28 February 2008

The Pew Report

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released this week the US Religious Landscape Survey, an extensive research project that details the religious affiliation of the American public and explores the shifts taking place in the U.S. religious landscape. Based on interviews with more than 35,000 Americans age 18 and older, the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey finds that religious affiliation in the U.S. is both very diverse and extremely fluid.  Click here for the full report. 

 

Forty-four percent of American adults have either switched religious affiliation, moved from being unaffiliated with any religion to being affiliated with a particular faith, or dropped any connection to a specific religious tradition altogether.  The survey finds that the number of people who say they are unaffiliated with any particular faith today (16.1%) is more than double the number who say they were not affiliated with any particular religion as children. Among Americans ages 18-29, one in four say they are not currently affiliated with any particular religion.

 

The survey finds that constant movement characterizes the American religious marketplace, as every major religious group is simultaneously gaining and losing adherents. Those that are growing as a result of religious change are simply gaining new members at a faster rate than they are losing members. Conversely, those that are declining in number because of religious change simply are not attracting enough new members to offset the number of adherents who are leaving those particular faiths.  To illustrate this point, one need only look at the biggest gainer in this religious competition - the unaffiliated group. People moving into the unaffiliated category outnumber those moving out of the unaffiliated group by more than a three-to-one margin.

 

The Episcopal/Anglican tradition, like most other mainline Christian denominations, is one that continues to lose more than it gains with only 1.4% of American adults now claiming affiliation.  If you want to understand why Church of the Beloved was created to be “a different kind of Episcopal Church,” you need look no further than the Pew Report.  Our identity, our mission, values and principles were designed to take the riches of our tradition and offer them in a way that connects with people in our postmodern, post-Christian culture in a way that the traditional expressions and structures would not.

 

With a congregational average age of 31 and at least 60% of our community having no former connection with our religious tradition, we have made a good beginning.  Clearly we can do more.  Jesus said in last Sunday’s gospel reading, “look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting” (John 4:35).  The only question to be answered is whether we will be willing to do whatever it takes to gather in that harvest.  

 

J. Derek Harbin, priest  

 

 

 

I don’t know what your destiny will be;

but one thing I do know;

the only ones among you who will be really happy

are those who will have sought and found how to serve.

 

Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965)

 

 

 

Around Beloved…I publish the Banns of Marriage between Brian Capers McCarthy of Charlotte and Steffanie Augustine Widener of Charlotte.  If any of you know just cause why they may not be joined together in Holy Matrimony, you are bidden to declare it.  This is the final time of asking.  Stephanie and Brian are to be married at Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, NC on March 29.  Derek Harbin+

 

 

Sunday Christian Formation continues this week.

 

 

Are you interested in assisting with worship ministries on Sunday morning?  Beloved has a need for additional readers, chalice bearers, and powerpoint operators.  Click here if you would like to serve in one or more of these.

 

 

Lent is an appropriate time in the cycle of the Church to participate in the sacrament now known as the Reconciliation of the Penitent (and in older days, Confession).  This day, or any day following during the 40-day season of Lent—up to and including Good Friday, is an appropriate time for those who desire it to review the choices and decisions made (or “left undone”), acknowledge their consequences (even if unintended), ask forgiveness of God and be absolved by the priest.  To make an appointment with Fr. Derek, click here.  To make an appointment with Pastor Sally, click here.

 

 

Thanks to Shari Wynn, Martha Stone, Lauren Heckmann (with Owen and Ben), Jennifer Sanders and Janie Wooten for volunteering to prepare the pretzels for Sunday Hospitality time during Lent, when as a community we give up the doughnut holes.

 

 

The Beloved Advisory Team received and accepted with regret the resignations of Harris High and Bud Moore at their meeting on February 26 and unanimously called for a special election to fill these two vacancies (one position will carry a two-year term and the other a three-year term).  Serving on the Advisory Team is a significant ministry, one that requires dedication and faithfulness to the worship, fiscal health and mission of Beloved and a willingness to work openly and cooperatively with others for the good of the entire Beloved Community.  Those eligible are: Catherine Atwood, Todd Atwood, Ann Calandro, Janis Conlon, Ben Copeland, Marilyn Doyon, Betsy Fox, Tony Hodgson, Dick Reif, Toni Reif, and Liz Wilson. Pray earnestly in the days ahead, that God will reveal this duo to us when we gather in worship on Palm Sunday, March 16.  To learn more specifics about this selection process, click here.

 

  

Beloved eNews normally publishes each Thursday.  News and calendar information should be submitted via email by Monday.

 

 

February 24…Attendance: 112; Worship Offering: $2,250.  Income needed for ministry each week: $5,500 (fully funded) à $4,400 (requiring other funding sources i.e. fundraising events).  The financial goal of Church of the Beloved is to reach self-sufficiency (i.e. pay all expenses without income from outside sources) by 12/31/2008.

 

 

Scripture Readings for March 2…1 Samuel 16:1-13 & John 9:1-41

 

Serving at God’s Altar on March 2…Complete setup/complete teardown: Angel Army Team #5; Acolytes: Cecilia Atwood, Trinity Atwood, Daniel Dygowski, Madelyn Ricket; Offering Basket Passers: Daniel Anton, Olivia Anton, Emma Ryan, Sam Ryan; Presenters: David & Mary Ann Cash; Altar Bread Baker: Catherine Atwood; Lay Eucharistic Ministers: Penny Crawford & Brian McCarthy; PowerPoint: Paige Wilson; Reader: Liz Wilson.

 

 

In our Prayers…click here

 

 

Upcoming Calendar…click here