Don't forget! Bishops Matthews and Hassinger have composed a reflection for Christmas eve, available for download.
Churches are encouraged to print this for use with Christmas Eve bulletins. If it's too late for your church office to do so, don't neglect to read the reflection and share it in other ways - church website or January newsletter, for instance.
Blessed Christmas, all!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
You supply the music
A lighthearted gift of the season (you supply the tune):
On the 5th day before Christmas, the New ACT gave to us:
5 primary values
4 Areas of Focus
3 Simple Rules
2 Faithful Bishops
And a vision for Being God’s Love….
On the 5th day before Christmas, the New ACT gave to us:
5 primary values
4 Areas of Focus
3 Simple Rules
2 Faithful Bishops
And a vision for Being God’s Love….
Friday, December 18, 2009
Primary Colors
Here's a slightly different twist on the five values/principles affirmed by New ACT. These are described in more depth in the Convener's Blog.
I call these the "Primary Colors" of the new conference:
• The PRIMARY PURPOSE of the AC: to help persons “live the gospel of Jesus Christ and be God’s love to [their] neighbors."
• The PRIMARY MEASURE of the success of AC and its churches: the quality and quantity of relationships established with our neighbors, particularly those who have been disenfranchised by mainstream society.
• The PRIMARY TASK of the AC: to engage, equip, and empower local churches to be in ministry with and to our Global Neighborhood.
• The PRIMARY COMPONENT in pursuing that task: encouraging and developing leadership within the laity and clergy that is diverse and engaged with the vision of Christ.
• A PRIMARY RESOURCE to guide congregations and conference: the Four Areas of Focus of The United Methodist Church.
I call these the "Primary Colors" of the new conference:
• The PRIMARY PURPOSE of the AC: to help persons “live the gospel of Jesus Christ and be God’s love to [their] neighbors."
• The PRIMARY MEASURE of the success of AC and its churches: the quality and quantity of relationships established with our neighbors, particularly those who have been disenfranchised by mainstream society.
• The PRIMARY TASK of the AC: to engage, equip, and empower local churches to be in ministry with and to our Global Neighborhood.
• The PRIMARY COMPONENT in pursuing that task: encouraging and developing leadership within the laity and clergy that is diverse and engaged with the vision of Christ.
• A PRIMARY RESOURCE to guide congregations and conference: the Four Areas of Focus of The United Methodist Church.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
... the primary measure of success...
In his blog - and in documents shared with the New ACT team recently, convener Bill Gottschalk-Fielding has laid out several principles guiding the work of the new conference. Here is one that particularly excites me:
“To be church” means “to be in mission;” therefore, the quality and quantity of relationships established with our neighbors, particularly those who have been disenfranchised by mainstream society is the primary measure of success for the annual conference, its congregations and its members.
So... United Methodists... how far are we willing to go, as followers of Jesus, in making "relationships... with our neighbors" the center of what we do, and the sign of how we are doing?
In a couple of districts in the UNY region, congregations have been asked to invite guests from the surrounding community to their annual church conferences, in order to listen to the needs of our neighbors and their feedback on how (or whether!) they see us.
Among these honored guests have been town administrators, emergency personnel, school nurses, social workers, and more. The feedback, and the opportunities for ministry, have been illuminating. How often do we turn our attention to those whom we serve instead of first focusing on "church business"?
An e-mail that arrived today sent me to the witness of a Jesus-followers dancing under bridges. I invite you to read and reflect on the testimony to the work of ordinary folks doing ministry-by-relationship, "helping people to feel human again."
Shalom!
“To be church” means “to be in mission;” therefore, the quality and quantity of relationships established with our neighbors, particularly those who have been disenfranchised by mainstream society is the primary measure of success for the annual conference, its congregations and its members.
So... United Methodists... how far are we willing to go, as followers of Jesus, in making "relationships... with our neighbors" the center of what we do, and the sign of how we are doing?
In a couple of districts in the UNY region, congregations have been asked to invite guests from the surrounding community to their annual church conferences, in order to listen to the needs of our neighbors and their feedback on how (or whether!) they see us.
Among these honored guests have been town administrators, emergency personnel, school nurses, social workers, and more. The feedback, and the opportunities for ministry, have been illuminating. How often do we turn our attention to those whom we serve instead of first focusing on "church business"?
An e-mail that arrived today sent me to the witness of a Jesus-followers dancing under bridges. I invite you to read and reflect on the testimony to the work of ordinary folks doing ministry-by-relationship, "helping people to feel human again."
Shalom!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Will they know us by our love?
In a recent interview, the Rev. Nina Nichols of Christ United Methodist Church in Troy, N.Y., said the church was known in the community as “the church with the red doors that supports recovery.”
At the Rethink Church Training held Sept. 12 at Trinity United Methodist Church in Whitesboro, N.Y., the Rev. Danette Howell, pastor of Weimar Church in Weimar, Texas, said one way to find out what the community thinks of a church is to talk to funeral home directors, fire departments and police departments At the beginning of one of her appointments, the Rethink Church Trainer said the answer she heard was, “Oh, that’s the white church on the hill.”
Uh-oh, she thought, afraid that the statement implied the community viewed the church as ethnically exclusive. In fact, she learned, the church was white and sat on the hill—a description that, while not as negative as she feared, didn’t actually tell anyone what the church was about. In those two statements—“the church with the red doors that offers addiction recovery support,” and “the white church on the hill”—Nichols and Howell learned a community’s perception of their church could be positive, negative or neutral.
Do you know how your church is viewed by its neighbors?
Corporations and nonprofits spend big bucks every year controlling how their organization is viewed, encapsulated in their organization’s image or “brand.”
A brand, according to the Rev. Steve Horswill-Johnston, Executive Director of Communications & Brand Strategy for the General Board of Discipleship, is part how an organization defines itself, part the promise it makes to its constituents. For example, when you see the Disney logo, you know that anything associated with it will be family-oriented and brimming with happiness. Apple Computers promises to empower people creatively through technology. Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream brand promise blends a commitment to provide all natural, high quality ice cream with a commitment towards social activism and environmental responsibility.
Church people tend to cringe when words like “seller,” “advertising,” “marketing,” or “target audience” are used. But branding isn’t as crass as it sounds. Branding is really about being clear about who you are and what you have to offer, and being proactive in creating that clarity and promise.
The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines brand as a "name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers.” (Read “What is Branding and How Important is it to your Marketing Strategy?”)
Most mainline denominations have a brand image: The United Methodists have the Cross and Flame, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has its Seal; the Episcopal Church has The Shield; and so on. Each represents the denomination’s understanding of itself, its theological and historical traditions and how it wants the world to understand it.
In the Upper New York area, we are creating a new promise to the communities and world we serve. Consider the vision statement for the new conference being born. What promise are we making to ourselves and to our neighbors? What image comes to mind that represents our shared dreams, commitments and work?
However, it isn’t enough to promise to live the gospel of Christ, just as it isn’t enough to say we’re Christian. What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? … faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. (James 2:14 and 17NRSV).
It’s not enough to brand ourselves; it’s about keeping the promise, or covenant, we make with our neighbors. How will we be known in Upstate New York? Will we be known for our love?
For more information about branding and marketing, check out the new resource, Church Marketing Plan, created by United Methodist Communications …
At the Rethink Church Training held Sept. 12 at Trinity United Methodist Church in Whitesboro, N.Y., the Rev. Danette Howell, pastor of Weimar Church in Weimar, Texas, said one way to find out what the community thinks of a church is to talk to funeral home directors, fire departments and police departments At the beginning of one of her appointments, the Rethink Church Trainer said the answer she heard was, “Oh, that’s the white church on the hill.”
Uh-oh, she thought, afraid that the statement implied the community viewed the church as ethnically exclusive. In fact, she learned, the church was white and sat on the hill—a description that, while not as negative as she feared, didn’t actually tell anyone what the church was about. In those two statements—“the church with the red doors that offers addiction recovery support,” and “the white church on the hill”—Nichols and Howell learned a community’s perception of their church could be positive, negative or neutral.
Do you know how your church is viewed by its neighbors?
Corporations and nonprofits spend big bucks every year controlling how their organization is viewed, encapsulated in their organization’s image or “brand.”
A brand, according to the Rev. Steve Horswill-Johnston, Executive Director of Communications & Brand Strategy for the General Board of Discipleship, is part how an organization defines itself, part the promise it makes to its constituents. For example, when you see the Disney logo, you know that anything associated with it will be family-oriented and brimming with happiness. Apple Computers promises to empower people creatively through technology. Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream brand promise blends a commitment to provide all natural, high quality ice cream with a commitment towards social activism and environmental responsibility.
Church people tend to cringe when words like “seller,” “advertising,” “marketing,” or “target audience” are used. But branding isn’t as crass as it sounds. Branding is really about being clear about who you are and what you have to offer, and being proactive in creating that clarity and promise.
The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines brand as a "name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers.” (Read “What is Branding and How Important is it to your Marketing Strategy?”)
Most mainline denominations have a brand image: The United Methodists have the Cross and Flame, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has its Seal; the Episcopal Church has The Shield; and so on. Each represents the denomination’s understanding of itself, its theological and historical traditions and how it wants the world to understand it.
In the Upper New York area, we are creating a new promise to the communities and world we serve. Consider the vision statement for the new conference being born. What promise are we making to ourselves and to our neighbors? What image comes to mind that represents our shared dreams, commitments and work?
However, it isn’t enough to promise to live the gospel of Christ, just as it isn’t enough to say we’re Christian. What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? … faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. (James 2:14 and 17NRSV).
It’s not enough to brand ourselves; it’s about keeping the promise, or covenant, we make with our neighbors. How will we be known in Upstate New York? Will we be known for our love?
For more information about branding and marketing, check out the new resource, Church Marketing Plan, created by United Methodist Communications …
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
A Name is a Name is a Name is Important
I remember my mother telling me when I was boy that she and my father chose to name me Matthew because it meant “gift of God.” My parents didn’t choose “Matthew” because a great-great-great-great uncle had that name or because it was perpetually on the list of most popular baby names. They chose it because having a baby in their mid-thirties caught them off guard and saw me as being a gift of God. (I, of course, never miss an opportunity to point that out to my older siblings!)
When the Northeastern Jurisdiction College of Bishops announced that the name for the new Episcopal Area would be “Upper New York Area”, I thought to myself, “where did they come up with that name? I’ve never even heard the term “Upper New York” before. That’s just stupid.” Needless to say I was not a fan of the name…
Then time came for New ACT Communications to sift through the hundreds of name suggestions in order to make a recommendation to New ACT. I’m not a parent yet, but I sure felt like one during that process. Choosing a name is a huge deal. We sorted recommendations into various categories and gave each thoughtful consideration (well, except for my personal suggestion—“The Empire State Strikes Back Annual Conference”.)
Something else helped transform my feelings on “Upper New York”. This past weekend, I travelled to New York City for the first time in years. An hour east of Binghamton, my friend and I were no longer in the boundaries of the new conference, but I’m guessing our friends in Roscoe would consider themselves as being from Upstate. (I had friends in college from Westchester County that believed that they too were from "Upstate"!) Alas, what exactly are the boundaries of Upstate New York? Whose definition would we subscribe to? And let’s face it, using that name would intentionally exclude some brothers and sisters. Is that really how we want to begin our new ministry together?
Over the past week, I’ve come to really like the name “Upper New York” and the opportunities it affords us. (Hmm…where have I encountered transformational stories before?) In many regards, “Upper New York” now becomes synonymous with United Methodism in the area to the north and west of the Catskills!
I am a hockey fan (having one NHL and four AHL teams in our new conference excites me.) As a hockey fan, I feel obliged to watch the movie Miracle at least once a year. In it, Herb Brooks tells the 1980 US Hockey Team right before their match with the Soviet Team in Lake Placid that “great moments come from great opportunities.” On July 1, 2010 we have perhaps the greatest opportunity to come to United Methodism in New York State. How great is that we—like parents—will be able to chose a brand new name for a brand new conference?
The opinions expressed in this piece are those of the author and are not necessarily those of New ACT, New ACT Communications, or any Conference body.
When the Northeastern Jurisdiction College of Bishops announced that the name for the new Episcopal Area would be “Upper New York Area”, I thought to myself, “where did they come up with that name? I’ve never even heard the term “Upper New York” before. That’s just stupid.” Needless to say I was not a fan of the name…
Then time came for New ACT Communications to sift through the hundreds of name suggestions in order to make a recommendation to New ACT. I’m not a parent yet, but I sure felt like one during that process. Choosing a name is a huge deal. We sorted recommendations into various categories and gave each thoughtful consideration (well, except for my personal suggestion—“The Empire State Strikes Back Annual Conference”.)
- There were suggestions using various names from our Native American brothers and sisters. The decision not to use such a name came down to this: do we want the desire to appropriate a name to be the reason for being in dialogue with these brothers and sisters?
- There were suggestions using geographical features. They were actually really cool names, but then came the realization that our conference does not have a single unifying geographical feature. I’m excited that Niagara Falls and Lake Champlain will be within the bounds of our conference, but how would they relate to someone in Cortland or Mexico (as in Mexico, New York)? Yes, there is the matter of the Erie Canal running the width of the new conference, but again, how would someone in Alexandria Bay or Corning necessarily relate to a conference with that name?
- There were suggestions using various church/religious language, as well as New York nicknames and mottos. The suggestions were also great, but as someone who grew up in the Wyoming Conference, I had a very different opinion of using such a name. Full disclosure: I am excited that in a few months I will longer have to spend fifteen minutes explaining the history of Wyoming—the conference and the state—every time I leave the bounds of the conference!
- So in the end, it basically came down to two options: “Upper New York” or “Upstate New York”. Both these names dominated the suggestions gathered this spring and became our recommendation to New ACT (I was still not entirely thrilled with “Upper New York”, but ultimately had faith in New ACT to make a thoughtful decision.)
Something else helped transform my feelings on “Upper New York”. This past weekend, I travelled to New York City for the first time in years. An hour east of Binghamton, my friend and I were no longer in the boundaries of the new conference, but I’m guessing our friends in Roscoe would consider themselves as being from Upstate. (I had friends in college from Westchester County that believed that they too were from "Upstate"!) Alas, what exactly are the boundaries of Upstate New York? Whose definition would we subscribe to? And let’s face it, using that name would intentionally exclude some brothers and sisters. Is that really how we want to begin our new ministry together?
Over the past week, I’ve come to really like the name “Upper New York” and the opportunities it affords us. (Hmm…where have I encountered transformational stories before?) In many regards, “Upper New York” now becomes synonymous with United Methodism in the area to the north and west of the Catskills!
I am a hockey fan (having one NHL and four AHL teams in our new conference excites me.) As a hockey fan, I feel obliged to watch the movie Miracle at least once a year. In it, Herb Brooks tells the 1980 US Hockey Team right before their match with the Soviet Team in Lake Placid that “great moments come from great opportunities.” On July 1, 2010 we have perhaps the greatest opportunity to come to United Methodism in New York State. How great is that we—like parents—will be able to chose a brand new name for a brand new conference?
The opinions expressed in this piece are those of the author and are not necessarily those of New ACT, New ACT Communications, or any Conference body.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Imagine New York churches...
The following statement of faith is based in the Vision Statement guiding the work of the New Area Conference Team (New ACT) in New York state. On September 19, both New ACT and the Critical Questions Teams used this as a prayerful affirmation in worship.
You may use this Imagine affirmation in worship, group devotional time or in your personal prayer for the conference and its churches. The document can be downloaded for print.
Imagine the people of God in Upstate New York:
Growing in our relationship with God,
Being nourished by vibrant spiritual practices,
Speaking the truth in love
Developing Christ-centered and spirit-empowered leadership, lay and clergy
Trusting in God’s abundance and guidance
Imagine the people of God in Upstate New York:
Being the body of Christ within the world,
Becoming a community where people WANT to be
Showing hospitality by welcoming, engaging and serving in love with neighbor
Being transparent in word and deed
Embracing diversity among all God's children.
Imagine the people of God in Upstate New York:
Living in the way of Jesus Christ
Opening to new ways of being and doing Church
Trusting the ambiguity and messiness of change
Seeking courage to take risks
Connecting with one another and the world
Making decisions and planning with prayerful discernment
Transforming the work of the Church into an act of worship.
* * *
What do YOU imagine?
You may use this Imagine affirmation in worship, group devotional time or in your personal prayer for the conference and its churches. The document can be downloaded for print.
Imagine the people of God in Upstate New York:
Growing in our relationship with God,
Being nourished by vibrant spiritual practices,
Speaking the truth in love
Developing Christ-centered and spirit-empowered leadership, lay and clergy
Trusting in God’s abundance and guidance
Imagine the people of God in Upstate New York:
Being the body of Christ within the world,
Becoming a community where people WANT to be
Showing hospitality by welcoming, engaging and serving in love with neighbor
Being transparent in word and deed
Embracing diversity among all God's children.
Imagine the people of God in Upstate New York:
Living in the way of Jesus Christ
Opening to new ways of being and doing Church
Trusting the ambiguity and messiness of change
Seeking courage to take risks
Connecting with one another and the world
Making decisions and planning with prayerful discernment
Transforming the work of the Church into an act of worship.
* * *
What do YOU imagine?
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