Happy New Year! Or, more precisely happy new church year. For those in liturgical traditions, Advent starts a new year in the life of the church.
Advent is about preparing for what’s to come. And, in many traditions, today started with an emphasis on hope.
In the year that just ended, I found much to be hopeful for in my experiences with many local communities of faith, especially the 12 congregations located in the greater Dallas Fort Worth metropolitan area that are profiled below.
For each congregation, I’ve chosen to share three things that stand out about my experience or experiences visiting that community of faith over the last year. Remarks suggesting “only” church to do something are reflective of the uniqueness of my experience only in that 12 month time frame and only when compared to other congregations on this list.
Top 12 Experiences (in alphabetical order by congregation name)
Bethel Lutheran Church (Dallas, TX)
- Only trilingual service
- Only 70th anniversary celebration
- Only Lutheran (LCMS)
Casa Emanu-el United Methodist Church (Dallas, TX)
- Only bilingual worship service
- Only United Methodist congregation
- Only service held in a classroom
Cathedral of Hope UCC (Dallas, TX)
- Only church I’m a member of
- Church where I was ordained
- Attended more services here than anywhere else
Celebration on the Lake Church (Payne Springs, TX)
- Church where my ecclesiastical council was held
- Only rural church
- Only church in process of changing denominational affiliation
Central Lutheran Church (Dallas, TX)
- Geographically closest congregation to the campus of White Rock Center of Hope
- First congregation where I preached after announcing my return to the pulpit
- One of two Only Lutheran (ELCA) congregations
Central Congregational UCC (Dallas, TX)
- First bi-annual gathering of the North Texas Association I attended after becoming a Member in Discernment
- Only gathering marked by the unanimous affirmation of a resolution for the South Central Conference to become an Open and Affirming Conference
- Only service with television screens used to display worship and meeting materials
Eastminster Presbyterian Church (Dallas, TX)
- Most unique pulpit
- First Presbyterian (PCUSA) congregation that supports White Rock Center of Hope to invite me to preach
- Only congregation in pastoral transition
King of Glory Lutheran Church (Dallas, TX)
- Only congregation where I attended a Pentecost worship service
- Only congregation in which a former colleague preached
- Congregation where I attended the third most services as an adult (trailing only Cathedral of Hope UCC and Naples UCC)
Northridge Presbyterian Church (Dallas, TX)
- Only congregation to invite me to preach and speak in education hour on different days
- Only congregation to collect and present food pantry items to White Rock Center of Hope as part of my visit
- Only congregation with a weekly outdoor worship service
St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church (Dallas, TX)
- Only Anglican church
- Only congregation meeting in church facilities of a congregation affiliated with a different denomination
- Only service of worship during which I was interviewed
St. James Episcopal Church (Dallas, TX)
- Only Episcopalian church
- First time I ever preached (in my life) in an Episcopalian congregation
- Only congregation to invite me to preach multiple services and speak at education hour
West Fork Presbyterian Church (Grand Prairie, TX)
- Geographically closest to my home
- Historically oldest (est. 1870)
- Preached more frequently than anywhere else in the last twelve months
Bonus Experiences
Outside of the geographic area where I live, I had the opportunity to experience two United Church of Christ congregations:
Naples United Church of Christ (Naples, FL)
This is the congregation that introduced me to the United Church of Christ in 2010.
Central Saint Matthew UCC (New Orleans, LA)
This congregation was created in 2009 when Central Congregational Church, United Church of Christ and St. Matthew United Church of Christ merged.
So What?
I invite you to take some time during this the first week of Advent to reflect on your experiences of church over the last year.
- What memories did you reconnect with?
- Of those, which do you find to be particularly hopeful?