Your Vision Team
Bottom, left to right: Pastor Diane (diane@storrscongchurch.org) , Sue Irvine (susanirvine0@gmail.com). Top, from left: Chris McLean (smoovec89@gmail.com), Jan Castle (jcastlescc@gmail.com) , Ellen Smith (elliemaetuvesmith@gmail.com) , and Paul Schur (paul.m.schur@snet.net).
Our SCC Visioning Process: The Beginning
On Sunday, January 12th, 2025, our congregation was introduced to Rev. Paul Nickerson, our guide along the path, who preached on “A Breathtaking Vision”. Rev. Paul stayed for a Second Hour to share the visioning process and answer questions.
Click here to see the Second Hour meeting with Paul Nickerson
Our SCC Mission reminds us: “We share in God’s love by growing in faith, courageously seeking justice, and generously caring for all people.” How is God calling us to this mission in this new season together?
May the Visioning Process guide our way.
SCC Vision Team Winter Update
January 2026
Visioning Process Overview:
The Storrs Congregational Church Vision Team was created in the late fall of 2024 and began to work together in December. The church contracted with Paul Nickerson to be our visioning consultant and he visited SCC in January 2025 to talk with us about the vision process. Paul invited us to consider three questions: Why do we exist as a church? Where are we going? How will we get there? Together we have been on this journey to address these questions with prayer, reflection on scripture, learning about our community and the needs of those who live here, with ongoing conversations with those here at SCC. You can learn more about this early work in the SCC Vision Team Fall Update.
Community Interviews:
The Vision Team spent time in the late summer and fall interviewing groups and individuals to determine some of the needs in our community. About ten interviews were conducted with UConn staff members, public library staff, SCC parents of young children, a Board of Education member, SCC seniors. The Vision Team is grateful that Linda Blum agreed to interview directors at Mansfield Human Services and the Senior Center. Interviewees were asked about the people they work or interact with, what their needs and concerns are, and how a church could help meet some of those needs.
Purpose Statement:
Paul Nickerson recommended that the Vision Team work with the congregation to create a purpose statement. He suggests it be brief, broad enough to cover the primary work of the church, clear to those in the church and those in the community understand it, and be memorable so it can be easily recalled. Since SCC had recently spent a significant amount of time creating a mission, this naturally led to it being used as a Purpose Statement.
We share in God’s love by growing in faith, courageously seeking justice, and generously caring for all people.
Some may have noticed an increased attention to including the SCC mission in the bulletin and prayers of the church, on meeting agendas (including the Vision Team agendas), and it framed the Vision Team gathering to “Tell Your Story”.
Tell Your Story:
On November 9, the Vision Team hosted “Tell Your Story” of Storrs Congregational Church. All were invited to reflect on how SCC helps us share in God’s love by growing in faith, courageously seeking justice, and generously caring for all people. Many shared touching stories of how they have explored their faith, participated in works of justice, and especially cared and been cared for in the time that they have been at SCC.
Faith examples:
- Music
- Sermons- connections w/our lives
- Lent and Advent activities
- Small group bible studies
- Connecting when serving others.
Experiences of justice:
- Addressing critical issues
- food insecurity
- refugee resettlement
- prison outreach
- Addressing accessibility
Opportunities to volunteer/support
- food pantry, WAIM, Soup Kitchen
- Working to become an ONA church and Just Peace Church
- Justice-oriented sermons
Feeling cared for
- Being welcomed w/no judgement
- A feeling of warmth
- Feeling like a family w/
- intergenerational time together
- Having a library
- Mental health resources.
Care for others
- Emotionally and financially
- Through the food pantry, WAIM
- Caroling
- Supporting refugees
- Feeding, reaching out to students
- Caring ministry
- Angel team for urgent needs
Next Steps:
The Vision Team is excited to host a gathering following our SCC Annual Meeting on January 25, 2026. The purpose is to reflect and dream of where God is calling us in the next 2-3 years. It will be a time to consider what we would like to continue as a church and brainstorm what we could be and do as a congregation in the coming years. The Vision Team is hopeful that many will join us in person on the 25th and there will be opportunities for online participation during the Feb 12th Seniors Connect online meeting at 11:00. If neither of these dates is convenient for you, please get in touch with a vision team member to make other arrangements.
This update is part of the Vision Team’s work to communicate progress. You can find more information at the Vision Team link on the SCC website, on the VT bulletin board in the lounge, and watch for updates in emails, in the bulletin and in The Carillon, or talk to a member of the team. Thank you for your input throughout this journey! As always, we are asking for your prayers for the vision process.
Jan Castle, Sue Irvine (Chair), Chris McLean, Paul Schur, Ellen Smith, and Rev. Diane Seaborn
Remember…
SCC VISION TEAM UPDATES will continue to go out regularly in the Tuesday Enews. You can also see regular updates on our SCC VISION UPDATE PAGE here on the church website.
“…But walking, which leads to seeing, now that’s something. That’s the invitation for every one of us today, and everyday, in every conversation, interaction, event, and moment: to walk, not run. And in doing so, to see a whole world right here within this one.”
from “Walk, Don’t Run” ~Rob Bell
Click here for December 2025 Update
Click here for Fall ’25 Update