Media Resource Center Newsletter
January 2020
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 [email protected].
How do United Methodists understand
Epiphany and Three Kings Day?
Epiphany  is the day Christians remember the coming of the Magi to visit Jesus, bringing their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 

It occurs on Jan. 6 every year, the 13th day of the Christmas season. The word "epiphany," from the Greek word Epiphania, means appearance or manifestation.

The arrival of these visitors was a sign that the incarnation of God in Christ had been made known and was recognized by the heavens to the whole world, so that even Gentile wise men from the East came to pay him homage. This is an observance of great majesty, solemnity and awe. Click here to read more.
Did you know?
 What is the history of Watch Night services? Is there a connection to John Wesley?

Methodism’s founder John Wesley first celebrated a  covenant renewal , or Watch Night, service in 1755. Wesley felt strongly that Methodists and all Christians should reaffirm their covenant with God annually.

For this service, he drew on several sources, especially the writings of Richard Alleine, a Puritan, to encourage people to live lives completely dedicated to God. Wesley found it meaningful and "a time of remarkable blessing." Watch Night services have long been an important part of  African-American worship .
 
Covenant services with Watch Nights used to be held at various times of the year. The  Watch Night service  is today most often held on New Year's Eve, sometimes concluding at midnight. It is sometimes observed on New Year's Day or on the first Sunday in January.
John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, succinctly described the plan of discipleship in what he called The General Rules. As Christians, we are to (1) do no harm by avoiding evil of every kind; (2) do good to all people; and (3) attend upon all the ordinances of God like participating in worship, taking Communion, reading the Bible, praying, and more.

Unfortunately, knowing that does not always translate into living it. Learn more about how Wesley's concept of small groups as a place for accountability and spiritual growth have been adapted for today.  Read more>> .
New Resources for 2020
The Walk: Five Essential Practices of the Christian Life by Adam Hamilton
How do we walk with Christ—daily follow him, grow in him, and faithfully serve him? In the Gospels, Jesus modeled for us the Christian spiritual life. The apostles taught it in their writings. And the Church has, through the last 2,000 years, sought to pursue this Christian spiritual life.

In The Walk , Adam Hamilton focuses on five essential spiritual practices that are rooted in Jesus’ own walk with God and taught throughout the New Testament. Each of these practices is intended as part of our daily walk with Christ while also being an essential part of growing together in the church.

In each chapter, Hamilton explores one of these practices, its New Testament foundation, and what it looks like to pursue this practice daily in our personal life and together in the life of the church. Deepen your walk with Christ as we explore the five essential practices of worship, study, serving, giving, and bearing witness to our faith.

Additional components for a six-week adult study include a comprehensive leader guide and a DVD featuring the engaging teachings of author and pastor Adam Hamilton. Also available are resources for children and youth.

Click here to preview. Go to our  Online Catalog  to order  The Walk , K347=,  then choose the component(s) you wish to borrow to add to your shopping cart.
How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge: Leveraging Influence When You Lack Authority by Clay Scroggins
This resource offers ideas for church employees in multi-person staffing situations to maximize their effectiveness. It presents a relational approach rather than a collaborative methodology. One of the greatest myths of leadership is that you must be in charge in order to lead.

Great leaders don’t buy it. Great leaders lead with or without the authority and learn to unleash their influence wherever they are. Author and pastor Clay Scroggins will help you nurture your vision and cultivate influence, even when you lack authority in your organization. And he will free you to become the great leader you want to be so you can make a difference right where you are. Even when you’re not in charge.

In this study, Clay explains what is needed to be a leader – especially when you answer to someone else. The sessions include:

1) The Oddity of Leadership (17 min)
2) Lead Yourself (16 min)
3) Choose Positivity (17 min)
4) Think Critically (17 min)
5) Reject Passivity (15 min)
6) Challenging Up (18 min)

Click here to preview. Go to our  Online Catalog  to order H ow to Lead When You're Not in Charge , K351= ,  then choose the component(s) you wish to borrow to add to your shopping cart.
Authenticity Challenge by Sarah Heath
FOMO, the fear of missing out, isn’t new. But today, social media makes us increasingly more aware of the fun, interesting, and enjoyable activities that others are experiencing. We yearn for the lives we assume others are already living.

Through insights gained through her own journey toward contentment, author Sarah Heath found the answer to overcoming these feelings is to live an authentic life. Rather than longing for and chasing after somebody else’s life, you have to show up completely to your own life with honesty and courage.

In The Authenticity Challenge , Sarah invites you to embrace authenticity in three key areas of your life: vocation (the What), relationships (the Who), and faith (the Why). Over the course of 21 days, you will be guided through seven daily challenges each week related to one of these areas.

Take the challenges on your own or combine with this three session DVD featuring Sarah in 8-10 minute video segments designed for small group discussion. Additionally, leader helps found in the book make sharing group study easier, allowing you to share your experience with others and encourage one another as you grow in authenticity. Being authentic in all areas of your life allows you to see how uniquely beautiful your story is. It enables you to be grateful for who you are. And it empowers you to move toward a more content life.

All videos sessions are closed captioned.

Click here to preview. Go to our  Online Catalog  to order  Authenticity Challenge , K350= ,  then choose the component(s) you wish to borrow to add to your shopping cart.
Soul Reset by Junius B. Dotson
Everything was going fine . . . until it wasn’t. For Reverend Junius B. Dotson it took an actual breakdown during a funeral for him to realize he needed a reset. As he recalls his own journey through grief, depression, burnout, and emotional breakdown, Dotson is passionate about calling for a Soul Reset for pastors, church leaders, and all disciples of Jesus Christ.

This is a 6-week church-wide study for everyone who moves at breakneck speed through their daily lives, often relying only on their own strength to bring God’s kingdom on earth. Jesus shows us a different way, an easier, unforced rhythm of what kingdom work looks like. It’s a balance of work, rest, play, worship, exercise, and eating well—spiritual practices that keep our souls hydrated and healthy as we do the work of the church in the world. Soul Reset: Breakdown, Breakthrough, and the Journey to Wholeness includes a book; a DVD; downloadable video segments; age-level discussion guides for children, youth, and adults; sermon starters; and more.

Soul Reset is a call for the church and all of Jesus’ disciples to reset and reorder their lives around spiritual practices, to learn to walk through our difficult seasons with our souls connected to the source of Living Water so that we don’t burn out or break down. And if we do burn out or break down, we learn to lift one another up and point one another back to Jesus.

Click here to preview Soul Reset. Go to our  Online Catalog  to order Soul Reset, K348= ,  then choose the component(s) you wish to borrow to add to your shopping cart.
Calendar - January 2020
  • Dec. 24 - Jan. 3, 2020 - Media Resource Center will be closed
  • Dec. 24-25, 2019 - Conference office will be closed for Christmas Holiday
  • January 1 - Conference office will be closed for New Year's day
  • January 6 - Epiphany
  • January 18-25 - Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
  • January 20 - Conference office will be closed for Martin Luther King day
If you have any suggestions for our 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 [email protected] .
Upper New York Conference | 315-898-2027 | [email protected] | www.unyumc.org