September 3rd, 2020 Oneonta District News for you
* Please share this newsletter with your friends and congregation members.
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Update on the Oneonta District Office
Our plan is to continue to work mostly remotely through Sept. 29th, due to rising numbers of Covid-19 cases in our area! We will be in the District office occasionally. We are adhering to guidelines on safety and social distancing. If you have a need to physically stop by, please call or email us to schedule an appointment and please give us at least 24 hours’ notice. You'll need to wear a mask and follow safety protocols. Call Teresa at (607) 441-5102.
Teresa works Mon.-Thurs. and the office hours vary from day to day.
The Office is closed Fri, Sat. and Sun.
You are welcome to call us after hours at (607) 441-5102 and leave a message or email the district office at [email protected] and we will get back to you at our earliest convenience .
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IMPORTANT - Please note when sending snail mail to the district office; send to the following address:
Oneonta District Office UMC
C/OTeresa Wood
28 Orchard Street
Oneonta NY 13820
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UPDATE - Virtual UNY Annual Conference
Registration for the 2020 Annual Conference is open. The Annual Conference will take place on October 3 at 9:30 a.m. through a secure livestream. Click here to see the full agenda.
All eligible voting members must preregister by September 25. Click here to register.
Clergy members will need to register for both the Clergy Session and the full Annual Conference Session.
Any clergy member looking to be excused from Clergy Session on September 19 or Annual Conference on October 3 can submit a request by clicking here.
When registering individuals must provide a login email and create a password for the event. Individuals will be responsible for knowing their login information and for having the necessary technology to participate. Technical questions about the event can be directed to the Conference Director of Communications, Steve Hustedt, at [email protected].
Questions about registration can be addressed to Erica Wentworth at [email protected].
Non-eligible voting members can view the Annual Conference session via a public livestream that will be available on the Conference website
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Voting process at the 2020 UNY Annual Conference
Those who are eligible to vote must provide a login email and create a password to access the virtual meetings when they register for the clergy session and the full Annual Conference session.
Click here to learn how voting will work at both the clergy session and the full Annual Conference session.
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Important: Get Ready for Charge Conference!
In preparation for the upcoming Charge Conferences, the following information is now available:
Charge Conference forms are all located on the following page: 2020-2021 Charge Conference forms. There is a downloadable/printable forms check list to help ensure that each church is on track to completing the forms necessary for their Charge Conference on time. Many of the forms need to be submitted to the District Office two weeks prior to your scheduled Charge Conference. Other forms, such as the annual audit, have later deadlines.
If you get an error message while trying to access the Charge Conference forms, click here for help.
The 2021 Clergy Compensation Package information has been emailed to the Staff Parish Pastor Relations Committee (SPPRC) chairs for those churches which have provided contact information. Pastors have been emailed the materials and local church treasurers have been advised where to obtain the basic information contained in the packet. The United Methodist Discipline directs the SPPRC to consult with pastor and staff regarding all aspects of compensation and to then recommend appropriate proposals to the Church Council prior to the Charge Conference; and/or on an annual basis.
Information and forms, including the Salary Report Form and benefit cost information for 2021 can be on the following page: 2021 Pastor's Compensation.
Thank you for your attention to these important administrative ministries of your local church!
NOTE: Annual Charge Conferences will be held Virtual this fall (held via ZOOM). Dates for Charge Conferences will be announced soon, so be watching your email for this information.
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IMPORTANT: Due to rising numbers of positive Covid-19 cases in the area, the following Oneonta district churches are back on PAUSE - returning to on-line services only, for at least the next 3 weeks.
Elm Park UMC
Morris/ Edmeston UMCs
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The spiritual practice of thanking God through art
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Upper New York Assistant Director of Vital Congregations for Spiritual Life, the Rev. Nancy Dibelius, has been providing videos of helpful spiritual practices to help deepen people’s relationship to God during this difficult time.
This week, Rev. Dibelius guides you through the practice of the Rule of Life, developed by Benedict of Nursia.
Click here to watch Rev. Dibelius’s video about this pattern of prayer, work, and study, known as the Rule of Life.
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Church Reopening Guidelines
Churches are required to have developed a Safety Plan and have it available/on file at the church and to submit a form that affirms that guidelines are being followed prior to reopening.
Upper New York also is requiring that churches affirm their compliance with safety requirements by submitting this form. This is required even for churches that choose to continue to meet only remotely. . Please be mindful this form needs to be submitted whenever your church's method of worship changes.
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Part-Time District AA Job Opening
The UNY Conference is currently seeking a part-time District Administrative Assistant for the Niagara Frontier District office located in Cheektowaga, NY. This is a part-time position for up to 29 hours per week.
The person in this position must maintain good working relationships with staff members, attend quarterly District Administrative Assistant meetings either in person or via Zoom, and is encouraged to attend the Annual Conference. This person should also foster and maintain good relationships with clergy, retirees, local church members, and collaborate with other District Administrative Assistants in the Conference.
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UNY Conference seeking Site Director for Casowasco Camp & Retreat Center
Casowasco Camp and Retreat Center, part of the Upper New York Conference of the United Methodist Church, has an exciting opportunity for a Site Director to serve the multi-faceted ministry of summer camp and year-round retreats at our Camp & Retreat Center located in Moravia, near the city of Auburn, NY.
The Casowasco Camp & Retreat Center serves 1,000 summer campers and more than 60 groups annually, with seven year-round staff and 40 seasonal staff, as well as many volunteers. The Casowasco mission is to provide intentional Christian community in which all may experience personal and spiritual growth and develop as Christian leaders to transform the world. The successful candidate will be strategic, mission focused, and capable of managing a million-dollar budget.
Casowasco Camp & Retreat Center boasts over 200 wooded acres, a beautiful gorge, and over a mile of shoreline on Owasco Lake. This position offers excellent benefits, including on-site housing. Relocation benefits are not provided. Click here to apply.
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Dismantling Racism Resource
The UMC will lead a sustained and coordinated effort beginning now and continuing through General Conference, August 29 to September 7, 2021, to actively engage in the ministry of dismantling racism and promoting racial justice. The UNY Conference Communications team will regularly share worship, advocacy, and educational resources to help with this important campaign.
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Resources for Responding to Systemic Racism
We must be prepared to minister to those that are hurting and to adequately address the issues that are confronting our nation. Discipleship Ministries has collected resources to help churches address the topics of racism, systemic oppression, violence and more. Click to view the resources.
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Lay Servant Advanced Course:
Polity Life Together in the United Methodist Connection
September 10 6-9 PM
September 15 6-9 PM
September 17 6-9 PM
Course will be taught Via Zoom
Course Leader: Pastor Paul Winkleman
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Grief Share group- sponsored by: First UMC of Unadilla
Meeting online - Registration fee: $0.00 (Includes workbook)
This group is currently meeting online. Please register or contact the group contact person for more information.
OPEN ROLLING ENROLLMENT. JOIN ANYTIME.
Contact person
Brandilynne Craver, Group Leader
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Are you, or someone you know, interested in caring for or improving your church's program of history?
The General Commission on Archives and History of the United Methodist Church will be offering a Local Church Historian School in 2020 for church historians---or anyone interested in the story of their church.
This is the same school developed and offered by the Indiana Conference in the past---now updated---and being offered by the General Commission on Archives and History to any United Methodist church globally.*
The Local Church Historian School curriculum will cover a wide range of skills necessary to become a "complete" church historian. Participating congregations will benefit from a new consciousness of their heritage and legacy and be motivated to study their unique stories and proclaim it to those around them.
The Book of Discipline says our Conference is "to encourage and assist the local churches in preserving their records, compiling their histories and celebrating their heritage...." This school provides United Methodists the opportunity to do just that.
The school will begin on September, 14, 2020. Plan now to use this opportunity to ensure that the heritage of each of our churches will be celebrated and that each church can receive the full benefit of its own amazing story.
*The only prerequisite for the Local Church Historian School is access to dependable email service. (Minimal computer skills are required.)
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Important Reminder : Reports NOW PAST Due |
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2019 Annual Reports now past due
· Report of Trustees
· Report of the Finance Committee
· 2019 Local Church Financial Audit
These reports are now past due. Please send these to the Oneonta district office at your earliest convenience. Note: if you have the means to email them vs. snail mail then this is very welcome.
Thanks to the Oneonta district churches who have submitted these reports!
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Media Resource Center is now partially reopened
The Media Resource Center began lending and accepting back overdue resources on Aug. 1. Please send back any items that you currently have as soon as possible. If you need to readjust return dates, please contact Karen Campolieto, Media Resource Coordinator and Archives Assistant. The Media Center will not be available for personal pick-up, but you can mail materials until further notice as our offices are still officially closed to the public at this time.
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Upper New York Red Bird Mission Shoebox Campaign seeking drop-off locations
Dave Alexander and the mission team at Endwell United Methodist Church are again coordinating the collection and delivery of shoeboxes for the Red Bird Mission. Red Bird Mission is a poverty-relief organization that serves a remote, impoverished population in Bell, Clay, and Leslie counties in southeastern Kentucky.
Currently, the Endwell UMC Mission Team is looking for drop-off locations for the shoeboxes. As of now, Endwell UMC, and the UNY Mission Central HUB in Liverpool are two drop-off locations and several other churches have expressed interest. Please consider being a drop-off center. Items can be dropped off from Nov. 2- Nov. 24.
If your church would like to be a drop-off location, please email Dave Alexander at [email protected] by Sept. 1 and a list of the drop-off locations will be distributed to the Conference via the Weekly Digest the following week and will also be published on the Conference website (www.unyumc.org).
Click here to read more about Red Bird and the contents needed for the shoeboxes.
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2020-21 UNY Appointment List
Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb and the Upper New York Conference release the final appointment list for 2020-2021. Click here to view the full list of changes.
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FOR YOUR INFORMATION and Calendar
The Upper New York Conference Center in Liverpool, including the Episcopal office and Crossroads District office, will remain closed to the public until Tuesday September 8, the day after Labor Day at the earliest.
General Conference
The quadrennial legislative event will take place on August 29 - September 7, 2021, at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, MN. Click here to read more.
Jurisdictional Conferences
The Jurisdictional Conferences in the United States will be held November 10-12, 2021. The days prior to and after can be used at the discretion of each Jurisdictional Conference. Click here to read more.
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Webinars offered on several topics
Several webinars are scheduled by clergyeducation.com, which is a resource for clergy and church leaders, offering CEUs accepted by most United Methodist annual conferences.
Upcoming webinars include:
Growing a church by becoming part of the community
10 ways to turn first-time guests into returning guests
Leading your congregation to think in new directions
Click here to view information and to sign up for webinars.
Keeping church property safe when closed
Even if your church building is seeing little use these days, the property still faces risk of damage or burglary. Explore tips from United Methodist Insurance that will help local churches keep people safe and make the most of limited visits to the building. To read more, click here
Tune in to webinars
The Conference website has webinars to assist you with the following:
How to Facebook Live
Using ZOOM to keep church connection
Online Giving
Streaming worship online.
Tips for streaming your services
Many churches are brainstorming ways to record or stream their services during the COVID-19 outbreak. Click here to check out our Resource page where we describe different services you can use for video recording or live streaming your services.
One popular live streaming platform that churches are using is Facebook Live.
Click here for a very useful video by Baptist pastor Bobby Gillstrap, showing you how to use Facebook Live.
Tips on using Zoom for Bible Studies and small groups
Zoom is a video conferencing as well as webinar resource that Conference staff as well as Conference and District leaders often use to communicate with one another. We are suggesting all committees and teams that usually meet at the United Methodist Center to meet using Zoom while the office is closed, which is currently now through May 15.
Zoom is also a great platform for you to use with members of your congregation and to host Bible studies or small groups. Click here to learn how to get started with Zoom, to watch Zoom tutorials, to access Zoom technical support and to see Zoom-related FAQs.
Click here for a webinar about how to use Zoom created by our friends in the Arkansas Conference.
UNY to offer matching grants for purchase of Zoom
To help churches to continue to be in ministry with their members and their communities, the Upper New York Conference is offering $5,000 in matching grants for churches wishing to purchase the Pro version of Zoom for a year. Zoom is an online meeting software ideal for Bible study, small group discussion, or meetings. Zoom is also an option for live streaming worship services if used as a webinar. To learn more about how to use Zoom, click here to watch a video tutorial.
To participate in the matching grant, simply click here to purchase a one year Zoom Pro Plan. Then, send a copy of the receipt to Alma Malikow in the Conference Treasurer's office digitally at [email protected] or by U.S. mail at 7481 Henry Clay Blvd., Liverpool, NY 13088. The Conference will reimburse participating churches $75, which covers half the cost of the annual subscription. If you have any questions, contact the Conference Director of Communications, Steve Hustedt, at [email protected].
Download church leader guide
Explore local church tools and resources specially designed to help you communicate all the good you can! The recently updated Church Leader Guide from United Methodist Communications includes:
- Marketing and outreach tools
- Online training courses
- Digital ministry ideas
- Giving resources
Resources available from the UMC
A new video and online resource collection is reminding people that The United Methodist Church connection continues to be there for them. Share the video and resource webpage with those who need to feel the encouraging presence of the church.
Free resources from Cokesbury
Cokesbury has free resources to use to stay connected, and they are adding more resources every day.
Amplify, Cokesbury's new media platform, is helping churches all over study and support one another from the comfort of their own homes, or wherever they are in life! It gives them direct access to a vast video library of bible studies led by your favorite authors for teaching, inspiration, and faith connections! Amplify provides believers of all ages access to fresh, trustworthy content - all from a Wesleyan perspective. Amplify has made several resources FREE and accessible for churches to participate in a church-wide study and children's content to keep them engaged in the Bible. Help your communities stay connected beyond the church walls. No sign up is required to access: click here
Free children's resources on the new CokesburyKids website: click here
Online worship and music resources for live-streaming
GCFA offers information on live-streaming and giving
Nashville, TN - The Communications, Connectional Relations, and IT teams of the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) will offer several resources to local churches and church leadership on both live-streaming and giving at the local church level during these times of quarantine and confinement.
While churches across the connection are canceling weekly services to protect the people of the church and help slow the spread of COVID-19, churches still find themselves needing financial resources for the ministries they can conduct and for general operational expenses. To read more, click here
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Stay Informed, Up-To-Date Through These Links:
UNY Notes -Include notices From the Desk of Bishop Webb; Alerts; Announcements; Prayer requests; Death Notices; Camp & Retreat info
Weekly Digest - Sent every Wednesday. It will include a listing of all of the new information available.
This will help reduce the amount of e-news announcements coming to your computers.
Another great resource is the UMCOM newsletter. To subscribe, click here
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How to get help from UNY Conference for...
Regular needs or questions, contact the Conference (315) 898-2000 or email: [email protected] and leave a message including what assistance
you are seeking and it will be given to the right person to respond to you.
Technical or creative needs such as online Bible studies/meetings,
live streaming worship, or online giving
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UNY Conference Center remaining closed to the public
Please note that the Upper New York Conference Center in Liverpool, including the Episcopal office and Crossroads District office will remain closed to the public until Tuesday Sept. 8, the day after Labor Day at the earliest.
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Conference Office Address:
The Upper New York Conference
United Methodist Center
7481 Henry Clay Blvd
Liverpool, N.Y. 13088
Office is closed at this time!
Phone: 315-898-2000 Toll Free: (same) 1-855-424-7878
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"Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world by... living the gospel of Jesus Christ and to be God's love with our neighbors in all places."
Your Partners in Ministry at the Oneonta District Office
Rev. Nancy Adams - District Superintendent
Teresa Wood, - Minister of Administration
Fax - 607-353-1034
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Please note the Mailing Address for the Oneonta District Office is as follows:
Oneonta District Office UMC
C/OTeresa Wood
28 Orchard Street
Oneonta NY 13820
The physical address of the office remains the same:
64 Chestnut Street, Oneonta NY 13820
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