For those of you whom we’ll see at the New York Annual Conference annual conference June 4-7, a few items for your packing list…
1. Toothbrush.
2. List of MIND-endorsed candidates running in the General Conference elections. Read and share the bios of the lay candidates here, and the clergy candidates here.
3. MIND t-shirt. Don’t forget to wear it on Friday, 
our t-shirt day. If you don’t have one, you can buy one at the MIND table at the special annual conference discounted price of $15.
4. Extra sweater for the over-air conditioned Hofstra arena.
5. $5 to buy the new print edition of all the We Did 
stories.
6. Comfortable walking shoes to get to the MIND lunch with Frank Schaefer, which will be in the Hofstra USA building on Friday at 12pm.
7. Copies of MIND’s resolutions that will be debated and discussed in 
Legislative Section 3 on Thursday: Our Vision of a Beloved and Just Community, Commendation of Bishop Martin McLee, and Support for Rev. Sara Thompson Tweedy.
8. Bible, so you can find Galatians 3:28 when someone throws Leviticus 18:22 at you.
9. Checkbook, so you can join MIND or renew your membership if you have not yet already during the annual membership drive going on now. Our dues are $15, more if you can, less if you need.
10. Pen, to sign the Covenant of Conscience if you haven’t already.
11. Laptop or smartphone, so you can get MIND’s daily updates during annual conference and follow all the highlights of what’s going on on Twitter and Facebook. We’ll be using hashtag #NYACUMC, and #GC16 for election news.
12. Courage and conviction. To speak up for anyone who is treated as less than. To confront hate speech. To talk to others about why you believe God’s justice demands that we no longer be complicit in discrimination. To share with other members why you are supporting MIND’s General Conference candidates. To testify to the radically inclusive Gospel.