news stories Tagged “Advocate”
Rowing toward shore after my husband’s death
August 15, 2017 / By By Jan Rothfuss
My husband’s death was not completely unexpected but I was holding on to the thought that we would be together a while longer. After all, he had survived his initial bought with cancer in 2013 and 2014 was a great year, including the birth of our first grandchild and a road trip together out to Colorado. But in June of 2015, he was called home. While I had experienced the death …more
God’s strength throughout my life
August 14, 2017 / By Rev. Rhonda Kouterick, Horseheads UMC
When have I had to trust that God is enough? When haven't I? And when haven't you? Here are some times throughout my life when I have trusted that God is enough: It was when I went off to seminary with a sleeping bag and $75 in my pocket with no guaranteed place to stay and thinking I could buy what books I needed for the semester; The housing …more
Southern Sudan Health Project: Saving lives with health education
August 2, 2017 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Editor’s Note: This is a story of the Southern Sudan Health Project, a project that resulted from collaboration between United Methodist Churches in Central New York and the Lost Boys (Read about one of them here). The Lost Boys are a group of refugees from Southern Sudan, many who were granted help to resettle in the United States between 2000 and 2001. When this project started in 2005, Southern Sudan was …more
How God provided for Lost Boy Majer Kuon
August 2, 2017 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Today’s headlines about South Sudan provide a glimpse of the struggles that the Southern Sudanese people face today. Civil war casualties. Famine. Attacks on aid workers. South Sudan (which was a part of Sudan until 2011) has a long history of struggle. Colonized by the British in the 1940s, Sudan became independent in 1956. However, conflict immediately grew between the Northern part of Sudan (and the Sudanese government) and the …more
Faith is not enough
July 26, 2017 / By Sherie Heins, Trinity Federated Church
Growing up in rural New York State, I was part of what I always thought of as a typical family in a typical home environment. We ate dinner around the table each night; we said our bedtime prayers; we attended church and Sunday school and joined the church when we were of age, growing into a faith-based life. It wasn’t until years later that I realized how many …more
Haiti’s Promised Land: Building new lives
July 19, 2017 / By Melinda Miles, Coordinator, Haiti Takes Root
In March 2010, Canaan was a mix of floodplain and foothills, a desert scorching in the midday sun. It was a far cry from the forests of hardwood trees that stood there a hundred years ago, although a breathtaking view of the Bay of Port-au-Prince and seeing the hazy capital itself across the sparkling water gave the place a sense of hope. The first residents arrived just two short months after …more
Trusting that God is enough to make my half-time pastoral appointment effective
June 21, 2017 / By By Pastor Bob McCarthy
Editor’s Note: The Summer 2017 Issue of the Advocate will focus on the theme “Trusting that God is Enough.” This 40-page issue will highlight many amazing things that can happen at an individual level, the church level, and even on a global level when you trust that God is Enough. Here is one example of how Pastor Bob McCarthy trusted that he could have an effective ministry …more
Your prayer can be simple
May 17, 2017 / By Theresa Eggleston, UNY Young Adult
“Now I need to fold my hands and kneel, right?” Her bright, eight-year old eyes looked up at me seeking approval for the next step. “You can pray however you feel most comfortable,” I told her. “Well then I want to pray with Teddy.” She grabbed her scruffy loved bear from her bunk and nestled on the cabin’s front porch to pray. …more
Prayer on the Bluff
May 10, 2017 / By Pastor Sandi Pearl, Bluff Point UMC
Editor’s Note: Bluff Point UMC uses two unique methods of praying for members of their congregation and beyond: One Call Now and Prayer Cards. One Call Now Bluff Point UMC uses One Call Now to communicate with members of our church family. Any family can sign up to be added to the One Call Now list. At Bluff Point the One Call Now technology allows the Pastor, or …more
Tongsung Kido (A Unique Korean Prayer)
May 10, 2017 / By Pastor Yohang Chun, Oswego First UMC
Before I came to the United States from South Korea, to study, I had some concerns. One of them was, “How will I survive without Korean food? Can I live with only American food?” Fortunately, since coming to the U.S., I have become well-adjusted to American food culture. However, as time passed, I missed Korean foods, like kimchi. So, my wife and I went to Korean …more