 Rooted in Gratitude, Growing in Faith, Bearing Fruit for the Kingdom
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” — Colossians 2:6–7 (NIV) November is a month that turns our hearts toward gratitude and remembrance. We remember the saints who have gone before us- those who sang the hymns, built the walls, prayed the prayers, and passed on the faith. We give thanks for the many ways God has been faithful through every generation of this church. And as we approach Thanksgiving and Consecration Sunday, we also look ahead- asking how we might live thankfully, faithfully, and fruitfully in this new season. Our roots run deep. Like a great tree planted by streams of water, this congregation has endured storms, changes, and seasons of both abundance and pruning. Every leaf of your story- every person, every prayer, every act of service—has mattered to God. We are rooted in a rich soil of grace and faithfulness, nourished by generations who trusted that God was not finished yet. Their faith still sustains us. But trees are not meant to stay the same. They grow. They reach upward toward the light and outward toward others. That’s what faith does, too. This fall, as our new Vision Team begins its work, we are listening together for how God is calling us to grow- not just in numbers, but in depth of faith, in community connection, and in fruitful ministry. We are praying for open hearts, fresh imagination, and holy courage to follow wherever God leads. The heart of stewardship is really about growth. When we give our time, talents, and resources, we’re not just keeping ministries running- we’re helping the Kingdom of God take root in new places. Our giving is an act of trust that God will take what we offer and multiply it for purposes far beyond what we can see. Every gift becomes a seed of hope. Every prayer becomes living water. Every act of service bears fruit in someone’s life. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.” (John 15:5) That is our calling- to stay connected to the Source of life and to bear fruit that blesses others. The fruit of a healthy, rooted, growing church is not just in attendance or programs, but in lives changed by grace, families strengthened in love, and a community touched by compassion. This November, as we remember the saints and celebrate God’s goodness, may we also look ahead with gratitude and expectation. God is not done with us. The same Spirit who sustained those before us is calling us now- to nurture our faith, to deepen our roots, and to reach out in love. As we continue to discern God’s vision for our future together, I invite you to pray daily- asking God to guide us, to stir our hearts, and to show us where new life is waiting to grow. The Sunday after Thanksgiving, November 30th, will be Consecration Sunday, when we’ll take time in worship to dedicate our financial pledges and commitments for the coming year. During that service, we will give thanks to God for His faithfulness and ask God’s blessing over all that we offer- trusting that, together, Christ First UMC will continue to be rooted in gratitude, growing in faith, and bearing fruit for the Kingdom. Peace, Pastor Sherry
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 I love the season of fall! When the air turns crisp and the trees start showing off their colors, I find myself pausing to breathe and reflect. It feels like an invitation from God to pay attention, to notice what God is doing.
This fall, our church is making a shift that I think holds that same kind of invitation. Instead of our Administrative Council meeting every month, we’ll be meeting quarterly. And in those “off” months, we’re opening the space to the whole church family — not for business or reports, but for prayer, learning, and listening together for God’s direction. I don’t know about you, but I’m excited about this. Too often, churches can get caught up in the nuts and bolts of running things and forget to pause, pray, and dream together. These new gatherings will be a chance to do just that—to slow down, to ask what God is doing in and among us, and to imagine what’s next. Think of it like sitting around the family table, where everyone has a seat and everyone’s voice matters. My prayer is that these times together will deepen our discipleship—helping us grow in Christ—and inspire us toward new ways of reaching out with God’s love. I believe that as we step into this new rhythm, God will show us more than we can ask or imagine. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 3:20 that God is able to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” I am confident that as we take this next step, God will do just that—immeasurably more! Let’s move forward together in faith, prayer, and vision. The first Vision Meeting is Monday, October 13th at 6:00 pm. I hope you will join us—I can’t wait to see what unfolds as we seek God’s vision together! Grace and peace, Pastor Sherry  (Jesus said) “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing… This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing your selves to be my disciples.” - John 15:5, 8
Years ago, I was talking with someone who had been in church for many years. She was active in a couple of ministries, attended worship weekly if at all possible, and yet our conversation startled me. I had mentioned discipleship, and was talking about how believers are called to be disciples, and she said that she didn’t believe she was a disciple. Somehow, she had come to think that disciples were “too holy” to include her. But really, a disciple is simply someone who follows Jesus, and that opportunity is open to everyone! Once we receive justifying grace, salvation through Jesus Christ, we are all called to be disciples through a community of believers, the church. The point, however, is to stay on the journey of sanctification, becoming transformed into Christ’s likeness throughout our lives, not just be busy with church stuff. That differentiation is often determined by our attitude, our heart posture. While one person may participate in church programs or activities and experience it as busyness, or even a hardship, or a burden, someone else may do the same thing and feel inspired, closer to God, and others. For instance, at one of my former churches, they could not afford to pay someone to clean the church building—and it was huge! A small group of people came together excitedly and decided to create a Cleaning Team. They would come early in the mornings and clean, making the church spic ‘n span. Most wouldn’t find this satisfying, or believe they were following Jesus and experiencing God’s transforming sanctifying grace in the process. But this team did! They enjoyed it! They would play Christian praise music as they cleaned together. They got to know one another better, developing strong, caring relationships. They laughed and cried together, and they prayed for and with one another. They looked forward to seeing one another every week in worship. All because of cleaning! They were sold out on their mission from God to make the church a beautiful place, honoring the gift of the building that God had given. That’s how God had called them to serve. Part of discipleship is serving—where is God calling you to serve? Another part of discipleship is how we “become.” Some of that may occur as we serve, but all the way through Scripture it is encouraged that believers read and know the Word of God, pray, worship, and give. Some of this we can do privately, but greater and stronger spiritual growth occurs when we also do it together, experiencing authentic Christian community. All of this is part of that verse in John 15 when Jesus described how he is the vine, we are the branches, and we are to remain in him. We are to stay close to God, connected and growing always. In what way is God calling you to grow in this area? Ask God about it! And, as we look ahead, we remember that another part of discipleship is to be a witness- to share our faith! We are, hopefully, doing this by living grace-filled, God-honoring lives, but we also want to invite others to join us! Join us for worship, join us to serve together, join us for fellowship, join us and be part of something bigger than ourselves- God’s kingdom mission, on earth as it is in heaven! I want to encourage you to watch for who God brings before you, giving the opportunity to extend an invitation to join us, and then boldly and courageously just do it! I look forward to seeing how many new faces we will see because our church is actively inviting others to join us! Make sure to introduce me to them! Serving, Growing, Sharing- it all points to the other part in John 15 when Jesus said that we would bear much fruit, showing ourselves to be Jesus’ disciples. Take a moment, reflect and ask God, where is there fruit in who I am becoming through Christ, and what is the fruit through serving and sharing? How is God being glorified through you? That person I shared about at the beginning—she went from being busy to being devoted, from doing tasks to serving with joy. She once thought discipleship was beyond her, but God transformed her! She began a journey of spiritual growth by attending Bible study, Prayer Team, and more. Soon after, she was led by the Spirit to start leading ministries—she jumped in with two feet into discipleship, never looking back! After just a few years, she is now prayerfully considering becoming a pastor!! Her story reminds us that discipleship is not just for the ‘holy few’ — it’s for each of us. That same transforming grace is available to ALL of us! Imagine what God will do in our church as we all lean into the fullness of being a disciple! Where is God calling you to serve, to grow, and to invite? Imagine how our church will be transformed as we all step more deeply into following Jesus together! God is SO good! In Christ’s Service Pastor Sherry  When I was a child we used to practice memorized prayers, specifically before meals and bedtime. Before meals it was “Come Lord Jesus be our guest, and let this food to us be blessed”. Later it expanded to “God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food.” I never did understand how “good” and “food” were supposed to rhyme, but we still said it, and I said it with my own children too. Before bed we would pray, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord, my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” As an adult looking back on it, praying about death seems pretty heavy for a child, but honestly, as a kid, I never really thought about it. I’m sure for some children it might have been scary. Society has since updated that prayer, and it now says, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep; God’s love to guard me through the night, and wake me in the morning’s light.” I like the change.
As a congregation, we have been working through another memorized prayer, the Lord’s Prayer. Each week, we have been focusing on a different word or phrase with hopes of bringing greater understanding and meaning to the prayer that we say so often. In the process, I called our church to prayer. I believe this will be a continual call, as it is one of the primary things we do as Christians. Prayer is how we connect to God and how we discern God’s will. We praise God, and petition for what we need. We pray for forgiveness, and we pray thanksgiving. We pray unceasingly, with constant communication with God—in the shower, in the car, in line at the store, while cooking dinner, etc. We also pray intentionally, with time set apart to focus and listen, often accompanied by reading Scripture. We pray for breakthrough when we need God to move mountains and do signs and wonders in our lives, doing what only God can do. I am asking everyone to pray, but I also invite you to pray about joining me in Prayer Ministry. God has placed many dreams on my heart about this—prayer vigils, prayer walks soaking the city in prayer, prayer chains, prayer boards, prayer meetings, a breakthrough prayer initiative, and more. Can you imagine what wonders God will do?! I’m excited about it and anticipating the miraculous!! I offer a “breakthrough prayer” for us to begin praying, and I ask that you pray this, along with many other prayers, often: Lord, break through and open doors to new hopes and possibilities for our church and in our lives. We surrender our wills to You, and faithfully follow You into the new and unknown future. May Your will be done. Amen! In Christ’s Service Pastor Sherry  “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” - Romans 15:7
Have you ever been the “new kid on the block”? I have, many times. Sometimes it has been a painful or scary experience. In school, walking into the cafeteria, not knowing anyone, and hoping that someone would invite you to join them. I can feel the butterflies now! At parties, when the only one you know is the host, and they are too busy hosting to hang out with you, so you end up lingering by the food, hoping to connect with someone. Sometimes at churches, when I have walked in not knowing anyone, expecting to connect, I sat alone. I left after the service without anyone even acknowledging I was there. There have been other times, thankfully, when people did reach out, did connect, did invite me in. In spite of being the “new kid on the block” people were open and welcoming. That is what I have experienced with YOU! I am now the “new kid on the block” with you!! As a newbie, it can be disconcerting, and I expect to get turned around a bit; not knowing people, not knowing things—different ministries and roles, where different rooms are in the building, and more. Yet I trust in the compassion, love, and grace youi have already shared to get me oriented well. What a wonderful church family to be welcomed into! I am the “new kid on the block” and it is very, very exciting! I am eager, anticipating that God is going to do some amazing things with our time together! I would like to say “thank you” to everyone for a warm and inviting welcome, for making the experience of being the “new kid” something that feels great. I’m writing this before I even arrive, but people have been reaching out over the past couple of months with information to help with the pastoral transition. l Lots and lots and lots and lots of information. I am grateful for the support and encouragement that was sent along with the information, as well as the grace in understanding my limits for absorbing it all at once. I am working on it all, I promise. You have been helpful and kind, and it shows the beautiful character of the congregation. I am looking forward to ministering with you! So far, I have experienced a faith family that has been open and accepting, kind and considerate, helpful and grace-filled, and that is very exciting! It is my hope that you are also excited. It is my prayer that you are also anticipating God moving powerfully among us and through us!! I also trust that as we grow together, to know one another more, that there will be a swift shift from “new kid” to family. Thank you for welcoming me! Peace, Pastor Sherry  My 26-year-old son, Joshua, declares that Ecclesiastes is his favorite book in the entire Bible, saying that it contains deep insights and rules for life. Indeed, it does. As I read from Ecclesiastes 3 this morning, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens”, my heart was moved. I was struck by how deeply it speaks into seasons of transition—of joy and sorrow, holding on and letting go, uncertainty and renewal. For me, and I suspect for most of you, life has held experiences that were wonderful and joy-filled. It has also held experiences of deep pain, grieving, and loss. In all of it, two things remain consistent, change...and Almighty God.
Change in and of itself makes something inconsistent, yet surely , change is something that we can expect to happen, whether we like it and want it or not. Change is consistently there. In my life, in this past year, and even just in this past week, I have experienced much change. Some have been exciting, some mundane, and some painful and tragic. I am thankful that in all times, in every circumstance, in every change, our God remains the same. God is loving, kind, and gracious. God is with us in good times and bad. In every season, with every change, God is there. God’s presence fills us and upholds us, giving us strength when we are weak, hope when we are troubled, and grace for every new beginning. God’s joy permeates our lives, knowing that God loves us, cares for us, and calls us by name. God is unchanging. We now find ourselves coming together soon, with a new season for Christ First UMC and for me as your new pastor. Change for all of us can be unsettling, and I want to acknowledge that for all of us. But I know and trust that God is with us, and will continue to be with us, through it all—all the circumstances, all the emotions, all of the uncertainty that comes with change. I am praying with hope and joy in this change, and anticipating the Godly possibilities that this change may bring for us all. Sometimes change can be exciting—a fresh start, a new chapter, and I believe this is the season before us now. I am honored to step into this new season with you and become a part of the church family at Christ First. I’m eager to get to know all of you, to hear how God has been moving in your lives, and how God has cared for you in every change. I want to learn how God has lifted you up, given peace and comfort, joy and excitement. I am eager to hear your faith stories, to learn more about you. I want to hear about each of you individually, and I also want to hear the stories of the faith community, of the surrounding community, of the things on your heart and in your mind. This summer I am looking forward to getting to know you—whether it’s during coffee hour after worship, or a visit at your home, or we meet at the church, or a local coffee shop (though I don’t know where any are, so I will need help with that!). As we Begin this journey together, I invite you to consider these three questions—and perhaps even bring your thoughts with you when we have a chance to talk.
In Christ’s service, Pastor Sherry  Our Priority projects list for this year is being finalized, they fall into Two categories: Liability avoidance and Maintenance / Beautification
Liability avoidance: Dead wood and overgrown trees;
 The Staff Pastor/Parish Relations Committee (SPPRC) is happy to share with you that Bishop Héctor A. Burgos-Núñez has appointed Rev. Sherry Mahar as the new pastor of our congregation.
Pastor Sherry will begin her new responsibilities on July 1st of this year. As a United Methodist congregation we are a part of an itinerant appointment system. The SPPRC committee has met with the District Superintendent to identify our congregation’s needs and the skills needed in a pastor for our context. We have also met with Pastor Sherry to get to know her and to ask questions. Sherry Mahar holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater Arts from Binghamton University and a Master of Divinity Degree from United theological Seminary. She began to live out her call to pastoral ministry as Associate Pastor at the Pendleton Center UMC, one of the largest congregations in our Conference. She currently serves as Pastor at both the Delta and Rome UMC Churches in the Mohawk District. Sherry and her husband Don have two adult children, one of whom resides in nearby Stockton. Just last weekend, Sherry was informed by the Board of Ordained Ministry that she is to be ordained as an Elder in Full Connection at this year’s session of Annual Conference, to be held May 22nd—24th at the OnCenter in Syracuse, NY. Our new pastor will work with us and the conference so that we continue to nurture disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Bishop Burgos-Núñez, our District Superintendent Mary Kelly, and the Upper New York Conference leaders will work with us to continue growing as a congregation. I know you will join our Bishop, our new Pastor, and me in helping to make new disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Blessings, Connie Pilato, SPPRC Chair  United Methodist Church bishops issue call for prayer and support for Ukraine Editor’s Note: The Council of Bishops released the following statement on Friday, 21 February 2025, marking three years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The statement expresses solidarity, support, and prayers for the people of Ukraine and The United Methodist Church of Ukraine and the ongoing conflict.  On this solemn anniversary marking three years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we, the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church extend our support and hope in the midst of the ongoing conflict and war.
We acknowledge the enduring pain, fear and uncertainty you face, yet we also witness the remarkable strength and hope you continue to demonstrate. Scripture reminds us, “The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). We trust that God is ever near, upholding you in your grief and surrounding you with grace. We urge all United Methodists around the world to continue to pray for and support The United Methodist Church of Ukraine and the people of Ukraine. We pray for God’s intervention to end the violence and lead the nations’ leaders toward justice, so that peace may prevail, communities be restored and families reunited. We pray for peace, a deep lasting peace that comes from God’s justice and mercy. Jesus said, “blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). May you draw strength from God our creator, who walks with you in suffering and remains ever faithful. May the prayers and support of United Methodists around the world bring you comfort and hope. Grace and Peace, Bishop Tracy S. Malone President, Council of Bishops The United Methodist Church  Special Message—The ongoing California wildfires.
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” - Romans 12:15 (ESV) Dear Siblings in Christ, As United Methodists, we are called to love and serve our neighbors in times of joy and sorrow. Today, I write with a heavy heart as we witness the devastating wildfires in Southern California. Entire communities have been displaced, homes destroyed, and lives upended, including many United Meth-odists who live in the impacted areas. In this tragedy, countless acts of courage and compassion shine. Brave firefighters risk their lives to battle the flames, neighbors open their doors to those in need, and churches become sanctuaries of hope and healing. Please join me in praying for all those affected—the families mourning losses, individuals facing uncertainty, and dedicated first responders. Also, please pray for Bishop Dottie Escobedo-Frank and the United Methodists in the California-Pacific Conference as they tirelessly work to be the hands and feet of Christ in their communities. May God’s grace provide comfort and strength. As a church of faith in action, The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is providing essential aid. If you feel called to help, please contribute to UMCOR’s disaster response efforts. Your generosity brings hope and relief to those in need. Also, I encourage SUS/UNY (Susquehanna/Upper New York) congregations to collect a special offering to support the relief efforts in Lost Angeles. You can give through the UMCOR website or by designating a gift to Advance #901670, U.S. Disaster Response and Recovery, and send it to the Conference Treasurer office. Every gift, no matter the size, makes a difference. Thank you for living the gospel and embodying the love of Christ as we extend compassion and care to our siblings in California. Together in mission, Bishop Héctor A. Burgos Núñez The United Methodist Church Serving the Susquehanna and Upper New York Episcopal Area |
AuthorRev. Susan Hadley Archives
November 2025
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