Saturday, October 01, 2005
BIG Day review
Category: Faith (well, church anyway)
Somehow, now that I'm ready for tomorrow (morning, at least...) the BIG news of last weekend seems rather less so.
Having been running a Communion service in the house twice monthly for a... YEAR (good grief, I thought it was only a few months!) we felt it was time to be little more daring, or at least accessible. People don't seem to want to cross the threshold of the Vicarage (which maybe says something about the nature of perceptions in MLPK).
I'd chatted with the landlord at The Spitfire a while before and he offered us space there - a mid-sized room that we could use for the service itself and a beautiful airy room above it ideal for children's work. Wouldn't it be nice if we could outgrow our current room and have the service on the upper bar?
We've been using the Community Hall in the afternoon for over 18 months now, but somehow that didn't feel right this time (possibly because I didn't want us to be in such a large space that we looked silly!) Another important consideration is that we get the pub free! Not to mention a better chance that passers-by can hear us singing out the open window! We don't pay a fortune for the hall, but that isn't the point. And of course many people still can't quite get their heads around church meeting in a pub - almost as if it's a contradiction in terms (even though I like to think that the Upper Room was the function room of the Jerusalem Tavern!)
The upshot is that I will be BBC Radio Kent in the Sunday morning Godslot (.i.e listened to by nobody who will come, but who at least may pray for our endeavours) tomorrow, at 0650! I'm also having a photographer from the Seveonaks Chronicle coming on Tuesday (so I'd better remember to have a shave!)
Last Sunday the take up was worse than I'd hoped, but about what I expected - 8 adults and 2 children. It isn't a lot, but it's a start. Things take time to grow. The sad thing is that the other lot (with whom I have perfectly good personal relations) have also started morning services too - so once again the church is seen to be divided. It does neither of us any favours, but that's how it is. We're not in competition: it's not a race - and MLPK is big enough for both of us, but it's still sad, in fact I'm sure that in God's eyes it's little short of scandalous - but we are all fallible human beings who mean well.
So, we shall see what develops. There is a long way to go and a lot to do. I'm very aware that we are still in the business of setting up stall and saying "come to us", but haven't yet worked out quite how to meet people where they are. Theology Happy Hour, anyone? Half a pint and the theology of Origen? ¶ 3:15 pm
Somehow, now that I'm ready for tomorrow (morning, at least...) the BIG news of last weekend seems rather less so.
Having been running a Communion service in the house twice monthly for a... YEAR (good grief, I thought it was only a few months!) we felt it was time to be little more daring, or at least accessible. People don't seem to want to cross the threshold of the Vicarage (which maybe says something about the nature of perceptions in MLPK).
I'd chatted with the landlord at The Spitfire a while before and he offered us space there - a mid-sized room that we could use for the service itself and a beautiful airy room above it ideal for children's work. Wouldn't it be nice if we could outgrow our current room and have the service on the upper bar?
We've been using the Community Hall in the afternoon for over 18 months now, but somehow that didn't feel right this time (possibly because I didn't want us to be in such a large space that we looked silly!) Another important consideration is that we get the pub free! Not to mention a better chance that passers-by can hear us singing out the open window! We don't pay a fortune for the hall, but that isn't the point. And of course many people still can't quite get their heads around church meeting in a pub - almost as if it's a contradiction in terms (even though I like to think that the Upper Room was the function room of the Jerusalem Tavern!)
The upshot is that I will be BBC Radio Kent in the Sunday morning Godslot (.i.e listened to by nobody who will come, but who at least may pray for our endeavours) tomorrow, at 0650! I'm also having a photographer from the Seveonaks Chronicle coming on Tuesday (so I'd better remember to have a shave!)
Last Sunday the take up was worse than I'd hoped, but about what I expected - 8 adults and 2 children. It isn't a lot, but it's a start. Things take time to grow. The sad thing is that the other lot (with whom I have perfectly good personal relations) have also started morning services too - so once again the church is seen to be divided. It does neither of us any favours, but that's how it is. We're not in competition: it's not a race - and MLPK is big enough for both of us, but it's still sad, in fact I'm sure that in God's eyes it's little short of scandalous - but we are all fallible human beings who mean well.
So, we shall see what develops. There is a long way to go and a lot to do. I'm very aware that we are still in the business of setting up stall and saying "come to us", but haven't yet worked out quite how to meet people where they are. Theology Happy Hour, anyone? Half a pint and the theology of Origen? ¶ 3:15 pm
