advent conspiracy

Via Bishop Martin Townsend, a thoughtful seasonal u-tube posting.
http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

for Koinonea

“The Peace of the Lord Be with You”

Remember those excruciating days, just following the adoption of the present Book of Common Prayer, so many years ago now, when the Exchange of the Peace was a solitary affair? Episcopalians, not having adapted yet to the idea that they might even speak to just anyone who showed up in their church, were certainly not about to touch them—even in a handshake! Sadly, there are some congregations one could point to, even in our own diocese, where that attitude remains largely in force. In many, however, it has been replaced by an opposite practice, which nevertheless indicates that we still don’t understand the purpose of the Exchange of the Peace in our liturgy any more than we used to. I am referring to those places where the Peace sets off a melee of hugging and kissing, catching up on news, making plans for later, and general social interchange among those in the congregation who are friends. The greeting offered is, as often as not, “Good morning!” or “How are you?” and one finds, upon inquiry, that the congregation is rather pleased with itself over how friendly and welcoming they have become. But they are no closer to passing “Peace 101” than their frosty neighbors.

The Exchange of the Peace occurs at a key moment in the Eucharistic liturgy, that miraculous couple of seconds when we have just confessed to God our sins and omissions and have received God’s amazing and liberating forgiveness. In that moment of grace, we are uniquely able to wish upon others, whoever might be near us, known or unknown, that same divine peace we have received. And it is God’s peace we exchange, not ours: it is important to acknowledge that fact by mentioning him in our greeting. The ability to do this is crucial to our participation in the Great Thanksgiving which follows (and, on another, but related subject, the connection between these two elements illustrates why creating a chasm between them by inserting “announcements” is an unfortunate intrusion.) We’ve been taught that our liturgy consists of two parts, Word and Sacrament. But we need reminding that those two parts make one event, and the flow from one to the other should not be disrupted. Likewise, the Passing of the Peace should not be allowed to become such a hoopla that the true climax of the celebration, the sharing of Christ’s Body and Blood, becomes diminished. Presiders are right when, however hesitantly, they intervene to call the congregation back to order for continuation of the liturgy we’ve all come for.

To those congregations who believe a boisterous Peace shows how friendly they are: no it doesn’t. It accentuates to the guests just how out of it all they are, and to the introverts just how socially deficient the others consider them to be.
The mature congregation is one in which the Peace is kindly and freely exchanged with everyone adjacent to each worshiper, with a smile, a handshake, or even a light embrace, as locally appropriate. When few are present (say, under 20), it is fine for all to greet everyone else, with no omissions. It is also important for the nearest ones to move around to greet those who have seated themselves somewhat apart from the pack, and to make sure they include those near them that they don’t know (but not for everyone in a larger group to congregate around the one new family like a pack of Chihuahas on a pork chop!)

As for setting off a general hub-bub of social interaction, we have another set of trigger words for that. They come at the end of the liturgy, after the blessing and concluding hymn, and the dismissal: the people say, “Thanks be to God!”

A Volley from the Canon, #32

A Volley from the Canon, Number 32


Special Liturgies

Most of us Episcopalians believe that liturgy is something we do particularly well, and liturgical worship is important to us. Doing liturgy well takes planning and attention, even when it is of the weekly, ordinary-Sunday variety. “Special” liturgies, the kind that come just occasionally, and may even be unique, require just as much work and careful focus on detail. Yet they can be among the most powerful evangelistic tools we have in our kit.

More than once, I’ve had groomsmen in wedding parties comment to me, “I’ve been in a bunch of weddings lately, but this is the most spiritual one, I’ve ever been to.” And we’ve all heard non-members say, after a burial Eucharist, “Now that is the way a funeral ought to be!” (My favorite was the pastor of a neighboring congregation of another denomination, who asked, “When I die, will you bury me?”)

“Hey, I’m not making this up, I just read it!” I protest. But the point is: our Book of Common Prayer is a priceless resource for heart-moving, life-altering, Good News evangelism, culminating in an “altar call” in which everyone willing comes forward to receive Jesus.

In this coming season, we have several wonderful opportunities to dazzle shepherds, inn-keepers, and wise persons of all varieties with inspiring, celebratory re-tellings of the Greatest Story, all in the context of Holy Eucharist. Because there are extra worship opportunities, special events, and the expectation of guests and travelers, we also have a built-in excuse to do extra advertizing and publicity. Don’t let’s blow it!

• Are your Christmas events and worship opportunities prominently displayed on your website, in your church ads, in newsletters, on signs out front, in special mailings, and on fliers to be posted and distributed? How about your phone answering message?
• Are the Christmas liturgies meticulously planned and choreographed? Are they set at times when people actually will attend rather than fixed by some out-moded tradition?
• Has the Christmas worship team been recruited, trained, and rehearsed? Are there greeters? How about a little eggnog afterward?

There is no guarantee that a tourist bus will pull up out front for our Christ-masses. But there IS a guarantee that we will entertain, perhaps unawares, not only angels, but the Incarnate Christ himself—along with some person or persons he will bring with him who desperately need to experience a magnificent celebration, whether large or small. May they always say, of all of our Christmas Eucharists, “Now that is the way Christmas ought to be!”



Volleys from the Canon will go on temporary holiday hiatus until The Feast of the Circumcision.

A blessed celebration of the Incarnation to all!

Quote du jour

Reinhold Niebuhr, received from the Rev. Bob Thomas:

"Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime;
therefore, we must be save by hope.

Nothing true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history;
therefore, we must be saved by faith.

Nothing we do, however, virtuous, can be accomplished alone;
therefore, we must be saved by love.

No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as from our standpoint.

Therefore, we must be saved by the final form of love, which is forgiveness."

A Volley from the Canon, Number 31

31
Clocked IN
When we make the all-important decision to request that our names be placed on the rolls of a congregation, we face a major shift in our responsibilities and standing in that community. It would be helpful if someone prepared us for the enormity of what we are doing when we ask to be members!
Before, we were checking the church out to see what it had to offer us and our families. We were the newcomers, and we could be justified in thinking it was “all about us.”
But when we identify ourselves as members of the congregation, we become ministers of it. Now, we come to help feed as well as to be fed. We can no longer be consumers of religious life, but we must be suppliers as well.
When we arrive on Sunday morning, and at all church functions, we are “clocked in.”
That couple we don’t know standing hesitantly in the Narthex, or at the edge of the activity at coffee hour—whose job is it to greet them, introduce them around, begin to discover what their needs and interests are? It’s ours.

Quote du jour

We do not “think our way to a new way of living, but we live our way to a new way of thinking.”

from Alban Weekly

The Eucharist Explained

A Sample Text for Celebrating Holy Eucharist with Instruction

(Note: this text was prepared several years ago for a specific congregation, St. John's, Huntington, WV, during Pentecost season. It would require adaptation in several places before it could be used intelligibly in another place or season.)

THE HOLY EUCHARIST EXPLAINED

Prelude

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE LITURGY

CELEBRANT
What we are doing together this morning is the same thing that we do almost every Sunday, and sometimes in between. It is the same thing that Christians have done together continuously over the centuries since Jesus said to his disciples, “Do this in remembrance of me.” It is the same thing that the Orthodox Christians call the “Divine Liturgy,” the Roman Catholics call “the Mass,” the Protestants call “the Lord’s Supper,” and we have often called “Holy Communion.” It is the great drama of the Eucharist, our premier act of worship and celebration in the Christian church.

ASSISTANT
All of us come to church on Sunday desiring a variety of blessings. We want to be uplifted, empowered to face the coming week with confidence and strength. We hope to be inspired, in a way re-converted to follow Christ. We want to commune with God and to have an opportunity to pray in a place that has been made holy by the prayers of many faithful people over the years, where the presence of the Holy Spirit has often been felt. We want to be with friends, to make friends, not to be alone. We want to learn about God. We seek to be fed by the risen Christ. We crave the experience of connectedness with the Divine. We ask to be healed. There is a whole complex of human needs, and all of them are met in one way or another, at one time and another. But one need we all share that we may not recognize very often is our need to worship God. If we do not worship the one true God, then we will inevitably find substitute gods, beginning with ourselves, to give our allegiance to. Our spirits will sicken, and they may die. God does not need us to worship him, though we believe he desires our company. We need to worship God. It is not only our duty, but to our benefit to do so.

CELEBRANT
The Anglican Communion is sometimes referred to as a “liturgical church.” We worship using a “liturgy.” Originally, liturgy meant “the work of the people,” and it could refer to any act of public service. What we mean by that word is that it is something we all do together, in an agreed-upon form, with everyone having a role to play. This is perhaps the most important concept to grasp in order to understand and benefit from Episcopal worship: You, the congregation, do not sit in an auditorium as an audience and listen to the ministers as they perform. Rather, you are all performers in the drama. That is why we call our book of worship the Book of Common Prayer, not in the sense of being ordinary, but meaning that it is shared by all. The vested ministers, choir, acolytes, and clergy, are at best stage hands and directors. Ultimately, the audience is Heaven itself. Therefore, we come not primarily as consumers, to get out of worship what we can; we come as participants, to put into the worship of the whole body what we can. Ironically, in so doing, we also get all the benefits ours hearts could desire.

In place of a sermon today, we are going to intersperse the various parts of our liturgy with teaching, in the hope that this Eucharist and all that follow it may become more meaningful for us all.

Entrance Hymn
Opening Versicle and Response

NARRATOR #1

At this point, we have already begun the first half of our liturgy, the Service of the Word. Several other parts of the Prayer Book could have been used for this: Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, Holy Matrimony, Holy Baptism or Christian Burial can each serve as the Service of the Word. Today we are using Holy Eucharist, Rite II, the contemporary language version in use since 1979.
First, you heard music as a Prelude, just to let everyone know that it is time to quiet themselves, body and spirit, to prepare for worship. You may have noticed that most people knelt for prayer when they entered the church. That is partly also to set the tone for worship, but it is also a matter of simple etiquette: when we enter someone’s house, we greet our host! The congregation sits in the church proper, which is called the nave, Latin for “boat.” It represents the Ark of our Salvation, carrying us through the stormy seas of life toward Heaven, represented by the Sanctuary, which begins at the altar rail.
We used an opening hymn to set the mood and theme for the day. This is Pentecost season, the “ordinary time” of the church year. The hymn lyrics are carefully selected to complement the scripture readings of the day and reinforce their overall theme. The Procession is partly just a way to get the worship leaders into their places. But it also means something. The ministers enter from the west entry vestibule, called the Narthex (like being born into the church through baptism), they walk down the aisle, representing the journey through life, the straight and narrow path. At last, they enter the sanctuary, which signifies the kingdom of heaven. This is the pattern and model for Christian living, and the whole congregation follows this same path as we come for communion. Notice who leads the way—the Crucifer, or cross-bearer, “lifting high the cross.” Most people bow as the cross passes, indicating their reverence for Christ, for the cross is his victory sign.

NARRATOR #2

While we are talking about the symbolism of architecture in the church, let us notice some other details. In many Episcopal churches, the baptismal font is at the west door, representing the entrance into the kingdom of God through baptism. Ours is not there, simply because it will not fit, and would not be consistent with the period of our building’s design. We have our font at the crossing of the aisle, however, in the center of the aisles to proclaim the centrality of the importance of baptism, and on this side of the altar rail, because baptism is the admission rite to receiving communion. The altar is also in the center of the sanctuary, raised on a dais, the most prominent item in the church, because Holy Communion is the very heart of our gathering. The pulpit and the lectern are in the sanctuary, but at the sides, because preaching and reading God’s word are important, but not the focus of our worship. Flowers discreetly acknowledge the beauty and perfection of God’s creation, but they also are not at the center. The traditional color for the season after Pentecost is green, the color of creation. The two candles on the altar remind us of the Word of God in Old and New Testaments. Most visible of all is the Cross, our reminder and proclamation of Christ’s victory over sin and death through his own death and resurrection. In fact, it is not an accident that the church building itself is traditionally in the shape of a cross when viewed from above.

NARRATOR #1
Since this is Pentecost season, the first words of the celebration itself are the greeting for ordinary time, “Blessed be God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” The people respond in agreement. Then we say the Collect for Purity as a preparation for our worship. In most Episcopal churches, the celebrant says this prayer on everyone’s behalf. Here at St. John’s we say it together. Next we move to a seasonal hymn. The oldest and most traditional one would be Kyrie Eleison, “Lord, Have Mercy,” which we use in Advent and Lent. In this season, it is common to sing another ancient hymn, the Gloria in Excelsis. We stand throughout this section of the liturgy, because it is primarily about praise.

Gloria in Excelsis.

NARRATOR #2
Now the Celebrant leads us in the Collect of the Day. There is a different one of these for every Sunday of the year, and more for other occasions as well. They are printed in the Prayer Book, but we print ours with our scripture inserts for convenience. At the end of the Collect for the Day, we will sit to listen to the readings from Holy Scripture.

Collect of the Day

The first lector comes to the lectern.

NARRATOR #1
It is appropriate for lay people, male or female, young or old, to read the scripture lessons. These volunteers are called Lectors, and they read from the Lectern. The first lesson is normally from the Old Testament, except during Eastertide, when it is from Acts. At the end of the lesson, they usually say, “The word of the Lord,” and the people respond, “Thanks be to God.” Following the first lesson, there is a “Gradual Psalm,” originally a song to transition to the next lesson, because Psalms were the first hymns of both Judaism and Christianity. The Psalm is often read, as we are doing, either in unison; or responsively by whole verse or half verse; or antiphonally, from side to side. We also sometimes chant the Psalm using an ancient Gregorian chant tone, perhaps being led by a cantor. This congregation also is familiar with Anglican chant, which allows for singing in harmony. Chant is different from metrical hymns. If you are not familiar with it, perhaps the easiest way to participate is to listen and read for a couple of verses, then just jump in and give it a try. You will quickly learn to feel the tone changes even if you do not read music. Chant is not about performance. It is about participation--quiet, meditative, communal, and attentive.

First Lesson

Psalm

The second lector comes forward

NARRATOR #2
We have two lectors just to share the opportunity to serve. The second lector reads the second lesson, which is always an Epistle, and later he or she will lead the Prayers of the People. The selection of readings is not arbitrary. They are from a three-year cycle of readings which cover almost the entire content of the Bible. This is year A of the Common Ecumenical Lectionary, which we share with the Roman Catholic Church and all of the mainline Protestant denominations. That means your friends in other denominations are likely to be hearing the same lessons that we are, with just a few occasional exceptions. This lesson ends with the same response as the first lesson.

The Epistle

NARRATOR #1
After the second lesson, we will sing a hymn called the Sequence Hymn to transition us to the Gospel Reading. This hymn focuses particularly on the Gospel text. It is our custom to sing half before the Gospel, and half after. This way we have music to cover the Gospel Procession as is goes into the nave and as it returns. There are several reasons for the Gospel Procession. First, it is left over from an ancient time, before microphones, when there was a platform called the Ambo in the center of the congregation from which lessons were read. In most Jewish synagogues, a platform like that still exists. Secondly, the procession dramatizes the idea that Jesus brings the Word of God among the people. Finally, it gives the Gospel reading prominence as the most important scripture reading of the day. We never celebrate Eucharist without a reading from one of the gospels. The gospel is properly read by a deacon, but the celebrant or an assisting priest may also take that role, since every priest is also an ordained deacon. It is not read by lay persons at a Eucharist. The deacon introduces and concludes the gospel reading with its own chanted versicle and response.

The Sequence Hymn and Gospel Procession

The Gospel

2nd half of hymn


ASSISTANT

Now we would normally have a sermon, which is intended to be a response to the Gospel reading of the day, though it might well take into consideration the other readings or the season or occasion as well. All the clergy are expected to preach, and some laity may be licensed by the bishop to preach also, if they have completed training which the bishop considers to be satisfactory preparation. We also have Lay Readers, who are licensed to lead public worship such as Morning or Evening Prayer or even Burial. Faith Balshaw and Dr. Tom Wilkinson are licensed Lay Readers here. They lead worship in the absence of clergy, but do not preach original sermons.
Immediately after the sermon comes the Nicene Creed, which summarizes the content of our faith in response to both the gospel reading and the sermon. Then the lector leads us in the Prayers of the People, in which we lay forth our intercessions, petitions, and thanksgivings to God in order. Everyone is invited to add their own prayers, either silently or aloud, in each category. This month, we are using Form Two. During Pentecost season, we generally rotate choices by month.
The General Confession in our tradition replaces private confession prior to receiving communion in the Roman Catholic tradition. The Celebrant pronounces God’s absolution, which is understood to come from God, not from the priest himself. Then comes the Exchange of the Peace, a very ancient part of the liturgy. It once involved kissing on both cheeks! At St. John’s, we’re usually satisfied with a friendly handshake, or maybe a hug. Notice where the Peace occurs: it is only in the moment of receiving absolution, after confessing our sins, that we are qualified to greet our sisters and brothers in Christ without fear of barriers between us. The Peace is exchanged with our neighbors, whoever they may be.

CELEBRANT
The Passing of the Peace marks the end of the Liturgy of the Word and the transition to the second half of the liturgy, the Great Thanksgiving. In between, we have our welcome and announcements.

Nicene Creed

Prayers of the People

Absolution

Peace

Welcome

Announcements



NARRATOR #1

The Offertory is the first act of The Great Thanksgiving. In it, we offer the bread and wine for the communion and also the gifts of money we have pledged for the support of the mission of the church. The choir sings an anthem while the offering is being collected in order to preserve the atmosphere of reverence. Also, while this is going on, the deacon or celebrant sets the table for communion. At the end, a server pours water over the fingers of the celebrant. This is not so much a matter of hygiene as an act of prayer for purification, and it is left over from Jewish rites. The celebrant puts on an outer garment called the Chasuble. These vestments cover the person of the celebrant and signify the assumption of a specific role as representative of the whole congregation.

The Offertory

The Anthem

The Presentation Hymn

NARRATOR #2
The Eucharistic Prayer today is Prayer C, the most contemporary one we have. It has several parts. First, there is the Sursum Corda, Latin for “Lift your hearts.” This is a very old exchange between celebrant and people. Notice that we are actually told by the celebrant that we should be happy while we do this! It is our great act of celebration and thanksgiving, and it is to be joyful. During some seasons, our celebrant may chant the opening of the Eucharistic prayer as a very traditional and festive celebration. The people respond.
Eucharistic Prayers A and B have a Proper Preface inserted for the season. These are also printed in the Prayer Book and vary according to the day or season. But Prayers C and D do not include that prayer. In all of the forms, we continue with the Sanctus (“Holy, Holy, Holy”) and Benedictus (“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord…”) combined. We stand for the first section, and may remain standing for the whole Eucharistic Prayer, but at St. John’s we follow the traditional custom of kneeling at the end of the hymn for the remainder of the prayer. Standing indicates joining in participation. Kneeling signifies reverence. The Eucharistic Prayer includes remembrance of God’s action in creation and redemption of the world, the Words of Institution when Jesus established the sacrament of Holy Communion, and the Epiclesis, or blessing. Our communion does not specify exactly how or when the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. We simply acknowledge the mystery that they do. If you listen carefully to the Eucharistic Prayers, over time you hear and notice some statement of virtually every doctrine of Christian theology.

NARRATOR #1
During the Eucharistic Prayer, the bread and wine are elevated and shown to the people, and a bell called the Sanctus bell may be rung. This is an ancient sound effect that reminds us to pay attention, for what is happening is important. It is left over from a time when the prayers were in Latin, and little understood by the congregation. But even now, minds can wander. Our worship uses all the senses—color, movement, spoken word, music, even smell, taste, and touch--in one way or another to help worshipers to participate fully. The Eucharistic Prayer concludes with the Lord’s Prayer, which we all say together. Then the bread is broken, signifying Christ’s body broken for us.

Sursum Corda
Proper Preface
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
Fraction

The Celebrant and Deacon prepare other vessels

NARRATOR #2
In the Episcopal Church, we recognize the baptism of all the Christian communions, and baptism is the one qualification to receive communion. Therefore, we invite all baptized Christians who are admitted to communion in their own church to receive the Body and Blood of Christ with us. What we share at the Lord’s Table does not belong to St. John’s or to the Episcopal Church: if you belong to Christ, then this sacrament belongs to you. There was a time when children did not receive communion until they reached the age of ten or twelve. Now we give communion to baptized children when they are old enough to ask for it. We wouldn’t want their earliest memories of church to be about getting rejected from the family meal. Also, in doing this we acknowledge that understanding the sacrament is not essential to receiving benefit from it. None of us really comprehends how Christ is present to us in the sacrament. We only know that he is.
There was a time when many Episcopalians complained that having communion every Sunday was too much, and we would get tired of it. Now we find that on those Sundays when we don’t offer communion, attendance drops off sharply. If we don’t receive communion on Sunday, we feel as if our worship is not finished.

NARRATOR #1
To take communion, come down the aisle following the people in front of you, and take a place at the rail on the same side of the church as your pew. You may kneel or stand. Place your right hand atop your left hand, palms up and open, to receive the host. If you are going to drink from the chalice also, or if you are going to decline the cup, go ahead and eat the bread. But if you want to dip the host into the chalice, which is called intinction, hold the host until the chalicist comes by to serve the wine. You may offer the chalicist your host to dip into the chalice and return to you, or you may hold the host and dip it yourself into the small intinction cup. We prefer that you not dip your own host into the large chalice to keep fingers out of it.

NARRATOR #2
The use of the common chalice is a centuries-old tradition in our church, dramatically symbolizing our one-ness in Christ. While it is considered good manners to decline the cup when we have any kind of known infection, out of consideration for others, it should also be noted that in all of our church’s history, no illness has ever been known to have been spread by the communion chalice. Episcopalians, and especially Episcopal clergy, who drink after everybody in the congregation, have no more colds or other illnesses than any other segment of society.
We generally sing a hymn while communion is being distributed. There is also plenty of time for individual prayer. If you need some suggestions for something to pray about, don’t forget the congregation’s prayer list, the people who are receiving and distributing communion, and the whole congregation.
At St. John’s we also offer the sacrament of Unction, an ancient Christian practice rooted in scripture. Unction is anointing the head with oil, which has been blessed for the purpose of healing. It is accompanied by laying on of hands and prayer for a gift of healing. If you wish to receive anointing, you may go to the side chapel after you receive your communion.

The distribution of communion



NARRATOR #1

After everyone has received communion, the deacon attends to cleansing and putting away the communion vessels. Then we re-unite in a final prayer, said together, called the post-communion prayer. This prayer gives thanks for what we have received and asks for God’s help in our ministry in the world as we depart.
Some of our members are unable to attend Eucharist because of illness or frailty. Therefore, we send communion directly to them, via trained and licensed Lay Eucharistic Visitors. After they are sent forth, the celebrant blesses the congregation, often with a seasonal blessing, to equip us for our service and ministry.

Post Communion Prayer

NARRATOR #2
We have carefully avoided using the word “service” to name our worship, although that is the common term in the larger Christian community. What you have just attended is not the church service. Rather, the service of the church begins when you walk out the door. Our service is not in the church, it is in the world. The world also is our mission field, and it, too, begins at the church door.
We will sing a final hymn to inspire us for our mission as the ministers lead the way out, again led by the cross. Finally, the deacon or a priest dismisses us. It is fitting that the congregation gets the last word: “Thanks be to God!” Our Great Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Day is now complete.

Website Helps from Jack Hauber

Donald-

Emmanuel in Moorefield has stepped into the 21st century and we now have a website:

www.emmanuelmoorefield.org

For small churches like ours who don't they can afford it or do it, I used www.godaddy.com and got

- a website builder which is very easy to use and includes templates (I built our site in less than two days)
- two years of hosting of the 10-page site
- two years of domain registration

and the total out-of-pocket cost was under $200.

Thank you for the kick start you gave us at ETS in August.

Jack Hauber

Bumper Snicker

"I think; therefore, I'm dangerous."

A Volley from the Canon, number 30

Why Mission Matters

My previous posts on the importance of mission or vision statements have prompted some thoughtful and helpful responses. Many of us have had prior experience working with such statements, in church or in work situations, and some have been less than exciting. First, some say, the process itself is time-consuming and frustrating, and often result in bulky, forgettable, vague, padded results (which means, according to me, that the task is not yet finished—sometimes, we have to step away, then return to the project to accomplish the desired result.) Second, some point out (and I’ve experienced this myself) that even when a pretty good statement is achieved and plastered all over everything, it lacks impact, and the group soon push it to the side, and go on doing whatever they want to do. I got one very interesting alternative suggestion, originating from an old friend, Doug Girardeau—to craft a congregational collect instead, that would be included in the prayers in all worship. Some nice examples were even offered.

I think the collect idea is an excellent way of working the mission statement into the congregation’s life. It is an excellent follow-up to the work of crafting the statement. But you still have to do the work on the statement!

Here’s why, bottom line: SMALL CHURCHES GROW WHEN THEY KNOW WHAT THEIR MISSION IS.

When we’re in a small congregation, what are we inviting people into, or hoping they’ll wander into? A rich liturgy? A sophisticated music ministry? A big youth program? Sunday School for all ages? We don’t have those things, because we are small. Too often, we emphasize Sunday worship, when in reality, that is likely to be one of our weakest areas in the eyes of the newcomer. A dozen or so people, randomly selected from the over sixty population, are rarely concert-quality singers. Even preaching is a stretch: I would hope we have competent and sometimes compelling preaching in all of our congregations, but how likely is it that our smaller congregations could attract (or keep) a giant of the pulpit?


Even more, we talk up what a friendly group we are. And we are friendly—to each other, while all too often the guests huddle alone and bewildered until they find an opening to flee the scene. But we also should bear in mind that every church, of every denomination, claims to be friendly! (Have you ever heard of one that admitted they were cold and distant, but people should come there anyway?) Some congregations, including many of ours, actually are friendly to strangers—but, while certainly commendable, that fact avoids the obvious “SO WHAT?” The question is, why would anyone want to attend any small church, friendly or otherwise? If we’re able to make friends at church, we can make plenty of them in other settings just as well.

What will attract un-churched people, and keep them long enough to get attached for other reasons as well, is the mission of the congregation. People want to be part of a congregation that exists for a purpose—and knows it.

A Volley from the Canon, number 29

The Power of Mission

Rick Warren, of The Purpose Drive Life fame, told at Washington Cathedral (as he has in many settings) of a significant turning point in his life. He visited an Anglican congregation in Africa. They could afford no building, just a tent. But the people of that congregation took care of their own children, and also all the AIDS orphans of the village, a couple of dozen children. Warren had a huge congregation with a large physical plant. A voice inside him asked persistently, “How many orphans are we caring for?” He knew the answer: none. His ministry had been focused on drawing as many as possible to Christ; but once they came to Jesus, it was largely up to them to determine what, if anything, that event changed about the manner in which they lived their lives. Even as a congregation, their impact paled in comparison to this dedicated band of disciples.

Sometimes, we Episcopalians act as if our purpose is to get people to attend Sunday worship. It is not. Rather, the purpose of Sunday worship is to strengthen and inspire people to do the real ministry of the church, Sunday through Saturday. We can never become who God is calling us to be until we get that straight.

A congregation that grows will not be a faithful remnant who continue to hold Sunday prayers in the face of dwindling attendance, casting about desperately for the all-important warm, ordained body to offer them the sacraments on a somewhat regular basis, while subdivisions are built and other congregations grow up around them. It will be the congregation that knows what its mission in its community is. Whether newcomers show up at the church door on Sunday morning, or discover the congregation in the midst of its ministry to the community, they will be drawn to the fire within the people and the power of their witness for hope and compassion. It doesn’t take a large number of people to build such a blaze, but they have to have that spark within them! Knowing and owning their mission, which is given from God, is one sure source of spontaneous combustion.

A Volley from the Canon, number 28

Mission and Ministry


While judging the many excellent entries in our “Best Bulletin Contest,” one of the criteria we discovered to be very important to us was having the congregation’s mission or purpose statement prominently displayed. It helped if that statement bore some resemblance to the personality of the congregation. In far too many cases, the statements could have been attached to any church, anywhere, and some were too long for a bulletin cover (or for anyone to remember and make use of, for that matter).

It isn’t easy to come up with a mission or purpose statement that is distinctive and memorable, while also short and specific. Often, people seem to feel the need to load them up with religious-sounding phrases that wind up saying nothing. Yet these statements are crucial. They express the congregation’s understanding of its identity and special vocation, and they can make all the difference in helping a newcomer discover a sense of belonging there (if the statement is authentic, that is.) For me, it is not necessary to conform to a business style of statement. But note that the congregation’s vocation needs to be special, even unique. The main purpose is to limit the range of possible ministries for that group, in that setting, at that time. Otherwise, there is no focus for their ministry.

They don’t have to be stuffy statements. I’ve heard of a congregation in Austin, Texas that has “Doing Our Part to Keep Austin Weird” on its publications and T-shirts. (It must be true—who would make that up?) I love it. I would go to church there. If anyone should propose a particular ministry or activity for that group, they only have to ask, “Now, is this weird enough for us? Because if it is bland or ordinary, the Methodists will do it.” They have a good litmus for narrowing and focusing their many possibilities.

In Huntington, the Palatine Sisters of St. Mary’s Hospital simply say, “The love of Christ impels us.” That strong, wonderful verb com-pels the reader to imagine those sisters magnetically drawn to works of love by the power of Christ’s love. When faced with a set of alternatives, they can ask themselves: “Are we impelled to this? And is Christ’s love our motivation?”

Many people consider writing mission statements a waste of time that fails to yield any productive result. I say that is because we so often quit before we are finished, satisfied with the first plain statement we can all sign onto, though not remember, instead of slogging on until we get something with zing that can excite and inspire us.

We have to find something that impels us. Something that can keep us weird. And something that truly describes OUR God-given vocation.


For an archive of all the volleys and Koinoia articles, or to post a comment, an article of your own, or the url of a site of interest you have found, go to http://wvdisciple.blogspot.com

Welcome Poster Link

In case you missed or misplaced it, the link to Jennifer Gamber's site for church welcome posters is:

http://www.episcopalposters.org/

Volley from the Canon #27

KEYS TO THE KINGDOM

As a parish priest, I had a chronic problem: what to do about keys to the church buildings.

On the one hand, I’d just as soon leave the doors unlocked 24/7. On the other hand, Episcopal churches do have valuable wares inside them, that people value (and which in some cases have historical significance). In our area, we do have regular church break-ins, usually for computers and accessories (my church in Maryland got broken into, and communion vessels stolen). Consequently, we try to be conscientious about locking up.

Still, over time, it gets so that everyone who was ever connected with the church has a key. In addition, everyone who ever “borrowed” the church facilities got keys. One might have no idea who has keys, or to whom they passed them on. Yet changing locks always causes a ruckus. If you want to lose a long-time member, just change the lock on the door without warning, so that his key no longer works! Never mind that he has had no official function for eight years.

I refer you to “the one hand” above: I never cared who got into the church (I’d love to have more people there.) But wardens, vestries, and insurance agents want some kind of order to things.

Lately I’ve noticed at several of our congregations, and discovered for my own residential use, combination door-bolts. I commend them to our churches for greatly assisting access and control of access.

The one I have (Lowe’s, starting at $109) has a battery to power the keypad light, but the bolt itself is manual. There is a key in case the battery dies unexpectedly. It uses a programming code for adding and removing codes, and it can hold up to nineteen different ones at a time.

Eureka! You can have a code for wardens and vestry, changed annually so that no one gets snubbed. One for Altar Guild and choir, changed every several years. One for staff, one for youth group, one for AA. You can program one in for the caterer at a wedding, then program it out after the event. There is no need to drive over to borrow a key, no need to return it (or forget to), no problem with losing it, no running over early Saturday morning to let in the florist, and no dilemma over asking for a key back if the senior warden quits in a huff and joins the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

I know not all of our church doors can accommodate a bolt, but for those that do, this seems to me an ideal answer to the access vs. security dilemma.

Quote du jour

"Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire." G. K. Chesterton

Volley #25

Experiencing the Holy

Why do you keep coming to church?
In years past, social pressure was a motivator. There were business or professional contacts to make. The sense of duty was strong. On Sunday morning, practically no one worked, and there was little else to do. I still remember the day the sheriff of my county marched the manager of K-Mart off to jail for opening on Sunday! Such considerations just don’t apply anymore.
We still have friends at church, and we look forward to spending time with them there. Worship can be uplifting, instructive, enjoyable, and entertaining. But when we get to the heart of it, those are not the things that bring us to church, at least not for the long run.
We come to church, and others will be drawn to do so with us, because there we meet God. When we plan our worship, prepare our sermons, select our hymns, and design our special liturgies, this is what we need to keep in mind. We are creating space and time for the people of God to experience the holy.
Wouldn’t most people keep coming back for that?

Volley #24 Banners and Flags

BANNERS AND FLAGS

One of the problems we face as small community and rural congregations is that we tend to be “open” only on Sundays—when others are either attending their own churches or at home in bed. Consequently, many people may rarely if ever actually observe anything happening at our churches. Are we still in business? Are we doing anything interesting or exciting? It isn’t easy to communicate the good and lively things we are experiencing in church.

That’s where banners and flags can be of help. They bring in color and movement, and they catch the eye of passersby. They convey an impression of life and vitality. They show that something special is afoot, and they convey a sense of excitement about it. They pique the interest and make people want to check for signs to see what is happening.

In many cases, congregations can design and make such things ourselves. In others, they may be well worth an outlay of relatively small expense.

No community is so small that it contains NO prospective members for our churches. Step number one toward reaching them may be simply letting them know that we are still here, and still excited about doing ministry in their vicinity.

Volley #23

QUALITY AND STYLE

As we consider ways to make our worship more appealing to a wider swath of our population, we may be tempted to focus our attention on the style of our liturgy. Maybe if we adopted a certain liturgical form, or none, or maybe if we chose a particular genre of music, or several, we could attract and keep the interest of our children and their friends. If only it were so easy!


I overheard a pair of elderly Baptist ladies lamenting to a friend over changes in their congregation’s worship practices. It seems the congregation’s leadership had fired the organist and put the choir out to pasture, and had brought in a “praise band,” and sometimes canned accompaniments for contemporary Christian pop music.
“Well, do you have a lot of new members?” their friend asked.

“Not a one!” the complainers chorused. “It’s just the same group it was before, only now none of us like the service!”

Something was clearly missing in the way the change in worship practice was implemented. One element may have been the focus of attention on style rather than quality. In our own communion, research has shown that congregations can be successful using worship in just about any style. What matters is the quality of the worship. If there is to be music, it must be well-presented. If there is to be preaching, it needs to be good quality preaching. The manner of celebrating the liturgy must contribute to a depth of spiritual experience. The spirit of the congregation ought to be positive, hopeful, and unified. Carping, however, comical as above, is rarely a church growth tool.

We can experiment with and differ over matters of style. But when it comes to quality, there is no room to mess around.

check out this new church ad

www.myfaithmylife.org/posters.html .

Keeping the Saints in "All Saints"

KEEPING THE SAINTS IN ALL SAINTS

It’s autumn, and planning for our fall program and formation activities is well underway. The question arises: what to do about All Saints Day/ All Hallows Eve, that top-tier church holy day so long neglected in church and so blatantly abused in secular society.
Though it is unquestionably a “Romish” festival, we Episcopalians are fortunate in that we have no need to turn against Halloween and try to stamp it out, as Calvinists have done in times past, and as their contemporary successors are trying to do today. We don’t need to cringe at the portrayal of “ghosties, and ghoulies, and things that go ‘bunp’ in the night.” It might be helpful, however, if we reminded our congregations that the reason it became OK to costume as such things was precisely because, in the triumph of Jesus over the forces of evil, they have lost their power over his people. The Halloween custom of dressing up as witches and goblins, all in fun, serves to mock them, not to honor them.
Some creativity may be called for. I’ve heard of churches in which costume parties were given, in which children and adults were challenged to dress up as their favorite saint—and be prepared to share some knowledge about that character, why he or she is so honored, and what makes them special to the participant. Perhaps a game could be devised for divulging this information in a fun way, so that some Christian formation takes place naturally and unobtrusively.
Games of “trick-or-treating” could be fun for all, with the old custom of performing some kind of feat or talent serving as the “trick.” Children love showing off their ability to jump, skip, balance, draw, dance, sing, or toss objects. And un-churched people may be looking for fun, supervised, wholesome family activities around that time of year, making it a good opportunity to invite neighbors and introduce additional people to our church.
To post additional ideas on how to handle All Saints festivities creatively at church, attach a comment to this posting on the blog West Virginia Discipleship, at http://wvdisciple.blogspot.com/ Check regularly for new material, and share your ideas and resources with everyone.

You Know You're an Episcopalian when..

A forward from Betsy Walker

You know you are an Episcopalian when:

. . . when you watch Star Wars and they say "May the force be with you", you automatically reply "And also with you".

. . .if the only good reason to raise your hand during a hymn is to question the organist's re-harmonization.

. . . if someone says, "Let us pray" and you automatically hit your knees.

. . . if you recognize your neighbor, or rector, in the local liquor store and go over to greet him/her.

. . . if you have totally memorized Rite I, Rite II and the first three episodes of The Vicar of Dibley.

. . . if you know the difference between a surplice and a cotta - and the appropriate use of each.

. . . if words like: "vouchsafe", "oblation", "supplications", "succor", "bewail", "wherefore", "dost" and "very" (in its archaic sense) are familiar to you even if you don't have a clue that they mean.

. . .if your groomsmen at your wedding whisper "with God's help" to you during your vows after you say "I will".

. . . the sight of a woman in a clerical collar doesn't make you cringe.

. . . if you can rattle off such tongue twisters like: ". . . who made there by his one oblation of himself once offered a full and perfect sacrifice, oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the world" and "Wherefore, O, Lord and Heavenly Father, we thy people, do celebrate and make here, with these gifts which we offer unto thee, the memorial thy Son hath commanded us to make . . ." without missing a beat.

. . .if you think that the Bible is a holy book because it quotes the Book of Common Prayer so well.

. . . if while looking for a can opener in the church kitchen, all you can find are four corkscrews.

. . . if your choir director suggests discussing something over a beer after choir rehearsal.

. . . if you catch yourself genuflecting or bowing as you enter a row of seats in a theater.

. . . you visit any Protestant church, and when you get seated you say, "where are the kneelers?"

. . . or, "where is the altar?!"

. . . if you can pronounce "innumerable benefits procured unto us by the same."

. . . if the word "Sewanee" puts a lump in your throat.

. . . if you know the best way to quiet a room full of them: "The Lord be with you!"

. . . if you ever find yourself saying, "Oh, but we've never done it that way before."

. . . if, when visiting a Catholic Church, you are the only Ah-men amongst a sea of A-mens.

. . . if your covered dish for the potluck dinner is escargot in puff shells.

. . .if you know that a primate isn't just a monkey.

. . . if you know that a sursum corda is not a surgical procedure.

. . . if you don't think Agnus Dei is a woman.

. . . if your picnic basket has sterling knives and forks (entree, fish, salad and cake).

. . .you know how to finish the phrase "and I will raaaaise them up, and I will raaaaise them up..."

. . . if you know that the nave is not a playing card.

. . . if your friend said "I'm truly sorry. . ." and you replied, "and you humbly repent?"

. . .if you consider a sticker on your car to be an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.

. . .if you know that "humble access" has nothing to do with a security clearance.

. . . if while watching the movie "The Madness of King George" you're able to recite with the King, when he undergoes "surgery," the Collect for Purity.

. . . if you know that the Senior Warden and the Junior Warden are not positions in the local prison.

. . . if you think the most serious breach of propriety one can commit is failure to chill the salad forks.

. . . if you not only talk about God, but God is placed in the palm of your hand.

And finally,

. . . if you reach a point when you're not sure about anything theologically but you still feel completely at home at the altar rail and somehow know you're meeting God there, even though you can't begin to understand how.

A Cultural Flip-flop

A CULTURAL FLIP-FLOP
From Koinonia, October, 2008

Did you feel it? A big change just occurred in the life of the Episcopal Church. No, it has nothing to do with Gene Robinson, or Lambeth Conference, or General Convention. It is much more important than any of those things, and it will affect us much more. It is a cultural reversal.

Through most of the twentieth century, we believed, and most Episcopalians still do believe, that our liturgy is our strength and our gift to the Christian world. In confidence, we expect that most Christians, if they will only attend our liturgy a time or two, will be captivated by it, and will respond to its allure indefinitely, long enough to become thoroughly immersed in our theology as well, which we know to be our true glory.

It worked for me, and for many of us. I can remember, in 1977, experiencing 1928 BCP Morning Prayer for the first time, having the awareness that I had no idea whatsoever what was going on, but knowing that I liked it. Familiarity and appreciation for the teaching of the church came more gradually.

So what’s wrong with that formula? Only that suddenly, and unexpectedly, it is no longer true. Oh, there are a few who “get” liturgical worship, even as young people. But by and large, younger adults in our culture are not only not attracted, but positively repelled, by our way of worship. They don’t understand it at all. It does not speak to them.

Yet our theology, Anglicanism’s peculiar grasp of the gospel message, does speak to contemporary Americans. We do not hold or teach any doctrine that could not be found in some other Christian body, Protestant or Catholic. It is our combination of key understandings of the church, catholic and reformed, that is unique. The world today needs desperately to hear that one does not have to be wack-o to be a Christian, and that heaven can actually be a large and festive place. It needs to know that Christians can be friendly and respectful of the created order and that science is neither our enemy nor God’s.

We must change our approach, however. We can no longer count on liturgy making sense of theology. We must find ways to help theology make sense of liturgy.

The Shift to Discipleship

The Shift to Discipleship
From Koinonia, September, 2008

We show up at church one day because we recognize that we have needs. We need God—to give thanks, to petition, to praise. We need the company of other Christian people—for friendship, for comfort, for encouragement. We need instruction, inspiration, and guidance. We need the church.

For many, that need motivates faithful participation for decades. They regularly attend worship, and maybe other activities as well, and contribute what they perceive to be a “fair share” for the support of the congregation, year after year. For others, once the need is assuaged, at least temporarily, they drift away, until the next period of need arises. Every congregation has members like these, and every congregation needs them.

But for another group, something else happens, a miraculous shift of perspective. These members begin to work toward meeting the needs of others. They sing in the choir, serve as Eucharistic ministers and lectors. They work as greeters and ushers, as teachers and youth leaders. They organize and lead Bible study, discussion, or prayer groups. They lead as vestry members, wardens, and treasurers. They organize outreach projects, rummage sales, work parties, supper groups, and church dinners. They host coffee hours and shepherd newcomers. They give generously, thankfully, and sacrificially. Not satisfied with being believers in Jesus only, they become his disciples. And at some point, they notice that as they serve, their own spiritual needs are being met, too.

No congregation can exist without this third group of members. They are, in fact, what the church exists to create.

The Main Thing

THE MAIN THING

A Few Words on Congregational Development from Canon Donald Vinson
From Koinonia, July, 2008

We’ve had some superb conversations lately surrounding congregational development and church growth in the diocese. We all have more on our “to do” list than can be done in a year, all designed to make our congregations more welcoming, more hospitable, more sensitive to the needs of guests, more attractive, more diverse. At the bottom of it all is a strong urge to help them become more—BIG.

And there is nothing wrong with having a larger congregation. We sometimes make “big church” jokes and disparaging comments, defensively, as if big were bad. It isn’t.

But in all of this, we must not lose sight of the Main Thing—faithfulness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Even sick congregations can grow, we’ve seen it all around us. They grow into larger sick congregations, until they split and start the process all over again. That isn’t what we aspire to.

If we focus our attention on getting closer to God, into becoming more and more the beautiful and loving creatures and congregations God longs for us to be, we will become more spiritually well. As such, we can grow, because we will be more attractive to other Christians who are spiritually well, or wanting to be. A large measure of that focus will be just paying close and prayerful attention to what happens on Sunday morning, asking the question, “does this draw us and others closer to Christ?”

In essence, that is the difference between church growth and congregational development: keeping the Main Thing the main thing.

Think Round

QUICK AND EASY CONGREGATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

A few words on Congregational Development from Canon Donald Vinson

from Koinonia, June, 2008

If you could do one simple thing that would instantly induce your congregation, including guests, to linger at coffee hour and parish dinners, and increase by many times the familiarity of members with one another and their enjoyment of their time together, would you do it?

Good. Purchase a set of round tables for your parish hall or gathering space.

The ones with the white plastic tops are lighter in weight and seem to be durable. They also don’t cost a lot, and don’t necessarily require table-cloths to look good. A bonus is that they roll into place. What they do is encourage people to sit, and linger, because the people at a round table can actually talk to one another. At long, banquet tables, we can speak only to the person on either side of us—and pity the poor guy at the end. Round tables facilitate group interaction.

Don’t get rid of the old eight-foot banquet tables entirely, unless they needed to be replaced long ago because they are ugly and dangerous. (They make long ones with the white plastic tops, too.) We need long tables sometimes—for example, for discussion groups of more than eight, when we like to sit around the outer edges of a square of tables and have view of one another. That arrangement almost makes a big round table.

A key is to plan when to use which, and to set up the room for the occasion. I visited a congregation that had a rectangle of long tables with chairs around the outside, seating perhaps 20 people. Other chairs lined the walls of the room. Only half the people at coffee hour were able to sit at the tables, which had been arranged for the forum which gathered earlier. The rest had to sit all spread out in an environment as welcoming and conducive to interaction as Junior High Prom. It would take just five minutes for two people to break apart the rectangle and add several round tables to the mix so that everyone could be accommodated for the next—and critically important—event : post-Eucharist hospitality.

Come on, the church tables haven’t been new since 1957. It’s time to update! And when you do, think ROUND.
Donald Vinson
Canon for Congregational Development

Tending the Vine

TENDING THE VINE

A Few Words on Congregational Development from Canon Donald Vinson
From Koinonia, May, 2008

Would you be willing to do just one thing to help grow your church?

If a congregation were to choose one step to make their congregation more welcoming to newcomers, the best choice would probably be NAMETAGS -- a freshly-made, single-use nametag for every church gathering.

A simple nametag makes a huge shift in the way a congregation presents itself to a newcomer. No longer is it a private club run for the comfort and benefit of the established members. Now it is a gathering of equals, all of whom can address one another by name, without distinction between ‘belongers’ and ‘visitors.’

But fight the impulse to make permanent nametags for members, hanging on a rack in the parish hall. First, people won’t actually put them on, so there they’ll hang. Second, they only serve to accentuate the un-belonging of the visitor, who doesn’t have one, and won’t, until someone deliberately has one made for her, which could take weeks. Single use ones level the playing field. There is no distinction between member and non-member. Make them fresh, as people arrive.

Yes, there will be some curmudgeons who won’t agree to wear one. Let them alone, no need to alienate them. In time, they’ll ask for one. Here’s a tip, though: let upper-elementary children be the ‘nametag czars.’ They will love to make the tags, and even the grouchiest curmudgeon will have trouble turning them down.

This one step alone will make a difference, over time, in the ability of the congregation to attract and retain new members. The experience might also lead church members to ask themselves a vital further question: What else can we do to make our church events less the exclusivist gatherings of insiders in the know, and more like celebrations of the risen Christ, designed to draw others to the light of His love?

Volley # 22

Volley # 22: GEOCACHING

Zion Church in Charles Town has a geocache. It’s easy to do, it’s essentially free, and it brings interesting people to the church property where they are susceptible to receiving further information about your church. It also identifies the church as cool and awesome.

Here’s how it works. You hide an ammo box, which is water-tight, containing some small mementoes, and you list your cache by posting its coordinates. Geocachers, which are often parents and their children, use their GPS devices to locate the coordinates and find the cache. They take one item from your cache, and they leave behind a replacement as a gift from them. They sign a form in the box to indicate that they have been there.

Now, here is where we have a leg up on secular geocachers: we can bless the items we put in our cache, and include with them a small message about that prayer offered as blessing for these anonymous geocachers. With all our signage, we ensure that they are aware of our presence and our worship opportunities.

Check out www.geocaching.com for complete information on how to get started.

Volley # 21

Volley # 21: BUZZ

People talk. We talk at work, in social settings, in shopping centers, over meals. We talk on phones and chat on internet. And what do we talk about? Whatever pops into our minds that piques our interest.

Being talked about is a good thing! It means you are doing something interesting. Conversely, if no one talks about you, perhaps not much is going on.

How can we get a buzz going about our congregation? We can do something different and interesting, and help the conversation get going by doing some talking ourselves. They’re going to talk anyway—why not have them talking about us?

Volley # 21

Volley # 21: BUZZ

People talk. We talk at work, in social settings, in shopping centers, over meals. We talk on phones and chat on internet. And what do we talk about? Whatever pops into our minds that piques our interest.

Being talked about is a good thing! It means you are doing something interesting. Conversely, if no one talks about you, perhaps not much is going on.

How can we get a buzz going about our congregation? We can do something different and interesting, and help the conversation get going by doing some talking ourselves. They’re going to talk anyway—why not have them talking about us?

Volley # 20

Volley # 20: Whose House Is It?

Our church interiors are unmistakably Christian houses of worship. Their windows, art, and appointments convey religious references on many levels. But how about our parish halls and meeting rooms, many of which are used regularly by non-church groups? Would someone with no church connection recognize those spaces as having any religious significance or holiness about them at all? Do they look like just any secular meeting room?

We could be wasting valuable evangelical opportunities, or at least a chance to proclaim our identity in the community. Check out your spaces. Is there a cross, an icon, or some devotional artwork or statement in each one of them, to signify that these are places intended for God’s work?

How about an invitation to further and deeper relationship? Almost every Episcopal congregation welcomes twelve-step groups, which have a “spiritual,” but not a religious or sectarian purpose. We carefully respect the “anonymous” tradition of these groups, and they appreciate that. Still, if no invitation is ever issued, it would be easy for participants to assume that they are not really welcome at St. Swithin’s, since no one has ever said that they are welcome.

Maybe a framed, attractive note of invitation would be in order for each meeting room. A second one explaining something about the room or building itself might be helpful, too.

St. Catherine’s-on-the-Creek Episcopal Church Welcomes You!
To Ebenezer Crabhatchet Hall.
We also cordially and sincerely invite you
to worship on Sundays
at 8:00 or 10:30 A. M.
Sunday School for children and adults is at 9:30.

Volley # 19

Volley # 19: ENTERING THE KINGDOM

If we want to invite people into God’s house, why do we have such solid, heavy doors to keep them out? The Victorian Gothic adopted by so many Episcopal churches during the early 20th century may look impressive, but it isn’t very inviting. We even have some buildings in which one or all of the front doors don’t even have operative knobs to open from outside! Let’s go out and look at our entrances from the perspective of the un-churched person. Do they adequately represent Christ’s open invitation to the Kingdom of God?

• Most churches lock their doors except during worship (and sometimes, even then.) Is there a way to leave the church open for private prayer, at least during weekdays when staff are present?

• Are all doors in good operating condition? Is any door handicapped-accessible (and so marked)?

• Can the doors be left open, with climate control handled by inner doors, during temperate weather, so that passers-by can see that the church can be visited? At least prior to Sunday worship?

• Andy Weeks of The Magnetic Church recommends painting the church doors red. If it is at all architecturally appropriate, why not? Attract attention to the front entrance (and the one people actually use, too), with color, and a meaningful color at that.

• But why not hang a framed explanation nearby? “The red color of church doors is an ancient promise of SANCTUARY—refuge from the harsh claims of the world and society.” You might also add a few words of welcome, the promise of a peaceful and tranquil environment inside, and the hours the church is open to the public for private devotions.

• Does the “real” entrance, the one members use that is most accessible from parking or Sunday School, have a sign on it identifying it as an entrance to the church?

These measures are simple, easy, and guaranteed to keep vestries fussing over minutiae for months—that is, unless they can be persuaded to agree to just stop it! And get on with the real business of the church, which has to do with reaching out to people, not guarding crumbling edifices. (Oops. Did I send that out to the whole diocese?)

Volley # 18

Volley # 18: TEMPORARY SIGNS

I’ve been preaching about signs for a while now. I hope we have our permanent signs in great shape, well-designed, well-maintained, and highly visible. But how about the use of temporary signs? They can help us in several ways. First, they show that something special is going on. Second, they have flexibility. Since they are different, they attract notice from passers-by. They can be particularly colorful, seasonal, and eye-catching. In places where zoning is restrictive of signs, temporary signs are often exempt. To get attention, a congregation gets big bang for its buck in temporary signs.

Temporary signs can be strung across the front of a church building, or they can hang from a steeple. They can be in the form of banners, or decorated with flags and streamers. They can be “A” shapes, and support themselves on sidewalk or lawn. They can reiterate regular worship times, announce extra seasonal worship, or tout special events. (One source for content, in a place where there is foot traffic, might be the excellent posters produced by The Church Ad Campaign.) They can be attached to trailers or box trucks. They can be attached to church vans and even church members’ vans and cars!

Think of the possibilities! And the beauty of it is, they’re temporary!

Volley # 17

Volley # 17: STYRO-PHOBIA

I have it—the fear and dread of Styrofoam. The cups bend and break. They are so light, they tip and spill almost all by themselves. They make me cringe if they touch my teeth. On top of that, we’re told they last forever in landfills.

As an alternative, cardboard disposable cups are just not satisfactory, despite being more renewable. They do nothing to shield the hand from the heat of the contents. And, of course, they go to the landfill. In places with no dishwashers, those Solo cups—plastic holders with disposable plastic inserts, might be a reasonable choice. At least part is re-usable.

For most, though, surely there is no improving on the traditional china or ceramic cup or mug. The church cabinets are full of them. Why not use them?

With a few words of kindly direction, people can be trained to put their mug into the dishwasher before they depart. I’ve observed that guests catch on instantly, and they like to follow suit—it makes them feel more accepted and at home.

And let the squeak of Styrofoam never more be heard in the land.

Volley # 16

Volley # 16: NEVER CALL THEM VISITORS

We should never have visitors in our congregations. We should have guests.

Visitors show up, wanted or unwanted. They leave, perhaps never to return. They may not even be welcome, or made welcome. (The Jehovah’s Witness at your door is a visitor!)

Guests, on the other hand, are valued, and we make them know it. We move our vehicle to give them the best parking space. We vacate our preferred seat or room for them. We make sure everything is clean and neat. We prepare special treats for them, and we make sure they experience our home at its best. If they don’t get to return to us, it won’t be because we didn’t give it our best shot!

Let’s make our vocabulary say what we mean. We welcome and receive guests, not visitors.

Volley # 15

Volley # 15: HOW DO PEOPLE KNOW?

If I’ve never been to worship in a congregation, how do I know when worship is? How do I know where to park? How do I know if there is Sunday School, or something for my children? How do I know which door to enter?

It takes multiple efforts to convey these ideas.

• Is the telephone answering message friendly, clear, and free of Episcopalese jargon? Some people suggest a female voice, since the one making the call is likely to be female.

• Is the key information, like service time, given quickly?

• Is the main entrance clearly marked as such? Entrance to children’s classes and nursery?

• How about the entrance members actually use instead of the front door?

• Is parking identified? Special, convenient parking for guests?

• Is someone stationed outside the church to welcome and direct guests?

• Are there trained greeters who have a knack for making people feel welcome and comfortable?

Some of these items just require an attractive, well-placed sign to remedy. Some require trained volunteers. All are easy and quick to deal with. Together, they identify your congregation as one that has its mind on the needs of others, not just its own members.

Volley #14

Volley #14: WHAT MAKES A CHURCH?

In a gathering of congregation leaders recently, I was struck by the list of assets that were claimed, even by small and struggling congregations. An historic building. Service projects. Activities. Regular Sunday clergy supply. An endowment sufficient to keep the above happening until the last dog dies.

I was struck also by how difficult it is to state the most obvious one, in fact a defining feature of church: people. We Queens of Denial have some facing up to do in this area. We need to recognize honestly that none of the top list makes a congregation. People do.

Volley #13

Volley #13: THE FIVE-MINUTE RULE

Clergy and regular church members know one another well, and we have plenty we need and want to talk about after worship. If there are guests or infrequent attenders present, though, those people need some clergy attention, and it needs to be quick, because they tend not to linger long.

Let’s teach our regulars to give us FIVE MINUTES following Sunday worship to seek out and have a brief interchange (it doesn’t take much, because we don’t want to overwhelm people) with those we want to get better acquainted with, before the regulars get their turn. After all, they have the whole coffee hour to share their news.

That five minutes can make a big difference to the guest. It can provide time to make an appointment for a later, fuller visit, and it lets them know they matter to the clergy, which is all-important in the medium-size congregation.

Volley #12

Volley #12: MY NEW HEROES

When I joined the bishop’s staff last September, for the first time in over 30 years, I had no church congregation that I had, or even wanted, to attend. The one congregation where I knew and liked the people was now unavailable to me and Linda, and there wasn’t another one where we really felt at home. Knowing and liking the clergy, and maybe a handful of others, was not enough. We had no church that was “our” church. And for the first time in decades, Sunday morning came, and I didn’t really want to go to church!

Fortunately, that feeling has not lasted, and there are now a number of congregations where we enjoy worshiping. I’m grateful for having that experience, though. It enabled me to realize something of what Sunday morning is like for normal, un-churched people.

Shocking News Flash! It is A LOT easier to read the newspaper in bed with coffee and croissants than it is to get up, roust and terrorize the children, dress to impress, and drive to church. So I have a set of new heroes: those people who, despite not having a church congregation in which they are comfortable and familiar, habitual members, nevertheless arise and go anyway. It takes determination, resolve, inner resources, and even courage to do it.

Consequently, we who do it every Sunday, and thereby find it easier through habit, should put aside every hint of superiority that they are not up to our standard of commitment and consistency. We should doff our hats to these brave pioneers. We should do everything in our power to welcome and honor their heroic efforts. Because, as I can now testify from recent experience—it ain’t easy being a stranger in church!

Volley #11

Volley # 11 IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU

Suggestion: Go through all church publications, brochures, web-sites, even pew cards, that are intended for newcomers. Count the instances of “we,” “us,” and “our,” and the number of “you” and “your.” Now consider: if we are aiming at other people, how come we put the emphasis on us?

When people encounter our congregation for the first or second time, they may not be wanting to know how happy we are with ourselves. They may be wanting to know what we have to offer them!

Instead of “At St. Mort’s WE are a friendly and welcoming congregation,” try “At St. Mort’s YOU will meet a friendly congregation that looks forward to welcoming YOU.” Of course, making such statements reflect reality is desirable, too.

Volley #10

Volley #10: TEN SPECIAL SUNDAYS

All church leaders hope and pray that attendance on Sundays will be high, that members will be faithful and regular in participating in worship. But outside of a sense of duty, which is not one of our stronger motivations nowadays, why should they? If what will happen in church this Sunday is essentially the same as what happened last Sunday, haven’t they already “been there and done that?”

Yet, it is to be hoped the sermon will be different this week than last. The lessons will be different, as will the hymns. The sacrament of Eucharist will be a different experience, and equip the congregation for a different week, though the same event. The inner rings of the congregation membership understand that. But how about the less committed and formed members? The question is, how can we make it FEEL different? How can we help people understand that they would have missed something deeply meaningful and valuable to them if they had decided to sleep in or mow the grass that morning?

The pressure is on!

• Sermons must be clear and insightful, memorable and attention-getting, even enjoyable and entertaining-—every week.

• The liturgy must be presented in a dynamic, lively manner. Each server, lector, acolyte, and usher must be focused on the job at hand as if it were the most important thing going for them that morning—because it is.

• Music must be inspiring, appropriate, and expertly presented. If it is performed by a choir, that choir must be well-rehearsed and competent (otherwise, it is far better not to have one, tradition notwithstanding). If it is to be sung by the congregation, it must be music that congregation is capable and desirous of singing, not what the clergy and music director happen to like.

Let jokes about falling asleep in church cease to be repeated—because they no longer seem realistic.

Here’s a suggestion from “Start Up! Start Over!” to help make this happen: select TEN Sundays spread through the year to designate as “special Sundays,” at which something surprising and spectacular happens. Let it be something appropriate to the day, yet completely unexpected, the wilder the better. Prepare and rehearse all concerned, because pulling it off well is of crucial importance. Then, say your prayers, and let ‘er rip! There is a wide array of possible choices to work with, but here is a short list of suggestions: colorful banners, flags, and streamers; dancers, tumblers, jugglers, clowns, magicians, animals; costumes, dramas, unusual vestments and hangings; sound effects like gongs, bells, and electronic media; scents like incense or flowers; special music, musicians, and instruments; special lighting, processions and props. There are so many possibilities. Just make it holy, use it to help bring the focus to an appropriate and meaningful point, and use it to make worship refreshing, fun, and memorable.

Make those absentees sorry they missed it.

Can’t manage ten Sundays per year? OK, choose FIVE. But do something!

Volley #9

Volley # 9 “God’s Little Acre”

The Diocese of West Virginia has some amazing churches. Most exude holiness, having been sanctified by the prayers of generations. Yet church buildings can be forbidding to someone who has never been inside. Some are brick or stone, in castle-era designs. Most have obscured windows and heavy, closed doors, often with a flight of steps leading up to them.

We need to do what we can to soften our exteriors, and to guide people to the entrance. Landscaping can be crucial. It may seem like a luxury, but actually one of the most practical things a congregation can do is to have a talented professional make a landscape plan for the property. Such a plan can be implemented over time, and members can take pride and interest in doing the work themselves, or sponsoring a segment.

A neatly kept, attractively planted property gives off subliminal messages, like: “This church is loved,” and “We’re a vital and functional congregation.” Those are things a prospective new member will find comforting.

Having a place on the local garden tour is not such a bad thing for publicity, either!

Volley #8

Volley #8 V. I. P. Parking

Many of our churches have limited parking. Long-time members have figured out ways around that problem—they have found favorite places where they can count on a parking space for church. Guests and newcomers often have no such resources. They need special consideration to reward them for having the gumption to get up on a Sunday morning with the resolve to attend worship.

Why not designate a space or two close to the entrance, perhaps right next to the handicapped spaces, as guest parking? That lets them know right away that they are welcome and valued here, and that it is not just a club for the initiates.

One way to gain such a space is by removing the old “Reserved for Rector” sign. That was a nice gesture of appreciation for the priest. However, unless she has to rush in from leading worship moments earlier at another congregation, the priest is likely to be among the first to arrive, while choice spaces are still plentiful. That special designation may be unnecessary, and it may send an unintended message—that this is a clergy-centered and clergy-dominated congregation.
The Episcopal Church welcomes…whom?

Volley #7

Volley #7 ANOUNCEMENTS 101

Typical Sunday announcements at St. Wilbur in the Wildwood:
“I hope everyone will come to coffee hour after Eucharist in Wizzenheifer Hall.”

“All those youth interested in EYF, please meet with Mr. and Mrs. Hampton in the Narthex.”

“Training for new Acolytes will begin at the Chancel following the Postlude.”

“Don’t forget, we have meetings of EFM, ECW, Inquirers, and Vestry coming up this week.”

All of the above are perfectly informative—to anyone who already knows all about this congregation, its people, layout, and events. But what about those who are present for the first time, or who are relatively new in the congregation? What is Eucharist? Where is Wizzenheifer Hall? What do EYF, ECW, EFM, Inquirers, and Vestry mean? Am I invited? Who are the Hamptons? Where are the Narthex and the Chancel? Who is eligible for youth or acolyte groups? Announcements can be welcoming and inclusive, or they can serve to emphasize how uninformed and out-of-the-loop a newcomer is.

The perpetrators of these veiled statements may not be conscious at all of the hidden messages they contain. The result, however, is to keep the power of information in the hands of those who control communication in the group, and dole it out to those they choose to include. What is needed to break this unconscious screening process is mostly awareness of it, and the decision to welcome all who desire to be welcomed, and let the newcomer and the congregation discover one another.

I’m not sure announcements in church are useful in the first place. They seem to matter enormously to Wardens and Vestries, but my experience is that people don’t listen to them anyway, and if someone, clergy or lay, is allowed to drone on past the very low tolerance of the congregation, announcements can be an occasion for sin to the congregation, with the negative thoughts and comments they inspire. My personal preference would be to have a brief welcome and invitation announcement prior to worship, and expanded announcements at the coffee hour, where you reach the people who really want to know what is going on. They’ve been given in writing to everyone, after all. In any case, it behooves the one making announcements to remember: Be prepared. Be clear. Be brief. Be seated.

Volley #6

Volley #6 NOT ALL ABOUT MONEY

We hear people say that they “stopped going to that church, because all they ever heard was about money.” Must not have been an Episcopal congregation—we’re afraid ever to mention money! But the impression that many have is that if they go to church, they’ll be asked to open their wallet right away.

How about this announcement in the bulletin, or even spoken: “If you are our guest today, please don’t feel that you have to make a contribution at the offering time. Please let this time of worship be our gift to you.”

Anything that reduces the stress and uncertainty about a first visit to a church has to be a helpful thing.

Volley #5

Volley # 5: The Great Banquet
In this instance, I don’t mean the Heavenly Banquet. I mean the one we put on at church every time there is a gathering of any kind. We have, I think, three motivations. First, the pragmatic one: “feed them, and they will come.” We believe, and have some evidence in support, that people will attend if they know they will be fed, with little or no cost or effort of their own. Second, the theological one: what we serve at church is somehow emblematic of the heavenly food of the Kingdom. Therefore, it should be our best, our “party” food, normally reserved for special occasions; but then, any gathering in God’s house is a special occasion. Third, there is the sinful one: Perhaps we like to show off a little. And then, perhaps we like to indulge a little in that perennial favorite among the Deadly Seven, Gluttony.
I call your attention to the word Deadly. It is my contention that we are killing ourselves with our church dinners, receptions, and refreshments. Oh, I know, I’m historically the chief offender. But it is ironic that the better one’s attendance at church events, the worse it is for one’s physical health. And whose attendance is pushing 100%? The clergy, that’s who. We are killing off the clergy, and the most active lay people in our congregations, by constantly serving them foods at church that our doctors have forbidden us to eat at home.
What foods, you ask? Toss a Hot Cross Bun at the serving table, I respond, and see what you hit. Doughnuts will kill nearly anybody. But constant cookies (and we know how to bake some irresistible ones), “celebratory” cakes (we can celebrate anything), a parade of brownies, and dinners with a mayonnaise theme all qualify. Could we invent a healthier celebration food?
In all seriousness, we ought to consider:
• The epidemic of diabetes is frightening, and growing.
• We are the fattest state in the union.
• Hypertension and related disorders are prevalent.
• We are an older and aging church population.
• Our children and grandchildren learn from what they see us doing.
• Aren’t health care costs high enough already?
To return to the three motivations cited above: First, I believe they will come if we serve attractive, fresh, naturally tasty and healthy food, too. Second, theologically speaking, shouldn’t we be all about health and wholeness rather than decadence and indulgence? Thirdly, isn’t facing and resisting sin what we are into? We can still compete over who has the prettiest and most interesting dish of healthy fare. I don’t know if one can over-eat salad greens, but we could try.
Now, I know there is nothing we can do about Aunt Madge and her potluck penchant for heart-stopping covered dishes. Perhaps just a spoonful would satisfy both her and our urge to splurge. But wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had the choice of mounding up the rest of our plate with colorful, fresh vegetables, and delectable fruits, served with non-lethal dressings or sauces?
That’s heaven, too.

Volley #4

Volley # 4: No Sign of an Episcopal Church in Town
Check out your church property: is the main sign identifying the church building (where worship actually occurs), placed to be noticed, or placed NOT to be? We Episcopalians are past masters at hiding ourselves from people who don’t already know us. Contrary to all logic, we have some churches in this diocese with signs that are discretely located so that they will not be seen until the church has already been found and the car stopped!
Sure, the church sign looks great tucked into that inset of the church building, placed at parallel to the church wall, or perhaps even attached flat against the church wall. That means it is perfectly readable—to someone who has already located the building, parked the car, gotten out, and found the main entrance. But the newcomer who has no idea where the Episcopal church in town is located has passed by and is now checking out the larger “Methobapterian” church down the street, which has a large, lighted, readable sign right out on the church lawn facing traffic.
Let’s drag those church signs out and place them in view of the people who need to see them! The little swinging metal signs we are ordering are great for directing people toward the church from the edge of town and from intersections leading to us, but they are not intended to be the main church sign. And here are some additional points:
• Light the main sign if at all possible. People pass by on Saturday night, too, and we do have evening events. (Solar-energy spotlights are available.)
• Choose a simple, easy-to-read lettering, and stick to it. Banish Gothic Texts! No one can read them!
• Include “Episcopal” in the church name. That is who we are.
• Make the worship times large enough to be seen from a moving vehicle.
• Don’t bother with the name of the rector, unless he is famous, or perhaps if she is a woman (which might attract the inquisitive). Otherwise, it isn’t “first view” information.
• Include the congregation’s web address. A majority of first-time visitors now check out the website first, before they ever attend worship.
• Don’t use jargon like “Eucharist” or “Rector.” Once inside, people begin to learn our terminology, but the sign out front is not the place to hit them with it.
• Do include brief parking directions, such as “Parking in the Rear.”
I don’t know if we’ll ever get to the point where the attendant at every Seven-Eleven knows that there is an Episcopal congregation in town, and where it is. Maybe we could get to the point, though, where most people looking for us don’t have to stop at the Seven-Eleven to ask.

Volley #3

Volley # 3 Tidiness

Last summer, my Congregational Development training group visited a downtown, urban parish church. It’s been there for decades, serving a neighborhood that has risen and fallen, and is rising again. Members come from a pretty wide territory. Many are older folk, but there is a mix of younger adults, and some children. The main activity of the congregation outside of Sunday worship is running a large, well –known food pantry from their premises (lower level). The congregation is not in hard times, but it is not heavily endowed or in high clover, either (there is an assistant priest, but she will serve only three years, because that is when the funding for her position runs out).
So what struck me about this rather traditional Episcopal church? It was IMMACULATE! Sure, they’d been warned we were coming, but not early enough to have done a complete overhaul on the entire premises. This place was simply well organized and very carefully tended. For example:
• The worship space gleamed. Floors were polished, along with pews and everything brass. Stained glass glowed with cleanliness. Art, equipment, and devotional objects were placed precisely where they needed to be, to support, but never distract from, the main event. Nothing seemed to be hung or placed just because someone liked it, or it had been given as a memorial. Nothing was being “stored” in plain view. Everything had a reason to be exactly where it was—and that reason fostered prayer and the worship of God.
• The landscaping was equally intentional. No garden kitch whatsoever. Just carefully chosen shrubs and flowers, flawlessly trimmed and mulched, without a weed in sight.
• Each bulletin board (and there weren’t many), had a purpose, but just one purpose. Each was colorful, attractive, and informative. None was a catch-all for all imaginable news. Every one was current.
• The hall was set up for the meeting that was taking place. No paraphernalia remaining from a previous meeting, or needed for the next one, was visible.
The upshot of all this was that I was totally impressed. I’ve visited dozens of Episcopal churches, rich and poor, big and small, high and low—but I had never seen one so well-maintained and so, well—LOVED—as this one. The conditions said that staff and people in this place really cared about their church, took some pride in it and the impression it made. They beamed with big smiles while they talked about their worship, their fellowship, and their food program. Yet clearly, they took their ministry seriously.
Nobody lectured us on this meticulousness. In fact, no one mentioned it at all. They didn’t need to, and I took away a great and valuable lesson, just by noticing.
If I were looking for a church in that city, that one would make my short list immediately.

Volley #2

A Volley from the Canon: Tea, too!

I’m not prejudiced—some of my best friends are tea-drinkers!

My comments last week on coffee at coffee hour led a few to believe I was going to ignore the tea lobby entirely. Not so! As a matter of fact, they have historically suffered the most at the hands of the coffee-drinking American mainstream.

It isn’t very welcoming to be handed a Lipton tea-bag and a Styrofoam cup of cold water and told “the microwave’s over there” when you ask innocently if there is any tea. (I’ll save Styrofoam itself for another day.)

It’s really a snap to provide excellent, satisfying hot tea in very short order and with very little trouble. First, it’s essential to provide a selection of several good-quality teas, caffeinated and de-caffeinated, regular tea and herbals. They can often be found in an attractive wooden box (Sam’s Club again), but arranging an assortment in a basket or on a tray could be nice, too. Then comes the crucial ingredient—boiling water. The Brits have this knocked. They use high-speed electric boiling kettles, and good ones are now available in the U. S. (try Target). You flip the switch when tea is called for, and voila, you have boiling water in about one minute or less. There are also hot water dispensers on some Bunn-type coffee makers, and as attachments to sinks, as well.

Maybe fresh lemon slices are too much to ask at a church coffee hour. But a nice ceramic mug is welcome, and for true Anglophiles, the same little creamers provided for coffee can work great in teas, too.

We never know which seemingly small detail makes all the difference for someone we’d like to welcome to our church. It all becomes worthwhile when one person goes home from worship smiling, and thinking, “Hey, this Episcopal Church welcomes me!”

Volley #1

A Volley from the Canon: Radicalizing Hospitality



Coffee Hour, that sacred mystery of the Episcopal Church, is the best shot we have at getting maximum familiarity with newcomers (and extracting from them maximum information for use in follow-up), and it is our final opportunity to make a positive impression on their first visit with the congregation. Therefore—we serve them the cheapest coffee available on sale at the discount store, stale from residing in the church pantry in that huge, bargain-size can, perked up in a 120-cup aluminum percolator, circa 1959. Then, we cap the offense with injury, for some, by offering that noxious non-dairy powder to “lighten” the brew.

Or that’s the way it USED to be. Now, more and more congregations are catching on to the higher standards for coffee service that are sweeping our nation, and especially our younger population. I’m not suggesting that we attempt a full-scale coffee bar. Regular and decaf are quite enough, if they are of good quality. That means avoiding anything too extreme, like a French or Italian Roast, but selecting a nice, bright, full-flavored roast that would appeal to most people. And while we’re at it, choosing a “fair trade” coffee (like “the Bishop’s Blend,” which benefits Episcopal Relief and Development,) [http://www.er-d.org/waystogive_63273_ENG_HTM.htm] and making that connection known, is a great idea.

But don’t forget the cream! People who don’t drink coffee (or who drink it black) have no idea how important dairy creamer is to those who lighten their coffee. It used to be “too much trouble” for most congregations to bring in a carton of half-and-half (or even milk) for coffee hour. Now, there is no excuse. Little individual servings of half-and-half with a long shelf-life and needing no refrigeration are available at a number of retail outlets, including Sam’s Club.

Still too much trouble? Are people just too darn picky? If we can ignore these important details, we should consider—the Holy Apostolic First Century Bible Full Gospel Community Temple down the street will be happy to respond, and probably already does.