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I was just thinking (one can have very profound thoughts over the first coffee of the morning) that these appears to be the view that evangelism is something that means engaging with strangers. It suddenly struck me that some may have forgotten that it is our own families are an area that we also need to engage with as well. After all it is often they who are the ones who should be filling the empty spaces (notice I did not say pew)next to us in Church.

Pavel the profound

ICXC
NIKA

Gordo:
I want to re-emphasize the point I was making: those who think they are advancing the cause of evangelism by whining about our problems and falsely idyllizing others need to rethink their evangleism strategy.

Of course I am largely unfamiliar with Holy Ghost parish. And to be honest, I don't know much about evangelism. But what I would try to do as a parishioner is this:

Pray more.

Make a critical assessment of what the parishioners want for the future, and the work they are willing to undertake to realize that future. Resources are limited, so the parishioners must buy in, and ultimately they must do the work. They must make the parish thrive. It is their responsibility.

Don't imagine that salvation of the parish is coming from the Eparchy; they are more likely to come, close the church, sell the property, and give the assests to the servant who earned the most. And that, as painful as it is, is called stewardship.

Make a candid assessment of the propsects. Who might be recruited to the parish? How many of the re-diaspora might be willing to return to a revitalized parish in a revitalized neighborhood? How close are other BC churches that would be, in effect, in direct competition? How many unchurched or marginally churched people are in the surrounding area? Do we envision efforts to recruit RCs, Orthodox? How many friends and extended family members can the parishioners bring to visit and hope to have stay? Make realistic goals and plans informed by this candid assessment.

Work toward a richer liturgical life. At the very least complete the Sabbath services. Father Huszti has to double up and may not be able, but he should be receptive to reader services. Work hard to do them beautifully. Don't expect people to break down the doors to particpate in badly done liturgies.

Have a sumptuous coffee hour.

Work as a parish on charitable endeavors, especially community endeavors. Invite everyone you can to work with your parishioners.

Enhance community also by socializing together.

Keep in touch with all of the potential recruits, friends, family, and charity collaborators. Keep them informed and interested in what is happening. Give them every chance to particpate, and don't begrudge them when they can't.

Talk up your parish and church.

Celebrate success with noticable noise, persevere after failure. Be kind to those who fail; keep the prayer of St. Ephraim on your lips.

To the point and right on the money! People wont come to Church if it is not welcoming. If there is no community to join they will go elsewhere.

ICXC
NIKA

djs,

My compliments to you. I think these are all excellent ideas.

I liked your point about the "sumptuous coffee hour". I've been reading a book lately on the early symposium and agape traditions of the church and their connections to the origins of the Eucharist. To me, such traditions as the "coffee hour" have a solid precedent in early church agape fellowships...and our antidoron is a distant reminder...a faint echo of something even more festal.

When the church moved out of the household and into the basilica, the Eucharist and the agape became disconnected, although groups would gather in the evening for prayer and feasting at the close of the Lord's day. Eventually this end of the Lord's Day meal was dropped altogether, but allusions to table fellowship/festal meals abound in both the Gospels and the Pauline epistles. Without engaging in any slavish duplication (which is next to impossible since there appear to be no extant texts detailing the agape meal) I wonder if there might be an opportunity with an agape/vespers/adult catechesis service on Sunday evening?

Of course, it could just be the more robust coffee hour too, which may be more practical.

Gordo

And I forgot:
Coganc, Cigars, and Patristics night-out.

Robust or sumptuous - as Bishop Sheen of blessed memory reminds - many converts are made at the coffee hour.

I like the idea of an espresso hour...everyone will be talking much louder by the end of it.

I was thinking more of Belgian ales, Guinness and the monthly meeting of the Apophatic Society (where negative is positive... ).
FDD

But Diak...

I thought you were the "chair" of the Society of Armchair Theologians?

:p Gordo

How does one "idyllize" someone?

Patristics, definitely; Cognac by all means, but please, no cigars - it's bad for the health.
Maybe a decaf cappucino hour?

Incognitus

Have you been with us on one of our nights? It is fun but I can't keep up with the cigars. I turn green. I didn't used to but can't take it any more.

CDL

I was wondering the same thing...

Gordo

Check out all the life in this parish!

http://www.sttheodosius.org/current_events.html

Originally I had written "idolize", but realized that wasn't the word to describe this tendency to write in idyllic terms. And thus it struck me to coin "idyllize".

No, sadly, but I remembered your meeting from another thread, and my suggestion to put it on the list.

djs,

I've not seen too much "idyllizing" (or idolizing, for that matter ) of others on any of these threads.

As for me personally, I'm quite beyond any fascination with persona or personality, especially when it comes to clerical leadership. I've seen their strengths and weaknesses, even of those with well known names.

As someone who works to develop leaders at all levels of an organization, both nationally and internationally, it is a rare bird that doesn't have spots. In an ecclesial setting, it is no different. Quite honestly, the presbyterate and the episcopate hold no mystique for me...but I deeply believe in its mystery.

Gordo

Except for all those pews that is one beautiful and majestic Church.

CDL

Gordo, the context was the denigration of our church versus the idyllizing of others. Not about individuals.