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'So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.'
Genesis 1:21
New International Version
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Adirondack District
Newsletter
January 20, 2018
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Is your newsletter "cutting off" at the margin?
Try clicking on the link at the top of this newsletter that says,
"Having trouble viewing this email?"
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Miss something? Not all information is repeated each week
To view Local Church Events sent on Jan. 17,
To view the District Newsletter sent on Jan. 13,
Click here
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Please hold these people in prayer
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Rev. Parker
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The family of
the Rev. Dr. Brolin Parker. Rev. Parker, who served at the Saratoga Springs UMC and as Albany District Superintendent, died on Thursday, Jan. 11 at the age of 68. A Service celebrating his Life was held in Binghamton earlier today. To view the obituary,
Click here
The Rev. Scott Tyler. Scott continues to struggle with fatigue and lack of energy. He is hopeful that treatment for recently-diagnosed sleep apnea will improve his well-being. Scott serves the First UMC in Ticonderoga.
The family of
the Rev. Dr. Walter Taylor. Rev. Taylor, 93, died Thursday, Jan. 4 in
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Rev.Taylor
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Saratoga Springs.
He served at the First United Methodist Church - Voorheesville, the Albany United Methodist Society, as well as several other appointments outside the local church. A memorial service is scheduled for 10 AM Saturday, Feb. 10 at the Saratoga Springs UMC, 175 Fifth Ave. (12866). To read the full obituary, Click here
Please send us your joys and concerns:
adirondackdistrict@unyumc.org
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District Superintendent Bill Mudge appointed to Baldwinsville UMC
Our District Superintendent, Rev. Bill Mudge, sent a letter to the District on Sunday, Jan. 14 announcing that he will be appointed to the Baldwinsville UMC effective July 1, 2018. Bill thanks all of you for your prayers and kind responses. To read his letter,
Click here
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Lay Servant/Speaker Courses to be offered in Plattsburgh
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are all called to a life of servanthood. For many laypersons, Lay Servant Ministries of The United Methodist Church is a part of their faith journey as they seek a closer relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The courses offered in this program can help an individual on their personal faith journey or help prepare them as servants of leadership through the ministries of leading, caring, and communicating.
The Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course is a foundational course designed to help one explore their call to service within the United Methodist Church. "Participants are encouraged to discover and employ personal spiritual gifts as God intended and to consider the importance of exercising servant leadership, developing future leaders, remaining rooted in consistent spiritual practices, and being part of a group that holds members accountable in their discipleship." (Course description in 2018 Lay Servants Ministries: Equipping Resources)
Instructors: Rev. Phil Richards and Rev. Edie Poland
An Advanced Course: "Transforming Evangelism." will also be offered. "This course leads participants to learn from John Wesley how to practice relational evangelism. They will discover that evangelism involves not only sharing our faith with others, but also welcoming people into a community where they can grow in faith." (Course description in 2018 Lay Servants Ministries: Equipping Resources)
Instructors: Rev. Peggi Eller and
Pastor Brandilynne Craver
When
: The separate courses will be held in the same time-frame:
5 to 9 PM Friday, April 13 continuing to 9 AM to 4 PM Saturday, April 14.
(Snow dates: April 27 & 28)
Place:
Plattsburgh United Methodist Church, 127 Beekman St., Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Cost:
$25 for book, materials, and dinner Friday evening and lunch Saturday
Registration
Deadline: March 26
Information needed:
Name, address, email address, phone number, course for which you are registering, and special dietary needs
-- Complete form "Local and Certified Request and Recommendation." For a copy of that document, Click here
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Books will be available for pick up at PUMC
by March 15 upon receipt of "Request and Recommendation" form and fee
Each participant is expected to have read the course book prior to beginning class.
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Living With a Grateful Heart
The United Methodist Communications web site has a host of articles on many topics. We're highlighting the article on gratefulness; always a wise area of our lives to cultivate. ... For the full article,
Click here
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Photo by Jose Michael Villena
Inmates can see visitors through the bars of the custodial facility main gate of the Camalig Meycauayan City Jail in Bulacan, Philippines.
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Church in the Philippines fills inmates' needs
The overcrowding puts inmates at risk of acquiring communicable diseases like respiratory infections and boils, the commission said. Members of the New Hill Burning Bush United Methodist Church in the Philippines recently distributed medicines to the inmates. For the complete story from the United Methodist News Service,
Click here
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Photo courtesy of Wikipedia. Jedi illustration by Christopher Fenoglio
Statue of John Wesley is located on the campus of
Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky.
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John Wesley Could Have Been a Jedi!
Christopher Fenoglio offers a unique look at John Wesley's life and how his convictions, hard work, and austere lifestyle would have made him an excellent Jedi.
Of course, the Star Wars stories are complete fiction, set "a long time ago in a galaxy, far, far away," but these films contain motifs that resonate with contemporary audiences, such as the
Christian themes
of self-sacrifice, faith in the face of persecution, rebirth, and hope for future generations.
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New Paperwork Coming Due ...
Thank you to all the pastors and church leaders who have submitted the annual church
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Carrie Boyer
and her paperwork
(and she's asking for more .....)
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conference forms. Please submit any outstanding reports as soon as possible.
Pastors: A reminder that the Leadership Interface Forms are now due.
Click here This form is crucial, as I need to update our database with church leader information.
Coming Due Feb. 15: Report of Trustees; Report of Finance Committee; 2018 Church Budget and 2017 Year-End Financial Report.
2017 Local Church Annual Audits are due March 15
Here is the link to the forms checklist which is found on the Conference website. You can download the forms from that page:
Click here
Send forms via email attachment to
Also a reminder that the annual statistical reports MUST be filed online by Feb. 15. A note went out to pastors last week with pertinent information. For those who might be helping pastors with this crucial task, please ask them to forward the information to you. To login to the system,
Click here
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Order Lenten Resources from Media Resource Center
The Media Resource Center is a free lending library supported through your ministry share dollars.
To learn more about the center and to look through the online catalog
Click here
You will find a multitude of DVD studies, curriculum, and support materials for your use! Now is the time to order Lenten Studies, as Lent begins on Feb. 14.
Consultations are always available. Not only can you order resources in person, it's also easy to
order resources through the online catalog, by email to Media Resource Coordinator Karen Campolieto @
karen@unyumc.org, or by phone (315) 898-2027 and they will be mailed right to your church.
It only takes a couple of days to receive the materials.
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Other Worship and Study Ideas for Lent
The Leadership Ministries Team at Discipleship Ministries has put together materials for worship and study that you can use during Lent based on the theme, Rehab. The materials give you a way to offer a church-wide focus during Lent that incorporates worship and study groups using the same theme each week. Lent starts Feb. 14.
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Previ
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From the Conference Office
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Important Dates
- By the end of January: Narrative Budget Booklet becomes available
- Feb. 15: Deadline for submission of petitions and resolutions as well as deadline for reports and action items from Conference teams
- Feb. 15: Final date to update statistics in EZRA system
- Early March: Annual Conference registration opens
- Early April: Vol. I of the Journal is available
- May 31-June 2: Annual Conference (Onondaga Community College)
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An Opportunity to Serve:
Imagine No Racism: Become a District Volunteer Advocate
Racism is a disease that infects the hearts, minds, souls and bodies of individuals, churches, and communities. In the Upper New York Annual Conference, we are going to Imagine No Racism together! We are creating the Imagine No Racism District Team to help us imagine this as a Conference.
For the full story, and to view Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb's video invitation to apply for the Imagine No Racism District Volunteer Advocate position, Click here
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Update on Church Mutual Coverage
The Church Mutual policy applies to all Churches in the Conference. This provides consistency for churches and efficiencies for the Conference and the Trustees in the administration and pricing of the program. Moving into 2018, Church Mutual has provided new program details. To view the letter,
Click here
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Students: Apply now for 2018 UNY Conference scholarships!
United Methodist high school seniors and college students are invited to apply for two scholarships offered by the Upper New York Conference: Conference Merit Awards and Lottie Brown Grants. Application forms and guidelines are available now. For more information and to apply, Click here
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Annual Conference petitions, resolutions, reports due Feb. 15
The Committee on Petitions and Resolutions is charged with overseeing the submission,
review, and presentation of petitions and resolutions to the Annual Conference.
All resolutions and petitions for the 2018 Annual Conference session must be submitted to the Committee no later than Feb. 15, 2018. Submissions should be emailed to the Director of Connectional Ministries Office at
DCMOffice@unyumc.org
For information on writing and submission guidelines as well as a petition and resolution template
, Click here
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Conference publication, 'Advocate,' available online
Volume 9, Issue 4, of the Upper New York Conference's ministry magazine, 'Advocate,' zeroes in on the mission of the UNY Conference to provide "God's love in all places." You will read stories on UNY members who lead ministries that serve refugees, entire local communities, and even truckers!
To read the latest issue of the Advocate electronically, Click here; the printed version of 'Advocate' should be available in your local church.
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Sign up for the Weekly Digest
The Weekly Digest is a wrap-up of news and information, along with feature articles, direct links to several "hot spots" on the Conference website, photos and more.
If you don't already subscribe but would like to look at this week's issue, be in touch with Carrie. To sign up to receive the Weekly Digest beginning next week, click here:
Weekly Digest
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Launchpad for Church Planters
Launchpad is boot camp for anyone who
is in the first year of planting a new faith community, or feeling called to plant a new faith community in the next couple of years.
It provides the BEST practical, hands-on training for planters available now in the UM Church. In two densely-packed days, you will learn an amazing array of best practices that will enable you to build a solid foundation on which to build your new faith community.
Launchpad will begin at 10 AM on Friday, Feb. 2, ending at 5 PM on Saturday, Feb. 3 at the United Methodist Conference Center, 7481 Henry Clay Blvd. in Liverpool.
Rev. Dave Masland (Director of NFC in Upper NY) and Rev. Bill Valet (Lead Planter of the multi-campus Fresh Start NFC's in Elmira and Watkins Glen) will be co-teaching.
Registration deadline is Jan. 29. For more information and to register,
Click here
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" Tax Reform - What You Need To Know Webinar "
The new tax law has implications for employers, non-profits, churches, and individuals. On
Wednesday, January 24, GCFA will sponsor a one-hour webinar on Tax Reform. This webinar will be presented by Blake Harrison, CPA, who is the Senior Manager of Tax Services, at LBMC, GCFA's internal audit firm. In his presentation, Blake will break down the details of the new law and help you to understand its impact.
If you have a specific question about how your work with the church could be affected, email it to
sharedservices@gcfa.org. Your question will be submitted to the webinar leader and every attempt will be made to answer your questions during the presentation.
WHAT: Tax Reform - What You Need to Know
OUTLINE: The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is now in place. It is wide-ranging tax reform that will impact ALL taxpayers including individuals, and churches. In this presentation, we will break down the details of the new law in order to understand its impact. We will also address questions individual taxpayers and non-profits should be asking.
WHEN: Wednesday, January 24, 2018, 12:30 PM Eastern Time
WHERE: Participate online using WebEx
HOW: To register,
Click here (Limited to the first 500 registrants.)
*Please note if you are unable to attend, the recording will be posted on the
GCFA website after the Webinar.
Click here
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Previously Run/Ongoing Interest
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Local Church Records Retention Guide
With the start of a new year we may be
inclined to say "Out with the old"and discard/destroy important records.
Before you do that, please click here to view Local Church Management guidelines from The United Methodist Church's General Commission on Archives and History.
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UMW Assembly 2018 in Columbus, Ohio
United Methodist Women Assembly 2018, "The Power of Bold," is a time for fellowship, equipping for service
and collectively experiencing God's call to mission with women, children and youth. Through moving worship, inspiring speakers, engaging exhibits, riveting workshops and town hall-style meetings, participants will leave Assembly with knowledge, courage and determination to change the world as part of a daring and compassionate 150-year-old movement of women committed to turning faith, hope and love into action.
To learn more about the event and to register
Click here
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How You Can Help Storm and Earthquake Victims
Contribute Funds for Disaster Relief:
Thanks to churches who have taken a special collection for the victims of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria and the Mexico City earthquakes.
You may send contributions to the Finance Department at the United Methodist Center, 7481 Henry Clay Blvd., Liverpool, NY, 13088. Please make checks payable to UNYAC and designate money to a fund or funds that have been established:
Hurricane Harvey - #481
Hurricane Irma - #482
Hurricane Maria- #483
Mexico City Earthquakes - #611
2017 Storms - #474
UMCOR U.S. Disaster Response - #692
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Finance Department, 855-424-7878, ext. 2004.
For instruction on how to assemble kits, Click here
The Upper New York Conference's Mission Central Hub is a place for local churches to actively engage in outreach and disaster response ministries:
Click here
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District Contact Information
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Adirondack District
of the Upper New York Conference
Rev. William (Bill) Mudge, District Superintendent
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Rev. Bill Mudge |
Carrie Boyer, Administrative Assistant
Physical Location: 15 Maplewood Parkway (South Glens Falls UMC)
South Glens Falls 12803 (GPS)
Mailing Address: PO Box 590, Glens Falls, NY 12801
(518) 480-4866
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