6c. Team Report Highlights

Communications Team

Using print, digital, broadcast, and other media as appropriate, the Communications Team strives to keep members of the congregation and the community informed about programs and services available at UPC. Our goal is to encourage a welcoming environment at the UPC building entrances and lobby.

One project that has been underway is the design and installation of new electronic sign to replace the “beyond repair” old one on Chenango Street. Because the church is located in a designated Historic District, we have been working with the Binghamton Zoning Board to get permission to install a sign specifically designed to be compatible with the architecture of the building while still being able to use modern technology as our messaging system. The design depicted in this article was approved on June 27 by the city’s Commission on Architecture and Urban Design—the final step in the very long process, which will allow us to move ahead with this project! The new sign should be installed by the end of July. Special thanks to Marie Hepworth and Pastor Becky for their diligent efforts in guiding this project through the approval process.

Congregational Care Team

The Congregational Care Team has worked diligently to show God’s love and care within this congregation. Our responsibilities are visitation, responding to congregational concerns through prayers, and sending cards to those who are grieving or going through a difficult time, joyous, celebrating life changes and challenges, or simply separated from us by distance or circumstances.

We support fellowship and hospitality by making sure our pantry is stocked with plates, napkins, cutlery, and tablecloths for those who wish to donate refreshments for funerals or after-service gatherings. We reach out to our congregational members to be there for the families of our members who have passed by providing receptions as a way of sharing memories. Many thanks to those of you who signed up to provide refreshments and who were there to help with receptions. UPC is definitely a church family!

We would like to continue to serve our Lord and spread His Love. At this time, however, we are looking for new leadership as our numbers are so small. We need more hands to help us continue to provide support to our flock. We need those who can help with our greeting cards to those with special circumstances, those who can assist in flowers and their distribution for Christmas and Easter, someone to keep our pantry stocked for receptions and gatherings, and some new volunteers for funerals and after-church gatherings. Please consider joining in our ministry this year.

Spiritual Formation Team

The Spiritual Formation Team seeks to nourish lifelong spirituality and Christian growth. We wish to strengthen our spiritual core and broaden our reach into the community.

Late this summer and fall we will sponsor an outreach team to meet our congregation, individually and in small groups, to garner further understanding of our mission and ministry, our finances, and our dreams. We will seek commitment to the ways that together we can change lives and look to the future that we believe God wants for us.

Pictured: The preschool Sunday School class learned about following Jesus. We talked about some of the things we can do to care for others as we taped footprints on our mural.

Worship and Music Team

The purpose of the Worship and Music Team is to oversee and coordinate all aspects of the United Presbyterian Church’s worship services, including:

  • Scheduling liturgists and ushers, and arranging pulpit supply and/or accompanist when necessary
  • Facilitating special worship services and helping to create visual environments to enhance worship
  • Setting communion dates for the annual calendar and coordinating the preparation of communion
  • Overseeing the work of the Music Coordinator in preparing and providing music for the worship services and managing the use and maintenance of musical instruments

Some highlights of the past year include presenting worship services that nourished our spirituality, creating a new PrayGround space for young children, updating the sanctuary sound system, and arranging for the repair and tuning of the sanctuary pipe organ.

Our new PrayGround space is located at the front of the sanctuary, allowing children and families to feel included in our worship and encouraging the children to pay attention to and learn about the worship service as they are able.