A Sustainable Community

 I was just watching a very interesting interview with The Very Rev. Tracey Lind, dean of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, and Richard Horton, chair of Trinity’s Green Team at Vital Practices and found it really interesting. The talk was about about churches and creating a Eco-Sustainable Community. As the talk went on, I because to think about my travels around this diocese to different churches and events. Then something hit me, and that we TALK about saving the planet by recycling, but we are not very good in actually doing it. 

 The one thing that suddenly hit me are the number of congregations that use "Service Booklets" which are created week after week with the entire service in it. Now this is a good things, as they can include music that is not in the Hymnal, but then it hit me that with all of the money problems that congregations are having, maybe it is time for them to go back and use the actual Book Of Common Prayer.  
 But what about using music that isn't in the Hymnal or any of the songbooks that we may have in the pews? Do as it has been done in the past and for those create a handout that would be handed out. 
 OK, I can hear it now in that people are saying that they don't want to fumble around between stuff, and that it is easier to have it all in one place, plus we use 100% recyclable paper. Well, here is the one thing that I suddenly realized, and that is that I have never seen a recycle bin inside of a church. Yeah, it is in there where the upcoming events and information is located, but why not either use a separate sheet that can be taken out, or the last page(s) for that and tell people to take that part with them, but put the rest in the recycle bin that is located at the exit(s)? Think about it... 
 "But a Recycling Bin would look so ugly at the doors..." I can hear people saying. I think that our planet would look so much better with less litter on the streets, some of which are these service bulletins. Here is something for your Sunday School kids to do, let them decorate the recycling bins? Even better yet, have them create the bins that would be dumped into the ugly one(s) that you don't want at your doors!!! I think that this would make them really feel apart of the church community. It could be that the children will even help in the clean up after service in order to make sure that their bin is used. In turn, this will get children to even be more active in recycling at home, school and elsewhere. 
 Oh, I can hear something else come up now. "But the Book Of Common Prayer cost so much money for each copy. Why not encourage the members to buy a couple of copies? One copy they give to the church, and the other that they keep at home? Who knows, if they keep one at home they may actually open them and see all of the wonderful services and other things located between the covers. Some of them may actually begin a daily practice of prayer within there life, and those with children may actually get them to pray on a daily basis. Could you imagine it, millions of Episcopalians actually praying on a daily basis. People praying for those in need of prayer throughout the universe, and giving thanks for things throughout the universe? People may actually come to a point where they don't get into a physical fight but stop and say to it other that they will pray WITH each other.
 Now I will admit that I am not great at recycling, nor is the congregation that I am in, but I try at times. But I will give credit to my Pastor and his wife who will take home the recycling located around the campus and put it into their own recycling bins. We should use them and others that are trying to create a sustainable community throughout the world. 
 I call upon ALL Christians and especially my fellow Episcopalians to help create Sustainable Communities within our congregations and world.

The Rapture Was Cancelled

 Over the last month there has been a lot of talk about a Rapture that Howard Camping of Family Radio said was suppose to happen on May 21, 2011. Over the last few days I have been in a number of conversations about this subject, and figured that I would blog about it like so many others.

 I find the whole thing interesting, as I started listening to Howard Camping and Family Radio a few years ago. I actually enjoy listening to Family Radio, as it has some wonderful programming. As far as the Rapture thing, I am one who didn't believe what he was saying concerning it as to the date, as I feel God will choose that date at some point. To me it is clear that there is nothing in the Bible that gives any kind of code to say when it will happen.

 But I find it interesting in the way that people (mainly because of the press) did not report the truth in what Mr. Camping said was going to happen. In the times that I listened to him talk about the subject over the last 3 or so years, I never heard him state that the world was going so blow up on May 21, 2011. He always started that the Rapture was going to occur that day, and that the earth would no longer exist as of October 21, 2011. All of those who say that he revised the date apparently never listened to Mr. Camping, as he hasn't revived anything concerning the dates. 

 Now Mr. Camping was wrong as to what was going to happen when the Rapture occurred on May 21, 2011, and he actually apologized on air for the mistake. I didn't hear a bunch of excuses like I hear some clergy do when they are wrong. He clearly stated that he was wrong.

 But the story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" comes to mind with this whole thing. This is the second time that he was wrong, and he may be wrong again when it comes to October 21. But like the boy who cried wolf could he be right at some point? 

 One of the things that I am know that he did was to get people to open up and actually read the Bible and how many of us can say that we actually managed to get others to do that, let alone ourselves. Sure some people who followed him will stop, but I am sure that others will continue to read the Bible and follow it's teachings.

 I have heard and seen people say all kinds of things about him when it didn't happen, and yes I can understand people being upset, but how many times have you said that you would do something and failed to do it? How often have you erred in something? The only person that I know of in history was perfect was Jesus. I'm not claiming to be perfect, and am sure that I will error in the future.

 "But he needs to give back ALL of the money that people gave him!," some people are yelling. I've heard sports teams and others say that they will win the championship, and people will go out and buy tickets to see these teams, but yet NOBODY seems to demand they get their money back when the team doesn't win it. Why should Howard Camping have to?

 "I hope that he rots in Hell!," I am hearing and seeing people claiming to be Christians saying. That statement is so wrong. Nobody deserves to be told that. That is something that God will decide as to who go there. I think that we all will be surprised as to who goes to Heaven if we should be so lucky as to be selected to go there, and the same goes as to who goes to Hell. 

 Will I continue to listen to Family Radio. Yes I will, as it does have some great programming on it, and I have actually learned and discerned things in my life because of that station and Howard Camping. What do we all need to do is to look at the person in the mirror to figure out what kind of life we have lived and if we really deserve to go to Heaven. I am trying to do my best to go there, but I will admit that I do screw up and hope and pray that God forgives me for my mistakes in life.

 May The Peace and Love of the Holy Triune be with you.

Render Unto Caesar What is Caesars

I was talking with an Aunt a little earlier, and she was asking about how to get people back into her church who had left. She said to email her if I had any ideas. Below is the email that I just finished to her...

Hi Aunt Joan,

 Church growth and getting people back is a hard thing, but a doable thing. Here are some things to suggest. I don't know if they will work back there.

1) All Member Canvas - Break out the membership role and get to calling and/or visiting. Nothing in the world like 1-on-1 contact. With this, you should do a "Church Survey" and find out what brings people there and keeps them. With the ones who have stopped coming, find out why they stopped and get ideas and suggestions on things that the church can do to help bring them back if possible. The thing with this also is that you will find your membership numbers drop, as people will have died, moved out of the area, changed church denominations, changed religions, etc.

2) Activities - People will come for activities.

 a) Movie Night - Depending on what the church buildings look like and can hold, show a movie. The Movie Night would be advertised in the church bulletin and newsletter, during service, in coffee houses, Laundromats, put into the doors of the neighbors, etc. Make sure that the movie is not something that is blatantly religious, and is one that parents can bring there kids. This is a Free event. Someone will host and bring snacks, or it can be Pot Luck. Start off with some cartoons, then the main feature. Have a "Sign Up" board where people can put there name up to host one. We do ours on a Saturday Night, starting at 7pm, and last until around 9:30/10.

 b) YPF/Youth Group - This would be for High School youth. Keep the adults over 30 out of it, and those 19 to 29 are just Advisers. The youth pick the activities that they want to do, set up a schedule on when to do it, and keep Religion out of it as best as possible. The main role of the Advisers is to make sure that no illegal things are going on, and to advise the youth. The Youth must have "ownership" for it to succeed. When a youth group is doing the things that the adults want for them to do, the youth group will die.

 c) A Day At The Races - I don't recall what horse race tracks are in that area, but many have group discounts that include seats in the VIP area. At the track out here, when there are groups, they will have some of the people from the group (the organizers) come down after a race to have their picture taken with the winning horse & jockey. Now let's say that they are selling the tickets at $20, you all can sell them at $30, with the $10 going to the church. Maybe divide the $10 up equally to 4 different thing, like the YPF, General Fund, Building & Grounds, and Youth Scholarships.

 d) Men's/Women's Group - This is something to talk to my father about. With the congregations out here, many of them will have special speakers come in on different topics, several times a year have a day where they will do some work around the church. With the race track out here, they permit different groups to sell hot dogs & beer. The track sets it all up and the groups man a booth where they sell what the track has made, with a small profit going to the group.

 e) Nightwatch - This is a youth activity. Youth are involved in planning it, where they design an "educational program" around a topic. We do one every year at the Cathedral over MLK weekend, so say the topic is racism. One or two special guest come in and give talks to the kids, with say one of them being someone who was involved with SNIC and/or Marched with MLK. The kids will watch the Dream Speech or the Mountain Top Speech and talk about it. Have them talk about the issues around race, and design activities that let them deal with race. The one thing that has to be done is to invite other youth groups in the area. The event would start that Sunday evening and end Monday afternoon. That night they sleep inside the church. A great documentary for them to watch would be "Traces Of The Trade" which deal with a family in New England and their history. A few years ago, the woman who did the documentary came to our Nightwatch, showed some of the film and talked with the kids.

 f) The Stations Of The Cross - I do the Stations all year round. For me, every Sunday at service I feel that we go through Christ life from Birth through Death. But this would be a different kind of Stations Of the Cross. These Stations would revolve around a topic. Attached are two Stations that I put together that deal with racism. one of my websites is www.thestationsofthecross.info, where you can find different kinds of stations to do. With each station, someone different would read the Station, and many times afterwards a conversation would occur about the subject matter.

 g) Soup & Conversation Series - Pick a subject. "A Christ Centered life", "Prayer Life", "The Meaning Of Baptism", etc. These would all be church/God/Christ/Religious related stuff or something like the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) someones home.

 h) Hold a "Town Hall Meeting" - Contact city officials and have them talk with the community about what is going on. Invite the neighborhood. Let it be known that this isn't a "Beat Up the City Official" time, but time to have a conversation. Try to come up with ways to work together to improve things. Let them know the concerns and the good things that are going on. If they know that people are happy with Park & Rec and the libraries, it makes it harder to make cuts in those areas.

 There are many other activities that can take place, and when you do the All Member Canvass, these are things that can be brought up as to new things that are happening in the congregation. Also be sure to do stuff that those who have left have mentioned that they would be interested in, as it kills excuses for not coming.

 Those pamphlets that are in hotel lobbies... Make some and find hotels that will let you put them in the rack. Put them into the mail boxes of the people in the neighborhood.

 Make lunches for some of the senior centers close by, and serve it. 

 One of the activities that I am involved with his making bag lunches for the Day Laborers on a monthly basis. we make around 100 lunches (sandwich, fruit, snack, hand sanitizer, a pair of socks, water/drink/soda) and go to where we know they congregate and pass them out. Put a note in each bag saying that this is a gift from your congregation. Some of those guys don't eat from several days, and they will be grateful. If you don't know where the day Laborers are, there is always the homeless.

 How to get people involved on the planning stages? Personally ask them. Have things going on where they rotate off, as if it is the same people doing the bake sale every time, the food becomes a little boring after a bit. 

 Have a Welcoming Group, who great every new comer and makes sure that they feel welcome. Most churches are Cliquish, and I think drives some people from joining a congregation. The Welcoming group would basically take care of the person, introduce them to others in the congregation and the clergy, lets them know about the activities of the church, and finds out about the person. Is the person here on vacation, and if so, what are things that they do and the activities that go on at there church if they attend one, as this would be a good way of figuring out new things to do at your congregation.

 When you all have activities, go and invite people from other congregations. The purpose of this isn't to get them to join yours, but if they know or have people who aren't involved with their congregation, you all may be doing something where they would refer the person to your congregation. Likewise, your congregation may have people who would be a great fit at another congregation.

 Put together a church membership directory that also includes a section on skills and businesses that people are willing to offer to other people. People may not know that Joe is a handyman. Now if Joe attends regularly, Joe may charge a little more than someone else, but Joe is going to try and do a great job because Joe doesn't want to have to face the people of the congregation if he rips someone off. Sally has her own law firm. Sally may be interested in doing more Wills & Probate, and Sally may put a little extra in the plate for each one that she does that comes from the church. Wilma is a Wedding Planner... Lucy is a Photographer, Larry is a retired math teach who would be willing to tutor kids in math... There are also people with skills that nobody knows about. Who know that Bobby, the guy who flips burgers at the fast food place, is skilled at writing grants...

 One thing that I learned from my parents and grandparents is that Stewardship is more than just giving money to the church every week, but getting involved in more... When the people of the church realize that there is more that they can give also beyond money to the church, the better off a church is. "Render Unto Caesar what is Caesar's. and unto God what is God's". I believe that God not only wants us to give money so that his word came continue to be spread, but God wants for us to give of our skills also. 

Forever In Christ,

Clinton