NEWS
Welcome Letter from our New District Superintendent
Hello!
My name is Anna Blinn Cole and I will be serving as your new District Superintendent in the Albany and Adirondack Districts. This is my introduction letter where I’d like to tell you a little about myself and my family, what you can expect from me over the coming months, and when and how I can be reached.
Me and My Family
My husband, Garrett, and daughter, June, have moved to a rural area on the west side of Scotia last week where we have purchased a home. We love being outside, gardening and playing in the yard. We have many birds that visit our feeders and a peacock (!) even visited our house last week. In our free time we all enjoy gardening, kayaking, hiking, and cross-country skiing. June will be starting 6th grade at Scotia-Glenville Middle School in the fall. She is a delightful child who loves reading, creating art, playing complicated board games, and listening to NPR. Garrett works as the accountant for the National Alliance of Direct Support Professionals, a non-profit dedicated to resourcing the support staff for adults with special needs. When he’s not working, he’s definitely playing pickleball.
As for me, I love to cook and make art. I dabble with ukulele and play piano on the family piano we inherited. I’m delighted by small things and find joy in seeing God in the relationships around me (people and land!). I’m grateful to have my mom, Mary Beth, living nearby in Albany. Some of you have already met her when she’s filled in at your churches.
I’ve loved being a local church pastor and I look forward to finding my way in this new role, too. As I learn new things and grow into this new ministry, please know that I will sometimes make mistakes and sometimes disappoint. I will always be honest in my work and I will encourage you to be honest in return. I look to you all as partners in ministry as we work together to find our common purpose and direction as United Methodists in the Albany and Adirondack Districts.
Our First Months Together
I’m looking forward to getting to know you and your churches over the next year. Here’s how I see the first several months going:
July: I’m looking forward to spending July 5-10 at Skye Farm where I will be the Dean of the Voyagers Camp for High Schoolers developing their leadership skills. My daughter will be attending another camp there that same week. July 26-August 1 I will be in Lake Junaluska, NC, attending a training for new District Superintendents. Outside of these commitments, I will be spending time with Joanna, our Superintendency Administrative Assistant, and meeting other key leaders in the districts to learn as much as I can about our work together.
August and September: Please invite me to your events! While Sundays will be filled with visiting worship services, I would love to also be invited to events your church is having outside of Sunday morning. I want to spend these months getting to know you better. I may not be able to always make it to your church events, but please at least let me know it’s happening. If several churches in your area want to get together for a special time of fellowship with me, I would love to prioritize that. Also, please save the date for my Installation Service which will be at Saratoga Springs UMC on September 27 at 3pm.
October: Clergy 1-on-1s. I’ll be dedicating most of this month to spending an hour with every clergy person in the two districts.
November: Charge Conference season. We’ll be doing Charge Conference a little differently this year. Stay tuned for details in mid-August!
(Hold these plans with grace as I try to navigate my first few months in a brand-new role.)
Being in Contact with Me
I want to hear from you! First: If your church has an e-newsletter, please add me to your distribution list ([email protected]). Second: Clergy, please reach out when something big is happening in your life you want to share about or if you want to talk through parts of ministry together. Third: My hours of availability for non-emergency communication will typically be Monday-Thursday 9a-3p. I will be taking Friday as my sabbath and parts of Saturday and Sunday off depending on my schedule. When you want to contact me (aside from email), reach out to Joanna (518-795-4301). She will forward calls and handle my scheduling.
Thanks for reading along and I look forward to getting to know you!
Grace and Peace,
Anna
My name is Anna Blinn Cole and I will be serving as your new District Superintendent in the Albany and Adirondack Districts. This is my introduction letter where I’d like to tell you a little about myself and my family, what you can expect from me over the coming months, and when and how I can be reached.
Me and My Family
My husband, Garrett, and daughter, June, have moved to a rural area on the west side of Scotia last week where we have purchased a home. We love being outside, gardening and playing in the yard. We have many birds that visit our feeders and a peacock (!) even visited our house last week. In our free time we all enjoy gardening, kayaking, hiking, and cross-country skiing. June will be starting 6th grade at Scotia-Glenville Middle School in the fall. She is a delightful child who loves reading, creating art, playing complicated board games, and listening to NPR. Garrett works as the accountant for the National Alliance of Direct Support Professionals, a non-profit dedicated to resourcing the support staff for adults with special needs. When he’s not working, he’s definitely playing pickleball.
As for me, I love to cook and make art. I dabble with ukulele and play piano on the family piano we inherited. I’m delighted by small things and find joy in seeing God in the relationships around me (people and land!). I’m grateful to have my mom, Mary Beth, living nearby in Albany. Some of you have already met her when she’s filled in at your churches.
I’ve loved being a local church pastor and I look forward to finding my way in this new role, too. As I learn new things and grow into this new ministry, please know that I will sometimes make mistakes and sometimes disappoint. I will always be honest in my work and I will encourage you to be honest in return. I look to you all as partners in ministry as we work together to find our common purpose and direction as United Methodists in the Albany and Adirondack Districts.
Our First Months Together
I’m looking forward to getting to know you and your churches over the next year. Here’s how I see the first several months going:
July: I’m looking forward to spending July 5-10 at Skye Farm where I will be the Dean of the Voyagers Camp for High Schoolers developing their leadership skills. My daughter will be attending another camp there that same week. July 26-August 1 I will be in Lake Junaluska, NC, attending a training for new District Superintendents. Outside of these commitments, I will be spending time with Joanna, our Superintendency Administrative Assistant, and meeting other key leaders in the districts to learn as much as I can about our work together.
August and September: Please invite me to your events! While Sundays will be filled with visiting worship services, I would love to also be invited to events your church is having outside of Sunday morning. I want to spend these months getting to know you better. I may not be able to always make it to your church events, but please at least let me know it’s happening. If several churches in your area want to get together for a special time of fellowship with me, I would love to prioritize that. Also, please save the date for my Installation Service which will be at Saratoga Springs UMC on September 27 at 3pm.
October: Clergy 1-on-1s. I’ll be dedicating most of this month to spending an hour with every clergy person in the two districts.
November: Charge Conference season. We’ll be doing Charge Conference a little differently this year. Stay tuned for details in mid-August!
(Hold these plans with grace as I try to navigate my first few months in a brand-new role.)
Being in Contact with Me
I want to hear from you! First: If your church has an e-newsletter, please add me to your distribution list ([email protected]). Second: Clergy, please reach out when something big is happening in your life you want to share about or if you want to talk through parts of ministry together. Third: My hours of availability for non-emergency communication will typically be Monday-Thursday 9a-3p. I will be taking Friday as my sabbath and parts of Saturday and Sunday off depending on my schedule. When you want to contact me (aside from email), reach out to Joanna (518-795-4301). She will forward calls and handle my scheduling.
Thanks for reading along and I look forward to getting to know you!
Grace and Peace,
Anna
