Embedded Files
Kimberly P Chastain, Pastor
This summer, as we reflected on “Seven Marks of Vital Congregations”, we tried out a new technology (QR codes in worship!) and a new form of congregational feedback (quick questionnaires designed to be completed in the worship service). I promised that I would provide a report on the results, so here is a short summary of what I learned. (I sent a one-page summary of each of the questionnaire results to the Session; if you would like to see the individual summaries drop me a note and I’ll send them to you.)
The first thing I learned is that not everyone wants to respond to a questionnaire, even in the context of a worship service. Our worship participation is around 50 each week — 25–30 in person and about the same number online — but the most responses we ever had to the questionnaires was 20 (5 hard copy and 15 online). This is not really a surprise, since I don’t like responding to questionnaires either. But it highlights the need for finding more ways to communicate in the congregation — how we can engage with each other about the things that matter in our church community and in our lives?
In general, respondents feel good about our congregation, its work, its relationships, and its future. We have weathered the chaos of the pandemic years well, and we are generally moving in a direction that is supported by most of the people who responded to the questionnaires. Special mention was made of our worship life and our music program, of the card committee that works to honor all of the special occasions and needs in our community life, and our openness and hospitality.
The things respondents wish we would do more of are: finding better ways to integrate new folks into our community, teaching more about prayer and meditation, and finding stand-alone events that bring people in our community together outside of worship. I’d love to hear more about these wishes, especially since the first and the third seem to speak directly to the communication question — how do we reach out, how do we let people know when something is happening, how do we follow up to be sure that everyone who wants to be included has gotten the word?
An interesting insight that I gained is that a number of respondents feel proud of our congregation and its witness, without feeling particularly engaged in that witness: respondents feel good about the community meal, the food pantry, and the active presence of various leaders in community events, while acknowledging that not many among the congregation participate actively in these things. Respondents feel informed about issues but not confident about participating. Several expressed a desire to be better equipped and trained to engage with people who live in different circumstances than the average congregant. I’d love to know more about what kind of training or equipping would help people feel able to engage?
I also accumulated a list of suggestions that were mentioned, once or more than once, that I hope we will be able to implement in the months and years ahead: more potlucks and picnics, more time and space for meditation and prayer, more sharing of personal stories both in worship and in other gatherings.
One of the things that I, as pastor, hoped is that these tools (questionnaires and reflection questions) would begin a conversation, and invite everyone to share their insights and their energy in this time of discernment. How shall we move into the future that God is already inviting us to create?
Let me know what you think.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Kimberly
Becky Kindig, Associate Pastor
Greetings all!
I hope everyone has had an exciting or restful summer, whichever way you like it! We have missed those of you who have been away or at home resting from a busy year. I am excited to see you as everyone trickles back to worship during the months of September and October, as that is the pattern here at UPC.
For me, this summer was a little of both. Some of the program year busyness subsided and there was time to think and dream. I was able to attend my daughter’s graduation from Cornell and have been greatly enjoying having her home for a gap year as she applies to veterinary schools to hopefully go next fall. I was also able to go on study leave to Pittsburgh with some dear seminary friends for both learning and fun. But there was still plenty to do here at church to keep me out of trouble.
With the downtime, I was able to join Kimberly in preaching some of the 7 Marks of Vital Congregations series. It was fun to be a part of a series and I really look forward to the discussions that will come out of what we learned together as well as from your feedback from the questionnaires.
This summer I also helped with tabling for the Binghamton University Interfaith Council during the new student orientation weeks. We got to meet a lot of students and families and be a witness to what interfaith cooperation looked like as we tabled together. And then we also tabled at UFest on August 27th to welcome both new and returning students to campus. The incoming students are very excited to be on campus and to get involved after the last few years of Covid.
The 225th General Assembly for the PCUSA was also this summer. General Assembly is where decisions get made for our denomination. Each Presbytery sends one Pastor and one Elder as commissioners. They do committee work on overtures sent to the Assembly and then are part of the body of the Assembly to vote on those overtures. Each committee had listened, learned, discussed, prayed, and then made recommendations to the body. As the Co–Stated Clerks for our Presbytery, Chris Burger and I were resources for our commissioners and attended both the committee meetings and the Assembly online.
There was a lot that happened this year since the last General Assembly two years ago was at the beginning of the pandemic so all business from that Assembly was postponed until this one. But it was good work, and much was accomplished to further the work of Presbyterians to spread God’s justice and love to our communities and the world. And our new co-moderators were elected at this Assembly. Rev. Shavon Starling-Lewis and Rev. Ruth Santana-Grace began their work moderating the Assembly and will take the next two years to travel across the nation listening to congregations, presbyteries, elders, and pastors to find ways to empower and equip us for the work God is calling us to in this time. An overview of many of the decisions that came out of this General Assembly can be found in this newsletter.
We are continuing to create Sunday school packets for our Young at Heart. Marilynn Guinane and I worked together this summer to send lessons with coloring pages, scripture, word searches, and a craft or activity to go with the worship theme each week. It has been fun and enriching to think of ways to help families do these lessons together at home. This is one of those outside-of-the-box ideas Covid made us think about that really has been a blessing. More children are able to participate and parents are equipped to have these faith conversations at home. So we are happy to keep these going! But now that Covid is manageable with vaccines and masks, we also want to find times to gather the kids so that they can spend some time together too. It is so important to have community together that we don’t want to miss benefits that come from that as well. So we will be thinking of ways to do this in the coming weeks.
I also want to say thank you for all of your prayers, healing thoughts, cards, and well wishes while I had Covid in August. It was a rough week and half, but I am feeling much better! Covid did aggravate my Myasthenia Gravis a bit and I am still experiencing some lingering fatigue, but it is subsiding as I remember to take things a little easier and give myself some grace as you all gave me to stay home and heal. But I do greatly appreciate all your thoughts and prayers that helped me get through. Thank you so much!
Blessings to all of you as we enter the fall!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Becky
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