Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton, Resident Bishop of the New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, has announced that the 222nd Annual Conference Session will be a virtual gathering.

The 2021 Conference Theme is "On Jordan's Stormy Banks"

Registration is closed for this event, but you will be able to watch via live-stream on NYAC's YouTube and Facebook pages.

For information about the schedule, reports, petitions, and the proposed budget, please click here. 

Peace With Justice Sunday Offering - May 30 When you support Peace with Justice Sunday, your gift becomes a voice for advocacy around the world. Together we strengthen God’s family with ministries that challenge structures of inequality and empower people and communities through systemic change. For more information and additional resources. Caribbean Mission Partnership Special Service - May 30 For information on how to view this service, please see the flyer that is attached below.  Thinking About Vacation Bible School?     Are you thinking about having Vacation Bible School at your church this Summer?  How will you follow COVID safety guidelines? Need help getting started?       Let's get together via Zoom on June 7, 2021 at 7:00 PM to talk about how to make VBS possible. We will look at the current Cokesbury VBS program as well as other programs available.    If you have any questions, or to reserve a spot,  contact Cassandra Negri at childrensministry@nyac-umc.com.  Space is limited. Puppets! The puppets for the 2020 and 2021 VBS programs from Cokesbury are available for our NYAC churches to borrow. If you would like Beak'n (Discovery on Adventure Island) or Sparky (Knights of North Castle) for your program, contact Cassandra at childrensministry@nyac-umc.com to reserve your dates. Dates are filling up fast. Our Camps Are Hiring! ? Program Director:  Click Here to Learn More  (Downloadable Word Document) Lifeguard:  Click Here to Learn More (Downloadable Word Document)   Several job opportunities Be a FAN for Your Church's Health!     FAN - Faith, Activity, and Nutrition (FAN) program is a free online resource from the University of South Carolina Prevention Research Center. The FAN Online Training includes 8 self-paced, interactive weekly lessons that can be completed in about an hour. The program also includes 12 months of free materials and resources to help churches launch FAN and sustain it over the first year. FAN can help churches engage in health in a whole new way through an online platform. FAN was developed WITH churches FOR churches to improve the health of church members and communities. The FAN online training is fun and interactive.      With funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we are able to share this training with churches across the United States at no cost. To date, FAN has helped over 200 churches create opportunities for healthier living. About 50 churches have already taken part in the FAN Online Training. Increasing physical activity and healthy eating is important for addressing the most common chronic diseases and for improving mental health. FAN holistically serves God’s people by helping churches address physical and emotional health within the context of a faith-based program, consistent with 3 John 1:2, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” Mission Update St Vincent/Grenadines Volcano Response     The NYAC Missions office and Caribbean Mission Partnership has been working with the South Caribbean District of the Methodist Church of the Caribbean and Americas to assist in the response to the April 9 volcano eruption which has caused both a major health, humanitarian, and economic crisis for St Vincent and surrounding islands.     Bishop Bickerton has approved a special appeal to the Conference for the support. Funds may be sent to the NYAC, 20 Soundview Avenue, White Plains, NY, 10606, attention Fran Collins. Please make your check payable to the NYAC with “St Vincent Response” in the memo line. With thanks to the UM City Society This winter and spring, the UM City Society, working through the NYAC Missions office, provided more than $40,000 in emergency supplies to local churches which house emergency food distribution programs. These supplies included canopies, heaters, refrigerators, freezers, and shelving.

Please remember that PPE is available from the Conference Center as you begin to open ministries or in support of current programs. We have disinfectant, hand sanitizer, gloves, and masks. Contact Tom Vencuss (tvencuss@nyac.com) for more information. 

As this year’s Annual Conference will once again be virtual, there will not be a central collection of Hygiene or Clean-up kits. For churches interested in providing kits we ask that you collect the amount of funding equal to kits and send them to the Conference office. A Clean-up Kit is valued at $75 and a Hygiene Kit at $12. Funds will be forwarded to UMCOR. If you have already collected kits, please send them directly to Mission Central, 5 Pleasant View Dr, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050.

Please let the Missions office know how many kits have been sent.

• Book study from Cokesbury: How to Fight Racism is a handbook and study for pursuing racial justice with hands-on suggestions bolstered by real-world examples of positive change.
• Online summer courses from the Lewis Center for academic and CEU credit
  • CM-142-OL Healthy Stewardship in the Local Church (June 7-11) with Dr. Michel. In this course you will explore the biblical and theological basis for healthy congregational stewardship and a survey of best practices for cultivating generosity.
  • CM-137-OL Church Finances (June 21-25) with Dr. Weems. In this course you will explore the various types of budgets, categories of income and expenses, accurate tracking of giving, and much more from both theological perspectives and best practices of financial transparency and accountability.

Learn more about these courses and register for academic or CEU credit now.

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