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    United Methodists of Upper New YorkLiving the Gospel. Being God's Love.


    news article

    Liverpool, Elmira host leaders for latest Road T.R.I.P.

    March 10, 2015 / By Kathleen Rubino / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

    Saturday, March 7 and Sunday, March 8 marked the third round – fifth and sixth sessions – of the Upper New York Conference’s Road T.R.I.P. The latest stops were at the Liverpool First United Methodist Church and the New Beginnings UMC in Elmira respectively, and local leaders from the area showed up eager to learn.

    “I’ve been involved with trying to reach out to people through the years,” said Cliff Reese, a member of Christ Community UMC in Syracuse. “I’m interested in New Faith Communities and I want to keep up with things. I want to find out ideas on what’s happening in that area.”

    The Rev. Bill Gottschalk-Fielding, Conference’s Director of Connectional Ministries, led opening worship, emphasizing the point of the day: “To be better equipped leaders.”

    “The vision for these Road T.R.I.P.s is to bring the Conference staff into your neighborhood,” Rev. Gottschalk-Fielding said. “We are your employees. We work for you.”

    Just as it had been at the other stops, the Gospel message for the opening worship came from Luke 10:17-24, which emphasizes that our victories come through Jesus Christ. Rev. Gottschalk-Fielding referenced author Tom Wright in his message, who he said offers “great counsel for understanding the Gospel.”

    “Many people make the mistake of thinking of Jesus as a superhero, which is not the case if you read the Gospel,” Rev. Gottschalk-Fielding said. “In the thick of this cosmic struggle: good vs. evil … Jesus is right smack in the middle of it. You know Jesus had struggles. It’s not the story of an invincible superhero. This struggle, this pain, this vulnerability wasn’t an accident; it was God’s design.”

    Rev. Gottschalk-Fielding pointed out that Jesus’s first act of ministry was to call the disciples. “So much of the redeeming work of God happens through us,” he said. “Today is about joy, and getting something from today and bringing it back to your ministry.”

    At the end of worship, people dispersed to the workshops that piqued their interest during registration. The five-hour program was broken into two sessions, with a break for lunch or a light dinner in between. Attendees chose from nine workshops presented by the Conference staff. The topics varied from addressing technology issues within a church to utilizing Facebook, planting New Faith Communities, and making church more like camp.

    “How do we bring camp to church?” asked Mike Huber, Conference Director of Camp & Retreat Ministries. “Children aren’t the Church of tomorrow; they are the Church of right now.”

    Huber’s workshop focused on making church a camp-like experience, making it fun so not only children, but adults will want to go to and have fun at church. He said this can be accomplished, in part, through the use of visual aids, like the faux campfire he brought to his workshop that sparked conversation and created a cozy atmosphere.

    Kate Smith, Administrative Assistant at the Liverpool First UMC, attended “How to do Facebook Well,” presented by Conference Director of Communications Stephen J. Hustedt. She said she appreciated having concrete ideas for improving her church’s social media presence.

    “It’s great to be able to utilize the resources of the Conference staff,” she said. “I appreciate knowing there are people to connect with that specialize in different areas, such as technology.”

    Click here to see a gallery of photos of the event on Facebook.

    TAGGED / Connectional Ministries


    With more than 100,000 members, United Methodists of Upper New York comprises of more than 675 local churches and New Faith Communities in 12 districts, covering 48,000 square miles in 49 of the 62 counties in New York state. Our vision is to “live the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to be God’s love with our neighbors in all places."