How would you change your/the church?

[JayneWonders]

Brad outed himself sometime ago on the previous incarnation. He transitioned from posting as EZed to posting as GUC (eyeball avatar).

I must have missed that. Well, please tell him his wit and insight was always appreciated. (even when he chastised me)

 

[Nancy]

It's hard to think about changing the church when the few active people find themselves under an avalanche of paper work. I just volunteered to be secretary, and there are lots of things that need doing. Some are compounded because our church has been a little lax about doing the things the region has been requesting to date. So, this is where my energy will go at the moment...but I don't feel like it will make a difference to the outcome of worship, or the number of bums in the pews.

 

[BetteTheRed]

Yes, I dread the annual report submission (only one this year, thanks to COVID, down from 3-4 a few years ago). I would be happier helping organize things without the monthly meetings/reports.

We need more young people. I'm on the ad hoc committee to identify the needs for a youth (and young families?) ministry position, hopefully at least half-time once we re-open. Youth and young families need us, and we need them.

 

[Luce NDs]

Yes, I dread the annual report submission (only one this year, thanks to COVID, down from 3-4 a few years ago). I would be happier helping organize things without the monthly meetings/reports.

We need more young people. I'm on the ad hoc committee to identify the needs for a youth (and young families?) ministry position, hopefully at least half-time once we re-open. Youth and young families need us, and we need them.

All the stuff we are insensitive too because of too much comfort that is collapsing because of excess administration to trim margins ... and if you are marginal ... guess what? Folks are not sentient about you as they do not follow the balance of given take! The balance point is just a fulcrum ... overly crummy ... not sharp and whetted ... un dipped ... not dampened in the swing of things from one side to the other of the abstract! The image a nation gone bad ... yah I feel outed also ...

 

[JayneWonders]

Interesting Nancy. We were without a council secretary and just got one, but, the level of work is not that high.
Curious, are you church secretary (as I refer to the Admin) or council/board secretary?

 

[Nancy]

Interesting Nancy. We were without a council secretary and just got one, but, the level of work is not that high.
Curious, are you church secretary (as I refer to the Admin) or council/board secretary?

I'm not the Board secretary, but apparently I will do some of the duties typically assigned to a Board secretary. I will compile the annual report, help with the statistics, do bulletins, order supplies, check e-mail and church hub, and renew our minister's (not ordained) contract. Our historic roll hasn't been updated; we don't have our covenant approved by the Board yet; we don't have a living faith story. I agree about needing more young people: they don't shy away from the computer work as much as I do.

 

[Mendalla]

I agree about needing more young people: they don't shy away from the computer work as much as I do.

Don't need to go very young for that, though. Keep in mind that the older millennials are in their mid-late thirties now and that's the first generation that grew up with personal computers and the Internet. Even the early Gen Z'ers are now into their twenties (e.g. my boy). And there's plenty of folks my age able to handle computer work. I was my church's volunteer computer consultant for a while when I was active there. Helped replace the office computer and put in a network as well as providing support to the office staff and minister.

It does worry me when the church's focus seems to be more on administration than on being a church. It's part of that "keeping the lights on" mentality. Some of that, like the living faith story, could actually help if done right but if it is just one more chore to be done, it won't accomplish anything. Stuff like that drags people down rather than inspiring and energizing them. It's part of why I eventually eased out of doing "work" at the church, preferring to focus on the one thing that did that for me, which was worship.

 

[Carolla]

Re young people - I'm curious to know if any churches do things like sponsor a kids/youth sports team, have a volunteer team that works the snack-bar at sports fields during kids league times, hangs out at the local skatepark with snacks/water etc for conversation? Going out to where the kids & families are to connect with them as adults interested in them & wanting to contribute to neighbourhood health & vibrancy?

 

[Luce NDs]

Re young people - I'm curious to know if any churches do things like sponsor a kids/youth sports team, have a volunteer team that works the snack-bar at sports fields during kids league times, hangs out at the local skatepark with snacks/water etc for conversation? Going out to where the kids & families are to connect with them as adults interested in them & wanting to contribute to neighbourhood health & vibrancy?

What???? Do something for the neighborhood ... that'd be socializing ... a state of socialism!

 

[paradox3]

Re young people - I'm curious to know if any churches do things like sponsor a kids/youth sports team, have a volunteer team that works the snack-bar at sports fields during kids league times, hangs out at the local skatepark with snacks/water etc for conversation? Going out to where the kids & families are to connect with them as adults interested in them & wanting to contribute to neighbourhood health & vibrancy?

I know I am going to sound like an old curmudgeon here, but really? Hanging out at the local skatepark? In these days of Stranger Danger, how would this actually be received by the youth???

 

[Waterfall]

Re young people - I'm curious to know if any churches do things like sponsor a kids/youth sports team, have a volunteer team that works the snack-bar at sports fields during kids league times, hangs out at the local skatepark with snacks/water etc for conversation? Going out to where the kids & families are to connect with them as adults interested in them & wanting to contribute to neighbourhood health & vibrancy?

We have sports for the kids and adults. (Teams mostly)
With Easter approaching, if Covid permits, there will be an Easter egg hunt for the whole town invited.

 

[Mrs.Anteater]

Re young people - I'm curious to know if any churches do things like sponsor a kids/youth sports team, have a volunteer team that works the snack-bar at sports fields during kids league times, hangs out at the local skatepark with snacks/water etc for conversation? Going out to where the kids & families are to connect with them as adults interested in them & wanting to contribute to neighbourhood health & vibrancy?

I am wondering if there is any “ going out into the community” going on anywhere. Besides running church services in LTC facilities.

 

[Luce NDs]

It is said that fear of other is confining ... but may be a social thing in psyche ...

We must find some peculiar person to speak to about this ... an abstract persona? The shadow prevails ... sometimes in the morning when shadows are deep (really it is a song)! And much muttering while drawing water and setting fires ... real folks are just not happy people! Face it find escape ...

 

[Carolla]

I know I am going to sound like an old curmudgeon here, but really? Hanging out at the local skatepark? In these days of Stranger Danger, how would this actually be received by the youth???

That's a fair question. If 'church' is about transforming lives ... how do 'church folk' connect with people/youth for conversations - where & how does transformative relationship begin? Can we take time to sit on park benches & chat with any folks around us? How does 'ministry of presence' emerge in today's 'stranger phobic' urban locations?

To the question of skateboarders (still a thing I think with youth - was certainly a bit part of my kid's youth & he regularly got chased off church & other properties & even ticketed for skateboarding at times). Here's an interesting video from Perth Ontario. There was a similar early story from the UK with church grandmas taking thermoses of hot chocolate out to the public areas & getting to know the skaters & their needs - and eventually opening up their church for band rehearsal space for the skater's bands - and later inviting them in to perform at worship once trust had evolved. In some other skater church stories, kids have to first attend a 'service' in order to gain free admission to an indoor skate park - I really dislike that model.

 

[Waterfall]

That's a fair question. If 'church' is about transforming lives ... how do 'church folk' connect with people/youth for conversations - where & how does transformative relationship begin? Can we take time to sit on park benches & chat with any folks around us? How does 'ministry of presence' emerge in today's 'stranger phobic' urban locations?

To the question of skateboarders (still a thing I think with youth - was certainly a bit part of my kid's youth & he regularly got chased off church & other properties & even ticketed for skateboarding at times). Here's an interesting video from Perth Ontario. There was a similar early story from the UK with church grandmas taking thermoses of hot chocolate out to the public areas & getting to know the skaters & their needs - and eventually opening up their church for band rehearsal space for the skater's bands - and later inviting them in to perform at worship once trust had evolved. In some other skater church stories, kids have to first attend a 'service' in order to gain free admission to an indoor skate park - I really dislike that model.

I hope they expand that "skater park" and add more.
How do they handle the insurance for something like that I wonder?

 

[jimkenney12]

Awesome story. Not many churches have big enough basements for a skate park. I am impressed by the responses of everyone involved.

 

[Carolla]

Awesome story. Not many churches have big enough basements for a skate park. I am impressed by the responses of everyone involved.

What I think is REALLY important about it is that the first inclination was to chase the kids off the church property. I think this happens a lot (sure did to my kid anyway, back in the day). Some churches may treasure a pristine property that is rarely used, over one that is a bit 'worn at the edges' but full of life. I also encountered that attitude years ago when travelling with my church youth group to other churches - some had many "don't do this, don't do that" rules about what could occur & where it could happen in their spaces. But the Perth church in the video fortunately had a nudge to take a different approach. Sometimes what we say we want is right there in front of us, but we are unable to see it. I'm glad for all involved that they took another look. People 'inside' the church being transformed just as much as the new youth in their building. That's what it's about to me.

 

[jimkenney12]

The youth paricipating in Naked Faith in Calgary (part of the Regional Youth ministry suppoerted by St. Andrew's Unied Church in Calgary)) loved going to St. Matthew's because there were many nooks, crannies and hallways theyu could explore and use along with a balcony. The volunteers hated the kitchen facilities. St. Matthew's did not have its own youth group but it was eager to share in supporting the montthly program and usually had a turn twice year.

 

[Luce NDs]

One of our late janitors discouraged visiting the church because it dirtied the floor ... and it is said that Jesus fell to the earth because he really didn't wish to take part in the fallacy of life!

Generates interest in having church in the wild wood ... like Maus gnawing within the Wahl ... comic tragedy of how we support autonomy and isolationism?

The reason I went back to church after a painful childhood in the institution ... just to study the flaws of humanity ... as collected in such institution as collective unknown ...

If that is stated adequately the dictators won't know what you speak about ... pious corruption? Sow bite or beit!

 

[JayneWonders]

What I think is REALLY important about it is that the first inclination was to chase the kids off the church property. I think this happens a lot (sure did to my kid anyway, back in the day). Some churches may treasure a pristine property that is rarely used, over one that is a bit 'worn at the edges' but full of life. I also encountered that attitude years ago when travelling with my church youth group to other churches - some had many "don't do this, don't do that" rules about what could occur & where it could happen in their spaces. But the Perth church in the video fortunately had a nudge to take a different approach. Sometimes what we say we want is right there in front of us, but we are unable to see it. I'm glad for all involved that they took another look. People 'inside' the church being transformed just as much as the new youth in their building. That's what it's about to me.

A swing was hung up in the tree by the front of the church. We're on the main street through town. It is welcoming, and people do sit on it.
There are other such items which make it welcoming as well