News Stories from June 2018
Dress a Girl Around the World
June 29, 2018 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Last month, the Whitney Point United Methodist Church hosted a celebration of the 10,000 dresses their Sew ’n Sews ministry group sewed for Dress a Girl Around the World. Click here to read more about how the Holy Spirit, donations, and the sewers from Whitney Point UMC who met once a week contributed to the success of their ministry. This ministry was spurred because of the Dress a Girl Around …more
Moving outside my comfort zone through Leadership Academy
June 25, 2018 / By Pastor Warren VanDewark, Edwards Chapel UMC and Watts Flats UMC
Editor's Note: This article was originally publisged in the Spring 2018 issue of the Advocate, which focused on spiritually planning our way forward to create leaders and vital congregations in Upper New York. Leadership Academy is just what you would expect it to be; it’s about leadership, but that term “leadership” for the pastor could mean many things. Leadership Academy challenged my ideas of what the …more
Rome area United Methodists host anti-racism vigil
June 20, 2018 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Early last week, recruitment letters from the Ku Klux Klan were discovered along driveways in the town of Lee, which is in the Rome area in the Upper New York Conference’s Mohawk District. Rome-area United Methodists were not going to let this act of hate go unnoticed. When the news came out about the KKK letters on June, 13, Pastor Brian Lothridge, of the Rome First United Methodist Church; …more
How God equips the called through Leadership Academy
June 18, 2018 / By Rev. Caroline Simmons / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
“You are enough.” These powerful words were spoken to each of us as we were anointed and commissioned to return to our congregations at the end of the “Change the World Conference” at Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church in March 2017. An important part of participating in the Upper NY Leadership Academy, is the incredible road trip we took to one of our United Methodist mega churches in …more
Upper New York Camp & Retreat Ministries Transforming Lives: The 2017 Impact Report
June 18, 2018 / By UNY CRM Ministries
“Before this I never really followed God and Jesus. The camp has created a connection between me and God. I will always remember that God is real, God loves me, and God wants a relationship with me. I really felt a connection to Christ and I want to remain connected, I know that if I abide in God, God will abide in me.” This is what an Upper …more
Commission on a Way Forward report at UNY Annual Conference 2018
June 13, 2018 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
The Commission on a Way Forward (Commission) was formed by the Council of Bishops (Council) after a decision was made at General Conference 2016 to develop a committee to address the issue of division around the topic of human sexuality in The United Methodist Church. The charge given to the Commission was to “design a way for being a Church that maximizes the presence of a United Methodist witness in …more
Virgin Pulse and RedBrick Health join forces to create world’s largest digital wellbeing and engagement company
June 12, 2018 / By UNY Communications
The Virgin Pulse and RedBrick Health merger will create the first and only one-stop-shop for employee health, wellbeing, and benefits engagement; the combined company will have more than 3,200 customers across 190 countries Providence-based Virgin Pulse and Minneapolis-based RedBrick Health announced last month that the industry pioneers will merge, creating the world’s largest, most comprehensive digital health and engagement company. This powerful combination will deliver the industry’s only …more
Upper New York Annual Conference boldly lives our call
June 11, 2018 / By Stephen J. Hustedt / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Editor’s Note: The following is a report that was sent to the General Conference, summarizing the Upper New York 2018 Annual Conference. Members of the Upper New York Annual Conference gathered for the ninth session May 30 – June 2 at the SRC Arena in Syracuse, NY. Upper New York Area Resident Bishop, Mark J. Webb officiated and led the Conference around the theme Boldly Living Our Call. “If we …more
Fulfill your mission needs
June 11, 2018 / By Mike Block / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
The Upper New York Mission Central HUB is a great place to support your missional needs. Are you interested in assembling UMCOR kits? Are you handy and want to roll up your sleeves and help build a wheelchair ramp? Or is there another project that you would like to assemble, build, or create? Contact Director of Missional Engagement, Mike Block, to arrange a time and date to accomplish mission projects. …more
Bishop’s Taskforce on Eliminating Racism report shared at AC2018
June 11, 2018 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
The Bishop’s Taskforce on Eliminating Racism shared their report at the Annual Conference during the Thursday May 31 afternoon plenary. Blenda Smith began the report by showing a video that illuminates some of the challenges of institutional racism. For example, studies show that drivers of color are twice as likely to get pulled over. Black people are four times more likely to get arrested than white people. Legislators are …more