Welcome to Faith United Church
Faith United is a multi-denominational (PCUSA and UCC) community of believers serving in the lake shore community of Oswego, New York. Our Mission to the community is an active focus on both physical hunger (Souper Bowl of Caring, collections of food for our local food pantry) and spiritual needs (weekly and special worship services) and a church building that is totally handicap accessible, hearing amplified, and ecologically friendly.
Snowshoeing with the Good News
Faith United church is inviting members and guests to a new worship experience that combines the good news of Christ with God’s creation of winter. Snowshoeing with the Good News will include prayer, reading of the Gospel, then snowshoeing to help clear one’s mind, ponder the Gospel and reconnect with God’s creation. Guides will be present to assist with following the snowshoe trails and answer questions. Snowshoers are asked to meet in the church parking lot, we anticipate having extra snowshoes available for those who need them. We will be meeting each Saturday at 10:00am during the month of February (weather permitting). Any weather-related cancellations will be posted on the Faith United Church Facebook page.
Mission to Support Our Greater Community
Faith United Church has teamed up with the Oswego County Health Department Early Intervention Program and Hear 2 Learn to offer free of charge space each Wednesday for children to receive speech therapy services. Oswego County has many children in need of therapy services and few sites to efficiently provide these services. By offering the use of our education wing as a place in which Hear 2 Learn can provide speech therapy services to children enrolled in the County’s Early Intervention Program, our community is demonstrating our mission to help care for all.
Our Worship Time
Beginning Sunday, April 24th , 2022 – Worship service will begin at 11:15am
- Open dialogues and Christian Education will begin at 10:00am
In order to facilitate growth and innovation, the Commission of Faith United Church has adopted a Sunday worship time of 11:15 am. The Commission’s goal of adopting an 11:15 am worship service is to allow additional time for members and friends to gather on Sunday. Activities previously done after worship service (Christian ed, open dialogues, etc.) will be held prior to the service allowing for additional community building time. After consultation and agreement with Bristol Hill Church (Volney) regarding Sunday worship times, Pastor Andy will perform the early morning service in Volney.
Congregational Meeting set for January 22
A meeting of the congregation of Faith United Church has been set for January 22, 2023 with a backup date of January 29 in the event of inclement weather. The purpose of the meeting is to approve the budget for 2023 and the salary compensation package for the pastor. In order to have a vote you must be a member and attend the meeting in person. The meeting will immediately follow worship.
Sunday Worship
Worship Service: 11:15 am
Coffee Hour/Fellowship: 10:45 am
Adult Study: 10:00 amFor a sample bulletin from a recent Sunday worship service, click here.
To listen to recorded sermons,
How to Find Us
Our street address:
Faith United Church
12 Mark Fitzgibbons Drive
Oswego, New York 13126
Upcoming Events
Adult study meets most Sundays after worship from September until June. In the post-Advent season, we will be discussing social justice issues using commentaries and essays from the UCC's "Witness for Justice" webpage.
The March meeting of the book group will be held on the 3rd at 2 pm. We will discuss Lydia Millet's book Dinosaurs. The book group will not meet in February.
Announcements
We Have a Method for Making Electronic Donations to Faith United Church
The Presbyterian Foundation, in cooperation with Vanco Payment Solutions has provided us with a new way to make electronic donations to Faith United Church. With this new method, you now have to ability to schedule regular automatic donations, or to make individual, one time donations to the church's general fund, to the building fund, or to the special offering fund, (any or all of them) as you wish. For details, please see our donation page.
Hybrid worship services are now being offered
Ever since Sunday, May 2, 2021; the Faith United community has been able to participate in Sunday morning worship service via Zoom and in-person. Full guidelines for in-person worship are posted below.
Please keep an open and flexible mind as we continue to transition into the post pandemic world. We will be requesting constructive feedback to make the worship service as meaningful as we can for ALL participants.
We have learned a lot during the past year of online worship. The most important lesson has been that we are a community that is no longer confined within walls. We have had visitors, long distant relatives, and snowbirds join in worship from coast to coast. Our goal during this time of transition is to create an experience that universally connects those in-person with those online. This means the sanctuary will have the necessary technology to accomplish this goal. The technology used at present will most likely not be the final setup for our future worship experience. As we have demonstrated form the beginning of this pandemic, we are willing to experiment, listen, try, and grow during this process.
Guidelines for in-person worship
Regarding Church building COVID guidelines: It is our intention to follow the CDC guidelines regarding masks and distancing.
Mask wearing is now optional inside the building. Anyone who wishes to wear a mask will not be discouraged from doing so.
Worship service will be conducted in a “hybrid” manner (people attending via Zoom and/or physically). These guidelines will be reviewed at each Commission Meeting and updated as the CDC and New York State Health Department COVID-19 guidelines evolve.
Stay Home If:
- You have a temperature of 100.4˚ or higher.
- You have other symptoms of illness. (CDC Guidelines)
Cough or Chills
Shortness of breath or Muscle pain
Difficulty breathing
Sore throat
Fever
Loss of taste or smell - You have been exposed in the past 5 days to someone with COVID-19 or COVID-19 symptoms or have tested positive for COVID-19. If there is any chance you might be a risk to others, please stay home.
When Coming to in-person Church:
- In consideration of the latest CDC guidelines, mask wearing is now optional for people attending indoor gatherings, such as Sunday worship. Even so, if you do not feel well, please stay home and join us on Zoom.
- Hand sanitizer continues to be available in the dispensers on the way in and out of church.
- WAVE. Please do NOT shake hands or hug. Do not assume the other person is comfortable with physical contact, even if you know they are fully vaccinated.
- Please use a tissue or otherwise cover your mouth/nose if you cough or sneeze.
In-Person Guidelines:
- In-person attendees will “sign-in” upon arriving at the building for Sunday morning service (This information will only be used if someone attends service who tests positive for COVID-19). This is in lieu of our former practice of "passing the friendship pads."
- Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the building.
- Offering plates will be available at the sanctuary exit. If you wish to make an offering, simply drop your donation in the plate. This is in lieu of our former practice of passing a collection plate.
- In-person singing of hymns by congregants is permitted.
- Music will continue to be a significant part of the service. We have not yet transitioned back to a full choir. Our music will either be prerecorded, or a soloist may be used in-person with physical distancing.
- All words for hymns and readings will be printed or projected.
- Coffee hour refreshments have been re-instituted on a limited basis. Pre-packaged food and drink are available for those more comfortable with that option .
- Communion elements will be served individually so as limit person to person contact. Pre-packaged elements will continue to be available. The practice of intinction has been indefinitely suspended.
NOTE:
If anyone who attends worship tests positive or develops symptoms, please call the church office without delay.
News from Discipleship Committee
- The Discipleship committee is collecting new board-books for the children who are attending the "Hear to Learn" and "Thrive by Five" speech therapy programs held in our church. Donations may be placed in the labeled box in the hallway by the bulletin board.
Adult Study
Adult Study is held most weeks right after the Sunday worship service, except during the months of July and August when we meet once a month. In the post-Advent season we will be making use of the UCC's "Witness for Justice" series of commentaries for the basis of our discussions.
Request from the Mission Committee
Follow up on the Pentecost/Strengthen the Church Special Offering
We will be sending our part of the PCUSA Pentecost special offering money that is reserved for local use to the Salvation Army and the Human Concerns Center. We will supplement this money with funds from the PCUSA Mission Initiative grant. Each organization will receive $300.00.
Presbyterian Mission Initiative
Money from the PCUSA Mission Initiative grant will also be used to support Oswego Welcomes New Americans. Money for this project will also be taken from Budgeted Special Program money along with money sent by the UCC Oneida Association. We are blessed to have sources of generous money to help these worthy organizations.
The Fitzhugh Park Elementary School Scholarship
Faith United Church is now sponsoring a scholarship for a graduating Oswego High School senior who attended Fitzhugh Park Elementary School. The Mission Committee is pleased to announce that Brenna Williams has won the first Fitzhugh Park Scholarship offered by our church to an Oswego High School senior who attended Fitzhugh Park Elementary School. The scholarship is for $250.00. Brenna plans to attend Jefferson Community College and eventually become an art teacher. We all wish Brenna well with her studies and plan to meet her soon.
Trivia Night for Blessings in a Backpack
A Message From Our Pastor, Andy Hinman
Welcome to Faith United Church of Oswego. As the new settled Pastor, my goal is to continue this congregation’s long standing commitment of providing congregants, visitors, and those longing for acceptance an open and welcoming experience.
We are all in various stages of navigating a life journey that will contain all kinds of obstacles, some of which may shake our core beliefs. However, in those times of hardship God is present placing loving miracles to lift us up and remind us that we are unconditionally loved and accepted. As a community that accepts and reciprocates the teachings and love of Jesus Christ, Faith United is a safe haven free of judgment in which all can come together to live in the renewed hope of Christ.
In the safety of community, we have the opportunity to learn Christ’s teachings while applying what we learn to our own lives.This means that we must be open to being uncomfortable at times, as we realize that we are ever changing individuals exploring and uncovering the talents God has placed within us, sharing those gifts with the community and world around us to uplift and build up those in need.
How to join Sunday morning services on Zoom
If you would like to join our new live stream service offering, please join us at 9:15am Sunday morning.
There are two ways to join:
1. Click on the following link from your smart phone or computer: https://zoom.us/j/207196571
a. If you have not used the Zoom application in the past, you will be asked to download and install this free application.
b. Once Zoom has been installed, you will be connected to the worship service (you may have to re click on the above link if you are not automatically joined)
c. You will be prompted whether or not you would like to share your video and audio; this decision is completely up to you and will not impact your ability to see or hear the worship service.
d. I am sorry that we will not have live support available to assist you during this process, but please email me with questions or difficulties you encounter so that these can be addressed for future services.
2. Join the worship service over traditional phone service (no video but you will be able to hear the worship service) Warning: long distance charges may apply depending on your phone plan!!
2. Join the worship service over traditional phone service (no video but you will be able to hear the worship service) Warning: long distance charges may apply depending on your phone plan!!
a. For this option, please dial one of the following numbers and follow the prompts:
i. Dial by your location
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 301 715 8592 US
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US
Meeting ID: 207 196 571
How to Find Us
Faith United Church is located on the south side of Mark Fitzbibbons Drive next to Oswego Middle School. Our building is totally handicapped accessible with off-street parking available.
Working Hours
Secretary: Mon, Tues, Thurs, and Fri. 10am - 2pm
Where are we?
12 Mark Fitzgibbons Drive
Oswego, NY 13126
Phone: 315 343-3480
secretary@faithunitedoswego.org
faithunited1@gmail.com