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A Vision:
The Creation of a new radically inclusive, contemporary ministry for young adults in Ottawa What?
· A place of celebration and exploration; a place where you can search and question · A bilingual, intercultural expression of faith, song and prayer · A contemporary way to worship and celebrate God/SPIRIT/THE SACRED · A family, a community of faith, that supports and helps one another · A place to actively live out our faith as followers of Jesus in helping to meet the needs of those in our community and to be positive agents of change in our world—engaging and empowering Why such a “gathering” in the first place? The established way of ‘doing’ and ‘being’ church is often highly focused on tradition, structure and formality which can inhibit our ability to grow spiritually and live out our faith in a dynamic community; and that the status quo, particularly in the mainline tradition, isn’t a very engaging experience for many young people. Thus we seek to evolve the ‘traditional’ model of doing and being church, into the emergence of a new experience/gathering/community of faith that actively embodies and lives out the ideals of inclusivity, diversity, love, respect, justice, peace. This new gathering will encourage open, participatory dialogue, sharing and questioning as we seek to discover who we are and who God is, and everything in between, and how we can use that understanding to articulate our actions in an evolving, emerging world, and in our lives, to be positive agents/leaders/and role models of change and influence. How might such a vision manifest itself? In keeping with the idea of a participatory, inclusive, and unorthodox approach, we would seek to use the many gifts, interests, and talents of all to lead and create this emerging experience. Lead by the spirit, this experience would not be confined to an established model or form of church; but rather be an entirely new creation in keeping with the evolutionary nature of reality. Strong, lay leadership that reflects the diversity of all would be critical. What might such a gathering look like? It might consist of a corporate worship time of multilingual/multi-style songs, and prayer led by a worship team, followed by some sort of message expressed through drama, dance, spoken/sung word. It might be an open-mic bible study/ discussion. It might be a coffee house style gathering during which all are invited to share whatever they feel they are being compelled to, or desire to: poetry, music, monologue ... It might be watching a documentary or short film on God and homosexuality, science and religion (evolution) and discussing it afterwards. It might be having a free hugs evening on Parliament Hill. It might be inviting people of other faith traditions to come together for a night of prayer, dialogue and a meal to promote mutual understanding and respect ... or any combination of these things. Target Group Such a gathering would definitely be open to all, but it is our hope that the contemporary, unorthodox, and flexible nature of it would be particularly appealing to youth and young adults and would seek to be inclusive and inviting of people of all racial/ethnic backgrounds, francophone, anglophone, and allophone, and all sexual orientations. Such diversity would only serve to strengthen the spiritual community as we can all learn from one another; and would embody an intercultural identity that our church seeks to promote.
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Reflections of Courtney Peckham 1st Entry: March 30th, 2011 Spiritual (R)evolution
If you had asked three months ago if I believed in a higher power, the answer would have been a resounding "No." If you had consequently asked me if I was a spiritual person, the answer would have been "Yes". However, if I tried to explain what that spirituality really was, I'd have some difficulty expressing it clearly. While I wasn't sure what my spirituality really meant to me, I was certain that it was important and I wanted to explore it. So maybe it was perfect timing when my good friend invited me to attend the inaugural meeting of Evolve/Evoluer (or E/E). "We'd really like you to come," she said. "We want people of different faiths, and backgrounds to come together and share and discuss." With that, something inside me was stirred. Something inside me knew there was an opportunity here to find answers to questions I hadn't even asked.
I'm not sure what I was expecting to find at E/E, but I did know that I was nervous. I was worried I'd be the one person without a traditional sense of spirituality, that I wouldn't find acceptance among this group of Christians, or that I'd spend my time debating them all instead of learning from them. And so, for nearly the entire first session, I said very little. I simply listened with trepidation until Dr John asked this one question: "What comes to your mind when I say God?" The answers varied greatly from individual to individual and, all in all, nothing about these responses was traditional.
What I discovered then and there, as I sat just listening, was that everything I thought I knew about Christianity was false. My understanding of the Christian faith was built up of prejudices, things I'd seen in the media or influenced by my peers (who are widely atheists and very much anti-religion.) Very much a product of my generation, I thought if you had religious beliefs you were silly, ignorant, or gullible. These people proved me wrong with every word they spoke. Here I was scared to be judged, as these people, my peers, openly shared their intimate beliefs. I was guarded and they trusted me without knowing, even my last name. I was touched and astounded. Never before had I felt such acceptance and openness in a group of strangers. As this realization hit, I found my voice when John asked his next question: "What do you want to see happen E/E?"
The answer came before I even had time to think about it, it came out of me from a place deep within where fear and insecurities hide and the gist of it was this: I have found that in my generation, it is increasingly taboo and unpopular to talk about spirituality, let alone, faith or religion. Those who 'believe' had best keep it to themselves or risk attack from their friends or classmates for belief in something that has, in a sense, become a relic of our parent's generation. Despite this, I still have so many questions about faith. Wouldn't it be great, if E/E could be a safe place to talk about questions of faith and spirituality that we may or may not be able to find outside of the group.
This is what Evolve/Evoluer is about. It is a vessel for the spiritual journey where all viewpoints are welcomed and encouraged. Debate and discussion are cultivated with enthusiasm and differences are celebrated. Every individual carries with them a unique set of experiences, values, and ideas that define who they are and at Evolve we can contrast and compare and find common ground within the spirit. This one meeting of individuals with a common goal of coming together to enrich their spiritual journeys changed my worldview entirely. This blog is intended not only to archive the activities and topics explored at Evolve/Evoluer but to shed light on how these things influence my personal journey.
Open Hearts ~ Open Doors ~ Open Minds Nos coeurs, nos portes, nos esprits, ils sont tous ouverts
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