A Summer of Church Vacationing

Christ Church, Guilford

Following another active year in my home church, Christ Episcopal,  I  found myself exhausted, needing to recharge my spiritual battery. The answer was not sitting in a pew with a notebook and  “to do” lists for my church ministries; after a few weeks of prayer, I decided to take a vacation to attend other churches.  The next step was to decide where  to go.  Since I was finishing my first year of EFM, I decided to visit my EFM friends at their home parishes. So in June the church vacationing began.

 

During the summer I was able to visit six different parishes.  At each parish I was greeted warmly, and welcomed in the characteristically Episcopal way,  each parish eager to share what made their church and parish stand apart. Each parish had  unique stories, from why the church tower is on the lawn, or what great fundraiser had just happened. The lingering thought, despite learning so much about each parish, was and remains, where are the younger families and would this change in the fall?  I myself took summer sabbaticals when I had school age children,  maybe this was the case? Sadly, in reality I know that this is not case.  

 

As the summer comes to a close, and my church vacationing over , I am left with two questions.  Am I spiritually charged to begin another busy year at my home parish?  What experiences can I bring to my home parish?  The biggest thing that I could bring to my church is that we are not alone in the decline of  parishioners. I feel that new ideas need to be generated to bring people back into the church, but more important we need to come up with ideas to keep our  children and youths excited about the church.  The best thing that we could do at this time is not to get hung up in the past, but  to move forward  hearing the voices of our young parishioners to move are parishes into the future.  I personally know that this forward movement means changing the ways of the past, which will be met with great resistance. If we are willing to knock  those old walls  down and make changes, maybe we can leave our children with not only a strong faith, but stable places to worship.  

And yes, I do feel spiritually charge to begin another active church year.

 

- by Diane Kyle