Adirondack and Albany District Newsletter

Send us your news, events and classifieds: carrieboyer@unyumc.org

Thursday, May 2, 2024

District Office hours: Tuesdays through Saturdays; 8 AM to 5:30 PM except Thursdays, 8 AM to 2:30 PM. Call Carrie Boyer @ (518) 608-1246 or send an email to carrieboyer@unyumc.org

Please send all emails to carrieboyer@unyumc.org

The District phone is (518) 608-1246 and our mailing address is PO Box 511, Newtonville, NY 12128.

Our District Superintendent, the Rev. Debbie Earthrowl can be reached at (518) 391-3215 and debbieearthrowl@unyumc.org

New Newsletter Format

We have combined the Adirondack and Albany newsletters. In order to shorten the body of the newsletter, there will be three links to Local Church News:

Events/Announcements: Click here

Meals and Sales: Click here

Classifieds: Click here

Any feedback is welcome. We can always change the way we do things. The goal is to make it easier on our readers to navigate the news.

God Bless,

Carrie Boyer

Administrative Assistant for the Districts

Don't Miss Any Important News/Announcements from the Conference Office!

To ensure that you don't miss any important information,

please consider subscribing to the following:

Click here to subscribe to UNY Notes.

Click here to subscribe to the Weekly Digest

Click here to view the Weekly Digest published May 1.

Stories include:

-- Bishop Héctor A. Burgos Núñez makes history at General Conference and other General Conference News

-- Bishops and delegates unite in a rally advocating for Palestine

-- Together in Prayer: Passion for a Life of Justice

-- Be a part of an upcoming Pre-Conference Briefing – Two webinars: May 16 or May 18. Third webinar on Child Victims Act recommendation May 20.

-- May issue of the Bridge available for download

Bishop Burgos Núñez

announces clergy appointments

After the prayerful discernment of the Upper New York Cabinet, Bishop Héctor A. Burgos Núñez announces the following appointments. All appointments, unless otherwise noted, are effective July 1, 2024.

To view appointments, click here.

Annual Conference registration is closed. Next time to register is at the Conference on May 30

The deadline to register for the 2024 Annual Conference Session was Wednesday, April 24. If you opted to pay via check, a reminder that all payments need to be received by May 10 in order for the registration to be complete/active. Send your check, payable to UNY Conference to UNYAC, ATTN: Trina Obrist, 7481 Henry Clay Blvd., Liverpool, NY 13088.

The next opportunity to register will be at the start of Annual Conference on Thursday, May 30. Registration opens at 8:30 AM (Worship begins at 10 AM.) Please note that there will be only a certain number of registrations that can be accepted for the meals. All late registrants will be charged an additional $50 fee.

Registration refunds will not be offered after May 10.

(New) You can now view the pre-conference journal. Click here You can also purchase a hard copy if you prefer. Click here.

Annual Conference general information

District Superintendent Rev. Debbie Earthrowl reflects on the UMC's General Conference in her daily devotional on Facebook

Click here to view the devotion.

Debbie shares her devotion live on Facebook every morning.

Follow the events happening at the 2024 General Conference

You can follow all General Conference events through UM News, this full schedule and by watching the live stream. The Conference ends tomorrow, May 3.

Follow the news

Watch the live stream

View the full schedule

(New) UM News updates from General Conference

Click here to view several stories regarding recent decisions and other news from General Conference.

Stories include:

-- Church ends 52-year-old anti-gay stance: General Conference delegates supported a revision of the Social Principles that deletes the phrase “the practice of homosexuality… is incompatible with Christian teaching.” That phrase has been part of church teachings since 1972.

-- 40-year ban on gay clergy struck down

-- Disaffiliation ends, regionalization moves forward

-- New clergy retirement plan approved

-- Formula for calculating number of Bishops eliminated

--Delegates decry hate crimes against Asian Americans

Disciples in the Marketplace

This new video-based, small-group series highlights stories of real-world discipleship in the workplace, home, and community by lifting up the work lives of believers who connect the dots between faith and life.

Click here to watch each episode and explore additional resources from the UMC's Discipleship Ministries.

Read a Chapter a Day:

Summer Challenge

Discipleship Ministries is thrilled to invite you to embark on a transformative journey with the Read a Chapter a Day challenge!

Join the summer challenge to read a chapter of Acts a day, starting the day after Memorial Day (May 27) and concluding on Independence Day (July 4). This challenge is an opportunity for us to grow together in faith, wisdom, and community. Click here to learn more and register today!

Peace with Justice Sunday Pastor and Leader Kit available

Peace with Justice Sunday is May 26. Make sure you're ready for this Special Sunday with your pastor and leader kits. The kits provides a full package of ready to use resources to help your church celebrate Peace with Justice Sunday and define how we give, why we give and the impact we make through connectional efforts.

To download the kit: Click here

MAY 2, 2024

Source of Strength

Nestor Castellanos (Texas, USA)

Link to Today's Devotional

READING FOR THE DAY

Joshua 1:1-9

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

I won’t give up; God is by my side.

TODAY'S PRAYER

Heavenly Father, we ask for strength on the days when we want to give up. Keep us always aware of the hope and future you have for our lives. Amen.

Kissed by Rain

Rainy days are far from being favorite weather for photographers; yet droplets left by a morning shower added to the beauty of this tulip. It is also true that the overcast skies of the day resulted in rich saturated colors that bright sunshine make difficult to obtain.

On this day my determination to capture some interesting images despite the inclement weather paid off with several nice images.

In a similar manner, my willingness to dare to believe in what some view as wishful thinking has opened access to the wonders of a loving God. A God who promises to walk with me through times of celebration and times of great despair. A God who assures me that the forces of greed, hatred and revenge will not win; that our precious years here on earth are not all there is to life.

Religious individuals seek to share their faith not because we think we are superior, but because we believe that this world of ours works best when we are open to God’s love and share that love with our neighbors.

Daring to believe in the existence of a loving God who calls us to love one another can transform us. For some the fruit of that belief is an instant and radical transformation of their life; others experience the change step by step; and for others it is a process of two steps forward and one back.

Today’s photo was taken in Washington Park in Albany, NY on May 3, 2010.

I have done more than 1,400 Daily Photo Devotions, most of which can be seen on my blog at Blog Posts – Daily Photo Devotions (wordpress.com).

Shalom,

David E. Smith, Pastor

Mayfield & Northampton at Fish House United Methodist Churches

Phone or Text: 518-572-4051

Email: revdavid76@gmail.com

You can find this and other devotions in my blog at www.adirondacksights.wordpress.com. You can also find more of my pictures on my web site www.revdavidimages.com.