In Worship This Week...

Dr. Brene Brown has researched joy.  After 12 years of research, she discovered something she was not expecting; there is a correlation between joy and gratitude.  All of her scientific research confirmed what Benedictine Monk, Brother David Steindal-Rast discovered: “joy does not make us grateful, rather it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” Brown’s research confirmed what Brother David had discovered through his faith. 

Dr. Brown’s research points to the importance of naming what we are grateful for each day.  The things or people we are grateful for; even if the things we name seem insignificant.  Doing this she found can help us soften into joy instead of bracing for the worst.  She discovered those who practice gratitude (naming what and who we are grateful for) more often had a sense of joy in their daily lives.  For example, she talked with people who practiced gratitude by writing the things they are grateful for in a daily journal.  She started practicing “gratitude” in her own family: after saying grace each evening each person, child and adult, shared something they are grateful for that day.     

This week we are going to consider joy from the perspective found in Paul’s Letter to the church at Philippi.  He writes about being glad (grateful) and rejoicing (being joyful).  What makes this scripture even more poignant is that Paul was in prison when he wrote the letter. We will learn this Sunday that Paul was grateful for the people of Philippi and their act of kindness for him.  And we will find that somehow, while in prison, his gratitude enables him to have joy which he wants also for the people of the church.  It is a life of joy that finds its roots through a faith in Jesus that perhaps even under the most difficult of personal and societal circumstances can provide a calm within.  And that is something I believe most people want and maybe need.  See you in church.

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Albany District Church Conference Day

The Albany District Church Conference Day is on Saturday, November 14th. Your church will gather with others from the district at Latham: Calvary UMC (15 Ridge Place, Latham, NY) for this day of fellowship, worship, learning, and business.  Churches will be grouped together for their church conference meeting within the larger afternoon of activities.  We hope that you are able to attend the entire day's activities including workshops and lunch, but please do prioritize your church conference. 

Below you will find the breakdown of timing for the entire afternoon, beginning with check in. Your church is part of BLOCK 3 @ 1 pm. There will be workshops offered throughout the day, and you are invited to attend workshops during Blocks 1, 3, or 4 when you are not in your church conference.  Please use this link to REGISTER if you plan to attend any of the day's events including church conference, workshops, and lunch. Registration closes on November 7th, one week before the event. 

Schedule: 

8:30-9:00: Check in  

9:00: Worship 

9:45: BLOCK 1 

10:45: break 

11:00: BLOCK 2 

12:00: Lunch 

1:00: BLOCK 3 

2:00: break 

2:15-3:15: BLOCK 4 

3:30: Closing Worship 

Your church is part of BLOCK 3 @ 1pm

CHURCH CONFERENCE Grouping: Delmar, Latham: Calvary, Shenendehowa, Albany: McKownville

(presiding elder: DS Rev. Anna Blinn Cole)

The following workshops are offered at 9:45 am during BLOCK 1 and are available for you to attend, if you wish. 

Please register HERE for participation in any part of the day 

WORKSHOP 3: Accountable Discipleship for Churches

with Bruce France, Adirondack District Lay Leader

As children of God, we are called to live in God’s household and grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. Accountable discipleship is a distinctly Methodist way of Christian formation and making sure discipleship happens. This session will cover the basics of accountable discipleship and how Covenant Discipleship Groups (CDG), based on the Wesley Class Meetings, provide mutual accountability for holy living and growth as disciples of Jesus Christ.

WORKSHOP 4: Exploring Ignatian Spirituality

with Rev. Nancy Dibelius

We will explore a form of meditation that was formalized by Ignatius of Loyola in the 16th century.  It is known as guided meditation or entering the narrative.  We will enter into a Biblical narrative to encounter and experience the holy.  For this time apart we will explore something familiar to most of us...the 23rd Psalm.  You will be invited to express your experience either through art or writing.  This is a great entry point into the world of spiritual practices.

WORKSHOP 2: Faith in Action: The Lay Servant Workshop

with Darlene Suto, Adirondack/Albany Director of Lay Servant Ministries

Have you ever wondered how to grow in your leadership as a lay person in the United Methodist Church? This workshop will answer questions about the Lay Servant and Lay Speaker ministries in our districts. It will be able to guide interested people toward the Certified Lay Minister track, as well.  Any laity interested in knowing more about these ministries should attend!

WORKSHOP 6: How to Connect with your Community 

with Abigal Browka, UNY Associate Director of Missional Excellence

This workshop brings together best practices from new faith communities and missional ministry to help a local church connect with their community.  Spend time learning together as a group with Abigail who strategizes around new and innovative faith formation in our conference. The workshop will also give you time to brainstorm about your specific church and community. What is your community like? Where are the places and ways for your church to be more present?  How can you meet neighbors where they are?

The following workshops are offered at 11 am during BLOCK 2 and are available for you to attend, if you wish

WORKSHOP 1: Dismantling Racism: From Imagination to Action

with Georgia Whitney and Charles Syms, Conference Commission on Religion and Race

The Conference Commission on Religion and Race (CCORR) is relaunching their anti-racism curriculum this fall under a new name: Dismantling Racism: From Imagination to Action (DRIA), formerly known as Imagine No Racism, or INR.  This workshop will go over the new curriculum including why the name has changed and why you might want to teach this in your local church.

WORKSHOP 5: Sky Farm Camp – What’s new!

with Robyn Vernon

Hear news and exciting updates about Skye Farm Camp and Retreat Center.  Learn about how your church can send campers or even hold a retreat at this beautiful Upper New York United Methodist camp located in Warrensburg.  

WORKSHOP 7: Do You Think You Have Too Many Committees? Let’s Discuss Single Governance/Single Leadership Board Model

with Rev. Susan Ranous, UNY Christian Stewardship Specialist and a trained coach in the SAS leadership model

This workshop will have as its base of The Simplified Accountability Structure (SAS), a church leadership model that consolidates multiple administrative committees into a single Leadership Board to improve decision making, accountability, and missional focus. It merges the traditional four administrative committees — Trustees, Finance, Staff/Pastor Parish Relations, and Church Council — into one cohesive Leadership Board. This board holds all responsibilities and authority previously split among those committees, in compliance with the UMC Book of Discipline (Paragraph 247.2). This model is not created just to lessen the number of meetings and the number of people that have to be nominated for positions. It is designed to simplify governance by reducing layers and meeting complexity; allow leadership to have a clear decision-making process, and align the church’s mission, vision, and stewardship in one place. We will discuss the concept of this structure, how it works, the steps to create it, and how this structure helps a church to allow mission and ministry to be the focus of a local church.

WORKSHOP 8: Using and Experiencing the Labyrinth

with Rev. Nancy Dibelius

Explore a labyrinth set up in Calvary UMC’s church.  Rev. Nancy will teach about this sacred and ancient tool for spirituality and give you time to walk it yourself.  

The following workshops are offered at 2:15pm during BLOCK 4 and are available for you to attend, if you wish

WORKSHOP 1: Dismantling Racism: From Imagination to Action 

with Georgia Whitney and Charles Syms, Conference Commission on Religion and Race 

The Conference Commission on Religion and Race (CCORR) is relaunching their anti-racism curriculum this fall under a new name: Dismantling Racism: From Imagination to Action (DRIA), formerly known as Imagine No Racism, or INR.  This workshop will go over the new curriculum including why the name has changed and why you might want to teach this in your local church.  

WORKSHOP 2: Faith in Action: The Lay Servant Workshop

with Darlene Suto, Adirondack/Albany Director of Lay Servant Ministries

Have you ever wondered how to grow in your leadership as a lay person in the United Methodist Church? This workshop will answer questions about the Lay Servant and Lay Speaker ministries in our districts. It will be able to guide interested people toward the Certified Lay Minister track, as well.  Any laity interested in knowing more about these ministries should attend!  

WORKSHOP 7: Do You Think You Have Too Many Committees? Let’s Discuss Single Governance/Single Leadership Board Model

with Rev. Susan Ranous, UNY Christian Stewardship Specialist and a trained coach in the SAS leadership model 

This workshop will have as its base of The Simplified Accountability Structure (SAS), a church leadership model that consolidates multiple administrative committees into a single Leadership Board to improve decision making, accountability, and missional focus.

It merges the traditional four administrative committees — Trustees, Finance, Staff/Pastor Parish Relations, and Church Council — into one cohesive Leadership Board. This board holds all responsibilities and authority previously split among those committees, in compliance with the UMC Book of Discipline. (Paragraph 247.2). This model is not created just to lessen the number of meetings and the number of people that have to be nominated for positions. It is designed to simplify governance by reducing layers and  meeting complexity; allow leadership to have a clear decision-making processes, and align the church’s mission, vision, and stewardship in one place. We will discuss the concept of this structure, how it works, the steps to create it, and how this structure helps a church to allow mission and ministry to be the focus of a local church.  

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Please contact the District Office at 518-795-4301, if you need clarification on any of the above or if you run into issues registering. And please invite any members from your church that you think may be interested in attending! All are welcome.

Note: the deadline to register is Sunday, November 7th. Please register HERE.

Tellers Schedule

The Tellers for this Sunday, October 11th, 2026

Neil Francese and Dave Weary

Click here to see the full Teller Schedule.