iVoice is sent to clergy and lay leadership in the Wyoming Annual Conference and its local congregations. You have received this mailing because of the position you hold in the annual conference or in your local church, or because you have requested it. Please feel free to use this information in your bulletins, local church newsletters, or as announcements during worship services.
In this issue:
Dates to Remember
Dental Coverage in New Conference Configurations for Active Healthflex Participants
Special Offering this Sunday to Help Send U M Students to School
Wyoming Conference 2010 Ministry Shares collections up 1% over 2009
Bishop Grove Had Knee Surgery
Continuing Ed Event for United Methodist Nurses in the Central PA and Wyoming Conferences
Photos for Upper New York Annual Conference
Helping Hand (print)s for Upper New York Annual Conference
Natural Church Development Event in New Jersery
News from United Methodist News Service
Dates to Remember
Thursday, March 11: Upper NY Information Session - Clergy oriented... 9 AM @ Endwell UMC
Thursday, March 11: Upper NY Information Session - Laity oriented... 7 PM @ Calvary: Vestal UMC
Monday, March 15: Upper NY Information Session - Clergy oriented ... 1:30 PM at Afton UMC Monday, March 15: Upper NY Information Session - Laity oriented ... 7 PM at Elm Park: Oneonta
Friday, March 26 – Saturday, March 27: Spiritual Life Retreat @ Fatima
Monday, March 29: Licensing school registrations due
Wednesday, March 31: Pre-Conference material deadline
Wednesday, March 31: Denman Award Nominations deadline
Friday, April 9: 4 Word 2010 Registration deadline
Saturday, April 10: Green Churches Forum @ Elm Park: Scranton
Sunday, April 18 – Friday, April 23: Licensing School at Sky Lake
Friday, April 23 – Saturday, April 25: 4 Word 2010 in Liverpool, NY
Sunday, May 2 – Friday, May 7: Licensing School at Sky Lake
Dental Coverage in New Conference Configurations for Active Healthflex Participants
Change in Benefits as of July 1, 2010
We want you to be aware of this change in your benefits, so you can make plans.
As of July 1, 2010, active HealthFlex participants in both the Upper New York and the Susquehanna conferences will no longer have dental benefits. If you need work done between now and June 30, 2010, you should schedule it as soon as possible with your provider.
But don't worry! If you would like to have dental coverage going forward, there are many low-cost individual insurance and discount plans available:
You can search the internet for dental plans in your state (just tipe "individual dental plans" into your search engine).
You can ask your dentist which plans are honored and if they can recommend a good plan.
A list of available plans for New York participants will be available at the New York information sessions and from Nancy Stanley at the Wyoming Conference office after March 15.
A list of available plans for Pennsylvania participants will be available from Nancy Stanley at the Wyoming Conference office after March 15.
Special Offering This Sunday to Help Send U M Students to School
The Wyoming Conference Scholarship Committee is asking all local churches to take part in a special Sunday collection March 7, 2010. Funds raised then, or another Sunday soon, chosen by the church, will be used to provide scholarships to students with ties to our local churches.
The scholarship assistance can be used for any college, university or trade school. Resources for supporting this special offering can be found on the conference website. They include information about the day and the need, bulletin inserts and a poster you can display.
To access these resources, click here, then look toward the bottom of the page.
Wyoming Conference 2010 Ministry Shares collections up 1% over 2009
The Treasurer would like to thank all those churches who so faithfully pay their Ministry Shares. Despite having to be closed for two days in February, we received more than $25,000 more in receipts during January and February as compared to 2009.
If you would like to see how much your church has paid to date, please visit the 2009-2010 Ministry Share Information section under the Business & Finance tab onwww.wyomingconference.org or click herefor the Feb 2010 Ministry Shares report.
For those churches that made late payments for 2009, your YTD% paid for 2009 is updated on the 2010 Ministry Shares report in the month payment was received.
If your records do not agree with ours, please call Rosemarie Schlock or Kristin Mahoney at 607 757-0608.
Bishop Grove Had Knee Surgery
Bishop William Boyd Grove had knee surgery on Tuesday, March 2, in Tennessee. His address, at the home of his daughter for the next several weeks, is 3419 Linkwood Drive, Johnson City, TN37601, 423-282-6870.Please keep him and his family in your prayers.
Continuing Ed Event for United Methodist Nurses in the Central PA and Wyoming Conferences
Rev. Nancy Firestone is recruiting UM nurses to attend the University of Maryland School of Nursing first national conference for nurses (June 7-8, 2010, in Baltimore, MD) addressing the relationship between human health and the environment. Learn about the growing movement that is being created by nurses as they "green" their health care institutions, engage in scientific inquiry, integrate environmental health practices into nursing assessments and interventions, and create and support policies that protect human health and the environment.
Come hear about and share in the expanding roles that nurses are taking in the exciting and critical field of environmental health - http://nursing.umaryland.edu/events/anhe/.
Rev. Firestone is participating in the Doctor of Ministry Program "Faith and the Health of Communities" at Wesley Theological Seminary. She would like attendees from the Central PA and Wyoming Conferences to return from the Baltimore conference to explore ways to implement this education within our churches and communities. You can contact Rev. Firestone at nfire@pa.net.
Photos for Upper New York Annual Conference
Churches are invited to send photos for Upper New York Annual Conference session. Send a photo capturing a moment in the life and ministry of your congregation – be creative! Include as many people as possible, in an activity or setting that expresses your ministry!
E-mail photos to Sandy Brands, Communicator in Troy Conference: sbrands@troyac.org. Photos should be of at least “medium” resolution. Include contact information including e-mail and phone, and the name of the church. Photos will be used on the web and at conference gatherings – share the life of your congregation with your sisters and brothers of Upper New York.
Helping Hand (print)s for Upper New York Annual Conference
The Worship Team for the June 19 Uniting Conference is gathering multi-colored hand prints from across the entire Upper New York Area.
Here's what you can do to help:
Make your hand print with finger paint or tempra paint on plain white paper. Young and old alike are needed. Use your imagination when it comes to color combinations and the shape of the imprint from your hand--open palm, front of hand, back of hand, closed fist. Each 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of paper should have only the number of hand prints on it that do not touch or overlap. The handprints will be separated for...well you'll just have to come to conference to find out.
The team seeks as many hand prints from as many people and as many different churches as possible, remembering "many hands make light work" and in this case, many hand prints will make for a brighter celebration.
Mail your hand prints to Rev. Richard Sivers, First UMC, 144 Cedar St., Corning, NY14830. Please DO NOT fold your papers to avoid creases, chipping and cracking. All hand prints should be received by Rev. Sivers on or before June 10, 2010. If you have any questions, you can email Rick at fumchurch@stny.rr.com.
Natural Church Development Event in New Jersey
Greater New Jersey Conference continues to be blessed in many ways through the use of Natural Church Development as ways to bring revitalization to its churches. They are planning a “Big Event,” which will be held on Saturday, April 10, 2010, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Toms River, New Jersey. Dave Wetzler, the publisher of Natural Church Development resources in the U.S.A. will be the featured presenter. The brochure can be found at http://yourchurchcangrow.org/409/.
Other annual conferences are invited to participate. If you have any questions, contact: Rev. Douglas W. Ruffle, Ph.D., Coordinator, Congregational Development, Greater New Jersey Annual Conference, 1001 Wickapecko Drive, Ocean, NJ07712, Tel: 732-359-1046,email: druffle@gnjumc.org, website: www.yourchurchcangrow.org
If you have information that should be included in an iVoice, please send it to Don Perry at dperry@wyomingconference.org or Nancy Conklin at nconklin@wyomingconference.org. Please do not send information on fundraisers such as breakfasts, luncheons, dinners, yard sales, etc.
