Mission Statement for Transition

Abbreviated mission study

 

Mission Statement:

“Because we love God and we love our Neighbor as ourselves, We proclaim through word and deed, unity in Christ and with one another, spreading the joy, serving others, and inviting them to join in that relationship with our loving God.

 

Stillwater United Church is a small, but strong, Presbyterian church in upstate New York that is seeking a part-time pastor. We currently have a membership of 64, with an average Sunday attendance of 35.

We offer Sunday school classes that use a curriculum that follows the lectionary. A few young children attend on a weekly basis.

 

                                             Finances

We survived the pandemic in a stronger position than a lot of churches, even though our building was shut down for over 5 months. We currently struggle with a very inconsistent cash flow as we continue to move forward in faith. Some of the weekly offerings are not what we hope for, but we have not had to dip into our reserves since prior to the pandemic. We instituted an electronic giving program that has been helpful. We are fortunate to have a good Board of Trustees, and a church Treasurer with a 36-year tenure to safeguard our finances.

 

                                               Short Term Goals

Our short-term goal is to find a pastor that will help us reach our vision and mission goals through encouragement and guidance. This person needs to use good communication skills and positive action to equip and empower our congregation, as well as provide motivation, good listening, an openness to ideas and concerns, and visions.

 

                                                Long Term Goals

 

Our vision is to be a growing community serving in joy! Stillwater United is a congregation that is Christ centered and prayerful with a deep fellowship among the congregation. We possess a strong sense of community and are a caring church. This is seen in the support we provide our members, to those within the community, and beyond. This is part of our mission. Our strength is in the support of one another. Our lay leadership is strong and effective with three excellent, hard-working boards: Session, Deacons, and Board of Trustees. Music is a vital part of worship and deepens the spiritual experience of worshippers. The talented Choir Director/Organist has led our volunteer, spirit-filled choir for over 30 years. The congregation feels that music – and the choir – are important to worship. We also have a Pastoral Prayer group that reaches out spiritually to those in need in our church family and the community at large. We would look to expand offerings in Christian Education and study by offering Bible and book studies on a consistent basis for both youth and adults.

 

Our vision for the future would also include continuing our many ministries that serve the community – both locally and world-wide. The Stillwater United food pantry was started by our Deacons and continues in our building. Stillwater Attic Angels is also located in our building, providing free clothing to those in need. In addition, we sponsor twice-yearly blood drives and provide free breakfasts to the community once a month. We have a local mission fund to support those locally in immediate need. We support world-wide missions, such as One Great Hour of Sharing, Disaster Relief donations, Blanket Sunday, and other collections as needed. This past year we partnered with To Love a Child and sewed over 200 dresses, 50 pairs of shorts and donated underwear to their mission in Zimbabwe.

 

                                           Who Have We Been

The current church building was built in 1873 on the lot that once housed the original Baptist Church (organized in 1836). The three local protestant churches formed a federation in 1947, combining the First Methodist (Methodist Episcopal) Church, the Schoonmaker Memorial Presbyterian Church, and the Second Baptist Church. After unification in 1952, it became the Stillwater United Church, Presbyterian, U.S.A. The current church building was chosen for the new church since it had room for growth. It is now listed on the prestigious NYS and National Registries of Historic Places in recognition of the importance of the property to the history of our country. To maintain and preserve our building for future generations of worshippers, a major capital campaign was undertaken in 2003. The original goal of the campaign was $240,000. After work was begun, we discovered that some projects needed a lot more extensive work than was originally planned and some additional projects needed to be added. To date, the total cost of the completed projects is $712,000, with most of the costs covered by donations, pledges, and fundraisers, planned by some of our creative thinkers. Halfway through the process, we were able to secure a Home Equity Loan through a local bank to help with cash flow. The balance of the Home Equity Loan will be paid off in 2024.

 

                                               Our Community

Stillwater is an historic town, located in Saratoga County, in upstate New York.

We are in close proximity to historic sites (Saratoga National Battleground, Grant’s Cottage), recreational areas (Saratoga Race Tracks, Lake George, The Adirondack Mountains, Lake Placid), shopping areas (Saratoga Springs, Albany, Outlets of Lake George), and cultural venues (Proctors Theater, Palace Theater, Capital Rep, Saratoga Performing Art Center, Hyde Museum).

We have easy access to transportation – Albany Airport, Amtrack, and the NYS Thruway.

 

© 2024 Stillwater United Church
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