news stories Tagged “Connectional Ministries”
Partnering with Friends in Uganda
August 8, 2018 / By Pastor Bob Schooley, Centerville UMC / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
You know what it’s like to see a friend you haven’t seen in a year, don’t you? It’s a moment of great joy, when time stands still. Stepping out of the airport in Entebbe – 7,000 miles away -- there stood our friend Musumba (Pastor) Fred Muyimbwa, welcoming us, as he always does. This was our 16th journey to Uganda since 2006. Friends, our …more
The Susquehanna Conference visits for mission work on the Onondaga Nation Reservation
July 31, 2018 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Connection. This is what enables United Methodists to make a difference in the global community. Just as the Upper New York Conference engages in mission work all over the world so all the Conferences. Last week, members of a mission team from the Susquehanna Conference repaired houses on the Onondaga Nation Reservation, just South of Syracuse. In fact, the Susquehanna Conference has been committed to mission work on the …more
Social Holiness Concerns: Reflections to consider as you enjoy Independence Day
July 2, 2018 / By Evelyn A. Woodring, Pastor, South Park UMC, Buffalo, Member CCORR and Conference Social Holiness Committee
Recently, we have experienced the words of Scripture (Romans 13) being used to justify the separation of children from their parents at our borders, and subsequent deportation of immigrants seeking asylum. Calls for denial of due process are in direct conflict with our laws. Historically, Methodists have had extraordinary concern for the wellbeing of children. Our Book of Resolutions references several social ills related to current events. The members of the …more
Whitney Point UMC’s Sew ’n Sews ministry makes a difference in the lives of 10,000 girls
May 23, 2018 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Picture 10,000 vibrant dresses in bright blues with checkered trim, or fuchsia a with floral trim, purple with paisley trim, or entirely floral in bright pinks, reds, turquoise, or yellow—gorgeous dresses. These dresses are for little girls in impoverished communities all over the world—dresses that were once sheets and pillow cases, or quilting patterns found when cleaning out attics of loved ones who have either passed away …more
UNY Communication Department staffing changes
October 26, 2017 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Over the next few months, the Upper New York Conference Communications Ministry Area will be undergoing some staffing changes. Karen Campolieto, Administrative Assistant for Communications, New Faith Communities, and Vital Congregations, has been promoted to Media Resource Coordinator and Archives Assistant. In this role, she is taking on the tasks that Resource Center Director Diane Miner (who is retiring next month) fulfilled and she will also be helping to …more
CONAM: What it is and how Ministry Shares support it
December 2, 2016 / By Blenda Smith
By Blenda Smith CONAM, the Committee on Native American Ministries, is part of the Upper New York Conference and receives Ministry Shares to function effectively. Native peoples need community in order to connect, build relationships, work together, and move forward. Because of the regular connections through our CONAM meetings, we are able to worship together, hearing Christian biblical teachings from a Native perspective. What a gift to …more
The four Sundays of Advent
November 16, 2016 / By UNY Communications
The season of Advent is celebrated over four Sundays in The United Methodist Church – this year, those Sundays are Nov. 27 and Dec. 4, 11, and 18. The season begins four Sundays before Christmas, ending at sundown on Christmas Eve. The end of Advent marks the beginning of the liturgical or church year for Christians. During Advent, United Methodists prepare for and anticipate the coming of Christ. “We remember the longing of …more
My reflections on the Leadership Institute 2016
November 15, 2016 / By Pastor Alicia Wood
Our Upper New York Annual Conference session three-day meeting in spring 2016 included a three-part learning time with Adam Hamilton, the lead church planter of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kan. He started this church 26 years ago, and now it has four sites/campuses. The church is so generous that it hosts a Leadership Institute annually, sharing what the congregation has learned as they planted and grown …more
The Connection: What Ministry Shares mean for the local churches
November 14, 2016 / By Rev. Bill Gottschalk-Fielding
When I started serving as the UNY Conference’s Director of Connectional Ministries, it wasn’t long before I was asked, “so what do we get from the Conference?” This question, asked by both clergy and laity, usually came up in a discussion about shared ministry payments and conference budgets. Heard in the wrong way, it could sound like a consumer demanding a vendor …more
Ministry with the Marginalized Training offered throughout UNY Conference
October 31, 2016 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
The Social Holiness Team highly recommends the Ministry with the Marginalized Training to everyone. The Rev. Dana Horrell has developed this program and the accompanying videos with support from a Peace with Justice grant. Heather Smith, the Peace with Justice Coordinator says, “Along the way, we have reviewed materials and are thrilled with the professional results. This course is designed around principles of doing justice and being God's …more