news stories
Southern Sudan Health Project: Saving lives with health education
August 2, 2017 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Editor’s Note: This is a story of the Southern Sudan Health Project, a project that resulted from collaboration between United Methodist Churches in Central New York and the Lost Boys (Read about one of them here). The Lost Boys are a group of refugees from Southern Sudan, many who were granted help to resettle in the United States between 2000 and 2001. When this project started in 2005, Southern Sudan was …more
How God provided for Lost Boy Majer Kuon
August 2, 2017 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Today’s headlines about South Sudan provide a glimpse of the struggles that the Southern Sudanese people face today. Civil war casualties. Famine. Attacks on aid workers. South Sudan (which was a part of Sudan until 2011) has a long history of struggle. Colonized by the British in the 1940s, Sudan became independent in 1956. However, conflict immediately grew between the Northern part of Sudan (and the Sudanese government) and the …more
Faith is not enough
July 26, 2017 / By Sherie Heins, Trinity Federated Church
Growing up in rural New York State, I was part of what I always thought of as a typical family in a typical home environment. We ate dinner around the table each night; we said our bedtime prayers; we attended church and Sunday school and joined the church when we were of age, growing into a faith-based life. It wasn’t until years later that I realized how many …more
My visit to the Holy Land Trip Article 1 of 3
July 26, 2017 / By Theresa Eggleston
My husband and I were driving in the car one day and we decided to name our bucket list items. “You know one place I really want to go, but I don’t think it would ever happen?” “Where?” My husband replied. I paused mentally preparing myself to not gain any hope, “I really want to go to the Holy Land.” I paused …more
Faith Journey UMC learns about hardship in Vietnam
July 26, 2017 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Editor’s Note: The names of the two Vietnamese women who spoke at Faith Journey United Methodist Church have been changed and their photos have been blurred to protect their identity. On July 16, Faith Journey United Methodist Church in Clay, NY welcomed two special guest speakers. Grace, a 35-year old Vietnamese woman and Faith, a 17-year old Vietnamese girl have been pouring forth supreme love and dedication toward improving …more
Haiti’s Promised Land: Building new lives
July 19, 2017 / By Melinda Miles, Coordinator, Haiti Takes Root
In March 2010, Canaan was a mix of floodplain and foothills, a desert scorching in the midday sun. It was a far cry from the forests of hardwood trees that stood there a hundred years ago, although a breathtaking view of the Bay of Port-au-Prince and seeing the hazy capital itself across the sparkling water gave the place a sense of hope. The first residents arrived just two short months after …more
How the Commission on a Way Forward provides hope for the future of The UMC
July 19, 2017 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
The Commission on a Way Forward was formed by the Council of Bishops after a decision was made at General Conference 2016 to develop a committee to address the issue of division around the topic of sexuality in The United Methodist Church. On June 2, at the 2017 Annual Conference session, Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb showed a video featuring a number of the diverse members on the Commission …more
From the Desk of Bishop Mark J. Webb: Trusting that God is enough
July 18, 2017 / By Bishop Mark J. Webb
This issue of the Advocate reflects the Upper New York quadrennial theme, “Together in Prayer:Trusting that God is Enough.” In June, during Opening Worship at the eight session of the Upper New York Annual Conference, I spoke about the deep meaning and importance of this theme for the future of the United Methodist Church. Here is some of what I shared… “I want to be …more
Feeling Gods Peace
July 18, 2017 / By Frederica Webb, Wellesley Island UMC and Alexandria Bay UMC
Over four years ago, my husband was diagnosed with colon cancer. When he didn't come out of the colonoscopy area, I just had that feeling, you know, the one in the pit of your stomach. The nurse came and got me and when I went into the room where my husband and doctor were, I felt a deep sense of peace. I just knew whatever it was, it would …more
Ramping it up in Cortland
July 17, 2017 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Imagine not having access to your own home. Seventy-four year old Charlie Yager faced this situation in June of 2016. He struggled with lung problems for several years and was hospitalized for two weeks with severe breathing problems. Charlie came home on hospice, in a wheelchair, yet no way to enter his home. Within 24 hours, Cortland First United Methodist Church’s Ramp it Up ministry came to Charlie’s …more