• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Building Faith

Building Faith

A Ministry of Virginia Theological Seminary

  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
    • Who We Are
    • Our Writers
    • FAQs
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe
  • ARTICLES
    • ARTICLES BY TOPIC
    • MOST RECENT ARTICLES
  • EN ESPAÑOL
  • WEBINARS
  • RESOURCES
    • Episcopal Teacher
    • Choosing Curriculum
    • Vacation Bible School
    • Signs of Life
    • Meeting Jesus in the Gospel of John
    • 5 Marks of Love
    • Growing a Rule of Life
    • It’s Time To…
    • #AdventWord
  • SUPPORT US
  • Show Search
Hide Search
Home/Welcoming & Evangelism/Impressed: How to Express your Church’s Values

Impressed: How to Express your Church’s Values

“It takes courage, I think, for a community to come to a publishable consensus for the above three headings… Would your church be able to come to a consensus and publish a statement that visitors would read immediately upon entering?”

Visiting churches
I visit many churches of differing denominations.  This happens mostly when I am asked to be a guest speaker or teacher for a Christian Formation series.  Whenever I do this, I stay and attend the  service at the church I am visiting.  Honestly, I am not usually wildly impressed or joyfully surprised at most of the churches I visit.  People are nice, services have mostly decent liturgy, sermons are well-prepared but minimally challenging, music is adequate and communion, if it is served, is always my favorite part.

So I paid close attention when I was not only surprised but impressed with a recent visit to St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church on Park Avenue in New York City. I had heard about this parish from many friends, and my daughter has attended on occasion.  This visit was my first, and I was excited to be there because I had heard that they were known for their radical hospitality.

Values expressed in greeting
Many greeters awaited us on the front steps to the church.  When we entered the narthex there was coffee waiting and a lovely bookstore, open for service. (Yes.  In the narthex.)  While I was browsing book titles a gentleman introduced himself to ask if he could help me.  We began a conversation about my visit there and how he came to be a member.  I was commenting on how gorgeous the church was, and this was his response.

“We are very privileged to have these facilities. They are amazing.  But the truth is we would be fine without them. This church is not about the buildings. It is all about the people.”

Wow.  Really?  A massive, beautiful church that is not consumed with its buildings?

“That’s impressive,” I responded quizzically.  “Is that what drew you here?”

“Absolutely. I was looking for community as much as for church.”

My mental writing file opened. Note to self: You might want to write about this… I was handed a bulletin, walked in, and found a seat.

Values expressed in the bulletin
Looking down at the front page of the bulletin I was disoriented.  What?  No pencil sketch of the church building?  No list of who’s who, the hierarchy carefully and boldly delineated with full titles at the bottom center of the front cover.  How strange.  Not consumed with buildings or hierarchy?  What I saw were three carefully crafted paragraphs with these headings:

What we are for

What we are against

What we value

I stopped myself from going any further and just read. St. Bart’s mission statement was the entire front page of their bulletin. I agreed with what I read, and I understand that not everyone would agree with what was written in that statement.  But to its credit, it was specific.  It was bold.  I had an immediate sense of what this community would be about should I want to be involved.

It takes courage, I think, for a community to come to a publishable consensus for the above three headings.  It must have been hard work, requiring astute listening and care to craft a statement like this. How would you answer these statements for yourself?  What would your family’s statement say?   Would your church be able to come to a consensus and publish a statement that visitors would read immediately upon entering?

Values expressed in community
Of course, what would really matter to me, and I believe to others, would be if the church’s day to day actions actually matched their mission statement.  I would be looking for integrity.  I have no idea about the workings of St. Bart’s.  This was just a first visit.  But I can tell you that I would go back again.  My interest was piqued with the gentlemen’s comment at the bookstore.  I became exponentially more interested as I read the bulletin cover.  Oh, and the gay couple who sat behind me and the African-American family whose baby was baptized and the eccentric woman who sang too loudly all spoke to me, offering me warm smiles and words of welcome when the service was over. Yeah. I’d be back.


Did you enjoy this article? Consider subscribing to Building Faith and get every new post by email. It’s free and always will be. Subscribe to Building Faith.

Print PDF

October 25, 2012 By Amy Sander Montanez

Filed Under: Welcoming & Evangelism Tagged With: Christianity, evangelism, hospitality, worship

About Amy Sander Montanez

Amy Sander Montanez, D.Min, LPC, LMFT is a licensed professional counselor, licensed marriage and family therapist and spiritual director in practice for more than thirty years. She is the author of Moment to Moment: The Transformative Power of Everyday Life (Morehouse, 2013). You can learn more about Amy and read her work at www.amysandermontanez.com and at messymarvelou.com

Primary Sidebar

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS

Subscribe to Building Faith

You’ll get new articles, plus free weekly updates in your inbox.

We respect your privacy. View our privacy policy here.

Search our site

Search by Topic

New Articles

Black and white image of father and son in hammock.

The Wondering Together Project: A Simple Tool For These Hard Times

I am flattened by how helpless I have felt by the isolation and suffering uncovered, highlighted, …

Continue Reading about The Wondering Together Project: A Simple Tool For These Hard Times

A bishop and three women, all masked.

Shooting Stars and Lectio Divina: A Hybrid Confirmation Class Using The Way of Love

Two years into the pandemic, we had some interest in preparing for confirmation from a few teens in …

Continue Reading about Shooting Stars and Lectio Divina: A Hybrid Confirmation Class Using The Way of Love

Black framed eyeglasses on top of open Bible.

Finding a Feminist Bible Study

“Remember, there are no right or wrong answers but only right questions." ~Elisabeth Schüssler …

Continue Reading about Finding a Feminist Bible Study

Footer

Keep In Touch

  • Email
  • Facebook

Upcoming Webinars

Eventbrite Registration

Building Faith

Lifelong Learning, Virginia Theological Seminary
3737 Seminary Rd.
Alexandria, VA 22304

Copyright © 2022 · Building Faith · A Ministry of Virginia Theological Seminary

Design by Blue+Pine Creative, Inc.

Subscribe to Building Faith

Get Articles and Resources by Email

Privacy Policy