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1 UPPER NEW YORK UNITED METHODIST ADVOCATE Being God s love with our neighbors in all places A PUBLICATION OF THE UPPER NEW YORK ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Volume 1, Issue 2 - October 2010 New challenge for Upper New York Win a soul for Jesus Christ, Bishop challenges Methodists Inside this issue Older adults set for conference 2 By Maidstone Mulenga Resident Bishop Marcus Matthews is urging United Methodists in the Upper New York Area to bring one person to Jesus Christ by June The Bishop issued the challenge during his recently completed tour of the 12 districts in his episcopal area that covers 48,000 square miles, 940 churches and 185,599 members. During the interactive tour where he answered questions on the plans and future of the newly created Conference, Bishop Matthews reminded both the clergy and laity members that making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world was still the primary mission of the United Methodist Church. Pausing to talk affectionately about his five grandchildren, Bishop Matthews wondered if his youngest granddaughter, Troy Angel, 3, would find a United Methodist Church to be married in if the current trend of closing churches continues. If Troy Angel elects to get married, it is my prayer that it will be in a United Methodist church and that she would raise her family in The United Methodist Church. Bishop Matthews issued three challenges to all the United Methodists in the area: 1. Develop and strengthen spiritual discipline through prayer and devotion: We can t help others if we are not spiritually grounded. 2. Bring one soul to Christ by June 2011: I am not asking for 10 and I can t Bishop Marcus Matthews meets with Northern Flow clergy and laity at Gouverneur United Methodist Church in Gouverneur, NY, as part of his tour of the Upper New York districts. See Page 6 and 7 for phto galleries on the Bishop s tour. Photo By Maidstone Mulenga go lower than one. 3. Every local church should add one more mission opportunity: Money follows mission. If you have a strong mission, dollars will come easily. Referring to the Upper New York Annual Conference vision and mission statement, Bishop Matthews urged all to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to be God s love with all our neighbors in all places. Living by two holiness - personal and social - is important to United Methodists who also observe three simple rules: Do No Harm, Do Good and Stay in Love with God, he told the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Sept. 11 session 3 Youth fall gathering 4 Photo gallery Bishop s tour of Districts 6/7 Connecting with College students 8 Appreciate your pastor 9 Marriage Encounter 9 Cabinet selects leadership 10 Advisory/ profile forms 10 Leadership columns AC session 12 Coming in the next issue of the ADVOCATE UMW reorganizes More on District tours Bishop s, Conference offices moving to downtown Syracuse By Sandra Brands After six months of searching, the Board of Trustees of the Upper New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church has found a home for the new Conference office. The new offices will be housed at the Ruth Stafford Peale Entrance at University United Methodist Church in downtown Syracuse. The 7,200-square-foot space will house not only the Conference staff, but the Episcopal Office and the Crossroads District offices. Centrally placed near I-81 and I-90 and adjacent to Syracuse University, the new Conference offices will be located in a growing, alive and active area, according to Conference Treasurer Sherri Mackey. It s in an urban location, so that gives us visibility and it should be very beneficial for us to be there, Mackey said. Another plus, Mackey said, is that the offices are at a church within the United Methodist family. It s like being home and it s a comfortable place to be. It allows us the opportunity to interact with that church and to use the sanctuary. Currently, the Conference offices are located in the Cicero United Methodist Church building in the former North Central New York Conference offices. The building also houses the Crossroads District offices. The bishop s offices are located at the Baldwinsville United Methodist Church, approximately 11 miles away. CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 OPEN DOORS - University United Methodist Church will soon welcome The Upper New York Annual Conference, Episcopal Office and Crossroads District offices into its facility in downtown Syracuse, New York.

2 Page 2 October 2010 The Upper New York United Methodist Advocate Older Adult ministries will become essential as Boomers reach retirement age By Sandra Brands In the rush to find ways to invite young people into the life of the United Methodist Church, people sometimes overlook the needs of the people who already belong. The assumption is that, because the church is graying the average age of United Methodist members is 57 nothing special needs to be done to reach out to older adults. That s not necessarily true, said Winona Stonebraker, a member First United Methodist Church in Tonawanda, N.Y. This is an aging population, Stonebraker said, and it s definitely an aging population in the United Methodist Church. If we aren t intentional in our programming for older adults, we may lose them Older adults, she said, have a lot to offer. Young people can t do it all, she said. We [older adults] certainly have a lot to offer. According to Barbara Bruce, the Northeastern Jurisdiction Representative to the United Methodist Committee on Older Adult Ministries, the church needs to prepare for the aging Boomer population. The Boomers have been a pig in a python, she said, saying the first wave of Boomers started reaching retirement age in mid That will change everything. As [Boomers] move along, they bring everything with them. So they re entering the world of social security, Medicaid and Medicare and they re going to hit the church like a ton of bricks. Bruce will be the keynote speaker at Celebrating Our FROM PAGE 1 Win one soul for Jesus Christ gatherings. Aided by the video, We Are the Ones by Paul Hopkins, Bishop Matthews said it was incumbent upon the current leadership and membership of the church to lead in the transformation of the world. We are the ones, we are the right ones, Bishop Matthews said. We can do whatever we want and God is depending on us and it is up to us to decide if we are going to pass up on this chance. At the same time, the clergy and the laity of the church were reminded that we are not alone. The polity of the United Methodist Church strengthens the work of each congregation and body of the church. We are a connectional church; when one congregation is in pain, we are all in pain. What congregation church can t do, the other 10 Wisdom and Still Learning, a conference on creating and sustaining Older Adult Ministries, on Saturday, Nov. 6, 8: 15 a.m. to 3 p.m., at New Hartford United Methodist Church, 105 Genesee St., New Hartford, N.Y. The conference will offer participants a variety of essential tools for being in ministry with the growing 65-year-old and older population. It s a great opportunity for churches to find out how congregations can broaden their programming for older adults and to learn the breadth of possibilities for ministry that are available, said Stonebraker, who is one of the organizers of the event. We need to knock on doors and ring bells and help people to understand that it s critically important, said Bruce.. The church is about one-generation away from extinction. In the book Aging and Ministry, author Richard H. Gentzler, Jr., says numbers of senior citizens in the United States will more than double from 35 million in 2000 to 72 million by Bruce said that means in a mere 10 years, the percentage of people over 60 will increase by 74 percent. The number of people under (age to come) will increase by 1 percent. can do it, he said in reference to I Corinthians 12, which was used in the worship service during the tour. He said each time he is traveling in Upper New York Area, he knows that he is not alone because he sees the Cross and Flame emblem along the way. This is something we must celebrate. We have the goods, Bishop Matthews said, stressing that Upper New York Annual Conference has 185,599 members in 940 churches, which he called mission stations. Friends, we can make a difference if we want to grow spiritually and numerically. But do we have the will? What will be our legacy? He said he does not want his legacy to be that of closing churches. I don t want people to say all he did was close churches without challenging them. Bishop Matthews was accompanied on the tour The church has got to pay attention, she said. That s not happening at the moment, Bruce said. A good percentage of our ministry is geared towards children or youth. For the most part, the church is not ministering to older adults. Opportunities for developing and expanding ministries specifically for older adults and their families abound, Bruce said. But, she cautions, people shouldn t duplicate what s being offered in their communities. Many communities have senior clubs and gatherings and offer senior trips, she said. What the church can offer that no one else can is the spiritual aspect. As people age, they become more aware of what s coming next, and all of a sudden, they say, maybe I better get my spiritual act in order. Times of transition, such as the death of a spouse, moving into a retirement community or retirement, are often times when people seek support, emotionally, physically and spiritually. I often find when people newly retire it s a great opportunity for people to get involved in the church instead of playing bridge and golfing, said Stonebraker. There are so many opportunities. For more information about the conference, contact Stonebraker at nths16@hotmail. com or call (716) A registration flyer is also available online at org. by some of senior executive staff; Director of Connectional Ministries Bill Gottschalk-Fielding, who called on clergy to help build community and set compelling priorities; and Director of Communications Maidstone Mulenga who urged churches to invest in new technologies to help streamline the communication process. The Bishop promised to provide answers to all the questions that were posed to him during the tour that took him from Adirondack, Albany, Oneonta, Binghamton, Northern Flow, Mountain View, Niagara Frontier, Genesee Valley, Mohawk, Cornerstone, Finger Lakes and Crossroads districts. For photo galleries of the visit, go to Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (All Periodicals Publications Except Requester Publications). 1. Publication Title - Upper New York United Methodist ADVOCATE; 1. Publication Number ; 3. Filing Date Oct. 1, 2010; 4. Issue Frequency MONTHLY (plus two special editions) ; 5. Number of Issues Published Annually 14; 6. Annual Subscription Price $15.00; 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication (Not printer) (Street, city, county, state, and ZIP+4 ) 8422 North Main St., Cicero, Onondaga, NY ; Contact Person Maidstone Mulenga, Telephone ; 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher 8422 North Main St., Cicero, Onondaga, NY ; 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Publisher Maidstone Mulenga, 8422 North Main St., Cicero, NY ; Editor Maidstone Mulenga, 8422 North Main St., Cicero, NY ; Managing Editor SAME; 10. Owner The Upper New York Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, 8422 North Main St., Cicero, NY ; 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgages, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities. None; 12. Tax Status has not changed during preceding 12 months; 13. Publication Title Upper New York United Methodist ADVOCATE; 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below September 2010; 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation/ Average No. Copies each issue during preceding 12 months/ No. Copies of Single Issue Published nearest to Filing Date: a. Total Number of Copies (Net press run) 11, /24,000; b. Paid Circulation (By Mail and Outside the Mail) (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser s proof copies, and exchange copies) 9, /21,047; (2) Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser s proof copies, and exchange copies) /0; (3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS /2,500; (4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS 0/0; c. Total Paid Distribution 11, /23,547; d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail) (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies included on PS Form /0; (2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies Included on PS Form /0; Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS 0/0; Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail /235; e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution /235; f. Total Distribution 11,210.75/23,782; g. Copies not Distributed /218; h. Total 11, /24,000; i. Percent Paid / ; 16. Publication of Statement of Ownership; If the publication is a general publication, publication of this statement is required. Will be printed in the October issue of this publication. UPPER NEW YORK UNITED METHODIST ADVOCATE RESIDENT BISHOP Bishop Marcus Matthews EDITOR/PUBLISHER Maidstone Mulenga Director of Communications CONTRIBUTING EDITORS/WRITERS Marilyn Kasperek, Sandra Brands Upper New York United Methodist Advocate is a monthly newspaper of the Upper New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, whose mission to be God s love with all our neighbors in all places. Materials in the Advocate many be reproduced unless the item is accompanied by a copyright notation. 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3 The Upper New York United Methodist Advocate October 2010 Page 3 UNY Annual Conference takes major step on September 11 The newest annual conference in The United Methodist Church took another major step on its journey last month. Members of the Upper New York Annual Conference met in a Special Adjourned Session on Sept. 11, 2010 in Albany to approve the budget and charter the course for the conference, which was voted into existence on June 19, The second gathering of the nearly 2,000 United Methodists from 940 churches in upstate New York met under the theme In the Name of Love: We Journey Together and was presided over by Resident Bishop Marcus Matthews. Surrounded by the pillars lining Empire State Plaza, members gathered for a Service of Remembrance for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks immediately before the daylong session. Bishop Matthews was joined by local leaders, including the Albany mayor, in leading the service which included the tolling of the bells to mark the times when the World Trade Center towers were attacked. Prayers in various languages and Native American stories were part of the worship that opened the Adjourned Session, filling the immense space with voices raised in praise. Mark Miller was the musical director, and with his band and musicians from the Upper New York Conference, provided the musical backdrop for the day. Following organizational matters and greetings, the 2011 budget was brought up for discussion by the Council on Finance and Administration. Upper New York offering raises nearly $19,000 for Pakistan aid Members of the Upper New York Annual Conference have raised nearly $19,000 to help the people of Pakistan who suffered under recent severe flooding. The $18, was raised in an offering during the special Adjourned Session held in Albany on Saturday, Sept. 11. Reports indict that thousands of Pakistani have died and millions have been made homeless due to the floods. United Methodist Committee on Commentary: On an Aspect of the Adjourned Annual Conference Session Brothers and Sisters in the Upper New York Conference, This year s adjourned annual conference session began with a goodnatured scolding of the annual conference by a representative of a women s advocacy group about the under representation of women speakers, clergy and laity, on the conference platform and from the floor. She used data obtained by that group s monitors from the first part of this year s conference. She concluded by admonishing us, stating that our conference s performance is not good enough and we could do better. She cast her statements in humor, but Relief (UMCOR) is responding to human needs as a result of the floods and mudslides in Pakistan. UMCOR s work is a cooperative and joint effort with Church World Service and the Diocese of Peshawar, Church of Pakistan. Those who wish to make donations can send their gifts to the Upper New York Annual Conference, indicating that the offering is for International Disaster Response, UMCOR Advance # her presentation was not funny at all. It was dead serious. These comments set the tone for this conference session, a tone that sounded more like law enforcement than grace; a tone that created acrimony and division instead of unity, a feeling of us (women) against them (men); a tone of gender based harassment where the conference environment was hostile towards men. Look at the response of the men who spoke early in the conference. Some were some of the most pro feminist men I know. As they introduced themselves they did so as white men, some in obvious parody protesting, not the content of the opening remarks, but their tone. As a pro feminist male, I am in agreement that women s rights in our conference and in our conference sessions need to be advocated. Likewise, I understand that for this to happen, a grace space has to be provided by men, where men surrender their privilege to have their influence for that to happen. There has to be ongoing dialogue within our conference, with one another, and not the expense of one another. Grace Space a term coined by Rev. Eric Law, of the Kaleidoscope Institute, a leader in the area of creating multi cultural Voting members of the Conference pass the 2011 budget With God s guidance, we are tasked with building the foundations of a structure that will move us towards and sustain us in our vision as a unified whole within Upper New York, Conference Treasurer and Director of Administration Sherri Mackey said as she explained the rationale for the budget. We must keep our eye on the bigger picture and on this vision, she said referring to the conference s vision To be God s Love with our neighbors in all places. Mackey emphasized that it was through faith, trust, and love that we will be able to endure and defeat the growing pains associated with uncertainty, constant change, and the honest conflict that we are experiencing now and will continue to experience into the future. Mackey was accompanied by her fellow senior executives of the conference: Director of Connectional Ministries Bill Gottschalk-Fielding, Director of Communications Maidstone Mulenga and Benefits Officer Vicki Putney. We are not yet what we aspire to be. This budget tries to capture opportunity for every part of the body of Christ among us to appear, to grow, and to develop in the ways in which God is leading. This budget also recognizes through its structure that all parts of the body are important and necessary to the health and successful functioning of the whole, Mackey said. Following questions from the floor on how emerging ministries will be funded and on how Ministry Shares, or apportionments, will be billed in 2011, members of the Upper New York Annual Conference overwhelmingly adopted the $10.7 million budget. Members of Annual Conference also adopted 10 proposals brought before them by Health and Pensions team. Conference members approved the clergy minimum base salary standard for 2011, an increase of at least 2 percent over the 2010 rate. Work will continue to help create a new policy that fairly brings together the minimum salaries of the predecessor conferences. This salary increase will take effect in 2011 when a charge begins new budgetary year (i.e., January 1 for a calendar year or July 1st for an appointment year). Also approved was a recommendation that clergy at or above the minimum base salary standard also receive a total salary increase of no less than 2 percent. Members approved a nominations report for Conference Archives and History, Rules Committee, Resolutions and petitions, and Silver Lake Institute Trustees was approved as presented. Guided Footsteps of Emmaus UMC brought the afternoon worship service Call to Worship in song while dance and video presentations highlighted the many diverse faces in The Upper New York Area. Nearly $19, was collected for flood relief efforts currently under way Photo by Ken Kasperek Several questions were receivedfrom the floor including questions from the Rev. James Pollard. Photo by Ken Kasperek in Pakistan. The Upper New York Annual Conference was voted into existence on June 19 in a union of four former annual conferences in New York State, with Bishop Matthews as its first resident episcopal leader. Membership in the Upper New York Annual Conference stands at 185,000. Commentary: Monitoring done with care during Annual Conference sessions Dr. Baez, I read your recent letter in the UNY E-Advocate with concern. It appears there is some confusion regarding the monitoring performed at the Upper New York Annual Conference sessions. Since I was one of the monitors, perhaps I can clarify things a bit. The women s advocacy group you mentioned is the Commission on the Status and Role of Women (or CoSRoW) Book of Discipline 644. I confess, I ve never been a great fan of monitoring. Quite honestly, I don t believe any of us are. However, the General Commission ( GCoSRoW or GCSRW ) encourages all Annual Conference Commissions to practice the Ministry of Monitoring at their annual conference sessions (Book of Discipline 610) and the Wyoming Annual Conference CoSRoW thought it wise to observe how this new Annual Conference began its life. So, we monitored the final session of the Wyoming Annual Conference, and the Uniting Session of the Upper New York Annual Conference. We found the difference to be stark. Sara Baron former chair of the Wyoming CoSRoW and current member of the Upper New York Conference Leadership Team presented the results of our monitoring to the leadership of the Annual Conference, and, at the Bishop s request, presented them to the Adjourned Session. Presenting data is an integral part of the monitoring process. You mention the complexity of monitoring power concerns on the floor of conference. Indeed, the monitoring form provided by GCoS- RoW which does attempt to keep track of virtually all of the factors you mention (Gender, Role, Ethnicity, Age and Persons with Disabilities ) is quite complicated. As a prospective monitor I personally found it confusing. None of us were particularly comfortable with trying to guess the age of speak- CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

4 Page 4 October 2010 The Upper New York United Methodist Advocate Youths gear up for Fall Gathering in Albany, Rochester The first Fall Gathering of The Upper New York Annual Conference is planned in two locations on two different weekends. Youth groups are encouraged to select the location and dates which work best for them. Workshops and events at the Fall Gathering reflect the theme Grace: No Exceptions to God s Acceptance, and, with few exceptions, are the same both weekends. A complete list of workshops and leaders will be available at the event, as well as late night options and a listing of area restaurants. Watch for updates. Upper New York Conference Fall Gathering Albany is planned November 12-13, 2010 at the Best Western Airport Inn, 200 Wolf Road, Albany with Registration beginning at 4:00 PM, November 12 and Upper New York Conference Fall Gathering Rochester is planned November 19-20, 2010 at the Radisson Riverside, 120 East Main Street, Rochester with Registration beginning at 4:00 PM, November 19 To make the event as great as it can be, here are some (hopefully) helpful ideas.. Take some time within your group to help decide which Workshops each person will attend. We hope that each group will try to participate in as many of the Workshops as possible by spreading their group around. Bring sleeping bags for at least half your youth (this is for those who don t like to sleep in the same bed with someone of the same sex). Everyone (that means Youth AND Adults) should plan to be active participants in Fall Gathering - Albany. There will be Youth Service Fund activities. Bring $ to share in the fun and support YSF. There will be a YSF Concession table. Late Nite Options descriptions follow: Graceshops YSF: Do you like scavenging? Do you like hunting? BE a multitasker and do both! Come to the YSF Scavenger Hunt, learn about the Youth Service Fund, and bond with your buddies old and new!! In Jest with Nels *Offered only at Fall Gathering Rochester* Humor is a gift from God. If you enjoy a good laugh, come see this crazy comedian he ll have you rolling around on the floor! Grace in the Media Grace can be found in many places movies, books, songs, and news stories. Come here to see and hear some examples of this and to discuss them with other youth. This is a great chance to talk about our theme! Prayer Chapel *Open For Late Nites too* Take some time to stop and reflect on God s love and grace in prayer. A chaplain will be available during grace/shop times. Mission of Peace (MOP) Are you interested in going on a mission trip to a foreign country? Learn more as the MOPers tell stories and talk about fun times, where they ve been, and what they experienced during their time as a MOPer. Accepting Special Needs This will help you to better understand and interact with people with special needs. Learn to follow God s example and accept those who seem different. Self-Acceptance Get a chance to talk with others about finding and realizing your true value as well as understanding that God created you this way for a reason. Remember, God said that we are very good. Accepting Diversity Grace is blind when it comes to differences. Learn how to accept ALL by God s grace. Mingler Through games and activities, you can have fun, make new friends, and encourage each other. Rochester only Adult Advisors This workshop is for those who work with youth. Meet the new Conference Council Coordinators and share ideas and advice about experiences in working with youth. Late Nite Options Dance Take amazing Christian music, add some of today s hottest songs, and you ve got a dance! C mon down and have tons of fun with your friends or make new ones! Open Mic If you have an amazing talent such as singing, playing an instrument, or reading poetry (original or otherwise), or you have a testimony to share, come to this Late Nite Option, where all are accepted. Jokes and other forms of entertainment are more than welcome at this fun get-together, too! Wacky Olympics Get away from the norm and try to compete against time like crazy. Engage in friendly competition while embarrassing yourself. No worries we ll still love and accept you! 4-Square Not only 4-Square but other playground games to enjoy and share with friends old and new. Guitar Hero/DDR/Rock Band Bring your skills to share and encourage others to be their best at these intense games. Graceshop Grace: No Exceptions to God s Acceptance Fall Gathering Albany Best Western Airport Inn, 200 Wolf Road, Albany Friday, November 12 4:00 PM Registration Opens 6:50 PM Gathering 7:30 PM Worship 8:45 PM Graceshops I (descriptions available upon arrival) 10:00 PM Family Groups 11:00 PM Late Night Options (more details available upon arrival) 1:00 PM All UMYF s in own rooms Fall Gathering Rochester Radisson Riverside, 120 East Main St., Rochester Friday, November 19 4:00 PM Registration Opens 6:50 PM Gathering 7:30 PM Worship 8:45 PM Graceshops I (descriptions available upon arrival) 10:00 PM Family Groups 11:00 PM Late Night Options (more details available upon arrival) 1:00 PM All UMYF s in own rooms Saturday, November :30 AM Breakfast at the hotel 8:50 AM Gathering 9:30 AM Worship 10:45 AM Graceshops II (descriptions available upon arrival) 12:00 Noon Lunch (on own) 1:15 PM Family Groups 2:30 PM Gathering 3:00 PM Worship 4:30 PM Homeward Bound Saturday, November :30 AM Breakfast at the hotel 8:50 AM Gathering 9:30 AM Worship 10:45 AM Graceshops II (descriptions available upon arrival) 12:00 Noon Lunch (on own) 1:15 PM Family Groups 2:30 PM Gathering 3:00 PM Worship 4:30 PM Homeward Bound

5 The Upper New York United Methodist Advocate October 2010 Page 5 Grace: No Exceptions to God s Acceptance Upper New York Conference Fall Gathering - Albany November 12-13, 2010 Best Western Airport Inn, 200 Wolf Road, Albany This is the first Fall Gathering of the Upper New York Conference - Albany. Please complete the information on the registration form for ALL individuals attending. The registration cost includes your room, all programming and breakfast on Saturday. All other meals are on your own. Registration is based on room occupancy: Single Room $140 Double or Triple Room $110/person Quad or Quint Room $80/person Registration Deadline - Postmarked November 1, 2010 Send registrations (must include payment) to: Judy Hipes, 91 Park Street, Binghamton, NY Make checks payable to: Upper New York Annual Conference Any questions on the registration, please contact Judy Hipes at tandj3905@hotmail.com or Upper New York Conference Fall Gathering - Rochester November 19-20, 2010 Radisson Riverside 120 East Main Street, Rochester This is the first Fall Gathering of the Upper New York Conference - Rochester. Please complete the information on the registration form for ALL individuals attending. The registration cost includes your room, all programming and breakfast on Saturday. All other meals are on your own. Registration is based on room occupancy: Single Room $140 Double or Triple Room $110/person Quad or Quint Room $80/person Registration Deadline - Postmarked November 8, 2010 Send registrations (must include payment) to: Judy Hipes, 91 Park Street, Binghamton, NY Make checks payable to: Upper New York Annual Conference Any questions on the registration, please contact Judy Hipes at tandj3905@hotmail.com or Please print clearly. Church District Attending Advisor(s): (Please note M/F) Street: City: Zip: Phone: Please room attending Advisor(s) as well. Room 1 (Male/Female) (Adult/Youth) Room 2 Room 3 (Male/Female) (Adult/Youth) Room 4

6 The Upper New York United Methodist The UpperAdvocate New York Uni Page 6 October 2010 Bishop s tour of The Upper N Albany, Adirondack, Oneont Resident Bishop of The Upper New York Area, Dr. Marcus Matthews has just completed a tour where he met clergy and laity in all 12 districts of the new Upper New York Annual Conference. Bishop Matthews and senior executive staff traveling with him have received warm welcome and thoughtful questions during this journey over the 48,000 square miles of the new Conference which came into existance July 1, Here are some images from the tour. PHOTOS BY MAIDSTONE MULENGA AND NANCY CONKLIN

7 The UpperAdvocate New York United Methodist Advocate ited Methodist New York Conference begins in ta, and Binghamton Districts October 2010 Page 7

8 Page 8 October 2010 The Upper New York United Methodist Advocate United Methodist churches connect with college students in Upper New York By Sandra Brands It s early October. By now, students have returned to college and settled into campus life. They ve reconnected with friends and made new friends, hunkered down to studies, and, for many, thrown themselves into the social whirl. Probably very few of them think of church either the one they may have attended as a child or the one adjacent to the campus. It s hard to stay active and involved in a church when you re at school what with your schedule, said Erica Porter, a student at Nazareth College near Rochester, N.Y., and the United Methodist Student Movement (UMSM) representative for the Northeastern Jurisdiction. If [churches] take the initiative to stay in touch, it s a lot easier to stay connected. Porter, who is a member of New Hartford United Methodist Church in New Hartford, N.Y., attends Fairport United Methodist Church during the academic year. The welcome she has experienced at Fairport shows her that the congregation is interested in who she is and what she has to offer. It s good not to be invisible, she said. They ask me questions about finals and classes. I m a music therapy major and it s great to have them interested in what I m studying, why I came to college. Reaching out to students is important because, Porter said, College is a point in your life when you re really discovering who you are and what you want you want the rest of your life to be. It s really important for campus ministry and churches to provide that positive support. The Rev. Teresa Sivers, pastor at First Oneonta United Methodist Church Oneonta District agrees and points to the Cathedral of Light in Stormwind City, part of the World of Warcraft, a subscription-based, multi-player online game. There is church every Sunday morning, she said. The avatars, [characters representing players] come in and attend church in a virtual world, and the conversations are amazing. Worship in the Cathedral is interfaith the game is careful not to lift up one denomination but Sivers believes college students are hungry for Jesus; they re just disenchanted with institutional religion. They don t see [Jesus and the church] coming together, and that s a corrective we need to hear that, wait a minute! The institutions aren t doing what they say they are doing. Sivers said congregations need to listen to what college students and young adults are saying, provide places for conversations and even help them articulate their feelings about their faith. There is so much young adults can teach us about how the world is changing and about being global. Students are a very eclectic bunch these days, said the Rev. Dr. Thomas V. Wolfe, senior vice president and dean of student affairs at Syracuse University. People forget that students have the same deep questions about the meaning and purpose [of life] and they don t have a faith they take for granted. In some ways, this generation works harder at discovering their spiritual [path.] Wolfe said that while students recognize they do have a spiritual aspect and will explore different traditions, take comparative religion courses or be in dialogue with others about faith, they are less grounded in a particular denomination. There s the culture that we re spiritual, not religious. Religious is code for I don t go to organized religion. Students are very interested in interfaith conversations, Porter said. We really encourage students to become aware of other religions that are out there so we all can coexistence, Porter said. As a member of the UMSM, we have a national conference annually and the theme in 2009 was breaking barriers, building bridges. We were educated at that event about how we can co-exist and be accepting of each other s religions. Wolfe agrees. Students are skeptical of anyone who says we are the only way. We live in a richly diverse world and I ve learned when you bring students together in diverse context, they become each other s tradition. The wonderful thing about interfaith dialogue it helps people find their deepest [spiritual] place. Interfaith opportunities are offered through Geneseo United Methodist Church s campus ministry, The Wesley Foundation. The Foundation recently hired a new part-time campus minister who will continue her predecessor s tradition of offering a Sunday meal for students at the Interfaith Center just off campus, said the Rev. Keith Griswold, pastor of the church. This year, he said, she will also begin offering an interfaith worship service. Outreach should be interfaith as well, Griswold says. Located near the State University of New York at Geneseo, the congregation hosts an annual luncheon for students and families interested in adopting MASTER OF DIVINITY DEGREE a student for the year. We ve had a dozen or students participate every year, Griswold said. The students are from all faiths. When a family adopts a student, he said, the student is welcome into the family home and has a chance to get away from campus for a while. It provides a student an anchor, a social family support system away from campus. Griswold said that the present generation of 18 to 24 years old is probably the largest unchurch group they ve never had a grounding in going to church on a regular basis. That s where the campus ministry is trying to take a step by offering spiritual guidance and having a campus minister present when a student is having a crisis. The campus minister is working 15 to 20 hours a week, and some of that is just hanging out at the student union and being available to talk with students. Making connections Like every other facet of United Methodist Church life, ministry to college students is about making connections. Ithaca is a college town, site of both Ithaca and Cornell Universities. According to the Rev. Margie Mason, pastor at St. Paul s United Methodist Church in Ithaca, the church can be a student s family away from home. This is a time when a lot of people are asking questions, and it can be a place students can ask questions in a safe environment. Last year, at St. Paul s United Methodist Church in Ithaca, the congregation held a monthly gathering of young adults mostly graduate and undergraduate students. Sometimes we d we played games, sometimes we talked, said Mason. It was fluid and depended on how many people showed up. It is also, she said, an act of hospitality. It extends a welcome where young adults can gather and meet other students who are sharing similar paths. It s a way that the church lets them know that they are part of the church because an activity has been designed especially for them so they can get to know their peers. It gave me an opportunity to get to know them and learn the stories, she said. I always go around and talk to the students, welcome them, engage in conversations. Mason said the church will continue the tradition this year, beginning late September, early October. First Oneonta, located near SUNY, Oneonta, and Hartwick College, is currently revisioning how it will do campus ministry. First, Sivers said, it s about creating relationships. Students need to know they can say what they need to say and we won t judge them [that] it s okay to question. Fortunately, the church is ex- CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 Ready to Lead? New Cross Registration Plan Earn up to 48 semester hours from Northeastern Seminary and the remaining hours from United Theological Seminary and receive a University Senate approved Master of Divinity degree from United. N ORTHEASTERN at Roberts Wesleyan College Contact: JP Anderson ext.6802 anderson_jp@nes.edu To share in the mission of God. To serve the Northeast and beyond. Contact: Thomas Miller admissions@united.edu come join us! Master Master of Divinity of Divinity Master of Arts of Arts Doctor of Ministry of Ministry Graduate C ertificate St udies Auditing Opportunities Auditing Opport unities Graduate Certificate Studies

9 The Upper New York United Methodist Advocate October 2010 Page 9 Bishop s Advent Day Apart is Nov. 17 Bishop s Advent Day Apart & Organization of the Orders will be Wednesday, November 17. The event starts at 1 p.m. and ends at 5 p.m., cost is $5, all active, retired, local pastors and clergy appointed to extension ministries should attend. Registration was due at your District Office by October 15. The event will be held at Hendricks Chapel, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY. Show some love to your pastor, churches urged Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Marcus Matthews has called on United Methodists in the area to show appreciation to their pastors during October, which Clergy Appreciation Month. Bishop Matthews challenged Pastor-Parish Relations Committees and Staff-Parish Relations Committees to lead in honoring their pastors and pastoral families for their hard work, dedication and the blessings they bring to the congregations. This special month recognizes that God has entrusted pastors and their families with the spiritual well-being of God s flock. Pastors and their families live under incredible pressures; their lives are played out in fishbowls and the entire congregation and community can see their every move. They are seen as examples of Christian families, Christian marriages and Christians, and they are often expected to be always on, and always prepared to answer questions that may have no answers. The Clergy Appreciation Month offers congregations an opportunity to express their respect, appreciation and love for their pastor and their families, for those who minister to them on behalf of Christ and for the work they do for God s creation. Some of the suggested ways include: Planning special events for the month; Recognizing the pastor during a worship appreciation service; Giving the pastor a thank you for making a difference in your growth in faith; Hosting a special event in the pastor s honor such as a luncheon, church picnic, etc; Showering the pastor with cards, letters, or notes expressing appreciation; Sending a letter of appreciation about your pastor to the local newspaper; Producing a video that features highlights of the pastor s ministry, with tributes from church members, family, and friends; and Establishing a scholarship fund or making a charitable donation in the pastor s honor. Regardless of ways you decide to honor pastors and their families for Clergy Appreciation Month, you can honor pastors by supporting them with regular prayer, love and encouragement. Encounter weekend emphasizes that Marriage is for Lovers In today s world couples often settle for less in their marital relationship. They become so involved in the day-to-day concerns of their lives (jobs, children, home, social activities, etc) that they actually neglect each other. This may cause a strain on the marriage, as neglect leads to a lessening of intimate communication and affection. Without a true and growing urgency for each other, marriage becomes much less rewarding than it should or could be. Unfortunately, many couples are aware of the strain, but they believe that they have nowhere to turn. So they settle for the way things are while they secretly pine for the way things were or could be. Many cease to work at being husband and wife as their primary involvement becomes their jobs, their children, or social success. The United Methodist Marriage Encounter Weekend offers an opportunity for couples with intact, committed marriages who wish to move to the next level of intimacy and honest communication. The weekend is designed to help a couple learn how to recapture the love and affection that first brought them together and to build on that foundation to make their good marriage even better. Couples learn a method of non confrontational communication that can tear down the barriers that have arisen and that separate them. The weekend is for all couples who harbor a desire for more in their relationship and offers each couple a chance to rediscover each other. Why not chance falling in love all over again? Keith and Diane Sherwood ask. Give yourselves this gift. Come and find again the meaning and beauty of your marriage. Sharing a marriage encounter FROM PAGE 3 weekend together is one of the best things that can happen to a couple. We know because we did it. The next United Methodist Marriage Encounter weekend will be held November 12-14, For further information, or to sign up for this exciting opportunity, please contact: Keith and Diane Sherwood Ksher1021@aol.com United Methodist Marriage Encounter Registration Form HOW TO REGISTER: - - Fill out the form below, enclose a $50.00 non-refundable reservation fee, and mail to: U.M.M.E. c/o Ron & Diane Murdock, 29 Burr Street, Cazenovia, NY Please make checks payable to Marriage Encounter United Methodist. (Please Print) NAME & HIS HERS LAST STREET CITY STATE ZIP CODE PHONE ( ) WEDDING DATE / / OPTIONAL RELIGION Commentary On an Aspect of the Adjourned AC Session HUSBAND churches and organizations, is a psycho social space located between dominant and nondominant cultural groups, where non dominant groups are given access prior to the dominant group. It is essential, however, that the non dominant group invites the dominant group to succeed it in the grace space so that the dominant group may have its say, and that this process of taking turns in the grace space continues throughout the conversation or dialogue. It is not necessary for the dominant group not to have its influence, but for the nondominant group to have its influence. This is not a strategy to stifle the influence of the dominant group, but to equalize the influence of all groups. The challenge is that there are numerous non dominant groups who are dominant. For example, within the non dominant group of women, there are the non dominant groups of Black, Hispanic, Asian and Native American Women as well as the dominant group of White Women. Within these groups there may be dominant and non dominant status. Also, which group is more dominant; White women or Black, Hispanic, Asian, or Native American men? I am sure that you can appreciate the complexity involved in addressing the problem of power on our conference floor! For the strategy of Grace Space, or surrender of privilege, to be effective, and to honor our Methodist ethical principal of do no harm, once one group has had its say, the next must invite the another into the Grace Space. Of course, then the dominant group has the final word in the discussion. Interestingly, I asked one of the monitors of woman s participation in our conference session what categories of question were they asking. They were counting number of speakers, male and female, male clergy and female clergy. I asked her about the number of women of color versus the number of white women spoke. That was not a category of official interest. Questions of age and disability were also not considered. I think that we are on dangerous ground here. A conference where law abounds, even to bring about justice, is sure to do harm. Race and Racism could be doing their own audit, as can Disability Concerns, as can progressive and conservative organizations in our denomination, youth, young adults, senior citizens. And then, perhaps 10 years from now, white men will audit theirs. We need to be careful that we don t inflict injury on others with our use of statistics. How many of us are objective in gathering of data and interpreting that data? Our perception, even our perception of data, is skewed by our identity, capabilities and beliefs. We unconsciously distort, generalize, and delete information that is not consistent with our identities, capabilities and beliefs. Our biases bend data to define our reality, whether our bias is that of a dominant group or non dominant group. We, the conference, do have to do conference right. NAME OF CHURCH And we have been attempting to that since our first ancestor conference. We are attempting to do that, now. And with God s help, I am certain we will. We will, however, not do it through hostility, bullying, or caucuses. We will do it by love. We will do it by listening to one another and believing one another. I believe that we need a correct ecology of mind to accomplish this. We have to align ourselves with our source, the God head; in our identity with Christ Jesus as the Body of Christ; having the same mind that was in Jesus, where there is no male and female; sharing beliefs about what is essential for our faith and life together and in mission; and behaving (verbally and physically) in ways that act upon the world we live in accordance with the values that we have resourced from our source, through our identity, capabilities, and beliefs into our behavior and world. It is my hope that I have not offended, and if I have please forgive me. I ve done enough of that in my past. And it is my prayer that you and we will be merciful towards one another and bear with each other in love and in trust. We all have a part of the truth that is our perfection, our God, and together, we wil approximate that truth, better and better, until in the end there is nothing but truth, and we are all part of it. Congratulations everyone on a meaningful annual conference. In the love of Christ. Rev. Wilfredo J. Baez, Ph.D. WIFE WEEKEND DATE PREFERRED Special needs dietary medical, other

10 The Upper New York United Methodist Advocate October 2010 Page 10 Bishop Matthews announces slate of Cabinet officers for Upper New York Conference By Maidstone Mulenga Adirondack District Superintendent Henry Frueh has been named as the first-ever Dean of the Cabinet of the Upper New York Annual Conference. Resident Bishop Marcus Matthews announced the slate of Cabinet officers during the extended Cabinet meeting at University United Methodist Church in Syracuse late September. As Dean of the Cabinet, Frueh is responsible for working with the bishop in scheduling and tracking assignments. The other officers of the Cabinet are as follows: Secretaries (responsible for taking and communicating Cabinet meeting minutes): Mountain View DS Cathy Stengel and Northern Flow DS Beth Benham. Hosts (responsible for meeting arrangements, organizing hospitality, playtime): Benefits Officer Vicki Putney and Finger Lakes DS Dick Barton. Program Coordinators (responsible for yearly plan of reading and learning, choosing materials with the bishop, arranging for discussion leaders): Oneonta DS Jan Rowell and Conference Treasurer Sherri Mackey. Missioners (responsible for planning and implementing the Cabinet s local and worldwide participation on handson ministry): Crossroads DS Darryl Barrow and Genesee Valley DS Ted Anderson. Worship Coordinators (responsible for scheduling and coordinating Cabinet worship times and leaders and, with the help of the bishop, setting yearly or seasonal themes): Director of Connectional Ministries Bill Gottschalk-Fielding and Mohawk DS Sung Ho Lee. Chaplain (responsible for keeping in touch with the needs of Cabinet members and their families, and communicating on the Cabinet s behalf in times of celebration or sorrow): Bishop s Executive Assistant Christine Doran. Recruiters (responsible for planning visits by Cabinet members to seminaries and for keeping a record of prospects and seekers): Director of Transitional Ministries Deborah O Connor and Binghamton DS David Masland. Mentors (responsible for welcoming, orienting and walking beside new superintendents in their first year): Niagara Frontier DS Natalie Hanson and Cornerstone DS Larry Baird. Statisticians (responsible for organizing data collection and display, especially at appointment retreat, and for tracking any Cabinet funds): Albany DS Jim Fenimore and Director of Communications Maidstone Mulenga. New Upper New York advisory/profile forms available online New Upper New York Annual Conference reporting forms for the Staff/Pastor-Parish Committee and for the Pastor are now available at unyumc.org There are five forms: the S/PPRC Advisory form, the Pastor s Advisory form, the S/PPRC- Pastor Covenant, the Church Profile, and the Pastor Profile. Forms used in the four former Annual Conferences were surveyed and then elements weighed with attention to input over the past few year from S/PPRC committees, pastors, and superintendents about what has been, what hasn t been, and what might be more the helpful information. An effort was made to make the advisory forms clearer. Conference leadership hopes all working with the forms will understand and share their commitment to be good environmental stewards by handling all reporting on-line. The profiles require a good deal of time and input but, especially in the Church Profile, working through the questions will also lead the congregation through a discernment process that will help the Bishop and Cabinet make the best possible appointment for all. The deadline for both advisory forms is December 1. The deadline for both profiles is December 1. Your Superintendents will begin checking the progress of their churches mid- November. Remember, after all the effort of your initial input, you ll only have to go on-line and tweak your reports in years to come. The S/PPRC-Pastor Covenant is a tool designed to bear much fruit in local congregations. The S/PPRC and Pastor are required to evaluate their work each year, but often a common understanding or baseline is not concretely established upon which a mutually evaluative conversation can be based. Without such common and mutual expectations, evaluations tend to be subjective and focused only on the pastor. The Covenant is meant to help establish a concrete and common understanding of and direction for your work together; laity and pastor both. The questions are simple, both practical and spiritual, and goals-oriented. Conference leadership believes this covenanting process can help us improve in focus and communication, and prevent energy-draining misunderstandings. For those who are not already working with it, a good resource to support your covenant-making is the book, Watching Over One Another in Love, by Gwen Purushotham, available from Cokesbury-Abingdon Press. Because of all the other reporting work being required, the deadline for the S/PPRC-Pastor Covenant is the Spring of However, we urge all new appointments to begin work on the Covenant ASAP as part of a healthy transition. Your District Superintendent is ready and willing to answer any questions. To access and complete the forms online: Go to On the login page, enter your user name and password. For pastors, the user name and password are both your last name and first name, no spaces (e.g. for Jonathan Jones, the user name and password are both JonesJonathan; for Jane O Neill, the user name and password are both ONeillJane [we can t use apostrophes, though hyphens can be used]). For churches, the user name and password are both the six digit GCFA number (e.g or ) NOTE: If you need help with your login information, profiles@unyumc.org You will be asked to change your password. Please do so. This will help protect your privacy. Select the form you wish to work on and enter your answers to the questions. Save your work (there is a Save button at the bottom of the form). NOTE: You may partially complete your work, Save, and come back another time. It is highly recommended that you save your work periodically (at least every 15 minutes or so) in case of an interruption of service (e.g. power outage, computer crash, etc.). FROM PAGE 8 UM churches connect with college students traordinarily open to that. For Griswold, ministry to college students is not just about being on campus. It s allowing any of the students to be part of the church, he said. Last year, while the Olympics were going on, our student group decided they wanted to go curling. Several who attended were not regular participants of the campus ministry, but this gave them an opportunity to have fun. It s a social interaction that isn t overly spiritual, but gives people a chance to connect with people who are spiritual. It s often graduate students from nearby Syracuse University who find their way through the doors of University United Methodist. More and more we re finding that they re getting here via Social Media, said the Rev. Craig French, the church s pastor, adding that they re also discovering that students are finding the church through the Internet. They know what they are looking for, he said. They shop around. The key for us is to be clear about who we are, to show your heart and value. I also make a point of trying to personally connect with the students and connect them with folks in the congregation. The technological savvy of today s young adults and students means it is essential for congregations wanting to stay in touch with college students from their church or connect with those at a nearby school to know about and use the latest on-line and wireless tools young adults are using. We live in a socially networked society, said Wolfe. One of the things churches ought to have is literacy in social networking. It would be good to know what social network media, [such as Facebook or Twitter] their students use. If someone kept in touch with students that way, it would keep them connected to their home church. They are such an information-oriented culture, Sivers said. tends to be the best way to keep in touch with students from the congregation and I have a Facebook page. They re all on there and I ll send out messages weekly. I try to say something every day it takes about three seconds. It s wonderful to be able talk to Jenna down at Vassar about the cool philosophy class she s taking. Wolfe said home churches can also keep students connected by sending photos electronically via . They open up an image of their church or people waving to them, and it says we re still thinking of you. There are also low-tech ways to keep in touch. Regular phone calls from church members are very helpful, said Porter. It creates a connection and offers help. Also, churches can provide devotionals like Our Daily Break or the Upper Room. Those help me keep on track with my faith. Buying a book for a student or sending a care package with food people have prepared themselves or items that a student might find useful are also a reminder that the home congregation cares about the student, Wolfe said. Just a human touch is a nice thing, he said. At the end of every semester, the congregation of Genoseo United Methodist Church does send care packages to students during finals. It reminds students that they are being thought of, being prayed for, said Griswold. Holding college students in prayer is a major concern of ours. Volunteer opportunities Young adults are interested in action, and volunteer service projects can be very attractive. We ve seen a huge, seismic shift in how people [act out civic responsibility], said Wolfe. In the past, he said, young adults would participate in service projects through their church. Today, they are more likely to take part in secular projects. And many colleges and universities encourage--some even require--student participation in volunteer projects. Offering students opportunities to be part of a church s mission projects can be an effective way of connecting with them. The young adult population is extraordinarily actionoriented, said Sivers. Maybe that means starting with action, a mission project, and when you get together, have a moment of worship. The activity also allows students to see that the church is vibrant and involve, she said. One of the ways we connect vibrantly is we have a hot meal program on the weekend. We

11 Page 11 October 2010 The Upper New York United Methodist Advocate From the desk of Henry Frueh, Dean of the Cabinet and Adirondack District Superintendent From the Ground Up Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain... (Mark 4:8 NRSV) Gardeners know the ingredients: Weeds, banana peels, autumn leaves, egg shells, coffee grounds. Earthworms, fruit flies, springtails, sowbugs. Water, air, heat. Agitation. Time. Pile the waste, stir it up, let it cook, trust the process. Then and only then -- harvest the miracle! Dark, rich, living new soil the stuff of life from which seeds draw abundant nourishment to bear fruit many times over. Can the church again be that kind of vital composted soil? Can the church re-create itself from the ground up? I believe that is precisely God s yearning for the faith communities of the Upper New York Annual Conference. If we are to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be God s love with our neighbor in all places in a truly life-giving, fruit-bearing, contagious fashion it will not come about by trying to put Humpty-Dumpty together again. Rather, it will require us to toss our broken egg-shells and frostwilted flowerbeds into the compost bin of resurrection. It will invite us to forsake the wish of recapturing a flowery past in favor of a vision of life-giving earth. I think of Paul confessing to the Phillipians: Everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant I ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ (The Message). Is this not our confession and calling, also? And not only for individual faith and local church vitality but also for the annual conference? I can testify that your cabinet is a fascinating and vital laboratory of ecclesiastical composting at work! In one sense we (the district superintendents and conference executive staff) began as members of former annual conferences gathered at one table. But we know our calling goes far beyond that not as disparate formers, but as one now. We re called to be part of making something new in upstate New York. We cannot ask local churches or individuals to consider new ways of doing church at their tables without doing the same at ours. It would be easy for us to pick and choose from among the various practices we bring to the table. It would be easy for any of us to think that certain former ways are the right or best way. But we re recognizing the greater value of tossing all former things into the compost bin to let them cook with one another until something new emerges, unlike any of the former parts. Composting takes time and agitating the ingredients! Turning vegetable scraps into good soil is not always pretty or pleasingly fragrant! Composters accept the messiness of change. They embrace the uncertainty of chaos. They make peace with the crawly bugs that do the dirty work. They do not let nostalgia for banana peels halt the process. They re in the radical business of creating something new: deep, receptive, lifegiving soil. The hand of the Sower is poised to cast the seeds of the fruit of the Spirit across our area love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and selfcontrol. Those seeds are waiting for soil deep enough for roots, rich enough for a long season of growth. They re waiting for us to re-create the church from the ground up. From the desk of Sherri L. Mackey, Director of Administration/Treasurer Risking for the Right Reasons Tangible items such as money and property are not owned by us, but rather these gifts are entrusted to us by God for our use in bringing about God s Kingdom here on earth. The essence of stewardship is fully wrapped up in the idea that we are only the caretakers on behalf of God of the resources surrounding us. Being a good caretaker does not necessarily translate into being risk averse. Taking reasonable risks is not only expected, but required in order to wisely use and grow resources and to move a congregation through the church doors into the community. Often in a church s approach to finances, good stewardship is defined only in terms of actions such as cutting supply expenditures, stretching dollars with better vendor deals, raising more operational funds through BBQ dinners or pancake breakfasts, implementing across the board cuts, and reducing the number of church services at which the sanctuary must be heated and lit. No one can argue that these can be effective short-term strategies for keeping a church s books in the black. However, these approaches, if used frequently, show patterns of thinking that can eliminate a church s ability to lead a community into living God s Kingdom now and into the future. Repeating cuts and reductions year after year, slowly erodes away the church s ability to minister to its people and to its global neighbors. If a church cannot serve the community in ways that demonstrate the lessons of Jesus in action, then are we really being good stewards of all that has been handed to us? In Matthew 25: we are taught to not let the resources entrusted to us be idle. Through the wise use and investment of resources comes abundance. We are called to employ resources. Many churches have been energized by the emphasis on mission and ministry contained in the vision of our new conference, but they have also been deflated by the limitations implied by church budgets and the don t rock the boat attitudes often found within a local church. I suggest people start rocking the boats and taking risks to do the right things. This does not mean a church take unreasonable or illegal financial risk, but rather it means that radical ideas need to be raised and explored about how resources are being used. I challenge all churches to truly rethink church, to think broadly and unconventionally about the use all of the resources held by the church, to set goals on a path to enriched missions and ministries to the community, to do an honest assessment of the church s current effectiveness at using its resources for mission and ministry, to pray constantly for guidance, and to be willing to hear and follow God s call. Risk radical thinking, risk unselfish behavior, and dare to see burdens as resources for doing God s work in Upper New York. This is the path of good stewardship. FROM PAGE 10 get a number of college students from fraternities and other groups who come help serve. They enter the facility, they serve the program and they know who were are. Mason agrees. We have students who will come down and volunteer in our church even if they aren t part of the church. University United Methodist Church offers many handson opportunities. That s the first place we invite students to participate, French said. We serve a full breakfast twice a month [to the community] and routinely invite students. They routinely say, I d like to be part of that. We have a food pantry and clothing closet, and we have students who want to participate in that as well. Last year, French said, the congregation managed to get hold of some tickets to Syracuse UM churches connect University sporting events. We gave them to kids in the neighborhood and we invited students to come along as chaperones. The response was great. Porter suggested that churches can send announcements or newsletters to students to let them know what volunteer opportunities are available. College students at least at Nazareth really enjoy community service. The church can pair up and have a relationship with colleges. Another opportunity to connect with college students is to offer college students transportation to work on those projects, she said. Learning to be flexible The church is learning what it means to be in college ministry, said Sivers about the congregation of First Oneonta. A lot of churches have the misconception that somehow they have to get the kids a bad word to come to the church. That s erroneous. Students won t come to church, particularly not at 11 a.m. in the morning. That just doesn t happen the church needs to hear that, hear what kind of worship experiences will feed students, and then begin to formulate plans to go forward. The beginning of a campus ministry is the church learning to go to the students, she said. It s a ministry of presence that says We re here, we ll listen to you, we will hear what your needs are. Griswold agrees, saying congregations need to realize that this is a whole different generation. Their expectations of what churches are and how churches should be isn t going to be the same old same old. We need try different things do worship in different ways, do outreach in different ways, he said. FROM PAGE 3 Commentary: Monitoring done with care during Annual Conference sessions ers ( Youth? Young Adult? Older Adult? ) let alone guess their ethnicity, nor were we comfortable with asking people to self-identify. I pointed out that (like CoS- RoW) the Annual Conference Commission on Religion and Race is encouraged to practice the Ministry of Monitoring at annual conference sessions, and that CoSRoW s priority (by definition) is the status of women. I requested that we simplify the form dramatically, and Sara invited me to do it. Frankly, the monitoring we did was difficult enough; we couldn t even get speakers to consistently identify themselves as laity or clergy. Just imagine if we d asked you to identify yourself as an Ablebodied, Adult, Latino, Clergyman from Gouverneur. Despite Sara s presentation, in the morning plenary session, we found that as many male clergy spoke as male laity, female clergy and female laity combined. (Without someone actually counting, would you have guessed that?) ADVOCATE DEADLINE November 5

12 The Upper New York United Methodist Advocate October 2010 Page 12 Fees proposed for 2011 Annual Conference session The 2 nd Session of the Upper New York Annual Conference will take place June 8 to June 11, 2011 at the Riverside Convention Center in Rochester, N.Y. The Conference Sessions Committee has approved a policy regarding the fees for the 2011 conference session. Here is a quick breakdown of the fees for the 2011 session: (4 nights, 1/2 of double occupancy room) Room Package $180 per person Meal Package (3 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 3 dinners) 156 per person Full Package Commuter Package (no room, no breakfasts) PLUS Registration Fee 336 per person 125 per person In announcing the fee structure, the Sessions Committee released the following statement: 75 per person The Upper New York Annual Conference, meeting in full session, includes over 2,000 members and potential attendees. This requires a large, professionally-run site, substantial audio/visual equipment and operators, overnight accommodations and a means for providing meals in a quick and efficient manner. The Annual Conference planners have sought and secured aggressive pricing from the convention centers that are equipped to host this large event, and have contracted with the Rochester Riverside Convention Center and surrounding hotels as a result. Any location within the new conference will require travel for most participants as well as overnight accommodations. The 2011 Upper New York ministry share budget was developed with certain assumptions around the payment of expenses related to the Annual Conference Session. Some of those assumptions are: 1. The cost of attendance will be charged to all active Clergy, Lay Members to Annual Conference and Visitors. 2. The Conference will subsidize the cost of Retired Clergy and Clergy on Incapacity Leave attendance by paying for meals, and one-half the cost of a double occupancy room* for those traveling more than 30 miles. They will not be charged a registration fee. 3. The Conference will subsidize the cost of Equalization Member attendance by paying for meals, and one-half the cost of a double occupancy room* for those traveling more than 30 miles. They will not be charged a registration fee. 4. The Conference will pay for the attendance of staff, worship and music facilitators, and invited guests. 5. Display table expenses will be paid by the group or the appropriate budget line at the actual amount charged by the Convention Center and decorating company. 6. All persons, including staff, that choose to buy meals outside of the meal package do so at their own expense. 7. Expenses of the Ordination Service are paid through the Board of Ordained Ministry budget. 8. Parking fees are paid by the individuals. ( $4 per day) Based on the above assumptions, the registration package fees are set as follows: Room package (4 nights, 1/2 of double occupancy room) $ per person Meal Package (3 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 3 dinners) $ per person Full Package $ per person Commuter Package (no room, no breakfasts) $ per person PLUS Registration Fee $ per person All persons, except as noted above, will pay the Registration Fee. In addition, it will be the policy of the Upper New York Conference that each local church budget for the attendance of their pastor and Lay Member to Annual Conference an amount to include travel, meals, and accommodations if the location of the annual conference session is more than 30 miles from their homes. *1/2 double occupancy room means that if the retired clergy person or equalization member (participant) has a roommate, there will be no expense to the participant for lodging. If the participant chooses to have a single occupancy room, they will be charged $45 per night for that room. The roommate will be charged for their half of the room based on their status. FROM PAGE 1 Upper New York Conference offices moving Standing outside University United Methodist Church after touring the Ruth Stafford Peale Center are, from left, Christine Doran, the bishop s assistant, Bishop Marcus Matthews, Director of Connectional Ministries the Rev. Bill Gottschalk-Fielding and Trustee the Rev. Thomas Wolfe. Photo by Maidstone Mulenga. The contract with the church will expire at the end of November, and the trustees, who were elected at the Uniting Conference on June 19, were charged with locating a new home for the Annual Conference and the Episcopal Office, said Tom Clemow, president of the Board of Trustees. We were given a vision articulated by Bishop [Marcus] Matthews and others to try and create a setting where the surrounding world would clearly see the establishment of the United Methodist Church in Upper New York as entity meant to be lasting and prominent, he said. That vision took into account the need for visibility in the community, spatial requirements for the efficient operation of the Conference, Episcopal and at least one district office, and the need for a training and gathering center for the leadership, he said. The square-foot requirements were ambitious, Clemow said. They virtually dictated a commercial property setting if not new construction. However, commercial space, particularly in geographically central and prominent locations, was expensive and would require a long-term lease commitment to justify the property owner s expenses in building out the offices to suit the needs of the Conference, Clemow said. Though the Trustees viewed several properties that might meet the shortterm needs of the Conference during the spring, it was becoming apparent that we wanted to be as responsible as possible with the resources of the Conference, Clemow said. We did not want a long-term commitment before the actual needs and practices of the conference were only just emerging. Then the University United Methodist Church of Syracuse stepped forward and invited us to view space in the Peale wing of their building, he said. Named for the wife of Norman Vincent Peale, who once served University United Methodist Church from 1927 to 1932, the Ruth Stafford Peale Center is a three-story facility located just behind the sanctuary. Originally, the first floor housed the church s parlor, which was opened to the second floor. A walkway around the outer edge of the second floor led to the Sunday school rooms. A 1989 capital campaign raised the funds necessary to divide the two-story parlor into separate floors and create office space on the second floor. At the same time, an elevator was added, making the space accessible. The Peale family made a sizable contribution to the capital campaign, said the Rev. Craig French, senior pastor at University United Methodist Church. Norman Vincent Peale had been a pastor here and met his wife while he was here I believe they wed here. In gratitude, the church named the refurbished and repurposed center in honor of Ruth Stafford Peale. French said the bishop s offices and the Conference office will occupy most of the second and third floors, though some of the office space on the second floor will continue to house local community organizations. As with all other property, our team made a thorough investigation of this space, Clemow said. Clemow, Mackey and two of the members of the Conference site selection committee of the Trustees met with the leadership of University United Methodist Church. We were presented with terms that were singularly attractive both in cost, time and build-out. In addition Bishop Matthews toured the facility and determined that it would serve adequately for both his needs and the Conference s needs. Clemow said that the Trustees believe the choice of the Ruth Stafford Peale office space affirms one of our great churches and its ministry to the city, the campus and the neighborhood. We believe it is a responsible use of the resources of the conference churches in the matter of providing a physical home for the conference and the area. We are pleased that the spaces offered will be adaptable to our needs and that the build-out costs for areas to be retro-fitted will be shared with the church at their initiative. This decision allows us terms which give us flexibility with regard to the near and the long-term future, he said. Although an actual moving date is not established, a small group of Trustees and Mackey have been charged with preparing, planning and implementing renovation work needed and the move. The Rev. Thomas Wolfe, a member of the Conference Board of Trustees, has a long-standing relationship with University United Methodist Church, one that mirrors the long-standing relationship between the church and Syracuse University. Early in his career, Wolfe was the Protestant chaplain at Syracuse University. His wife, the Rev. Marilyn Wolfe, served an internship at University United Methodist Church, later returning to serve the church first as its co-pastor, then as its senior pastor. Syracuse University is the only united Methodist-related institution in New York State, he said. When the cornerstone for University Methodist Church was laid, it was the same day the cornerstone of the first building at Syracuse University The history of the church has been one of great connection to the university, but also the city [of Syracuse]. Wolfe believes there is symbolic value in housing the conference offices at the church. I think of our denomination as being committed to having a United Methodist presence in places of our greatest need. There is a long-standing history of [the United Methodist Church] supporting institutions of higher education and supporting the needs of urban communities, he said. University United Methodist Church is at one of those intersections.