As I've said often - what a busy little church we are! Lots of activity happening in the present - but we also have some historic revitalization going on. Have you heard the bells chiming out the ten o'clock hour on Sunday mornings? That's the "Tubular Bell Carillon" recently brought back online during the balcony music improvement project. Now the small keyboard under the western staircase can be played - and it is heard inside the sanctuary and outside in Wisner Park. I've

In last Sunday's sermon, I referred to the liturgical calendar, a schedule of seasons and scripture readings (the lectionary) that originated in the early church, and adopted in a common form in the 20* century by many Mainline Protestants. This Mainline category includes the United Church of Christ as well as other familiar denominations such as Presbyterians (PCUSA), Methodists (UMC), Lutherans (ELCA), and Episcopalians. Each lectionary cycle begins with Advent, and feature

Imagine having fun at a 150th anniversary church dedication - AND WE DID! Wow - What a blast! I've been asked by a number of you to publish my little history ditty, so here it is: Julia Jones Beecher's visit to The Park Church, Oct 12, 2025 Hello - can you all hear me? That nice Mr. Smith assured me that this tiny device would project my voice to the last pew! Please excuse my notes; I don't want to forget a thing. That Mr. Stermer dared me to return (a most powerful man - do

Technically, I land between generations, not quite a Boomer, not quite Gen X. Culturally, I am closer to the latter. Fo •xample, I came out publicly as a gay man when many were still in the closet. My car has a reference to "The Goonies," not "Rebel Without a Cause." I readily adopted gaming innovations as they came along, from arcade game: to games on the earliest personal computers, then on to consoles and handheld devices. I am what is sometimes called "a gamer," and even

After a very hot and dry summer, some cool moist days feel good to me! Soon all the leaves will be turning and the school year will be in full swing. During our August Council meeting, we took a few minutes to "on-board" our newest councilperson, Bunny Alberts, by reflecting on what our church consultancy with Paul Nixon yielded in terms of our health and growth. Pastor Gary reminded us that Paul had recommended that we beef-up coffee hour and move the table of goodies front

I didn't play baseball as a kid. Football (briefly), bowling, and Boy Scouts were more my speed. But I came to love the sport as an adult...

I had the opportunity last week to give a tour of our building to a few Second Place East, Inc. board members. I never tire of this...

The film opened with summer league baseball, and not just any summer league. As the camera followed a home run ball over the fence, I...

June 2025: Two weekends in a row of activities! The Elmira Pride Festival attracted even more that our first two years and created an...

As the New York Times recently noted, it is getting harder (and more expensive) to be a sports fan in America. Athletes and their agents,...

Busy month ahead at our busy little church! Of course we're celebrating Pride Month, but we're als rosting a free OSFL Chorus Concert,...

I am grieving. If you are reading this column, you already know that. I might mention it in conversation on occasion. And I took some...

Here's something I shared five years ago, but bears repeating: "There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always...

Do you know how much I treasure being your council president? I feel like I'm on the home stretch, one more year to go in my six-year...

On the next page, you'll find Jenny's monthly "President's Message," where she reflects on an important discussion at our recent Church...

Women's History & The Park Church Rachel Dworkin, archivist at the Booth Library of the Chemung County Historical Society, invited me...

I grew up long before kids were hiding under desks to avoid shooters with assault weapons, and after people finally figured out that a...

And we’re off…...thanks for your participation in the Annual Meeting on Jan. 26th, we had over 50 members attend to vote in the 2025...

During my time at Harvard Divinity School, I noticed a number of classmates who arrived as members of other Christian traditions, but...

What a busy and delightful month of December we had! From the Hanging of the Greens, Near Westside Open House, Advent Organ Recitals,...