Our Church Family

In Memoriam

Gary Alan Ayres, 79, of Binghamton passed away January 31 after a long illness. He was predeceased by his parents Jack and Mary Ayres; sisters Ruth Shrauger and Judy Ayres. He is survived by his loving sister Sherry Lee (David) Laskowski; his children: son Jason (Violet) Ayres and daughter Lisa Saunders; 3 nieces Diane Reiman, Pamela Boyst, Sarah Laskowski; and several more great-nieces and nephews. He was a man who was friendly to everyone, loved to shake a hand and give a hug. Gary loved cowboys but there was only one king of the cowboys, Roy Rogers, and Gary was an avid collector of his memorabilia. A graduate of Chenango Forks School who never missed a reunion, he was a member of United Presbyterian Church, Binghamton. A private burial was held at Vestal Hills Memorial Park. Donations can be made to the United Presbyterian Church/Community meals, 42 Chenango Street, Binghamton NY 13901. “Happy Trails to you, till we meet again.”

Marian B. Palmer went to join her husband and soul-mate, Thomas, and her Lord on January 19. She is survived by her daughter Kristie Palmer, her sons and daughters-in-law Timothy & Kathleen Palmer, Jeffrey & Tracy Palmer, foster daughter Faith Stouffer and her husband Jeffrey, and five grandchildren: Colin and Katherine Palmer, Jake Simon, Lory Cosner, and Amy Villegas. She is also survived by her two brothers, Richard and Robert Badertscher and several nieces and nephews.

She was a long-time resident of Binghamton area, and a graduate of Binghamton Central High School and Ridley Lowell Business School. She worked for twelve years at the New York Telephone Company. Following her marriage and growth of her children, she found a second career for nineteen wonderful years as a Preschool teacher at the Jewish Community Center. She was a member of First (later United) Presbyterian Church of Binghamton, where she was active in the choir and served as Stephen Minister, Deacon, Elder, Sunday School teacher, and member of many committees. She loved spending time with family and friends at Heart Lake, and cherished any time she could spend with children.

A memorial service will be held on April 13 at United Presbyterian Church of Binghamton at 10:00am. In lieu of flowers, friends wishing to may contribute to Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (8085 Saltsburg Rd., Pittsburgh PA 15239) in honor of her daughter Kristie, or to the United Presbyterian Church (42 Chenango St., Binghamton NY 13901).

Marian Palmer’s Celebration of Life: Saturday, April 13

Worship service at 10:00 am
Luncheon to follow in Fellowship Hall

Everyone is invited to join in the celebration of Marian Palmer’s life and the completion of her baptism, when we gather on April 13. We will gather in the sanctuary for a service of worship and remembrance, then continue to Fellowship Hall to share food and fellowship. The basics for a meal will be provided; you are invited to bring a special side dish or dessert if you have one you’d really like to share in her honor.

The service will be livestreamed on YouTube and recorded for later watching for those who are unable attend in person, and can be accessed from our website or on our YouTube Channel upcbgm.org/youtube.

Wheelchair access is through the rear of the building, where there is limited parking available. Street parking is metered, but there is also a garage on State Street that is within easy walking distance from the church and is free on Saturdays.

Join Us for Worship — in person, online, or over the phone

We worship together on Sundays at 10:00am, both in person in the sanctuary and online. The service is livestreamed on our public YouTube Channel, our Zoom room, and our website, and is also accessible on YouTube any time. Those who can’t access the worship videos online can call in on the phone to listen live on Sunday mornings, using the Zoom information listed below. So if you are not ready or able to come “in person”, you are welcome to participate as you are able.

Everyone is invited to join us as we pray, hear God’s word read and proclaimed, share our joys and concerns, and experience worshipful music.

If you’re joining us in person, here’s what you need to know:

Air filtration units are deployed throughout the sanctuary to enhance your safety. If you have any symptoms of a potentially contagious illness, we ask that you put on a mask to protect those in our congregation who have compromised immune systems.
Printed worship guides are placed by each door for you to pick up on the way in, and the hymns are printed in the worship guide.
Offering plates are placed by the doors of the sanctuary, but we do not pass them during the offertory. You are invited and welcome to use our online giving portal or to mail a check to the church.

If you’re worshiping with us online, all of the hymn music and prayer words are shown on the screen, and live captioning is used for other parts of the service such as the sermon and the Prayers of the People. If you watch on a small screen and need the printed version of the worship guide, it is available for download from our website each week, or it can be mailed to you upon request if downloading & printing is not an option.

To join the Zoom room online, go to upcbgm.org/zoom
To call in: Dial 1-646-558-8656, then enter Meeting ID: 865 274 8433 #

It would be good to have you with us.

Sermon transcripts

Transcripts of each week’s sermon are available upon request, and are usually ready by the Tuesday following the service. So if you miss worship, or you hear a sermon that really spoke to you and you’d like to read again later, you’re invited to contact the office and request the transcript. We can provide it via email or snail mail; just let us know which format you’d like to receive.

Children in Worship

“Let the little children come to me…” —Matthew 19:14

We are glad to have children and families in the congregation, and we welcome and encourage them to be in worship with us. We truly believe that a community of faith is made up of people of ALL ages. There is a PrayGround space with coloring sheets and quiet toys in the front of the sanctuary, which can be used there or taken to another pew if that is more suitable to the family’s needs. Sunday school materials are mailed to our families once a month to do together at home.

There is also a nursery space at the end of the hall at the front of the sanctuary that is open for use with a parent or guardian. It has a changing table, a rocking chair, and some toys appropriate for children ages two and under. There is a speaker in the room so you can listen to the service. Please let us know if you have questions.

Special Day Coming Your Way?

Members and friends of our congregation are encouraged to provide the church office with birth dates (if not already on file) so that we can be sure folks receive celebration greetings from our church family. No need to provide us with the year if you’d rather keep that to yourself!

Please let us know of any other special occasions, and also about difficult times and prayer needs where a card or supportive message may be appreciated.

You may contact the church office or a member of the Card Committee (Margaret Davis, Suzie Northrop Raboy, Jenni McKeage, Lana Ogden, Margaret Sands, and Cindy Chadwick).

Bathroom Renovation

We have updated one of the bathrooms on the first floor and it looks great so far!

Some of you may have seen the construction going on in there the last couple of months. It needed a new floor since the mastic holding down the tile was disintegrating and tiles were popping up, making it a safety hazard.

At the same time that we were looking for a contractor to re-tile the bathroom, we received a United Way grant to use to help our work with the community. We were able to use some of that money to install a much-needed shower unit in that bathroom. This shower can be used during the day for emergencies instead of getting people to the truck stop in Conklin for a $15 shower. The ACBC overnight center can also allow use of the shower. They are limiting it to 2 a night at the moment.

We still have some finishing touches to do, like paint, moisture resistant ceiling tiles, and upgrading the exhaust fan, but the bathroom is fully functional again! Many thanks to Ken Mebert for shepherding this project. Feel free to take a peek next time you are at church!

Supporting Our Mission and Ministry

Online Giving

We are able to receive tax-deductible contributions online through our website (upcbgm.org/give). Contributions can be made by E-check or credit card, and can also be set up as a recurring gift.

We encourage you to lift up in prayer how God will use you to bless UPC in fulfilling our mission to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.

Get Involved!

Without any doubt, the ministry of our congregation depends largely on the dedication and selfless contributions of volunteers — the incredible individuals who give generously of their time, energy, and unique talents. Here are some ways you can help us do Christ’s work in our community:

Community Meal & Pantry: Each Tuesday at 5pm, we offer a sit-down meal that is free for anybody, serving about 120 people a week. Volunteers are needed during the day on Monday and Tuesday to help with food preparation, and on Tuesday evening to serve the meal and clean up afterwards.

On Wednesdays from noon to 5pm, we run a free food pantry that also offers personal care & hygiene items when they’re available. Volunteers help staff the pantry, and donations of non-perishable food and personal care items are always welcome.

Contact Kitchen Coordinator Sherry Conklin for more info: meal@upcbgm.org

Worship services: You may not have noticed how many people are involved in our Sunday morning worship services, but most weeks there are at least a dozen of us, and often there are more than 20: folks who read prayers and scripture, greet visitors, share musical talents, operate technology, set up refreshments, help serve communion, or contribute their ideas and support behind the scenes. If you’d like to take part, contact Worship Team chair Suzie Raboy or the church office: office@upcbgm.org

Other ministry teams: Our church teams are always welcoming new team members. If you’d like to help with or learn more about the workings of the church, talk to one of the pastors or the elders on Session: Card Committee, Margaret Davis; Finance, Lou McKeage or Andy Chadwick; Mission, Pastor Kimberly; Personnel, Marilynn Guinane; Property, Pastor Becky.

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