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The Troy Conference Treasurer's Office reports that as of Friday, Jan. 22, people from throughout Troy Conference have donated $3,000.74 to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) Advance #418325. Leah Robinson, Treasurer's Assistant, said that more donations have been arriving this week.

 

Churches can drop off Health and other UMCOR kits at the Conference Office, 396 Louden Rd., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, instead of sending them directly to the UMCOR depot at Sager-Brown in Baldwin, La., or to Mission Central in Pennsylvania. Conference office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Click Here for Health Kit content information.

 

For kits delivered to the Conference Office for distribution, please include $1 for toothpaste for each kit and a donation towards the shipping costs.  These monies can be submitted in one check payable to Troy Annual Conference and sent to the Treasurer’s Office.  Those funds will be sent to UMCOR to Advance #901440 (for materials for emergencies).  For kits that are sent directly to Sager Brown Depot, please include the monies in the form of a check payable to UMCOR noting Advance #901440 for toothpaste and shipping.

 

A note to those churches which have already delivered kits to the Conference Office: any money in the kits have been removed and given to the Treasurer’s Office for proper handling.

 

 

 

Applications for Critical Issues grants can be accepted only up until April 15, 2010, for funding by June 30, 2010.  Critical Issues are the ministries of Troy Conference which are most essential to achieving the conference vision and mission.  The critical issues receive the highest priority in organization, energy and funding. For a list of criteria and information on requesting Critical Issues Fund, click here. To request Critical Issue Funds, download an application or request an application from the Conference Minister.

 

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Troy Annual Conference Session will be held at Christ United Methodist Church, 54 Bay Street, Glens Falls, N.Y., on Saturday, May 22. A service of recognition for retirees will be held on Friday evening, May 21, at the church.

 

Those needing accommodations for overnight on May 21, will need to make their own plans and reservations. A list of area hotels will be available on-line soon.

 

District Conferences are scheduled for Saturday, May 8. Times and places to be announced.

 

The Uniting Conference (June 19) will be held at the ON Center in Syracuse; the Worship Celebration (Sept. 11) will be held at Empire State Plaza in Albany. Lay members and clergy can reserve seats on a charter bus from Albany to the ON Center in Syracuse, N.Y., for the June 19 Uniting Conference. The bus will leave the capital at 6:30 a.m. and return around 10 p.m. Reservations and a payment of $30 per person are due to Ilah Walser, 396 Louden Rd., Saratoga Springs, N.Y. 12866, by April 5. Contact Walser at (800) 684-9377, ext. 11, or by e-mail at iwalser@troyac.org.

 

 

The New England Annual Conference Session is Wednesday, June 16, through Saturday, June 19, New England Annual Conference at Gordon College in Wenham, Mass., by clicking here. Vermont clergy and lay members are required to attend the session. Vermont churches will be receiving information from New England soon.

 

An all Vermont District meeting will be held on Saturday, May 1. Time and place to be announced.

 

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“RAISE THE PRAISE, INCREASE THE PEACE!” is this year’s theme for 4Word2010, the annual gathering that brings together youth from North Central New York, Troy, Western New York and Wyoming conferences for a Friday and Saturday of workshops, games, open ‘mike’ performances, dancing, karaoke, team challenges and more, plus worship. Held at the Syracuse Holiday Inn, the event will be April 23 through 25. For more information, contact Sue Petrosino or Ashley DuBois  The event takes place April 23-25, 2010.  

 

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Len Sweet will speak on “Awakening to the God who is Already There,” on Saturday, May 1, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Faith United Methodist Church, 174 Pinnacle Rd, Henrietta, N.Y. The event is sponsored by the Western New York Evangelism Ministry Team. The fee is $35 per person, lunch included. Send an e-mail to Keith Griswold at wnyemt2010@yahoo.com if interested in attending. Download a informational flyer.

 

The North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (NACEC) and the University of Minnesota Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Agricultural Management (CINRAM) are working together with the Rainforest Alliance TREES program, Smartwood, and TransFair to certify palms harvested from the forests of Mexico and Guatemala for sale to Christian congregations in the United States and Europe. Download a Eco-Palms Order Form …

 

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On Super Bowl Sunday, while the Colts and Saints face each other in Miami, Fla., on Feb. 7, teams of volunteers will be involved in a different kind of bowl game—a Souper Bowl of Caring. On Feb. 7, youth from across the denomination are invited to collect donations to donate to a local food pantry or food mission. To be part of the annual Souper Bowl of Caring, form a team and:

 

 

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Rethink Church Training will be held in the Green Mountain District Saturday, Feb. 6, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, 137 Main Street, Montpelier, Vt. Registration deadline is Feb. 3. The cost is $40 per church team plus $10 per person for lunch. Download a registration brochure. 

 

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Learn how to create vibrant and media-enhanced worship at the Midnight Oil Productions’ Creative Worship workshops, Friday and Saturday, March 5 and 6 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Liverpool United Methodist Church, 604 Oswego St., in New York. Registrants can take one or both workshop. The cost for both workshops is $79. More information is available about  Creative Worship; Design Matters; and the Presenters. Download brochure (PDF) or Register Now.

 

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The March issue of the Connection will be the full, final version of the Troy Conference newspaper. A final issue, to be published May 1, will include information on the closing conference session, the New England Conference Session and the Uniting Conference in Upper New York. There will also be a special section commemorating Troy Conference. You are invited to share a memory or story about Troy Conference, its people and their role in your faith journey. Send your stories to Sandra Brands, sbrands@troyac.org, 396 Louden Road, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. 12866. Stories should be 300 words or less, and will be edited for style and length.  

 

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The first of three workshops led by the staff from the New England Annual Conference will be held today at Rutland United Methodist Church, 71 Williams St., beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tomorrow, the staff will lead the workshop “Mission in a New Day” at Williston United Methodist Church at 1:30 p.m., and Hedding United Methodist Church at 6:30 p.m. Register here ....

 

A Mission Fair will be held at the Rutland United Methodist Church, 71 Williams St., on April 10. All United Methodist Churches in Vermont are invited to send people to share what they are doing in mission in their communities and in the world. Leaders from the New England Conference will share information about opportunities for Vermont churches as they become pare of the New England Conference. For more information, contact George Klohck of Mission Fair Committee, mgklohck@gmavt.net.

 

A Clergy Tax Seminar sponsored by Preachers' Aid Society of New England and the United Methodist Foundation of New England has been rescheduled to Feb. 24. The seminar will be held at Tuttle Road United Methodist Church in Cumberland, Me. Additional info can be found at www.umfne.org under Education Programs.

 

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The North Central New York Conference will offer Emergency Response Training and Team Leader Training in March. The trainings are vital to aid the denomination’s response to emergencies such as the earthquake in Haiti.

 

Emergency Response Training for Upper New York will be held March 13 at Clifton Springs United Methodist Church, 1 East Main Street. Register by Feb. 28. Download a registration form.

Team Leader Training will be led by North Central New York’s UMVIM coordinators Dr. Sylvia Reimer and Rev. Joe Auslander, March 20, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Tyrone United Methodist Church, 3647 Church Hill Rd. Team Leader Training will be required for those taking UMVIM teams into Haiti; the more trained leaders available, the better able VIM teams will be to address needs. Registration materials will be available in the near future.

 

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Reminder: the deadline for submitting stories and items for the February Connection is Jan. 15. The deadline for posting information in TAC Bytes is Wednesday noon for publication that week. Send submissions for both publications electronically to Sandra Brands, editor, at sbrands@troyac.org.

 

TO SUBSCRIBE: Visit the Sign-up for newsletter web page http://www.troyac.org/stay_connected.asp at www.troyac.org.