A Hundred and Twenty Years on Grant Avenue
Living Hope Church stands at 29 Grant Avenue in the village of Endicott, in Broome County's Southern Tier. The building has been a steady presence on this block since 1906, when the congregation began with 32 charter members. Through two World Wars, the rise and fall of the Endicott-Johnson shoe company, the COVID-19 pandemic, and countless seasons of local change, the church has continued to gather for worship at the same address. In 2020, after extended seasons of prayer, the congregation changed its name from First Presbyterian Church of Endicott to Living Hope Church. The new name was meant to serve as a banner over the mission statement: honor God by making more disciples of Jesus Christ. The phrase "Hope Lives Here" anchors the church's identity to this day.
What the Sunday Service Looks Like
Worship takes place on Sunday mornings at 9:30. The Connections Team is in the gathering area starting at 9:25, ready to greet first-time guests and answer questions. The main sanctuary sits beyond the glass double doors at the front of the building, and the service is livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook each week for those who cannot attend in person.
The worship style is blended. A contemporary worship team leads songs such as "Waymaker," "Great Are You Lord," "King of Kings," and "Christ Be Magnified." For those who prefer a more traditional sound, the church also offers recordings of organ, harp, and piano music in a separate online collection. The preaching is organized into multi-week series that work through books of the Bible or focused topics. Recent series have included "Set Free: A Study on Galatians," "Rethink: A Lenten Study in Ecclesiastes," "The Forgotten Gift: Finding Rest in Rediscovering Sabbath," and the current series "Reclaiming Revelation." Rev. Jeff Talbert is the primary preaching pastor.
Dress runs the full range. Members arrive in everything from suits to shorts. The welcome center in the gathering area holds contact cards, a small gift for first-time visitors, and staff ready to help orient newcomers.
Finding the Building and Parking
The building is easy to find from the highway, but the parking setup catches first-time guests off guard. Two lots serve the church. The larger Monroe Street lot sits at the corner of Monroe and McKinley; from the highway, drivers turn left at that first light and immediately right into the lot. From there, guests walk around the building to the main entrance on Grant Avenue. The Grant Avenue lot sits beside the main entrance; turn left at the Monroe and McKinley light, right onto Grant Avenue, and then right again into the lot just past the church. Follow the sidewalk back to the glass double doors, which open into the gathering area just outside the sanctuary.
Hope | Kids: From Nursery Through Fifth Grade
Children's ministry is a major part of Sunday morning. The program is called Hope | Kids. Children check in at the gathering area before the 9:30 service, join the congregation in the sanctuary for the first portion of worship, and are then dismissed to their teachers and small group classrooms. Every teacher and helper is background checked.
The Nursery serves children from birth through age three and is located in the upstairs education wing. Hope | Kids for Pre-K through fifth grade occupies a recently renovated space in the lower level of the education wing, divided into a 4-year-old through 1st grade classroom, a 2nd through 4th grade classroom, and a transitional 5th grade classroom. Around 10:40 each Sunday, all of the classrooms gather in the Rec Room for Hope | Kids Large Group, a short time of singing, sharing God moments, and praying together. Parents are encouraged to come down after the main service ends and pick up their children in person.
Hope | Kids Club is a free Thursday morning program for four-year-olds that runs October through June, from 11:30 to 12:30, in the Hope | Kids space. The club focuses on Bible stories, crafts, and games designed for preschoolers. Vacation Bible School runs for a week each summer, with a half-day program for children from age four through fifth grade. The church also supports summer camps and fall overnights at area Christian camps, and offers camp scholarships to families in the congregation.
LHC Youth: Future | Hope and Fresh | Hope
Middle and high school students gather as LHC Youth on Sunday mornings from 11:00 to 1:00 in the Monroe House. The program splits into two groups. Future | Hope serves sixth graders, and Fresh | Hope covers seventh through twelfth grade. The goal is to provide a safe place for teenagers to talk about their lives and faith journey, and to teach them both head and heart knowledge of Jesus.
The youth ministry runs several special events through the year. Fall Fest is a community outreach where the youth run games and help younger children participate. Cocoa and Carols is a Christmas season outreach that bakes cookies and gathers cocoa supplies for shut-ins and families who need a little extra Christmas cheer. The Valentine's Dinner pairs a youth-served community meal with a NERF Night childcare option, giving parents a free evening out during Lent. A Lent Event walks teens and their families through Holy Week. Each year, the youth attend a weekend retreat or summit in March with other area churches, and Children and Youth Celebration Sundays close out the school year with a recognition of what God has done through the ministries.
Endicott Preschool
The Endicott Preschool has been part of the church's ministry since 1963, when church members saw a need for a safe, caring place for the community's young children. Today the preschool serves more than 150 three- and four-year-olds. It operates as a separate ministry of the church with its own education and business directors, and it is open to families across the area regardless of church membership.
Small Groups, Starting Point, and Alpha
Small groups are the backbone of the church's life together. The congregation offers online groups, in-person groups, and hybrid groups that vary in age, life stage, gender, interest, and service focus. Some groups meet for Bible study around the week's sermon, others for mentoring, service projects, or simply sharing life. The pandemic years produced an active online community, with members like Linda Harrington joining Alpha online and a Mentoring Moms group from afar, and Mark and Sandra Welsh participating by Zoom from hospital rooms during Sandra's cancer treatment. The church points to these stories as proof that geography is no barrier to genuine fellowship.
Two structured on-ramps help newcomers get connected. Starting Point is an informal gathering held on the fourth Sunday of each month in the sanctuary after the service. Lead Pastor Jeff Talbert and a rotating staff member or elder sit at the front to answer questions about the church, beliefs, baptism, membership, and how to get involved. Alpha runs as a separate multi-week course that explores the basics of the Christian faith through short videos and small group discussion. Both are designed for people who are curious but not yet committed.
Baptism in the Reformed Tradition
Living Hope practices both infant baptism and believer baptism. Parents presenting infants for baptism are welcomed, and adult believers are invited to be baptized as a public declaration of faith. Those who were baptized as children without yet understanding its meaning are invited to renew their baptismal vows. Baptism is described as an act of obedience, not a means of salvation. The church regularly schedules baptism Sundays and welcomes inquiries from anyone interested.
What the Church Believes
Living Hope is a member congregation of ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians, within the broader Reformed tradition of the Christian faith. The Holy Scriptures are held as the highest authority, and the historic confessions of the church help interpret what Scripture teaches.
The church teaches belief in one God revealed in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All people have sinned and need a Savior. Jesus Christ is the one mediator between God and humanity, the only way to the Father, who died for sins and rose again. Salvation is by grace through faith alone. Jesus will return bodily and visibly to judge all and to receive his people to himself. Believers look forward to the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. The Bible is the inspired Word of God and the only rule of faith and obedience. Christians are called to worship, to fellowship, to love and serve all people regardless of status, and to make disciples of all nations. The Holy Spirit is God's transforming presence at work in and through believers.
The summary statement at the heart of the church's identity is short and direct: Imperfect People Sharing the Hope of a Perfect Savior.
Mission and Community Partnerships
The vision statement calls the congregation to have A Heart for Our Communities. Mission giving supports both local and global partnerships and dozens of relationships that members invest in through finances, volunteer hours, and prayer.
Locally, Compassion Builders is a ministry based out of the church that repairs and builds housing for those in need. Mother Teresa's Cupboard is a faith-based food pantry and emergency assistance center in Endicott, open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Tuesday from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., supported by the church through donations and volunteer help. BCCC's Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse distributes more than two million pounds of food each year through nearly 100 partner agencies, and Living Hope contributes financially and with volunteers. Other local partners include Mercy House (a community care shelter for people with terminal illnesses), RISE (formerly the SOS Shelter, offering domestic violence services), the Food Bank of the Southern Tier, the Binghamton Rescue Mission, the Joe Santacrose Foundation (which collects and delivers furniture and appliances to people in need), Renovation House (a Christ-centered residential discipleship program for people struggling with addiction), the Samaritan Counseling Center, Life Choices Center in Binghamton, the Fattal Community Free Clinic, Good Shepherd Communities, United Methodist Homes, the Southern Tier Community Center, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Binghamton University, LeTourneau Christian Center, Mosaic, YoungLife, and Mansfield Climbing Center, which was begun by a church family as a free student outreach venue.
Globally, the church has long-standing relationships in Kenya. Nanda Hostel is home to 135 children who receive food, shelter, education, and Christian formation on a seven-acre compound. The congregation partners with the Presbyterian Church of East Africa to build churches and schools, drill bore holes for clean water, and run rescue centers for girls at risk of early arranged marriage. Tribal church partnerships support pastors and congregations who have endured persecution and are rebuilding their communities. Wilson Rehabilitation Foundation, founded by church member Dr. Doug Kerr, improves orthopedic care for disabled children in Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Cameroon. Each year the church also designates funds to support ECO church plants in the northeastern United States.
Additional mission giving supports International Justice Mission, which combats trafficking, slavery, and violence against the poor, and World Renew, which addresses global poverty, food security, and disaster response.
The Staff and Leadership
Lead Pastor Jeff Talbert leads preaching and overall direction. Sharon Early oversees Connecting Ministries. Nathan Jacobs directs Production, Technology, Communication, and Worship. Jamie Jacobs leads Small Groups and serves as Worship Leader. Jesse Galli is the Children and Youth Ministry Director and the point of contact for Hope | Kids, LHC Youth, and camp scholarship applications. Ronne Sisco is the Preschool Education Director, and Jane Kamper serves as Preschool Business Director, Treasurer, and LHC Office Administrator. Kyle Bolles is the Maintenance Supervisor, and Heather O'Connor provides Facilities Support.
Giving and Digital Tools
The church offers several ways to give. Online giving is available through the church's online portal and the Church Center mobile app. Text-to-give works by texting any amount to 84321. Cash or check gifts can be placed in the secure offering box near the sanctuary door or mailed directly to the church at 29 Grant Ave, Endicott, NY 13760. The church teaches that giving is a joyful response to God's grace rather than an obligation, and that generosity supports ministry, missions, and the work of the gospel both locally and globally.
The Church Center app also serves as a hub for event registration, small group signups, volunteer opportunities, and on-campus check-in. A weekly email newsletter called Hopeful News keeps subscribers informed about upcoming events and ministry news.
Finding More
The message archive holds hundreds of past sermons, organized by series, speaker, and topic. A separate collection of student media offers years of children's lessons with downloadable PDF guides for parents and teachers. Recordings include both contemporary worship selections and traditional organ, harp, and piano selections.
Living Hope Church continues to gather each Sunday at 29 Grant Avenue in Endicott, offering worship, teaching, community, and a deep commitment to serving the neighborhoods of the Southern Tier and the world beyond.