Programs & Events

News from the Kitchen

by Sherry Conklin, Kitchen Coordinator

Nothing happens in the kitchen and pantry mission without all the volunteers that come to help.

On Tuesdays we have two or three cooks for the meal preparation and two or three volunteers to set up the dining room. After 4:00pm we have 8–10 volunteers to plate and serve the meal as well as cleanup. We also need three volunteers throughout the day to wash dishes and put them away.

On Wednesdays we have 5–8 volunteers that help staff the pantry. These volunteers log in the guests, help them shop, and keep the refrigerators and shelves stocked. They also hang up donated clothing and take care of other donations. The volunteers retrieve diapers for the guests when needed.

Thursdays are the delivery and Bounty pick-up from CHOW. Two or three volunteers bring the supplies downstairs and put them away.

Friday is the day for the main delivery from the Food Bank of the Southern Tier. This is usually 1,000–2,000 pounds and needs to be moved downstairs (using the elevator). There are usually five volunteers that help with this, stock the shelves, and break down the boxes.

Panera Bread gives us donations after they close every Monday at 9:00pm. We rotate volunteers on Mondays to pick this up and bring it to the church.

Throughout the week we receive multiple donations of food, clothing, and other things to put away.

I am so grateful to all the volunteers that keep these programs running.

Again, my wish list is for hand can openers, reusable bags, and used T-shirts (which we turn into reusable bags).

On Palm Sunday, the congregation was invited to decorate Easter eggs in Fellowship Hall, and it was once again a big hit with young and old. Many people participated in decorating the 200 hard-boiled eggs at several stations our Meal Coordinator Sherry Conklin set up. The stations had regular dip dyeing, an egg spinning machine to make stripes with markers, and a new “science experiment” technique this year where we made unique patterns with baking soda and vinegar in the dye. The colored eggs were then joyfully received by our guests at the meal the following Tuesday. Thank you all for participating in this fun creative event!

The Buffalo 10 Scholarship

“To believe is to remember.” —Rabbi Abraham Heschel

Here in the Southern Tier we remember that two years ago, a young man from our community traveled to Buffalo, and carried out an act of mass murder motivated by racial hatred. We remember the 10 African Americans who were killed. We remember the three individuals who were injured. We remember the communities who struggled with the traumatic after-effects of this hate-fueled violence.

We remember, and we also believe in the power of love to bring healing, conviction, and a renewed intention to work together for healthy relationships. The Binghamton Children of Abraham, an interfaith community dedicated to works of justice and compassion, would like to extend an invitation to residents of the Southern Tier to remember with us those who were killed, injured, or otherwise impacted by the violence that occurred on May 14, 2022. Join us in making a contribution to the Buffalo 10 Scholarship: unyumc.org/resources/buffalo-10-scholarship.

It is our hope that our donations will have both symbolic and practical meaning. Our giving can be a symbol for our continued focus on efforts to confront the culture of racism that led one of our young people into such evil. Our contributions can also be a practical help to those in Buffalo struggling not only against the devastating effects of specific racial violence but also nurturing young leaders who bring caring and vision to a community that has endured other harms of racism.

We remember, and we work toward collective action to make sure it will never happen again. Adding our energy to efforts for healing and leadership development in the neighborhoods one of ours harmed is a first step in our work. Please join the Children of Abraham in giving to the Buffalo 10 Scholarship.

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 Pastor’s Office or the Zoom room

We’re reading from Marcus Borg’s Evolution of the Word: The New Testament in the Order the Books Were Written, and 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.

Sewing Group Keeps on Stitching!

Wednesdays, 10am–1pm, in the Upper Lounge (and on Zoom at noon for lunch hour)

by Cindy Chadwick

The Wednesday Sewing Group continues its mission of supporting community members in need of warmth and comfort. Each Wednesday, the group gathers to cut fabric and design, sew, and tie quilts to give to others. Group members often work on projects at home throughout the week to keep production going. Gathering each week to craft crib- and lap-sized quilts for the community, the group also makes “carry bags” for use on walkers, mittens, hats, scarves, pillows, and more.

The group’s creations are donated to the following charities and care facilities:

Willow Point Rehabilitation and Nursing Center
Hilltop
Elizabeth Church Manor
Good Shepherd Fairview Home
YWCA
Bridgewater Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing
Ideal Senior Living Center
NoMa (North of Main)
Camp Sunshine (for families affected by life-threatening childhood illness)

Quilts are also given to newborns and other special people in our congregation. Hats and mittens are provided to our Food Pantry and Community Meal guests as needed.

Lots of colorful quilts ready for distribution!

Want to help spread warmth and hope? Join the Sewing Group on Wednesdays from 10am to 1pm in UPC’s Upper Lounge. No extensive sewing experience is necessary. Projects can be worked on at home if you’re unable to attend on Wednesdays. (You’ll miss the cookies, chips, pickles and tea, though!) No special sewing skills are needed for cutting squares, design layout, pinning, tying, setting the table for lunch, or heating water for tea. Sewing machine and hand hemming skills are a plus.

Even if sewing isn’t your thing, everybody is invited to join us at noon for our social lunch hour. Those who can’t come to the church in person can join us in the Zoom room. Bring your own lunch and enjoy the company!

Sincere in its mission to provide warmth, comfort, and care to others, Sewing Group members gain much in return. As aptly said by Ann Cobb, a 50-plus-year member of the Sewing Group, “Where there is love, there is hope, and we love what we do.” Pardon the puns, but the cohesiveness of this group mends their souls and keeps them in stitches as they work to help others. Please join! Reach out to the church office if you’d like more information.

Zoom Happy hour

Friday evenings, 5–6pm

After nearly 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.

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.

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.

Here is a webinar from PRC that is coming up soon:

Strategies for Reaching and Developing Gen Z — Thursday, May 30, 2–3pm: How can congregations build meaningful connections with young adults? Brandi Nicole Williams, Director for the African American Church Evangelism Institute, offers practical strategies for bridging the generational gap and fostering relationships with Gen Z to build a more relevant church community. bit.ly/3wgAZKd

Nationalism and Christian Zionism: a PC(USA) webinar — Thursday, May 23, 12pm

Sponsored by: World Mission’s Middle East and Europe office, the Office of Public Witness, the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, and members of the Israel Palestine Mission Network

We are living in a time of heightened nationalism around the world, from North American white Christian nationalism to similar trends in Europe and even across Asia in forms entangled with Islam and Hinduism. If we are to control and roll back the racism that accompanies ideologies of supremacy, we must understand the history of our own nation’s white supremacy and how it has enabled the rise of racism both here and abroad. The United States was created as “a new Zion” by Puritans who arrived on these shores and settled on a new continent, taking other people’s lands. Justified by the “Doctrine of Discovery”, American expansion westward became known as “Manifest Destiny”, an ideology that rests on white supremacy and claims of “civilizing” non-whites and non-Christians with the blessing of the church.

In an attempt to defeat centuries of systemic antisemitism, mainline Christianity has absorbed many doctrines from Christian Zionism that have come to be understood as theologically mistaken. Where are these theological mistakes, and why must we call them out? How have these Christian Zionist ideologies led to giving Zionism — a political ideology — a pass by mainline churches? How are Americans complicit in the impunity Zionism enjoys today, which has led to the demonization of an entire people — Palestinians — who are now paying for European sins against their own Jewish populations? And what role have American Christians played in creating a settler colonial mindset that operates in an oft-invisible and unacknowledged framework?

Moderated by the Rev. Dr. Cynthia Holder Rich, our confirmed speakers will be:

Rev. Jermaine Ross-Allam, Director of the Center for the Repair of Historic Harms PC(USA)
Rev. Addie Domske, Steering Committee of the Israel Palestine Mission Network of the PC(USA).
Mr. Jonathan Kuttab, human rights attorney, and co-founder of the Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq and Nonviolence International.

Presbytery Camperships — Apply now through July 31

Every year, the presbytery provides camperships for children and youth up through 12th grade to attend church camp.

We do this not only to help with the cost of summer camp, but because we believe that the experiences young people have at church camp are meaningful and significant to their Christian faith journeys. Since our presbytery doesn’t operate a church camp of our own, we instead provide funds to encourage kids to go to a church camp operated by another presbytery or another Christian denomination.

Campership funds can be used for programs of any length up to one week. These may be overnight/residential programs, day camps, or virtual programs. Camperships may also be available for adults with special needs.

The presbytery’s camperships are not allocated based on financial need; they are available to everybody regardless of family income. The presbytery will pay three-fourths of the cost at any Presbyterian PC(USA) camp, up to $575, or two-thirds of the cost at a camp operated by the American Baptist Church, the Reformed Church of America, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, or any of our fellow “Churches Uniting in Christ”, up to $500. Other Christian camps must be approved by the Christian Nurture Team; those that are approved will be funded at half the cost, up to $375. A list of nearby qualifying camps can be found on the presbytery’s website at susvalpresby.org/Camp-List.

Apply now through July 31 on the presbytery’s website at susvalpresby.org/Camperships

Let’s work together to encourage our children and youth to grow in God’s love!

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