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Front Porch Church
The success of our Front Porch Church process depends on families in our neighborhoods coming forward to serve as Sponsoring Households.
Can we count on you?
There once was a time (perhaps you might remember it from your own childhood) when houses had front porches and people used them. Throughout the day, or at least in the evenings, local neighborhoods came alive as people came out to sit on their porches, to converse with each other, and keep an eye on the kids who were playing outside. It didn't matter if it was their kids or not – everyone belonged to the neighborhood and everyone took responsibility for each other. That is what this is all about!
Many of us in the parish (and indeed in the area) are transplants from some other "neighborhoods". It is often difficult to meet and become friends with our new neighbors because the front porch is absent from our homes and our houses are surrounded by brick walls. The Front Porch Church is an attempt to re-create the neighborhoods of old, where people knew each other, where our families felt safe and everyone looked out for each other!
What will I be responsible for?
Why not think about starting up a Front Porch Church in your neighborhood. What is involved? The parish will give you a listing of names of other parishioners who live near you. We ask that you then give them a call or send an email to invite them to a general information meeting. We will alert your neighbors ahead of time to expect your call.
What happens at the meeting?
First we will explain to those in attendance that we are trying to set up a local neighborhood group for support, education, carpooling, social gatherings or, whatever else or in what combination the group determines to be important. The group can then decide how often it wishes to meet in the future and for what purpose.
What happens next?
We ask that you periodically inform us of anything happening in the neighborhood that the parish needs to know about. Several times a year we will ask the sponsoring families from all the neighborhoods to come together as a group to present and discuss issues pertinent to two or more neighborhoods. That's how you can be a vital part of Saint Mary Magdalene Parish without ever leaving your home (almost!).
If you are interested in helping the Front Porch Church process, email Richard at richard@smarymag.org.