events

Workshops at AC2015

All attending Annual Conference are invited to attend workshops over lunch beginning at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, May 29, 2015. The workshops are great opportunities to learn something new and to interact with others from across all of UNY. You will be scheduled for the workshop based upon space availablity. 

Here are the options and descriptions of the workshops offered this year:

"Walking the Labyrinth” - Rev. Jan Marsi: Labyrinths are an ancient method for focusing and drawing closer to God.  The workshop will include a brief history and descriptions of labyrinths, guidelines for walking labyrinths, and of course, actually walking the new labyrinth available to borrow from our Conference Resource Center.  This workshop will be a true spiritual oasis in the midst of our Annual Conference Session.

“Why We’re Here: A Dialogue of Faith Journeys with Young Adults” - Young Adults of UNY: The young adults of Upper New York invite you to an intergenerational dialogue of our shared experiences – why we, as young adults, are disciples of Jesus Christ within The United Methodist Church in the 21st Century. Converse with us as we share our journeys about why we’re here.

"Project Management for Fruitful Ministry" - Rev. Vincent Howell: For church projects,  there are a number of questions that come to mind as we work to make sure we achieve the desired outcome that God has inspired: What objective has the Lord put on our heart? Who are the people we should involve (the team) to ensure success? What is our timeline? Do we have congregational support and funding sources? How do we make sure we achieve the objective? All these questions relate to "how will the project be managed?" Scripture supports the contention that using the concept called "project management" is our best option. As such, this workshop will examine the theological foundation for church project management and teach the fundamentals of project management, along with the importance of the concept in doing the Lord's work.

"Peacemaking in Israel/Palestine" - Linda Bergh and Karen Peterson: What is the Palestinian situation? What can local churches do to work for peace with justice? - Sponsored by the UNY Task Force on Peace w/ Justice in Palestine/ Israel

“Welcoming” - United Methodist Communications: The Welcoming training is designed to expand your own understanding and lifestyle of welcoming: “extending the radical hospitality of Christ to everyone, all the time, both inside and beyond the walls of your church.” You also will find additional resources to help you lead others in establishing and maintaining a dynamic welcoming ministry that transforms your congregation and engages your community.  Participants will learn what it means to be welcoming and hospitable.  They will also be given tools to assess personal and congregational welcoming levels and learn how to reach out to the community.   

"Sharing Your Hope: Visitation Ministry for the local church" – Rebecca Naber: Are you interested in building a thriving and affordable visitation team in your church?  In meeting the challenges of today’s rapidly changing family and healthcare structures, visitation ministry equips the laity for bringing the hope of Christ to the sick and homebound.  We will cover such topics as:  the calling of visitation team members, the hands-on/practical training program, supporting roles/responsibilities, visitation resources, and supervision and renewal.  Please join us and see how Sharing Your Hope: Visitation Ministry can empower the laity of your church to bring the good news to those who can no longer attend worship services and build new faith communities in senior residential facilities.