UPDATE
Christ Community United Methodist Church
May 27, 2026
Hi everyone:
This week is Annual Conference week. The United Methodist church is organized into charges (one or more churches), districts (we have 12), Annual Conferences (regional bodies – ours is all of upstate New York), Jurisdictions (we are in the Northeast), and, finally, the ultimate decision-making body of our denomination is the General Conference which meets every four years.
We are in the Upper New York Annual Conference. Ordained clergy, in our denomination, are not members of our local churches but are members of the Annual Conference. I was a member of the Northern New York AC (later the North Central New York AC and now the Upper New York AC. I have been a member since 1980.
The Annual Conference coordinates the work of our congregations by setting policy and boundaries. For example, the Annual Conference sets minimum compensation for clergy. The Annual Conference coordinates for us ministries beyond the local church: such as camping, regional and international missions, UMCOR, schools, seminaries, etc.
The Annual Conference session is the annual meeting of my church. I look forward to seeing colleagues I haven’t seen in the past year, I look forward to our service of remembrance of pastors who have died in the past year and I look forward to the celebration of the commissioning and ordination of new clergy.
This year Betty Jo Flask will be our Lay member of the Annual Conference. She will be the laity balance to my Clergy membership.
Here is what is happening at Christ Community:
1. This Sunday we consider a passage that is usually called the “Great Commission” as recorded in Matthew 28:16-20. Jesus' last words to his followers are to Go into all the world . . .
2. Last Sunday we celebrated Pentecost and the birth of the Christian movement: thank you to all of you who made this a “Red” letter day!
3. CONGRATULATIONS: to our church council chair, Jennifer Martin-Tse. Jennifer successfully defended her dissertation and is now: Dr. Jennifer Martin-Tse!
4. BIBLE STUDY this week is Luke 20. NOTE: there is no Thursday class this week as I will be at the Annual Conference.
Class will be held on Wednesday at 1:00
5. Thank you, everyone, who came out to hear Richard and Alma Navarro (United Methodists from the Philippines who are serving the migrant community in Taiwan. We raised $280 for their work and heard great stories about the work that they do.
6. IN OUR PRAYERS: Family and friends of Zenetta Baker who died on Sunday afternoon her funeral is Friday at Newcomers Funeral Home in North Syracuse. Zenetta was a good friend of Barb Wilcox’s mother. She was 95 years old.
We continue to pray for: Deven Thompson following a recent hospitalization; Richard Haskins following surgery (he is now home); Dave Claver following shoulder surgery; Sally and Steve’s 12-year-old Great Granddaughter, Aliyah, did start Chemo treatments for her brain cancer, but needs continued prayers to overcome complications. Please continue to pray for her. Leslie, Dick, Georgia, Jim, Diane and all those in need. Pray for all who are in harm’s way.
7. Upcoming Events
May 27 – Bible Study at 1:00 (Luke 20)
No Thursday Bible Study due to Annual Conference Session
May 28-30 – Upper New York Annual Conference at the OnCenter
Ordination is Friday the 29th at 7:00 at the OnCenter
June 4 – Church Council at 6:00
June 4 – Bible Study (Luke 21) will be at 5:00 due to Church Council
June 9 – Open Mic Night 6:30
June 10/11 – Bible Study (Luke 22)
8. Have you seen . . .
The new Sanctuary Computer has been installed. This is the first step in upgrading our Livestream presentation. (thank you Dave Claver).
We have upgraded our fire detection/alarm system as required by local fire officials. Thank you to the Trustees for seeing this through.
We are receiving new members in mid-June. If you are not a member of Christ Community and would like to be, please see me!
Parting Thought
Yesterday was Karen and my 47th wedding anniversary. Wow, 47 years! We have a long way to go to catch her parents who made 50 and my parents who made 68, but 47 seems like a good number to me. Karen and I met on January 1, 1976, driving back to college in Tulsa, OK with a mutual acquaintance (he lived in Manlius, Karen lived in Rochester, I lived in Bayberry). So, we have known each other for over 50 years.
Healthy marriages need to evolve over the years. We discovered early on that we were different people with very different interests. We also discovered that there were a number of things we very much enjoyed doing together (like travel, trying new cuisine, etc.). We gave each other space to do what we enjoyed (golf, movies, for me, weaving, painting, for her) and made sure we traveled and sampled and connected on our life’s journey together.
There was a study done back in the 80’s looking for the secret to long term healthy relationships. The most common factor: each of the men in those relationships believed they married above their station and treated their wives accordingly. Yup, that about sums it up.
I’ll see you when the community gathers!
BJ Norrix, lead servant, missionary, old married guy