DON'T FORGET TO SET YOUR CLOCKS AHEAD

SATURDAY NIGHT BEFORE GOING TO BED!!!!!!

Just a reminder to set your clocks ahead one hour before you go to bed Saturday night. You don't want to totally miss your Sunday church service!!!!!

Notes From District Superintendent Sherri

Understanding Our United Methodist Theology and Polity

Holy Communion

In The United Methodist Church we observe two Sacraments: Baptism and Holy Communion.

A Sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. It’s a way we receive God’s grace in a profound and tangible way.

God’s grace is available to us in so many ways but is especially available to us in the Sacraments. God’s grace is a gift, offered to us without price. We can’t buy it or earn it; we can only receive it.

Like Baptism, the Sacrament of Holy Communion was instituted by Jesus. On the night before meeting with death, Jesus met together with his disciples around a table. Maybe this is why meals are so important to us as Christians! Community happens when we share in a meal together. We laugh, we cry, we tell stories, we share our ideas and share our lives as we bless one another by nurturing one another. At that particular meal, Jesus took bread, gave thanks to God for the bread, and broke the bread, telling those gathered there, “Take and eat. This is my body broken for you.” When the supper was over, as was the custom of the day, Jesus took a cup of wine and blessed it, and he told his friends gathered around the table, “Drink from this all of you, this is my blood, poured out for you, and for many, for the forgiveness of sins. Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

Holy Communion goes by many names: 

The Lord’s Supper reminds us that Jesus is the host and invites us to his supper so that we may be joined with him and others around the table.

Eucharist comes from the Greek work Eucharisto which means, “to be grateful, feel thankful; to

give thanks.”

Communion reminds us that when we gather together for the Sacrament, we are participating in Koinonia, in fellowship with Jesus and one another. Following Jesus is not a solo endeavor; we follow Jesus in community, encouraging one another as we grow in faith and do life together.

United Methodists practice open communion, meaning all are invited to partake. Because the Sacrament is means of grace, a gift offered from God, who are we to turn anyone away? The table is open to everyone.

When we gather around the Communion Table, we celebrate the presence of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Through ordinary bread and juice (juice is used so that persons who struggle with alcohol may fully participate), God imparts grace to us. This sacrament is not an offering: Jesus has already paid the price. It is an opportunity for us in a mystical way to suspend chronos time and unite in God’s kairos time, time with Jesus and all the believers who have come before us, who are among us now and who will follow us.

There is so much more to know about the Sacrament of Communion. Please download a copy of This Holy Mystery, The United Methodist Church’s official interpretive statement of theology and practice about Holy Communion. It’s available from umcdiscipleship.org or talk to your pastor. 

See you at Jesus’ table!

Sherri

From the Desk of Pastor Mike Kelly, District Associate

Blessings Friends and Families of the Mountain View District,

As leaders both clergy and laity of our churches I think that sometimes it is just good to remind ourselves what it is that is required of us as a church and its’ people. Let’s look at the basics.

 As Christians we know that we all are charged by the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” Then of course the Mission of the United Methodist Church follows that closely, which is, “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” Simply put as Christians we are to make disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples!

So, what about the church. Our UMC BOD says in Chapter 201, “The local church provides the most significant arena for which disciple making occurs. There we are right back to the importance of disciple making. It continues by saying that the church exists for the maintenance of worship, the edification of believers and the redemption of the world.

Then in paragraph 202 it explains our function as a church saying, “to help people accept and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and to live their daily lives in relationship with God. Further is says that the local church is to minister to persons in the community where the church is located, to provide appropriate training and nurture to all, to cooperate with ministry with other local churches, to defend God’s creation and live as an ecologically responsible community, and to participate in the worldwide mission of the church, and then it says this, “as minimal expectation of an authentic church.” That’s right friends this is just enough.

And we aren’t done yet! Chapter 203 says, “the local church is a connectional society of persons who have been baptized, professed their faith in Christ and have assumed their vows in the United Methodist Church.” And then it continues with the really good stuff of being connected, “they gather to hear the word of God, receive the sacraments, praise and worship the triune God and carry forward the work that Christ has committed to His church.

And finally, paragraph 204 finishes it for us. It tells us, “Each local church shall have a definite evangelistic, nurture, and witness responsibility to its members and its surrounding area and a missional outreach responsibility to the local and global community. It shall be responsible for ministering to all its members wherever they live and for persons who choose it as their church.

Friends sometimes I think we forget just what is required of us as Christians and as a church, but after reviewing these chapters again for the apparently not enough times I can simply say, “I want to be that church!” If you say to yourselves, we can’t possibly do all that, let us help you. We’ll be there.

Be blessed, be His church!

Mike

Note from District Lay Leader

Ann Welch Wood

Have you had a checkup lately? No, not your annual physical, but a spiritual checkup. Our Lenten journey is the opportune time for self-examination and reflection. Taking time to survey our internal world can lead to some pretty significant changes in our external or outward world. Living Inside Out, the sermon series from Discipleship Resources, speaks to this topic. Maybe you’ve been traveling along? A change of heart, mind, or soul can be evidenced by our habits and lifestyle. We focus on our relationship with God, growing as disciples, and extending ourselves to others. Let’s show the world how our faith can walk the talk.

With you on this journey,

Ann Welch Wood

District Lay Leader

Visiting the District Office

The office is generally open Monday-Thursday.

We would appreciate if you would PLEASE CALL FIRST before coming to the office. We occasionally work remotely and would not want you to make an unnecessary trip to the office to find that we are not in.

Please call 607-962-8047 or email the office at

mountainviewdistrict@unyumc.org

Time Is Running OUT!!!

Reminder that 2022 ACStats are due March 17th!!!

# of churches Submitted-18

# of churches Started but Not Submitted- 20

#of churches Not Started-20

Bishop's Installation Service

Join us to celebrate the assignment of Bishop Héctor A. Burgos-Nuñéz as the new episcopal leader for Upper New York. Bishop Héctor's service of installation and celebration begins at 2 p.m., Sat., Mar. 11, at Liverpool First United Methodist Church, 604 Oswego St.. Liverpool, NY. This service is intended for the whole Conference. You may participate:

 In-person at the Liverpool First United Methodist Church. Limited seats are available. Please RSVP for in-person participation no later than March 4 by registering here. A reception will follow this service.  

Watch the livestream from anywhere. For livestream participation, no RSVP is necessary. Click here

“Because of the size of the sanctuary at Liverpool First UMC, Clergy will not be processing and do not need to robe.”

Regional Meeting with Bishop Hector

Bishop Héctor is eager to meet laity and clergy throughout the Conference and has scheduled dates for regional meetings. The meetings will be as follows:

March 15, 2023 – Southern Tier Region—Olean: Christ

March 16, 2023 – Southern Tier Region—Central Endicott

The clergy meetings will be from 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

The laity meeting (and clergy unable to attend the earlier time) will be from 7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

2023 Appointment Announcements

Click here to read the letter of how the processes for appointment discernment, retirement announcements, expressing interest in open churches, and transitioning churches.

Click here for the announcement of appointments

Grace UMC Invites You to Our Annual Homestyle To-Go

WHEN: Thursday, March 30, 2023

WHERE: Grace UMC

191 Bridge St.

Corning, NY 14830

Use basement entrance

PICK UP TIME: 4:30-6:30 pm

MENU: Rigatoni, Sauce*, Homemade Meatballs, Tossed Salad, Bread & Dessert

*Vegetarian Options Available

CONTACT: 607-936-6145

COST: $10 Per Dinner

Click here for flyer

Equitable Compensation Grants Now Available

The CEC grants for the second half of the year have been posted to the website https://www.unyumc.org/news/article/equitable-compensation-grants-now-available

They are fillable PDFs so they should be pretty easy to complete. If anyone has any issues, please let me know.

The relevant deadlines/dates for the June – December 2023 Cycle:

April 7, 2023 – deadline for church applications to the District Superintendent for review

Puppet Production Puppets & A Preaching Robe Available

Do you have a puppet ministry? Would you like to start one? We have several Puppet Production puppets available along with staging.

Free - Wesley style gray preaching robe with Cross and Flame on the velvet panels. Will fit a person Six feet tall. 

For more details please contact Rev. Doug Knopp at dkrev@yahoo.com

Does Your Church Have Members Attending SUNY Geneseo

My name is Gwyneth Jones-Wenninger, I am serving as the Wesley Fellowship Interim Director at SUNY Geneseo. 

The Geneseo United Methodist Church, under the appointment of Pastor Beth Malone, is beginning to revive the SUNY Wesley Fellowship which meets at the InterFaith Center near campus. We are reaching out to all of the churches in our conference who could have students attending SUNY Geneseo or nearby community colleges for contact information. I would appreciate it if you could provide me with any student information. They could also contact me directly at shadetreeauthor@gmail.com or via telephone (585) 969-0127.

I appreciate any assistance you can give me in reaching out to students that could be in our area. As you know, Wesley Fellowship is such an important support system and tool for growing leaders in our church!

General Commission on Religion and Race and ResourceUMC host a Vital Conversation on race relations to build bridges across racial divisions.

Join in to partner with Project Unity for a presentation of, Together We Dine, a Vital Conversation on race relations. This event is a virtual experience that will host community and faith members to engage in courageous and safe conversations about the state of race relations.

Listen and share your experience with fellow diners in a healthy and respectful manner.

Click here to sign up.

When: Tuesday, March 28th

Where: Via Zoom

Time: 6:30 - 8 pm EDT

Project Unity trained facilitators guides participants in a structured dialogue about race. We aim for this experience to prove that what unites us is greater than what divides us.

Bishop Bickerton: Time to move from rancor to revival

In a highly unusual churchwide address, the Council of Bishops president, Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton urged fellow United Methodists to pivot away from the rancor around church disaffiliations to the work of church renewal.

Webinar on the Local Church Audit

Rev. Ken Sloane of Discipleship Ministries offers at webinar, The Church Audit: It’s Easier Than You Think, 7:30 p.m. (EDT), March 14. 

Course description:

Every congregation needs to do a church audit, but it doesn’t have to be a big expense or an insurmountable obstacle. There is a free Local Church Audit Guide that goes step-by-step. The audit process builds confidence among your financial leaders and projects transparency to your donors. Explore the tools that make this process easier than you thought. 

United Women in Faith

Upcoming Gatherings

DAY APART

WHEN: Saturday March 11, 2023

WHERE: Avoca UMC

8593 Jacob's Ladder Rd.

Avoca, NY 14809

TIME: 9:30 am- 2:00pm

COMMUNION BRUNCH

WHEN: Saturday April 1, 2023

WHERE: Hammondsport UMC

35 Lake St.

Hammondsport, NY 14840

TIME: 9:30 am- 2:00pm

RSVP: By March 27th to 607-569-3594

Please see the details in the UWF Newsletter that was sent to your church or unit in late January.

Avoca UMC Pancake Breakfast

WHEN: Sunday, March 12, 2023

WHERE: Avoca UMC

8593 Jacob's Ladder Rd.

Avoca, NY 14809

TIME: 8:00-10:00 am

MENU: Buffet serving: Buttermilk Pancakes, Sausage, Scrambled Eggs, Applesauce, Juice, Coffee, Tea

COST: Free Will Offering

Coffee House

Big Flats UMC Invites You

To Everybody Is Irish Night.

WHEN: March 17, 2023

WHERE: Big Flats UMC

109 Hillview Dr.

Big Flats, NY

TIME: 5:30-8:00pm

COST: FREE

RSVP: 607-738-6439

Click here for flyer

In Person Safe Sanctuary Training

All are invited to an IN-PERSON basic training in “safe sanctuary,”

WHEN:Saturday April 15, 2023

WHERE: Horseheads UMC

1034 W. Broad Street

Horseheads, NY 14845

TIME: 9:00 am-Noon

COST: FREE

More information will be coming on this. Rev. Steph Brown and one other trainer will lead this training. All who work with children, youth and vulnerable adults must be trained. The Horseheads UMC will provide a light lunch after the training.

This is open to the district area churches.

RSVP by April 10 to office@horseheadsumc.org with names, phone numbers and your home church information.

Mountain View District Lay Servant Ministry Course Offerings

Exploring Healing Prayer- Zoom Only

Tuesdays March 7th-April 4th 6-8pm

Ministry With the Forgotten-In Person/Zoom

Tuesdays May 2nd-May 30th 6-8pm

Click here for brochure

Adirondack District Lay Servant Ministry

Course Offerings Via Zoom

Adirondack Lay Servant Ministries has added some courses to the 2023 schedule.



Please remember that you MUST attend all class times and dates to receive credit.

No refunds or credit for courses will be given. All registrations and course fees MUST be in by the date due.

For a registration form or for more information, contact Arlene Schmidt, arlenedschmidt@gmail.com For more information about the courses (books, etc.) click here for the updated brochure.

Advanced Course: Called to Preach

Tuesdays April 11, 18, 25, May 2 & 9: 6-9pm

ZOOM: Fee $15

Facilitators: Jacqueline Kim & Team member

Registration and course fees due by March 28

Advanced Course: Polity

Wednesdays, May 3, 10, 17 & 24: 6-9pm

ZOOM: Fee $15

Facilitator: Bruce Hazard & Team member

Registration and course fees due by April 19

Advanced Course: Opening Ourselves to Grace

Thursdays: May 4, 11, 18, 25, & June 1: 6-9pm

ZOOM: $15

Facilitator: Jacqueline Kim & Team member

Registration and course fees due by April 20

Opening to Grace 2023 Retreats

Co-director of the Mountain View District Lay Servant Ministry and Gestalt Pastoral Care Minister, Deaconess Susan Sihan, RN.

These retreats will be Hybrid In Person and Online.

• May 19-21
• Sept. 14-16
• Oct. 26-28

Click here for flyer and more information

2023 Safe Sanctuary Trainings

The UNY Safe Sanctuaries Team has scheduled four, 3.5 hour Zoom basic trainings in 2023. There will also be Training of Trainers sessions.

The Basic trainings take place 9 AM to 12:30 PM, Saturdays: May 6, Aug. 5 and Nov. 4.

The Training of Trainers will be 9 AM to Noon, Saturday, Oct. 7.

The Basic training is for all clergy and anyone working with children or vulnerable adults. The Training of Trainers is for anyone who would like to become a church or District Safe Sanctuaries trainer in the UNY Conference. You need to have taken the Basic Training first.

If you need training between these dates, or would like to host an in-person training, please contact the District Office or send an email to the Safe Sanctuaries team, safesanctuaries@unyumc.org.

Registration for the February training will open Jan. 4. Look for the link in upcoming announcements.

For more information regarding Safe Sanctuaries, visit the Conference website: Click here. To view the poster, click here.

Are You Connected to UNY?

Do you receive the latest news and updates from UNY Conference? All pastors should be connected and as many people from your congregation that would like to be. This is open to everyone – pass the word!

If you are not connected please follow the instructions below. 

To sign up either click the following link: https://bit.ly/UNYnotes.      

Or follow the steps below:

• Go to the conference website
• Click on News in the toolbar
• Select Connect with UNY



Sign up for all six categories or just select the UNY Notes.