Open Door by Old South Church in Boston

Open door September/October 2014

Letter

Table of Contents

from the

Editors

Four among us—Ben Stern, Maren Batalden, Kate Rogers and Kate Nintcheu—share intimate glimpses of being nurtured and held in the presence of God, in the company of church, in their younger years. Read their pieces and weep, weep for joy at the glow of cherished memories. It is with such memories, such feelings that we intend to wrap the children of Old South Church today and tomorrow: swaddling them in God’s love, enchanting their imaginations with our shared biblical storyscape, enticing them into a life of Christian service, wooing them into people of praise. With this issue we present intimations of our hopes for this new program year and how, together, we can deepen our Christian selves. Introducing a new program year, with Community Hour and Godly Play curriculum, has been a labor of love for, lo, these past several years. Special thanks to members of the Christians in Formation Task Force, Vision Working Group, Music Committee, Christian Education Committee, Church Council, and Leadership Committee for many long meetings, lots of prayers, and much hard work to bring us to this point. I also want to say a word of very special thanksgiving to Saidah Dartley. Saidah gave us permission to dip deeply into the TR Dartley Fund for a one-time purchase of the beautifully crafted materials used in Godly Play.

Ministry Spotlight Rev. Anthony Livolsi

Forgive Us Our Dust Rev. John Edgerton

The Sweet Sounds of Prayer Ben Stern

Youth Group Kate Rogers

Scene around Old South

Sunday Morning Schedule for Children and Youth

Featured

Church Is Not a Building Maren Batalden

Rev. Nancy Taylor

Make Belief Kate Nintcheu

EDITORIAL STAFF Amy Perry

EDITOR & PUBLISHER

Chris Breen CHAIR, COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE: David Albaugh, Brian Fluharty, Chris Breen, Jackie Geilfuss, Jim Hood, Amy Perry, Corey Spence, Nancy Taylor

Old South Church in Boston 645 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116 Ph. (617) 536-1970 OldSouth.org Facebook.com/OldSouthChurch | @OSCboston

CREDITS Front Cover, 6-7

Brian Fluharty

1 Alta Tarala, Katie Gerrish; 2 George Delianides; 4 Colin Pape

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ministry spotlight All-Church Retreat

Rev. Anthony Livolsi

You. All. Rock. There is so much talent and brainpower and heart and life in Old South Church, too much, in fact, to fully appreciate in the span of one hour on a Sunday morning! So, selfishly, I want more time with you – to hear the brilliant, funny things you have to say, to learn what is going on in your lives, and to relax, hike, swim, and play. Our all-church Columbus Day weekend retreat to the Cape is an opportunity to forge and deepen friendships with some of the most inspiring Christians (that’s you!) in Boston. We will give one another the gift of time away, together. We will do all the gloriously cheesy, churchy things one might expect: skits, sing around a campfire, swap stories, worship on the beach. And we will come back a closer, tighter-knit, better-connected family of faith.

I speak not only for myself, but also for the 50ish others who shared in last year’s retreat, when I say: this will change the way you do church. You will meet members who attend different worship services, who are at different stages of life, who have different passions – and, in this, the community will come alive to you in whole new ways.

In addition to tons of big-group together time, we will also break out for lifestyle/demographic-specific tracks. There will be something for everyone: toddlers, children, youth, young adults, parents, single and partnered adults without kids, and retirees! And if that’s not enough, you’ll enter the charmed, select company of those who have seen me unshowered and sans bowtie! The 2014 all-church retreat will take place October 10-12th on Craigville, Cape Cod. Registration forms available at the Front Desk.

Forgive Us Our

Rev. John Edgerton

It has been a doozy of a summer! Construction changed how we did our work in remarkable ways. But we didn’t let that stop us from gearing up for new programming and a wonderful year of being church together. Here’s a fraction of what’s been going on—by the numbers.

7 0 91

weeks of scaffolding set up in the Gordon Chapel

115

participants who helped launch Community Hour in Mary Norton Hall on September 7th

different rooms where we had to move children’s programming over the summer

children signed up for fall programming on the first day of registration

different stories available in our new Godly Play curriculum

(out of 10): how energized Nancy looks after her sabbatical

(out of 10): how glad we all are to have Nancy back

dollars of deffered maintenance once Project A.I.R. is complete this fall

worship services cancelled days Mary Norton Hall was inaccessible due to construction

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The

Sweet Sounds of Prayer

by Ben Stern

As I’ve grown wiser and more understanding, I have learned that music is quite important in our community at Old South Church. It is the greatest method for involving the congregation in service. Old South Church does an excellent job in providing many opportunities for musical involvement for the younger attendees of our church. In my post Old South Preschool days, I remember a 15 or 20-minute period during each church school class devoted entirely to music. The music class was led by Amy Budka, who would teach us how to play an instrument, then teach us how to play a classic Christian song (Jesus Loves You, Let It Shine, Holy Night, etc.). As one might imagine, this was not the most organized time during church school. Giving ten energetic 6 to 12-year olds a drum or a xylophone paved the way for much banging and noise! However, when we were quiet, we were learning. I felt remarkably in tune with the spirit of church life. Along with the weekly music sessions, many of my church school friends and I participated in the Youth Chime Choir and the annual Christmas pageant. I am certain the chimes greatly aided in my music reading abilities, and prepared me for being in a musical ensemble. My experiences in the pageant gave me the courage to try out for and perform in the musicals at school. I am confident that the impact of those church-related music experiences are the root of my involvement in the musical community of my middle school and high school over the years. More importantly, through Old South Church, I have found that the easiest and most sincere way for me to communicate with God is through a beautiful melody. This revelation makes me grateful that I’ve become so musically involved – with school musicals, an a cappella group, and the bassoon as part of an orchestra. All these things give me plenty of time to perform my version of prayer, every day.

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Y OU T H : )P GROU by Kate Rogers I love Youth Group. I would not be writing this letter if it weren’t for my high school Youth Group. Not only would I not be writing this letter, I probably wouldn’t be working at Old South Church, or any church, for that matter. Youth Group gave me space to develop my ideas about God and faith, and gave me amazing friends to discuss them with. It taught me to see God in the face of my neighbor through service and outreach, and it even led me to General Synod, where I fell in love with the United Church of Christ. Youth Group formed me, called me, carried me through the minefield that is high school, and prepared me for life on the other side. So, when Rev. Anthony Livolsi asked me to consider the Youth Leader position, I jumped at the chance. Youth Group invites teenagers to see spirituality and Christian faith as the threads that tie the rest of life together— interwoven through family, friendships, and relationships, touching everything from school stress and college applications, to texting etiquette and prom parties: How does your faith help you to engage your interests? Manage your stress? Form relationships? And figure out your future?

YOU TH

Traditions, no matter how random or weird, are sacred rituals, bonding one generation of youth groupers to the next. I fully intend to maintain the traditions the Youth Group loves. There will be games like Apples to Apples, as well as apple picking and crisp making. And, oh yes, there will be pizza. These are just a few of the activities on the horizon. Just wait!

PAR ENTS

I understand our kids are busy, and it’s certainly not my job to create chaos and exhaustion in an already chaotic and exhausting time. So, I commit to scheduling as far out as possible, communicating the schedule early and often, and honoring the time constraints of our teens. A monthly newsletter might be helpful.

I hope you can tell how thrilled I am to be working with the youth of Old South Church. Rev. Anthony Livolsi, Director for Children and Family Ministries Kate Nintcheu, and I have many exciting ideas for curriculum and events—and maybe even a trip or two—that I can’t wait to see bloom in the life of our church. Youth Group (for grades 9-12) meets Sundays at Old South Church at 10 am. Questions? Email Kate@oldsouth.org.

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Church

by Maren Batalden

IS NOT A BUILDING In my earliest memories of church from childhood, I am about four years old, sitting cross-legged on the floor in someone’s home, part of a large circle of children and adults. We have orange song sheets with a staple in the corner; someone is playing the guitar. We pass a loaf of sourdough bread and a handthrown, stoneware chalice with red wine. “The body of Christ broken for you.” Someone rips off a small piece of bread and hands it to me, meets my gaze. I turn to my neighbor, look him in the eye, offer a piece of bread, and speak the words that were spoken to me. What my four-year old self understands is this: Whatever we are doing when we worship together is important to the grown-ups who are important to me. And to the other grown-ups who are important to them. I can tell that what we are doing matters. Sometimes people cry, they hold each other’s hands, they laugh, they close their eyes when they sing and pause to catch their breath when they pray. And I am a part of it. I am small, but I am a part of something significant and real and much much bigger than I am.

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My childhood Christian congregation was a group of 15 families that came together in Washington D.C. in the 1970s. We met in people’s homes. “Church” was not a building. It was a community of friends. We cooked and ate together. We camped and hiked and had adventures. We worked on projects to support one another and helped others who needed it. We made art and read books and watched movies and talked about ideas. Eventually my family joined a church with a sanctuary, a narthex, a choir loft, classrooms, and a playground. There was confirmation and youth group, followed by college and then young and now middle adulthood. I have joined several churches over the years – Quaker, Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran, and now United Church of Christ. But in my bones “church” has always been that feeling that I had in worship as a child on a living room floor, a feeling of participating with others in something significant and real and much much bigger than myself. I came to Old South Church four years ago. From the very first Sunday, I was deeply moved in worship. The words from the pulpit are sharp, wise, kind, new, careful, challenging, and generous. They orient and redirect me and help me make sense of my experience. The music is enormous. Soaring, pulsing, lyrical, bold, and fun. Worship at Old South Church makes me hungry for more – more connection with others who worship here, more conversation about how the seeds planted in worship are taking root and growing in our lives, more partnership in the shared work of justice and mercy in the world. I know I am not alone in that hunger for more. Three years ago, I was invited to join the Christians in Formation Task Force, one of three commissioned by the process known as the Vision for the 21st Century. I resonated with our charter, which was replete with ideas that matter to me: lifelong learning, intergenerational relationships, experiential curricula that forms and equips each of us to live the Christian life from cradle to grave.The original charter stipulated that the Christians in Formation Task Force should be in discernment with the Christian Education Committee as new ideas emerged and program ideas evolved. Last year, Old South Church called Anthony Livolsi as a new Associate Minister; he then joined our group. His passion for faith formation, teaching, and learning brought new vitality to our imagining. We got our feet wet planning and implementing new learning opportunities: a Columbus Day weekend retreat, a

three-session course on faith and conversations near the end of life, a six-session course on Christian fundamentals, and an intergenerational Lenten series on spiritual practices. Last February, the Christians in Formation Task Force merged with the Christian Education Committee and we began planning in earnest for the future. Kate Nintcheu, our new Director for Children and Family Ministries, joined us in July. This fall, our collective dreaming about faith formation across the life span at Old South Church takes shape in a weekly Sunday morning Community Hour at 10 am. During this hour, we create space for all of us to make connections with one another, to listen to and tell stories, to help one another hear and respond to God’s presence and call. Recognizing our differences, we will convene in different spaces in the building. Our babies and toddlers will be in the nursery; young, middle, and older elementary school kids will be in three different Sunday School classrooms; middle schoolers will be in a Confirmation class, high schoolers in Youth Group. Adults of all ages will have choices: Bible Study, a topic-based conversation about faith and life organized into three- to six-week block courses throughout the year, an intermittent theological book group, and informal conversation in the Gordon Chapel cafe. Occasionally, we will come together at 10 am as a large intergenerational family for a shared experience. In launching Community Hour (as in our journeys of faith and life) we make the road by walking. We consecrate the space and time and invite you all to make it holy by entering into the conversation. Our beloved community is diverse. We are people whose stories of church are different. We grew up hating church, loving church, indifferent to church. We grew up in Catholic, mainline Protestant, evangelical congregations or with no relationship to organized religion at all. But now our stories come together at Old South and we are called to help one another be Christians. We need you to bring your whole self to church – head, heart, and hand. Bring your questions, your fears, your joys, your needs, and your gifts. Try investing a second hour on Sunday morning. Come to 9 am First Worship and stay to reflect and connect. Or Come to reflect and connect and stay for 11 am Festival Worship. Come to church (which is NOT a building)! About the Author Maren Batalden - a life long church goer has been an Old South Church member since 2010 with her partner Alta Tarala and their son Amos. She has chaired the Christian Education Committee since February 2013.

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by Kate Nintcheu I was a child who hid under the covers at night, flashlight in hand, trying to turn pages quietly so that I could read just one more chapter. Books taught me about adventure, about friendship, and about the liminal parts of life that are real and true, but often invisible. One of these indescribable, beyondself experiences happens in Kenneth Grahame’s A Wind in the Willows to old Rat and Mole as they search for a missing baby otter. Having been awake all evening searching, the friends find themselves drawn by ethereal pipe music that Mole describes as “like a wave, [that] caught him up, and possessed him utterly.” They find themselves at the feet of a pan-like creature that emanates light, stirring in them both feelings of peace and happiness as well as overwhelming awe and violent fear. This “Friend” and “Helper” that they encounter has the lost otter safely nestled between his horned feet. Just as Rat and Mole notice the small otter, the God-in-the flesh animal with “kindly eyes” disappears. And just as quickly, Rat and Mole, who had just moments earlier been able to describe this encounter with immense detail, are unable to remember exactly what had just happened. They know that they had quite an experience, but it remains only as a wisp of a dream upon waking.

They experienced a thin place where an in-breaking of divine action intersected with their own physical time, space, and need. They experienced God, in the flesh, and they recognized the divine without really knowing that they would. It is this inner-knowledge of the divine that each of God’s creatures possesses, that each child possesses, and that children’s ministries attempt to connect with. We seek not to introduce children to the concept of God – but to give children opportunities within which to recognize a God that they inherently know. We seek moments of transcendence, where there lies interplay between the divine beyond and a small child; for it is there that relationships can grow. Much has been written in the child development field about how integral the act of playing is for a

child in exploring the world, developing optimal brain pathways, and discovering social-emotional connections in the company of others. But formal Christian education is rarely rooted primarily in the concept of play, much less individual, child-initiated play. And yet, it is through play that children create deep and intense relationships with toys, giving them deep meaning beyond what the parent can see. It is through play that children mimic, and in doing so evaluate and deconstruct, the events in their lives that they have witnessed and lived. While as adults, we might journal or speak to a counselor; a child will show their internal “work” through play. It is then in the language of play that perhaps Christian education should speak. To tell the stories of our faith in the medium of imagination and toys, and then invite children to play within the tale. This is precisely the premise of Jerome Berryman’s curricula Godly Play – an experience through which children encounter the sacred stories through storytelling and wondering, and then are invited into the story and to play with the sacred toys. After all, toys are just ordinary objects that, through imagination and play, turn into dear friends, important family members, and trustworthy confidantes. But can a toy connect us to God? As adults we often connect with God through objects of worship, like lighting candles during prayer or through liturgical rites of communion. These ordinary objects, when used in the setting of worship, become transitional objects that connect us with the great I-am. We not only treat the items with more reverence and respect, but imbue them with meaning and go beyond them into a space of connection and relationship with that which lies beyond our physical constraints. The Old South Church School classrooms will be equipped with a new set of worship materials – or sacred toys. These toys do not make noise, or wind up. In fact, they are mostly wooden and simple. Each toy is specific to a sacred story and children are invited and encouraged to play with them. To see what it is like to have the ark land up in the desert with Moses. To be allowed to tell the story of creation. Being given permission to treat the stories

as their own, children will take them into their hearts and minds. They will have these stories as much as they might Goodnight Moon – and it will be there for them when their life’s journey might require it. They will build relationships with those toys, and with the meaning behind them. In Godly Play lessons, the storyteller, aka teacher, will often say that the child leader “drew close to God” and that “God drew close” to the leader. It is my hope that each of us will remember to do the same – to remember to continue seeking to find that which is beyond our words, and yet within our recognition. Just as old Rat and Mole did as they drew close to God, and as God drew close to them – just before delivering the object of their pilgrimage safely to their care. God is awaiting each of us, and wants you to come out and play. About the Author Kate Nintcheu serves as Director of Children and Family Ministries. She is responsible for all programs related to children at Old South Church and equipping their families into meaningful ministry.

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The Greene Family share a smile at their going away barbeque. (July 20th, Colin Pape)

Good weather and great company for the Young Adults Group picnic. (August 10th, Elizabeth Perry)

SCENE around Old South Church

Kate Rogers prepares to travel to Ferguson, Missouri to hand deliver 1000 peace cranes to Christ the King UCC. (August 23rd, Nancy Taylor)

Rev. John Edgerton leads prayer over 1000 peace cranes bound for Ferguson, MO. (August 17th , Nancy Richardson)

Church families gather to celebrate the Greene Family at their going away barbeque. (July 20th, Colin Pape)

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Sunday Mornings for Children & Youth 9:00 am

9:30 am

10:00 am

11:00 am

11:15 am

Infants/Crawlers

Childcare in the Blue Room with Old South Church Childcare Staff

Toddlers (2 yrs)

Childcare in the Green Room with Old South Church Childcare Staff

Preschool (3-5 yrs)

Joyful Noise

First Worship

Godly Play

Childcare or Worship

Joyful Noise (11:30)

Early Elementary (K - Grade 2)

Kinder Choir

First Worship

Godly Play

Childcare or Worship

Joyful Noise (11:30)

Festival Worship

Children’s Choir

Older Elementary (Grades 3-6)

First Worship

Godly Play

Confirmation (Grades 7-8)

First Worship

Confirmation

Festival Worship

Youth Group

First Worship

Youth Group

Festival Worship

Kinder Choir

Godly Play

Care by our paid staff is available all morning for the youngest children ages 2 and below, beginning at 8:40 am. During our 10 am hour children enjoy storybook time and music. (Please note that childcare will no longer join First Worship.)

Students (age 5 through grade 2) are invited to join Linda O’Donnell for singing, learning, and growing. Rehearsals include movement and games with time spent on vocal development, listening, and gross motor skills. The Kinder Choir performs on occasion during First Worship. (Joins parents in First Worship at 9:30 am.)

Community Hour at 10 am features opportunities for all people of every age to engage in deeper faith development and discipleship. For children, this takes the form of engaging with scripture and liturgical lessons through Godly Play, a Montessori method of teaching with Christian education.

Joyful Noise

Children’s Choir

Confirmation

Amy Budka leads informal sessions of music making at 9 and 11:30 am. Singing, musical games, and playing instruments are part of the fun, using song repertoire from global faith traditions. Ensemble experiences include lessons in music literacy and improvisation as we learn simple rhythms and harmonic patterns to accompany songs. (9 am session joins parents in First Worship at 9:30 am.)

Grades 3-8 (and younger children with permission from the director) may participate in Children’s Choir. Rehearsals include vocal development, part singing, music reading, and ensemble skills. The Choir frequently performs during Festival Worship.

Our two-year Confirmation program for grades 7 and 8 guides young people in exploring their faith and prepares them to consider affirming their faith through the rite of Confirmation.

Youth Group

Families are always welcome to worship together! Materials to help children during worship (coloring sheets, books, etc.) are available. Children in Festival Worship are dismissed to Joyful Noise or Children’s Choir following the scripture.

Childcare

Youth Group members explore issues of life and faith, participate in service projects, go on retreats, and plan and lead annual Youth Sunday. Leader Kate Rogers.

Worship

Old South Church is a vibrant and historic congregation of the United Church of Christ in the heart of Bostonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Back Bay. To check out our Adult or Children & Family Ministries, visit us online at OldSouth.org. Or better yet, walk through our open doors seven days a week.