Advocate Fall 2019 by Upper New York Conference

ADVOCATE Upper New York

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

Discipleship

Systems:

Beyond Sunday Services

INTENTIONAL DISCIPLESHIP | MISSIONAL LIFE | SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE

A DVOCATE Upper New York

Vol. 11, Issue 2

Discipleship Systems: Beyond Sunday Services

TABLE of

CONTENTS

ADVOCATE Upper New York

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

Discipleship

systems:

Beyond Sunday Services

INTENTIONAL DISCIPLESHIP | MISSIONAL LIFE | SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE

On the cover

The TR AIL GROUP

Intentional Discipleship

Missional Discipleship

CenterPoint Christian Fellowship has a deliberate disciple-making process that is simple. What makes this inspiring system so successful? Learn more about their discipleship staircase on page 24.

Intentionality is the key to helping everyone grow as disciples. Having a system in place that helps people understand what it means to be a disciple and offers opportunities to practice the behaviors of disciples, is essential to developing disciples.

Greg Forrester was a New York State Trooper and worked on child abuse investigations with Child Protective Service. To him, God didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem allpowerful. Learn how a single mission trip changed his life and grew his faith.

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 2019, Issue 2

Generosity

From food pantries to clothing, blessing bags, and backpacks with school supplies—there are so many ways churches can be generous to their communities. Read stories of some unique examples of generosity in Upper New York.

Bringing Hospitality to the Community

Where are the Children?

How do you open the doors of your church and show your neighbors God’s love? At Asbury First UMC, the key to serving their community is attempting to break one world record at a time.

At Friendship UMC, the congregation is of the older age group who want all children to know, love, and serve Jesus Christ as they do. How do they fulfill the desire to have a children’s ministry?

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.

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he mission of The United Methodist Church is to partner with God in “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” The United Methodist Book of Discipline in paragraph 122 defines the process by which we carry out this mission. We make disciples as we: • proclaim the Gospel, seek, welcome, and gather persons into the body of Christ • lead persons to commit their lives to God through baptism by water and the spirit and profession of faith in Jesus Christ

• nurture persons in Christian living through worship, the sacraments, spiritual disciplines, and other means of grace, such as Wesley’s Christian conferencing

• send persons into the world to live lovingly and justly as servants of Christ by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, caring for the strangers, freeing the oppressed, being and becoming a compassionate, caring presence, and working to develop social structures that are consistent with the Gospel • continue the mission of seeking, welcoming, and gathering persons into the community of the body of Christ.

This is the job description of every United Methodist congregation in Upper New York. As clergy and laity together, we are invited to this work. The good news is that God has provided us with every gift and every resource necessary to accomplish the task! 4 UNY ADVOCATE 2019, Issue 2

As Junius Dotson, General Secretary of Discipleship Ministries has reminded the Church: “We are not called to fix churches” – we are called to invite others into a lifetransforming relationship with Jesus Christ. We are called through the power of God’s spirit and our witness to Christ in our lives to multiply the number of people who love God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength. We are called to multiply the number of people who call themselves disciples of Jesus Christ! When that happens the Church and the body of Christ increases its strength within and its impact beyond. I love the quote from Christian author and speaker Mike Breen, who says: "If you try to build the church, you will rarely get disciples. But if you make disciples, you will always get the church."

"If you try to build the church, you will rarely get disciples. But if you make disciples, you will always get the church." -Mike Breen As United Methodists we have always been and must continue to be involved in a disciple-making movement! Everything we do must be examined through the lens of the question, “Will this lead to another person saying yes to the invitation to follow Jesus Christ, growing in a relationship with Jesus, sharing with others the difference Jesus has made in their life in word and deed, and THEN inviting others to that same journey?” If multiplying followers of Jesus Christ is not our ONLY purpose we are simply being disobedient to God’s call and plan for the body of Christ!

To fully live this task, we need to be intentional. Reaching the reality of our purpose does not happen by accident. The church must teach our purpose, repeatedly; the church must be willing to clear away the clutter that prevents it from accomplishing the purpose; and the church must equip for this work, those who are already “here” and those whom the Spirit brings.

In Upper New York, we are committed to a disciple-making movement. We are committed through resourcing congregations and holding one another accountable to the work we have been called to do. Our goal is for every congregation in Upper New York to have an intentional discipleship system as the foundation of their ministry. We will accomplish this goal – we must! A system creates results. Every church has a system. The question is does your church have a system that produces the result of people choosing to follow Jesus Christ? An intentional discipleship system recognizes our ONLY purpose is to multiply followers of Jesus and clearly provides a path that allows people to grow in their faith, acknowledge the gifts God has given them to serve others, to be witnesses of their faith through words and action, and invite others to say yes to Christ. This edition of the Advocate offers tools for strengthening the intentional discipleship system you already have or developing one so that you become a part of the disciple-making movement. I encourage you to read each page, to avail yourself of the resources, reach out to those who can assist, and then share with others what you are learning and experiencing. Our mission is clear – We are called to invite people to a life of following Jesus. May we boldly say YES to that mission and join the disciple-making movement for the glory of God and the transformation of the world!

VISIT US ON THE WEB

WWW.UNYUMC.ORG unyumc.org 5

Intentional Discipleship Systems: Creating pathways to make disciples of Jesus Christ By the Rev. Dr. Aaron Bouwens, Director of UNY Vital Congregations

s Bishop Webb mentioned in the introduction to this issue, the mission of the United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Upon sharing this mission statement, a few questions arise, Rev. Dr. Bouwens and usually the lead question is something about defining what is meant by a disciple of Jesus Christ. There are many ways a disciple of Jesus Christ can be defined; this can create confusion. So, let me offer a definition that we have been using for several years now to understand what is being talked about when talking about a disciple of Jesus Christ:

A Disciple of Jesus Christ is a person who confesses faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, continues to be transformed by the grace of God, engages in life-long practices of learning and spiritual formation to follow Jesus, while boldly connecting with the world around them to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ and serve like Jesus, with urgency and love for the transformation of the world.

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This description provides a great framework to understand what it means to be a person following Jesus. But how do faith communities help people live into being a disciple of Jesus Christ? Presenting a definition or telling people they need to grow as disciples will not result in having more disciples. Intentionality is the key to helping everyone grow as disciples. Having a system in place that helps people understand what it means to be a disciple and offers opportunities to practice the behaviors of disciples, is essential to developing disciples.

Several attempts have been made to come alongside faith communities to help create understanding and systems of discipleship. In the resource section of this edition, multiple resources can be found. One of these resources is by Phil Maynard, and he offers a helpful way to think about discipleship. He lifts up six aspects that make up the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ: • A • A • A • A • A • A

life life life life life life

of of of of of of

worship hospitality opening to Jesus obeying Jesus mission generosity

These lifestyle attributes need to be cultivated through the system of discipleship within a faith community. Furthermore, in order for the discipleship system to be fruitful, these attributes need to be accessible to people no matter where they are in their

faith journey. For example, someone who is exploring Jesus, whether they know it or not, will not approach a life of worship the same way as someone who is living as Christ-centered as possible. A person who has recently responded to God’s offer of grace in Jesus Christ to receive forgiveness will have a different understanding of obeying Jesus than a person that has more experience following Jesus.

Discipleship System courtesy of Hilton UMC.

Maynard also highlights five practices a congregation needs to have as part of a system that helps a person grow as a disciple: • Biblical engagement • Accountable relationships • Spiritual disciplines • Missional life • Weekly worship

While the aspects of the life of a disciple focus on the attributes of a disciple that is growing in understanding, grace, and love, the five practices of a congregation are the behaviors that are reinforced through programs, teaching, behaviors, modeling, and stewardship. These are not identified as mere values to place on a discipleship system in print; these are behaviors and practices that are woven into the life of a disciple. The greater engagement with the Bible, the greater likelihood that a disciple will grow in their life of hospitality. Likewise, the greater opportunity a disciple has to practice spiritual disciplines, the greater likelihood they will be

increasing open and obedient to Jesus. The practices are the pathways by which the life of the disciple can grow in depth, and in the sanctifying grace of Jesus.

The mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world can become an empty slogan unless the church puts into practice a clear path for disciples to be grown, formed, even transformed. Transformation cannot be caused or forced by human hands; however, through an intentional discipleship system, an environment can be created that is ripe for the transformation of people, and the world. For this reason, all of us are invited to engage in the ministry of putting into practice an intentional discipleship system.

To learn more about intentional discipleship systems, watch this short video by See All the People.

Visit: www.umcdiscipleship.org/topics/intentional-discipleship-systems Or scan the QR code with the camera on your mobile device. unyumc.org 7

Spiritual discipline Studying as a spiritual discipline

By the Rev. Nancy Dibelius, Assistant Director of Vital Congregations for Spiritual Life

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tarting our exploration of disciplines with John Wesley’s means of grace, I would like to invite you to consider the discipline of study. John Wesley spoke specifically of study of scripture, but in keeping with his admonition to “use all means as means,”1 Rev. Dibelius I would include study of well-known writings from our Christian heritage and contemporary theologians as well. In the Old Testament, God instructed the Israelites to “fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children” (Deut. 11:18-19). The purpose of this instruction is to direct our attention repeatedly and regularly on God and the things of God. Although study might seem to be like meditation, the

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2 purposes are decidedly different. Meditation is a reflective, devotional activity and study is an analytical activity. In devotional reading of scripture, our priority is on application; what does this passage mean to/for me? When we study the scripture, our priority is what does this passage mean. So, when studying, it is helpful to have a variety of translations; it is also helpful to have dictionaries, commentaries, and other interpretive materials.

The first piece in studying a particular book or subject involves understanding. Do I understand what the author is trying to convey? The next piece involves interpreting the book or subject. What does the author mean? And the third piece involves evaluating the book or subject. Do I believe the author’s assumptions and conclusions to be correct? We must be careful not to move immediately to our evaluation before fully understanding the material presented and considering possible interpretations. Since we are asked to understand, interpret and

“The mind is renewed by applying it to those things that will transform it.”2 -Richard Foster evaluate, it is often helpful to do study in the context of a group. As a group discusses and dialogues about the particular material being studied, new insights often emerge; as we interact with one another, we also interact with the material. The Bible is an obvious place to begin this discipline of study. There is an abundance of interpretive material and carefully designed study materials available for this purpose. Consider studying a particular book of the Bible; read the passages in more than one translation; read a commentary on the passage; look up some of the words in a Bible dictionary (you might be surprised to discover that many of our contemporary words had slightly different meanings 2,000 years ago). Other possibilities include classical materials from our Christian heritage… authors such as St. Ignatius, Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, Julian of Norwich, the Desert Fathers and Mothers. Pick one of these authors that has always interested you; many of these classics have readily available interpretive materials.

1. Outler, Albert C. & Heitzenrater, Richard P. ed, John Wesley’s Sermons: An Anthology, Abingdon Press, Nashville, TN, 1991, pg. 170. 2. Foster, Richard J., Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth, HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, 1978, pg. 62.

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Spiritual discipline

What is your most cherished spiritual discipline that you do regularly to develop a closer relationship to God?

Reading scripture and finding fresh ideas every morning. -Susan

We asked members across the Upper New York Conference to share their most cherished spiritual discipline. Here are some of your responses:

Listening to Christian Praise pulls me closer to God. -Betty

-Suzanne

Skiing in Upper Room the midst every morning! of creation. And prayer (at the worst times it’s real “heart to hearts” with God) walking to/from bus stops. -Sharon B. Prayers. -Sharon F.

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Making time for the quiet moments to meditate on God’s word and through prayer & throughout the day praying spontaneously too!

-Alan

Stillness in meditating on Scripturedevotional and prayer first thing in the morning. -Katie

Be still and know. -Vivian

Upper Room, study book and prayer before bed in a quiet room. -Martha Listening to Christian contemporary pop music. God uses this vehicle to speak to me. -Deborah

Finding a quiet place where I can pray and listen and adding to my gratitude journal! God speaks to me in the quiet.

Praying myself to sleep, a sort of Compline prayer.

-Cynthia

-Sally

Holding my blessed Listen to companion God, respond in my arms daily praying to God, listen to God, for a peacerespond to ful passing.

Exercising, especially when I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want toâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; being in motion and having to focus in order to do the exercises helps me to focus on God and what God is saying to me. -Carmen

Morning God silently. devotions (borrowed and prayer from my friend Cyndy) when I -Donna

-Jeane

wake up. -Scott

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Evangelism:

Going and Gathering By Laceye C. Warner, Executive Vice Dean, Associate Professor of the Practice of Evangelism and Methodist Studies, and Royce and Jane Reynolds Teaching Fellow at Duke Divinity School, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina

Warner

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hen many think of the Church’s ministry of evangelism, the general dynamic— most often inspired by Matthew 28—is one of going. Yet the dynamic of gathering is also modeled in Matthew in the use of the term ekklesia. In the New Testament (as well as the Old), the notion of centripetal ministry remains alongside the centrifugal in Jesus Christ’s gathering of the disciples and incarnational ministry.

evangelism, such interpretations, while well intended, encourage truncated understandings. Concepts and practices of evangelism influenced in this way also tend to overlook the essential role of Christian communities in the textured practices of initiating, gathering, forming, and sending persons in faith.

First, let us offer some explanation of terms. Evangelism and mission are at times used synonymously, while at other times a distinction is made between them. Mission has its root in the Latin phrase missio dei or the mission of God. According to the commission text in the gospel of John 20.19-23, the mission of God is to send Jesus Christ to the world, and with the Holy Spirit to send the Church to the world. A relatively recent (mid twentieth-century), but important shift has occurred within the Church’s self understanding among ecumenical conversations from the Church sending missions to the world, to God sending the Church in mission to the world. Evangelism is the heart of God’s mission. Indeed, evangelism characterizes our baptismal commission received upon initiation into Christian community, to proclaim the gospel in our words and lives.

When biblical texts were initially translated into English (with the Tyndale and Wycliffe versions of the Bible) the Greek root for evangelism was translated simply as “preaching.” This was an attempt to employ language that could be widely understood. This coupled with the popularity of Matthew 28 as the Great Commission, contributed to an emphasis upon the dynamic of “going,” most often of individual preachers or small groups of missionaries. While the “going” and preaching of individuals are important aspects of

Spiritual discipline

Christians typically understand our ministry as centrifugal—going from the center to a periphery in the community and world. However, mission and evangelism cannot remain at any center, since Christians are called to relationships with neighbors near and far, as Scripture describes, ‘to all peoples everywhere;’ ‘to the whole world;’ ‘to the whole creation;’ ‘to the end of the earth;’ and ‘to the end of time.’

It seems that many Protestant denominations emphasize evangelism as techniques to increase church membership at best as going to verbally proclaim a formulaic and/or packaged gospel message. While communities of faith in or from other (for example globally southern and eastern) ecclesial/cultural contexts seem often to acknowledge a more nuanced reading of biblical texts informing a complex set of practices including both the centripetal and centrifugal. While these are statements generalizing characterizations of large areas and numerous communities of faith—more established churches and denominations may have much to learn from “newer” ones. Evangelism is as much about receiving the message of salvation (even among the baptized) through attention to the work of the Holy Spirit in the world as sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Practices of going and telling are complemented by listening together to the Holy Spirit witnessing in, through, and beyond individuals and communities seeking to live faithfully in the world.

Want to learn more?

Read 5 ways to reclaim Wesleyan evangelism: www.umnews.org/en/news/5-ways-to-reclaim-wesleyan-evangelism

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Missional Discipleship

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How mission work led me to become a disciple

By Greg Forrester, Layperson, Cortland: First UMC

oming from law enforcement as a New York State Trooper and working on child abuse investigations with the Child Protective Service staff, I was wondering where God was and what He was controlling. God didn’t seem all-powerful to me. I was raised in the Catholic church and married a preacher’s daughter whose grandfather, father, and eventually, brother, were all United Methodist pastors. It led to some very interesting family gatherings and discussions around the dinner table. While planning for a mission trip to Haiti, my father-in-law asked me to join the team. We were to build a welding shop at a vocational school. I agreed to go but was clear that I was there for the security of the team, not the “God” stuff. I think this is when the Holy Spirit said, “Watch this!”

Following a week of service, rooftop discussions on “where did you see the face of God today?” and Haitians praising God for what they had – not what they lacked, Christ and I started talking. A few months later, I left State Police work – started leading teams to Haiti, working on community projects, and officially joined the UMC. As I organized groups of committed Christians and professing nonbelievers - I found that they were like me – they could see God’s handprints and footprints in the mission field and in their lives – by serving others.

National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (an ecumenical group of 72 national organizations and a team in every US State/ Territory). God has a plan but as a Disciple – we must agree to the journey.

The commonality has been to create an environment and opportunity for individuals to experience Christ as they serve others who need assistance. The servant becomes an answer to a prayer. For professed nonbelievers – missional outreach/service makes them ask questions about why they feel so good when helping individuals and communities recover from hardship. Soon, they are open to discussions of faith, what it means to be a Child of God, grace, and the Holy Spirit. For believers, missional service must be part of the Discipleship journey – how else do you share the Good News and let the light shine through? We must commit to understanding that mission/ outreach/service is not something that We do – it is who we are as Christ followers, transforming the world.

As my faith grew stronger, so did the desire to introduce others to Christ through mission – locally, nationally, and internationally. Eventually, I was led to service as the NEJ Volunteers in Mission’s director which transitioned to the Director of US Disaster Response for UMCOR, and now the President/CEO of unyumc.org 15

Missional Discipleship

Saratoga Springs United Methodist Church commits to Random Acts of Kindness By Shannon Hodson, UNY Conference Writer/Editor

and Rev. Heather Williams) took it and flew. They created a year-long journey of Random Acts of Kindness and we created a wall, so people could write down some of the things they are doing (on post-it notes).”

Donna Bjork, the leader of the Joy in the Mornings small group, said, “We talked about spreading Random Acts of Kindness in our church. Our ministers (Rev. Andrew (Drew) Sperry

The idea of the Random Acts of Kindness initiative as an individualfocused project extended to involve bigger projects like a spice drive and the church’s youth delivering umbrellas to community parks for people to have access to on rainy days.

aratoga Springs United Methodist Church made a New Year’s Resolution in 2018 for the church to focus on performing Random Acts of Kindness throughout the entire year. The idea came from a small group, called Joy in the Morning, which meets every Thursday morning. The group was doing a journal exercise from the book A Year of Kindness by Dr. Pamela Parskey, where each day, the readers wrote about their acts of kindness and gratitude.

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Donna continued, “It helps alleviate some of the things you hear in the media; it shows that people can do good and spend time helping others. This really began as an individual thing and it doesn’t have to be something big; it can be simple, like buying a friend a cup of coffee.”

Watch a video about Saratoga Spring UMC’s Random Acts of Kindness: http://bit.ly/SSRAOK Or scan the QR code with the camera on your mobile device.

Three men on a mission

alt Mathias and Leon Perkins met about five years ago while providing disaster relief in the Southern Tier after the Susquehanna River flooded. They soon began working together on a regular basis with the Rochester Refugee Resettlement Services. After retiring from Kodak, Peter Baldwin joined them in their efforts to rehabilitate houses for refugees. Since then, the three have been volunteering together to rehabilitate houses two to three days a week when they are not on mission trips. Read the full article: http://bit.ly/3menonamission

To watch a video about this ministry, visit: https://vimeo.com/313211765

Gouverneur First UMC in mission and outreach

rowing disciples who are engaged in mission and outreach is one of Gouverneur First UMC’s priorities. With many worshippers who are new to church, and just learning about what it means to be the hands and feet of Jesus around the world, connecting them to outreach has been a successful priority. The church continues to work on growing in mission and outreach by connecting their community and congregation ever more deeply, loving their neighbors with concrete, hands-on and face-toface actions, such as collecting back to school supplies, community meals, and exercise programs. To learn more about Gouverneur First UMC’s growing outreach ministries, visit: http://bit.ly/GouverneurMission

UNY’s medical mission trip in Vieques, Puerto Rico

ieques, a small island across the sea from San Juan, Puerto Rico, was nearly destroyed by hurricane Maria in September 2017. The people there were slowly rebuilding their homes and their beaches. However, diabetes and hypertension are prevalent among the people. Some have had the ability to get proper medications, but they do not understand the seriousness of their disease or the importance of compliance with their medications, diet, and activity. On September 22, 2018, a team of four physicians, four nurses and four ancillary people left for Vieques for a medical mission. To read the full article and learn more about their mission trip, visit: http://bit.ly/UNYinPuertoRico

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ine l p i c s i D ditor ity as a Writer/E

s nce Confere Y Generoo N U , n n Hodso n By Shan

Food pantries and beyond

ood pantries are an example of how United Methodist churches are generous to their communities. One unique idea for offering food pantries and other needed items is what Lakewood UMC calls a “Blessing Box.” They installed a wooden box made by a congregation member outside of the church for members of the community to donate items or select items that they may need any time of day, all week long. “When you come up to this

“Blessing Box,” Lakewood UMC.

blessing cupboard, you will never know what items may be inside,” said Lakewood UMC pastor, the Rev. Michael Childs. “There are some food items, paper products, cleaning supplies, and miscellaneous. And the items will vary over time. If you need an item, please take it with God’s blessing! If you find that you have extra to share – you can drop off the item at any time.”

Dress a Girl Around the World

ress a Girl Around the World is a campaign under Hope 4 Women International (a 501 (c) 3 organization) bringing dignity to women around the world since 2006. Hope 4 Women International is a non-denominational independent Christian organization. Church ministries receive dress patterns and make dresses for girls in impoverished communities throughout the world.

Picture 10,000 vibrant dresses in bright blues with checkered trim, or fuchsia a with floral trim, purple with paisley trim, or entirely floral in bright pinks, reds, turquoise, or yellow— gorgeous dresses. These 10,000 dresses were made by a group of women at Whitney Point United Methodist Church who meet every Friday morning to create dress kits ranging in sizes from infant to teenage—the name of their group is Sew ‘n Sews. In May of 2018, they had a huge celebration of the fact that they had made 10,000 dresses. Whitney Point Pastor, the Rev. Corey Turnpenny said, “This isn’t just a celebration of 10,000 dresses. What this is, is a celebration of 10,000 girls around the world knowing they are loved, and that they have a layer of protection that will last them for years.” 18 UNY ADVOCATE 2019, Issue 2

The Sew ‘n Sews, Whitney Point UMC.

In July of 2019, the United Methodist Church of Livonia blessed 436 dresses to be used in the Dress A Girl Around the World Campaign. Livonia became involved with Dress a Girl in 2018 when church members Robin Bedson and Sue Schedlbauer were challenged through a sermon series to let God birth a vision in their life. They heard about the Dress A Girl campaign from a friend whose church was a part of Dress a Girl and wondered if Livonia could do the same. Taking up the pastor’s challenge they set out. In the first year, they rounded up volunteers and made 380 dresses and in the second year, they made 436 dresses for a total of 816 dresses. To date, Dress a Girl has provided well over a million dresses to girls in 81 countries. Visit http://bit.ly/aboutdressagirl to learn more about Dress a Girl Around the World.

How is

your church

“W

Generous?

e have just received permission from the village board to start a ‘Worship Without Walls’ in our downtown. We are excited and will move forward from here. We held an annual Thanksgiving dinner for the community and are preparing for the Christmas dinner. We raise money to send kids to camp and do a coat giveaway every year in October.” Carol, Herkimer UMC

“W

e spport the Mission HUB. Our Missions of Dorcas group sews walker and wheelchair bags, feminine products, and other items for local and worldwide organizations. We collect school supplies for a local elementary school as well as schools in Honduras. One of our lay servants leads the local Ecumenical Council, which has senior adult ministry and senior transportation programs. We support our local food pantry by working on two fundraisers in conjunction with another. Our winter wear giveaway grows each year. Our dove tree helps provide Christmas gifts to local families. We support community events like the tree lighting, where Advent calendars, cookies, and hot chocolate were given out. We collect coupons that our sister church, Collamer United, sends to help the troops (commissaries can use expired coupons). And I'm sure I've forgotten to mention many other things.” Shirley, Bridgeport UMC

“S

oups every January, February and March every Tuesday volunteers make many pots of soup and every Wednesday anyone in need can come and pick up a bag or two or more for free. This is a ministry Elm Park in Oneonta has sustained for 20 years and folks look forward to the sign going up saying it is starting.”

“M

any members offer their time to non-profit organizations in our communities (Red Cross, Volunteer Fire Dept, YWCA, Jackson Center) as well as serve on District, Conference, and/or Jurisdictional committees.” Carmen, Hurlbut Memorial Community UMC

“S

taffing ‘A Meal & More,’ Christ Church, Rochester, NY, corresponding with sponsored children at Musawenkosi Orphanage in South Africa, volunteering at Rush-Henrietta Food Terminal, preparing lunch every second Sunday for donation of $1 for congregation with left overs delivered to home-bound friends and more. Erma, Rush UMC

“S

ome of what we do: Our church has helped at Genesee school for their Christmas sales. I am so amazed at how many missions Auburn United Methodist church does! Wednesday we make hot lunches for the Rescue Mission families in need. Another is the knitting of mittens and scarfs for those in need. The Fill-A-Belly for needy kids at Genesee too. We do soup kitchen. Also helping ring bells for Salvation Army. Our wonderful prayer shawl ministry lead by sweet Kathleen Stockmyer and on and on. We are blessed! Some more, caroling to homes and nursing homes. Taking communion to nursing homes and homes. The food bank, Thanksgiving baskets, and on and on. Sharon, Auburn UMC

“O

ur church hosts a monthly community dinner, reads with local school children, sponsors tuitions for African students and sponsors both African and Hispanic congregations.” Sharon, Aldersgate UMC

ere upplies—th s l o o h c s h urch acks wit w is your ch ags, backp o b H g . in d s e s e n le b , nities in mc.org. ies, clothing ews@unyu s to commu n u ro to e Food pantr n m e e g th e s. Send y ways to b r your storie a e are so man h to e v We’d lo generous?

Donna, Elm Park UMC

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PROFILES

Manlius UMC

How the LIFE group makes disciples

By the Rev. Joseph Inbeom Kim, Pastor, Manlius UMC

he “class meeting” played a pivotal role in the early Methodist movement in terms of “making disciples” and in the exponential growth experienced at that time in the Kingdom of God. This Methodist way of “making disciples…for the transformation of the world” unfortunately has become a lost art since the 20th century in most Methodist churches in America. In the beginning of 2018, Manlius UMC leadership came together to explore why this method was so successful and to learn how we could apply it to our church setting starting in 2019. Twenty to twenty-five people participated in exploring this Methodist tool for making disciples by first studying Kevin Wat-

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Manlius UMC

son’s book, The Class Meeting: Reclaiming a Forgotten (and Essential) Small Group Experience. They met once a month over a period of seven months to discuss the chapters in this book and, after completing the study, fourteen people expressed a desire to move to the next stage, i.e. how to implement this ministry in our church family. This “pioneer” or “experimental” group began to meet every Sunday evening starting in November 2018 at my home and used the teaching video “Journey 101: Knowing God” as an outline for the small group interaction. We call this class meeting type of small group the “LIFE” group. The word “LIFE” is an acronym standing for the characteristics portrayed by committed disciples of Jesus Christ as well as the format the group meeting follows.

L I F E

Liturgy A disciple is a worshipper who strives to “stay in love with God” through means of grace. Each member reflects and shares Wesleyan questions at the beginning of each meeting such as “How’s your life in God?” “Where have you seen God at work last week?”

Instruction A disciple is a learner. The LIFE group devotes 40 to 50 minutes to Bible study.

Fellowship A disciple is part of a community. There is no place like a home to build up relationship. Group members share a meal before the meeting each week and like the “Band” meeting, three or four smaller same gender groups will be prayer partners and share “deeper” spiritual life with each other.

Engagement A disciple makes disciples. Each member is encouraged to have a “F.R.A.N.” prayer list and look for “bright eyes” with whom to connect. Each group will engage in ministry plans and projects. Each group will also have one or two “honorary” or “adopted” members among the homebound and those who are unable to attend the group meeting.

“Be a disciple and make disciples” is the purpose of the LIFE group. In 2019 the pioneer group is working together to discover the most effective way to be followers of Christ and help others to take a faith journey together. unyumc.org 21

PROFILES

Friendship UMC The story of the Friendship AWANA Club

By Clara E. Wilder, Licensed Local Pastor, First UMC of Friendship and River’s Edge UMC

“W

here are all the children?” Is the most-asked question in one of the rural churches that I serve. I serve First United Methodist Church of Friendship in Friendship, NY. The town is in the beautiful southern tier of Allegany County. The church is one of the farthest east in the Cornerstone District. Where are the children? There are children in Friendship. There is a central school with over 350 youth enrolled. There is a Head Start program in Friendship. There ARE children in Friendship, but not in the churches. The congregation is of the older age group – men and women who have children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren – men and 22 UNY ADVOCATE 2019, Issue 2

Friendship UMC

women who want all the children to know, love, and serve Jesus Christ as they do. How could we fulfill the desire to have a children’s ministry?

In the winter of 2018, I started thinking about alternatives to a Sunday morning children’s program. I found several, but I was drawn to AWANA (an acronym drawn from "Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed" as stated in 2 Timothy 2:15). I had heard about it, but I did not know much about the program. As I checked into the program, I realized this could be just what was needed to bring children into a relationship with Jesus Christ. I presented it to the congregation, and they were excited about it but was certain that they would not be able to help much with the implementation of the program. AWANA is an involved, in-depth program that requires several adults to make it successful and

make disciples for Jesus Christ. I decided that I could not offer AWANA to the children of Friendship at that time, so I set it aside.

Fast forward to the summer of 2018, I received an e-mail from AWANA. It was encouraging me to delve into the program again and check it out. I did. I watched a video about small churches and AWANA. There was an offer for buying a membership and getting the AWANA Basics book for free, so I bought it. Doug Schoenheit in Rochester called to encourage me to start AWANA in Friendship. He is the AWANA missionary for Western New York and North Country New York. He is, also, the field director for this region. The region is made up of the following states: CT, DE, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI., and VT. I explained to Doug my dilemma of wanting to teach the children, but that I am unable to do this by myself. By the end of our conversation, we decided that I should contact the pastors of the other four churches in Friendship to determine if there was any interest in joining with me in starting up an AWANA club. Doug mentioned that there has not been a multi-denominational club before this.

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

The pastors of Friendship met. All the churches had the same question. Where are all the children? First United Methodist Church of Friendship was not unique. I went to a conference to learn from men and women who have experience with AWANA and have encountered and dealt with various issues and have been in numerous positions within the AWANA program. I learned many things. My decision to begin an AWANA club in Friendship was strengthened more and

more as I heard what a difference AWANA had made in the lives of the children.

Doug came to Friendship to meet with the five of us pastors to teach us what AWANA was and how to start up the program. There was a training session held in Friendship. The pastors met to answer the questions – where, who, when, and how. • The WHAT question was answered with AWANA. What is AWANA? It is an acronym for Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed which is based on 2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” • WHERE: First UMC of Friendship

• WHEN: Fridays after school from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.

• WHO: The five churches of Friendship: First United Methodist Church of Friendship, United Church of Friendship, Friendship Bible Baptist Church, Friendship Church of God in Christ and Followers of the Way • HOW: with prayer and enthusiasm.

Friendship AWANA Club started on January 4, 2019, at 3:30 p.m. with registration. AWANA officially began on January 11 with 13 children registered in two groups. Sparks is for children in kindergarten to second grade. T & T (Truth & Training) is for children in third to sixth grade. There are more age groups available, but we chose to focus on these age groups for right now.

Friendship AWANA Club is still in its infancy. The children love it. One girl asked if there would be meetings during the summer and was disappointed when I said I did not think so. That is so very encouraging. God is victorious! Friendship AWANA Club is five different denomination churches strong. Praise the Lord!

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PROFILES

CenterPoint Christian Fellowship Climbing the discipleship staircase By Wayne Clemens and Jay Scienza, Pastors, CenterPoint Christian Fellowship

24 UNY ADVOCATE 2019, Issue 2

CenterPoint Christian Fellowship

SHARE Step around SERVICE & MINISTRY Step out COMMUNITY/ CARE GROUP Step up 1 to 1 DISCIPLESHIP Step up LARGE GROUP DISCIPLESHIP Step up NEXT STEP CLASS Step up WORSHIP Step in

t CenterPoint Christian Fellowship Church in Barneveld, New York; in the Mohawk District of the Upper New York Annual Conference, God has blessed us with incredible growth and has created an atmosphere where there is a deep spiritual longing to love God more, to grow in our faith in new ways, to serve the needs of the community, and to share all that we have learned with others. Our deliberate disciple making process has been a large part of that growth. We believe that much of its success is due to its simplicity, as we live out the mission given to us by Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:19, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit...”

As we focus upon that mission, we live it out through the vision that God has given to us to: LOVE – GROW – SERVE – SHARE, as we Love God and others, Grow together in community, Serve our neighbors and the world, and Share Christ always and everywhere. This is the basis of all that we do at CenterPoint; every ministry

stems from it and our discipleship plan is built around it. We believe getting hooked up with the vision is to get hooked up with God’s purpose for our worship, fellowship, and the discipleship that naturally follows. Our discipleship plan takes the form of a staircase model, utilizing the love, grow, serve, share vision. Each step along the way is another spiritual marker on our journey of faith where Continued on page 26. unyumc.org 25

we have discovered that growing as a disciple is much more than just getting together for an hour on a Sunday morning. As we have heard discipleship recently defined, “It is a way of life for the rest of your life,” and so we encourage a lifestyle of discipleship for those who become a part of this faith community.

For most, the entry point at CenterPoint is the Sunday morning worship experience. That is where most “Step In,” however that is not always the case. Many have also stepped in through growth groups or service opportunities. But no matter where folks “Step In” we encourage them to become a part of the “Next Step” Sessions as an opportunity to “Step Up” and take the next step that God may be calling them to on this journey of faith.

Next Step is a six-week program that discusses the basics of faith in Christ, the history of the church, our purpose in reaching others for Christ, and to uncover how we can do our part locally to transform our communities and the world. We share about the mission and vision of CenterPoint, offer a spiritual gifts inventory and give participants a taste of what “Growing together in community” looks like. Some of the relationships that have been established in the Next Step sessions have continued on and grown even deeper as those participants have moved along together on the staircase. The staircase model brings that important visual to help guide us along the way so that we might see what step we are on along this faith journey. Steps such as Worship, Next Step Classes, Large Group Discipleship, One-on-One Discipleship, and CenterPoint Groups give a framework to individuals as they become a part of the Body of Christ. However, it also gives them freedom 26 UNY ADVOCATE 2019, Issue 2

to discover what God has called them to as they love, grow, serve, and share with us.

We offer several options for folks seeking to take next steps toward “Growing together in community,” including but not limited to: shortterm, four to six week discipleship gatherings where 30-40 will gather initially for a large group book study or DVD based study and then break out into smaller groups to go deeper. We offer one-to-one discipleship coaching for those who prefer a one-on-one approach to discipleship around seven spiritual disciplines utilizing a coach approach over a six-month period. We also offer several community groups that meet in homes, diners and restaurants, or out on our 50 acres of trail system. These groups are focused on building long-term relationships and focused upon various topics and interests. Many of these groups continue on the staircase together as they “Step Out” to serve in various ways “within” and “without” the church, sharing Christ always and everywhere as they “Step Around” and participate in many of the ministry opportunities that God provides. Most recently, we have formed several new CenterPoint Groups. These target specific areas of hurt that are sometimes left unaddressed such as Divorce, Remarriage and Blended Families; Lost and Found (dealing with and working through grief or the loss of a loved one); Recovery (for those dealing with or have

Next Step at CenterPoint Christian Fellowship. Photos courtesy of Pastor Clemens.

Trail Group at CenterPoint Christian Fellowship.

a family member dealing with substance abuse and/or addiction), and a vibrant Young Ladies group which focuses on young women’s issues. The goal of each group is to “encourage and empower” those who are hurting, to share Christ, and bring healing to their whole being, spirit, soul, and body. They meet, not in the church building, but in the facilitator’s home, out for coffee or at an event. These are encouragement groups designed to support one another through these challenges and to show those in the community that they are not alone. Through the CenterPoint Discipleship Staircase, we walk alongside each other stepby-step, encouraging one another along the way, growing as disciples, so that we too might go into all the world & make disciples for the transformation of the world, as we LOVE, GROW, SERVE, and SHARE in all the ways God is calling us.

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PROFILES

Asbury First UMC

Bringing hospitality to the community By Shannon Hodson, UNY Conference Writer/Editor

28 UNY ADVOCATE 2019, Issue 2

Asbury First UMC

our church is in a diverse, urban neighborhood—there are individuals and families who would be classified as upper-class, and many who are experiencing socioeconomic struggles. How do you open the doors of your church and show these neighbors God’s love? The Asbury First UMC in Rochester has a simple mission: “Love. Live. Serve. Repeat.” One way that Asbury serves their local community is by welcoming them to help the congregation to attempt to break World Records. On August 9, 2018, 664 people came together in Asbury’s parking lot to attempt to complete the world’s biggest game of hopscotch. They almost did! While it was in fact the biggest game, Guinness did not consider it official because one of their strict rules was not met.

On August 8, 2019, Asbury invited the community to come together to attempt to break the World Record for the longest Hug Relay—in order to break the record, they would need 1,300 people to participate. Weather did not cooperate for the hug relay (it rained most of the day), but still, almost 700 people came together for genuine hugs. Both events brought love and smiles to people of all ages. People with varying gender identities; from all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds; and even different faith backgrounds (and some who had no faith) came together and experienced utter joy. Asbury’s Senior Pastor, the Rev. Dr. Stephen Cady II, said, “The success of [these] events are not setting records. The success is standing in a divided world and spreading the love.”

To watch the hopscotch video, visit: http://bit.ly/Asburyhopscotch Or scan the QR code with the camera on your mobile device.