news stories
UNY churches celebrate ‘Back-to-School’ season
September 18, 2015 / By UNY Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
The Upper New York Conference placed a call for local churches to submit photos and a brief write-up about their “Back-to-School” or Sunday school kick-off events. Below are photos of submitted events as well as brief stories about how UNY churches celebrated the “Back-to-School” season. Note: If you haven’t submitted your church’s photo(s) and write-ups, you can still do so by …more
DS Installation Services for Anderson, Roy held in October
September 15, 2015 / By UNY Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Installation Services for Upper New York’s two newest district superintendents will be held in October. An installation service is a time for members of a district to celebrate the new appointment of one who has been called to a special ministry of supervision and leadership. Members of the Crossroads District will celebrate the appointment of the Rev. Nola Anderson on Oct. 11 at the Cicero United Methodist Church. The …more
Prayer partners: Another life-saving tool in the Africa 360 toolkit
September 15, 2015 / By Kathleen Rubino / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
For Every Child, Save a Child is a pilot program specifically geared toward Imagine No Malaria, one half of Africa 360 – the Upper New York Conference’s holistic plan for health and education initiatives in Africa that benefits Imagine No Malaria and Africa University. The program is the result of a partnership between Africa 360 and the Liverpool First United Methodist Church, which will be the first church in the …more
Welcoming the stranger: Difficult and necessary
September 14, 2015 / By UNY Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Editor’s note: This open letter by Thomas Kemper to The United Methodist Church was first published late last week by Global Ministries on its website. The arrival in Europe of massive numbers of Middle Eastern refugees is causing crises for humanitarian organizations and churches as well as for governments. At such a time, scripture draws us to Matthew 25:35b: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me, …more
Living Hope UMC: The beginning of new ministry
September 14, 2015 / By UNY Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Aug. 29 marked the inaugural “Summer Fest” and the dedication of a new congregation and service at the Living Hope United Methodist Church in Waterford. The event introduced the new church, born from the merging of the historical Clifton Park and Waterford United Methodist churches. Summer Fest was a success as scores of people arrived for tours, food, games, and worship. The video featured above shares more of Living …more
Episcopal Office announces Bishop’s 2015-2016 District Days schedule
September 14, 2015 / By UNY Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb will be visiting each of the districts in the Upper New York Conference during his 2015-2016 District Days tour. The theme of the tour will be “Increasing Our Capacity: A Time of Conversation and Encouragement.” At each location, Bishop Webb will spend the morning and lunch together with clergy. An evening session will be open to both laity and …more
Show your A360 support in unique ways
September 1, 2015 / By UNY Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
The Africa 360 Steering Team has been getting creative; they are spreading the word in new ways across the Upper New York Conference and having fun with fundraising. One example is a gold-colored, lightweight hooded sweatshirt that loudly proclaims how UNY is “changing lives and loving our neighbors through Africa 360.” For a donation of $40 or more, an online portal will outfit you with a gold, lightweight hooded sweatshirt (see …more
Seneca Street UMC: A haven in Buffalo
September 1, 2015 / By Kathleen Rubino / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Though jobs left the area during the Rust Belt Era – and with it many people – one part of Buffalo has a neighbor that will always be there: the Seneca Street United Methodist Church. As the congregation dwindled from several hundred to a dozen, the Rev. Brian Rotach, pastor at the Seneca Street UMC, said the congregation felt called to connect to the area’s children. The church …more
Successful meal: School supplies, letters of encouragement headed to Middle East
September 1, 2015 / By UNY Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Nearly 3,900 backpack kits are on the way to Israel and Gaza, thanks in part to the generosity of Upper New York’s attendees at the 2015 Palestinian Dinner on May 29. According to UNICEF, children in Gaza were exposed to unprecedented levels of violence and destruction in summer 2014. In response, one facet of this year’s Palestinian Dinner gave attendees a tangible opportunity to make a difference in the life …more
NFC update: Where we are on the journey to realizing our vision
August 25, 2015 / By the Rev. Dave Masland / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Our mission as United Methodists is always to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. And, in Upper New York, we believe one of the most effective ways to do that is to plant new faith communities! When the Upper New York Conference formed a few years ago, we committed ourselves to creating a planting culture where laity and clergy across the Conference would feel free …more