Tag Archives: Rev. Lisa Heckman

Lenten Music & Meditation Services, The Forecaster Newsletter, Transition Leadership

THE FORECASTER: Planting Seeds for a Successful Transition Period

“More than qualifying what attributes are needed for FCC’s next installed pastor, the transition period is an important time to reassess who we are as a unique part of the Body of Christ and explore the particular direction God wants us to go now.”

~ the Rev. Lisa Heckman

Pastor’s Ponderings
Rev. Lisa Heckman, FCC’s Transitional Minister.

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.~~ Jeremiah 29:11

Dear Friends,

God sends that message of hope through Jeremiah at a time when the people were hopeless. Recently exiled from their homes in Judea, now displaced in Babylon, they thought God had forsaken them.

We at FCC are not hopeless by any means (!), and we have even more assurance in God’s plans for our hope-filled future.

Our challenge is discerning what those plans are. That’s gonna take some time!

Those who were here before Art Suggs’ ministry may remember a period of tribulation with several Interim Ministers and a significant loss in membership.

Add to that the normal anxiety of a time of transition, and the immediate reaction is to get the next installed pastor in place as quickly as possible!

“While the desire to rush things is understandable, a fast solution is rarely the best solution. A quick fix can create even more problems in the long term.”

Stained glass window, historic sanctuary at First Congregational Church, Binghamton, N.Y. Photo by J. Walters.

The Transition Team stated that one of the key goals of the Transitional Period is:

To help the leadership and thus the congregation refresh, evolve, and/or clarify the vision and mission, and affirm or create anew a really clear sense of the values and mission-elements that are important to these times and help us to move forward.

More than qualifying what attributes are needed for FCC’s next installed pastor, the transition period is an important time to reassess who we are now as this particular part of the Body of Christ and what is the direction God wants us to go.

This work will dovetail with our exploration of what is needed to create the church’s formal profile for the pastoral search.

The profile is an extremely detailed and comprehensive description of our ministry. It incorporates the usual statistical and demographic information about FCC, but goes much deeper:

It  requires the same kind of exploration of mission, ministry, and calling that we already wish to do during the transition.

We will need a team of people to develop the profile on behalf of the congregation, and it is my hope to work closely with this team as we explore and uncover who we are and where God is leading us.

While all this is going on, our day to day, week to week ministry will keep moving forward!

We will worship, study, serve the community, be in fellowship with one another, laugh and cry together, and live the Spirit filled lives we are called to live.

God has good plans in store for us and we can be assured of Jesus’ presence with us every step of the way.

Grace and Peace,

Lisa

On the Near Horizon – Lenten Music & Meditation Services

On Wednesday evenings between Lent and Easter, join us for our Lenten Music & Meditation services starting on March 13th through April 10th.

The community Soup Supper begins at 6 p.m. each Wednesday during Lent, and is followed by the Music & Meditation service at 7 p.m.

FCC’s Church Council Begins its New Year

FCC’s Church Council, February 2019.

With 12 leaders present at the first meeting of the new year, almost all activity groups in church were represented. The various reports helped the new leadership know what is happening.

It also was helpful for Rev. Lisa Heckman, FCC’s new Transitional Minister, to get a feel of how the Congregational “system” works.

Rev. Heckman also shared what she feels called to do as pastor of our congregation.

An important part of that work is to survey our membership and find what we believe and want for our church.

That will be part of the challenge of a committee to be appointed to write a church profile. Once the new formal profile — that reflects who FCC is now — is completed, a search committee will be able to identify the qualities to look for in a new pastor.

The profile committee will be established very soon.

Council will also organize an installation of newly elected church leaders on Sunday, March 3, 2019.

Connect on Facebook

FCC has had a Facebook page for quite awhile now, and it’s about to get a fresh inflow of inspiration as Rev. Heckman begins her Transitional Ministry!

If you haven’t already, follow us on Facebook. If you’re already following, stop by and see what’s new and what’s brewing!

FCC on Facebook here.

The March edition of The Forecaster also includes:

  • What’s up with Jazz Vespers this month,
  • FCC’s March Sunday worship schedule,
  • FCC’s popular Lenten Music & Meditation Wednesday evening services,
  • Other news and events.

Download the full March 2019 edition of The Forecaster.

Newsletters, The Forecaster Newsletter

THE FORECASTER: A Message From Our New Transitional Minister (and other news)

Pastor’s Ponderings

Dear Friends,

Greetings! I am excited and honored to begin ministry with you all of First Congregational!

I am here to travel with you through this transitional time.

I don’t see myself as an interim, merely filling the void between one pastor and the next. Nor do I come with an agenda, expecting you to do certain tasks or becoming what I think you should be.

Instead my purpose is to work with you to keep the ministry of FCC vibrant and moving forward. This begins by discovering what God is already doing with you and where God may be leading. I intend to celebrate all you have been and are, lift up your giftedness in ministry, and be an encourager and cheerleader for what we can do together.

My theme song for the first couple of months is: ♫ Getting to know you, getting to know all about you ♫. I want to meet with as many of you as I can.

I’ll be attending every group and meeting possible, but I would love to visit over coffee or a meal, in your homes or at the office, as individuals, couples, or groups. Invitations are welcome! I also hope we will set up small group gatherings for conversations, as well.

Expect a lot of questions from me, especially ones that ask “why”. When I ask, it is never meant as a criticism, simply to understand why you do what you do.

To help you get to know me, here is a little bit about me.

I have been a pastor for 20 years, serving five churches of varied sizes and settings. I’m Presbyterian, but am used to being outside those “bounds” from serving a union Presbyterian/Methodist church. (I’m looking forward to learning more about the UCC way of doing things and am taking an online course to educate myself.)

Earlier in my ministry I felt a call to interim work and had some training in it, but the timing wasn’t right. Following a new kind of transitional ministry training in 2016, I was led to my first position at the First Presbyterian Union Church in Owego.

This past summer, God strongly confirmed that this is the ministry I’m called to, so I feel blessed that we were brought together here at FCC!

I am single, no kids, but with two fur-babies: my cats, Carter and Callie. I grew up in northeastern PA and lived in various parts of that state, before moving to NY in 2001. I’m a second career pastor who was an industrial engineer, computer manager, business manager, and computer programmer in my previous life.

(Some other time I’ll tell you how God moved me from all of that to pastoral ministry.)

Because of that, I balance a business mind with a pastoral heart. I love music, reading, playing games on my devices, and connecting with friends and family through social media and a variety of other means.

My mom, who lives in the area, wants you to know that I was baptized in the Congregational Church in Carversville, PA, which was also the church of her childhood.

Hopefully, I’ve whetted your appetite to get to know me better, as much as I want to get to know you. May God richly bless our mission and ministry together in the coming time!

Grace and Peace, Lisa

Jazz Vespers – February 10th, 2019

The featured artist for the February 10th Jazz Vespers will be The Southern Tier Brass Quintet. This group of professional musicians finds beautiful arrangements for brass instruments, and play with a flair and a sense of humor that is wonderful to hear. Please join us at 5:00 PM in the sanctuary on the 10th for an early Valentine’s Day delight.

Other FCC News and Events

You’ll find other news about the recent Congregational Meeting, the Spiritual Book Club, the Faith Works Fellowship gatherings, and a thank you from our recently retired pastor, the Rev. Dr. Arthur Suggs and Tracy Suggs (plus a look from the January 13th celebration of Rev. Suggs’ ministry) in the full edition of The Forecaster – download it here:

Download the full February issue of The Forecaster (PDF)