10. Team Processing - Round 1

Genius factors - Round 1
Greg, Hal, Amy
At Starbucks
7/12/01 - 3:15p

Block Party

It's the signature event. It says we welcome young adults. They (Basilica of St. Mary - BSM) are intentionally going after this group by not putting Lawrence Welk on stage. It's so outside what people imagine churches doing. It attracts the disenfranchised the way that a contemporary Christian music festival can't. BSM said we're going to blow the doors off this. Do we Christianize the culture or take in the culture and bring Christ to meet it? They made a clear choice to play in the culture's playground. The paradox of beer and basilica is attractive to Gen X-ers. Beer - Hootie (and the Blowfish) - and the Basilica in the background - it's a beautiful thing.

Non-niche ministry

For Father Michael to talk first about poverty level in the area, social justice, social ministry is what the block party has grown out of… and he is concerned that staff and parishioners understand that. 7 years ago the BSM was not the place to be - it's been a huge cultural shift. Young adult ministry seemed secondary - more like a way to address the areas father Michael mentioned first. He needed to build the parish and raise money so he read the context and worked it.

Young adult ministry hasn't evolved. It happened. Block Party came about because of the location and the need to make some serious $ and young adults are the group that has the most disposable income. The BSM welcomed young adults and they came and stayed.

In 1995 with Block Party kicking off they had enough people from First Friday to volunteer and move Avenues to a new place as far as involvement. The image of the BSM was changed by that first event and the new image has been reinforced every summer since. The BSM incorporated the young adults when they came as a result of the Block Party by welcoming them.

For the first one the archbishop called and said, "Tell me this is going to be ok." Now it's a normal event - an essential to the image and work of the BSM.

It seems like it wasn't a strategy. It happened. God happened and this young adult ministry showed up. :

Father Michael's story about standing on top of the crane looking around… his direction was the opposite of where we thought he would go.
Not "look we're surrounded by young adults"
Not "look we could be chaplains to all these students at all these schools"
Instead - "look at all the adult learning opportunities available for people in poverty!"

Doing the Basics well

Liturgy, service, hospitality. No latest fad. No purpose driven church. BSM is the opposite of churches we've encountered doing exemplar youth and family ministry visits.
Facility - the BSM has an experiential advantage here. The average church can't offer that space, that caliber.

In general RCC can do things we can't because of the depth of their tradition. They can say, "We've been doing contemporary for 30 years and now we have good stuff." Lutherans can't say that.

New word - be eclectic, be true to your context, be about the basics and do them with authenticity. The way the BSM has gone deeper into their own identity as a catholic basilica has an intrinsic appeal to young adults.

Desperation - Innovation - Exponential Growth

BSM capitalized on a moment of desperation. The move from the first block party to the second is huge. "We had the church locked (at the first one), the next one we opened it, now we offer tours…" What is their definition of evangelism? Get them in the building and let the mystery of God do the rest.

God is up to something here - this is God's world and we need to seek the well-being of it. In liturgy you are in the presence of God - God is in the space. So get 'em in and God will encounter them there. It definitely is about physical symbols, physical presence… it's a God thing. That dovetails into the hospitality without commitment we heard about with regard to weddings. We welcome; God does the rest.

Language

Linguistic ducking (well, according to us). They wouldn't say, "This is God's work." They wouldn't be so bold to say what God's up to. Bring them in and God will be up to something, but only God knows what.

Permission-giving culture

Flat organizational structure. Rootedness in service to the poor, hospitality to the stranger. Deep sense of spirituality.

Would be interesting to think about what congregations looked like during different eras in history - Depression, WW2, boomer churches, now, how to predict what's next - there's clearly no going back!

Keys to exemplar ministry?

Quality worship - whatever that means
Social Justice/ Service - living out the gospel
Integrate - spirituality and daily life