Second Hour Church 2010-10-19

The Workshop Will Begin in a Moment

Midwest UU Leadership

The Second Hour Church

Introductions

The Second Hour Church

Midwest UU Leadership

Online Workshop

September 14 & 16, 2010

Rev. Phil Lund and Nancy Combs-Morgan

Is Your Congregation…

Looking at new ways to experience Sunday mornings?

Exploring a new understanding of multigenerational worship?

Considering a lifespan faith experience that involves all ages?

What is the Second Hour Church?

At the heart of the “Second Hour Church” is the goal for congregations to experience worship with adult, youth and children on a regular basis

The concept of the Second Hour Church has been emerging in Unitarian Universalist congregations in the last few years due to an intentionality to be more multigenerational

Some examples of UU congregations who have become Second Hour Churches:Emerson UU Chapel, Ellisville, MO – Rev.

Krista Taves and Lauren Lyerla, DRE, their 3 years of experiencing the Second Hour church was shared in, “Making Worship A Part of Kids’ Lives,” Interconnections, 3/1/10.

The Flow of Sunday Morning at Emerson

At Emerson UU children and youth come to every worship for the first ½ hour. They experience hymns, prayers, the offertory and a story before they depart for a ½ hour children’s chapel.

In the second hour, children, youth and adults take part in religious education classes

First Jefferson UU Church, Fort Worth,TX

First Jefferson UU Church, Fort Worth, TX – Jenn Nichols, District Director for LFD, Southwestern Conference of the UUA, has shared insights from their experience and states… “A congregation has to have a clear vision that it is their responsibility to start creating lifelong UUs. If we don’t teach them our songs, our theology, our readings, no one else will.”

Sunday Morning Flow At Jefferson UU

The hour preceding worship is a multigenerational religious education hour for adults, youth and children.

Worship begins with everyone, and children ages 4-8 stay in service for 20-30 minutes. Children 8 and above stay for the full hour of service. Children under age 4 have children’s activities outside of worship.

Steps to Consider

The key leaders and religious professionals in your congregation MUST be on board with such a transition

With this representing a substantial change in UU congregational culture,Rev. Taves recommends having a congregational vote

Further Steps to Consider

The Minister, Director of Religious Education and, perhaps, members of the Committee on Ministry have “buy-in” leadership group meetings, in a focus group format. To hear leaders concerns and to address some of the scheduling, format and space use issues.

Impact on Visitors and Newcomers

The experience at Emerson UU and First Jefferson has been that newcomers are engaged and fully welcomed in the “Second Hour Church” format. Newcomers are invited to Adult Religious Education classes, and their children are welcomed and invited to participate in their RE classes as well.

Positive Results

Rev. Taves states that the results have been “nothing short of transformational.” Families are expressing a positive outcome in their Sunday morning experience.

It has “raised the bar” for multigenerational worship

The experienced has deepened intergenerational relationships

Some Challenges

At first congregational adults expressed that they could not imagine every worship service with children and youth

The Emerson UU youth group at first expressed that they would NEVER adapt to this new multigenerational format

Some Challenges

Both Emerson UU and First Jefferson are congregations who have one worship service and have approximately 100 or so in worship and RE each Sunday.

For congregations with 2 worship services, Rev. Taves suggests having the RE Hour between the services.

The Multigenerational Congregation

Lifelongfaith.com is committed to helping congregations develop lifelong faith formation for all ages and generations, increasing the capacity of leaders and communities to nurture faith growth for all ages and generations.

Faith Formation 2020 — an ecumenical project to envision the future shape of faith formation

Creating a Multigenerational Culture Michelle Richards, Credentialed Religious

Educator and DRE from South Bend, IN,is author of “Come Into the Circle: Worshiping with Children.” She states… “since worship is at the heart of what we do…then finding ways to incorporate children into the worship service is one of the best ways to (create multigenerational culture).”

The Second Hour Church and Family Ministry“If your congregation is serious about

welcoming families with children…you must intentionally create a multi-generational culture.” (M. Richards)

Families have choices. The Second Hour church allows them to choose to worship together and/or to solely come for the RE hour. The choice is theirs, but the majority of families (at Emerson UU) do take part in worship.

Thoughts to consider….

How much time should a congregation devote to this transition to having “Second Hour” church

How can the transition to becoming an intentionally multigenerational congregation be reflected in changes in worship and religious education, i.e., do you HAVE to be a Second Hour church to be truly multigenerational?

How will a Second Hour Church transition effect attendance, and how do you evaluate your success?

Q & A

Thank You