Programs & Events

Housing Justice for Broome County Forum & Fair

Saturday, October 26, 12–3pm at UPC

Join the One County Many Faces Broome Coalition to discuss how our community can address the local housing crisis. We hope we can bring together our collective energy to focus on the desperate shortage of affordable housing. We aim to give a public voice to these needs and develop new long-term programs. Local and regional leaders will be joined by organizations working on housing justice issues. Lunch will be provided.

For more info, go to ocmfbroome.org, contact Justice and Unity for the Southern Tier (JUST) at justice.southern.tier@gmail.com.

A conversation about White Christian Nationalism in the Southern Tier

Sunday, November 3, 4–6pm at UPC

Photo illustration by FreeSVG (CC-BY-SA 1.0)

Panel of speakers to include:

Prof. David Cingranelli, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Political Science
Rev. Douglas Taylor, pastor at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Binghamton
Rev. Kimberly Chastain, pastor at the United Presbyterian Church of Binghamton
Rev. Peter Cook, Executive Director of the New York State Council of Churches and Principal of The Religious Nationalisms Project
Rashida Tyler, Deputy Executive Director of the New York State Council of Churches
Rev. Jim Ketcham, Chaplaincy Coordinator and Policy Lead on Criminal Justice Reform, New York State Council of Churches
Rev. Neal Christie, Executive Director of the Federation for the Indian American Christian Organizations of North America (FIACONA) and Principal of The Religious Nationalisms Project

Presented by the New York State Council of Churches (nyscoc.org) and The Religious Nationalisms Project

UPC’s “Zoom room”

Modern technology is marvelous! Thanks to the Zoom meetings system, we can gather virtually even when it’s difficult to be together in person. We’ve used our “Zoom room” for worship but also for prayer groups, book studies, hymn sings, and social times.

You can join our meetings and worship services online via your computer, tablet, or mobile device by going to https://upcbgm.org/zoom. If you’ve never used Zoom before, you’ll be prompted to download the Zoom meetings app, which will ask for permission to use your microphone and your camera. We use our “Personal Meeting ID” for worship and most of our programs, so they’re always in the same familiar place.

You can also call in over the phone, if you don’t have a microphone on your device or you can’t join online. To join as a phone call, dial 1-646-558-8656, then enter our Meeting ID: 865 274 8433 #

If you have questions or need help using Zoom, feel free to call the church office for assistance.

Bible Study

Mondays, 1–2pm in the Upper Lounge or the Zoom room

We’ve been reading from Marcus Borg’s Evolution of the Word: The New Testament in the Order the Books Were Written. Everyone is welcome to join us in person or on Zoom.

The general format is to read the introductory material for each section, then to read through the Biblical texts and talk about what it meant for early Christians and what it might mean for us today. We try to discipline ourselves to keeping the conversation to an hour every week.

UPC Sewing Group

Wednesdays, 10am–1pm in the Upper Lounge, with Zoom lunch hour at 12pm

Itchin’ to be Stitchin’? Every Wednesday from 10am to 1pm, the UPC Sewing Group meets in the Upper Lounge to scratch the quilting itch that members have had for more than a half-century. Over the years, hundreds of quilts have been provided to those in need in the community and beyond, to new babies in our church family, and to those needing a little extra comfort. In addition, members knit and crochet mittens, hats, and scarves, and sew bags for use on walkers.

“Sew” what, you say? This group brings much to the mission of UPC: it provides an opportunity to enhance our internal and external friendships and church spirit in addition to providing functional gifts which support the church’s mission of helping others and spreading kindness.

Recently the Sewing Group was joined by Betsy Perry, who attends church in Endwell, and became interested in our group when she heard more about it from group member Cindy Burger. Betsy has shared her quilting talents as a member of other quilting groups in the Binghamton area over the years, and has done the same in Florida. We’re very fortunate to have her with us!

And now for the sad news. The Sewing Group will sorely miss long-time member Nancy Walter as she begins a new adventure in California. We’re extremely excited for her, as a new house and living near her daughter, son-in-law, and adorable granddaughter will surely bring much joy. We are indebted to Nancy for her years of dedication to the group, and her countless hours of designing (and naming!) colorful, creative, and classy quilts. Thank you, Nancy, and all best wishes on your new journey! We hope to see you on Wednesdays for our Zoom lunches.

Now more than ever, we need YOU to help continue the tradition of this fun and fabulous group (author’s license taken on that description, but it’s accurate). If you can sew, crochet, or knit, great! If you can’t, no problem! There are many essential tasks for non-sewers and non-knitters including tying quilts; laying out rows of squares; cutting squares; organizing supply closets; distributing quilts, walker bags, hats, and mittens in the community; and sorting donations received from “textile collection curators” (we like to be called that instead of “fabric hoarders,” a very common trait among those who love sewing).

Join us! We hope to see you on Wednesdays, 10am to 1pm in the Upper Lounge. Our stitching stops at noon so we can enjoy lunch together (chips, tea, and cookies are provided). If you can’t join us in person on Wednesdays, projects can also be worked on at home. For more information, please contact the church office or a member of the group (Cindy Burger, Cindy Chadwick, Ann Cobb, Ellen Hancock-Berti, Jean Hill, Janet and Len Hoover, Pastor Kimberly, Pastor Becky, Nancy Walter).

Zoom Happy hour

Friday evenings, 5–6pm

After more than four years of “Zooming” together, our weekly social-distance gathering is still going strong. Bring your own beverage, Zoom in, and join the fun as we catch up on the events of the week and share how we’re doing. It’s a great way to keep in touch with friends near and far.

News from the Presbytery of Susquehanna Valley

Our presbytery’s newsletter, “Thursday Thoughts”, is published every week and includes announcements from our partner congregations in the region, news from the PC(USA) denomination, and links to webinars & resources available to us through the presbytery.

Thursday Thoughts often announces classes and retreats offered by churches, seminaries, and other agencies, some in person and others online.

We are all invited to expand our understanding of the church and its mission through a broad variety of topics. Check it out, you might find something that sparks your interest.

Hurricane Relief Efforts

How can we help those affected by the devastation of Hurricanes Helene and Milton?

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is already on the ground in many places that were hit hardest by these two hurricanes. Details of their work and ways to donate can be found at pda.pcusa.org/situation/hurricane-helene. (Relief efforts for both hurricanes are being managed through this portal.)

PDA is also asking for clean-up buckets. For more information on how you can help, go to pda.pcusa.org/page/kits/#bucket.

The Black Mountain Presbyterian Church in western North Carolina has become a central place for many people to get supplies in the Asheville area and has been serving meals to hundreds of people each day. They have set up a link if people would like to donate money so they can continue to get the supplies they need for these meals: https://onrealm.org/BlackMountainPr/-/form/give/HeleneReliefFund.

Also, Montreat Conference Center was severely impacted by the storm and will remain closed until further notice. As more information is available, updates will be posted at montreat.org.

Please keep in your prayers all affected by this disaster and all those working to assist with rescue, recovery, and cleanup.

Monthly PC(USA) Book Study “Let Justice Roll Down: God’s Call to Care for Neighbors and All Creation”
Fourth Sundays @ 7pm (Eastern) on Zoom

from Presbyterians for Earth Care and the Presbyterian Women organization

All are invited to join this virtual monthly book study. Patricia K. Tull, author of Let Justice Roll Down, describes her call for creation justice in this way: “When I first learned of the climate crisis, I wondered how a biblical scholar with few practical skills could help and found my purpose in learning about ecology and teaching people of faith what I could. Such is not everyone’s skillset or desire, but each of us has something to do with all our hearts.” Learn about ecological systems, challenges we face in this time of accelerated climate change, possible ways to address the impact of human-made stress on our environment, and theological questions pointing to large & small ways to act and engage.

Go to presbyterianwomen.org/product/let-justice-roll-down-english-edition to order the book ($10). Zoom link for monthly sessions: bit.ly/3ZHyWLt

Practical Resources for Churches

Practical Resources for Churches (prcli.org) is a resource that the Presbytery of Susquehanna Valley’s Commission on Ministry subscribes to so all congregations in our presbytery can access their programs. You’re encouraged to check out all they have to offer and take advantage of the abundance of programs and information. Many of their programs and webinars are available at no charge to you through our paid subscription, and most of their webinars are recorded and available for later viewing if you missed attending it live.

Here are three webinars from PRC that are coming up soon:

Truly Welcoming Environments for Today’s Unchurched — Thursday, October 24, 2–3pm: Every church thinks they are welcoming. Today’s unchurched though have different ideas about what it means to be truly welcoming! This workshop will cover three aims of modern hospitality: safe place, people matter, joyful energy. bit.ly/3Xw6aKZ
Healing Fractured Communities — Tuesday, October 30, 2–3pm: Are you experiencing fractures in your community, like racism, education inequality, and poverty, to name a few? Given our fractured landscape and the diversity of congregational contexts, “How can congregational leaders be both healers and agitators at the same time?” Being simply a healer ignores the underlying causes of the fracture(s) in a community, while being simply an agitator can mean others ignore you because your voice is monotone. Being a leader who lives in this tension inside a faith community and the public square requires a nimbleness that allows for being an ointment and an irritant when needed. This webinar will equip you to do ministry that not only impacts the church, but can transform the community. bit.ly/3NnibKJ
Christian Nationalism and the 2024 Election — Tuesday, November 19, 2–3pm: What role did Christian Nationalism play in the 2024 elections? How do our congregations and communities move forward after this polarizing campaign season? Rev. Dr. Brian Kaylor and Rev. Beau Underwood will lead a conversation on these and other topics at the intersection of religion and public life. bit.ly/3NnUDc8

These webinars are free to you, funded through the Presbytery of Susquehanna Valley’s subscription to PRC.

The “Pew to Pulpit” series is for church folks who find themselves leading worship — whether stepping in for a pastor on leave, helping during a transition, or moving to stronger congregational leadership. The series is part practical support, part art, and part encouragement. Recordings of workshops in the series are available on PRC’s website.

They also have links to resources on a wide variety of topics including caring ministries, spiritual practices, small church life, social justice, and environmental stewardship. Other resources include:

What’s Next — A biweekly sharing of timely resources and upcoming webinars. The current (9/24/2024) letter is at conta.cc/3N1OvWE

Just One More Page — A monthly book review blog. prcli.org/prc-book-review-blog

Cultivate: growing in faith — Christian Education and faith formation resources, ideas, and anecdotes for adults, children, youth, families, and multigenerational ministry. The October 2024 letter is at bit.ly/3TY9jSV

Frontier Fellowship

As part of God’s mission to the world, Frontier Fellowship invites believing communities to engage people groups where the Good News of Jesus and his Kingdom is not yet known.

Read their fall newsletter: issuu.com/frontierfellowship/docs/fall_2024_frontier_journal

Starting as a mission of the United Presbyterian Church of Portland, Oregon, for more than 40 years Frontier Fellowship has been following a call to engage the Church — inviting, educating, inspiring, gathering, and equipping followers of Jesus to embrace their God-given roles in making his name known among every nation, tribe, people, and language. Unreached people groups are ethno-linguistic communities with little or no access to the Gospel. Researchers estimate there are over two billion people from more than 6,500 unique groups in the world today who’ve never heard about Jesus. Learn more about Frontier Fellowship at frontierfellowship.com.

Stony Point Center’s 75th Anniversary Celebration — April 4–6, 2025

Please mark your calendars on April 4–6, 2025, and hold the date to celebrate Stony Point Center’s 75th Anniversary Celebration!

As we begin our next 75 years in ministry, we would love to honor all those that made our first 75 years so remarkable!

Also, please take this time to welcome others to the celebration! Please share with us who we should be sure to invite, along with their email address or phone number.

We want to make sure that all who have had a hand in transformations or being transformed at this space are welcomed to come back. We’ll raise a cheer for all we have been able to do through gatherings in this space to make the world a better place and to work together as we help “bend the arc of history towards justice.” (Martin Luther King, Jr.)

stonypointcenter.org

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