Thoughts from DS Olivia
We are on the cusp of the season of Lent. Tomorrow, February 18th, is Ash Wednesday. For forty days, we will prepare our hearts and minds for the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Preparation is important.
Without the right ingredients, the recipe will fail--we need to be prepared before we cook or bake. Without the correct clothing, the trip will be more difficult--we need to be prepared before we hit the road. Without the right footwear, the hike will be painful--we need to be prepared before we strike out on the trail. Without the right state of mind and heart, we will miss what Christ has done--we need to be prepared for Good Friday and Easter.
Recipes, luggage, and hiking boots are all things we probably have a grasp on when it comes to being ready for something. How, though, do we prepare for the most painful day and the most glorious day in our faith?
Prayer. Fasting. Scripture. Service.
I want to invite you to join me in a season of prayer as we prepare for Holy Week. Will you join me in praying every day at 4:40 pm until Good Friday, April 3rd? I am setting an alarm on my phone that will buzz every single day at this time. No matter what I am doing, I will stop and pray a prayer that includes these ideas:
- Cleanse me, Lord--a great place to start in prayer during Lent is in repentance. What do we need to confess? Where do we need to be corrected?
- Fill me, Lord--this can be a fasting prayer. A prayer that seeks to hunger for God and not for anything else.
- Teach me, Lord--as we come to the Bible to read, invite the Lord to teach us who He is.
- Make me like you, Lord--we can be the hands and feet of Jesus in this season. Pouring ourselves out in service to others is a great way to prepare our hearts for all Christ has done for us.
Four things to pray for forty days at 4:40 pm. What might God do in me and in us as we pray together?
If you want to join me, set your alarm!
Pastor Olivia
| | District Youth Ministry (NYI) | | |
Get ready for a weekend full of snowy fun, cozy conversations with friends, faith-building conversations, and lots of games!
Contact Scotty MacPherson at scottybob999@gmail.com for any questions!
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Nazarene Discipleship (NDI) |
District Discipleship (NDI) Resources
This year, NDI will be centering our hearts and efforts on our five Core Values: Authentic Relationships, Intentional Mentoring and Equipping, Comprehensive Biblical Learning, Fervent Prayer, and Compassionate Outreach.
Each month, we’ll share simple resources designed to help you reflect on and grow in one of these values. Our hope is that these practices will naturally become part of your everyday life and the life of your church, so that together, as a district, we can continue to walk more closely with Christ.
This month, we are focusing on Authentic Relationships. At the heart of our faith is the call to love God and to love others. As followers of Christ and participants in the Great Commission, we are invited into relationships that honor God and encourage one another. Authentic relationships go beyond brief weekly interactions or polite greetings—they create space for us to truly know and support one another.
When we choose to be open and genuine, we allow others to walk with us through both joyful seasons and challenging ones. Through this kind of authenticity, we can help one another grow deeper in Christ, celebrate together, and share burdens together. In the same way, authentic relationships are one of the most meaningful ways we can show others that Jesus loves them and that they matter deeply to the Kingdom of God.
We don’t have to be perfect, and we don’t have to walk this journey alone. The Church is strongest and most effective when we live in honest, caring community with one another. May God gently guide and strengthen you as you seek to live authentically and share His love with those around you.
For more information and resources, check out The Discipleship Place. https://discipleshipplace.org/
| | Reach out to Pastor Liz through email to set up an appointment for Zoom or phone. | |
District NMI Local Servie Project Application
Does your church have a vision or need for a local service project, either at your church or in your community?
Have you been praying about those things that you'd love to see accomplished but need more manpower and resources than what your church can provide on its own?
Well, District NMI would love to help answer those prayers, see those visions become reality, and expand the impact of the Kingdom of God in your community and across the Upstate NY District! Your local NMI council/NMI President/NMI representative and pastor need only to thoroughly complete and submit the attached online application for your proposed project, by March 28, 2026 for consideration by the District NMI Council.
We will choose one project to start, and if chosen, a District NMI Team will help complete it during the Summer/Early Fall 2026!
We're excited see what the Lord will do across our District through these projects, as we support each other in missions to our communities.
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2026 and 2027 Upstate NY District Care and Connection (LINKS) Missionaries!
Meet our new Care and Connection (formerly known as LINKS) missionaries ... Scott and Emily Armstrong! And drum roll please... we get to bless and support them for 2026 AND 2027! They began their ministry in the Mesoamerica Region in 2004, and in 2024 moved to Pilar, Argentina, where they currently serve. To read more of their bio, please visit their bio page at https://store.nazarene.org/pledge/armstrong.
To follow them on social media or listen to their podcast:
More information containing their email addresses and family information is forthcoming! They would love to hear from churches on our District and would love for us also to bless their two children, both studying at different Nazarene universities in the USA.
Let's also continue to pray for Milly and Agnes Ibanda and their 5 children, our 2025 Care and Connection missionaries now serving in their new assignment in Senegal, West Africa. It's a very long way from Madagascar, East Africa! You can continue to follow their ministry work via their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ibandas.mission
Thank you for always loving our missionaries so well, Upstate NY District!
| | Scott and Emily Armstrong | | |
Crisis Care Kit Collection
Thank you to all the churches who continue to pack Crisis Care Kits, for local and future global use! Your contribution and faithfulness to this ongoing effort matter so much!
Please continue packing Crisis Care Kits, and take them the Collection Site churches - Sanborn Faith, Owego, Christ Community, and Keeseville Good Shepherd. District NMI is preparing for a District-wide shipment to Fawn Grove Compassion Center in the Spring 2026. Details and information are forthcoming. In the meantime, stay tuned, keep packing, and keep praying for the people and churches in areas affected by hurricanes, floods, and other disasters.
Please remember to write your church's name and address on each banana box. Any box that goes to Fawn Grove also requires a $16 shipment fee to be sent to Global Treasury Services. See a link to the Crisis Care Kit Instruction Sheet.
If you or someone you know has a truck and/or trailer and is willing to assist with transporting the boxes when the time comes, please contact Pastor Eric Verbovszky at rev.eric.amherstnazarene@gmail.com. District NMI is looking for 2-3 people to make the delivery, and will cover your mileage! Thank you!
Upstate NY, you're a blessing to so many, and truly are the hands and feet of Jesus.
| | | Preparing for Annual Meeting |
¶ 115.7. Annual Meeting. An annual church meeting shall be held within 90 days prior to the meeting of the district assembly. Public notice of the annual meeting shall be conveyed to the congregation at least two weeks before the meeting. This annual meeting may be conducted on more than one day or in more than one service upon approval by the church board.
Annual Meetings may be held as early as March 13, 2026, and the deadline to report delegates to the assembly is April 19, 2026.
See Also:
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District Assembly and Conventions
will be held on June 11-13, 2026
at Calvary Community Church of the Nazarene in Henrietta, NY.
| | | Who is a member of the assembly? | | More Resources for Pastors & Churches | | |
Upcoming Free Webinars from Ministry Safe:
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February 26, 2026 (11 am) - Recognizing the Risk
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March 24, 2026 (11 am) - Building the System
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April 21, 2026 (11 am) - Protecting Kids from Kids
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May 21, 2026 (11 am) - Policies That Protect
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August 27, 2026 (11 am) - Reporting Abuse
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September 29, 2026 (11 am) - Screening That Protects
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October 27, 2026 (11 am) - Creating Background Check Strategy – Part 1
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November 17, 2026 (11 am) - Creating Background Check Strategy – Part 2
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Take Action in 2026!
In 2025, roughly 66% of eligible US ministers did not receive a 403(b) match from NBUSA. Starting in 2026, NBUSA will match 100% of the first $250 contributed to an eligible minister’s retirement account by the minister and/or his or her local church. Getting started is as simple as completing a contribution agreement form (English | Spanish) with your treasurer.
Take the next step today on the path to retire well!
| | | | Vision Partners offers coaching, workshops, and processes to help you confidently lead in God’s plan. | |
AFLAC
AFLAC is a wonderful way to be supported by your church. The District is offering a one-time benefit when you sign up to help offset the cost. We are encouraging every church to find a way to pay for this emergency insurance policy for you. When a cancer diagnosis comes, or a medical emergency no one expected occurs, finances that are already tight can become tighter. This plan is a great way to add a layer of care for those who care so much for you! While this is not a district-sponsored policy, we are making it available to the district. Check out the information below about how this will work!
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Spiritual Direction
Spiritual Direction offers a sacred space to listen for God’s direction in your unfolding life. It’s not about fixing or performing—it’s about being companioned with prayerful insight, care, and deep respect for the mystery of your journey. If you’re longing for real conversation, rest, clarity, or simply a place to be fully human before God, this is a gentle invitation to try Spiritual Direction. Visit www.shaneash.com for scheduling, or for more information.
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Spiritual Direction Directory
The district will cover spiritual direction for any licensed or ordained pastors on the district with Shane Ash (or up to 3 sessions with a director from the directory below).
If you have any questions, email the district office at: office@upstatedistrict.org.
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Retreat Homes for Ministry Leaders:
The Springwater Retreat House is a place to pray and listen to the still quiet voice of the Lord. Pastors face multiple challenges and carry the burdens of many people. Here is a place where they can obey Jesus’ words and go away with Him to a quiet place to rest. For free.
The Wilmington Retreat Home is a three bedroom home with a fully-applianced kitchen, dining and living room. This is an excellent place for a prayer or sermon planning retreat.
Sabbath House (Ludlow, MA) can be used or a pastoral retreat, sermon preparation, sabbatical, missionary house for those on home assignment or a vacation location.
Silver Bay YMCA Pastoral Respite Ministry - Pastors and their families can enjoy the beauty of Silver Bay from September-May at no cost because of generous donors.
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MinistrySafe Matters
Each month, you will find helpful tools to use as you seek to keep kids and teens safe in your church. We encourage every church to be a MinistrySafe church!
If you are having difficulty paying for this vital resource, reach out to the district office, and we will partner with you. This should not be seen as optional for any of us! A safety plan, background checks, helpful training, screenings, and monitoring are crucial. The links below can be helpful:
| | | | Follow the Upstate NY District Church of the Nazarene Facebook Page! | | | | |
