Outreach Opportunities and Thinking Outside the Box

Rod Dreher asks

Dear Father Fester:

I’ve noticed recently more new faces at cathedral services, and younger faces, all of which is quite encouraging. As someone new to Orthodoxy, but who has been reading about Orthodoxy for years, I can say without fear of contradiction from other converts that the spiritual and aesthetic riches of Orthodox thought, life and worship are a real treasure, especially to those of us who are trying to find solid ground for ourselves and our families in the turbulent stream of modernity. Some Orthodox like to think of Orthodoxy as a “best-kept secret,” which I think in many ways it is, but that it really shouldn’t be. With so many of the bigger churches in crisis now, there are many people looking for safe harbor – and adults who are in early middle age or younger are more detached from their traditional religious affiliations than any previous generation (by which I mean, they’re more open to experimentation and inquiry). This is especially true, in my judgment, in Dallas, which is probably the most religiously active and aware big city in the country. My question is, how can we at St. Seraphim’s reach out more effectively to the community to invite potential inquirers to “taste and see”? Among the most valuable blessings my family has received from our participation in the life of St. Seraphim’s is the sense of community in Christ that we’ve found there, anchored to the overwhelming beauty and holiness of the liturgy. Surely there are many, many other young families in town who would find a home at St. Seraphim’s if only they knew about it. I’ve been thinking lately about what I and others in the parish can do in this regard. Do you have any ideas? Do your readers?

One thing that occurred to me was that we might consider imitating the success that Catholics have had with a program called Theology on Tap. It’s an informal series of lectures, held in a friendly pub, in which priests or laymen with a certain expertise give a talk about some aspect of the Catholic faith, and take questions and encourage discussion. Here’s a link to the program in the Catholic Archdiocese of New York: http://www.totnyc.org/. As you can see, they take the intellectual content of the lectures seriously – but, having been to several of these Theology on Tap sessions myself when I lived in NYC, I can tell you that the atmosphere is genial and conducive to discussion and fellowship. It occurred to me that this is a good way for Orthodox to learn more about our faith (and about each other – the fellowship we experienced and early friendships we made among the congregation helped convince Julie and me that we not only wanted to be a part of St. Seraphim’s, but needed to be), and also a good evangelizing opportunity. ToT sessions typically attract interested outsiders who might not have the courage to present themselves at a formal church function, but who would like to know more about the faith, and the faithful.

In addition to the clerics at St. Seraphim’s, we have parishioners who are well-educated and experienced in the arts or areas of academic endeavor, and who might be willing to give a 20-minute talk about some aspect of Orthodox faith and life in such a setting. Or not. It’s just an idea. Can we hear some others?

Dear Rod:

Thanks for your ideas and I would also very much like to hear from others in the community what they think about what you have posted.

There is no doubt in my mind either that St. Seraphim's is attracting many new young families with a real desire to experience God in a deeply personal and deeply communal way. I sense that there is a momentum here and that by personally sharing our faith journey with others we are seeing an exciting result.

Personally, I enjoy working in small groups with seekers or a combination of seekers and those who are already Orthodox. I have found that such a mix can be very fruitful for all involved.

I also encourage those who know have become Orthodox to talk about being Orthodox with their friends and co-workers. Not in any "door-to-door" high pressure way, but simply taking advantage of the natural opportunities that are presented to us when we invite our friends over for dinner. Let's face it, when they see our icon corner, it will provoke a reaction.

We all know people who are searching for God. They are in our family, in our neighborhood, and where we work. Anyone serious about attempting to live an Orthodox way of life should naturally be "attracting attention" in a good way. Not everyone can wear a cassock and a cross like I do, but it sure does get a reaction from people and they DO ask questions. Every question is an opportunity.

The Theology on Tap is very interesting. It reminds me of St. Paul when he said that he has become "all things to all men that some may be saved." He was not afraid to go wherever need be to preach Christ crucified. So too our Lord who went to the marriage feast in Cana and changed water into wine (his first miracle), He did not hesitate to go where need be. He was later condemned for "eating with sinners" but He never feared such condemnation because it was the right thing to do.

We could put together a very formidable team together for a ToT effort. I can think of at least 3 or 4 people who would love to get up in front of a group of people and tell their story.

Anyway, like a said earlier, I would very much like to hear from many of you your reactions to Rod's post and my comments and to hear your own ideas on how we can reach out to others with the powerful message of Jesus Christ as given to us in the Orthodox Church

Fr. Joseph