September 2023/By Tracy Rickett, UNY Human Resources Generalist

New York State Minimum Wage Increase

Effective January 1, 2024, New York State (NYS) minimum wage will increase to $15.00 per hour. In 2025 and 2026, NYS minimum wage will increase by $0.50 annually. Beginning in 2027, and each year thereafter, increases to the minimum wage will be indexed based on inflation by the U.S. Department of Labor consumer price index. The minimum wage will be published by the New York Department of Labor (NYDOL) October 1 each year for the rate to take effect that coming January 1 of the following year.

Effective Date

New York State (excluding New York City, Long Island, and Westchester

Current

$14.20/hour

January 1, 2024

$15/hour

January 1, 2025

$15.50/hour

January 1, 2026

$16/hour

Employers in the Upper New York Conference, regardless of number of employees, must pay non-exempt employee’s minimum wage. Non-exempt employees are entitled to overtime pay under the state and federal wage and hour laws. Overtime pay for non-exempt employees is calculated as time and one-half their regular rate of pay for all hours worked over 40 hours in a workweek. 

An updated NYS Minimum Wage poster must be posted at your work site for your employees by January 1, 2024. Once the updated poster is available, the Conference office will post it on our Church Employer webpage Employment Law Compliance and Posters. Please click this link for more information on the change to NYS Minimum Wage.

New York State Minimum Salary

As of the date of this news article, the New York State minimum salary for employees classified as exempt under the New York State Labor Law remains at $1064.25/week or $55,341.00 per year. Any updates to the New York State minimum salary will be published as it becomes available. 

Churches should review their wage and hour practices to ensure that their employees are classified properly as non-exempt or exempt and that current minimum wage and minimum salary levels are being paid to employees. 

If you have any questions on this topic, please contact Tracy Rickett, Human Resources Generalist, at 315-898-2017 or TracyRickett@unyumc.org.

Free Printer!

As we begin to prepare to close out the physical office, we have some items that will be looking for a new home. I hope to be able to post them here as they become available.

This is a HP Laser Jet Pro 4000, it is black and white and has the capability to scan and fax. Do you have a church or pastor that could use this? It will be first come first serve basis. I am here in the office Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m..

If you would like to reach out to see if it is still available please feel free to call me at 315-535-5149 or email at tammymcadam@unyumc.org

Robin Meyers is coming to Plattsburgh in the Fall of 2023

Saturday – October 14^th and Sunday October 15th

Rev. Dr. Robin Meyers will be a guest speaker beginning at 10:30 AM at the Plattsburgh UMC, 127 Beekman St., Plattsburgh.

Lectures include "The Underground Church"

"What exactly is a Progressive Church?" at 1:30 PM

A conversation about the future of the church at 11:30 AM Sunday morning.

Meyers is an ordained minister who served in the United Church of Christ for 40 years, Tenured professor of Rhetoric at Oklahoma City University, and Distinguished Professor of Social Justice in the Philosophy Department at OCU.

He is the author of eight books (including the national bestseller, Saving Jesus from the Church), an award-winning columnist for the Oklahoma Gazette, a commentator for National Public Radio, and a widely traveled lecturer and preacher on behalf of Progressive Christianity.

Please register if you are staying for lunch by Sept. 30. 

Northern Flow District Offering

Lay Servant Courses

Pastor Donna Fitchette will be leading an Advanced Class on-line only in the month of October:

"For the Common Good: Discovering and Using Your Spiritual Gifts"

The dates and times are as follows:

October 10th 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

October 17th 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

October 24th 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

October 31st 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

You are responsible for purchasing your own book and it can be purchased here

You must attend all the classes to get credit for them. If you have any questions or to register please contact Pastor Donna @ missuaprilsue@hotmail.com

Northern Flow District Offering

Lay Servant Courses

Jane Hill will be leading an Advanced in-person class in the month of October at Malone Centenary UMC

"Worshipping with United Methodists"

The dates and times are as follows:

October 24th 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

October 26th 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

October 31st 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

November 2nd 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

November 7th 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

You are responsible for purchasing your own book and it can be purchased here

You must attend all the classes to get credit for them. To register please contact the district office at tammymcadam@unyumc.org

Stewardship with Rev. Susan Ranous

September 25, 2023

    GIVING COMMUNICATION

            WHAT IS YOUR CHURCH'S GIVING EXPERIENCE?

For the past three weeks, we’ve talked about effective giving communication, including revisiting the mission of the church, thanking people and looking at your people.

Here’s a list to go through, looking at the list and comparing it with your church’s giving experience:



1. Is your giving page easy to find, easy to use and easy to understand? Someone who isn’t familiar with it should be able to find it and use it with only a couple of clicks.
2. Remind people about giving. Many may have every intention of giving (online or in person) and then forget. Announce it in person, announce it in the chats online. And that leads us to the next one.
3. Include the various ways to give. Remember, giving is an act of worship so give them that opportunity to worship. Would you deprive them of singing, reading scripture, or hearing the message? Of course not! Don’t deprive them of the opportunity to be generous. Talk about online giving and how to do it (click, text, QR codes, etc.) Talk about checks and mail (some will still want to do this).
4.  Educate and encourage your givers about the why. Why should they give? What happens when they give? Are lives changed? Are disciples made? Or…? What is the story that will encourage them to want to give?
5. Personalize your thank yous. Use their name. Don’t just rely on computer-generated letters/statements.
6. Update your giving page, your articles, your website, your stories. If the story about lives changed is over a couple of years old, does that mean no lives have been changed since? Does it mean that telling the story isn’t important? Or?
7. Talk about recurring giving (online giving set up so it happens regularly).

What does your giving experience look like?

If you wish more information on this or would like to discuss stewardship and its relationship with discipleship, please feel free to contact me at (315) 427-3668 or sranousacctg@twcny.rr.com. I’d be happy to help.

Adirondack District Offering Lay Servant Courses

Adirondack Lay Servant Ministries has added some courses to the 2023 schedule.

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

All registrations and course fees MUST be in by the date due.

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.

Advanced Course: Called to Preach

Registration opens September 26. Last day to register: Oct. 19

Tuesdays: November 7, 14, 28, Dec. 5 & 12: 6-9pm

ZOOM: Fee $15

Facilitator: Jacqueline Kim, CLM

Northern Flow Charge Conference Schedule

Wesley Heritage Tour 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. Tour dates are July 13-22, 2024. Please use the following link to register: https://portal.myfaithjourneys.com/ and use group code 24002.

Contact Rev. Brett Johnson, pastor.brett.johnson@gmail.com, with any questions.

Mohawk Charge Conference Schedule

The District Office will be closed in observance of the

following holidays:



• Thanksgiving Thursday, November 23rd
• Day after Thanksgiving Friday, November 24th
• Christmas Day Monday, December 25th
• Christmas Eve (Observed) Tuesday, December 26th

Northern Flow District

District Superintendent

Rev. Michael Weeden

mikeweeden@unyumc.org

Administrative Assistant

Tammy McAdam

tammymcadam@unyumc.org

District Lay Leader

Brenda Shelmidine

shelmidinebrenda@gmail.com

Northern Flow/Mohawk District

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

 http://www.unyumc.org/resources/media-resource-center

Our mission is to “make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."