News Stories from November 2019
NYS wage and salary increases
November 14, 2019 / By Tracy Rickett, UNY Human Resources Generalist / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
State and federal laws establish minimum wages for non-exempt employees and minimum salary levels for some exempt employees. Non-exempt employees must receive at least the higher of the state or federal hourly minimum wage for hours worked. Exempt employees must receive at least the higher of the state or federal salary levels. New York State Minimum Wage Increase for Non-Exempt Employees Effective December 31, 2019, New York State minimum wage …more
Faith Journey UMC’s Mission Central Campus opens
November 13, 2019 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
In April 2016, Mike Jordan, the chairperson of Crossroad District’s Faith Journey UMC’ s trustees, convinced members of his church that it was possible to transform a dilapidated, closed-down veterinary building into a beautiful space to be the new home for their Cradle & Beyond thrift shop that had been part of St. Andrew’s UMC until the church closed. And that this could also be a …more
How generous is your church?
November 12, 2019 / By UNY Communications
Editor's Note: In the 2019 Issue II of the Advocate, we asked members of the UNY conference to tell us about how their church is generous. Below are some of the responses we received. “We have just received permission from the village board to start a ‘Worship Without Walls’ in our downtown. We are excited and will move forward from here. We held an annual Thanksgiving …more
No way to treat a child
November 12, 2019 / By Rev. Merle Showers, UNY Task Force on Peace with Justice in Palestine/Israel
Editor’s Note: Approximately 2.9 million Palestinians live in the occupied West Bank, of which 45 percent are children under the age of 18. Palestinian children in the West Bank, like adults, face arrest, prosecution, and imprisonment under an Israeli detention system that denies them basic rights. Below is an example of the mistreatment these children face with action you can take on Nov. 20 to help prevent such treatment. Learn more …more
Change in insurance carrier beginning Jan. 1, 2020
November 12, 2019 / By Jack Keating and Richard Barling
Editor's Note: In early Nov. 2019, the UNY Board of Trustees sent the following letter to all churches in the UNY Conference to inform them of the plan to change the Conference's insurance carrier from Church Mutual to Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company. To: All Churches in the Upper New York Annual Conference, Each year, your Annual Conference Board of Trustees reviews our Conference-wide insurance program. The Board looks …more
From the Desk of Bishop Webb: A letter upon returning from the Council of Bishops
November 8, 2019 / By Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb
Editor's Note: After returning from the Council of Bishops meeting in Lake Junaluska, Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb shared the following letter with the Upper New York Conference on Friday Nov. 8. Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ! I continue to give thanks to God for each of you and for the many ways you are offering the good …more
Welcome Shari Mudge as UNY Part-Time Weekend/Evening Welcoming Specialist
November 7, 2019 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
The UNY Conference United Methodist Center prioritizes hospitality to all visitors who use the facility. Our Full-Time Welcoming and Support Specialist, Chris Lupini, provides top-notch hospitality to all visitors; however, his hours are weekdays and we welcome UNY Conference members to use the facility during weekends and evenings as well. We are pleased to announce that we have hired Shari Mudge to fill the Part Time Weekend/Evening Welcome Specialist …more
How mission work led me to become a disciple
November 4, 2019 / By Greg Forrester, Layperson, Cortland: First UMC
Coming from law enforcement as a New York State Trooper and working on child abuse investigations with the Child Protective Service staff, I was wondering where God was and what He was controlling. God didn’t seem all-powerful to me. I was raised in the Catholic church and married a preacher’s daughter whose grandfather, father, and eventually, brother, were all United Methodist pastors. It led to some …more
Intentional Discipleship Systems: Creating pathways to make disciples of Jesus Christ
November 1, 2019 / By Rev. Dr. Aaron Bouwens, UNY Director of Vital Congregations
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2019 Issue 2 of the Advocate, which focused on Discipleship Systems. Click here to read the entire issue. As Bishop Webb mentioned in the introduction to this issue, the mission of the United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Upon sharing this mission statement, a few questions arise, and usually …more