“Navigating church with a challenging child isn’t easy, and I understand why many families who desire to be part of a community of faith decide they can no longer deal with the raised eyebrows, the cramped physical space or the implicit comparisons with all the seemingly normal children.”
Stories of churches being church in their communities and around the world:
Changing Attitude, UK, hosted a book launch party for the Rev. James Alison, the brilliant gay Catholic theologian recently. Colin Coward reports on the evening.
I looked at the crowd of mingling people, and the loud music triggered my thoughts. It never occurred to me that people would not know that churches care for the sick. What had church become in the minds of most people?
The Standing Committee invites you to gather at our Cathedral at 4:30 p.m. this Sunday afternoon, August 8, for Evening Prayer, a time of open conversation and an opportunity to share our thoughts and feelings. Our Dean, Judith Sullivan will lead our worship and Assisting Bishop Rodney Michel will guide our conversation.
As pastors, we care deeply about the health and vitality of our congregations. But how can we grasp congregational health? We need a measure that’s simple, clear, and life-giving.
A key moment in the Christian story collides with a key moment in human history. How they speak to one another!
Asked how he expects Saturday’s nominating synod to play out, Ashmore, rector of Trinity Church in Jacksonville and secretary of the standing committee, which has ecclesiastical authority in the diocese in the absence of a bishop, was at a loss for words. “I’m not really sure (of the outcome),” admitted Ashmore. “And that’s the end product of a lot of thought.
The Church is an antidote to the alienation and complexity so commonly felt in other areas of life. Parishes that foster intimacy and simplicity create situations and opportunities that encourage common experience and storytelling.