Programs
Faith United Church has a variety of programs and activities that are not only engaging for the mind and body but also nurturing for the soul.
Choir
Under the direction of Jake Shannon, Faith United's choir sings a wide variety of music from traditional pieces such as Stainer's "God So Loved the World" and gospel music such as Moses Hogan's "Hear My Prayer" to contemporary selections such as "Open the Eyes of My Heart" by Baloche and Byrne. The choir rehearses weekly on Wednesdays at 7 pm in the church choir room with a follow up rehearsal in the Sanctuary Sunday morning at 8:45 am. No matter if you are a beginner or a veteran singer, you are welcome to join us.
Filling the Well
(Our Spirituality Group)
Tuesday evening Spiritual Study, from 7-8 pm. Meetings take place the second Tuesday of each month.
Monthly small group discussions focusing on significant life topics and spiritual balance. Participants are encouraged to suggest topics for discussion. All are welcomed. For more information contact secretary@faithunitedoswego.org. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, we are meeting remotely via Zoom.
Sessions are currently on hold but will resume in the fall.
Open Dialogue
Open Dialogue sessions offer an opportunity for discussion of matters of importance to the faith community. Due to the later start time for our worship services, Open Dialogue are now being held before the Sunday worship service rather than after.
Our most recent Open Dialogue session was held on September 17 at 10 am. Open Dialogue will resume again in the coming months. If you'd like to join us, please use the same Zoom meeting link you would use for Sunday worship.
Faith Circle
All are welcome to Faith Circle, which is a group of individuals who meet once a month to explore and nurture our faith through discussion, Bible study, prayer and fellowship. In the past year we’ve had 4 or 5 women attend our meetings (men are welcome as well!) from 10:30 AM until 11:30 AM, usually on the third Thursday of each month from September through May.
We are currently using the curriculum developed by Presbyterian Women/Horizons Bible Study of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Recently we have had a focus on Paul and his teachings as exemplified in II Corinthians and we explored the theme of water from Genesis to Revelation. We have also studied the nature of Jesus as viewed from the perspective of each of the following: the four Gospels, other New and Old Testament writings, excerpts from non-canonical Gospels, beliefs of other Abrahamic Faiths, and in relation to contemporary cultural interpretations. We recently finished the study of God’s Promise I Am With You as found throughout the Bible. While there is a unifying theme throughout the study, each monthly lesson is self-contained to accommodate those who cannot be present every month. Members of the group may volunteer to serve as the facilitator of the lesson, using the study guide and additional resources.
We welcome new members as we read, discuss, listen, think, learn and support each other on our faith journey.
Adult Study
Adult Study, is an active part of our Christian Education program. We meet nearly every Sunday morning at 10:00 am before the worship service. In adult study we have discussed a wide variety of topics ranging from theological matters such as "stewardship" and the "sacraments" to contemporary issues such as "gun control" and "racial profiling". Our source material has included the UCC's Witness For Justice webpage commentaries as well as Thoughtful Christian study packs. We have also discussed the writings of contemporary authors on moral/theological matters such as C. S. Lewis, John Polkinghorne, Walter Brueggemann, and Barbara Brown Taylor. Although occasionally our discussions on a given theme may range over several weeks, each Sunday session is a self-contained unit and persons are welcome to join us at any time. We also have the capability to bring home-bound participants to our discussion table via video conferencing apps such as Skype or Zoom. Each summer, we discuss one or two novels that features theological/moral themes. This summer, on the last Sunday in July we will discuss Nickolas Butler's novel Little Faith. On the last Sunday in August we will discuss Silas House's novel Southernmost. Now that pandemic restrictions are easing, we have moved to "hybrid" sessions with some folks being physically present in the church building while others participate on-line via Zoom. If you would like to join us on Zoom, please use the same Zoom meeting link as for the regular Sunday worship service.
Book Group
The Faith United book group typically meets on the third Friday of each month at 2 pm. During the pandemic we have met virtually on Zoom but have now resumed in person meetings . Our December meeting will be on the 15th at 2 pm. We will be discussing Murder at an Irish Christmas by O'Connor. Contact Barbara Wall for more information.