METNews - April 2017

Rev. Dr. Denise Smartt Sears Dear Friends,   Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones paints a clear picture. God led Ezekiel into a valley of bones. There were many bones and they were very dry. This imagery keeps showing up for me. There are situations all around that are dead and dry, they seem hopeless. Some of us can remember times in our lives where doubt, hopelessness, depression, fear and anxiety overwhelmed us. We are not that disconnected from the dry bones that Ezekiel encountered.    The dry bones represented the Israelites who were led against their will to Babylon. Ezekiel’s vision was given for a people who had lost heart. They were suffering, their spirits were down, they were living in a foreign land and all they saw was death and doom. Ezekiel saw the very souls of his people, physically drawn up for all to see. We know the rest of the story.   There is hope for the resurrection of the dead. God tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones and say: " O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord." (Ezekiel 37:5)   Even when we find ourselves in challenging ministry settings God will provide. God, will continue to bring new life to those ministries once thought hopeless, desolate and dead!   Can these bones live? You know Lord!   Ask God for what you need in order to experience new life today. Everyone can receive the loving breath, ruah the Holy Spirit that transforms lives and makes them new.   As we prepare for Easter may we look for signs of new life in our midst. Through the power of the Holy Spirit God can transform our spiritual lives, our relationships and our ministries! We can be resurrected.   God is still making all things new. Blessings, Denise Smartt Sears

In This Article

 2017 MET DISTRICT LAY SERVANT SCHOOL 

2017 District Conference

Bishop's Day on the Metropolitan District 

 2017 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

 2017 HUMM Lenten Season Schedule

Bronx Cluster Joint Lenten Service Schedule   

The Elijah Challenge

ITF Accompaniment Training

Abundant Health Expo

From the desk of Margaret Howe, Conference Secretary

Northeast Jurisdiction Disaster Training Academy

Statement on Compassion and Justice for Immigrants and Refugees

BMCR Monthly Meeting

Alzheimer's Association Purple Sunday

 Employment Opportunities 

Coming Events

Recurring Events

Save The Date
 

 2017 MET DISTRICT LAY SERVANT SCHOOL 


 

STATEN ISLAND

Bishop's Day on the Metropolitan District 

Please note: This evening's meeting is more for laity than clergy.

Please help us prepare for your arrival by registering for this event.
Your registration helps us ensure we have ample seating, materials and refreshments.
Please click here to register today. 

 2017 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

                                                                                                         
    Registration for full conference                                                                                                           Registration for retirees attending                                                                                                                                                                                   Thursday June 8 only

For more information: 
http://www.nyac.com/2017annualconference

 2017 HUMM Lenten Season Schedule

Bronx Cluster Joint Lenten Service Schedule

  

The Elijah Challenge

3/1/2017

Greetings New York Annual Conference Community:

Preparations for our June 7 through 10, 2017 Annual Conference at Hofstra have begun…

If you are a District or Conference Committee/Commission Chair and are required to submit an annual report, it must be submitted to the Conference Secretary by Wednesday, April 26, 2017.

If you plan to submit a petition or resolution to be considered by Annual Conference, it must be submitted to the Conference Secretary by Wednesday, April 26, 2017.

Once the reports, petitions and resolutions are submitted they need to be proofed for correctness and prepared for inclusion in the Preliminary Reports, Petitions and Resolutions Book for the Plenary Session of Annual Conference.

It is critical that this material be submitted by the mentioned due date.
The references for these reports, petitions and resolutions are Rule 27 and 28: “All reports, resolutions and petitions to be considered by the annual conference shall be in the hands of   the conference secretary six weeks before the beginning date of the annual conference in order to be included in the Conference Program Booklet…”

“All resolutions or petitions for conference consideration shall be signed by at least five members of the conference, with the exception of petitions from local churches, which shall have been adopted by majority vote of the respective church’s Church Council (or equivalent structure) or Charge Conference…”

It is important that you prepare and submit your material in the format described.  Prepare your report as an editable WORD document (not more than 700 words), using this heading as a guide:
         Name of Report, Resolution or Petition
         Name of Person Preparing Document
         Number paragraphs beginning with 101 for reports. Ex.: 101.
Any report, petition or resolution not in WORD, will be returned for conversion.  

Late reports received between April 27 and May 31 must meet all requirements stated in Rule 27.  Note that “…Reports, resolutions and petitions failing to adhere to the five-day deadline shall not be considered by the annual conference.”

If you are new at this, please do not wait until the last minute.  Contact me and I will help you through the process - confsecy@nyac.com or call 914 615-2231 or 845 943-8962.
 
With gratitude and thanks,

Margaret Howe, Conference Secretary

Northeast Jurisdiction Disaster Training Academy

"When Disaster Strikes – the Church Responds”
A one-day forum on Disaster Response Ministries
April 22, 2017   NYAC Conference Center, White Plains
9 AM to 4 PM

Presentations:
   The Role of the Church in a disaster
   Understanding the Big Picture
   Caring for the Community – The role of the Church before, during and after a disaster

Break Out Sessions:
   ERT Recertification class
   Effective Leadership - Nuts and Bolts of Leading a Response Team
   Caring for the Community – Developing Disaster Emotional and Spiritual Care Teams 

Final Gathering -  Toward a District-based disaster response ministry
Key Note Speaker:
     Greg Forrester - President and CEO, National VOAD
     Formerly of UMCOR and the NEJ VIM Coordinator  

We will provide light breakfast foods, beverages, and snacks throughout the event.
Please bring a bag lunch to allow for a working-lunch.
Please register on the NYAC website and indicate a preference for one of the breakout sessions.
Contact Tom Vencuss (tvencuss@nyac.com) for more information or with questions.   

 
Disaster Emotional and Spiritual Care "Basic" Training 
      Saturday,  April 29       9 AM to 4 PM       NYAC Conference Center

This seven-hour training provides an overview for the development of Disaster Emotional and Spiritual Care Teams. UMCOR-trained Disaster Response “Care Teams” are faith-based, ongoing teams with standardized training that provide spiritual and emotional care before, during, following, and ‘in-between” disasters. Working closely with their Annual Conference and District Disaster Response Ministries, “Care Teams” help survivors and others connect with spiritual, emotional, and basic life resources.

We will provide light breakfast foods, beverages, and snacks throughout the event. Please bring a bag lunch to allow for a working-lunch.

Please register on the NYAC website.  
Contact Wendy Vencuss (wvencuss@gmail.com) for more information or with questions. 

 
Disaster Response Ministry Retreat and Work Week-end(s)

Calling all ERTs, Long Term Recovery volunteers, DESC-trained personnel  –  join us for a retreat and work weekend at Camp Olmstead, Thursday, May 11 through Saturday, May 13. During the day we will put our disaster response skills to work, assisting with work projects, and during the evening spend time in fellowship and disaster response-related discussions and workshops. The camp will be hosting us so there is no cost to volunteers. In preparation, we are looking for several persons with construction/building backgrounds to visit the camp and begin to put together a scope of work for each project. Please contact Tom Vencuss (tvencuss@nyac.com) or 860-324-1424 if you are interested.  
We have also been in touch with Brooke and Justin at Quinipet and we are looking to put together a similar retreat/work weekend there. More details about this to come. 

Please click here to see upcoming ERT training events>>
Download an Emotional & Spiritual Care Brochure

 
Rev. Tom Vencuss
Coordinator Disaster Recovery Ministries
New York Annual Conference
860-324-1424 

Statement on Compassion and Justice for Immigrants and Refugees

When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God. 
Leviticus 19:33-34 (NIV)
 

We, the Board of Directors and staff of the General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) recently journeyed to the border dividing U.S. and Mexico to see and experience firsthand the realities of migration, an issue of global relevance. We heard stories of mothers separated from their children without warning. We saw the militarized presence at the border. We experienced the massive wall extending farther than the eye could see and felt the pain of division that walls cause between members of families, churches and communities.

GCORR's mission is to build the capacity of The United Methodist Church to be contextually relevant and to reach more people, younger people and more diverse people in making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We are tasked with the responsibility to be present, engaged and supportive of efforts to tear down the physical and relational walls that separate humanity, thus our concern for immigrants and refugees. As a result of this journey, the biblical call to love and serve the stranger among us has been forged upon our hearts and minds, and leads us to step forth in solidarity with immigrant and refugee people.

As United Methodists, we know well and affirm the positions of The United Methodist Church on matters of immigration as stated our Books of Discipline and Resolutions respectively. These positions denounce all forms of inhospitality, exclusion and violence toward immigrant and refugee people and encourage education, advocacy and relationship building among all cultures. We also affirm that the time for just and comprehensive immigration reform legislation in every place where immigration is a pressing issue is long overdue.

Therefore, on behalf of the General Commission on Religion and Race we commit to:

• Model in our local ministry contexts what it means to extend ourselves in love and to promote justice for the immigrants and refugees in our communities;
• Continue to educate ourselves and others on the plight of immigrants and refugees who leave their homelands in search of a better life for themselves and their families;
• Create space for the mothers, fathers and children who risk and at times lose their lives crossing deserts and oceans to escape poverty, violence and oppression to be heard, valued and treated justly; and
• Support GCORR in the development of resources to assist churches in relating to and serving our immigrant neighbors in more compassionate and culturally competent ways.

And, we prayerfully call on the people of The United Methodist Church at every level to:

• Welcome the immigrant and refugee in your midst;
• Consider becoming a sanctuary church or providing for the needs of immigrants and refugees in some other way;
• Seek opportunities to quell the fear and hate speech aimed at immigrant and refugee communities by rejecting all attempts to polarize, stereotype and discriminate against them; and
• Participate in legislative, humanitarian and community actions that honor the humanity of all people including immigrants and refugees and that provide a clear and just path to legal citizenship and/or work status.

As Christians we are called to be peacemakers and bridge builders. We believe that now is the time for the church of Jesus Christ to serve the world as peacemakers and bridge builders. We do this in faithfulness to the one who through an act of unconditional love and sacrifice, abolished oppressive laws and tore down the dividing wall of hostility that existed between members of the human family so that there might be unity and reconciliation with God (Ephesians 2:14-16). As board members of GCORR, we are committed to this work and seek to be in partnership with others who are as well. We continue to pray for the welfare and safety of immigrants and refugees around the world. We also continue to pray for The United Methodist Church whose mission to “make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world” must include acts of compassionate care and justice for immigrants and refugees.

General Commission on Religion and Race 
100 Maryland Ave. NE | Suite 400 | Washington | DC | 20002

The prevalence, incidence and cumulative risk of Alzheimer’s disease are disproportionately high in African-American and Hispanic population, according to the Alzheimer’s Association®. To increase awareness of this disease and the importance of early detection, I would like to invite you and your Westchester District church family to join us in participating in the 3nd  Annual Alzheimer’s Association Purple Sunday on September 17, 2017.

To join in this initiative, we will ask churches to:

Select an individual who will represent your church and implement Purple Sunday. If you have more than one service that day, you can choose up to two representatives.:

• Wear purple on the day of the event 

• Host an educational table 

By participating in this initiative, each church will receive: 

Free Educational materials and other resources from the Alzheimer’s Association.    
Free assistance with a planning committee to guide each church through the event. 
Free educational presentation. 

We look forward to partnering with you on this initiative, further discussing the impact of Alzheimer’s disease on our community, and sharing my personal story with you.  

We can be reached by email addresses referenced above or by contacting Jonelle Ward at 914 253-6860. 

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Jonelle Ward, MS
Outreach Director
Alzheimer’s Awareness Purple Sunday

Diane Aparisio, MSW
Health Committee Co Chair
Zeta Nu Omega Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. 

*if your church wishes to participate in Purple Sunday (Sept. 2017) please send an email to the district office.
We will gather the group of participant churches/leaders for a Purple Sunday
presentation by the Alzheimer's Awareness Association.*

 Employment Opportunities 

	Kingswood Summer positions Do you like  -  waking up to birdsongs and grazing deer and going to sleep hearing bullfrogs and watching fireflies and the Milky Way? -   sharing your love of nature/outdoors with others?  -  making others feel welcome and at home in their campsite?  -  cooking over a campfire?  -  meeting interesting people of all ages? Then read more about the Kingswood Summer positions! Perhaps you would enjoy being Program Director.  In this position you would be:  -  engaging others while demonstrating crafts  -  leading hikes  -  developing programs that engage people  -  making homemade ice cream - yum! Perhaps being a lifeguard appeals to you. The lifeguard will be:  -  spending each afternoon at the beach  -  keeping the bathhouse clean and inviting  -  using equipment to maintain the waterfront area   If either of these positions interest you, please read the complete job descriptions:   Program Director    Lifeguard.   (If the links do not open, please see attached files.) Please contact me with any questions. Cheryl Winship, Kingswood Director cwin1@frontiernet.net
	EXECUTIVE FOR OFFICE OF DEACONESS AND HOME MISSIONER (Candidacy) Summary of Responsibilities The Executive for Office of Deaconess and Home Missioner (Candidacy) serves the Office of Deaconess, Home Missioner and Home Missionary focusing on personnel management and resourcing for the candidacy process.   Qualifications Bachelor’s degree and at least 3 years’ experience conducting advocacy work in a nonprofit organization or religious institution; Membership in the United Methodist Church as a Deaconess, Home Missioner or Home Missionary is desirable but not required while knowledge or experience in working with issues specific to women, children and families is preferred; Understanding and experience with polity and doctrine of the United Methodist Church is desirable.  Experience in human resource management, supervision of personnel, spiritual formation and United Methodist theological studies is desirable.  Ability to communicate and collaborate with unlikely partners and grassroots organizations.  Ability to work with confidentiality and integrity in all aspects.  Successful candidate must be able to speak and write clearly and concisely in English with the ability to relate to people of various cultures and to interpret concerns to UMW national office and United Methodist Women; Previous work experience which would enable employee to meet with confidence and expertise Congressional leaders and other national leaders; Past experience in managing a budget for the work assigned preferred.  Proficiency with Microsoft Office including PowerPoint and Publisher; Ability to speak an additional language other than English and a sense of humor is a plus.   For additional details about the position go to  http://www.umcmission.org/Learn-About-Us/About-Global-Ministries/Careers  (click on positions for UMW).
	The Office of the General Secretary is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Executive Assistant About Us United Methodist Women - National Organization is the policy-making body that manages and oversees the programs and projects of United Methodist Women (UMW).  We accomplish this by equipping women and girls around the world to be leaders in communities, agencies, workplaces, governments and churches and to advocate for the oppressed and dispossessed with special attention to the needs of women and children.  UMW builds supportive communities among women through membership in the organization; engages in activities that foster growth in the Christian faith, mission education, and Christian social involvement, while working for justice through compassionate service and advocacy to change unfair policies and systems while providing educational experiences that lead to personal change in order to transform the world.   About the Office of the General Secretary The Office of the General Secretary brings together the General Secretary, along with staff members in the areas of Events Management, Organizational Development and Board Recording Secretary. The Office communicates around the organizational vision and direction, develops and maintains connection to members and the larger church, maintains contact database and archives of historical data, and program and production management for Assembly and smaller conference events and helps to improve the information flow between the Board of Directors, the Program Advisory Group and Conference Leadership Teams and the national office. Summary of Responsibilities The Executive Assistant supports and maximizes the efficiency of the General Secretary/CEO and the Office of the General Secretary. The Executive Assistant serves as the primary point of contact for internal and external constituencies on matters pertaining to the Office of the General Secretary. The Executive Assistant also serves as a liaison to the General Secretaries of other United Methodist agencies, Conference UMW Presidents, Jurisdiction Leaders, Membership, Cabinet and staff, Board of Directors, PAG and donors. The Executive Assistant organizes and coordinates executive outreach and external relations efforts and when necessary oversees special projects. The Executive Assistant must be creative and enjoy working within an environment that is mission-driven and community-oriented. The ideal individual will have the ability to exercise good judgment in a variety of situations utilizing strong written and verbal communication, and organizational skills. The ability to maintain attention to detail with shifting priorities. The Executive Assistant will have the ability to work independently on projects, from conception to completion, and must be able to work under pressure at times to handle a wide variety of activities and confidential matters with discretion. This position is not static and will be revised as the needs of the organization evolve.   Education and Experience Requirements Bachelor's degree required. Eight to ten year's administrative/secretarial experience at an executive administrative level, preferably in a religious nonprofit or community-based organization. Familiarity and general knowledge of polity of the United Methodist church. Familiarity and general knowledge of UMW Mission and Structure. Strong work tenure: five to 10 years of experience supporting C-Level Executives, preferably in a non-profit organization. Experience and interest in internal and external communications, partnership development, and fundraising. Proficient in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, and Power Point), Adobe Acrobat, and Social Media web platforms. Experience operating advanced software (MS Office). Internal candidates are encouraged to apply through the online portal by sending a resume/cover letter/writing sample and salary requirement at  http://www.umcmission.org/Learn-About-Us/About-Global-Ministries/Careers.   For more information on the position or to apply, go to  http://www.umcmission.org/Learn-About-Us/About-Global-Ministries/Careers.   (*) Internal candidates are asked to notify Human Resources of their intent to apply.

Part-Time Custodial Personnel Both male and female persons are encouraged to apply.  The work week will consist of 20 hours and include Saturday, Sunday and some holidays.   Please submit resume to:                    Salem United Methodist Church                                                             2190 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd.                                                             New York, NY 10027                                                              ATTN.: Carolyn McNair, Trustee

COMING EVENTS

 RECURRING EVENTS

SAVE THE DATE

 

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