This is the second in a series of reports on initiatives funded through the budget of The Episcopal Church in its grants to Mission Enterprise Zones.

St. Joe’s Unplugged is a mission of St. Joseph’s in Boynton Beach, Florida, whose focus is to attract people in their 20s and 30s, the unchurched, the de-churched, and those looking for a Fresh Expression of worship. The weekly Unplugged service began in the fall of 2005 as an ever growing joyful and soulful Sunday respite for humans being.

Guitars strumming, drums beating, and voices singing melodically, this service is a unique one for the Episcopal Church. For the majority of the service, you are on your feet, singing along to classic hymns, updated with a contemporary flare. The Unplugged service was born at the beach, with a portable sound system, chairs and a big cooler for an alfresco altar. The beach service was successful in that it was welcoming enough to attract strangers to join them. But the vagaries of south Florida weather – and blowing sand — eventually forced the group indoors.

The Rev. Martin Zlatic, Rector of St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church said, “We did focus groups with a professional marketing firm for the intended audience of the ’20-30 somethings’.” He went on to explain, “Universally, when asked, ‘if we were to design a church service that would meet the desired description you have given us, when would you like that service to be offered?’ – they all said early Sunday evening.” Based on this input, the service was founded at 6 pm on Sunday nights. On that day and time only 25-30 people attended in a typical week – very few of whom were in that age group. Zlatic notes, “Since the switch of the time to 11:45 am on Sunday morning, the attendance has continued to grow not only in the target segment, but with our intergenerational folks as well.” St. Joe’s Unplugged now has a sustained average of more than 130 on a typical Sunday.

Now led by St. Joseph’s Associate Priest, the Rev. Wendy Tobias, the liturgy continues to strive to be a haven for those looking to Unplug from stiff traditions, stale music or from churches who don’t welcome a questioning mind. Many come who are not “church” people at all. Others come to Unplug from all the ‘noise’ of life so they can better tune in to who and what they really are – loved, encouraged, and accepted by God.

The Mission Enterprise Zone Grant is providing key support for the continued ability to provide a dedicated associate priest and professional musicians for St. Joe’s Unplugged. Music by Live Hymnal led by Charles Milling continues to be a huge draw for these worship services and former youth band members are now working with youth as well as actively participating in services. Also, since receiving the MEZ grant, St. Joe’s Unplugged has been able to reach deeper into the Recovery Community, both through Tobias leading a small group in a treatment program’s once a month Spiritual Fridays and through Delray Recovery Center residents attending Unplugged. In naming some of what she has learned in leading St. Joe’s Unplugged, Tobias cited:

• Risking experiential opportunities in the service has been met with increasing receptivity i.e. Word Beyond Words service, active prayer stations during prayers of the people, experiences during sermons e.g. Centering Prayer, Written Prayers of Release, parachute over everyone as an object lesson, vital preaching that challenges fear based theology.
• We are also learning that it’s best to have real consistency in the details of the service i.e. lighting, sound, movement, timing.
• Involvement of those in their 20s and 30s in service as candlelighters (especially newcomers when they are willing), greeters, ushers, prayer leaders, chalice bearers. Relaxed liturgical innovation helps them feel comfortable and a part of our worship community.
• We are still trying to discern what is the best way to have a leaflet or not have one. We tried a tri-fold for a while with QR codes for our welcome video and announcements. Now we’re trying to figure out a different approach to a limited size leaflet. Tune In is a group just forming (20s and 30s) and they really want to have a slicker look, brief but then have some full page handouts for some appealing items like a Taking Faith Home sheet used in our traditional service.
• I am learning that I need the 20s and 30s advisory group to help me navigate and advise and that I need to LISTEN to them and respond.
• We are collaborating with our Diocesan Young Adult Ministry coordinator, Daniel Ledo, in planning some exciting networking with other young adult groups in our deanery and beyond.
• Our Unplugged community really appreciates outreach through Habitat for Humanity, feeding homeless and needy through another local church, and our Mission Trip and efforts to the people of the Dominican Republic.

www.stjoesunplugged.org

This is the first in a series of reports on initiatives funded through the budget of The Episcopal Church in its grants to Mission Enterprise Zones. 

The Episcopal Development Agency of Thomasville is a new initiative in the Diocese of Georgia combining three Episcopal Churches in common mission. The community development work is all the more important as the three congregations came about through painful divisions. Good Shepherd was founded in 1894 after African Americans no longer felt welcome to worship at St. Thomas. Then in 1981, Episcopalians concerned about the ordination of women and prayer book revisions founded All Saints, which is a 1928 Prayer Book Parish. These divisions within the church occured in a town that experienced its own racial and socio-economic divisions.

In recent years, members of All Saints, Good Shepherd, and St. Thomas Churches had increasingly come together and in 2013 they combined their efforts through founding EDAT to address the needs of the impoverished and primarily African-American neighborhood which surrounds Good Shepherd. Members of the parishes and the community are working together to help the residents develop a plan to help themselves-a plan that will initially allow them to address neighborhood hunger, and later, empower them to address many of the other issues that are facing their inner-city community.

The Oak Street Community Garden became one of EDAT’s first initiatives. This garden gained funding through a United Thank Offering Grant which helped in hiring a Garden Supervisor. In 2014, the Garden fed more than 40 families while educating the community on gardening practices.

EDAT’s other initiative currently underway is the Enrichment Program developed in collaboration with the Thomasville Community Resource Center (TCRC). This Enrichment Program began with a summer camp and continues with an after school program also held on the Good Shepherd grounds. The program, which currently has 40 children, is open to those ages 6 through 12 four days a week. The curriculum, which includes academic enrichment in math, science, and reading, volunteer work in EDAT’s community garden, and exposure to the arts, serves children from a variety of Thomasville neighborhoods and socioeconomic backgrounds.

In 2014, a Mission Enterprise Zone Grant assisted EDAT in hiring Keith Jenkins as its first Executve Director. Jenkins is a Thomasville native with a degree in social work who has family living in the community near Good Shepherd. Since coming on board, he completed a door to door needs assessment, interviewing the community about how EDAT can assist them in developing their neighborhood.

The grants from UTO and the Mission Enterprise Zone have been more than matched by sustained local giving to the development agency. The EDAT Board, comprised of equal representation from the three founding congregations, is working from the needs assessment to continue its work in partnering with community members on development work. Future plans include job training. A video report on the work of EDAT uses interviews with many of the partners to tell the story of this community development agency.