CHURCH FINDS NEW APPROACH PAYS DIVIDENDS.Byline: Holly J. Andres Daily News Staff Writer It's known in the neighborhood as the church with the preschool. Commuters hurrying north or south on Balboa Balboa, town (1990 pop. 2,751), Colón prov., in the former Panama Canal Zone, on the Gulf of Panama. The port for Panama City, Balboa was the administrative headquarters of the Panama Canal Zone. It was also the site of a U.S. navy base (closed 1999). Boulevard know it as the church with the thought-provoking message sign. The ``church with a choice'' is what clergy at the 34-year-old Bethlehem Lutheran Church would like it to be known as. One choice is the traditional and familiar worship service, with spiritual music based solidly in the classical compositions of Bach and Beethoven. ``We needed to reach a new group. The unchurched un·churched adj. Not belonging to or participating in a church. n. (used with a pl. verb) People who do not belong to or participate in a church considered as a group. Used with the. and those who haven't been to church in a long time,'' said the Rev. Rowland Chandler, who has been with the church almost 16 years. ``We decided to offer a service in a relaxed setting with a heavy emphasis on music with a contemporary beat. The music is very `now' at this praise service.'' At Bethlehem Lutheran, a praise worship service means that two-thirds of the service is music and the balance is a sermon delivered by an unvested, informally dressed pastor. ``It's informal, it's loose. They play drums, bass guitar and keyboards. But since they are professional musicians, they sometimes play saxophone saxophone, musical instrument invented in the 1840s by Adolphe Sax. Although it uses the single reed of the clarinet family, it has a conical tube and is made of metal. , flute and classical guitar. No organ is played, unlike at our later service. There is a vocalist. Two members of our congregation also sing at this service,'' Chandler said. Churchgoers are met at the door with a greeting and a hint of the music to come. No hymn books a book containing a collection of hymns, as for use in churches; a hymnal. See also: Hymn or song sheets are given out. Instead, the congregation looks up to a screen where the lyrics lyrics npl [of song] → paroles fpl lyrics lyric npl [of song] → Text m are projected. The service begins with a number of songs, which may be traditional hymns like ``Holy, Holy, Holy'' or ``Rock of Ages,'' but performed with a beat. Chandler, who said that he is on the move and ``in 15 different places'' throughout this service, gives a welcome. Then more music and singing until Chandler delivers the Sunday sermon. The service is followed by a chance to greet fellow worshippers at a coffee get-together. Kevin Kelly Kevin Kelly may refer to:
``Rev. Chandler brought the idea to us. We did a lot of research and a demographic study before deciding to offer this worship service,'' said Kelly, who attended traditional services at another Lutheran church while growing up in the Valley. ``It's not a better service. It's just different. It's very family friendly. I know that a lot of younger families come because their kids will sit through it. The service has a much more festive fes·tive adj. 1. Of, relating to, or appropriate for a feast or festival. 2. Merry; joyous: a festive party. feel to it. Anyone who comes in will feel comfortable.'' Chandler said that churches that aren't willing or that are unable to make changes are dying. He said that in the 1920s and '30s, the problem for the mainline mainline Drug slang verb To inject a drug churches, with their roots in Europe, was language. They had to make a decision to use English or cling to Verb 1. cling to - hold firmly, usually with one's hands; "She clutched my arm when she got scared" hold close, hold tight, clutch hold, take hold - have or hold in one's hands or grip; "Hold this bowl for a moment, please"; "A crazy idea took hold of the old language. ``There have always been issues. Now it's over music and style. This type of service is new for Lutherans. We're not being unique at Bethlehem Lutheran with this service, but it was a good thing to start. It won't grow old in five years. We're speaking to where people are today. We needed to do this,'' Chandler said. Stephen Watson Stephen Watson (1955-) is a South African poet. Most of his poetry is about the city of Cape Town, where he has lived most of his life. He is currently a professor in English at the University of Cape Town, he is also the current Director of the Writing Centre. , who recently joined the congregation, is an enthusiastic supporter of the praise service. ``My fiancee and I were searching for a church,'' said Watson, who met Chandler in a nonreligious setting. ``I got into a discussion with him. I was intrigued by what he had to say about his church. We joined the church because of the dynamics going on. I believe that this type of service, which we enjoy, will help the church to grow and not die.'' How do the longtime long·time adj. Having existed or persisted for a long time: a longtime friend; a longtime resident of Detroit. longtime Adjective Lutherans view this innovation? Harry Batterton and his wife, Lonna, had also been searching for a place to worship after they moved to the Valley from Orange County. ``We spent six months looking. I gave up. My wife kept looking though. She came home one Sunday and said that she thought she had found the right church for us,'' said Batterton, a Sylmar resident. ``Three people came up and welcomed her back, and then they asked who I was. It's one of the friendliest churches we've ever been to, and that's why we're still here. We love both of the services. We've actually stayed all Sunday morning Sunday Morning may refer to:
``I think it's a service that reaches a lot of people that the formalized for·mal·ize tr.v. for·mal·ized, for·mal·iz·ing, for·mal·iz·es 1. To give a definite form or shape to. 2. a. To make formal. b. service doesn't reach. It's still a serious worship but in a very relaxed style. We've felt very uplifted up·lift tr.v. up·lift·ed, up·lift·ing, up·lifts 1. To raise; elevate. 2. To raise to a higher social, intellectual, or moral level or condition. 3. after that service.'' Bethlehem Lutheran Church will break more new ground this summer when construction will begin on new preschool classrooms and an addition to the church's sanctuary. The preschool, a part of the church's ministry and not a separate entity said Chandler, is very important to the congregation. He said that many of the younger families in the area have checked out the preschool and then checked out the church. The new buildings will enable the school, which uses modular buildings Modular buildings are sectional prefabricated buildings that are manufactured in a plant, and delivered to the customer in one or more complete modular sections. Modular buildings are considerably different from mobile homes. , to expand. It will also signal to the neighborhood that the ``church with the preschool'' is ready to grow in quality child care and in offering a spiritual home with a choice. Something they can boast about on their message sign. A Country Fair carnival carnival, communal celebration, especially the religious celebration in Catholic countries that takes place just before Lent. Since early times carnivals have been accompanied by parades, masquerades, pageants, and other forms of revelry that had their origins in with rides, games and a petting zoo will be held from 4 to 9 p.m. today. Praise service begins at 9 a.m. Sunday; traditional service with choir, 10:30 a.m. Bethlehem Lutheran Church is at 12227 Balboa Blvd., Granada Hills. (818) 360-4777. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO ``It's informal, it's loose. We have a three-member band; one is a member of our congregation. They play drums, bass guitar and keyboards. But since they are professional musicians, they sometimes play saxophone, flute and classical guitar. No organ is played, unlike at our later service. There is a vocalist. Two members of our congregation also sing at this service.'' - The Rev. Rowland Chandler on left, with Bethlehem Lutheran Church council president Kevin Kelly |
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