Thoughts from DS Olivia

You are invited!

Isn't that a wonderful thing to hear? Being invited means you have been recognized or thought of by someone else. It often means that something special is happening and you will get to be a part of it. In our Christian life, we could share stories about the first time we were invited to church, camp, or a small group. That invitation, for many of us, changed the trajectory of our lives forever! It was an opportunity to respond to God's prevenient grace--the grace that draws us to God. It was a chance to hear the Good News of the saving grace of God--what Christ has done for us through His life, death, and resurrection. That invitation made way for the sanctifying grace of God--the grace that enables us to be filled with the Holy Spirit and become more and more like Jesus every day. An invitation is a wonderful thing!

Jesus invited His disciples to join Him during His earthly ministry. They were called to come and follow, and they did (Matthew 4:18-22). You and I, those of us who have given our lives to Christ, are invited into this lifelong journey of following Jesus. The more we follow, the more we study Scripture, the more we serve and love our neighbors, God's grace does something in us and through us that we can't accomplish on our own.

This means we need to be sure we are seeking to be formed by the Kingdom of God, not the kingdoms of this world. This can be challenging. Why? Because we can be wooed and drawn and called into following things that are not of God. We need God's grace to hear the right things to be called into, the right voices to heed, and the right way to go.

With this in mind, I'm inviting you to join me for a webinar that can help us be obedient to the call of Scripture to love God and love our neighbors (Matthew 22:34-40). We need to be sure we are working together with Jesus, for the sake of the least of these (Matthew 25:40). World Relief, a Christian refugee resettlement organization, is working with our district to provide accurate information and ways to get involved. They have been partners with Nazarene Compassionate Ministries and supported by our denomination for years (scroll to the bottom of the NCM page for other resources). Please register here to join the webinar, on Tuesday, February 18th, at 7 pm to learn more about the refugee situation in Western New York and ways you could engage where you are located. This is for pastors and laypeople. I'm looking forward to you taking me up on the invitation to join in this important learning opportunity!

We are blessed to be a part of a global denomination and our Board of General Superintendents has consistently called us to care for the immigrants and refugees among us. You can find our denominational statement here, reaffirming their statement from 2015. We are invited to be the people of God in a world that is inviting us into different ways of living and being. My prayer for all of us is that we will be shaped in the image of Christ and filled with the Spirit for the sake of the world!

Pastor Olivia

District Assembly and Conventions

District Discipleship

District Wide Prayer

Lenten Resource for Pastors

District Youth Ministry

Brooktondale Camp

Children's Camp (July 16-19)

This is a 4 day camp for kids going into K - 6th grade this fall. Children attend the camp with a parent, legal guardian, or grandparent. Scholarship is available again this year. Registration is online only. Get your kids, grandkids, and the kids at your church to camp this year!

Teen Camp (August 4-9)

This camp will always start on the first Monday of August. This year, that's August 4! This is for teens finishing 6th - 12th this spring. Registration will be available soon. For now, please save the date!

2025 Camp Theme(s) and Logo Contest!!!

This year we are going to have a different theme for each camp, but each theme will be incorporated into one logo for banners, t-shirts, etc. 

The family camp theme is 'Encounter'

The children's camp theme is 'Discover'

The teen camp theme is 'Wonder'

So, to tie all of these together we will have a logo with all the themes represented, but in this order: "Wonder. Discover. Encounter." 

Why are we telling you all of this? Because it's time for our second annual camp logo design contest!

Between now and the end of February, we are opening up a 2025 Camp Logo Design Contest for all across the district. If you are artistically inclined, even if's not in graphic design, we hope you'll take some time to create a logo for submission.

We even have a 'template' to guide you. Below is an example of what we're looking for. What we specifically like about this is the circular design, where the theme's can be presented around the edge, and whatever you design goes in the inside of the circle. Use this to guide your creative inspiration, remembering to use Wonder. Discover. Encounter. somewhere in the design. The punctuation is not required, just the words in that order. 

As a thank you, all serious submissions will be rewarded with a $5 credit to the Snack Shack this year. The winner will be granted a $50 credit that can be used towards camp registration, meals, Snack Shack snacks, etc.

Please submit your designs to Pastor Chris via email at campdirector@upstatedistrict.org or via text at 315-727-2073.

The winner will be announced in our March Newsletter. 

You've got until March 1. Happy creating!

Nazarene Missions Team

End of Church Year

It is that time that elections are happening in your local church in preparation for the new Church Year that starts on March 1, 2025. Let’s all be praying for one another during this important time in the lives of our churches.

As a reminder, please make sure your district allocation payments are clearly labeled. Checks for the district should be made out to "Upstate NY District Church of the Nazarene" and mailed to: PO Box 573, Henrietta, NY 14467

We also need to know if you are applying them to 2024-2025 or the upcoming 2025-2026 year. We will assume all checks received after 3/15 will apply to the new assembly year. Please let Bridget Beardsley know if you have special circumstances.

District Required Forms & Reports

Annual Pastors' Report —

This report is to be completed online by the lead pastor or church administrator with the help of the lead pastor. Churches can print the form and supplemental questions for local use, but the APR must be completed online.

Lead Pastor's Written Report —

This is a report of ministry highlights, vision for the future, or other items related to the mission of the church that will be in the District Assembly Handbook. The max word count is 600 words.

Annual Report of Retired Minister —

This form is for all retired ministers on the Upstate New York District

Annual Report of Ordained Minister or Licensed Minister —

This form is required for all ordained or licensed minister who are NOT already submitting a pastor's, evangelist's, or retired minister's report form.

Special Assignment Renewal —

This form is required for all ministers requesting Special Assignment.

Lifelong Learning Hours —

All pastors are required to complete 20+ hours of Lifelong Learning hours. Lifelong Learning hours are reported online. If you are exempt, please notify the district office.

Request for Approval to Hire Staff —

This form is required for all lead pastors requesting to hire or retain staff for 2025-2026.

The Manual in ¶169-169.8, 139.9, and 211.13 outlines the steps for a church to hire a staff (whether paid or unpaid). All local paid or unpaid associates who provide specialized ministry within the context of the local church must be approved annually by the DS.

The deadline for all forms and reports is March 19, 2025.

Additional forms for the local church can be found in this church checklist.

Email completed form to the District Office: office@upstatedistrict.org

More Resources for Pastors & Churches

Nazarene Benefits USA introduced a new Ministers Match last year.

NBUSA matches contributions by eligible ministers and/or their church (local effort) to their Nazarene 403(b) account when the church also pays at least 50% of their NBUSA Fund allocation.

The greatest benefit to the local minister occurs when the church pays 100%.

The chart below shows how the Ministers Match works for a lead pastor or full-time/full-livelihood associate who contributes $5,000 annually to their 403(b) account. If the church also pays 100% of its NBUSA Fund allocation, the pastor receives a match of $2,500 [50% of local effort 403(b) contributions]. As you can see, the amount of the Match is affected by both the amount of local effort and percentage of NBUSA Fund allocation paid.

For more information visit: https://nbusa.org/

Compensation &

Tax Memos



NBUSA Compensation & Tax Memos are designed to help pastors and church treasurers with various clergy and church financial matters, such as retirement, Social Security, taxes, business expenses, ministerial compensation, church audits, and more. Each memo is reviewed annually for accuracy by certified public accountants to assure you’re getting the most accurate information.

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!

Spiritual Direction

The district will cover 3 sessions with any of these folks in this directory for licensed or ordained pastors. If you have any questions, email the district office at: office@upstatedistrict.org. 

Retreat Homes Around the District:

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.