Careful Attention to Sunday Services, RE, Are Keys to Growth

There are two nearly identical Sunday services at First Parish, Brewster, at 9 A.M. and 10:45 A.M., with a coffee hour between. The first 15 minutes of each service is intergenerational, with the family homily almost always given by one of the ministers. This past year a Sunday night service was added, led by various church groups.

About 300 people attend a Sunday morning service; 200 in the summer. Senior Minister Jim Robinson preaches twice monthly, Johnson monthly, and Peterson about six times a year. Ministers are in the pulpit throughout the summer, when many people visit. A choir sings at both morning services from September through June and there are frequent musical guests. "Music is an indispensable part of First Parish's success," says Robinson. Robinson coaches lay service leaders. "My view of the role of the minister is to make sure the quality of lay services is as good as those presented by professionals."

Applause during the services is discouraged, but occasionally occurs. "We say 'Applaud if you really feel moved, but don't do it routinely,' " says Robinson.

Its children's religious education program is another key to First Parish's growth. Twenty years ago it had 10 children. With a new minister and a mandate for growth, First Parish soon attracted 200 children and youth, helped by a housing boom. The children's program, now called Children and Youth Ministries, outgrew its space. For several years children were bused off-site. That changed in December 2000 when a barn on newly acquired church property was converted into RE space.

There are 171 children and youth in the program this year, including 65 seventh- through twelfth-graders. That's low compared to many other large congregations and it's probably attributable to the lack of affordable housing and the many retirees in the congregation.

To go with the new building, Children and Youth Ministries Director Kathy Cronin developed a new approach to teaching, a thematic, multi-age model. A year ago the "Tree of Life" was the program metaphor, with each classroom decorated in leafy motifs and with different themes, each one affirming a value from First Parish's children's affirmation: "Love, Truth, Service, and Sacredness of Life." In the year just ending, the theme was "Honoring the Winged Ones (featuring nests [love], birdsong [truth], wings [service], and eggs [sacredness of life]. Next fall the theme will be "The Journey of a Butterfly."

Grades 2 through 5 are divided into four multi-age groups of 10 to 12. Each group rotates to a new "house" every seven weeks. Children are not just "taught at," says Cronin. "They get that the rest of the week, in school. We want church to be fun." Contact Cronin (kathy@fpbuu.org) for more information.

Sixth graders do world religions. Seventh graders focus on service to the community, eighth graders do the "Our Whole Lives" sexuality education curriculum, and ninth graders do a Coming of Age program. Tenth through twelfth grades meet as a Sunday night youth group, led by Robinson. "Teens just won't come on Sunday morning," says Cronin, "but they can be attracted to a more interactive style of worship. They're busy people, but they do love to perform."

This past year classes were added for parents and children at times other then Sunday morning. There's a children's drumming circle, art classes, parenting group, and a mother-daughter group. "Sometimes Sunday just doesn't work for everyone," says Cronin.

In the summer Children and Youth Ministries consists of child care and recreational activities.