Quick a very quick post today. Bishop Lainie, Father Greg, and myself have been working on a podcast aimed at the ISM. The show is called ISM Frontiers.
The first episode is about what the ISM is. The link is here: http://ismfrontiers.com/what-is-the-ism/
The second episode is the first in a two-part on why some ISM churches fail. http://ismfrontiers.com/ism-community-dissolution-and-failure-part-1/
And finally here is a link to the show's website direct. http://ismfrontiers.com/
Take care.
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
READ A BOOK!
Today I stopped at the drug store to refill my prescription of "Happy Pills". Or perhaps I should call it "Happy Juice" since I take medications in liquid form these days due to my digestive system looking more and more like a Rube Goldberg Machine these days. While I was at the drug store, I happened to look at the bookshelf and saw a series of religious books. I suppose if you're taking medications to keep you alive its not a bad idea to have some religious study material just in case the pills don't work so good.
One of the books I saw happened to have a small sticker on it that advertised that its only $1.99. Being a cheapskate (renting a church space isn't cheap folks) I picked it up and decided to give it a read, taking Handy's coveted advice.
The book was "Know your Bible Illustrated" by Paul Kent. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to put that in quotes or to underline it. College was a long time ago, and I doubt I did it right back then either.
Its a very brief book that gives a very simple overview of each of the books of the bible, some nice quotes, some handsome photos, and a couple of key scriptures of each in order to convey some of the more important elements of that that particular book is about.
If you yourself need a basic intro book, or more likely someone asks you to recommend one that is VERY easy to read and fairly inexpensive, I'd recommend it. GRANTED, I have not completed the book, but so far what I've read is very basic and ideal for a beginner. It is written with a more protestant mindset, but its a good introductory material for anyone who might be a bit curious about where to start with scripture reading.
I was able to get it for 2 bucks, which is a very good price, but amazon has it for $6. Which isn't terrible, but I'd avoid spending any more than that. I have a link below for you to click on to get it. Because I'm thoughtful like that.
One of the books I saw happened to have a small sticker on it that advertised that its only $1.99. Being a cheapskate (renting a church space isn't cheap folks) I picked it up and decided to give it a read, taking Handy's coveted advice.
Fans of The Tick shall rejoice
The book was "Know your Bible Illustrated" by Paul Kent. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to put that in quotes or to underline it. College was a long time ago, and I doubt I did it right back then either.
Its a very brief book that gives a very simple overview of each of the books of the bible, some nice quotes, some handsome photos, and a couple of key scriptures of each in order to convey some of the more important elements of that that particular book is about.
If you yourself need a basic intro book, or more likely someone asks you to recommend one that is VERY easy to read and fairly inexpensive, I'd recommend it. GRANTED, I have not completed the book, but so far what I've read is very basic and ideal for a beginner. It is written with a more protestant mindset, but its a good introductory material for anyone who might be a bit curious about where to start with scripture reading.
I was able to get it for 2 bucks, which is a very good price, but amazon has it for $6. Which isn't terrible, but I'd avoid spending any more than that. I have a link below for you to click on to get it. Because I'm thoughtful like that.
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Be safe
On June 17th, 2015, a group of 15 men, woman, and children met at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina for a Bible study class. When they met, they found that a newcomer had dropped in. For about an hour the young man sat and participated in the class, before eventually pulling out a weapon, began to shout racial slurs, and eventually opened fire on the group. 9 were killed, and 5 others were injured.
I thought about this and the Community of St. James that I serve at. As someone who works in law enforcement, I have the privilege of carrying a firearm off duty. For a brief moment, I though that I would be able to stop such a thing. But soon I gave some thoughts to the fact that I carry my firearms in an inside-the-pant holster in my waistband. Over which is my cassock. Over that is my alb. Around that is a cincture. And over that is a stole. By the time I got my fairly ridiculous fancy dresses off to even reach my gun, I and everyone around me would likely be dead.
This is not, unfortunately, the first attack on a church. In fact, they're more common than one would think. Shootings, bombings, and other attacks on churches and other religious buildings are on the rise.
Its easy to think that churches in the ISM community would be immune to this, either for reasons of small congregations or just being obscure, but frankly it would be foolish to truly think that this sort of thing could never happen to our community. Ours, much like any other community, is just as likely to attract someone who happens to be disturbed and in need of help. Most ISM churches are very small, but the Charleston attack happened during a very small class. In fact, it may have been chosen specifically for its size where he would likely face fewer people who could try and intervene (rather than during the church's Sunday service with far more people).
The ISM community, just like mainstream churches, need to give some thought to emergency planning. Take into account that some ISM churches actually meet in private homes, where strangers may enter to a place where our families are, and this is even more apparent.
I'm certainly not about to advocate that everyone start packing and turn your average mass into a scene from the Boondock Saints, but some common sense security protocols are easy to implement.
Have a safety and security meeting. Discuss plans for certain members to be the ones to call 911 immediately when someone starts to act in a manner in which you feel they may become a danger to themselves and others. Have a drill to practice evacuations, not only for security reasons, but safety as well. Candles, incense, flowing robes, and altar linens are a recipe for greater risk of fires. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher for obvious reasons, and that people know where it is and that its accessible.
Make sure exits are marked, accessible, and easy to find. You never want to put something in front of the door for convenient storage only to find out later that you now have a mother and baby who can't get around your giant stack of hymnal books that you were going to find a place for some other time.
Know your congregants. Anyone who has ever gone to a bar that has newly opened will discover that after the doors first open all the people who have acted up and been banned from other taverns will flock to the new one. People who are difficult, stalkerish, and/or just plain nuts may look for new church communities after being tossed out of their previous environments. If your church happens to meet in a private home, try to have new potential members meet for a church "Coffee meeting" or brunch or something similar at a more public place before inviting strangers into your home.
Talk to your police and fire officials. Ask them about crimes in the area. Have there been a series of hate crimes, or burglaries to churches in the area? You may be able to have a police officer or firefighter come and give a presentation about what to do in an emergency. Fire departments frequently have first aid classes, or fire prevention presentations (often these are around Christmas time). See if your area has a neighborhood watch, perhaps invite one of them to speak, or better yet, join them at a meeting and see what they're working on.
Secure your stuff. In my job I am surrounded by criminals. One of the charges that I see quite often is Burglary to a Place of Worship. Churches tend to have very fancy candles, monstrances, stuff made of gold (or brass that looks like gold and is just as enticing), and often there is money lying around. At my old church money was just kind of kept lying in a box, which in my security-prone mindset I found maddening. Keep doors and cabinets locked. Have adequate lighting on the exterior. Even if you just go to a hardware store and get some solar powered lights. Having complex security systems is of course expensive, and things that are too expensive are just not very feasible in the ISM or small churches in general, but fortunately cell phone and internet based "local" security systems are available from distributors that are easy to install by yourself and don't cost and arm and a leg. The presence of a few door and window sensors along with a control panel on the wall and warning stickers (which you can get a wireless set with a couple sensors, a panel, and motion detector for roughly $200 if you shop around) may make a would-be burglar pick another place to target.
If you have a physical building, take a moment to think about who has keys. When was the last time you changed the locks? Have they ever been changed? How many copies of those keys have you passed out over the years to people who have quit, died, or moved away? Who had copies before you moved in? Do you have renters? Are you a renter, and wonder how many people can let themselves in while you're in the middle of a service without you knowing?
Are you in the city? If so you've probably got a good chance that if you call 911 police, fire, or paramedics will show up fairly promptly. What about if you're rural? If you've got a volunteer fire dept. in your town, how long will it take for them to get there if there is in fact a shooting, or just a member with a heart attack. Does anyone in the clergy know CPR? Do you have an AED machine and/or know how to use one? First aid kit? Flashlights for power outages? If for some reason the EMTs can't get to you in time, do you know how to get to the hospital? Does your deacon? How about your subdeacon? (Subdeacons are fairly clueless aren't they?)
I'm giving consideration to writing a book about some basic security and safety procedures for small churches. If you have any questions anything else related to this subject, please let me know. I have 15 years of law enforcement and security experience, but that certainly doesn't mean that I know everything there is to know, so if you have any advice to share I encourage you to do it here, or one of the various ISM forums or groups online. Often we find ourselves squabbling with one another, but when a disaster strikes one of us, it strikes all of us. And when it comes to protecting ourselves we all need to work together in this, regardless of our denominational tendencies.
I thought about this and the Community of St. James that I serve at. As someone who works in law enforcement, I have the privilege of carrying a firearm off duty. For a brief moment, I though that I would be able to stop such a thing. But soon I gave some thoughts to the fact that I carry my firearms in an inside-the-pant holster in my waistband. Over which is my cassock. Over that is my alb. Around that is a cincture. And over that is a stole. By the time I got my fairly ridiculous fancy dresses off to even reach my gun, I and everyone around me would likely be dead.
This is not, unfortunately, the first attack on a church. In fact, they're more common than one would think. Shootings, bombings, and other attacks on churches and other religious buildings are on the rise.
Its easy to think that churches in the ISM community would be immune to this, either for reasons of small congregations or just being obscure, but frankly it would be foolish to truly think that this sort of thing could never happen to our community. Ours, much like any other community, is just as likely to attract someone who happens to be disturbed and in need of help. Most ISM churches are very small, but the Charleston attack happened during a very small class. In fact, it may have been chosen specifically for its size where he would likely face fewer people who could try and intervene (rather than during the church's Sunday service with far more people).
The ISM community, just like mainstream churches, need to give some thought to emergency planning. Take into account that some ISM churches actually meet in private homes, where strangers may enter to a place where our families are, and this is even more apparent.
I'm certainly not about to advocate that everyone start packing and turn your average mass into a scene from the Boondock Saints, but some common sense security protocols are easy to implement.
Have a safety and security meeting. Discuss plans for certain members to be the ones to call 911 immediately when someone starts to act in a manner in which you feel they may become a danger to themselves and others. Have a drill to practice evacuations, not only for security reasons, but safety as well. Candles, incense, flowing robes, and altar linens are a recipe for greater risk of fires. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher for obvious reasons, and that people know where it is and that its accessible.
Make sure exits are marked, accessible, and easy to find. You never want to put something in front of the door for convenient storage only to find out later that you now have a mother and baby who can't get around your giant stack of hymnal books that you were going to find a place for some other time.
Know your congregants. Anyone who has ever gone to a bar that has newly opened will discover that after the doors first open all the people who have acted up and been banned from other taverns will flock to the new one. People who are difficult, stalkerish, and/or just plain nuts may look for new church communities after being tossed out of their previous environments. If your church happens to meet in a private home, try to have new potential members meet for a church "Coffee meeting" or brunch or something similar at a more public place before inviting strangers into your home.
Talk to your police and fire officials. Ask them about crimes in the area. Have there been a series of hate crimes, or burglaries to churches in the area? You may be able to have a police officer or firefighter come and give a presentation about what to do in an emergency. Fire departments frequently have first aid classes, or fire prevention presentations (often these are around Christmas time). See if your area has a neighborhood watch, perhaps invite one of them to speak, or better yet, join them at a meeting and see what they're working on.
Secure your stuff. In my job I am surrounded by criminals. One of the charges that I see quite often is Burglary to a Place of Worship. Churches tend to have very fancy candles, monstrances, stuff made of gold (or brass that looks like gold and is just as enticing), and often there is money lying around. At my old church money was just kind of kept lying in a box, which in my security-prone mindset I found maddening. Keep doors and cabinets locked. Have adequate lighting on the exterior. Even if you just go to a hardware store and get some solar powered lights. Having complex security systems is of course expensive, and things that are too expensive are just not very feasible in the ISM or small churches in general, but fortunately cell phone and internet based "local" security systems are available from distributors that are easy to install by yourself and don't cost and arm and a leg. The presence of a few door and window sensors along with a control panel on the wall and warning stickers (which you can get a wireless set with a couple sensors, a panel, and motion detector for roughly $200 if you shop around) may make a would-be burglar pick another place to target.
If you have a physical building, take a moment to think about who has keys. When was the last time you changed the locks? Have they ever been changed? How many copies of those keys have you passed out over the years to people who have quit, died, or moved away? Who had copies before you moved in? Do you have renters? Are you a renter, and wonder how many people can let themselves in while you're in the middle of a service without you knowing?
Are you in the city? If so you've probably got a good chance that if you call 911 police, fire, or paramedics will show up fairly promptly. What about if you're rural? If you've got a volunteer fire dept. in your town, how long will it take for them to get there if there is in fact a shooting, or just a member with a heart attack. Does anyone in the clergy know CPR? Do you have an AED machine and/or know how to use one? First aid kit? Flashlights for power outages? If for some reason the EMTs can't get to you in time, do you know how to get to the hospital? Does your deacon? How about your subdeacon? (Subdeacons are fairly clueless aren't they?)
I'm giving consideration to writing a book about some basic security and safety procedures for small churches. If you have any questions anything else related to this subject, please let me know. I have 15 years of law enforcement and security experience, but that certainly doesn't mean that I know everything there is to know, so if you have any advice to share I encourage you to do it here, or one of the various ISM forums or groups online. Often we find ourselves squabbling with one another, but when a disaster strikes one of us, it strikes all of us. And when it comes to protecting ourselves we all need to work together in this, regardless of our denominational tendencies.
Monday, June 22, 2015
No means no
I haven't posted on this blog for quite a while. I recently had a surgical procedure performed, and was in the hospital for four days. During those four days, however, I discovered what I wanted to write about next.
Before going in for the operation, I had to fill out a series of tedious forms and verbally answer an even more tedious series of questions. One of the questions posed to me was "Would you like to be visited by a hospital chaplain"? My answer to this question was a resounding NO. My decision to decline said visit was two-fold.
First, in that I was having surgery on my stomach, I knew that I was not going to be able to take communion. In that I was going to be having this done at a Catholic hospital, I was pretty sure they were going to be shoving communion wafers in my face, and that just wasn't going to be feasible.
Second, I knew I was going to be in a severe amount of pain and was not going to be interested in talking to anyone, much less a stranger. And as a member of an ISM church, particularly one that was Gnostic/Esoteric tendencies, I was not going to want to have any sort of conversation that would end up being either antagonistic or indeed involved in any way, since I was going to be doped up.
And after having said NO, I would not like to have a chaplain visit me, I was then visited by 2-3 chaplains a day, every single day I was in the hospital anyway.
Before going in for the operation, I had to fill out a series of tedious forms and verbally answer an even more tedious series of questions. One of the questions posed to me was "Would you like to be visited by a hospital chaplain"? My answer to this question was a resounding NO. My decision to decline said visit was two-fold.
First, in that I was having surgery on my stomach, I knew that I was not going to be able to take communion. In that I was going to be having this done at a Catholic hospital, I was pretty sure they were going to be shoving communion wafers in my face, and that just wasn't going to be feasible.
Second, I knew I was going to be in a severe amount of pain and was not going to be interested in talking to anyone, much less a stranger. And as a member of an ISM church, particularly one that was Gnostic/Esoteric tendencies, I was not going to want to have any sort of conversation that would end up being either antagonistic or indeed involved in any way, since I was going to be doped up.
And after having said NO, I would not like to have a chaplain visit me, I was then visited by 2-3 chaplains a day, every single day I was in the hospital anyway.
This is a photo of a man sleeping peacefully. During my hospital stay I at no point looked like this.
Each and every day some sort of Eucharistic Minister, or some dude with a bible (usually without knocking) would just let himself into my room and come up and annoy me while I was sleeping, or watching reruns of Law & Order: SVU.
If you've ever woken up to see a stranger standing two feet from you holding a communion wafer less than a foot from your face, let me tell you, it can be quite rage inducing. And I'm religious. Imagine how someone would feel who isn't a church goer getting woken up with a stranger standing in their room waving a Jeez-It in their face.
While my memory of those days isn't very good, as I mentioned previously I was rather doped up, I'm pretty sure I didn't throw anything or scream obscenities at the chaplains. Perhaps I should have, maybe that would've encouraged the rest to leave me the hell alone.
While a certain level of evangelism is somewhat expected in the Christian community, its obnoxious. Anyone who has looked outside of a peephole and seen Mormons or JWs standing outside their door know this. If someone doesn't want to talk to you about religion, leave them alone. There is nothing wrong with wearing your faith on your sleeves so that if someone is interested they can seek you out, but if someone says "Hey, that's nice, but seriously I'm not interested" that means don't bother them anymore.
Treat people how you'd like to be treated. That's a rather important Christian concept.
I'm not one to quote scripture, but sometimes it needs quoting: Matthew 7:12 “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets."
No means no.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Speakifying
Occasionally you will see a list of the top fears of people. I personally hate spiders. However often you will find the top two fears being Public Speaking, and Death. And usually in that order. Jerry Seinfeld once joked that if you're at a funeral you're better off in the casket than giving the eulogy.
Most high schools, and many universities, have Speech or Public Speaking as a required course. I dreaded these classes as I'm a generally introverted fellow. In high school we had to give 3 or 4 long speeches, and that class did nothing to improve my skills. In college, however, the professor didn't have us do that, rather we gave a quick minute long speech on some topic each and every class. By the end of the first week we were so comfortable with one another and the idea of having eyes and ears on us that speaking in front of a group became very natural. I am thankful to this day for that class as it helps me not only in church activities, but in my day job as well.
I work as a Sheriff's Deputy in corrections and if you've never had to walk into a room of 50+ criminals by yourself you learn very quickly that if you can't speak confidently you're going to get steamrolled.
I am very fortunate in that my department has a Peer Support program of officers that take additional training and volunteer their time helping co-workers and their families that are having personal problems, substance abuse issues, dealing with depression/anxiety and other sorts of things. I was able to take a full week of training which included roll play scenarios (based on actual events) such as going to talk to a family of a staff member who was attacked and put in the hospital, speaking to grieving families, dealing with domestic violence, elder abuse, and all sorts of issues that people face often but seldom gets addressed. This was some of the best training I've ever received and I wish this kind of program existed in more places.
This week I am going to be going to the Adams County Sheriff's Department in Wisconsin to take an additional training course that is offered by the American Police Chaplain's Association (of which I am a member).
It will be very similar in nature to the one I have attended before, but will be primarily looking to accomplish these goals through a lens of ministry rather than a secular approach.
It is VERY important, however, to remember that just because you're in a religious line does NOT mean that you need to tote the religious barge and lift the Jesus bale. In some settings that is simply not appropriate and you may need to make a secular approach to assist people. One of my instructors shared an anecdote about someone being in a bad car accident that included the death of one of the passengers and a concerned Christian walking up during the chaos and asking the person if they wanted to "have prayer". Even though the person in question was religious, he rather staunchly declined at the moment. Having someone try to get you to engage in an impromptu prayer circle during the carting away of a just deceased loved one is a good way to get cussed out. Common sense is very important in this business.
I would encourage everyone to attend some sort of crisis intervention training like this. You never know when you will find yourself in a position like this, and its better to have at least some baseline skills rather than to stumble through some sort of tragedy and end up not only looking foolish, but quite possibly doing more harm than good.
I recently was referred to a website called Coursera.com. While looking through their offerings I found they have a class (that is starting in May 2015) called "Psychological First Aid". Designed for non-psychologists to develop the skills needed to assist in these sorts of things. It is being taught in conjunction with Johns Hopkins University and is free to take. While I have not taken this class and cannot comment on the quality of the course, I would encourage people either to take it as its a free online course, or to search out for similar forms of training.
You can quote the bible back and forth from memory, but if you can't figure out how to speak to people it doesn't really matter how much academic knowledge you possess.
https://www.coursera.org/course/psychfirstaid
Most high schools, and many universities, have Speech or Public Speaking as a required course. I dreaded these classes as I'm a generally introverted fellow. In high school we had to give 3 or 4 long speeches, and that class did nothing to improve my skills. In college, however, the professor didn't have us do that, rather we gave a quick minute long speech on some topic each and every class. By the end of the first week we were so comfortable with one another and the idea of having eyes and ears on us that speaking in front of a group became very natural. I am thankful to this day for that class as it helps me not only in church activities, but in my day job as well.
I work as a Sheriff's Deputy in corrections and if you've never had to walk into a room of 50+ criminals by yourself you learn very quickly that if you can't speak confidently you're going to get steamrolled.
I am very fortunate in that my department has a Peer Support program of officers that take additional training and volunteer their time helping co-workers and their families that are having personal problems, substance abuse issues, dealing with depression/anxiety and other sorts of things. I was able to take a full week of training which included roll play scenarios (based on actual events) such as going to talk to a family of a staff member who was attacked and put in the hospital, speaking to grieving families, dealing with domestic violence, elder abuse, and all sorts of issues that people face often but seldom gets addressed. This was some of the best training I've ever received and I wish this kind of program existed in more places.
This week I am going to be going to the Adams County Sheriff's Department in Wisconsin to take an additional training course that is offered by the American Police Chaplain's Association (of which I am a member).
It will be very similar in nature to the one I have attended before, but will be primarily looking to accomplish these goals through a lens of ministry rather than a secular approach.
It is VERY important, however, to remember that just because you're in a religious line does NOT mean that you need to tote the religious barge and lift the Jesus bale. In some settings that is simply not appropriate and you may need to make a secular approach to assist people. One of my instructors shared an anecdote about someone being in a bad car accident that included the death of one of the passengers and a concerned Christian walking up during the chaos and asking the person if they wanted to "have prayer". Even though the person in question was religious, he rather staunchly declined at the moment. Having someone try to get you to engage in an impromptu prayer circle during the carting away of a just deceased loved one is a good way to get cussed out. Common sense is very important in this business.
I would encourage everyone to attend some sort of crisis intervention training like this. You never know when you will find yourself in a position like this, and its better to have at least some baseline skills rather than to stumble through some sort of tragedy and end up not only looking foolish, but quite possibly doing more harm than good.
I recently was referred to a website called Coursera.com. While looking through their offerings I found they have a class (that is starting in May 2015) called "Psychological First Aid". Designed for non-psychologists to develop the skills needed to assist in these sorts of things. It is being taught in conjunction with Johns Hopkins University and is free to take. While I have not taken this class and cannot comment on the quality of the course, I would encourage people either to take it as its a free online course, or to search out for similar forms of training.
You can quote the bible back and forth from memory, but if you can't figure out how to speak to people it doesn't really matter how much academic knowledge you possess.
https://www.coursera.org/course/psychfirstaid
Friday, April 10, 2015
Honey I'm home
Having recently been raised to the Diaconate and been given permission from my superior to perform a mass of the pre-consecrated I decided I had two choices. I could either A) sit around and stagnate while thinking about how cool I am to have some very fancy vestments. Or B) Get up off my lazy ass and actually try and engage in some ministry.
The ISM has challenges when it comes to finding places to have service. The first of which is the fact that we are small. Small groups mean small pockets. So buying a giant cathedral with a parking lot is of course right out. So instead rental is usually the way to go.
There are different options when it comes to rental, each of which has its own headache.
The first is to rent space from another church. As many mainstream churches (although certainly not all) have the attitude that they are the true church, and everyone else is being mislead by the devil, often times they are not willing to host other congregations. But occasionally the necessity of keeping their coffers full will encourage them to allow another group in. The scheduling of your services will have to go around that of the host, however, and usually ends in some off time and off day celebrations. Which is certainly fine, and in some cases may even be a point of advertising (God says you can sleep in on Sunday! Mass is at 2pm). However I have heard of host churches forbidding the renters from having a Eucharist, or other strange restrictions that make the rental infeasible.
Your next option is the yoga/new age market. As long as you're not operating a church that is fire and brimstone (which fortunately most ISM churches seem to be free of), and you're inclusive of various viewpoints and lifestyles and just generally not jerks to everyone, you can probably find a home with this type of place. Often these shops have small areas devoted to classrooms or ritual performance. In my area there are several of these kinds of stores and all of them have wiccan ceremonies at various times. As quite a few ISM churches either are accepting of, or directly embrace esotericism, it should be feasible to get along with your neighbors and ask to use the space, making a rental agreement or love offering, or what have you. The good thing about this kind of place is that they are usually ok with open flame, so altar candles and incense is generally acceptable (just check with the first for the love of God). Your biggest key to success with this kind of place is going to be what I mentioned early. Don't be a jerk. In face you'll find success in pretty much all avenues of life if you live by that rule.
Next you have your lodges. Masonic lodges, Moose/Elks, American Legion halls, and all those kinds of places. They are usually big, almost always looking for renters, generally have good parking situations, and the VFWs/Legions/Moose etc. usually have either a bar or restaurant built into the building. So you have an instant fellowship after service sandwich option. The biggest drawback of them is that they are usually quite expensive.
And finally you have your park districts. Or parks and recreation buildings, depending on the vocabulary of your particular area. In the town I live in there is a very nice civic center that has a variety of classrooms for rent. Residents get a discounted rate, as well as non-profits. If you count as both, you get an even bigger discount. My particular local building happens to be home to a couple of different church groups that meet there, one of which is closing up shop very soon. Often these places are conveniently located, affordable, and have good parking. The biggest drawback is that these places are usually not too fond of candles, which is why I bought a bunch of really nice led candles (that is a blog for another time).
So since there was a vacancy, and the prices were affordable, I went ahead and bit the bullet (or perhaps jumped the gun) and signed my life away.
I am happy to announce that the above is the new home to our ministry in the suburbs of Chicago. Starting next month the Open Rite of the OACD will be expanding. I'll post information in the future. :)
The ISM has challenges when it comes to finding places to have service. The first of which is the fact that we are small. Small groups mean small pockets. So buying a giant cathedral with a parking lot is of course right out. So instead rental is usually the way to go.
There are different options when it comes to rental, each of which has its own headache.
The first is to rent space from another church. As many mainstream churches (although certainly not all) have the attitude that they are the true church, and everyone else is being mislead by the devil, often times they are not willing to host other congregations. But occasionally the necessity of keeping their coffers full will encourage them to allow another group in. The scheduling of your services will have to go around that of the host, however, and usually ends in some off time and off day celebrations. Which is certainly fine, and in some cases may even be a point of advertising (God says you can sleep in on Sunday! Mass is at 2pm). However I have heard of host churches forbidding the renters from having a Eucharist, or other strange restrictions that make the rental infeasible.
Your next option is the yoga/new age market. As long as you're not operating a church that is fire and brimstone (which fortunately most ISM churches seem to be free of), and you're inclusive of various viewpoints and lifestyles and just generally not jerks to everyone, you can probably find a home with this type of place. Often these shops have small areas devoted to classrooms or ritual performance. In my area there are several of these kinds of stores and all of them have wiccan ceremonies at various times. As quite a few ISM churches either are accepting of, or directly embrace esotericism, it should be feasible to get along with your neighbors and ask to use the space, making a rental agreement or love offering, or what have you. The good thing about this kind of place is that they are usually ok with open flame, so altar candles and incense is generally acceptable (just check with the first for the love of God). Your biggest key to success with this kind of place is going to be what I mentioned early. Don't be a jerk. In face you'll find success in pretty much all avenues of life if you live by that rule.
Next you have your lodges. Masonic lodges, Moose/Elks, American Legion halls, and all those kinds of places. They are usually big, almost always looking for renters, generally have good parking situations, and the VFWs/Legions/Moose etc. usually have either a bar or restaurant built into the building. So you have an instant fellowship after service sandwich option. The biggest drawback of them is that they are usually quite expensive.
And finally you have your park districts. Or parks and recreation buildings, depending on the vocabulary of your particular area. In the town I live in there is a very nice civic center that has a variety of classrooms for rent. Residents get a discounted rate, as well as non-profits. If you count as both, you get an even bigger discount. My particular local building happens to be home to a couple of different church groups that meet there, one of which is closing up shop very soon. Often these places are conveniently located, affordable, and have good parking. The biggest drawback is that these places are usually not too fond of candles, which is why I bought a bunch of really nice led candles (that is a blog for another time).
So since there was a vacancy, and the prices were affordable, I went ahead and bit the bullet (or perhaps jumped the gun) and signed my life away.
I am happy to announce that the above is the new home to our ministry in the suburbs of Chicago. Starting next month the Open Rite of the OACD will be expanding. I'll post information in the future. :)
Sunday, April 5, 2015
I'm all official and stuff
Happy Easter everyone.
On Easter Sunday we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. Esoterically Easter can be seen as the day in which we celebrate the idea of the divine spark within all mankind overcoming "death" or descent of spirit into a physical body and the new life we lead when we realize the presence of this divine spark and allow it to take its rightful place as our true higher self and live our lives in pursuit of manifesting divinity wherever we go.
In many forms of Sacramental Christianity Easter is also the day that many new members are baptized and welcomed into the church. In my church, the Community of Saint James, which is a part of the Open Rite of the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar, Bishop Lainie Petersen opted to make this my ordination day. I very much enjoy the symbolism of being ordained on Easter Sunday.
I would like to thank Bishop Laine, Tau Mikael Basilides, Bishop Ken Canterbury, and the collective clergy of the OACD for accepting me into their community. Hopefully I won't screw it up too bad. I would also like to thank everyone who attended and/or who offered congratulations. And also thanks to the Life Force Arts Center for hosting us.
I really appreciate everyone's support.
On Easter Sunday we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. Esoterically Easter can be seen as the day in which we celebrate the idea of the divine spark within all mankind overcoming "death" or descent of spirit into a physical body and the new life we lead when we realize the presence of this divine spark and allow it to take its rightful place as our true higher self and live our lives in pursuit of manifesting divinity wherever we go.
In many forms of Sacramental Christianity Easter is also the day that many new members are baptized and welcomed into the church. In my church, the Community of Saint James, which is a part of the Open Rite of the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar, Bishop Lainie Petersen opted to make this my ordination day. I very much enjoy the symbolism of being ordained on Easter Sunday.
I would like to thank Bishop Laine, Tau Mikael Basilides, Bishop Ken Canterbury, and the collective clergy of the OACD for accepting me into their community. Hopefully I won't screw it up too bad. I would also like to thank everyone who attended and/or who offered congratulations. And also thanks to the Life Force Arts Center for hosting us.
I really appreciate everyone's support.
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