From this week’s newsletter:
Gilead is a queer, storytelling, bar church that meets...in a theater (not a bar). For now. Starting February 10 (no church Feb 3!), we'll be a queer, storytelling, bar church that meets at Mary's Attic (5400 N. Clark) — a Rogers Park church meeting in an Andersonville karaoke joint. It can all be a little...disorienting, even for you, and you've been there at least once (otherwise...how do we have your email address?).
Even when we're in one place for a while (#RIP Red Line Tap), there's a lot to get used to at a Gilead service, especially for someone coming for the first time. What even is Gilead? Where are the bathrooms? A name tag and a bulletin and a prompt? What's a prompt? (Shit. I grabbed a name tag with pronouns that aren't mine.) Every single week people we've never met go out on a limb to try a new thing and come check us out. Sometimes, first-time folks are as much as a third of the congregation.
And then there's you! You, too, left your house and came out to be in community. Maybe you weren't sure you wanted to be around this many people. Maybe you felt like staying on the couch. But here you are.
The folks standing at the front door — the front door of wherever we are — are the face of Gilead, the welcome, the bridge from out there to in here. The friendly face between "I kinda wanna stay home" and "I'm glad I came." The path from "I haven't been to church in years" to "I went to this, I guess, queer storytelling bar church last night?"
Greeters help orient and re-orient everybody who comes to Gilead. Greeters help build the community and strengthen the congregation. Seriously. (Ever been to a party where you only know the host and, from the front door, you can't see them anywhere? Are you even in the right place?)
Lizzy and Pedro Bortoto are pulling together a crew of regular greeters. They'd love to have 8 - 10 people a month, so we can have at least two folks at each service doing this work. They created a form where you can let them know when you're available and they'll take it from there.
Read the rest of the week’s news here.