iVoice - October 7, 2009

10/7/2009

In this issue:

  • Dates to Remember -
  • Scranton District Superintendent to Retire -
  • New Conference Begins Search for Key Employees -
  • Conference Center Closed on Monday -
  • Youth Alive Registrations Due Soon -
  • New Faith Matters on Website -
  • Seminar Next Month on “What Did Paul Really Say” -
  • Front Line Ministry Forum to Gather in November -
  • New! Energy Assistance Available To Faith Community -
  • Alan Roxburgh Coming to WNY Conference -
  • News from United Methodist News Service -
Dates to Remember   Tuesday, October 20:          Laity meeting with Bishop Matthews at 7 p.m. @ Elm Park UMC, Oneonta Wednesday, October 21:     Clergy meeting with Bishop Matthews at 9:30 a.m. @ Afton UMC Wednesday, October 21:     Laity meeting with Bishop Matthews at 7 p.m. @ Owego UMC Thursday, October 22:        Clergy meeting with Bishop Matthews at 9:30 a.m. @ Vestal Center UMC   Tuesday, October 27:          Listening Session regarding New PA Conference at 2 p.m. @ Bethany UMC Tuesday, October 27:          Listening Session regarding New PA Conference at 7 p.m. @ Chinchilla UMC Wednesday, October 28:     Listening Session regarding New NY Conference at 1 p.m. @ Park Terrace UMC Wednesday, October 28:     Listening Session regarding New NY Conference at 7 p.m. @ Endwell UMC   Tuesday, November 10:     “What Did Paul Really Say?” Seminar @ Nimmonsburg UMC Saturday, November 14:     “What Did Paul Really Say?” Seminar @ Chinchilla UMC   Scranton District Superintendent to Retire   Bishop Susan W. Hassinger is announcing that Rev. Bette Poe, Superintendent of the Scranton District, has requested retirement as of June 30, 2010. Bishop Hassinger says, “Bette has served the conference and the district with caring and thoughtful leadership, and we are grateful for the gifts and commitment she has brought to this responsibility. I am especially grateful for the years she has served as Dean of the Wyoming Conference Cabinet, and for her steadiness in the midst of transitions that have occurred and will continue.”   In a letter to the people of the Scranton District, Rev. Poe writes, “This is an exciting time for the folk in the Wyoming Conference. I’m particularly excited about the new Susquehanna Conference. What great work we can all do together!   I only wish I were younger so that I could be more a part of this new thing God is doing here in Pennsylvania.   Still, I feel so fortunate to have been here at the ‘birthing.’”   To read more of the announcement and the next steps to be taken, click here.    New Conference Begins Search for Key Employees   The new 180,000 member annual conference within the Upper New York Area of The United Methodist Church announces four senior executive position openings effective July 1, 2010. The positions include: Director of Connectional Ministries, Treasurer/Director of Administrative Services, Director of Communications and Benefits Coordinator. Applications and supporting material must be received by November 1, 2009.   Job descriptions and a letter outlining the application process are available at www.UpperNewYork.org. Look under “Just for You” at the left of the screen for the link: “Applications for Staff Positions.”   Candidates being considered will be interviewed in January 2010. The goal is to announce the four newly appointed persons by March 1, 2010 with an effective date of July 1, 2010.   Conference Center Closed on Monday   The Conference Center will be closed on Monday, October 12, 2009, in observance of Columbus Day. It will reopen on Tuesday, October 13, at 8:30 a.m.   Youth Alive Registrations Due Soon   Youth Alive 2009 will take place November 13 – 15, 2009, at Camp LaDore, in Waymart, Pennsylvania. This year, marks the last Youth Alive as we know it before the new conferences begin!   Youth from throughout the conference are invited to get together to laugh, dance, learn, and praise God! This year's Youth Alive has been extended to include an optional second night stay (still costs the same: $50 pp).    The musical guest will be the wonderful and amazing Wayne Kerr with his guitarist, Matt Kidd. So grab your youth group, friends from school, and your youth leader to come and join in on the powerful worship, youth testimonies, fun workshops, and new friends you'll meet!!!    Registrations are due by October 25 to Annette Snedaker. Check out our registration form byclicking here and if you still have questions, you can contact Annette at Taekwannet@hotmail.com. Hope you will be at Camp LaDore on November 13!!!   New Faith Matters on Website   Chuck Johns writes, “A friend sits across a lunch table and empties an overflowing heart. Nearing the end of her long and painful story, she finally says to me, “You know, when all of these things went wrong in my life, I thought it might help if I went to church.”   To read the rest of the story in Faith Matters on the conference website, click here.     Seminar Next Month on “What Did Paul Really Say”   The Rev. Dr. John Goodell will present a one day seminar on the significance of Paul for modern Christians during the month of November.    “John has been working on this for many months,” said Dick Thompson, host of the Shared Leadership Table, sponsor of the event. “We are lucky to have a scholar like him in our midst. Paul expected Jesus to return perhaps even within his own lifetime so his thought was deeply influenced by this premise. So, what does that mean for us some 2,000 years later? John will explore that for us.”    The seminar will be presented twice: at Nimonsburg UMC on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 and again on Saturday, November 14, at Chinchilla UMC. Both begin at 9 AM and end at 4 PM. Cost of the day, including lunch is $20. The brochure and registration instructions can be found on the Conference website by clicking here.   Front Line Ministry Forum to Gather in November   Dates:  Friday November 20, 2009 to 2:00 p.m. Saturday, November 21, 2009 Location:         Sky Lake Camp and Retreat Center, Windsor, New York   In May, the New York State Council of Churches brought together those providing front line ministries – soup kitchens, food pantries, homeless shelters and other congregational and community based ministries directly serving those in need – to build solidarity among providers and to address social needs collectively. People came from all over New York State. Many more were interested in coming, but had schedule conflicts.   Now we are offering another forum! The goal of this forum will be to build upon the solidarity we began to accomplish together in May. We will expand discussions about how to coordinate ministries more efficiently -- so that we can better offer radical hospitality and respect for one's dignity. Among the truly valuable experiences in May was the opportunity to share resources, experiences, and best practices -- ranging from religious grant information to trading surplus foods participants happened to bring with them. We encourage everyone to bring resources they may wish to share.   Further goals of the November gathering will be to: 
  •    Continue to identify common challenges to our ministries and to those we serve.
  •    Continue to identify public policies that could help overcome those challenges.
  •    Empower the New York State Council of Churches to advocate on their behalf in Albany and Washington, D.C.
  •    Continue to build steps toward an ongoing front line forum with expanded participation. 
The planning team continues to identify as many front line ministries as it can.  If you are a part of (or know of) a front line ministry in your area, please let us know so they can be included.   Our resources currently allow us to cover food and lodging for approximately 25 people, so you are urged to express your interest quickly!   Please email Susan Davis at sdavis2908@aol.com to express your interest in attending this event.   New! Energy Assistance Available To Faith Community   Houses of worship in the United States can now join the nation’s schools, hospitals, hotels and other facilities in efforts to fight climate change, save energy and reduce their carbon footprint. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s energy tracking tool, Portfolio Manager, allows facilities to track energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissions, set targets for investment priorities and verify efficiency improvements. The estimated 370,000 houses of worship across the United States are eligible to use Portfolio Manager. Further information is available at houses of worship at http://www.energystar.gov/congregations. —UMNS   Alan Roxburgh Coming to WNY Conference   Are you part of or want to be part of a missional church?  As the church seeks to reconnect with their communities, we are finding that the typical patterns of our congregational life no longer serve us well. Many congregations are in decline and the vital link with the community around them has faded.  What to do? One answer is to relearn what it means to be the church of Jesus Christ. We are being called to get outside the walls of the church into the community and build genuine relationships with people where they live. So we extend an invitation to begin to relearn what it means to be the church in a missional way. As we look to our future together as one conference, the revitalization of ministry and congregations will be an essential part of new DNA. So we extend this invitation. In the spring, WNY Conference hosted Alan Roxburgh, a leader and teacher in the area of Missional Church.  Since his presentation several congregations have continued to communicate with him about being coached in becoming a Missional Church. We have decided to extend the invitation to learn about "Missional Church" from Alan and offer the opportunity for congregations across our new area to consider being part of a coached cohort.  Alan's approach will focus on coaching the pastoral leader of the congregation and teaching the congregation about what it takes to reconnect with the community. The process requires significant change and support.  In our process, Alan offered to conduct two Webinar sessions presenting a basic overview of Missional Church, what it takes to move in that direction and the coaching that is being offered through this invitation.     There is no prerequisite or obligation to join in on these Webinars or to sign on to the coaching. These webinars will be helpful to those who are curious all the way to those who are serious about becoming a missional church. The Webinars are not sequential but are being offered on two dates to give a greater number of pastors the opportunity to participate. The dates are Oct 26th and Nov 10th at 1pm ET. for up to two hours.  We would like to know the approximate number of people who are planning to take part so we ask that you email ronisaman@wnyumc.org to indicate that you wish to join in. As confirmation you will receive the information about the webinar and how to join the group. You may join on line and if you are able we can accommodate up to 16 video connections and the rest will be connection by phone like a conference call. The details of this will be in your confirmation email.

Here is a quote from Alan taken from some material about his new book. "Introducing the Missional Church". The quote will give you a sense of what missional church is all about.  "We wrote this book for the people and leaders we believe are the key to God’s mission.  Over the years we have continually said that the Spirit of God is among the people of God and, therefore, God’s future is in the midst of all the ordinariness of local churches.  This book is for those people and those kinds of churches.  It’s committed to these convictions and offers ways in which local churches of all kinds can go on this amazing journey.   Our experience keeps re-enforcing this sense of how the Spirit is at work in the ordinariness of our lives as God’s people.  Our churches have been bombarded with all kinds of criticisms and romantic plans to make them over in someone’s image of what the church ‘ought’ to be without much effect.  We pray that this book is a resource to local churches and their leaders as they tentatively seek to become God’s missionary people in their neighborhoods and communities. We would love to have you take part in this opportunity.  For more information, contact:  Ron Isaman, Director of Congregational Development of WNY Conference, 1801 West State Street, Olean NY 14760, Ph. 716-397-9993 or by e-mail at ronisaman@wnyumc.org.   iVoice is sent to clergy and lay leadership in the Wyoming Annual Conference and its local congregations.  Please feel free to use this information in your bulletins, local church newsletters, or as announcements during worship services.   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.   News from United Methodist News Service   Coaching forum to aid church planters
Leaders set ambitious goal of starting a congregation a day, or more.