A MESSAGE FROM THE REV. LINDSEY ALTVATER CLIFTON: GROWTH AND COMMUNITY
FPCB Friends,
No matter what is going on in the world, hearing young people sing together always gives me a bit of hope that everything just might be OK. That was certainly the case this past Sunday with the Artefact choral scholars leading us in worship and sharing their gifts at that afternoon’s concert. Much gratitude to all of the people connected to our church and music department who made such a vibrant partnership possible—I know it was an incredible amount of work to organize and make happen!
I’m also moved by the growth and community that those 
students shared in our building during the five days of their intensive; to me, that is a beautiful example of our resources doing God’s work in the world, especially among students who might not otherwise experience belonging and nurture in a church setting.
It was also energizing to hear about the work that a couple more nonprofit partners—Turning Point Lehigh Valley and Third Steet Alliance—are doing in the community to meet the needs of housing insecure families and to continue engaging in conversation about how faith communities can be part of that work alongside them.
If you missed our Linger & Learn session after Sunday’s worship service (or struggled with the audio volume in the sanctuary), you can view the recording on our Facebook page or use this link. (We’re already thinking about logistical changes for the August 13 session to improve the participant experience, both in person and online.)
As we began the Linger & Learn, I shared a bit of an update from the Strategic Mission Steering Committee, and that information seemed helpful to offer here, as well. The Steering Committee is engaged in ongoing conversations with local nonprofit partners (some of whom we’ve met with multiple times) as we explore possible opportunities for the adaptive re-use of our vastly underutilized building.
These co-location possibilities offer a path toward direct community impact, and such partnerships would also help generate needed capital funds and operating income to move us toward long-term financial sustainability. We anticipate beginning an architectural feasibility study to inform those dialogues in the coming weeks.
The Steering Committee is also researching and interviewing possible consultants and partners to help guide our wider campus planning and redevelopment efforts, and we expect to be ready to begin congregational and community engagement on more specific possibilities for our property in the fall.
There are surely still more questions than answers, but God’s faithfulness and the Spirit’s guidance in this strategic, missional work is deeply moving to me. With our collective focus on being Christ’s hands and feet among our most vulnerable neighbors (and using our resources toward that end), I am confident that we will experience transformation, renewal, and vitality unlike we can even imagine. It will be challenging in moments—change and growth always are—but what a gift to be invited to reimagine church and co-create with God in this way!
Blessings for the journey, dear ones.
Lindsey