Nov 05 2009
reflections from the first eucharistic visioning process
There was a group meeting on Tuesday, November 3, to begin planning for the Eucharist Service that will commence in December. Below are the results from this meeting. Please post your own thoughts and additional responses to these thoughts so they can be compiled to make for a meaningful celebration of Holy Communion. Next week we will consider music. Please note the special “homework” assignment.
What sorts of things do you want to have as a “feel” for a service? ie. how you feel afterwards and what the worship should contain
A sense of Community,
Being energized, ready to face the world,
Engagement with tradition
Peaceful
Good music
Elements that can make this happen:
Incense
holding hands during some of the prayers or other liturgical parts
receiving communion in the round
candles
the opportunity to bake bread for the service and opportunities to put
Christian images on the bread that provide a connection with the loaf.
Nighttime worship
understandability of the service
Location:
The nave of St. Mark’s around the altar, maybe use some of the space before the chancel steps
How can we make the service accessible?
Put a sign outside the door describing what is happening
Put pictures on the sign with images evocative of the experience
Perhaps lighting for the sign
Make sure that the safety/security of the building is not compromised by having an open door.
**HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT**
Everyone is to research the wording and approach that other churches use for announcing
their worship and what sort of signage they have.
Being Welcoming:
We need to think about how the worship is made accessible, what sort of format to use in liturgy.
We can have a “buddy system” to make sure that people aren’t lost during the liturgy.
Make sure there are greeters who can engage people outside who might be curious and also
welcome people when they come inside. One or two people should be “follow-up” people to
make contact with visitors later in the week, take them to coffee.
Put a big welcome mat beside the sign outside.
Perhaps some sort of “red carpet” on the sidewalk.
Other things:
We should begin to think about some sort of system that gives people specific tasks within the community
such as sacristans, flowers, welcomers, readers, follow up, clean up, etc.
