We are being Tested! Today is one of those days when it’s hard to be a pastor. It’s especially hard to be an urban pastor, and triply hard to be an urban pastor who mothers children of color. And yet, if we are to believe what our faith teaches us, then we are all urban pastors who parent children of color because…
The Church has Left the Building. Like Jesus, we go where the People are. We don't expect them to come to us. We are here to share the really Great News that we are created and re-created by a Loving God of Grace and Mercy.
The Church has Left the Building. Like Jesus, we go where the People are. We don't expect them to come to us. We are here to share the really Great News that we are created and re-created by a Loving God of Grace and Mercy.
Pastors’ Blog
10-10-22A good question arose in our Cuppa the Bible (AoF) discussion this morning and it really has me thinking: Can you have justice without equity? Of course the first thing to do is to look at what “equity” means if we’re not talking about finance and investments. In essence, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, “The term “equity” refers…
9/30/22 I’ve been thinking a lot about changes, lately. Well, really about changes and peoples’ self-definitions and how they change. At this time in upstate New York, the physical/seasonal changes are pretty obvious, really. The leaves changing colors are the most obvious, but there are also changes in light — not just the angle of the lighting, but the quality of it as…
Maybe it’s because I was a teacher earlier in my life; maybe it’s because I feel like a perpetual student; maybe it’s just that I like to buy new pens and notebooks, but this season is always exciting to me. After weeks of necessary and important breaks from our routine, we’re gearing up to reinstate them, though a few will be modified.…
The summer of 2022 is so very different from the last few years, isn’t it? At least from the “church” standpoint, it is beginning to feel a little more like an “old welcome” or a “homecoming” to some kind of relaxed calmness when we can all breathe a little deeper (even without a mask sometimes). Sometimes churches change the times in which…
03/14/2020 With the rising concerns for our people in relationship to COVID-19, South Church has temporarily suspended our Acts of Faith ministries as they are ALL community based. However, that doesn’t mean that we discontinue being a Faith Community. So today we start our grand experiment in virtual sacred space. We have spent the week listening for the Holy Spirit among the…
Sometimes life is just too good to let go. Here are three videos that give you a bit of a glimpse into South Church – who we are, what’s important to us, and how we got here. The Ordination of the Reverend Laura Bachmann On June 22, 2019, the Presbytery of Genesee Valley ordained to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament, our…
June 9, 2019 On Thursday, June 6th, Back2Center worship welcomed its first ever members in its four year history. LuAnn became an Active (i.e. full PC(USA)) Member, while Maria and Vicky opted for Affiliate Membership, meaning they retain their membership in their home churches but are committed to their lives as part of the B2C worshiping community. When everyone is in attendance,…
I sat on the steps of the Elmwood Inn next to our Evangelism Coordinator, Barb Sixbey last Saturday. The room was filled with South people and our three guests from Los Angeles: Rev. Randy Lovejoy, Rev. Arlo Tysinger, and Videographer & Editor David Frame. Off to the right were our new Associate Pastor, Laura Bachmann, who had just sustained the prosecution of…
Members of the San Fernando Presbytery (one of four presbyteries serving Los Angeles County) will be in residence from March 28-31 as they explore our Acts of Faith Ministry. Along with visiting Back2Center, Food for Thought, New Life on Monroe, Fellowship of Faith, Monroe Milers, and Mt. Hope World Singers, our guests will review presentations on the AoF Model, the Community Learning…