Disciple: What They Did This Summer
Two churches get creative to keep congregations engaged
By Christine McTaggart
Summer days are often called lazy, and the moniker is honestly earned. Summer is the time of year when days grow long, the heat settles in, and people take a break. They break from school, routines, jobs, and – as these breaks often include heading out for a change in scenery – church.
Many parishes acknowledge this trend and simply accept the fact the pews will be more sparsely populated until autumn returns once again. But two churches in the Diocese of North Carolina decided not to give in so easily this year, and their creativity made for summer days that were anything but lazy.
A BUCKET O’BLESSINGS
St. John’s, Charlotte, has an approach to worship that teaches the Church is a keystone element in a person’s Christian formation, but it is not and cannot be the only element in a person’s faith journey. To live a fully faithful life, a person cannot simply attend church once a week; he must live and practice his faith every day, and the foundation of that practice begins in the home.
“Historically, religious education took place in the home,” said the Rev. Paul Winton, rector of St. John’s. “Before radio, television and the evolution of the urban [lifestyle], home was the primary venue for engaging the Scriptures, contemplating the faith and launching a practice of the faith.”
Realizing the need to reincorporate the home as a central point in a person’s faith, St. John’s created ChurcHome, a program and philosophy that encourages families to build the practice of faith into daily lives using simple but effective guidelines:
1. Read and study Holy Scripture regularly
2. Pray individually and as a home community
3. Engage in Christian service together
4. Financially support the work of your Church and make it known throughout the home
5. Keep the Sabbath (the entire home) along with other Christians
By strengthening the role faith plays in a person’s daily life, the church in turn becomes a source of tools, resources and support that equips and enriches the journey.
“The Church should continue to work as hard as it can in Christian formation, doing all the things we have learned to do so well,” said the Rev. Winton. “[But] it takes both Church and home working together if we are to form real disciples.”
But when families break for vacation and leave home and church behind, the challenge becomes a question of how to keep the momentum going.
CHURCH TO GO
A bright yellow bucket. Sunscreen. A beach ball. Bubbles.
Prayer cards and scripture comics?
It’s a Bucket o’ Blessings, and it is “church to go.” But the whimsical bucket carried a serious responsibility, as its job was to keep families on track with their practice and connected with St. John’s. In addition to the toys and games, the bucket included Scripture lessons for every Sunday of summer, a link to The Episcopal Church’s parish directory so families could find a church wherever they were, and a link to a webcast of St. John’s services if they preferred stay in touch with home.
“God goes with you everywhere,” said Cathy Harrison, assistant to the rector for special projects. “A Bucket o’Blessings was a fun way to stay tuned in while you were away from home.”
Recognizing the importance fellowship plays in any faith journey and to help keep the congregation connected, the Bucket o’ Blessings also included John-E. “Think of him as a cousin of sorts to Flat Stanley,” said Harrison. Vacationers were encouraged to include John-E in photos and share them with St. John’s. Photos were posted on a map so folks in Charlotte could follow the travels of their fellow parishioners. The hope was 50 families would take a Bucket o’Blessings and make it part of their summer; almost 100 were distributed. Already talk has turned to next summer.
“Oh, we’ll do something again,” said Harrison. “It may be a Bucket o’ Blessings, or it may be something else, but either way we’ll make it fun.”
THE SEEDS OF SABBATH
While one church focused on its travelers, another focused on those staying home. St. Paul’s, Smithfield, answered the call when faced with the absence not of its worshipers, but its rector.
The Rev. Jim Melnyk was departing for a three-month summer sabbatical, and so in January, the vestry and the Rev. Melnyk went on retreat to start making preparations for the priest’s absence. Both the congregation and the vestry supported the Rev. Melnyk’s sabbatical, and they wanted to find a way for those at home to share in the experience.
They found the way in the words of the fourth commandment: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:8-10). It mirrored the Rev. Melnyk’s impending journey well. As he was taking a break from his usual routine and work to care for his own faith and spirit, so the congregation would, once a week, take some time to do the same.
The Seeds of Sabbath were planted.
The plan was that every week, a member of the vestry would offer at each Sunday service a “Weekly Seed of Sabbath.” The seeds came from a variety of sources: some were developed by the vestry; some came from Matthew Sleeth’s book, 24/6: A Prescription for a Happier, Healthier Life, which the vestry had read and studied at length to prepare for this project; and still others came from additional readings about the Sabbath. The seeds’ purpose was to help congregants facilitate and enhance efforts to honor the Sabbath fully, and each was designed to encourage rest, reflection and, in some cases, an intentional act.
“[The Seeds of Sabbath were] a way to help each of us be with [Father Jim] and to begin to experience changes that may evolve because of our commitment to God’s commandment to stop, rest, reflect and know that He is God,” said David Lockett, vestry and Seeds of Sabbath project member.
Only the vestry and the Rev. Melnyk knew all of the seeds in advance. Every Sunday, parishioners of St. Paul’s gathered to honor the Sabbath intentionally and prayerfully, sowing the weekly seeds and, as the summer progressed, feeling a change grow within. Upon the Rev. Melnyk’s return, the church came together at a celebration to welcome their rector home and to exchange tales of their summer experiences.
When asked about the lingering effects of his church’s summer Sabbath journey, the Rev. Melnyk replied, “I’ve noticed more of a sense of calm and people trusting in their faith journeys. A lot of the day-to-day anxiety that can infect people’s lives doesn’t seem to be there as much. Folks seem to have come away with renewed confidence [both] in themselves and their faith journeys.”
One church’s project kept an established practice going; the other laid the foundation for a new way of doing things. Two approaches, both resulting in a deeper spiritual journey for those who took part.
Christine McTaggart is the communications director for the Diocese of North Carolina. Contact her at [email protected].
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