ECC's "New Church" Attracts 70 to First Service

I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19

Last Sunday night, 70 people came to the very first service of “New Church” in Pascoag, an Episcopal Church plant associated with our Camp and Conference center. For the first time in many years, the church that was formerly Calvary Church, at 158 Broad Street in Pascoag, was full of people who had come to worship.

It was over five years ago that Calvary made the decision to merge with St. Thomas’ in Greenville, and that merger led to a healthy and thriving parish that is living fully into God’s call to care for one another and the world. The merger allowed for new life, new beginnings, and new ministry at St. Thomas’. The merger also left a building behind nestled in the Northwestern most corner of the state, and only two miles from the Episcopal Conference Center.

When the Bishop and ECC Director Meaghan Kelly started talking about forming a new worshipping congregation that was associated with the summer camp program and ministry at ECC, the empty church seemed like a natural place to start holding worship services.  The idea was to start something new and just a little bit different from the other options that we have for churchgoers in the Diocese.  The primary weekly service would be held in the evening instead of the morning and the music would be accompanied by guitar and drum, incorporating some of the songs used at camp.

The Rev. Meaghan Kelly admits she was hoping for 20 people at the first gathering – a Celebration of the Holy Eucharist and a potluck at her house (the former rectory) next door afterward. She was surprised and overwhelmed when 70 people arrived, with many children in attendance.  Some folks came just to check it out and support this effort, but many came and were excited about being part of this ministry, including several people from the neighborhood.

New Church will meet again next week for worship (at 5pm) and a potluck dinner (at 6pm). At the start of Lent, as New Church pays close attention to the experience of being in the wilderness, The Rev. Meaghan Kelly says they will begin to pray and discern in earnest.“We will listen for God and explore who we are going to be, where God is calling us into ministry, and how we can share the light of Christ in Pascoag and in the world.  Please pray for us and with us as God makes something new!”

Taking worship to the streets: Ashes to Go 2014 How-to

Your Church Participating this year? Let us know! We'll include you in diocesan publicity. Email Edmund@epiphanyep.org

Every year on Ash Wednesday, the Church invites us “to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and

meditating on God's holy Word.” Our foreheads are marked with ashes as we remember our mortality and need for repentance as well as the scope of God’s love and mercy.

Have you ever considered taking this invitation to the streets? This Ash Wednesday, Bishop Knisely and Church Beyond the Walls invite you and your congregation to do just this by taking part in Ashes to Go. On March 5, Episcopalians across Rhode Island will be participating by offering ashes, prayer and an invitation to be part of church on street corners, outside of coffee shops, at train stations, bus depots and airports throughout Rhode Island. Will you take part?

Planning an Ashes to Go event in your community is easy. The Reverend Emily Mellott of Calvary Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Chicago provides some excellent tips:  

Choose a place that allows you to meet people where they already are on a Wednesday.

Choose a liturgical option that fits that place.

The liturgical action can be as simple as offering the ashes themselves (“Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”). A prayer (the Collect of the Day works nicely, or the prayer over the ashes from the Ash Wednesday liturgy) before imposing ashes, and a simple “Go in peace,” give the symbol a toe-hold in our common prayer. This option can go nearly anywhere, from transit stops to McDonalds to hospitals. You can do it with a small group of people, or one-on-one. If you wish to use the Lord’s Prayer, remember that different traditions learn it differently! In a location where you may encounter people in groups, or with more leisure, you can use more of the day’s liturgy and enrich the symbol.

Recruit a team

Ashes to Go is a ministry that lay people may lead as well as bishops, priests and deacons. It’s great to have teams that include both clergy and lay people not only to offer ashes, but also to engage in conversation – about Lent or about life – with people who receive ashes and those simply passing by.

Let people know what you’re up to

In addition to recruiting in the congregation, let local media know that you’ll be doing something new and interesting. Ashes to Go is photogenic, and makes great copy for local papers. Chicago congregations found themselves in the traffic and transit reports and on

the evening TV news in 2011, as well as in local papers.

Equip your team

Dress for the weather and dress for the liturgy. For liturgy on street corners and transit stops, it’s probably a good idea for at least half of your team to wear vestments. This makes you stand out in the crowd, and gives passers-by a sense that something special is happening.

A sign isn’t usually necessary, but consider your location, the style of your congregation, and what will help make you visible. If you use incense every Sunday, take a thurifer as part of your team. For a rainy transit platform, our team borrowed patio umbrellas from a parishioner, which doubled as shelter and a way to locate us. It’s good to bring ashes in a sealable container, especially if the weather is windy or wet. You can often find small screw-top jars sold for travel toiletries which work great for ashes.

Give people a take-away

The liturgical moment speaks for itself. But participants may want to find a way to reflect on the encounter, or know who it was who met them with a moment of grace in a busy weekday. Prepare a give-away. Consider Lenten reflection booklets from Episcopal Relief and Development. Or create a prayer card or leaflet that includes prayers for Lent and information on your congregation’s Lenten program. Make sure to include your contact information and weekly service times!

Pray

Pray for the people you will meet, for your team, and for all God’s people looking for a moment of grace.

We want to know where and when your congregation will be offering ashes on Ash Wednesday. So that we can share this information with local media outlets, drop us a line and let us know by Monday, March 3. Email the Reverend Edmund Harris, Priest and Organizer for Church Beyond the Walls, at Edmund@epiphanyep.org.

For more information about Ashes to go, including additional resources, check out the Ashes to Go website here (http://ashestogo.org/).

See you on the streets!

Where are the people who are not in church on Ash Wednesday? On trains and buses? At the store? Doing shift work? Having lunch on the run? Shuttling the kids to school? Where else? 

Places with a lot of pedestrian traffic and an opportunity for drivers to pull up are ideal for brief Ashes encounters. You are looking for a place where people can pause for a few minutes without blocking traffic. If your church opens onto a busy sidewalk, you are in luck. Public sidewalks near transit or shopping might be good options. 

If you are on private property (such as shopping centers) you may be asked to leave, unless you make arrangements with the property owner. 

Ashes to Go can also mean encounters at the tables of a coffee shop or somewhere people have to stand and wait. Do you and your congregation have a good relationship with a coffee shop or local business?

St. Martin's Youth to be featured on PBS

St. Martin’s Youth at TAP-IN with Director Lynn Moran

St. Martin's Youth Group was filmed by RI PBS filmmaker Jim Hummel last Sunday for a documentary on TAP-IN, the East Bay food pantry in Barrington.  The young people will be featured in The Hummel Report in 2-3 months.  The story will air on local news, RI PBS and on-line.

They delivered about 15 cases of food, met the Director Lynn Moran, organized and stocked the shelves and had a tour.  Not only was it a service mission for the Youth, it was an educational experience as well.  They learned that TAP-IN has an ongoing need for toothpaste, shampoo, soap, coffee and toilet paper.

The event was part of our spring program for the Youth: Come Hungry.  Raquel Ray, the Christian Formation Director at St. Martin's, is leading the group through three learning modules that mirror their church's mission statement "Come as You Are, Grow With Us in Faith, Go Forth in Peace: Come Hungry, Be Fed, Feed Others."

The objective is to raise awareness of global, national and local hunger.  We’re looking at hunger in terms of physical and spiritual and how the church can satiate that longing in both aspects. So far, they have traveled to Heifer International’s Overlook Farm in Rutland MA, collected soup for the Souperbowl of Caring, listened to speakers Rev. Albino Barreira (Professor from Providence College), Professor Sean Mulholland (Stonehill College and St. Martin’s member) and New Urban Farmers.  Through the spring they will meet Michelle Wilcox from Crossroads and Diana Burdett from Pica.  They will be encouraged to participate in 30 Hour Famine, Nightwatch and Happening, and all ECC events.  In the process, Raquel hopes to encourage a group cohesion as they transition from Rite-13 to J2A and guide the youth to find their own mission by the fall.

Each module will conclude with a capstone mural project with artist Heather Annis, who is a Youth Minister and member of St. Martins.  Heather will be working with our young people to create three murals that will enhance St. Martins’ Youth Space. 

Canon's Corner: Silent Auction How-to

By The Rev. Linda L. Grenz, Canon to the Ordinary

One of the easiest ways to raise money for your church is to hold a silent auction, and now is the time to ask merchants for a donation to yours. 

Most businesses set aside a specific amount to give in response to requests like this and they give them out on a first come, first served basis. If you ask in August, you may be out of luck, so ask in the first quarter of the year.....preferably February or March (they often haven't done their inventory and closed the prior year's books until the end of January).

When you ask, have a specific fundraising purpose you and your parishioners can describe to potential donors. Ask your parishioners to think of goods or services they can donate, or places beyond your local community that might be willing to support this effort. 

It isn't unusual for parishioners to donate a time-share unit they don't plan to use this year, or for them to ask the ski resort they frequent to offer free ski lift tickets. Also, think beyond the usual food baskets, toys, artwork and dinners. A swim club might offer a free family membership (which was THE most popular item at one church), a museum might offer free admission, and a roller rink might offer free skating for an evening. Approach any business your church uses as a vendor and ask parishioners to tell you their favorite stores, events and organizations so you can ask them for a donation.

Business people want to make a difference in their community, but they also need to earn a living. Some may ask you "What is in it for us?"  Tell them you will give them credit at your event, and then make sure you do so. Put their name in a booklet you hand out and/or on the paper next to the donated item -- you can even put out a business card or small flyer about their business. Send them the usual thank you letter with the IRS tax deduction statement when they donate. And then remember to send them another letter after the auction, thanking them for their donation and telling them how much you raised at the event and what you will do with it. In other words, tell them how their contribution will help make a difference in your cause and their business.

If you set up form letters for your requests and thank you letters, you can easily solicit many vendors. Some will require you to use your shoe leather and personally request it, but some will respond to a letter. You can always follow up with those who didn't reply to the request letter.

There are many people outside the church who want to make a difference and will support a cause by attending your event even if they couldn't donate an item, so promote your cause widely outside the church. Then, at your event give attendees a way to make a difference regularly and they will begin to identify with your church -- some will begin to see it as "my church" even if they don't attend worship. If they feel belonging in this way it more likely that they will turn to you at other times in their lives, or even just start coming to your church!

At the auction, have a set opening and closing time. Be sure you collect names, emails and phone numbers so you can follow up with winners who left early (and so you have that information and can invite them to your next event!). Prepare some interesting food (appetizers and desserts are good) and music, then arrange your silent auction items on tables around the room and let people browse. If you have really good food and music, you can even charge a modest cover charge ($5/person) which increases the income. And don't forget to have your parishioners circulating, getting to know people and inviting them to church.

If you have a beautiful church building, you can even have the organist playing (or set up some quiet recorded church music), light lots of candles and offer people a chance to tour the church. You'd be surprised by how many people will take you up on that -- and, again, it gives you an opportunity to connect your church with people in a way that makes it easier for them to turn to you when they are seeking God.

This (and every fundraiser) can have some, or ideally all, of these goals: 1) raise money, 2) build relationships with people, 3) invite people to church, 4) provide an opportunity to serve and 5) be a fun/joyful/rewarding experience for participants.