getting the buzz going
so as mentioned previously, our church has recently begun offering Sunday services year round. previously, as has been a tradition with UU churches from way back, apparently, (I think from the Unitarian side of things), services had stopped at the end of May and started back up in September.
that's mighty convenient for the minister, of course, who can then get an actual vacation. and the office still functions, though with somewhat shorter summer hours, so business still proceeds and the bills are paid, etc. also, the Board still meets. but even so, church essentially used to stop for three months.
we, the worship committee, changed that last summer when we started offering summer services. it was our decision, and we were completely in charge of the whole thing because in June, July, and August, we were between ministers. our interim minister left in June, and our new settled minister started in September.
anyhow, so this year was the second year. our new minister has opted to change things up a bit by still having a summer "off" but for a shorter period. he was back in the pulpit at the beginning of August rather than September, in part because August is a time of church shopping as people move and get settled. which is convenient for the worship associates, because we had to cover fewer Sundays this year than we did last year.
I have heard some very positive feedback from people who have come to the summer lay-led services - topics developed and delivered by the lay worship leaders in our church. and I think that is awesome. people are very impressed and pleased by the quality of the church services we lay leaders are doing, and that feels good.
hopefully the word will spread, and summer services will become better attended, and people will become more accustomed to the idea of remaining connected to the community year round, instead of taking the summer off. because the building is there year round, and the bills need to be paid year round. and it's good to have the doors open year round, for whomever decides to walk through them.
that's mighty convenient for the minister, of course, who can then get an actual vacation. and the office still functions, though with somewhat shorter summer hours, so business still proceeds and the bills are paid, etc. also, the Board still meets. but even so, church essentially used to stop for three months.
we, the worship committee, changed that last summer when we started offering summer services. it was our decision, and we were completely in charge of the whole thing because in June, July, and August, we were between ministers. our interim minister left in June, and our new settled minister started in September.
anyhow, so this year was the second year. our new minister has opted to change things up a bit by still having a summer "off" but for a shorter period. he was back in the pulpit at the beginning of August rather than September, in part because August is a time of church shopping as people move and get settled. which is convenient for the worship associates, because we had to cover fewer Sundays this year than we did last year.
I have heard some very positive feedback from people who have come to the summer lay-led services - topics developed and delivered by the lay worship leaders in our church. and I think that is awesome. people are very impressed and pleased by the quality of the church services we lay leaders are doing, and that feels good.
hopefully the word will spread, and summer services will become better attended, and people will become more accustomed to the idea of remaining connected to the community year round, instead of taking the summer off. because the building is there year round, and the bills need to be paid year round. and it's good to have the doors open year round, for whomever decides to walk through them.