Curriculum Design Project for: The Outdoor Church -
Encountering Homelessness
Background / Introduction for facilitators, DREs/Lifespan Faith Development Coordinators,
Ministers, RE/Lifespan Committees
This curriculum is designed for a Unitarian Universalist
Coming of Age program or youth group.
It makes a big assumption – that there are no currently homeless
or recently homeless families and/or children in the congregation or youth
programs. Sometimes this may be
impossible to gauge. If you know
you do have homeless or recently homeless members in the congregation, your
congregation and its young people may not need this lesson or may need to alter
this curriculum to include the experiences of your members/young people.
This curriculum is deeply rooted in the Seven Principles of
the Unitarian Universalist Association
*
The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
* Justice, equity and compassion in human
relations;
* Acceptance of one another and encouragement to
spiritual growth in our congregations;
* A free and responsible search for truth and
meaning;
* The right of conscience and the use of the
democratic process within our congregations
and in society at large;
* The goal of world community with peace,
liberty and justice for all;
* Respect for the interdependent web of all
existence of which we are a part.
Homelessness as
a social problem and a religious and spiritual issue is a problem that forces
us to confront our beliefs about the inherent worth and dignity of every person
and demands that we put justice, equity and compassion at the forefront of
human relations. The way this
program is designed, opportunities for the participants to engage the
democratic process (even to decide whether or not to continue) as well as to
engage the larger civic government are built in to the structure of the
curriculum.
Each session is
structured to begin with a Chalice lighting and end with a reading from Singing
the Living Tradition related to social justice and human dignity. The Unitarian Universalist tradition
from Joseph Tuckerman to GA resolutions on housing are built in to the
lessons.
This program
makes use of various modes of teaching and learning styles including small and
large group discussion, the use of film, music, video, experiential learning
and worship.
This curriculum was developed after a group of Coming of Age
youth I was working with at a large, wealthy, white, privileged suburban church
exhibited reluctance, even fear about actually attending the Outdoor Church
ministry to the homeless run by Rev. Jedediah Mannis in Cambridge, MA. This was a project that these
young people themselves had identified as a possible social justice service
project during their 7th grade Neighboring Faiths year, but had
tabled in lieu of something else.
I surfaced the idea again at the beginning of the church year, and as it
became more and more of a possibility, more and more young people in the group
grew visibly and vocally upset and opposed to an idea they had generated. In their own words, they were
ÒuncomfortableÓ and ÒscaredÓ and ÒunsureÓ. They felt this way because confronting homelessness face to
face, as one young man put it, made them Òface the fact that they live in a
bubble.Ó
Asking and inviting young people to encounter homelessness
is scary – for the young people, for the facilitators, and for the
supporting and sponsoring church community. Homelessness is still an unspoken shame in our society and an unspoken shame of our society.
Many people, especially in Unitarian Universalist congregations have
never been homeless, few have worked intimately with the homeless, and although
most of us sympathize with the cause of ending homelessness, the actual
percentage of Americans who have spent time in a homeless shelter or on the
street working with or living with homeless people is small.
The Outdoor Church as described by their own website: Òis an
outdoor ministry to homeless men and women in Cambridge, Massachusetts. We offer prayer services and pastoral
assistance outdoors in all seasons and all weather in order to be accessible to
men and women who, because of shame or embarrassment, hostility or illness,
cannot or will not enter conventional churches. We take the church to those who
cannot or will not reach it on their own. The Outdoor Church is
non-denominational and ecumenical. Our clergy, staff and interns are Methodist,
Congregational, Roman Catholic, Baptist and Episcopalian, among other
denominations.Ó
ÒThe Outdoor Church regularly
holds short prayer services in Porter Square, under the mobile sculpture near
the T station, at 9:00 AM and on the Cambridge Common, near the tall Civil War
monument and directly across from Christ Church Cambridge on Garden Street, at
1:00 PM every Sunday throughout the year. Following the services, our lay and
ordained ministers carry sandwiches, pastry, juice and clean white socks
through Porter Square and into Harvard Square and Central Square, where a meal
and communion are offered to any homeless people they encounter. In addition,
we offer an outdoor Compline service every Thursday night following a meal
served to homeless men and women at Christ Church.Ó
PASTORAL SERVICES
Like conventional churches, The
Outdoor Church offers a broad array of pastoral services to its congregants,
including visits to prisons, jails, hospitals, detox centers and shelters. The
staff of The Outdoor Church regularly appears in court on behalf of
congregants, conducts memorial services for homeless people who have died on
the street or in a hospital and offers pastoral counseling.
SOCIAL SERVICES
While The Outdoor Church is not
itself a social service agency, we work closely with the many local and state
agencies and institutions that provide social services to homeless men and women
in Cambridge. We connect people on the street with much needed help and provide
them with information about meals, shelters, detox centers and programs,
shelters for abused women and children, legal support and medical assistance.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
The education and training of
students and seminarians is an important part of the work of The Outdoor
Church. It is a field education site for the Harvard Divinity School. Students
and seminarians from schools within the Boston Theological Institute as well as
area school undergraduates regularly accompany and assist our clergy and lay
volunteers.Ó
Learning Objectives: The Goal of this curriculum is to
provide Unitarian Universalist middle and high school age youth with an
experience where they can actually encounter the homeless face to face, not in
a shelter, but outside, and in a setting designed to be like a welcoming
church. The experience will also
provide an opportunity to learn about the reality of homelessness in America as
well an ecumenical experience that lends itself to placing the UU faith in the
context of other Protestant churches.
The experience can be a visceral one. It is designed to be an emotional
encounter as well as an intellectual encounter with the human issue of
homelessness, not only the intellectual social justice problem of
homelessness. The young people who
experience the preparatory learning and encounter with the Outdoor Church will
be changed. Hopefully they will:
Be less afraid of homeless people, both through an intellectual
understanding of who homeless people are and why people become homeless as well
as the barriers to housing in our society, but also through a real person to
person encounter with homeless people on the street.
Be more secure in their ability to handle a new and
challenging encounter with the Òother.Ó
Be more knowledgeable about the interconnected web of issues
related to homelessness including:
Poverty
Work
Opportunities and Unemployment
Public
Assistance
Housing
Health
Care
Mental
Health Issues
Addiction
Domestic
Violence
Understand homelessness as a spiritual issue and a social
justice issue.
Experience homelessness in the heart and head as well as in
the body and soul.
Have the opportunity to advocate on behalf of those who are
homeless in their community, in MA, or in the United States.
Materials: Before beginning these sessions with
your group you will want to have the following materials:
Contact Information for The Outdoor Church:
The Outdoor Church
173 Cedar Street
Lexington, Massachusetts 02421
phone: 781.652.8860
fax: 781.652.8862
E-mail: General / Information: Info@TheOutdoorChurch.org
Rev. Jed Mannis: JedM@TheOutdoorChurch.org.
Rev. Jean Chapman: JeanC@TheOutdoorChurch.org.
As of this writing in November of 2006, Rev. Jean Chapman
does the bookings for visits by church and civic groups.
Copy of the Article ÒWhere Two or Three are GatheredÓ by
Wendy McDowell from Harvard Divinity Today
Spring 2005, Vol. 1, Number 1 permission pending. This article describes the
ministry of Rev. Jedediah Mannis, a Harvard Divinity School alumnus, with the
Outdoor Church.
Copy of ÒWhy Are People HomelessÓ Fact Sheet #1 published by
the National Coalition for the Homeless 2201 P. St. NW Washington D.C. 20037 *
202-462-4822
Email at info@nationalhomeless.org
Website: http://www.nationalhomeless.org
Available free as a PDF document download from their website
Copy of 1988 UUA GA Resolution Housing for the Homeless
Copy of the 1995 UUA GA Resolution A Job, A Home, A Hope
Both of the above available online at:
http://www.uua.org/socialjustice/socialjustice/topics/8029.shtml
Recordings of some of the followings songs with lyrics:
ÒHomelessÓ by Loudon Wainwright III
ÒHomeless BluesÓ by Odetta
ÒHomeless JoeÓ by Perfect Strangers
ÒThe Ghost of Tom JoadÓ by Bruce Springsteen
ÒHomelessÓ by Paul Simon
Copy of the film The Homeless Movie
Produced in collaboration with homeless people and shown on
PBS, this thought provoking homeless video is recommended by the National
Coalition for the Homeless. The video is widely considered to be the best and
most broadly applicable case study available on the scope and diversity of
homelessness in America.
AVAILABLE FROM http://www.homelesshomemovie.org/index.htm
Copy of the film Dark Days by Marc Singer
Review by Roger Ebert http://rogerebert.suntimes.com
(Synopsis from
http://www.rottentomatoes.com)
Copy of the Book: Left Out in America by Pat LaMarche
List Price: $14.95
Author: Pat LaMarche | upalaPress
168 pages ISBN 1929565208, 2006
A CD player
A DVD player/video player and television
Access to a computer with Internet access
A photocopier and paper
A room in which to meet, big enough to sit everyone
comfortably, preferably with its own source of electricity and a place for
electronics such as the DVD player, television and computer.
Preparation:
The facilitators should prepare for
leading these sessions by
1. Discussing their own preconceptions about homelessness,
such as:
Why are people homeless?
Whose fault is it that they are homeless?
What responsibility does society have towards homelessness?
What factors are involved in someone becoming homeless?
How might I become homeless?
How might facilitating this program change me?
What if this is more difficult for me than for the young
people?
2. Compile a
list of all local food banks and their contact information
Compile a list of all local places that feed meals to people
who are homeless and their
contact
information
Compile a list of all local shelters and their contact
information
3. Do as many of the following as possible:
Serve food to people who are homeless
Eat a meal with people who are homeless
Spend a night in a homeless shelter
Contact the Outdoor Church and visit either the 9 am Porter
Square or 1 pm
Cambridge Common Service
Read the book Left Out in America by Pat LaMarche
Read the NCH Fact Sheet #1
Read a Copy of 1988 UUA GA Resolution Housing for the
Homeless
Read a Copy of the 1995 UUA GA Resolution A Job, A Home,
A Hope
Read the biography of Joseph Tuckerman by Jedediah Mannis at
http://www.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/josephtuckerman.html
Read through the Outdoor Church website at:
http://www.charityadvantage.com/The_Outdoor_ChurchOMGQLH/Home.asp
Read through the National Coalition for the Homeless Website
at:
http://www.nationalhomeless.org/
View the Films the Homeless Movie and Dark Days
Obtain and listen to as many of the suggested songs about
homelessness as possible, and make
copies of the lyrics of songs that especially strike you
4. Meet to discuss your personal reactions to the
preparation material with other facilitators and if possible your congregationÕs
DRE/Lifespan Coordinator and Parish Minister.
Some questions for consideration include:
Has the UUA has adequately addressed the problem of
homelessness and its related issues?
How have my perceptions of homeless changed since I began
preparing to lead this program?
What was difficult for me in encountering and
experiencing homelessness?
How did my race, gender, age, income, religion, sexual
orientation affect my encounter and experience of homelessness?
What might make it difficult for a young person to
encounter homelessness, either in a session or in person?
Are there any young people in our group that we know have
issues that might make this encounter particularly stressful or painful for
them?
Activities/Sessions: These activities are
for a series of sessions or parts of sessions in a Coming of Age program or
Youth Group, leading up to a visit to the Outdoor Church, and culminating with
an advocacy action on behalf of homelessness. The first and last sessions, along with the visit to the
Outdoor Church are truly required to make the experience worthwhile, and the
rest can be adjusted to the groupÕs needs and time constraints.
Session 1: Thoughts on Homelessness (1 hour)
Preparation:
You will need a recording about
homelessness and copies of the lyrics for everyone present as well as CD player
or other playback device. You will
also need to prepare a series of slips of paper ahead of time (Post-Its work
well), one for each person you expect to be present (overestimate, you donÕt want
to be short). On each slip of paper write a statement about homelessness (see
list of statements below for suggestions). You will need a copy of Singing the Living Tradition, a
chalice, matches.
Activity:
Chalice Lighting: Indonesia Global Church of God, a group of
Christian Unitarians:
ÒWe light this chalice by giving thanks for the fire of love
that burns within our hearts, to
remember that when fire meets fire there aren't many, but
one fire. And now we want to worship the source of fire in all hearts, so that
we may all be one in love.Ó
Play the Song The Ghost of Tom Joad by Bruce Springsteen (or another song)
Pass out lyrics so people can follow along.
When the song is over, ask: What is this song about?
Discuss. If it doesnÕt come up, you can point out that the song is sung from
the point of view of a homeless man in Los Angeles.
When discussion dies down,
Pass around a basket or a bowl filled with the slips of
paper and ask each person to take one.
Say:
These slips of paper represent attitudes about
homelessness. You may or may share
the attitude represented by the statement on your slip of paper. We will each take turns reading our
statements and discussing each of these attitudes.
When discussion ends read #580 in Singing the Living
Tradition.
Some attitudes about homelessness for the slips of paper:
Homeless people are bums
Homeless people are lazy
Homeless people are crazy
Homeless people are drug addicts
Homeless people are dangerous
Homeless people are drunks
Homeless people like being homeless
Homeless people have AIDS
Homeless people are dirty
Homeless people are perverts
Homeless people have no families
Kids arenÕt homeless
Families arenÕt homeless
Healthy people arenÕt homeless
Normal people arenÕt homeless
ItÕs their own fault their homeless
ThereÕs nothing I can do about homelessness
If I gave quarter to everyone who was homeless IÕd be
homeless
If I give money to homeless people, theyÕll just buy alcohol
or drugs
ItÕs not so bad being homeless in warm places
Homeless people have no self-respect
Homeless people smell bad
IÕm not responsible for them; I have my own life to take
care of
Why donÕt they go somewhere else?
I pay taxes for welfare, why donÕt they take that?
After this first session contact Rev. Jean Chapman at The
Outdoor Church and schedule a visit for your group.
PARENT/GUARDIAN
ORIENTATION-INFORMATION SESSION (1-2hours)
Preparation: Some parents/guardians may be understandably concerned about their
children encountering homelessness and people who are homeless. Parents/Guardians may share the same
stereotypes and misconceptions as anyone else about homelessness and have the
same fears and anxieties about dealing with homelessness and people who are
homeless. This session is designed
to address these concerns and make parents/guardians as comfortable as possible
with the idea of their children encountering homelessness.
Materials: Copies of ÒWhen Two or Three are GatheredÓ from the
Harvard Divinity Bulletin and ÒFact Sheet #1Ó from the National Coalition for
the Homeless, If you show
an optional film, the film and DVD/Video player and TV, any materials for any
activities you chose to incorporate from the youth sessions, Copies of the Responsive Reading, Chalice, matches, Singing
the Living Tradition.
Activity:
Most of the activities
presented in this curriculum for young people will work fine with adults as
well. Knowing your parent/guardian group, choose two or more activities to do
with them to explore the issue of homelessness.
Chalice Lighting: #448 in
Singing the Living Tradition
Play the recording
Homeless by Paul Simon
Responsive Reading: # 715 in
Singing the Living Tradition
Thank everyone for coming
and explain that the goal of this session is to explain the goals and
objectives of the Encountering Homelessness program and to answer questions
about the program and the visit to The Outdoor Church. We will also spend some
time exploring our own attitudes and ideas about homelessness.
Although this curriculum
assumes that the group of young people already knows each other, their
parents/guardians may not. You may want to start the adult session with an
icebreaker.
Pass out copies of the
article ÒWhere Two or Three are GatheredÓ about the Outdoor Church from the
Harvard Divinity Bulletin and copies of ÒWhy Are People HomelessÓ Fact Sheet #1
published by the National Coalition for the Homeless.
Introduce and Conduct
Activity 1 (I recommend the slips of paper activity from youth session 1)
Introduce and Conduct
Activity 2 (I recommend the UUA GA resolutions from youth session 5)
Introduce the Outdoor Church
(see youth session 3)
Questions and Answers
Ask for volunteers to
accompany the youth to the Outdoor Church (pass around sign up sheet with space
for name, address, phone number, email address, or other best way to contact)
Ask for volunteers to help
the young people collect new, white menÕs athletic socks and food (simple
sandwiches on white bread) and toiletries (toothbrushes and sample sizes,
nothing with alcohol) to bring with them on their visit (pass around sign up
sheet with space for name, address, phone number, email address, or other best
way to contact).
Closing: # 673 in Singing
the Living Tradition
OPTIONAL – You may
want to show the film The Homeless Movie to those who wish to stay to see it, or offer it at another time for
those interested.
Session 2:
Then and Now (1 hour)
Preparation: Read
again the biography of Joseph Tuckerman by Jedediah Mannis at
http://www.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/josephtuckerman.html.
Phone local shelters and arrange for someone who works with the homeless
population to visit your group and talk about their work. If possible, ask them if they know of
anyone who is someone that was homeless that might also come talk to the group.
Invite the person from the shelter to bring materials about their organization
and invite both people to bring other materials worth sharing and appropriate
to share with young people. Make sure to check if any young people in your
group have food allergies (for refreshments).
Materials: Print the
Tuckerman biography and have a copy available for each participant. Informational materials about the local
shelter. You will need a copy of Singing the Living Tradition, a
chalice, matches. Pizza,
cookies, bagels, juice/soda (this is a good session to have refreshments ready
at the end).
Activity:
Chalice lighting: (Global Chalice Lighting for April 2005 by
the Unitarian Universalist Society of Spain)
We light this chalice as a symbol of the light that shines
in the human heart.
Encendemos este c‡liz como s’mbolo de la luz que brilla en
el coraz—n humano.
Joseph Tuckerman
– Introduce the life and work of Joseph Tuckerman, Unitarian minister and
Òfather of modern social work.Ó
This can be done by giving a brief five minute talk on his life and
work, or if you are more creative having someone on your team or someone you
recruit dress up and give 10-15 first person presentation of Tuckerman. When the presentation is over, pass out
the biography on Tuckerman.
Raise the following question: Joseph Tuckerman believed that the civil government should NOT be involved in charity work or
assistance programs to people living in poverty. Tuckerman believed that all charitable assistance and all
social assistance come only from private charity. What do you think?
You may want to use a focus object for this discussion such
as a talking stick. A beanbag or
softball also works well. Whoever
has the focus object Òhas the floorÓ and everyone should give his or her polite
attention to the speaker.
Guest speaker: Introduce
your guest speaker(s). It is my
experience that brief introductory remarks and/or life stories followed by
plenty of time to ask questions is a model that works best with middle and high
school age youth. Ask speakers to
prepare remarks not longer than 10 minutes and come prepared to engage in
question and answer dialogue. Remind them to bring appropriate materials to
share.
Question after the guest speaker(s)- What are similarities and differences between
Joseph Tuckerman and the work of
_______________ (your guest speaker/organization)?
Close with Reading #
463 from Singing the Living Tradition
Refreshments: This is a good session to have
refreshments at the end, allowing the young people to talk with each other and
the guests.
Session 3: Movie Night/Day (2 hours + or two sessions)
Preparation: Make
sure you have seen and have a copy of the film The Homeless Movie. Reserve a quiet room where you will be
able watch and listen to the film as a group. Make a permission slip for taking a trip to the Outdoor
Church, as at the end of this session you will present the Outdoor Church and
send home materials including the permission slip. Prepare a letter home explaining the Outdoor Church and what
the group (and the parents can expect for the children). Examples of permission slips and letter
home are the end of this session.
You will also take a preliminary vote and count among the
young people if they want to go so far as to encounter homelessness in this
way. Make sure to check if any young people in your group have food allergies
(for movie snacks).
Materials: A quiet,
comfortable (enough) room to view the film, a DVD or VCR and a TV, the DVD or
Video of the film The Homeless Movie, an assortment of movie
snacks and drinks. Copies of the article ÒWhere Two or Three are GatheredÓ from
Harvard Divinity Today. A white board
and markers or an easel and pad of newsprint and markers or a blackboard, or
some poster board (something to make notes from discussion and brainstorming
on). Feelings faces handout. You will need a copy of Singing the Living
Tradition, a chalice, matches.
Chalice Lighting: #
447 in Singing the Living Tradition
The preview:
Explain what the young people are
about to see. From the filmmakerÕs
website (http://www.homelesshomemovie.org/index.htm):
"The Homeless Home Movie" interweaves the stories
of five very different homeless people over the course of a year. They range
from a pregnant 15 year old runaway Tina to a couple who live in their car Ken
and Debbie as well as a Vietnam Vet West Side who lives out year round, and a
man Greg bankrupted after his daughter's long fight with leukemia. Their
opinions, actions, and histories come together to expose the harsh realities
and problems of homelessness.
The personal stories of the various
homeless people are complemented by the contrasting viewpoints of two
compelling homeless advocates, whose radically different ideas create a
powerful and provocative debate throughout the video. Mary Jo Copeland,
sometimes called the "Mother Teresa of America," represents a
traditional charitable and religious approach to homelessness. She is in sharp
opposition to Mark Thisius, founder and leader of Up and Out of Poverty; his
strong belief in social justice has led him to organize the takeover and
occupation of more than 100 HUD homes and properties.
Together all seven of these
contemporary stories create a dramatic and diverse portrait of homelessness
that will provoke discussion about the social, psychological, and political
dimensions of poverty, homelessness, and welfare.
Show the Film: You
may want or need to pause during the film to ask or answer questions.
Questions after the Film:
Did you identify with a particular person in the film? Why?
Which personÕs views of homeless do you agree with more,
Mary Jo Copeland or Mark Thisius? Why?
After seeing this film (and after our previous two sessions
on homelessness) how has your own thinking about homelessness changed? What did
you think? What do you think now?
Introduce the Outdoor Church:
Pass out the article ÒWhere Two or Three are GatheredÓ
FROM THE OUTDOOR CHURCH WEBSITE (http://www.charityadvantage.com/The_Outdoor_ChurchOMGQLH/Home.asp)
The Outdoor
Church is an outdoor ministry to homeless men and women in Cambridge,
Massachusetts. They offer prayer
services and pastoral assistance outdoors in all seasons and all weather in
order to be accessible to men and women who, because of shame or embarrassment,
hostility or illness, cannot or will not enter conventional churches. They take
the church to those who cannot or will not reach it on their own. The Outdoor
Church is non-denominational and ecumenical. Their clergy, staff and interns
are Methodist, Congregational, Roman Catholic, Baptist and Episcopalian, among
other denominations.Ó
The Outdoor Church regularly holds
short prayer services in Porter Square, under the mobile sculpture near the T
station, at 9:00 AM and on the Cambridge Common, near the tall Civil War
monument and directly across from Christ Church Cambridge on Garden Street, at
1:00 PM every Sunday throughout the year. Following the services, our lay and
ordained ministers carry sandwiches, pastry, juice and clean white socks
through Porter Square and into Harvard Square and Central Square, where a meal
and communion are offered to any homeless people they encounter. In addition,
we offer an outdoor Compline service every Thursday night following a meal
served to homeless men and women at Christ Church.
PASTORAL SERVICES
Like conventional churches, The
Outdoor Church offers a broad array of pastoral services to its congregants, including
visits to prisons, jails, hospitals, detox centers and shelters. The staff of
The Outdoor Church regularly appears in court on behalf of congregants,
conducts memorial services for homeless people who have died on the street or
in a hospital and offers pastoral counseling.
SOCIAL SERVICES
While The Outdoor Church is not
itself a social service agency, The Church works closely with the many local
and state agencies and institutions that provide social services to homeless
men and women in Cambridge. It connects people on the street with much needed
help and provide them with information about meals, shelters, detox centers and
programs, shelters for abused women and children, legal support and medical
assistance.
THE PITCH:
We have learned a lot about
homelessness. We would like you to consider going to church with the
homeless. The Outdoor Church gives
us the opportunity to help with a prayer service for the homeless and to help
pass out food, toiletries, and clean socks to the homeless in Cambridge. If we were to go, you could be as
involved or uninvolved as you like in the prayer service and as involved or
uninvolved as you like passing out food, toiletries, and socks. You could stand in the front among the
homeless or in the back away from people.
You could talk to people or be quiet. (Go stand by your newsprint or white board).
LetÕs talk about how we feel about
going. How do you FEEL about going to encounter the homeless? (write FEELINGS
on the newsprint and pass out the feelings faces handout).
Likely feelings will be emotions
such as scared, unsure, okay, fine, terrified, apprehensive, and anxious.
When there are a number of
feelings listed, talk about each of them.
Be reassuring that it is normal to be sacred and frightened of new
situations; that there will be a range of feelings about doing something like
this and that there will be a range of comfort levels with such encounter. After processing, itÕs time to take a
vote.
THE VOTE:
WeÕve learned a lot about
homelessness, weÕve talked about how it would feel to encounter homeless
people, but I need to ask you now if you would come to the Outdoor church with
me and (name other facilitators and chaperones).
How many of you would come with us
if we schedule a trip to Cambridge? (You will know the best way for you group
to show their support. I think a
show of hands, as positive peer pressure here is good thing.)
If EVEN ONE young person wants to
go, Continue with session 4 and its appropriate planning, if no one wants to go
to the Outdoor Church, skip session 4 and hold session 5.
EXCELLENT!
We have called the Outdoor Church
and we are scheduled to visit on the Morning/Afternoon of ____________ at 9 am
/ 1pm at Porter Square/Cambridge Common.
We had to make reservations early
because if we waited until todayÕs session to schedule, we might not be going
until who knows when. They might
have been able to take us next week, but we may have had to wait a while.
(If your group votes not to go,
just call Rev. Jean Chapman to cancel).
Please take one of these letters
and one of the permission slips (even if your church has general permission
slip, it may be a good idea to have a special one for this trip).
All right, we will see you on the
___________ for Outdoor Church.
Please bring a new pair of white menÕs athletic socks to put into the
sock donation for that day.
Closing: Read # 683 in Singing the Living Tradition
PERMISSION SLIP / LETTER HOME RE: THE OUTDOOR CHURCH
Dear Parents and Guardians of
Coming of Age/Youth Group Participants,
Your sons and daughters will be
visiting the Outdoor Church, a ministry to the homeless on Sunday,
____________________, 20____. The
Outdoor Church Òis an outdoor ministry to homeless men and women in
Cambridge, Massachusetts. It offers
prayer services and pastoral assistance outdoors in all seasons and all weather
in order to be accessible to men and women who, because of shame or
embarrassment, hostility or illness, cannot or will not enter conventional
churches. The Outdoor Church takes the church to those who cannot or will not
reach it on their own. The Outdoor Church is non-denominational and ecumenical.
Our clergy, staff and interns are Methodist, Congregational, Roman Catholic,
Baptist and Episcopalian, among other denominations.Ó
ÒThe Outdoor Church regularly
holds short prayer services in Porter Square, under the mobile sculpture near
the T station, at 9:00 AM and on the Cambridge Common, near the tall Civil War
monument and directly across from Christ Church Cambridge on Garden Street, at
1:00 PM every Sunday throughout the year. Following the services, lay and ordained ministers carry
sandwiches, pastry, juice and clean white socks through Porter Square and into
Harvard Square and Central Square, where a meal and communion are offered to
any homeless people they encounter.Ó
Our Group will attend the ________
service on Sunday _____________ 20____. We ask that each young person bring one pair of new,
white menÕs athletic socks. We are
taking donations in order to buy food and toiletries to give away to the
homeless men and women we encounter that day.
SAFETY issues. Although there is never any guarantee
when going out to minister in public, the staff of the Outdoor Church welcomes
our group to participate at the level at which each individual is comfortable,
whether that is right up front mixing with and talking to the homeless people
and passing out socks, toiletries, and food with the Outdoor Church staff or
sitting back in the background and just observing the ministry from a distance
that feels safe to each participant.
The Outdoor Church draws small
congregations, usually no more than a dozen homeless people at a service and
the main part of the ministry is in walking around the Square and Common
passing out socks and food. Again, this is something your son or daughter may
or may not choose to engage in once we are there.
All of our program facilitators
will be accompanying the young people and we welcome any of you who wish to
accompany us. We also need volunteers to drive us to and from Cambridge. After
the service and the time spent passing out socks, toiletries, and food, we will
share coffee, donuts and fellowship with the Outdoor Church congregation and
staff before returning to church.
We plan to leave our church at
__________ and return around ________________ on Sunday _____________, 20___.
Please sign and return the bottom
of this letter to the Coming of Age/Youth Group Coordinator no later than
__________.
I,
________________________________, the parent/guardian of __________________,
Give my permission for my child to
attend the trip to the Outdoor Church in Cambridge on Sunday, ________________,
20___. With the Coming of Age/Youth Group of X Church, and I understand the my
child may participate in the activities of the Outdoor Church, including prayer
service, passing out socks, and passing out food according to my childÕs own
comfort level as my child sees fit that day. I understand that neither X Church nor the Outdoor Church is
liable for any unforeseen injury or accident as a result of my childÕs
participation in this trip due to interaction with the homeless population.
Signed_______________________________________
date ____________________
THE VISIT TO THE
OUTDOOR CHURCH
Preparation:
Call around in advance to make sure all permission slips are in, all
drivers/chaperons are still on board, all socks and toiletries have been
gathered or purchased, all food has been donated or bought and is scheduled for
pick up.
Send out email
and postal reminders about arrival time at your church and departure time from
your church. Include in this reminder a note about weather and clothing and
what time you expect to return from Cambridge. Include driving directions to and from Porter Square
Cambridge for the drivers.
Include
encouraging words for the young people about putting their faith into
action.
Materials:
Depending on the weather - appropriate dress, new white menÕs athletic socks,
individually wrapped sandwiches, sample size toiletries, instructions about what to do should
anyone get separated from the group in Cambridge.
Activity: Check
in with Rev. Chapman or Rev. Mannis upon arrival. Participate as comfortable in
prayer service and in distribution of socks, toiletries, and food. Encourage
young people to buddy up and encourage adults to divide up the group so that
all the young people are supervised. This can be done in ways in which the
young people do not feel they are being watched, but know they have support, or
it can be very overt if they feel anxious or nervous about he experience. The Outdoor Church staff will invite
you to coffee and donuts after the morning service and ministry.
Questions for
the trip home and/or over pizza upon the return to church:
What
was the encounter with homelessness like for you?
How
did you feel at the beginning of the day? At the end?
How
did today affect your feelings about homeless people?
Session 4: Ritualizing Our
Encounter (1 hour)
Preparation: Facilitators should meditate and think about their own
experience at the Outdoor Church. Reserve the worship space at your church.
Recruit musicians and a singer to help lead song. Order pizza (bagels/donuts) and have other food/drinks ready
for after the service to continue to hang out and talk about the experience.
Materials: Copies of Singing the Living Tradition, Chalice, Candles.
Activity: This worship
service is both a time to reflect on the experience at the Outdoor Church and
to process that experience in a safe environment. The service doesnÕt have to
be complex to be very effective.
Opening Song: This Old World #315 in Singing the Living Tradition
Opening Words: # 418 in Singing
the Living Tradition
Chalice Lighting: #453 in Singing
the Living Tradition
Facilitator:
We have spent a lot of time
learning about homelessness and now we have encountered homelessness, met
homeless people on the streets of Cambridge; we have come a long way on a road
towards justice. Many of us must
be feeling and thinking many things.
These thoughts and prayers and feelings and emotions are sacred and we
are here to honor them. We are
also mindful of those who are homeless and we are filled with possibility about
what we can and canÕt do for them.
I invite you now as you feel called to light candles of joy and
celebration or concern and prayer.
Candles of celebration and
concern.
Song: Spirit of Life #123 in Singing
the Living Tradition
Shared reflection: Are you Waiting
to Speak with One of Us.
A few years ago, the famous
psychologist Robert Coles wrote a biography about Dorothy Day, the founder of
the Catholic peace and justice movement called the Catholic Workers. In the
book he talks about meeting Dorothy for the first time in a Catholic Worker
soup kitchen. He walked in and saw Dorothy sitting at a table listening, not
talking but listening, to a homeless woman. The homeless woman was drunk and
not in her right mind and, as Dorothy said, was making no sense whatsoever. But
Dorothy Day sat patiently and listened to this woman and after a few minutes
she looked up and saw Robert Coles standing there. She said to him, "Are
you waiting to speak with one of us?" Robert Coles said he never in his
life would forget these three words: "one of us." How in heaven's
name can Dorothy Day feel that he was waiting to talk to this woman who was
inebriated and not making any sense? But he said those three words told him
what Dorothy Day was all about. She was about dignity and respect and love for
every human being.
Thoughts?
Closing Song: WeÕll Build a Land #
121 in Singing the Living Tradition
After the service invite the young
people to have pizza or other refreshments and continue the conversation about
what theyÕve experienced.
Session 5: Advocacy and Education (1 – 2
hours, depending on your time frame)
Preparation: Facilitators
should inform themselves of any current local, state and national initiatives
affecting the homeless population including legislation in the areas of
housing, living wage, health care, addiction and drug policy, domestic
violence, veterans issues, and childrenÕs issues. Facilitators should take special note of any policy or
legislative affects on local shelters or housing. Facilitators should be familiar with what work their own
local church and UUA district already does to support initiatives that affect
homelessness, including policy areas mentioned above. Facilitators should collect and have available all contact
information for all local state and federal government officials and agencies
that deal with homelessness.
Arrange with powers that be at your church for the young people to make
a presentation on their encounter with homelessness during a worship service or
post a display in a prominent place in the church building, or host an educational
program or lead an action item, whatever the young people decided to do.
Materials: Copies of contact information for all local, state and
federal government officials and agencies that deal with homelessness. Copies
of UUA GA resolutions Housing for the Homeless (1988) and A Job, A Home, A Hope (1995). Copies of Fact Sheet #1 from the National Coalition
for the Homeless. White board or newsprint or some reporting surface and
marker. Chalice, matches, Singing the Living Tradition.
Activity:
Chalice Lighting: #455 in Singing the Living Tradition.
Say: After our worship service and conversation about
homelessness the other day/night, it may seem like homelessness is too big of a
problem for us to do anything about, but The Outdoor Church is doing something
about it and so are many other people.
The UUA is very concerned about it as well. LetÕs take a look at what
our religious association is thinking about the problem.
Break the group into two smaller groups. Give one group
copies of the 1988 resolution and one group copies of the 1995 resolution.
Explain that each group will have 15 minutes to break down the resolution,
explain it and decide if they think UUA should have adopted this policy. Then each group will report back to the
larger group.
Give each group 15 minutes to work and then ask for reports,
before each group gives its report, give everyone a copy of both
resolutions. After each group
gives their summary and recommendations, have the entire group vote on the
resolutions.
After the voting, ask the group if they think these
resolutions is enough?
If no, ask them what else they would do or should do to
combat the issues of homelessness?
As the group gives responses, list the answers on the white
board or newsprint.
Possible responses:
Work at a local shelter
Raise money for a local shelter
Educate the congregation through a presentation at Sunday
service
Educate the congregation through a presentation or display
some where in a prominent place in the church building
Educate the congregation through putting on forum on
homelessness
Educate the community
Petition government leaders for more financial support for
housing/health care/addiction/domestic violence prevention/ programs
Convene a conference or symposium of local leaders on homelessness
Hold a community awareness day on homelessness
The National Coalition for the Homeless has an annual Walk a
Thon
There are many responses. This is where your group goes its
own way. Hopefully, at this point in the process of encountering homelessness
your group will be sufficiently motivated to engage in some advocacy and
education work on behalf of the issue.
Even raising further awareness within the congregation is valuable. Perhaps the experience of your youth
will result in the churchÕs regular participation in staffing a local
shelter. Perhaps it will lead to a
letter writing campaign to a state or federal representative to save funding
for a local veteranÕs home. Who
knows?
Close this session with Reading # 461 in Singing the
Living Tradition
Evaluation: There are various ways to evaluate the
effectiveness of this program in your congregation. Some things to observe include: