Wake up Aptos, CA churches: Go out to the people! Ashes to go? Wafers & prayer & jam tarts to go at the farmer’s market?

 

Ashes to go. Why not wafers and prayer to go?

  Wake up Aptos, CA  churches! Go out to the people.

One place to go is the Aptos Farmers’ Market.   Ashes to go? How about   Wafers and Prayers &  Jam Tarts to go   at the  Aptos Farmer’s Market?

farmers market

How about home made cookies from St. John’s Episcopal,  Resurrection Catholic , Christ Lutheran  and  First Baptist — made  with love & sealed with a church sticker?

 Why sell baked goods only at Christmas time?  People want cookies all year  long! People love home made pasta sauces. How  about    Tomato Preserves?   And Church cook books? Many  Aptos  churches have Women’s Guilds and those organizations  can talk to each other and work together.

   And, how about a  Prayer Station — next to the jam jars  —  where people can ask for prayers for someone they love and miss  now serving in the military?

 Why not?  Don’t wait for people to come to you.  Go to them. People need healing.

prayers available at Farmers Markets?

Looking at all those gray heads sitting in the pews  it’s clear that congregations are aging.  And shrinking.

It’s  time to go out to the people rather than hope that they — somehow — will come to your “campus’ aka “community”.

Research shows:    churches that say they have a strong sense of identity and mission have a higher level of vitality.

So what’s the mission of your church?  What’s the sense of identify that makes your church distinctive?

It’s time to  ‘invest” connecting  with people outside the church premises.   Go where people actually congregate.  Engage people on their turf.  Where are they? At Farmers’ Markets.  At the Garlic Festival and the  Santa Cruz Fair.

 Did you know that hospitals are doing exactly that?  Because hospital In-Patient services have become so expensive, hospitals are offering all sorts of services on an Out-Patient basis.

  Hospitals are investing outside their walls.  They are following the patient.

 See article in The Wall Street Journal, Tuesday, September 26, 2017:   Hospitals Invest in Outside Clinics.  Per that article,  Peggy Seasborn, vice president of strategic growth for Dignity Health [owner of Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, CA] said joint replacement seemed impossible a decade ago.  Now Dignity Health is able to replace hips and knees outside the hospital  in a limited number of cases.   People are bypassing the Hospital.  Since 1994 the has been an 80 percent increase in outpatient admissions whereas Inpatient admissions to Hospitals has remained flat or decreasing.

It’s time that local Aptos CA  churches ‘invested’ outside their walls.     Go out with a sense of Mission and Sense of Identity and engage with people. On their turf.

One near to Aptos,CA  church that does ‘go out and  find the patient’  is  Santa Cruz Hope Church located in Soquel, CA and Scotts Valley.

If Hospitals can think ‘outside the box’ —  so can Aptos  churches with  a strong sense of Mission and Identity.

  How do people experience healing?  Numerous ways:  prayer, music, singing, laughter, listening, and sharing are some ways.   In what new ways can  your church share the Healing Love of Christ? And reach out ….

 It’s time to leave  those church buildings ….

 

________________________

written by  licensed Psychologist  PSY 14762 Cameron Jackson    DrCameronJackson@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

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Christ Heals Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow! — EVENT CANCELLED

  October 13 & 14, 2017   — EVENT  CANCELLED  —

 7600 Soquel Drive, Aptos, CA

Resurrection Catholic Community 

Experience healing through  prayer,  song, laughter, sharing and listening.  All are Welcome!  Can you come?

Please —  SIGN UP ahead of time — via email  or phone — DrCameronJackson@gmail.com

831 688 6002

FRIDAY Oct. 13 —  3:00 pm  — Hospitality for Travelers from Afar

    If  you are coming from afar,  please contact Cameron Jackson you  if need information  regarding housing or other issues.

Come early!    Get here when there is plenty of light & enjoy a bit of Aptos enviorns.

   4 to 5 pm:     Doors Open  —  Live Music 

         Pick up Information  Know What’s Happening & Rest and Relax

  5 to 6 pm:   Food & Converstion to Share  —   please bring food to share in the  Community Hall.  One large ham and beans donated to date!

    6 to 7 pm:  Soaking Prayer  (listen)  & Praise Music (singing)  

    7  to 8:30   Program with Rev. Hugh & Monte  Bromiley —  with Praise Music or background  music during any  breaks (to be determined)     8: 30  Exit Music.             

SATURDAY, Oct. 14, 2017 —  $30 for day  suggested donation includes breakfast & lunch — donate as you are able —

 8 to 9 am:   Pancake & Sausage breakfast  in the Hall  — hosted by Boy Scouts #609

8:45 —  in  the church —  Soaking Prayer music (listen) & Praise Music (sing)    

9 to 12 noon:  Morning Program with Rev. Hugh & Monte Bromiley

12 to 1:  Lunch with  Live Music in Hall —

            Opportunities to witness concerning  Healings & Miracles

            Come get acquainted with others!   If you want to walk around Aptos there’s info  concerning places on the Info Table

 1 – 4 pm:  Afternoon Program with  Rev. Hugh  & Monte  Bromiley   – 

 Prayer Stations and Reading of Names people wish to pray for —  to be determined.

4 pm  Music  

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Episcopalian “white privilege” — alive and well at St. John’s in Aptos?

  Episcopalian “white privledge” —  alive and well at St. John’s in Aptos? Are there ways to address it?  Yes to both!

An important  issue to  think about:   how does  the structure of the  church — intentionally or unintentionally — leave out voices that are  not part of the governing structure?   Voices of color for example. And what can the church  do about it?

 One issue is wealth.

Similar   to the city of  Santa Cruz CA,  St. John’s Episcopal in Aptos is  all white   and —  rich.

That  ALL ARE WELCOME  — certainly said often at many churches including St. John’s  —    is  visibly more  apparent  at  some nearby Catholic churches.  Just look at the makeup of who is in the pews and that’s obvious.

Per the new rules passed by St. John’s   episcopal board of directors, there’s numerous  steps (i.e.. 11)  to meet in order to be eligible to  serve on the board of directors (vestry).

All of the persons currently serving on  St. John’s  vestry  are white.

And — per a casual inspection of the church registrar —  all potential vestry persons who could be eligible to serve  — are also white.

Persons who attend services  have a “voice” and may  “speak”.   But, all decisions at St. John’s  concerning the  management of the corporate body of the church are made by white folk.

There are many ways that St. John’s can make ‘All are Welcome’ more of a reality.  Here’s just a few  easy to implement ways:

   1)  Connect on a daily basis with the  numerous youth who come  every afternoon to play basketball and skateboard  on the St. John campus. How?  Cabrillo College is very close.   Hire a Black basketball player  connected with Cabrillo  — a young man age 18 – 22  who wants to spread the Good News of God’s love.    Have him out there 2 hours a day Monday through Friday in the afternoons.  A nice part time job for a up and coming black athlete at Cabrillo.   Hire someone who can  be a  role model for youth.  And, encourage movement from playing  basketball to participating in youth group activities available through  the church. And connect that program with the youth program at nearby Resurrection Catholic Community.

   2) Advertise the ‘basket ball’ program with a large sign next to the Services on Sunday  sign.  Put up something  in bright colors  that says  PIZZA & Basketball from 4 to 5 PM!.   That will draw more youth.

 

   3)  Put a new  picnic table over near the basket ball hoop.  A  table  where a family member could sit and share a bite to eat as they watch the youth play.  That makes it easy for  parents to watch their children.  This will be an easy way for St. John people to connect  and say ‘hello’. Welcome!  Come back on Sunday and other days …

    4)  Take down the scary   blue handicapped parking signs that say $250 fine if you park in a handicapped spot.  Replace with more friendly Reserved for Persons with Limited Mobility signs.   The  mere possibility of a $250 fine is not a friendly act.

 

 

    5)  Directly in front of the ENTRANCE area, put up a 8 foot metal bench.  Put the bench by the back entrance to the Cafe.    Sitting on it one can look out towards the park and the ocean.  A lovely spot for a bench.   People with mobility issues can sit and wait for a ride. There are lots of older people who might need to sit there.    People needing to drop off supplies can put supplies  on the bench.   There are no benches around St. John’s.   Take a look around nearby  churches (Coastlands, Resurrection, Christ Lutheran). They all  have benches.  Benches are  one more way to be more welcoming to the Stranger and to the Newcomer.

    6)  Schedule  various outside music groups to sing during the Coffee hour time.  The Threshold Singers for example. They sing in small groups of three for persons needing healing or at their  bedsides. Deliberately bring in outside singing groups right at the end of Sunday services.  Welcome the Singing Community of Santa Cruz county.

7)  Make the music sung at the beginning  more welcoming.  For example,

A  song to paste  in the back of the hymnal at St. John’s — and sing  — is  ALL ARE WELCOME   by MartyHaugen:

“Let us build a house where hands will reach beyond the wood and stone, to heal and strengthen, serve and teach, and live the Word they’ve known.

“Let us build a house where all are named, their songs and visions heard and loved and treasured, taught and claimed as word within the Word.

“Built of tears and cries and laughter, prayers of faith and songs of grace, let this house proclaim from floor to rafter.  All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.”

 And —  perhaps in the front of the hymnal at St. John’s — paste another good song to sing:

THE GOD OF SECOND CHANGES

“Come now, O God of second chances; open our lives to heal.  Remove our hate, and melt our rage. Save us from ourselves.

“Come now, O God of second chances; may we forgive ourselves, may we become your living sign: Children of God’s love.”        [wrjitten by David Haas]

 

Yes — there are lots of ways for churches such as St. John’s to be deliberately more welcoming to all people.  Above are just a few ways.

Akin to  throwing pebbles into still waters and seeing the those ripples go  out  —  small changes in how a church welcomes the Stranger and Newcomer  may over time  change the composition of the Membership and  the Board of Directors.

written by Cameron Jackson

 

 

 

 

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Christ Heals Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow! Aptos CA Faith Building Event Oct. 13 & 14, 2017 at Resurrection church

Faith Building Event —

                           CANCELED !

Christ Heals Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow!

October 13 & 14, 2017

 7600 Soquel Drive, Aptos, CA

Resurrection Catholic Community 

All are Welcome!  Come & Participate!    On Saturday — only —  a  $30 donation (breakfast & lunch included) is suggested.  Donate as you are able.

Friday, Oct. 13:  4 p.m.   Hospitality & Registration in the Community Hall:   Rest & Relax time;   bring & enjoy  Food to Share;   Soaking Prayer background music.  Dinner with other attendees  —  if you want —  at Severino’s restaurant next door. Warm foods  available to share  in Community Hall.     Rev. Hugh Bromiley speaks on Inner Healing  in  the church   —  roughly   around  7  p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 14: —  8:00  – 9:30 a.m.  Pancake & Sausage breakfast hosted by Boy Scouts #609 in Hall.    Soaking Prayer background music in the church.    Some community singing groups may participate either Friday or Saturday  — which groups may participate is  still in process.

Saturday 12:00  Lunch Break: pre-made  lunches (3 choices)   available  in Community Hall, or bring your own  or  enjoy food from  near by eateries.  Background music.  Enjoy getting acquainted with others!

Rev. Hugh Bromily speaks  on Inner Healing   —  Sat.  around 9:30 a.m & around 1:30 p.m Program closes at 4:00 pm.

The Rev. Hugh Bromiley, North American Director of Order of St. Luke

speaks on Inner Healing

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Heal & Heal others through Christ & make friends via Order of St. Luke (OSL) website — Here’s How!

        Go to  the Order of St. Luke website.

Click on Create News Account or  Login.

On top right, go to Chapters and click on Chapters by State/ Province. Find on the map the blue Geolocate Me and click on it.

Using the website’s GPS, a list of the Chapters closest to you will appear.

For example, people living in Aptos, CA  will see the following chapters listed:    Aptos – St. John the Baptist;  Aptos – Soquel Drive;   Salinas – Salinas Chapter;  Pacific Grove  – St Mary’s by the Sea

Next, click on the GREEN button Chapter Page. Click to JOIN the Chapter.   Then, READ the Announcements and Discussions that are posted.

Four Chapters of the Order of St. Luke are hosting a Healing Event ‘Christ Heals Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow! in Aptos, CA on October 13 & 14, 2017.   Go to AptosChurch.info for complete information.

It is easy to JOIN several Chapters.  For example, near Sacramento there’s a Chapter that regularly posts what happens at their monthly  meetings.  Elba White is the Convener for that Chapter.   Have fun meeting other OSL members online.  Reach out to others as you participate in Jesus’ Ministry of Healing!      written 9/3/2017  by  DrCameronJackson@gmail.com

 

 

 

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Remove the sandals from your feet as this is holy ground — then and now —

 

Remove the  sandals from your feet as this is holy ground

God told Moses to remove the sandals from his feet as this is holy ground.

At the Feast @ 5 September 3, 2017 service  at St. John’s in Aptos,  Mother Tracy  discussed various physical ways  that people world wide — and through different religions — connect with God.

One way is through removing shoes before entering ‘holy ground’ .  Another way is by raising hands  high to praise  God.

The Feast @5 service is geared for families and  includes everyone.  After the service, there is a pot-luck.   The Feast@5  is held the FIRST Sunday of each month  at The Episcopal Church of St. John,  125 Cantebury Drive, Aptos, CA  95003.  Call 831 708-2278 for information.

Raise hands high to glorify God

 

 

 

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The Celtic people speak of “thin places”, places where the distance between heaven and earth seems to disappear and the two worlds are able to touch one another

   Mother Tracy spoke:    “The Celtic people speak of “thin places,” places where the distance between heaven and earth seems to disappear and the two worlds are able to touch one another.

“The church teaches that the Eucharist and the other Sacraments are some of those thin places where, however briefly, we can touch heaven, but the church’s sacraments are by no means the only means by which we can touch heaven.  

“I’m sure that each of you could name other “thin places” in your lives where you feel the presence of God is particularly near to you.  

“And so as we commend Geoff to God, I pray that each of you would know the comfort of touching those thin places – places where you may be still and rest in God’s presence, where you may even feel Geoff’s presence with you. 

“And in touching those places, may you know in the depth of your souls the truth of the Gospel:    that the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  

The above is a portion of  the  sermon given recently  by Mother Tracy at St John the Baptist Episcopal Church  in Aptos celebrating the life of Geoff  Nickel, son of Suzanne Krakover-Nickel.  About  200 people from the Aptos and Santa Cruz CA community attended the  memorial service for Geoff.

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Want to know how — not why — to become a Member of St. John’s Episcopal, Aptos, CA?

       Want to know how — not why — to become a Member  of St. John’s Episcopal church in Aptos, CA?
There’s 4  “must do” requirements to become a Member of the body of Christ located at  St. John’s.
Perhaps you need help meeting those requirements?   If so,  we ‘ll help you meet  those  requirements.
[Please note:   This was written tongue-in-cheek to point to some important,   underlying issues.  One  issue: Is  100% of  St. John’s  church vestry  — the people that make the legal decisions for the church  — are they  listed as Communicants on  the church books?  Yes or No?   If the answer is No, then  are the decisions made by St. John’s  vestry legal and binding?  Ask a lawyer!  
Another issue:   People serve in many leadership capacities  at St. John’s.  How many of  these ‘ministers’ — that’s ‘all of  us’ per the back cover of the weekly service bulletin  — listed as Communicants?  If not,  then who is entitled to   vote in the upcoming election in Dec. 2017?  
The NEW  Bylaws state  that you have to be a Member for six months in order to vote.  Per the new rules, only persons listed as Communicants can vote in the next election in Dec. 2017.  Oh dear!  What to do?    
 
 It is easy to find out who  is a Communicant at St. John’s.    Look in the Index of the (green)  book for Communicants.  It’s kept in the church office. 
 You can readily  check the  Index of the book for Communicants  and  see whether you are listed.    The church is very supportive behind the scene to assist  all people to update their  church records.]   

So — What are those “must do”  requirements for basic Membership at St. John’s?

    #1:   Baptism.  You must be baptized.  Were you baptized — but  you don’t have a copy of  the record?     We’ll help you track down your baptismal record.   Where ever it happened   and when ever.
2). There must be a record of  your baptism listed  in  St. John’s church records. Perhaps you know that  you were baptized but never submitted the record to St. John’s Episcopal church in Aptos, CA?  .  We will help you.    We will submit the record of your baptism  to the church authorities   — and we will  take a  photo/ video   of the page so that  you know that it’s been accurately recorded in the church records.
    3). You must take communion (wafer and wine)  3 times during  the current year. Unless physically indisposed.    Discretely,  we  will  photograph/ video you receiving communion  3 times.  By recording it,   no one, i.e.,  such as the Executive Committee of St. John’s,  can  kill your membership application by inuendo —   questioning  whether you  actually  received communion   3 times this last year.   Yes, it sounds odd but you never know who believes what about whom  these days.    To be on the safe side, we suggest that you wear  different clothes when you are photographed during communion.
4). Participate in life of parish.  There are a multitude of ways  that you can participate.  What’s important is that there is an actual record of how you participated.  A record that you can submit to the church when you apply for Membership.
   Perhaps you open the church doors for services ?       Perhaps you have  carpentry skills?  Or perhaps  you do child care and can help out in the nursery?  Maybe you work in a school cafeteria and can make cookies for a bake sale?
However you contribute, we will photograph/ video your contributions  to the life of the parish.  And we will submit those records to St. John’s as part of your application to be a Member at St. John’s Episcopal in Aptos, CA.
Cost of this service?   Absolutely free.  Send requests for assistance to DrCameronJackson@gmail.com
To become a Member of St. John’s episcopal church  you must meet the above listed  4 requirements.

 There are other levels of Membership which you can achieve.

To become a Voting Member you must meed 6 additional requirements including the laying on of hands by Bishop Mary.
And, should you want to run for the church board (Vestry) you must meet one more requirement  — a donation of money to either the Building Fund or the Undesignated fund. And that donation of money must be recorded in the financial books of the church.

Summary:   Are you thinking of serving on the church board?   This is what you must do:  Meet   the  4  requirements (to be a Member) + 6 additional requirements including the laying on of hands by Bishop Mary  (to be a Voting Member) + 1 Financial Requirement of money to one of two funds (to serve on the Church board).

If you want help with the first 4 steps  — so you are a Member  of the Body of Christ at St. John’s Episcopal in Aptos — help is available.   

 P.S.   for those who have read this far — this was initially written tongue-in-cheek. Not intended as a joke nor to be funny  but to underscore important issues.

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Christ heals yesterday, today & tomorrow -Oct. 13 & 14, Aptos, CA

   Faith Building Event 

Christ Heals Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow 

 October 13 & 14, 2017  in Aptos, CA 

 7600 Soquel Drive, Aptos, CA

location:    Resurrection Catholic Community

  Experience healing through music, song, laughter, sharing and listening.

Can you come?     Please let us know!   We have to plan!      email:    DrCameronJackson@gmail.com

              Pancake & Sausage Breakfast   hosted by Boy Scout Troop 609

              Soaking Prayer Music   

              Books from Alliee DeArmond’s  The Word Shop

              Local community groups & singers participate:   

                      The Bells of Joy (to be confirmed in September)

                        

 Revs Hugh Bromiley,

North American Director for the  Order of St. Luke, and Monte Bromiley  speak  on Inner Healing

contact info for Rev. Bromiley:  P.O. Box 38, Staples, Texas 78670  (512) 757 6322   hughbromiley@gmail.com

 Information  about  the Faith Building event: 

YouTube:   7600 Soquel Drive, Aptos

https://www.freedomok.net/aptos-church-info-whats-happening/

https://orderofstluke.org/

 

        Faith Building Event hosted by Order of St. Luke Chapters:

                    St. John the Baptist Chapter,   125 Canterbury Drive, Aptos

                    St. Mary’s by the Sea Chapter,   146 Central Avenue, Pacific Grove

                    Salinas Chapter,   98 Kip Drive, Salinas

                   Soquel Drive Chapter, 7600 Soquel Drive, Aptos

 

Come early & beat the traffic!  Enjoy Aptos!   Alternative traffic routes and ‘what to see & do’ will be posted.

More information forthcoming as we get closer to October 13 & 14, 2017   —

 

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Miracle Messages connects homeless with their families — do you want to help?

 

Miracle Messages connects homeless persons with their families.  Want to help? Perhaps you know the man in the picture.  Your brother? Uncle?

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