News Stories from March 2018
Getting Ready for Annual Conference 2018: Clergy Session and Laity Session
March 20, 2018 / By Shannon Hodson
Clergy Session and Laity Session for the 2018 Annual Conference will be held from 7-9 p.m. on Wednesday May 30 at the SRC Arena at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse. Clergy must check in at the registration table before heading to their session. The Clergy Session is a time for the clergy to come together for brief worship, and to fulfill the Book of Discipline responsibilities. The primary purpose of …more
Reflection of my Mission of Peace trip to Cuba
March 19, 2018 / By Madeline Klein, Baker Memorial UMC
I didn’t quite know what to expect from the Mission of Peace to Cuba. A few people I know had traveled to Cuba not long ago and from the descriptions they gave me, I envisioned dirty streets, people dancing, old cars, and colorful houses. While most of these expectations proved correct, there is so much more to Cuba than what they saw as tourists. They saw the outside …more
Imagine No Racism initiative launches April 21, 2018
March 19, 2018 / By Upper New York Communications Team
Imagine No Racism (INR) is a ministry of the Upper New York Conference, in response to the Call to Action Resolution of the Northeastern Jurisdiction in July of 2016, to engage in the work of eliminating racism. INR seeks to raise consciousness and increase conversation and ministry at the local church level through a multi-year, small group approach. The goal of INR is to increase conversations on and awareness of racism …more
Blaney sisters celebrate 100th birthdays
March 14, 2018 / By Pastor Ken Blume, Apulia UMC
Three sisters, Ruth Smith, 102 years; Marion Rakov, 101 years, and Louise Henderson who turned 100 today, March 14, 2018, will be celebrating their centennial birthdays together with an upcoming family gathering and dinner. They are the daughters of the late John and Pearle Squire Blaney of Apulia Station, NY. They account for their longevity to being raised in the country and working on the family dairy farm, plus never smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol. …more
My faith transformation during my Mission of Peace trip to Cuba
March 12, 2018 / By Gavin Hill, Eden United Methodist Church
Editor’s Note: The Mission of Peace (MOP) is a yearly journey of discovery and shalom to nations in our global community sponsored by the Northeastern Jurisdictional Council on Youth Ministries of The United Methodist Church. The most recent MOP trip was to Cuba, Dec. 28, 2017-Jan. 12, 2018. Fourteen youth went on the trip, of which four were from Upper New York. The day before we left for Cuba, I felt …more
Social Holiness Concerns: Promoting Human Rights for all, especially children
March 6, 2018 / By Karen Peterson, Task Force of Peace with Justice in Palestine/Israel
Israel is the only country in the world that systematically prosecutes children in military courts, with approximately 500 to 700 children entering Israeli military detention system in a year. UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) has repeatedly called upon Israel to end night arrests and ill-treatment and torture of Palestinian children in military detention. On November 14, 2017, legislation was introduced in the US Congress entitled Promoting Human Rights by Ending …more
Coaching is an interactive, dynamic, team approach toward achieving a person’s goal
March 6, 2018 / By Rev. Chrys Beck and Rev. Ray Stees, approved UNY coaches
Editor’s Note: Many Upper New York Conference leaders find benefits in coaching sessions. Below, Rev. Chrys Beck and Rev. Ray Stees describe the coaching process. Through a process that includes deep listening and powerful questions, a coach journeys alongside the client providing a supportive atmosphere where new possibilities are discovered or created, expanded, and explored. The coach engages the beauty and grace of the client’s God-given …more
Bishop Proctor serving as Annual Conference 2018 ordination speaker
March 6, 2018 / By Kathleen Christiansen
Bishop Dennis Proctor of the North Eastern Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Zion Church will serve as the ordination speaker for the 2018 Upper New York Annual Conference session (UNYAC). “I am honored and humbled to have the opportunity to speak to young ordinands,” Bishop Proctor said. “As a Methodist Bishop, I feel that the setting aside of young women and men in ministry is …more
How Mission Partner Churches can help International Reconciliation Ministries
March 5, 2018 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Editor’s Note: The Upper New York Conference is launching a new program called the Mission Congregation Process whereby churches can connect with a church with a large immigrant population to pray for them and help support them. Click here to read more about this new process. Below, learn about International Reconciliation Ministries, the New Faith Community chosen to be a pilot for this program. Pastor John Bizimana leads …more
Getting Ready for Annual Conference 2018: Meals
March 5, 2018 / By Vicki Swanson
NEW for this year is a Welcome to Annual Conference Buffet which will greet members upon arrival Thursday morning at Onondaga Community College (OCC)! This will be a continental breakfast which will run from 7- 9 a.m. (THURSDAY ONLY). All meals, except special banquets, will be buffet style. Name tags will need to be visible when going through any of the buffet lines. Click here to see the menus for …more