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| Rev. Darrell Goodwin, Rev. Jenny Rankin, and Sarah Klockowski |
In another episode of Go Tell it On The Mountain, Executive Conference Minister, the Rev. Darrell Goodwin interviewed Rev. Jenny Rankin, Interim Pastor, and Sarah Klockowski, Ministerial Intern & Communications Coordinator, at First Parish Lincoln in Lincoln, MA.
Both Rev. Rankin and Klockowski shared what they were excited about in recent times at their church.
Rev. Rankin spoke to the determination and resilience of the congregation, saying the people "did not give up on each other, on me, and on the church." She shared the history of the church, going back to the 1740s when it was founded, and explaining that the church became a dual denomination church in the 1940s when the Congregational Church and the Unitarian church became one community church.
Klockowski also shared her excitement at the way the church has engaged in difficult conversations. The church is in transition following a relatively brief time with a settled pastor. In recent time, they have begun a number of conversations about who they are as a church and what they represent as a spiritual entity. Being of two denominations, the church has discussed its own differences and ways in which they can be church together.
"And I feel that there is a willingness to really expand this theological imagination of what has gone before," said Klockowski. "And now what does that mean for today and how do we move forward from here in light of COVID, in light of the increasing awareness of our own privilege, and the injustices that continue around us."
Rev. Goodwin asked Klockowski to share some of her journey as a Member-In-Discernment at the church. Klockowski shared some of her Pentecostal background and explained that working as the communications coordinator at First Parish gave her the opportunity to re-evaluate some of her theology. It gave her the practical experience needed to think about how she might live out the vocation of ministerial work. She is now moving forward with the MID process in the United church of Christ.
First Parish Lincoln does hold in-person worships on Sunday mornings, as well as the opportunity to join through Zoom. In-person worship does require registration and some inquiries about COVID, as well as precautions taken on sight. More information, including how to register, is available on the church website: www.fplincoln.org.
Watch the full interview here:
Both Rev. Rankin and Klockowski shared what they were excited about in recent times at their church.
Rev. Rankin spoke to the determination and resilience of the congregation, saying the people "did not give up on each other, on me, and on the church." She shared the history of the church, going back to the 1740s when it was founded, and explaining that the church became a dual denomination church in the 1940s when the Congregational Church and the Unitarian church became one community church.
Klockowski also shared her excitement at the way the church has engaged in difficult conversations. The church is in transition following a relatively brief time with a settled pastor. In recent time, they have begun a number of conversations about who they are as a church and what they represent as a spiritual entity. Being of two denominations, the church has discussed its own differences and ways in which they can be church together.
"And I feel that there is a willingness to really expand this theological imagination of what has gone before," said Klockowski. "And now what does that mean for today and how do we move forward from here in light of COVID, in light of the increasing awareness of our own privilege, and the injustices that continue around us."
Rev. Goodwin asked Klockowski to share some of her journey as a Member-In-Discernment at the church. Klockowski shared some of her Pentecostal background and explained that working as the communications coordinator at First Parish gave her the opportunity to re-evaluate some of her theology. It gave her the practical experience needed to think about how she might live out the vocation of ministerial work. She is now moving forward with the MID process in the United church of Christ.
First Parish Lincoln does hold in-person worships on Sunday mornings, as well as the opportunity to join through Zoom. In-person worship does require registration and some inquiries about COVID, as well as precautions taken on sight. More information, including how to register, is available on the church website: www.fplincoln.org.
Watch the full interview here:
Author
Drew Page
Drew Page is the Media and Data Manager for the Southern New England Conference, and a member of the Conference's Communications Team. He writes and edits news, blogs, and devotionals, produces video, and spends a week each summer as a Dean at Silver...