News Stories from May 2016
General Conference 2016 officially begins
May 11, 2016 / By United Methodist News Service (UMNS)
With a drum welcome from indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest, United Methodists gathered here for the 2016 General Conference, the top legislative body of The United Methodist Church, joined in a cacophony of “alleluias” in many languages during opening worship. Meeting May 10-20 at the Oregon Convention Center, 864 delegates will consider 1,000 petitions that will determine how the 12.3-million-member denomination orders its ministry, structures its agencies and addresses social …more
GC2016 briefs
May 5, 2016 / By UNY Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Young People at General Conference 2016: Throughout the decision-making process at General Conference, there will be a lot of rhetoric about what young people say, think, want, do, wish, etc. These young people don't speak with one voice; young people are diverse in thought and belief, and so are these young people delegates. Delegates from Zambia, Florida, North Georgia, Great Plains, Virginia, Texas, Rocky Mountain, California-Pacific, Great Britain, Illinois Great …more
Important General Conference 2016 links
May 5, 2016 / By UNY Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
There are plenty of ways to stay connected to the 2016 General Conference Session and the Upper New York Conference's General Conference delegates. Below are some important links to help you stay connected. For more information about General Conference, click here. To view a live stream of General Conference, click here. To read blog entries written by UNY delegates, click here. Follow Upper New York at GC on Instagram by …more
From the Advocate: Why I chose to volunteer at the Skye Farm Camp & Retreat Center
May 4, 2016 / By BJ Stewart
For the first 15 years of our marriage, I heard countless stories about the Skye Farm Camp & Retreat Center; my husband attended throughout his childhood and loved it. Then he had the opportunity to volunteer; he started out as a counselor and then transitioned to directing audio-visual – first photography and then branching to more AV, including computer use. Time marched on, until an Annual Conference session one year when …more
From the Advocate: Why I chose to donate to the Skye Farm Camp & Retreat Center
May 4, 2016 / By Lauri Nair
I loved the Skye Farm Camp & Retreat Center from the moment I first set foot on the property in 1974. I grew up in a family where we spent lots of time in the woods on weekends and vacations in rustic cabins in Canada. I love the outdoors, especially mountains and lakes. I enjoy swimming, fishing, and boating. I feel especially close to God in that environment. As a …more
From the Advocate: Why I chose to donate to the Casowasco Camp & Retreat Center
May 4, 2016 / By Peg Shields
In the mid-1950s, fellow Carnegie Mellon University student Bob Shields and I joined other Methodists from the Northeastern Jurisdiction for a conference in a remote area of Central New York. We had never heard of “Casowasco on Owasco Lake.” During that first week, I had a “mountaintop experience ... a recommitment of my religious faith.” Bob and I were married after graduation. We began our ongoing …more
From the Advocate: Why camp? The question should be: Why not camp?
May 4, 2016 / By Mike Huber
Over my 47 years of life I have seen numerous examples of lives transformed by experiences at a camp. I was a family camper at Aldersgate and Casowasco. I was a summer staff member at two Mennonite camps while in college; and as a professional camp and retreat staff member, I have listened to, prayed with and walked with many who, through the transformative power of Christ have been renewed and …more
From the Advocate: Summer camp: A rare opportunity for underprivileged youth
May 4, 2016 / By Anita Leitgeb
It continues to be a privilege to partner with the Upper New York Conference of The United Methodist Church Camp & Retreat Ministries (CRM) to provide summer camp opportunities for children served by the Rescue Mission in Syracuse, Auburn, Binghamton, and Ithaca. Summer camp provides a much-needed respite from the many challenges these children face daily. It’s an opportunity for them to be a kid for a …more
From the Advocate: Aldersgate Camp & Retreat Center a family affair for the Mantles
May 4, 2016 / By Jennie Mantle
John and I grew up in The United Methodist Church, so it seems like camp has always existed. His family – including his grandfather, the Rev. Miles Hutchinson – encouraged attendance, so John was at camp every year from the time he was eligible at 10 years old until he was 17, the summer between his junior and senior years of high school. John looks back at it now as “a …more
From the Advocate: God uses camp staff and campers to teach life lessons
May 4, 2016 / By the Rev. Nancy Adams
My first experience at the Sky Lake Camp & Retreat Center was as a camper when I was 12 years old. It was the first time I had ever been away from my family and was not at least with a grandparent. I went with a friend, although he was in a different cabin/family group. I had a great time! Our cabin challenged another cabin to a canoe race, and …more