315-475-7277 | Email: office@uumcsyracuse.org

Here is your weekly news from UUMC.

Sunday Worship | 10:30 a.m.

Please note: Every worship service remains "live" on our Facebook page. You are able to watch every one that has been done since we began online worship. They never go away. If you are unable to begin at 10:30, you can watch it at your leisure another time.

This week's scriptures are Acts 16: 9-15 (The Message), John 5: 1-9 (CEB)

Prelude: "Romanza," Gabriel Faure

Hymns: #454: “Open My Eyes That I May See”, Hymn #548: “In Christ There Is No East or West”

Postlude: "Prelude in D Minor," Alexandre Boely

We have removed the old playground and our landscaping project is underway. Stay tuned to see how it all comes together.

~Volunteer opportunities are open and available. Please contact Galyn at outreach@uumcsyracuse.org to be added to our volunteer listserv. You will receive two mailings a month informing you of all of the volunteer opportunities at UUMC.

May 24 at 6 p.m.: ACTS Annual Banquet at Drumlins

June 12: Peace with Justice Sunday—We celebrate and reaffirm our holy commitment to ending injustice domestically and internationally on this day. Offerings made this Sunday will go to many hundreds of United Methodist-backed projects to bring Christ's peace and justice to a broken world.

June 21 at 7 p.m.: CNY Pride Interfaith Service—The service will be at All Saints Church on Lancaster Ave. Pastor Alicia is a part of the planning and service.

June 25: CNY Pride Parade—We would love to have a large presence! We will gather at 10 a.m. to begin marching at 11 a.m. This year we will have a vehicle to ride in the parade if you prefer not to walk. Please call or email the church office to sign up and give us your T-Shirt size. We are asking for a donation to pay for the T-shirts. If you have questions, please reach Diane, 727-238-0187. 

June 26 at 1 p.m.: Save the Date! We are delighted to announce that long-time UUMC friends Nathan Sumrall and John Ginn will present a special concert of music in our sanctuary. Nathan served as our organist from 2007 to 2011 as he completed graduate study at Syracuse University, and John sang with our choir and frequently performed as a soloist. The two currently live and work in Louisiana.  

July 28: United Methodists at the Ball Park

We are continuing a \worship series, "We Are Witnesses," which follows the United Methodist liturgy through Eastertide up to Pentecost.

During this time, we consider what it means to be Christ's church in the world, how to live faithfully and serve as witnesses to the radical love of God.

Please look forward to all the worship committee will be planning for this time.

This series is based on a book, "Bearing Witness in the Kin-dom," by Dr. Darryl W. Stephens. It may be purchased here for $10 in paperback.

PROPHETIC VOICES is a Special Collection of five award-winning documentary films profiling remarkable religious figures from one of the most turbulent centuries in history. Through their timeless writings and prophetic witness, they helped shape the contours of how to create a moral and ethical response to the social and political challenges of their era. Most importantly, what they left behind is a roadmap for how to faithfully confront our own issues today.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Howard Thurman, Reinhold Niebuhr, Dorothy Day and Abraham

Heschel each came from different faith traditions and varied cultural backgrounds. What they shared in common was an abiding love for their tradition, a willingness to challenge established powers, including their own religious leaders, and an acceptance of the cost that voicing truth entails - both professionally and personally.

Pastor Beth will meet virtually with those interested on Sunday evenings – for three

weekends in May and two weekends in June. The first part of the meeting will be for those who want to watch the documentary together, the second part will be our discussion.

June 5: Dorothy Day—video at 5 p.m., discussion at 6 p.m.

June 12: Abraham Joshua Heschel—video at 5 p.m., discussion at 6 p.m.

Date Changed—June 4 at 8 p.m.: To join, or for more information, please contact Nelson Price through email at nprice@twcny.rr.com or call at (315) 446-7656

The sixth episode of the church podcast, Conversations with Pastor Alicia, is out now! Click here to access it on our website.

Jason Naradzay, former Food Center volunteer and friend of the church, shared his remarkable testimony with us. We hope you feel encouraged and awed by how God has worked in his life.

When church members designate a gift for University United Methodist Church in their estate, this is an important act to support the future of the church and its mission after one’s life is over.

Planned giving can be accomplished in a number of ways. Some may require legal assistance, but others are quite straightforward to accomplish. Please review the following options below.

Thank you for your support, both now and in the future.

—The UUMC Legacy Committee

A Bequest is a gift made through a will or a living trust. It’s the most popular planned gift; the easiest to make; and costs nothing during a donor’s lifetime. A Bequest is usually a set dollar amount or percentage of an estate that goes to a nonprofit organization after the donor’s death. A Bequest can be included in a new will, or added to an existing will or living trust through a simple amendment called a codicil — often without the expense of hiring a lawyer.

Publicly traded Appreciated Securities that a donor has owned for more than one year can be transferred to a nonprofit organization. The nonprofit then sells the securities and keeps the proceeds, which can be applied to whatever purpose the donor designates. The donor gets an income tax charitable deduction based on the fair market value of the securities while also avoiding capital gains tax.

A donor can designate a nonprofit organization as a beneficiary to receive all or a portion of the proceeds from a Life Insurance policy. This allows the donor to provide a large gift to benefit a nonprofit — often more than they’d be able to donate outright. The donor’s heirs benefit as well, because policy proceeds distributed to a nonprofit are exempt from estate tax.

A donor can make a Gift of Real Estate to a nonprofit, removing a large taxable asset from their estate and benefiting by receiving an income tax deduction equal to the appraised fair market value of the property, with no capital gains tax due on the transfer. The nonprofit can then sell the Gift of Real Estate or keep it for its own use.

Donors can gift items such as artwork, collectibles, books, equipment, or other items of tangible Personal Property. Most times, a gift will yield them a charitable deduction for the items’ fair market value (it must be professionally appraised), with no capital gains liability to the donor or organization. The nonprofit can either keep the property, display it, or sell it and use the proceeds.

Like a gift of life insurance, a donor can name a nonprofit as the beneficiary of a portion or all of his/her IRA, 401(k), or other Retirement Plans. The amount designated passes to the nonprofit and the donor’s heirs avoid income and estate tax.

A QCD (also referred to as an IRA Rollover) allows donors 70½ or older to make tax-free IRA charitable rollover gifts of up to $100,000 per year directly from their Individual Retirement Accounts to eligible nonprofits. The funds must be transferred directly to the charity; withdrawing them first will result in a tax penalty.

Our staff and lay leaders have finished filing their reports on their work at UUMC during 2021! You may view the annual report here.

Every Wednesday at 7:00 a.m. we gather for a zoom prayer meeting. It is open to everyone: come once, come every week, but you are invited to join us at any time: zoom link: Join Zoom Prayer

Last week Pastor Alicia attended worship design conference in Lake Tahoe, California. She shared these photos from her last day and wanted everyone to know that she has learned a lot about worship services.

Please note: Prayer requests and comments submitted in the chat during our online service are public knowledge, as the church’s Facebook page is open to all.

As a caring church, we hold one another in prayer. The names in the next sentence are selected each week from the church directory, generally in alphabetical order. This week, please pray for:

Ann O.: Prayers for the family of my uncle, Voight, who passed on Wednesday. Prayers also victims of yesterday’s shooting at a Buffalo Tops.

Anonymous: Prayers for the 1 million people who died from COVID 19, their families and communities here in the United States and the millions around the world also affected.

Anonymous: Prayers for women who participated in the women’s march protest and are concerned about the Supreme Court’s upcoming action

The Davis family: Prayers for Jim D., who is recovering at Loretta Rehabilitation Center.

Gail: Prayers for patience.

Gwen: I am on the mend at home and grateful for emergency care and wonderful help at home from Mike.

Holly: Healing prayers for Gwen T-F who suffered a broken ankle, and healing prayers for those affected by the horrific shooting in Buffalo yesterday.

Julie O.: Prayers for a special concern.

Kim: please pray for Gwen, who fell and broke her ankle. We pray for a speedy recovery.

Liz: Prayers for Kate D.

Rhonda: Prayers for victims in Buffalo and the family of the shooter.

Stephanie: Prayers for my sister and her family.

The clothing closet is open every Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon.

Donations can be scheduled by calling the church office. See our website for a list of accepted materials.

Your continued donations and support have been appreciated! Thank you!

Call Joyce Flynn at (315) 480-6767 or email jhflynn56@gmail.com with questions. Hope to see you there!

We need books to be donated for our library. Contact Michelleat the church office, office@uumcsyracuse.org to arrange a drop-off time.

To that end, we are joining with our Pan-Methodist siblings for a special Joint Service of Lament on Sunday, May 22 at 3 pm to be hosted by Baber AME. We invite you to join us. 

June 7, 2022 @ 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Gouverneur UMC 

June 8, 2022 @ 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. at McKownville UMC

June 9, 2022 @ 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Olean: Christ United

June 12, 2022 @ 3:00 p.m. 4:30 p.m. at LeRoy UMC 

June 12, 2022 @ 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at Liverpool First UMC 

June 13, 2022 @ 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Nimmonsburg UMC

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic hit, University UMC’s food pantry went from distributing food to 50 families from the Southeast side of Syracuse every Friday to 350 families from all over Syracuse. Currently, they serve about 200 Syracusan families every Friday.

Click here to read the full story of this ministry and how the volunteers not only physically, emotionally, and physically feed the poor, but how they are breaking down barriers that prevent food security.

Click here to watch the volunteers in action at a recent Friday distribution.

During the Upper New York (UNY) Annual Conference held virtually in June of 2021, the body passed Resolution UNYAC2021.7 which created a Study Commission to examine the readiness in the UNYUMC for the Implementation of the Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace through Separation.

Last fall, the UNY Study Commission issued surveys to clergy and congregations in the UNY Conference about the Protocol. Despite there only being a 30 percent response rate, some congregations and clergy did report that if the Protocol passes, they will leave the United Methodist Church. Click here to read the survey report.

Earlier this month, the Global Methodist Church announced that it will launch on May 1, 2022. Click here to read the announcement.

Click here to read an article that outlines the disaffiliation process. 

Click here for additional information.

You are cordially invited to attend an information session of Thursday, June 2^nd at 6pm at Bellevue Heights UMC (2112 S. Geddes Street, Syracuse, NY) either in-person or on Zoom. Kindly contact Pastor Alicia to indicate whether you plan to attend in-person or via Zoom (Zoom link to follow). Thank you. We look forward to seeing you.

You are encouraged to register immediately with only $100. June 14 ($75 off), 

July 14 ($50 off), August 14 ($25 off).

On the evening of May 14, 2022, Upper New York Area Resident Bishop, Mark J. Webb, sent a letter to the Upper New York Conference after learning of the racially motivated mass shooting that took place at a Tops market in Buffalo, earlier that day. Click here to read Bishop Webb’s letter.

Lincoln Memorial UMC in Buffalo has three families that are directly affected by the tragic incident in Buffalo that happened last weekend: a youth's teacher was killed, a member's uncle, and a member's neighbor. Many others in the congregation knew others who were murdered. Any cards received are read to the congregation.

Email:rev.vivianruth@gmail.com

Email your stories to news@unyumc.org by June 15, 2022. 

New materials and webinar recordings room April 26 and 28, 2022 were developed for churches in the Southern Tier Region, which consists of the Cornerstone, Mountain View, Binghamton, and Oneonta Districts. District Superintendents the Rev. Suzanne Block, the Rev. Dr. Jeff McDowell, and the Rev. Nancy Adams led the sessions.

One webinar was related to church trustees with included resources and the other webinar was related to staff-parish-relations committees with included resources.

Click here to watch these helpful recordings and access the useful resources

Click here to view

Reservations for the ACTS Spring Banquet, to be held at 6:00 p.m. on May 24 at Drumlins Country Club, may be made by contacting the church office. The event will feature a variety of serving stations with open seating. It is hoped that the event will give people the opportunity to get acquainted with one another.

Rev. Craig French, former pastor of UUMC, will be honored at this event. He will receive the Nebraski Carter Outstanding Clergy Award for his service to ACTS, and commitment to promoting social justice in the community.

The ACTS Race Matters Book Club will be discussing “Beloved” by Toni Morrison on Monday, May 23 @ 7 p.m. on Zoom. The book has been the subject of the culture wars in the United States, most recently in the Virginia Governor’s race when the book was part of an ad challenging its appropriateness for children.

There are seven copies available in OCPL system. If you wish to order a copy, try https://www.alibris.com/Beloved-Toni-Morrison/book/627603?matches=1342 with copies [new books] starting at $6.30 Alibris.

As our community’s social justice interfaith network, ACTS is hopeful that dialog will bring greater awareness and action. There are more than 30 regular members of the book club from 13+ different congregations with an average of a dozen or more persons participating each month.  Come once or come often to share your thoughts with others on the journey.  

To register for the session, email petersarverACTS@gmail.com  

The CDC recognizes 10 counties in New York as being at high risk for COVID. Indoor masking is recommended for all counties at high risk, including Onondaga County. Fourteen New York counties are at medium risk this week.

Performances have returned, taking place each Wednesday at 12:15 p.m. If you need a ride, contact Jayne Humbert or Nelson Price. You can find the location and show for each week's performance on the Civic Morning Musicals website.