Last week we introduced the idea of the lab and we’re excited to dig in and get to work! This goal represents a big shift in some ways that will be immediately visible and other ways that will involve a lot of behind-the-scenes work. One example of some behind-the-scenes work going on related to the lab: this Wednesday we had a meeting with people in our community to share our vision for hospitality and to brainstorm and explore how we can make each person who arrives on our campus feel welcome and loved--by us and by God--from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave.

One of the more visible shifts related to our work on the lab is that the 10:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Masses at St. Joseph are still taking place in the hall at St. Joseph. For the past couple of years, we’ve had worship in the hall over the summer months because the hall has air conditioning.  This has made it a far more comfortable environment to worship in when it’s hot and humid outside. While it’s no longer hot and humid, people have been asking why we haven’t moved back into the sanctuary (the church) yet. Good question! We haven’t moved back to the sanctuary because we have been exploring the possibility of staying in the hall moving forward for a number of reasons:

1. The sound in the hall is far clearer and less distracting than the sanctuary. The acoustics of the sanctuary are beautiful, but that space was not designed for amplified sound. When the speakers, monitors, and instruments of a band combine with the reverb and sound reflections of the sanctuary, it creates a sound that is very loud and muddy. Loudness, especially loudness without clarity, can be a significant distraction to worship.

2. The sightlines of the hall are far clearer than the sanctuary. While the design of the sanctuary is aesthetically more pleasing than the hall in its current state, the sanctuary has significant sightline limitations. There isn’t a place to set up a screen for a projector. That limits us to projecting on back walls, which are in significant need of repainting (and which further obscures the projected image). Even if we installed a screen, significant portions of the seating are obstructed by columns. These sightlines create an environment that keeps a lot of people from fully participating in the Mass. Space limitations limit the band (the worship team) to setting up off to the side where they are visually obstructed from the congregation.

3. The space in the hall is more flexible for families with children. In the church, if you need to step out with a young child, you have two options: go outside (where it may be raining or very cold) or go to the very front of the church (which can be uncomfortable for the parent and distracting for the congregation). In the hall, there is more space for families with kids to move around in the back of the worship space and it is much easier to exit the back of the hall where bathrooms are easily accessible. Worship in the hall also keeps parents closer to our kids’ worship experiences: Tiny Disciples and Kids’ Church, which take place in the lower hall.

All of that being said, we fully recognize that the hall is not an ideal worship space in its current state. Visually, the hall feels like a temporary space. Fellowship after Mass (coffee and donuts) is certainly possible but not ideal given space limitations and set up. 

Neither the church nor the hall is ideal for our vision of worship, but one possible way forward is to outfit and design the space in the hall to meet the needs outlined above while at the same time preserving the beauty of the sanctuary. The 7:30am Sunday Mass, daily Masses, weddings, and funerals continue to take place in the sanctuary. 

As we explore the possibility of staying in the hall moving forward, we’re focusing on two main tasks:

1. Looking for feedback and input from people in our community. We don’t have all the answers and we want to hear from you! Enter your contact info below to set up a time to chat with our team. We’d love your input and ideas.
2. Exploring what some immediate upgrades to the hall could accomplish: improving lighting, specifically around the altar and ambo; changing the visual look and feel of the space; attaching kneelers to the chairs; putting the altar and ambo on risers for better sightlines and visibility.

Our worship space matters deeply because it affects how we are able to enter into worship. Whatever space we use for worship, we want to remove obstacles and distractions that get in the way of people meeting God--of having an encounter with the one true, living God who brings healing, hope, and purpose into our lives, our community, and our world.

Last week on this blog we discussed our vision at New Roads. This week we want to discuss our strategy for the coming year. As you may recall, vision is about where we’re heading. Strategy is about how we get there. 

Our overall strategy at New Roads focuses on the Sunday worship experience. The Sunday experience is the number one opportunity for people in the community to connect with our church. The biggest and most important strategic decision we have made over the last few years has been to focus our staff, volunteers, and resources on the Sunday experience, from the perspective of unchurched people--that is, the thousands of people in our community who have drifted away from church or who have never really been a part of a church community. We stopped doing a lot of things we had been doing “because we’ve always done it” and we started focusing on Sunday worship. 

Focusing on the Sunday worship experience from the perspective of people who have been disconnected from church has been a big step forward. But we’ve realized recently that it’s not focused enough. We’ve been trying to change six Masses across two parishes all at the same time. So our new focus, our strategic goal for this year, is to focus on transforming one Mass into an experience of worship that is modern, relevant, and engaging--a worship experience that helps people meet God through full, conscious, and active participation in worship. 

Furthermore, our desire is to treat this one Mass as a “lab” or “workshop” where we can implement our vision of worship, but also experiment as we go. This will allow us to figure out what one worship experience will be like--what works and what doesn’t in attracting the unchurched and engaging current members more fully in worship. Once we’ve refined one worship experience and have a “proof-of-concept,” we can then expand what we’ve learned to other Masses.

In addition, we feel that focusing on one Mass will be the least disruptive and most honoring of the people in our community. In the past, we have made the mistake of rolling out changes and new initiatives before we had a clear idea of what it would take for those changes to be successful. That has led to several unintended and undesired results: frustration, lack of clarity and understanding, and burnout of staff and volunteers. Treating one Mass as a “lab” will also allow us to create a Mass where people can come and experience more concretely where we’re heading.

Making big changes to one Mass at a time seems to make sense for a number of reasons. The next question was: which Mass should we focus on? We think the 10:00 a.m. Mass at St. Joseph represents the best opportunity as it is a desirable Mass time for many and one that attracts many families with children. There are various objectives we’ll be working on related to this goal: upgrading our worship space and technology, enhancing kids’ worship experiences, expanding hospitality, and more. Stay tuned as we’ll be sharing more on this goal throughout the year, particularly here on our blog: this is Part I of a series of posts on “the lab” that will continue over the coming weeks and months.

It’s the church itself--the people of God--who are called to carry out the mission and vision of our church. And it’s important to say, that is the only way this will happen--through the service, generosity, hard work, and commitment of our whole community. At New Roads, we have so many smart, talented, committed, connected, and creative members whose input, ideas, and service are working together to make God’s vision for our church a reality. We want to partner with you in the work God is calling us to and we want to hear from you! Email [email protected] to set up a time to chat with us and to find out how you can partner with us in this effort.

​Vision is one of those words that is used so often--and so often used incorrectly--that it becomes empty of real meaning. But vision is essential to our work as a church. At its core, vision is simply a picture of a preferred future. Vision is about where we want to be, knowing that we’re not there yet. Vision is all about what can be, what should be, and what will be. 

So what’s our vision at New Roads? First and foremost, the reality that drives the vision of our church is that we know that there are people in our community--hundreds and thousands of people--who don’t have a relationship with God and have drifted away from the church. All too often, churches have introduced people to religion that is devoid of a relationship with God. Relatedly, so many people have experienced church as something that is unengaging and irrelevant to their lives. 

It’s our vision to solve that problem. We want to remove any obstacles in our church that would keep people from encountering God. Our desire is that our community would be the very best place in our community where someone can come to authentically meet God and intimately know God. We don’t want our church to be a place where it’s just possible to meet God. We want our church to be a place where it’s impossible not to meet God. 

From the time people arrive on our campus to the time they leave, our desire is that every aspect of our community shows people how much God loves them and how valuable they are to God and to us. That could be:

• In the authentic and warm welcome of a friendly person holding open a door, who is genuinely glad to see you
• In the message that feels like it was written specifically for you and the challenge you’re facing
• In the music that creates an atmosphere of worship that is so powerful and overwhelming and inescapably full of God’s Spirit
• In the experience of Kids’ Church that engages children in a relevant way and shows them how valuable and precious they are to God

We want to be a community that in every way reflects and reveals the heart of God. It’s a big vision and will require incredible work and grace to get there, but we believe it’s where God is leading us. We believe it’s a vision worth sacrificing for.

This is a snapshot of our vision--that picture of a preferred picture--but it’s still a little blurry. As a team, we recognize the need to capture our vision in a couple of sentences that effectively communicate what New Roads is all about and where we’re heading as a community. Clearer language that is memorable and intentional will help everyone serving our church to make progress toward our vision and invite others to join us on this journey. Stay tuned for updates on language around our vision as we work through that!

“Write down the vision; make it plain upon tablets, so that the one who reads it may run.” Habakkuk 2:2