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MISSION STUDY REPORT
The First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown has lived for 325 years. While we have sought always to be faithful in Christian witness, we have used this interim time (after a pastor of twenty-five years retired and before we seek to call another pastor) as an opportunity for reflection. The mission study process has enabled us to renew our vision, restate our mission, review who we are and how we serve God and strategize new ways of being and becoming who we are as Christ's church in the world.
The First Presbyterian
Church of Smithtown shares with Christ his vision of the Kingdom of God:
a world redeemed from death in all its forms-mortal death as well as death
through hunger, depression, poverty, indifference, cruelty, disease, and
more as caused by human sin. Our vision as a church is to overcome death
with life by becoming more faithful representatives of Christ in this
time and place.
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Our mission is to be a Christian community
contagious with the joyful and transforming reality of Jesus Christ.
Our mission is about changing lives -
through vital conversation with God in worship, scripture study, prayer, and music;
through exploration ofo Chtist's life and work in classroom, on retreat, in service;
through discerning God's Spirit in relationships with the lenses of compassion and justice
Seeking signs of healing and hope for our congregation,
our personal depths, our community and our larger world.
Our mission takes place on one of the busiest corners in Smithtown
as the reality of Christ intersects our lives and transforms
175 East Main Street into the meeting place of
the love of Godand the love of neighbor.
First Presbyterian
Church of Smithtown is "the church on the corner" in the center of the
affluent community of Smithtown, New York. The congregation consists of
535 confirmed members (339 female and 196 male) and 195 children ages
birth to ninth grade. The racial ethnic composition of the church is predominately
Caucasian, which is reflective of the makeup of the surrounding community.
Our lay leadership includes officers (18 elders, 12 deacons, and 9 trustees)
plus many other active members serving on a multitude of committees. Our
year 2000 general fund budget was approximately $235,000 with an additional
$42,000 pledged to benevolences. Our mission giving is supplemented through
significant financial contributions toward special projects and various
partnering ventures. This church also manages a substantial portfolio
of endowment funds that are used for various designated purposes.
(Click
here to view church statistics.)
Numerous "Opportunities for Faith" exist within our congregation. Some of these are highlighted here:
Adult Work Committee - Plans and coordinates educational programs for the adults in the congregation including Bible Study, Lenten programs, the Summer Movie Festival, conversation groups, dialogues and lay retreats.
Children's Work Committee - Works in partnership with parents by providing experiences in the faith community that help children know, love and serve God. Ministry is provided through our excellent Biblically and theologically grounded Sunday School, nursery care, Vacation Bible School and various special events such as "Super Sunday," Christmas programs, the Easter Egg/Bible Treasure Hunt and church family brunches.
Church and Community Committee - Responds to Christ's call to serve those in need in God's community, both locally and globally. Our congregation participates in such programs as Bread for the World, "One Great Hour of Sharing," Habitat for Humanity, Oxfam America, Lenten activities and the Peacemaking Offering.
Flower Guild - Beautifies our Sanctuary and Narthex by arranging flowers for Sunday services and special occasions. Flowers are offered in memory of loved ones, in celebration of baptisms, anniversaries, weddings, birthdays and other special events. As part of our ministry to shut-ins, our Deacons distribute flowers after Sunday services.
Music Program - Offers opportunities to perform in multiple voice and handbell choirs to everyone, Grade 2 through senior citizens.
Presbyterian Women - Allows all women in the congregation to be involved with an inclusive caring community of women who meet for Bible study, fellowship, spiritual development, service projects and mission work. Four separate circles each meet on a monthly basis providing something for everyone.
Smithtown Presbyterian Youth (SPY) - Serves the needs of youth in Grade 10 through young adults. Our youth program is designed to develop future leadership in our church and make our youth responsible stewards of God's gifts in the world.
Westminster Student Organization (WSO) - Serves the needs of the youth in Grades 7-9. They learn the Word through instruction and do the Word through various mission projects, fellowship, outreach and evangelism.
Our congregation also offers social opportunities through organizations such as the Highlanders who work with other Church groups to provide fellowship and fun-filled events including the family church picnic, local theater outings, dinners and Christmas caroling. The Softball Team is for diehard players age 18 and beyond and is part of the Town of Smithtown's Church League. Two bridge groups gather monthly in informal settings.
First Presbyterian
Church of Smithtown is proud of its rich history and heritage. This heritage
dates back to 1675 when the first meeting house was built near the mouth
of the Nissequogue River. A monument now marks the approximate location.
The land and the cost of the building were a gift from the children of
Richard Smith, founder of Smithtown. By 1750 the population of the town
had shifted, and the original building was relocated to the property of
the present Church on land donated by Obadiah and Epenetus Smith. The
preacher at that time (1751- 1755) was the Reverend Napthali Daggett.
He became a professor at Yale College, where he subsequently became its
sixth president. The Church was officially incorporated in New York State
on April 29, 1794 and the first trustees were elected. In April of 1823,
the Congregation voted to construct a new building, our current sanctuary.
On September 9, 1827 the Reverend Ithamar Pillsbury officiated at the
dedication of the Presbyterian Meeting House. The Narthex was added in
1898, providing space for Sunday School, meetings and social gatherings.
The organ was installed in 1909. The Church was electrified in 1916. The
Parish Hall was added in 1950. In 1963, the Christian Education wing was
dedicated. The most recent addition of offices was completed in 1975.
On December 23, 1977 the Church was included in the National Register
of Historic Places. The Reverend James W. Hulsey now serves as our 33rd
pastor.
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The congregation
of the First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown disperses to serve God wherever
we are, at work or play, in private life or in the life of society. We
are the church in the world, and we seize the opportunity to prove it
through action in our local community and throughout the world. We support
the Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry that has been in existence for more
than 15 years and are currently in partnership with 6 other local churches
in this endeavor. Members of our congregation contribute generously each
month and staff the pantry for one month out of every seven. Another way
in which we serve the community is through the "Adopt an Angel" program
at Christmas time. This program provides gifts for children and their
families who would not otherwise receive Christmas presents. Families
and friends of our congregation donate these gifts to those referred by
various organizations. During the Christmas of 1999 we served over 280
children. The First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown offers financial
support to other local organizations including: Smithtown Parkinson Center,
Long Island Ministries, Protestant Campus Ministries at SUNY Stony Brook,
Long Island Family Center, and Catherine O'Neill Inn. We as a congregation
also reach out to national and worldwide organizations via financial and
material support including: Church World Service, El Salvador, Stony Point
Conference Center, UNICEF, Presbyterian Conference Center, Warren Wilson
College, Hopi Mission School and the Heifer Project.
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The congregational meetings sponsored by the Mission Study Committee engendered spirited discussion of how best to perform our mission. The meetings included strong affirmation of those things we are already doing well: the importance of family to our congregation, the strong lay leadership taken by both men and women, the central role of music in worship, the ability of the congregation to function and thrive despite significant diversity in doctrinal beliefs, and strong social activism. But much of our time was spent thinking about what more needs to be done and what new needs to be considered to make our church vision reality. The Mission Study Committee took careful record of all the ideas, feelings, feedback, reflections and suggestions that arose from the mission study meetings held with the congregation. We have retained all of these items and will forward them to our Session for further evaluation. What evolved in the process of our meetings was a focus on five themes mirroring a five-fold mission:
• Claiming and Proclaiming Christ
• Worship
• Outreach
• Congregational Nurture
• Education & Communication
CLAIMING AND PROCLAIMING CHRIST
Most Presbyterians, ourselves included, are far less evangelical in the usual sense of the word than members of some other denominations. We discussed after reading Colossians 1:25-29 that all Christians share a common theology: Jesus is not merely a good moral teacher or the founder of our particular religious faith.... Paul declares unequivocally that the very thing each human soul longs for is in Christ....
The centerpiece of everything the church does must be the proclamation of Christ.... Nothing else matters!
(pp. 56-5 7 of the Re-Vision Guidebook)
The results of
our congregational survey suggested that people in our church hunger for
more personal spirituality. Discussions in the congregational mission
study meetings mentioned "needing to share our faith more" and included
comments that people need to be participants in ministry rather than mere
observers. Toward the end of claiming and proclaiming our salvation in
spirit and deed, we have solidified two strategies: Provide structured
resources and opportunities for people to develop individual spiritual
disciplines of worship, prayer and study. This strategy will encourage
us to claim for ourselves the salvation God offers us, enable us to overcome
some of the inhibitions which separate us from a vital, intimate relationship
with God and energize us for mission. One small group chose this as the
single most important strategy for the church to undertake because from
greater personal spirituality, "all else will follow." Challenge families
and individuals from all age groups to put their faith into action and
to proclaim Christ in practical ways by ministering to those in need.
While financial giving is an essential part of stewardship, we as a church
are eager to do more. We want to mow lawns for the elderly, shop for shut-ins,
visit the sick. The church can organize ways for us to do it.
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Worship in our
church is very traditional in liturgy, music, place and time. We draw
comfort and security from the sameness of traditional worship, yet it
seems that many of us desire to experience a deeper sense of worship and
praise. We acknowledge that sincere worship may occur in many ways, according
to the individuality God gives us. To enable all of us to worship God
more fully, we will explore ways to enrich traditional worship with appropriate
alternatives. Some areas to explore include different days and times of
worship, new locations, special themes, contemporary music and sacred
dance, and guest speakers from other traditions. We will strive to retain
the elements of traditional worship that have long nourished our congregation
while supplementing them with meaningful new additions.
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Our church is
blessed by its landmark location in a community surrounded by colleges,
community organizations, and churches and synagogues of many faiths. There
is ample opportunity here for outreach to those in need. To better minister
to our community, we seek to strategize creative partnering with organizations
having common outreach objectives. Some of the specific organizations
suggested include Campus Ministries, Grace Church in Selden, other Presbyterian
churches, and the interfaith churches with which we already participate
in the Thanksgiving community services. Two specific outreach activities
to explore are youth programs (where we have found our comparatively small
youth population a limiting factor) and cross-cultural programs (to compensate
for our own ethnic homogeneity).
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Our congregational mission study meetings were revealing with regard to how we treat each other. Some see our church as warm and friendly to newcomers. Others view us as cliquish and unwelcoming. Some find great personal support from the church in times of crisis while others feel abandoned by us when they are in need. Some are pleased with our ability to accommodate those with special needs; others are unhappy that the barriers of our physical plant keep people with disabilities away. Some believe children should be intentionally integrated into all of our worship services while others are of the opinion that it is more appropriate to limit their participation. Some are certain that we should embrace and encourage everyone to join our church, regardless of theology; others are convinced that theology defines our very essence and should not be compromised. Some discover our strong sense of family to be invitational while others (singles, especially) consider it to be intimidating. At best this diversity of opinion suggests an inconsistent approach to congregational nurture at First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown. Paul commands the church in Galatians 5:13 to serve one another through love. Recognizing the importance of this goal, we call for a three-prong approach to improving the ways we care for each other:
• Explore ways to incorporate children and youth more fully into the life of the church, both in worship and service. This was a major concern of the church (with admittedly diverse opinions) as expressed through the congregational mission study meetings.
• Administer a system to more faithfully and more personally share each other's burdens. Some suggestions included providing transportation, meals or child care for congregants suffering death or illness and helping people in crisis to locate sources of financial aid.
• Organize an approach to improve the openness of our worship services to everyone, especially children, the elderly, the infirm, singles, visitors and new members.
A recurring theme arising from the congregational mission study meetings was the need for us to be better educated and more informed. There is widespread sentiment that many of us never knew (or have long since forgotten) the answers to simple questions. "How do I make a motion in a meeting?" "Who arranges the flowers in the sanctuary?" "I see a leak in the kitchen: who needs to know?" "How can I be reimbursed for a church expense I paid?" "Who says we have to do a mission study?" "If I'm made chairman of a committee, what am I supposed to do?" We also have the perception that our leaders sometimes forget to inform the rest of us about things that affect the life of our church. All of us are the church, and all of us need to know whom we are, what we believe, and how we govern. Just as important, we need to tell each other what we want, what we're doing, and how and when things will be done. Education and communication are the glue that binds us together as a congregation, empowering us to accomplish God's work. In our mission to gain wisdom, we propose the following:
• Offer instruction for the congregation. Proposed topics include leadership training, instruction in the Book of Order, Robert's Rules of Order, Presbyterian government, and Reformed theology. These may be formal or informal, via seminars or retreats or in newsletter articles or bulletin inserts.
• Improve structured avenues of communication among the congregation. Some suggestions include regular reports from both Presbytery and Session in the monthly newsletter and "Committee of the Week" features either in written form through church bulletin inserts and the newsletter, or in person at a table in the Narthex between services.
In the centuries
that have passed since First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown was formed
many things have changed. We recognize our duty to seek God's guidance
in considering our response to those changes. The mission study has helped
us as a congregation to clarify the vision of what our church should be
in this time and place and the mission we need to establish to make that
vision reality. Our goals must be clear in all our minds in preparation
for calling the pastor who will lead us in our faith journey toward them.
The First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown affirms our vision to overcome
death with life by more faithfully representing Christ in this time and
place. To achieve our vision, we will pursue mission both by capitalizing
on our strengths and by actively addressing those areas where the mission
study has highlighted new opportunities.
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