Media Resource Center Newsletter
February 2018
Welcome to the Upper New York Media Resource Center
If you've never used the Media Resource Center before, I invite you to give us a try. Funded by your Shared Ministry dollars, we can supply you with small group discussion materials, Bible studies, children and youth curriculum, adult curriculum, and a myriad of subjects such as stewardship, evangelism, social Issues and VBS materials, just to name a few. Our quick and easy online ordering is just a click away. You can add things to a "shopping cart", then once submitted, you'll receive an email with your invoice attached. We send your order through the USPS and we'll supply the mail back envelopes and label with instructions on mailing. Your only cost is the postage to return it. Please feel free to search our online catalog below.

If I can assist you in any way, please don't hesitate to give me a call at 315-898-2027 or email me at karencampolieto@unyumc.org.
Ash Wednesday begins Feb. 14
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent. Lent is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline.

Ash Wednesday emphasizes two themes: our sinfulness before God and our human mortality. The service focuses on both themes, helping us to realize that both have been triumphed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

During some Ash Wednesday services, the minister will lightly rub the sign of the cross with ashes onto the foreheads of worshipers. The use of ashes as a sign of mortality and repentance has a long history in Jewish and Christian worship. Historically, ashes signified purification and sorrow for sins.

It is traditional to save the palm branches from the previous Palm Sunday service to burn to produce ashes for this service. Sometimes a small card or piece of paper is distributed on which each person writes a sin or hurtful or unjust characteristic. The cards are then brought to the altar to be burned with the palm branches. The ash cross on the forehead is an outward sign of our sorrow and repentance for sins. Click here for 10 ideas for a more meaningful Ash Wednesday.
Lent and Easter: Sharing the message of God’s love
During Lent, we enter into a season of preparation, self-reflection and repentance when we seek to literally “turn around” and realign our lives and focus toward God. It is a time to give up things as well as take on new life-giving practices, helping us rid ourselves of distractions and our own selfish desires. By doing so, we seek to live and love as more faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.

The Easter Season, also known as Eastertide or the Great Fifty Days, begins on Easter Day and ends on Pentecost. Focusing on Christ's resurrection and ascension and the sending of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost), Eastertide is the most joyous and celebrative season of the Christian year. We celebrate the good news that in Christ’s death and resurrection we, and all creation, are continually being made new by God’s love and saving grace. Discover creative ideas for encouraging church members to deepen their own spiritual journeys with these Lent and Easter resources. Read more>
What's New?
A New Playlist : Many of us go through our days with ear buds in place, listening to our favorite songs or podcasts to the exclusion of everything going on around us. What if we did the same thing when living our lives, choosing to listen to Jesus’ playlist and tuning out the anxiety, disruptions, and schedule overloads of the world? Jacob Armstrong’s new book,  A New Playlist , examines this very idea. You’ll discover how to cut through the distractions of life to hear God more clearly. You’ll learn that saying “no” to the demands of the world is often the best “yes.” The six-session DVD features Jacob Armstrong in his warm, engaging style guiding participants through the study.

  1. Let in the Light
  2. Who is your Master?
  3. Do Not Be Afraid
  4. Rule Followers, Rule Breakers
  5. The Right Words
  6. The Power of Connection

Each video segment is approximately 10–12 minutes in length and, when combined with the six book chapters and leader Guide, make an ideal six-week group study. All videos sessions are closed captioned. Click here to preview. Go to our online catalog to order (K239=). Choose the components you wish to use to add to cart.
End of me  
In his award winning book, Not a Fan , Kyle Idleman challenged us to pick up our cross and die to our self. But what does that actually mean? Join Kyle as he explores the upside down paths that lead us to Jesus in his new book, End of Me . Featuring the true testimonies of author and spoken word artist Jefferson Bethke, NBA star Landry Fields, founder and director of Scarlet Hope, Rachelle Star, and the former U.S. manager of Apple Records, Ken Mansfield - this cinematic journey unpacks the counterintuitive truths of Jesus:

  1. You must be Broken to be Whole
  2. You must Mourn to be Happy
  3. You must be Authentic to be Accepted
  4. You must be Empty to be Filled

It includes a leader's guide and participant journal as well as two DVDs. Each session is approx. 20 minutes. Click here to view preview. Go to our online catalog to order (K238=).
Choose the components you wish to use to add to cart.


Rethink VBS:
Turbo-charge your plans and invitations (Part 1)
Written by Eric Silberling, United Methodist Communications

In the past, a successful vacation Bible school (VBS) required only that the church change the sign to reflect the new dates and — voila! — people showed up. However, churches find themselves competing with a myriad of sports events, school-sponsored camps and programs and other activities that fill the calendars of children and the adult volunteers who are key to making vacation Bible school exciting and even life changing.

As your church prepares to spend hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars to stage VBS, be ready to do the research, planning and preparing necessary to deliver a high quality event. In part 2 we will cover how to market it and make connections that will continue beyond VBS week . Read more >

It won't be long before you will want to start planning Vacation Bible School for your church and community. We have a large variety of VBS kits for your church to use to get you started. Go to our online catalog and type in VBS in the search phrase box to see a list of what is available.
Important dates to remember
February 14 - Lent begins
February 19 - Media Resource Center closed for President's Day
March 30 - Media Resource Center closed for Good Friday
April 1st - Easter
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“ By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return."  
Genesis 3:19
If you have any suggestions for our new format of the Media Resource Center newsletter or have ideas that we may include in the future, I'd love to hear from you. Just drop me a line at karencampolieto@unyumc.org .
Upper New York Confrence | 315-898-2027 | karencampolieto@unyumc.org | www.unyumc.org