THE BELL TOWER

Ringing out the news from Valley Falls United Methodist Church

February 2026

Photo by Bill Bobear

All are welcome here. We are one of over 800 Methodist churches in the Upper New York Conference, whose vision is to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to be God's love with our neighbors in all places.

Pastor Dion's UPDATES and INSPIRATIONS

During Lent we are mindful of entering the wilderness with Jesus as we find our way to Easter’s life- renewing good news of hope, life, and love.

Prayer

Holy God, by the grace of Jesus Christ,

you know the tests and trials we face.

Journey with us through this wilderness.

Come to us with ministers of healing

and visit us with messengers of hope,

so that we may return to you in faith,

finding sure footing with

the good news of the gospel;

through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.*

If your heart is aching and your head is spinning in response to national and world affairs and you are looking to find peace within and a love-based/empowering way forward by centering yourself in Christ and the wisdom offered by UMC faithful leaders, I hope you will join me in a discussion of the book, Building Beloved Community: The Courage to Love in the Face of Tyranny by the United Methodist Council of Bishops (available through Cokesbury and Amazon). We will meet during the day at Living Hope UMC in Waterford. Please text me with day/times available if interested.

We also have an opportunity to help inform how the church listens, discerns, and leads together in the years ahead. Please see "Your Voice Matters" under Our Methodist Connection in this newsletter and consider the plea from the Council of Bishops to complete a survey and watch three webinars focusing on our denomination's mission to “love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously.”

Blessing

Dear Ones,

May the holy wisdom of God

Guard your ways and guide your paths.

May the living truth of God

Enlighten your hearts and open your minds

And may the living Spirit of God

Give you life, and life to the full!

Amen!**

*e:Worship blog at https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2012/02/prayer-for-lent-1-b.html.

Presbyterian Outlook and UMCDiscipleship. Adapted.

**Posted on Literature & Liturgy, https://jesusscribbles.wordpress.com/. Re-posted on the re:Worship blog at https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2018/09/blessing-wisdom-of-god.html.

WORSHIP

Worship services are held each Sunday at 9 a.m. and are followed by a coffee hour in Fellowship Hall.

Sunday, Feb. 7 - Transfiguration Sunday.

Sunday, Feb. 15 - Ash Sunday

Wednesday, Feb. 18 - Ash Wednesday. Text Pastor Dion to arrange for imposition of ashes at a convenient time and place.

Sunday, March 22 - Palm Sunday Early Celebration

Sunday, March 29 - From Palm-to-Passion Sunday, celebrating the hope of Palm Sunday while also contemplating the violence and consequences that come to pass as Holy Week progresses.

Sunday, April 5 - Easter Sunday

The Music Gathering continues to practice after church on most Sundays. Says leader Carol Eddy, "Our joy is to make music together that we can share with others. If you play guitar or any other instrument, we welcome you. If you would like to sing with us, please come.

OF SPECIAL NOTE

Money Matters

Where does your money go? Those who know the answers have been addressing this question in brief presentations during Sunday worship. Here are some highlights from those talks.

From Church Treasurer Sue Hill:

After Laurie Bobear receives the Sunday collections and deposits them in the bank, she then informs me as Treasurer and Dick Palmer as Benevolence Treasurer what has been deposited in our respective accounts.

As Church Treasurer, I am responsible for payroll, social security, and workmen’s comp. Through Upper NY Conference, we receive a monthly invoice for clergy support for health insurance, disability, and pensions. There are utility expenses for both the church and parsonage, as well as maintenance on both properties. Although we are exempt from property taxes, we do pay sewer assessments to the village. We’ve been able to prepay for fuel oil in July for both buildings, so we no longer receive a bill after each delivery, and it’s a comfort to know we will be warm all winter.

You have always been generous with your pledges and donations to our financial health. Just as with your personal finances, an estimate of income helps us know if we can cover expenses in maintaining our church and parsonage. This hint is brought to you from the Finance Committee.

I am so proud of this congregation and how willing you are to support programs outside our walls. Although it takes a village to operate around us, it takes a caring congregation to make VFUMC run smoothly. Thank you for caring.

***

From Benevolence Treasurer Dick Palmer:

2025 by the Numbers

Benevolence Pledges: $3072 received and $2000 sent to conference. Remainder disbursed to Unity House, Troy.

Community Service Fund: $2116 collected and $700 disbursed.

Balance: $2892.45

Special collections (6 Sundays each year): $2500

Human Relations $460

UMCOR $490

Native American Ministries $345

Peace with Justice $350

World Communion $495

UM Student Day $360

United Methodist Economic Ministry (UMEM): $2180 collected and $2172.90 disbursed. Remainder carried over.

Pittstown Area Food Pantry: $915 collected and disbursed.

Texas flooding relief (UMCOR): $500 collected and sent.

***

To supplement these reports, Financial Secretary Laurie Bobear adds:

Have you made your 2026 pledge yet? Perhaps these

facts about giving in 2025 will be helpful.

Total # of pledges: 16

Total # of consistent givers: 12

People who gave under $1,000 per yr. = 15

People who gave $1000 - $5,000 per yr. = 15

People who gave over $5000 per yr.= 7

Laurie notes also that, “The front entry construction and the new dining room floor were completed and paid in full. Thank you to all who donated toward these projects.”

***

Not sure about pledging? Think of it not as a legal obligation, but as an estimate of giving that helps with planning and budgeting. People who pledge also say that it serves as a personal reminder of their commitment to the work of the church.

Coming soon— Similar reports from Kay Egan (UWF president) and John Faulkner (Trustee Chair).

OTHER HAPPENINGS... or not

Due to some anticipated absences and the uncertainty of weather conditions, United Women in Faith will not meet in February. Watch for an announcement of a special program at our next meeting, Thursday, March 5.

Tuesdays, Feb. 24 and March 3, 10, 17, 24 - Enjoy a Lenten reflection, soup, and fellowship at the ecumenical luncheons to be offered at noon at Transfiguration Parish in Schaghticoke. Carol Osterhout, our representative on the planning committee, will keep us informed of details as they become available.

OUTREACH

It has come to our attention (Thank you, Laura Hill) that the Hoosic Valley Elementary School nurse’s office is in need of new underwear for boys and girls, sizes 4T, 5T and 6/7. Please bring your donations to the church by Sunday, Feb. 15.

OUR METHODIST CONNECTION

New Conference Superintendent

The following excerpt is from a letter from Bishop Burgos announcing the appointment of a new Conference Superintendent for the Albany and Adirondack Districts.

After a process that included gathering input, consultation, and deep prayerful discernment, I am pleased to announce the appointment of the Rev. Anna Blinn Cole to the role of Superintendent for the Adirondack and Albany Districts, effective July 1, 2026.

Rev. Anna Blinn Cole is the pastor of Cobleskill UMC and the coordinating elder of the Mosaic Cooperative Ministry, a network of 10 congregations in the Oneonta District. Her previous appointments include church planter at Nourished: Richmondville, Regional Coordinator for the Schoharie Region, Associate Pastor at Cobleskill UMC, and pastor of Warnerville UMC. She has also served the conference as a candidacy mentor and as a member of the Oneonta DCOM, DLT, the UNY Board of Ordained Ministry, the Creation Justice Team, the New Faith Communities Team, the UNY Camp and Retreat Ministry Team, chaplain at Skye Farm Camp & Retreat Center, and as Chair of the Order of Elders.

The child of itinerant UMC pastors, Anna spent much of her childhood in the Red Bird Missionary Conference in southeastern Kentucky. Before entering ministry, she worked as a professional architectural historian in central New York while serving in lay leadership at Sidney UMC.

Anna and her spouse, Garrett, have been married for 18 years and are the parents of one daughter, June. Their family loves spending time outdoors—hiking, biking, boating, cross‑country skiing, and gardening. A lifelong artist, Anna finds joy in pottery, painting, quilting, cooking, and worship design.

Her ministry is grounded in a deep sense of place, a love for God’s creation, a commitment to justice, and a belief in the church’s capacity for joy and new possibility. Rev. Blinn Cole holds a B.A. from Bryn Mawr College, an M.A. in Historic Preservation from the University of Delaware, and an M.Div. from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology.

This appointment reflects our shared commitment to cultivating vibrant, regenerative, strategic leadership across the conference. Rev. Blinn Cole brings a deep passion for serving diverse communities, strengthening connections, fostering innovation, and inspiring faith‑filled action. She is a strong advocate for the holistic wellness of both clergy and laity. Her generational perspective and experience guiding cooperative parish ministries will be a tremendous asset in this season, as our mission calls us to bold adaptation and creative approaches to ministry.

Please join me in celebrating the life and ministry of Rev. Anna Blinn Cole, and in keeping her, her family, and her congregations in our prayers as they enter this season of transition.

***

Also from the Bishops's office:

Your Voice Matters: Help Shape the Future of The United Methodist Church

Dear Partners in Ministry,

I write with both urgency and hope as we prepare for the 2026 Council of Bishops Leadership Gathering—a pivotal moment for The United Methodist Church. Your leadership and engagement are essential.

This gathering is more than an event in Calgary this October. It is a Spirit-led movement beginning now in the Susquehanna & Upper New York Episcopal Area, in our congregations, and through our shared discernment.

After years of navigating significant challenges, we now have a sacred opportunity to look toward the future with courage, clarity, and collective wisdom. The Leadership Gathering Design Team has created several ways for United Methodists to participate:

Denomination-Wide Survey

The Council of Bishops invites all United Methodists to complete a church-wide survey that will directly shape the 2026 Leadership Gathering. It is open through February 15, 2026. You can complete the survey or scan the QR code found at unyumc.org/News Stories/Your Voice Matters.

Denomination-Wide Webinars

UMCOM will host three webinars to help us reflect on our Wesleyan identity and emerging vision:

1. January 24, 2026 – Wesleyan Theology: Love Boldly

2. February 21, 2026 – Wesleyan Mission: Serve Joyfully

3. March 21, 2026 – Wesleyan Leadership: Lead Courageously

All webinars run from 10–11:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Registration links are available on ResourceUMC.org. Participants may send questions in advance, and recordings will be available afterward.

These opportunities invite clergy and laity to speak faithfully and prayerfully into the future of our Church. I am deeply grateful for your leadership and the many responsibilities you carry. Our connection is strengthened when we listen widely, discern together, and remain rooted in our Wesleyan heritage.

Thank you for your faithfulness and partnership in this shared work. Please hold this process in prayer, as I continue to hold you and your ministries in mine.

Together in Christ’s mission,

With hope and gratitude,

Bishop Héctor A. Burgos-Núñez

Serving the Susquehanna & Upper New York Area