Advocate 2020 Winter

ADVOCATE Upper New York

A publication of the Upper New York Conference of The United Methodist Church

Reaching people in new places CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES | COOPERATIVE PARISHES | RESOURCES

A DVOCATE Upper New York

Reaching people in new places

Vol. 12, Issue 1

TABLE of

CONTENTS

ADVOCATE Upper New York

A publication of the Upper New York Conference of The United Methodist Church

Reaching people in new places CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES | COOPERATIVE PARISHES | RESOURCES

On the cover InterMission

Aside from refocusing all of the community programs that the church offers, Brewerton UMC recently launched a new program that focuses on bringing young families to Christ through mission. The program is called InterMission. Learn more about this church’s new ministry on page 24.

6

Hearts for the homeless

Imagine having everything you wanted and needed and losing it all in an instant. Heather Lane and her husband of Cortland: First UMC went from having everything to nothing overnight.

Learn how her experience fueled her passion for homeless ministry.

14 “We’ve got quiet”

Our scripture points to meditation and forms of consciousness-expanding prayer as integral to the life of the faithful, which is exactly what this ministry is all about. Find out how two pastors created a mobile space for people to come in and share silence.

All photos appearing in the Advocate, a publication of the Upper New York Conference, have been printed with permission.

Follow us online: www.unyumc.org, www.facebook.com/uppernewyork, www.twitter.com/uppernewyork, www.instagram.com/uppernewyork 2 UNY ADVOCATE 2020, Issue 1

16 Planting the seeds

Whiteface Community UMC recognizes the longing for a deeper connection to God, an open-minded spiritual community and families seeking spiritual grounding for their children.

In response to these perceived needs, Kids Club at WCUMC was born.

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Community partners

Being present and visible in the community is essential to building relationships with people that have forgotten, wandered away from, been hurt by, or were never invited to a church. Learn how this ministry brings church to the Community in Buffalo, N.Y.

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Beyond a closet ministry

The clothing giveaways at Afton UMC was a big undertaking. So big that it limited how often they could offer clothing to the community to just a few times per year. Find out how this church reworked their model of operation to serve the community 3 times per month.

Office: 7481 Henry Clay Blvd., Liverpool, NY 13088. Telephone: (855) 424-7878. The Upper New York United Methodist Advocate is a publication of the Upper New York Conference of The United Methodist Church, whose mission is to be God’s love with all our neighbors in all places. It is published two times a year. Materials in the Advocate may not be reproduced unless the item is accompanied by a copyright notation. Periodicals postage paid at Utica, NewYork 13504; USPS 14025. Postmaster: send address changes to Upper New York United Methodist Advocate, 7481 Henry Clay Blvd., Liverpool, NY 13088. We reserve the right to edit or decline any items submitted for publication.

unyumc.org 3

J

ust then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you

will live.” But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus,

“And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man

was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and

fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him,

beat him, and went away, leaving him half

dead. Now by chance a priest was going

down that road; and when he saw him, he

passed by on the other side. So likewise, a

Levite, when he came to the place and

saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while

traveling came near him; and when he saw him,

he was moved with pity. He went to him

and bandaged

his wounds,

having poured oil and wine

on them.

Then he put

him on his

own animal, brought him to an inn, and took

care of him. The

next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the inn

keeper, and said, ‘Take care of

him; and when I come back, I

will repay you whatever more you

spend.’ Which of these three,

do you think, was a neighbor to

the man who fell into the hands

of the robbers?” He said, “The

one who showed him mercy.”

Jesus said to him, “Go and do

likewise” (Luke 10.25-37).

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he parable of the Good Samaritan is one of great compassion, truth, and direction. Jesus shares it in response to a legal expert attempting to justify himself as he reflects upon the great commandment by asking, “Who is my neighbor?” One commentator has noted that the conclusion of the parable is vital. “Jesus does not ask the legal expert to identify who in the parable is his neighbor. Jesus asks him to identify who in the parable is a neighbor to the one who fell into the hands of the robbers. Jesus has reframed the question that prompted the parable in the first place; instead of identifying who counts as a neighbor to be loved, Jesus indicates that a person truly acts as a neighbor through loving.

The legal expert wants to know who deserves his love. Jesus replies by showing how authentic love will seek out, even in the unlikeliest of places, neighbors to receive compassion and care.”

Our mission as United Methodist followers of Jesus is to partner with God in inviting others to become disciples of Jesus that though God’s power and our witness the world will be transformed. In Upper New York we have a vision of what it will look like when each of us and all of us together are faithfully living that mission – We will “live the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be God’s love with our neighbors in all places.”

The world of 2020 needs God’s love! The world of 2020 can be healed by God’s love!

As the Church of Jesus Christ, we are called, equipped, and commanded to rush into the world with the amazing, life-changing love of God.

those neighbors so that we can find ways to connect with them and invite them into the good news of Jesus Christ. That’s a worthy focus, but maybe the parable of the Good Samaritan points us to a better one.

How are we being a neighbor to those around us? How has the authentic love of Christ so transformed us that everywhere we go and everyone we have contact with sees it, experiences it, and is changed by it. How are our characteristics as a Christfollower and our need to share God’s love within our lives spilling out into the world around us? Do we trust that unleashing the love of God in us into the world around us is enough?

When we are transformed by the love of God through Jesus Christ, everything changes! When we are fully captured by God’s love for us, we see those around us as Christ sees them–we love them as Christ loves them–we serve them as Christ does–our transformed lives because of God’s love, invites others into a transforming relationship with Jesus Christ.

I wonder what might emerge if the next time you consider ways to increase your ministry and outreach to the people and community you are called to serve, you simply prayed and ask God to help you answer one simple yet profound question–How can we be a neighbor? How can we unleash into our world, the love of God that so graciously fills our lives?

Which of these were a neighbor to a world filled with despair, violence, injustice, division, poverty, addiction, racism, sexism? May we proclaim, it is us! We are the neighbor because of God’s love through Jesus in us!

Like you, I suspect, I have been a part of many conversations over the years within the Church regarding how we can best reach out and walk alongside our neighbors. In that conversation we tend to focus on the characteristics and needs of

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How homelessness fueled my passion for homeless ministry

By Heather Lane, Leader of Faith in Action ministry team at Cortland: First United Methodist Church

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G

od has a way of bringing us down a couple of pegs and humbling us. My husband and I had only been married a year and a half. He had a very good job, making enough for he and I to live quite comfortably without me even having to work. Between the two of us, we had all that we wanted and needed. Enjoying the perks of being able to buy the things we wanted when we wanted them. Then, as quick as it came, it went.

Joey lost his job. We went from having everything to having nothing in what seemed to be overnight.

In what seemed fast-paced fashion, we lost our home and all our possessions. We found ourselves living on the side of a river in rural Virginia with our car, a tent, two changes of clothes each, and a box of personal pictures and yearbooks that the law determined had to be "saved" as personal items they were not legally allowed to get rid of upon clearing Heather and husband Joe assemble blessing our belongings out of our apartment. I had bags for the homeless at Cortland: First UMC. never felt so embarrassed, ashamed, and alone in my life. All the material possessions I remember going back to the tent that we we had deemed so important were gone and called home and just sobbing uncontrollably. what we had left did not fill the trunk of the How could we have been so irresponsible? car.

Why didn’t we put money in savings? We After a couple of days when the anger were young (22 and 23), young in marriage, and sadness of the reality had subsided, we and young in experience. It was a long road, ashamedly walked into the department of rebuilding our life. It was through God’s love social services to request help with food, and and mercy and a few caring family members shelter. The response we got was so unexthat we were able to find jobs and begin pected and shocking that we left not knowing rebuilding what was lost. However, it did not what to do. "I am sorry Mr. and Mrs. Lane, come without a cost. We had to spend a year but we cannot help you if you don’t have a 700 miles apart both working hard and savphysical address." What? How can this posing what we could to pay for an apartment sibly be true? We have no and be together again. home, no food, no place Here we are 16 years later and 18 years to shower to even have a married, praising God for all he has provided. chance at finding a I am not going to say that there were not job to begin to pick up angry conversations had with God, asking, the pieces of a life we “Why?” However, now we praise God for all no longer recognized. we lost because without that experience, Cortland: First UMC

we would have never known how thousands upon thousands of homeless people feel every day. We would not have the passion that

Continued on page 8. unyumc.org 7

Helpful and not-so-helpful hints for helping the homeless population Helpful: Providing items of necessity (food, hygiene, clothing).

Asking what would be helpful for people, rather than assuming.

Treating all people with dignity and respect.

Provide resources for help (food pantries, clothing giveaways, job-training opportunities, disability application information).

Never assume where someone is in life; asking is better than assuming. we have to make a difference. You will never know the fear and sadness of not having a "place" to be unless you have been there.

This experience taught us that material things are just that, material. They can be replaced. Of course, there are things we have that we hold sentimental, but they are still just material; our memories are what we rely on. Joey and I have big plans to serve people who are where we once were. Someday, we would like to open a few homeless shelters that not only provide a warm place to sleep, but a place to become family, to offer the resources needed to regain the life they lost. We would also like to start a pay-whatyou-can restaurant, that offers people different opportunities to contribute toward their meals, allowing people to feel dignity. It’s not just a hand out; it’s a help up. For now, we are doing what we can where we can. We know that when the time is right, God will open the doors. We remain in conversations with God and know that he will let us know when it’s time.

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Not helpful: Giving items that a person can’t or won’t use; it wastes resources. Not everyone has the same needs.

Don’t push items you don’t want or items that are very worn or obviously used on people. You think it is being nice, but it can come across differently to a person in a less-than situation.

Don’t give cash! Give gift cards; it’s not being judgmental, it’s being resourceful.

Faith in Action blessing bags

Click here to read about some of the work that Heather has done for the Homeless Community at Cortland First UMC. Or visit: http://bit.ly/blessingbagsinCortland

Pendleton Center UMC member reflects on the church’s homeless ministry

R

By Chet Dombrowski, Lay member, Pendelton Center UMC

ecently, on a Monday afternoon in December, I helped prepare meals in our Pendleton Church kitchen. The task completed, we packed our cars and left for downtown Buffalo to put the meals into the hands of the homeless. I had previously participated in another homeless ministry and was anxious to do so again. This should be easy, or so I thought.

Upon reaching our destination, the scene was familiar, so setting up and beginning the distribution went very routinely. What followed was not. The emotions I began to feel hit hard and fast. I was once again caught up in the emotions and hurt I saw in the faces of those I was serving; sadness, embarrassment, anger, indignation, occasionally real gratitude; but what impacted me most were the expressionless looks of apathy and hopelessness.

The evening came to an end, and we headed home, full of emotion. There was, of course, a sense of satisfaction for bringing these people help relieving their loneliness and hunger, but there was also an overwhelming sense of guilt for the shallowness of gratitude I had offered for my many blessings. Yes, I thanked God daily, but it had become routine and ritualistic. I knew it had to become more, but what?

How?

I began to seek God more diligently. I started with prayer; confessing, asking God for forgiveness, and His direction. Then I waited. The answers did not come by email or by burning bush. However, I began to feel an urging to do more for the homeless and those in need. But how? More prayer? Amazingly, more and more opportunities to help people in need began to come to me. God was answering my prayers.

Through feeding the homeless, I began to feel a deeper sense of gratitude, purpose, and fulfillment.

In hindsight, it should not have been a complete surprise that God would want to use me to serve on the streets. I have a great deal of empathy for the homeless. You see, I was once one of them. unyumc.org 9

Missions at Eastern Parkway UMC:

Discipleship

Loving

in

service to others By the Rev. Mark Ledbetter, Pastor, Eastern Parkway UMC

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Eastern Parkway UMC

E

astern Parkway is a missions-oriented church family. Living the Jesus teachings, we choose to be disciples of an unconditional love that addresses the emotional and physical wellbeing of others. Eastern Parkway believes that God’s Beloved Community is birthed in unconditionally loving hearts, and God’s Beloved Community is built by the unconditionally loving acts of gifting hands.

And I’m thrilled to tell you about some of our mission programs at Eastern Parkway.

We committedly participate in larger global missions, Bread for the World and UMCOR, for example. We listen for and are quick to respond to emergencies around our nation and around the world. While this national and global mission work is extremely important, this article focuses on mission programs that are particular to Eastern Parkway UMC, and our church’s local community.

Sunday missions:

Each Sunday, our Young People’s Time is singularly dedicated to a local mission. After a program for our children and young people, led by members of our church community, the young people go about the congregation with colorful buckets for contributions to local missions in the Schenectady, Nyskayuna area.

One Sunday each month is dedicated to The Sock Project; money is collected to buy new socks for the residents of Bethesda House. Several of our members actually drop pairs of new socks into the buckets. Another

Sunday supports Schenectady Community Ministries (SCM) with an unrestricted donation of funds collected to SCM’s wonderful outreach work. A third Sunday of the month supports a program called “Things of My Very Own.” This ministry provides toys and clothing to displaced children, who often must quickly leave a difficult home situation with a parent, unable to take few, if any, belongings with them. These mission programs have raised thousands of dollars over the years for these various missions in our local community.

Our fourth Sunday, each month, is not a collection of funds but rather a collection of working hands. Twenty to twenty-five church members gather around tables in the narthex of the church, tables filled with bread, cheeses, and meats, which members had brought to church that morning, and, in assembly line fashion, the hands gathered make 300-400 sandwiches to provide lunch at Bethesda House.

And on fifth Sundays? On the fifth Sunday of a month, we collect for Circle B. Circle B, led by Rebecca Behrendt, is an in house organization that crochets. Circle B, began during WW II, not crocheting, but as an organization rolling bandages for persons wounded in the war. Now, Circle B, crochets prayer shawls and prayer blankets, for persons homebound or in the hospital, and baby blankets to be presented to families during the sacrament of infant baptism. Circle B, over the years, has provided well over 1,000 blankets and shawls to warm the bodies and hearts of others. unyumc.org 11

Eastern Parkway also provides alternative worship services and continued worship services several times a year. Alternative Worship is a time when persons, during the Sunday morning worship hour, spend time worshiping off-site by working at a mission location, like the Food Bank. Continued Worship is a sacred time following our worship service during which we put together hygiene kits for disaster relief, hospitality bags for the homeless, student boxes for our college students, and compose letters to send to our members and friends in nursing homes or assisted living and people who are homebound.

Donation and Drop Boxes:

In addition to these dedicated Sunday offerings, Eastern Parkway has donation boxes for year-round, ongoing, projects: eye glasses for the Lion’s Club Glasses Project, nonperishable foods for the local food pantry, and box tops that provide money for local education programs. There are also drop boxes for school supplies for local classrooms, a place to deposit inkjets for recycling, a box for books to stock our free library, a box for yarn collection that goes to Circle B, and a box for bottles and can collection for youth ministries.

Daija’s Dolls:

A new and exciting mission program at Eastern Parkway is Daija’s Dolls. Daija’s Dolls is a welcomingly beautiful room in the education wing of our church that houses American Girls Dolls with a stunning variety 12 UNY ADVOCATE 2020, Issue 1

of accessories. Persons around the capital district donate these dolls and accessories to the program. The Director of the program, Ann Jackson, along with other volunteers, make sure that the dolls and accessories are cleaned and mended, if necessary.

Young children from around the capital region are welcome to come and choose a doll, the doll’s clothes, and other accessories to take home with them. This program promotes self-esteem among young persons whose families cannot afford such a gift, while feeding a young person’s imagination that longs to be caringly playful. This program has also enlisted volunteers from around the capital district to participate in this gift-giving process.

Community events:

For several years, Eastern Parkway has held the Halloween event, Trunk or Treat, in which members dress ghoulishly, to dish out lots of candy to the neighbor children. In Sept. of 2019, Eastern Parkway held its first Back to School

sionate and just acts for others according to interests. There are stations addressing immigration issues and LGBTQAI+ issues.

There is a letter-writing, card-sending station, with names and addresses of persons who are homebound or in care facilities. And from the OR room, community events, such as carol singing, and Shrove Tuesday pancake dinners are organized.

A Reconciling Church:

Block Party, which will now become an annual event. Over 70 people from the Eastern Parkway neighborhood attended the Block Party. There were many games for young people of all ages. Young and old, alike, had their faces painted, and ate free hotdogs and hamburgers, veggie dogs, and veggie burgers, along with cookies for dessert and lemonade to drink. The Eastern Parkway church family wanted to say to the persons in their neighborhood, “We want to be a presence in you lives; we want to be good neighbors. Join us for an afternoon of fun.”

And Eastern Parkway United Methodist Church is a Reconciling Church. In response to the recent rulings of the 2019 General Conference in St. Louis, MO, that declared that “homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching,” the Eastern Parkway Church Community welcomes the LGBTQAI+ community to a sacredly safe and healthy

The OR Room:

A little over a year ago, Eastern Parkway made a decision to hire, part-time, an Outreach Director, Jenny Chapman. Jenny was provided a large room in our education wing. The room is named the OR Room. From this location, the Outreach Director provides information about issues that reflect local and national missions. The room has stations of activities that allow church members to find the level of participation with which they are comfortable, to provide support and aid to others. This room is a center for compas-

place to worship and to participate in the life of the church in every facet of the church’s ministry and missions. At Eastern Parkway, we believe that each person’s sexuality is a gift of God. At Eastern Parkway, everyone is loved unconditionally, without expectation of merit. Our mission program is based solely on love, which renders all worthy. This unconditional love, our commitment to the Jesus’ teachings is at the heart of Eastern Parkway’s mission work. Eastern Parkway is a missions oriented church family. Living the Jesus teachings, we choose to be disciples of an unconditional love that addresses the emotional and physical wellbeing of everyone. unyumc.org 13

meditation

Reaching new people through

Rochester

By: Pastor Chris Jewell, Schenectady Faith UMC

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T

he practice of creating doorways for people to walk through to encounter God is how I see the role of the church.

Our scripture points to meditation and forms of consciousness-expanding prayer as integral to the life of the faithful, yet, is something that still feels new and maybe even resisted by today's attending congregations.

Those who aren't attending, however, are looking for this spiritual practice and are investing time and resources into finding places to access what secular language calls mindfulness, yoga, calm, etc.

As Meister Eckhart says, "God is at home; it is us who have gone out for a walk."

This began a few years ago when I met a parishioner, Rebecca Priest, who was catching on to my messages and listening to them, and she was coming to meditation group every week and praying on her own, and through this practice of going home, she started shifting quite a bit in her life. She found a way to make a mobile space for people to come in and share silence, and she brings it to places where people gather– offering nothing. She also has had some consistent connections with rehab and behavioral health organizations for both staff and participants to begin and have a easily-accessible place to practice.

Another exciting way meditation has touched new people is through my work on Into Silence, a mobile Meditation space and ministry that has reached over 3,000 people in 15 months of being up and running and about 70 percent of those people come back for 12 weeks in a row.

And it was born from a simple gathering of people who support and encourage and invite one another to "go home" and spend time in communion with God.

When I first arrived in Schenectady, I contacted the Protestant chaplain at Union College about developing a meditation group on campus. Two years ago, we began "Mindful Mondays" meditation–a growing and studentled, pastor-supported meditation group where we sit together in silence each week. The group has grown over two years from 3-5 to 10-12 attendees, but more importantly these young adults are learning that the gospel of Jesus is here, and accessible to them now.

Through meditation, we Sabbath; we stop; and we return home and spend time in union.

How cool is it that out of an internal church meditation group, a person was moved to offer the practice to others with no expectations of attendance, belief system, or even the need to go anywhere?

In your own words:

“It allows me to be a better mom at home, a better wife, and a better friend...”

Click here to Listen to Elissa Burke’s testimonial.

Or visit https://vimeo.com/375699608.

unyumc.org 15

Planting the seeds of Christ at Kids Club

Whiteface Community UMC

By the Rev. Chrysalis Beck, Pastor, Whiteface Community UMC

I

t’s 2:30 p.m. on a Monday. A spread of healthy snacks is on the counter. Chairs surround a table with an ongoing jigsaw puzzle. Checkers, a memory game, and the beloved Legos are out. Supplies are arranged for making Care Cards, Prayer Blankets, or other special projects. The flannel storyboard is ready and the guitar is tuned.

Four to six Kids Club adults take a deep breath and prayerfully wait for the first school bus to arrive.

We never know how many children will get off this bus and how many will arrive later.

Children and youth arrive from three different school districts, some by school bus, and some are dropped off by parents or grandparents. On any Monday, the total attendance will range from eight to 16.

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Ten minutes later, a bus pulls up. Six or eight children get off. Over the next 45 minutes, several more children and a couple of youth will arrive. The children are warmly greeted by the adults as they hang up coats and backpacks, wash their hands, collect their snacks and find a place at the table.

Adults sit down with the kids and conversations range from sports and hobbies, to what happened in school that day, to sometimes the deepest, most painful experience that a child needs to share. In this place relationships are formed; God’s love is embodied; lives are changed; and we all meet Jesus in each other.

Like many churches, here at the Whiteface Community United Methodist Church (WCUMC) in Wilmington, NY, we are aware of the often-unspoken longing in the wider community – the longing for a deeper connection to God, an open-minded spiritual community and families seeking spiritual grounding for their children. Kids Club at WCUMC began in response to these perceived needs; it’s a faith-based children’s program created and run by WCUMC. We began in January 2017, meeting on Mondays after school. Kids Club is. It is open to all children, Kindergarten through Grade 5, regardless of church affiliation.

Older children may come and serve as helpers. The schedule consists of snack time, Bible story, games, crafts, missions and singing. Our stated goal is to reinforce positive values and spiritual grounding for all children. We do this by providing an environment where children and youth can experience and internalize God’s love, teaching about God through the stories of scripture, and providing opportunities for them to live out Jesus’ care for others in mission.

Kids Club students have blessed others by making Care Cards, Prayer Blankets and Message Stones, as well as

assembling Flood Buckets and Christmas Boxes for Red Bird Mission. We offer Kids Club at no charge to families. The church covers any expenses and congregation members look forward to requests for snack and craft supplies. Kids Club adults undergo background checks and Safe Sanctuary training.

In the initial planning stage, we met with school administrators to introduce the con cept, ask whether we

can send information packets home

through school,

and explore the

possibility of the

school bus mak ing a stop at the

church on

Mondays.

Continued on page 18.

unyumc.org 17

pageant; a week later he read in front of a packed church at our Christmas Eve service and went on to be baptized along with his younger sister this past spring. He is now showing amazing leadership qualities and serves as a role model. So many times, we are humbled by our perceived inadequacy and the power of the Holy Spirit. As one Kids Club adult said: “[Even on a day when I feel inadequate for the task,] I trust God that what we are doing is having a positive effect‌...â€? (NR) We find school adminitrators to be extremely supportive. We continue to keep our connection with the schools strong and communication lines open. Kids Club follows the school schedule. When there is a school holiday or early dismissal, Kids Club is off as well.

Kids Club has opened the door for us build relationships with new families. When the grown-ups come to pick up their children, we often provide a listening ear and prayerful support. At Christmas-time and Easter-time, the children do a program at 5 p.m., so famlies come at the usual dismissal time and stay for the program and dinner to follow.

These are opportunities for the Sunday congregation and the Kids Club families to get to know each other.

Many of our children have endured much heartache, loss and fear in their young lives.

One such little boy did not speak a word for the first several months he attended Kids Club. A year and a half later, he was one of our best narrators in the Kids Club Christmas 18 UNY ADVOCATE 2020, Issue 1

As the pastor, the entire picture brings me joy. Watching tender hearts being healed, witnessing the spark of sudden spiritual insight in these receptive young minds, observing the development of healthy and supportive intergenerational relationships, seeing a child fall in love with their Bible and asking to be baptized. I love watching youth and adults find a place to discover and use their spiritual gifts, and the sense of teamwork we all share. We have an amazing team of dedicated disciples with a variety of gifts. In addition, I am awed and humbled when parents and grandparents share their lives with us and allow us to fill a supportive role for them and for the children they care for. As we continue to build relationships with families, we are open to wherever the Holy Spirit will lead us.

One thing we are all discerning is that we are just at the beginning - there is more to come!

When the Kids Club adults were asked what brings the greatest joy in being involved with Kids Club and what keeps them coming back, they say: “ I’m sure I am getting more joy from knowing the kids than they are getting from knowing me.” (NR) “Being a part of the Great Commission to share God’s love and tell of the Good News of Jesus Christ. It seems to me that children have especially receptive hearts to hear His word. We’re planting seeds in these little beings that God will continue to nurture.” (DW) “The smiles on the children’s faces and their delight when they get off the bus and see the staff.

Many, if not most, of our KC children come from very challenging family situations. I know that when they are with us, although it is once a week for only 2-1/2 hours, they are safe; they are valued; and they are loved. I believe the children know it, too.”

(DW) "I was profoundly moved when one day I found myself standing in a prayer circle with the kids and the pastor invited some parents who’d come a bit early for pick up. I immediately felt sorry for the pastor because she didn’t know this one mom like I did. I knew the mom would never join us in the

circle. I was distracted

from her by trying to keep

the kids quiet enough for

Circle. Next thing I know,

the mom is in the circle

with us, holding hands

and repeating the prayer

along with everyone

else. I was just profoundly

surprised and moved to

be in the same prayer

circle with this ‘rough

around the edges’ mom."

(JM)

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Partners in Making Disciples of Jesus By the Rev. Gregg Stierheim, Pastor, Wesley’s Place Faith Community

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I

n the fourth year of planting Wesley’s Place Faith Community on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, we have learned a few important lessons. The first is that our mission of “being an intentionally diverse place where people connect with God and each other” is central to all we do. This may not come as a surprise to many congregations, but that statement guides ALL of our decision making.

Have a new idea? Interested in beginning a new outreach to the community? Should we spend money on it? As good as the idea might be, if it does not fit our mission then perhaps there is a better place for it. We all do good things. We all try to show love to our neighbors. What are the good things that your congregation does that do not fit the mission of that church? We have to be clear about who we are, what we are about, and why we exist. Otherwise it is so easy to chase the next shiny new idea and forget what our focus is all about. There is no more crucial time to remember that in the UMC than right now.

rather than one larger congregation. We need to build positive relationships with people so we can introduce Jesus and then God can do the work of transformation. Partnering with God in making disciples of Jesus for the transformation of the world begins with building relationships. Five small groups numbering around 60 in total gather in various places on different days of the week. They meet in taverns, coffee shops, office buildings, and restaurants. None of this would be possible without partnering with businesses and community groups in the area. We do not currently own our own space so we share with others! Being present and visible in the community is essential to building relationships with people that have forgotten, wandered away from, been hurt by, or were never invited to a church. Our primary contact points (think entry points on a discipleship pathway) are: Pastor on Duty

I go to a rotation of restaurants during the week at lunch time. At my table I set up a sign that says “Pastor on Duty: How can I pray for you?” It is amazing what conversations can be had simply by being available.

This would not be possible without a unique partnership with area restaurants and Wesley’s Place. It took almost one year in some places to build enough of a relationship to inquire if I could take up some table space.

This has become a wonderful entry point for people.

The other lesson we have learned is that together we can accomplish God-sized dreams. This has become evident in several areas of ministry unique to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. Our missional incarnational (serving others through relationship building) approach to ministry means that we function as several nimble small groups unyumc.org 21

Oishei Children’s Hospital (OCH)

ReFresh

ReFresh is a weekly student ministry that takes place at the University at Buffalo (UB) Medical School. Every Wednesday we provide a free lunch for students along with some sort of spiritual formation. We regularly rotate between Bible study, guest speakers, praise singing and prayer, and students sharing about their faith journey. If there is a fifth Wednesday that month, we play a trivia game. The games usually spoof popular culture and point toward faith. We have up to 35 students each week. Some of the topical conversation that have brought the largest groups have to do with student debt/personal finances and self-care. This ministry would not be possible without a unique relationship with the Christian Medical and Dental Association and UB. Some of the local restaurants discount or occasionally donate food for the meal!

22 UNY ADVOCATE 2020, Issue 1

Twice a week, we go to OCH to love on the patients, their families, and the staff. Currently, pastoral care is provided on the pediatric oncology and pediatric intensive care units. These are two high-stress places for all people involved. Families are under tremendous stress both financially and relationally.

Hospital staff have a ton of stress because of the complexity and level of care that is needed on their floors. This ministry came to be by looking at the campus around us and realizing that no one is caring for the 15,000 medical staff that work on it. We sought some training on things such as vicarious

trauma and family systems. During visits we talk with people, we pray with people, and we hand out items such as toys, Tim Horton’s gift cards, and unscented hand lotion. Other than the training, this ministry is possible because of partnerships with local churches and the Niagara Frontier District United Methodist Women. We receive toy donations and $5 gift cards from these groups. Every donation has contact information on it and a QR code for Wesley’s Place. Every week people are directly impacted and introduced to faith and we leave the room with information in their hand. If partnerships with local congregations, district UMW, and Oishei Children’s Hospital were not nurtured this ministry would not be a reality.

Community Entities

Wesley’s Place is a regular presence at many community organizations. This takes time, but the opportunity for learning about the community and building relationships is amazing. Remember that we need to build relationships to introduce Jesus. Attending Block Club meetings and Rotary meetings have yielded need in the community that we could rise to meet. They also are great places to meet people that have the desire to serve others. Some of the community agencies have provided grants for ministries with the poor. Other agencies have connected us with schools in the area with specific needs that we are working on meeting now. Inviting the community to a service opportunity has become our greatest entry point at Wesley’s Place!

There are many other collaborative partners, especially other United Methodist Churches that provide resources for this to be possible. Some provide needed items.

Some provide additional volunteers. Some provide financial contributions. As Wesley’s Place continues to work with people early on their faith walk, financial support is crucial.

We are working on developing a theology of generous stewardship, but that takes time!

We are also looking for a partner in helping us to secure a more permanent home.

Historically, the United Methodist Church has worked together in a connectional way as a witness to the world of Jesus’ life changing love. Methodists have established schools, hospitals, shelters, feeding programs on a large scale. We have worked with unlikely partners to eradicate malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. We have established a Mission HUB in the Upper New York Conference. All of these things were possible because of partnerships and relationships.

If we are to continue that faithful witness, we will need to reclaim our connectionalism and move toward our mission together.

Learn More If you are interested in learning more about Wesley’s Place or more of the lessons that were learned, Contact the Rev. Gregg Stierheim: pastorgreggumc@gmail.com. https://www.wesleysplacebflo.org

Click here to watch a video abou t ReFresh.

Or visit: https://vimeo.com/37736 3211.

https://www.facebook.com/wesleysplaceBNMC/ unyumc.org 23

Cornerstone Community Center’s

InterMission program

By Pastor Justin Hood, Pastor, Brewerton UMC and Phoenix UMC

24 UNY ADVOCATE 2020, Issue 1

Brewerton UMC

T

he Brewerton United Methodist Church recently started a new ministry through the New Faith Community program. Members of the church, along with Pastor Justin Hood attended the Launchpad Training to discern the ways God is calling the church to start something new in the community to serve young families. Through continued bible study and meeting as a planning group, the Cornerstone Community Center was born.

The Cornerstone Community Center is a refocusing of all of the community programs that the church offers such as Zumba for Missions, Yoga, Food Pantry, Childcare, Quilt Stitching Guild, and a monthly senior lunch.

In addition to these previously existing programs, in July of 2019, the planning group also launched a new program focused on bringing young families to Christ through mission. The program is called InterMission.

InterMission is a program that meets twice a month around a theme. For example, in July, pets were the theme of the month. On the second Wednesday of the month, a free movie was shown on the lawn of the church with a popcorn bar with many different toppings. On the fourth Wednesday of the month, animal rescue groups came to teach young families about the work they do to help animals and donations were collected for the groups. The children were also given a demonstration on dog agility.

In August, the theme of program was nutrition and health. Experts from Cornell Cooperative Extension came to the program to discuss different kind of fruits and vegetables and even held a tasting session for the chil-

dren. Produce donations were collected and were distributed to a local senior center.

In September, the theme was fire safety and members of the local fire department brought along their fire truck and ambulance to give children a demonstration about fire safety. Children loved the opportunity to climb through the vehicles and meet local emergency crews. It was also an excellent opportunity for relationship building between the church and community.

InterMission has given the church a brandnew approach to meeting new people and so far, God has blessed us in just four months of reaching out to 16 new families and have had an average attendance of 45 people.

Each month, a missional component of the program has been a part of the event and our aim is to continue this and begin to place an emphasis on the reason why we do missions as followers of Jesus. Through building relationships and prioritizing the importance of mission, we aim to fulfill our call from the Great Commission to make disciples for Jesus Christ.

Something for everyone Click here to learn more about the ministries offered at the Cornerstone Community Center.

Or visit http://thecornerstonecc.org/

unyumc.org 25

T God I t’s riday F

hank

By Lola Rathbone, Milford UMC

26 UNY ADVOCATE 2020, Issue 1

O

ur story started when the Milford United Methodist Church building burned to the ground on March 12, 2017. The church was required to complete a full-church assessment in accordance with Paragraph 213 in the Book of Discipline to discern God’s will for our church. During that first 10-week period following the fire the church’s task force discerned that God wanted us to rebuild the church building in order to follow His will for the church to “Make Disciples for Jesus Christ.” The congregation had to be willing to move forward with a renewed spirit of evangelism, not looking back at our old ways of being a church and being committed to outreach to the community in the areas of poverty, the elderly, and families with children.

Soon after the new church building opened, on June 9, 2019, a newsletter from Milford Central School went out to the community with the school calendar for 20192020. It was noted that a change was occurring for the 2019-2020 school year with the inclusion of 14 half-day Fridays to accommodate professional development training for teachers and staff. This was almost sure to place a burden on working parents, especially those who rely on the school’s afterschool program as there was no provision for this on half-days. Members of the congregation recognized this as both an opportunity to serve community parents by providing free childcare on half-days and to provide fun Bible-based events for the children of the community. We named this outreach project “Thank God It’s Friday.”

The church needed at least five volunteers to make this outreach effort viable –fifteen volunteers stepped forward! Volunteers included nurses, retired business men, retired teachers, retired special needs caregivers, musicians, and a retired attorney.

Two youth members volunteered to help and act as the bus monitors we needed to ride the bus with the children from the school to the church.

Milford UMC

Each TGIF event starts with a Bible story and message from the pastor. This creates the theme for the day. The children learn to sign a relevant scripture verse and learn to sing two or three relevant songs. Next, we go to the kitchen to make something nutritious to eat that fits the theme. As we cook, we continue to talk about the theme as it relates to the children’s lives. We get to eat what we cook at snack time! Then, it is onto craft time with a theme-related craft and games. At the day’s closing, the pastor retells the Bible story and the children act it out and repeat the scripture verse in sign language and sing the songs they learned in the opening. The event is much like a mini VBS every month.

There is a wonderful opportunity for church members to interact with the children’s parents when they come to pick them up. It is a chance for us to show that the church is a warm, welcoming, safe place for their children to come and learn about God’s unfailing love for them. Some of the children participated in our Christmas pageant and some of the families attended one of our Christmas Eve services.

Our hopes are that through this opportunity God has given us to serve our community we might be able to impact these young lives with a message of God’s love that will lead to making new disciples for Jesus Christ. unyumc.org 27

How becoming

is helping us reach

new people for Christ

By the Rev. Anna Blinn Cole, Pastor, Cobleskill UMC

H

ere in the Schoharie Region of the Oneonta District, we pride ourselves on our population of dairy cows and our tough resiliency. That makes us rural, right? Over the past few years, the United Methodist Churches in this region have been figuring out how we can use our connection to one another to strengthen our ministries. Our newly-formed Mosaic Cooperative Ministry continues to demonstrate that rural doesn’t have to mean dying.

Collaboration and Cross-pollination

One of the very best ways our cooperative model has allowed us to creatively reach new people is by facilitating collaboration as we’ve built a network of New Faith Communities.

Why reinvent the wheel? Pastors and worship leaders who are called to planting get together to strategize together about how to design events, create compelling marketing, and meet people where they are. The result is two active dinner-church communities in two locations under the shared name “Nourished.”

When considering the health of our existing faith communities, we have also realized that energy may be waning at one church while rising at another church. Because of our 28 UNY ADVOCATE 2020, Issue 1

Schoharie Region

new commitment to the success of all of our churches, we have begun experimenting with cross-pollination. This has taken the form of “ambassadors” attending a second church service each week in order to bring positive energy into a new setting. This approach has produced fruit as a welcoming and energetic worship experience is well-suited to attract and retain new people. Sometimes all it takes is a set of fresh eyes and eager spirits.

“Hands-On” Speaks Volumes

Working together in shared ministries has allowed our churches to greatly expand our mission opportunities. Studies continue to say that “hands-on” mission opportunities are important to those outside the church.

Through mission-trips to Red Bird, flood “bucket-building” parties, and a new “Home Mission Project” where we work on buildings in need in our communities, our Mosaic has been able to extend its reach in the community while making us more visible to new people and giving an easy entry point into the life of the church.

A Bright Future

We believe that our future is bright as rural churches united in ministry by our cooperative parish. We look forward to continuing many of the initiatives already started, as well Context-Specific Learning as expanding our opportunities for discipleship as we encourage new people to take Because no one knows better what our the next step in their faith. Because we have churches need in order to be vital, we have found that targeted and context-specific train- a gifted set of clergy, worship leaders and lay leaders in our co-op, we look forward to ings have greatly equipped us to be better offering a range of small group opportunities at reaching new people. We held a Sunday School workshop recently to which we invited at varying times in the coming year. We also as our guest speaker the head teacher at one plan to implement a “mystery worshipper” of our most vibrant Sunday School programs program so our church’s can get objective feedback on Sunday morning experience so in what is now Mosaic. Her passion and that our churches can continue to be better energy for creating engaging children’s ministry inspired several of our other churches to positioned to reach new people. begin new programs. Because she was one Read more about how we became a coof “our own” and at church just across the operative parish from the grass-roots up and valley, the success of her children’s ministry our different ministries at our website: www. felt within reach. Since that time, new Sunday schoharieregionumc.org.

School programs have been a huge selling point for families looking to find a church home.

We also use our regular Cooperative Council meetings as space to share what may be our church’s greatest barriers to vitality. In this safe space, churches can support each other through difficult times by sharing strategies that have worked for them. When enough of our churches share a stumbling block, we know its time to arrange additional learning opportunities.

unyumc.org 29

Beyond a clothing ministry in a rural community

By Cathy Honrath, Lay member, Afton UMC

T

abitha’s Closet is a ministry of the Afton United Methodist Church. As in many rural communities, families find it hard to make ends meet. There are very few available jobs and most of them are at low wages.

As an act of love, our church started giving clothing away about seven years ago. Organizing, setting up, and hosting the giveaways was a big undertaking, and taking it down and putting everything away afterwards was nearly as big. It limited how often we could offer clothing to the community to just a few times a year. Last summer, the basement of our church became available and we took it over as a permanent place to hold clothing giveaways.

As we thought and prayed about our model of operation, we realized that one of the most important aspects of providing the cloth30 UNY ADVOCATE 2020, Issue 1

Women’s section at Tabitha’s Closet.

ing to our community is that we wanted to do it in such a way that people could come find the clothing they needed and do it with dignity and in a way that felt welcoming. We also wanted people to be able to easily find the things that they needed and we realized

that we were going to need some additional equipment. With mission funding from the church and other donations to get us started, we purchased clothing racks and shelves to better organize the clothing. We painted the basement walls bright colors, asked for donations of hangers and a play rug so that children would have a place to play while parents shopped. We set up a hospitality table with bottled water and juice boxes, cookies, snacks, and other goodies for people to enjoy while they shop.

Now Tabitha’s Closet looks and operates more like a store. The major difference being that all clothing is free, all of the work is done by volunteers, and any additional needs are met by donations. The shop has been open for just one year now and we’ve helped hundreds of people. Some of the ways we have seen our little shop help: a woman came in to find baby clothes for her roommate who unexpectedly gave birth to twins. Another young woman found Christmas gifts for her family. People starting new jobs, needing specific clothing, have come to find just what they needed. A family who experienced a

Children’s coats at Tabitha’s Closet.

fire, a foster mom receiving a child late in the evening with only the clothes she was wearing, a high school senior wanting to look her best for the first day of school. All of these people and many more have been blessed by the generosity of others and the hard work of volunteers.

We are now able to be open on the second and fourth Monday and the third Saturday of every month. This ministry provides more than clothing. Many of our volunteers attend various churches – and some find the act of volunteering in this ministry being church and worship for them. We also have a crew of students from our local BOCES who come twice a month to gain life experience and provide community service. Our reach to the community is not just in clothing, but sharing Christ’s love with others in meaningful, tangible ways.

Providing work/life experience, fellowship and care, and support to those in need.

Afton UMC

unyumc.org 31

Fairport UMC reaching neighbors through Sunday dinners

Fairport UMC

By Richelle Goff, Pastor, Fairport UMC Editor’s Note: Fairport UMC is missionally focused. They serve dinner at three homeless shelters in the city of Rochester. Two are monthly and the other is weekly from Nov.-March. They have also been active in supporting UMCOR. At the time of this writing, they had sent over $4,000 to UMCOR in the last two months. One of their most effective ways of reaching their neighbors is through their Sunday dinners.

The Sunday Dinner is a free for the community. This Sunday afternoon community dinner program is designed to help those who need a warm meal, or just a warm smile and some fellowship on a Sunday afternoon. Our original intent was to reach those who were homeless and/ or seriously in need of a warm, well-balanced dinner. However, being in the Rochester suburbs, we have less homeless, and more elderly. Our guests tend to run about 80% elderly, who are probably there more for the fellowship than from a need for food, and 20% people who are in lowincome or jobless, subsidized housing; people in these situations do need a good meal.

Our guests arrive around noon for a wellbalanced, sit-down (they sit down and we serve them everything and then clear it all away) dinner that we serve to them around 12:30 p.m. Typically, we serve around 45-50 people in the Fellowship Hall and deliver another 55-60 to people who are unable the get to the church for dinner.

Volunteers are usually scheduled to work once every three months (once per Quarter), and Quarterly “team” listings are emailed and published in the church’s Cross & Flame newsletter.

This outreach is meaningful and rewarding for both the volunteers and those that we serve.

Here is a typical “Sunday Dinner” Sunday for us: 32 UNY ADVOCATE 2020, Issue 1

Sunday Dinner

Cooks arrive ................ ......... 9:00 a.m.

This group plans, cook s, and puts the food on the pla tes.

Setup crew arrives .... ........ 10:00 a.m.

This group sets up the dining area which takes about 30 minutes.

Full crew arrives ........ ........ 12:00 p.m.

This includes greeters who stand at the doors to we lcome people to dinner, serve rs who take care of our guests, and deliverers who who pic k up the dinners from the kit chen.

Deliveries .................... ......... 12:15 p.m.

Dinners from the kitch en are delivered to people wh o cannot attend the even t.

Blessing ........................ ....... 12:30 p.m.

After the blessing, din ner is served and enjoyed .

Wrapping up ................ .......... 1:00 p.m.

Everything is served; co oks go home; some guests start to leave.

Clean-up .................... ............. 1:15 p.m.

Most guests are gone ; servers are finishing clean-up of the dining area, putting tab les and chairs away, and vacuuming the floor.

Finished ........................ ......... 2:00 p.m.

Cleanup crew is finish ed washing and putting aw ay all dishes and goes ho me.

What the community is saying...

“There ore o is n thing m to n a gratifying th Dinner y a d deliver Sun that do not s meals to folk nor have the h c u get out m me to enjoy a ho opportunity .to see the joy l.. cooked mea s when meals e c fa ir e th n o , puts a smile are delivered for the reon my face e day!” mainder of th - Jean S.

“I look forward to this ner wonderful din at th y a d every Sun d.” e rv e s they are - Linda

“W ing fi itnessrst ha s pi n and t rit of compd, the r u assio e fell tinue n expe s to be anowship, co r i e a n w ce. W a de e - in n flawle dicated te orking w spiring ith ss a es th ly naviga m of indiv such a i prepa t may oc ting any c duals, cur d halle ration ng uring , br one’s ings such meal joy to soul.”

- Pau la an d Kar (cook l Burkhar dt s)

“I don’t get n any meals o als M m e Sundays fro o the s on Wheels, get me rs e n in D Sunday week. I love through the ou come just having y e.” and talk to m - Carol

“I’ve h many s ad so and [Su urgeries ners] h nday Dinave b lifesave een a r!”

- Ann

“These dinners are homemade, delicious, and delivered by friendly, kind folks.

We look forward to Sundays and their arrival” - Rod unyumc.org 33

Resources

For reaching people in new places Recommended by the Rev. Dr. Aaron Bouwens, UNY Director of Vital Congregation

Articles “Seven things Christians should give up to reach unchurched people” By: Carey Nieuwhof

“50 Ways” articles By: The Lewis Center for Church Leadership

Click here to read the article or visit: http://bit.ly/ Nieuwhofarticle

Click here to read the article or visit: http://bit. ly/50waysarticle

In this article, Carey describes reasons why you should give up music, politics, style, buildings, money, time, and even ourselves to reach new people.

Need practical, actionable strategies to reach people more effectively? The Lewis Center for Church Leadership’s popular “50 Ways” series provides tips for building strength in areas of ministry that are vital to church growth.

Websites The Lewis Center of Leadership

The Lewis Center for Church Leadership helps seminary students, clergy, lay leaders, and denominational leaders enhance their leadership effectiveness and help develop leadership in others.

The “Serve your Neighbor” section of the website offers dozens of articles, videos, key points, and more about reaching your neighbors.

Click here or visit: https://www. churchleadership.com/tag/serveyour-neighbor/ 34 UNY ADVOCATE 2020, Issue 1

Relevant Magazine The Relevant Magazine website is created by 20 and 30-somethings who want to live well-outwardly, creatively, and intentionally. They are proChurch and want to love their neighbors as themselves. Their website offers hundreds of modern and culturally-relevant videos, podcasts, and articles that appeal to Christians of all ages.

Click here or visit: https://www.

Relevantmagazine.com

Childrensministry.com

This is a website that aims to reach as many children (and their families) with the Good News of Jesus as possible.

Their outreach section specifically, not only offers resources to help churches reach families during the biggest outreach events of the year such as Easter, Christmas, and Vacation Bible School, but also supplies ideas for reaching families yearround.

Click here or visit: https://childrensministry.com/outreach/

Books

Holy Living: Neighboring: Spiritual Practices for Building a Life of Faith By: Jorge Acevedo Both the Old and New Testaments call the people of God to love God completely as well as to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Jesus told his followers these were the greatest commandments. What if by "neighbor," Jesus literally meant the precious people who live in your neighborhoods? This book first defines what is meant by the spiritual practice of "neighboring" and then looks at ways we can live into neighboring as a spiritual practice in our own lives and in the lives of our churches and communities.

Even unchurched "nones" and millennials are quite receptive if they are approached in particular ways. In this book you will also find best practices from further research into the top ten percent of churches that most effectively reach the unchurched. People who were previously unchurched share what actually moved them to faith and Christian commitment. And the research shows that churches and organizations can be transformed to become places where conversion growth becomes the new normal. If people tell you "the sky is falling," don't believe them. In today's troubled world, unchurched and unbelieving people are newly receptive to hearing good news. You can lead the change that will help your church reach people―who then reach others.

Making Your Children’s Ministry the Best Hour of Every Kid’s Week By: Sue Miller This book provides stepby-step guidance and creative application exercises to help churches develop a thriving children’s ministry. Included are Scripture-based principles and practical resources for church staff members and volunteers who agree with the critical role children’s ministry plays in a local church. Make Your Children’s Ministry the Best Hour of Every Kid’s Week, based on 28 years of experience at Willow Creek, explains four ministry foundations: Mission, Vision, Values, and Strategy.

Engaging Your Community: A Guide to Seeing All the People By: Junius Dotson From Discipleship Ministries, if your church is tired of sending postcards and producing PowerPoint presentations, this guide helps you to connect with those outside your door in meaningful ways.

You Found Me: New Research on How Unchurched Nones, Millennials, and Irreligious Are Surprisingly Open to Christian Faith By: Rick Richardson We hear a steady stream of reports about how droves of people, especially younger generations, are abandoning Christianity. But new research shows that unchurched Americans are surprisingly more receptive and open to the Christian faith than is commonly assumed.

Not Safe for Church: Ten Commandments for Reaching New Generations By: F. Douglas Powe Jr. and Jasmine Rose Somers

Congregations say they want to reach new and younger people, many of whom are simply turned off by church. The big idea is that congregations must be willing to embrace radical ways to connect with new generations. Re-thinking old assumptions is a starting place but more is needed.

To really connect congregations have to move beyond and start doing new things that are out of their comfort zones. These authors give ten ways to help you move from just saying what you intend to actually doing it. This book provides tools to help churches re-frame the Good News in non-traditional ways and study questions for church leadership teams. unyumc.org 35

Resources

Available at the Upper New York Conference Media Resource Center Recommended by Karen Campolieto, UNY Media Resource Center Coordinator

Meet the Goodpeople

By Roger Ross Author Roger Ross believes we can use Wesley's genius to connect to the non-churched in our time. In Meet the Goodpeople, Ross demonstrates how we can retool Wesley’s practices and reshape individuals, groups, and churches to lead pre-Christian people into a transforming relationship with Jesus and his church.

Discussion guides in each chapter facilitate interaction for leadership teams and small groups, and offer practice for successful implementation.

Click here to check this item out at the UNY Media Resource Center (File B1589).

Connect with your Neighbors (DVD)

By Lovett H. Weems Jr. Learn to connect with your church's neighbors through understanding, engagement, and service. This resource includes video and PowerPoint presentations you can use for self study or with groups in your church as well as supplemental resources to help you reach new disciples.

The Resource DVD contains three video presentations plus brief video segments introducing the narrated presentations on the Resource CD. Click here to check this item out at the UNY Media Resource Center (DVD1294).

36 UNY ADVOCATE 2020, Issue 1

Engaging Local Schools By the Lewis Center

Increasing numbers of churches are considering how they can best support and engage their local schools.

Through videos, presentations, and supplemental materials, the Engaging Local Schools resource guides your congregation in considering questions that are critical to the success of a school-focused service initiative.

Engaging Local Schools is ecumenical and designed for both self study and for use with groups in your church.

Click here to check out this item from the UNY Media Resource Center (DVD1387).

Making Room for Neighbors (DVD)

By Max Lucado and Randy Frazee

Life in America is fast approaching warp speed: there's so much to do and so little time!

Instead of us managing our lives, life seems to manage us.

This program is designed to help Christians rediscover the importance of true engagement with self, family, and neighbors.

This five-part series designed to help Christians get back to the things that really count from sitting around the dinner table together, to reaching out to the people around you creating true relationships. By mindfully engaging with family, friends, and neighbors and ourselves we live more deeply, minister more effectively and help to grow the body of Christ.

Click here to check out this item from the UNY Media Resource Center (DVD791).

Get their Name (Workbook, Guide, DVDs)

By Bob Farr and Kay Kotan

You want to share your faith with others, but doing so makes you uneasy; you don’t want to come off as pushy.

In Get Their Name, readers learned how to talk about spiritual beliefs in a way that feels natural and completely genuine. Now, in addition to the book, a new set of resources—including a Participant’s Workbook, a Coordinator’s Guide, and a DVD with sermon videos and graphics—gives you everything you need to facilitate a churchwide Get Their Name experience in your congregation. Join churches across the country and learn how to take the next step in this new faithsharing experience.

Click here to check out this item from the UNY Media Resource Center (K199).

Taking Church to the Community (DVD) By the Lewis Center

No longer can we simply ask, “What can we do to get people to come to our church?” We must also consider, “How can we go into the world to encounter those in need of the gospel?” Through engaging videos, presentations, and supplemental materials, Taking Church to the Community explores strategies your congregation can use to reach beyond its walls with worship, community events, ministries, and service — meeting community members where they are and moving them toward discipleship.

Taking Church to the Community is ecumenical and designed for both self-study and for use with groups in your church.

Click here to check out this item from the UNY Media Resource Center.

Change the World (DVD)

By Mike Slaughter

Church is a verb.

Linking Bible study to global and local service projects, this six-session small-group resource enables congregations to discuss and act on the imperatives of Scripture.

Each week, participants will read and discuss a gospel story, watch a video profiling an inspiring, world-changing mission effort, and envision together how they can change the word locally and globally. The sixsessions include: Follow, Welcome, Feed, Heal, Rescue, and Go.

Click here to check out this item from the UNY Media Resource Center.

Outflow: Everyday Outreach for Everyday People (DVD) This five-week study encourages small groups to experience the joy of God's presence, then reach out to share that abundance with others. Includes expert interviews on how to reach out to others, panel discussions to generate conversations, discussion questions to help the group grow closer to God, and a training session for smallgroup leaders.

Click here to check out this item from the UNY Media Resource Center (DVD892).

The Media Resource Center is a free lending library located in the United Methodist Center of Upper New York in Liverpool, N.Y. and is supported through your ministry share dollars.

Exlpore a multitude of DVD studies, curriculum, and support materials for your use. Visit: https://www.unyumc.org/resources/media-resourcecenter.

unyumc.org 37

7481 Henry Clay Blvd.

Liverpool, NY 13088

WWW.UNYUMC.ORG