Is this church part of a denomination?

Yep.  The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America www.elca.org

 

Is everyone Lutheran at HFASS?

Well, Nadia is Lutheran enough for all of us.

 

What is the current demographic in the community?

Well, at this point we are a community of around 130 people.  There are married couples, young families and even a couple elders in their 70's.  Other than that, it’s mostly folks who are between the ages of 22 and 42 and single.  Maybe a quarter of us identify as Lutherans; the rest are post-Evangelicals, Methodists, agnostics, Reformed, Episcopalian, and the ever popular “nothing”.

 

What are your Sunday services like?

Pretty much just like a Rolling Stones concert…ugh, we mean, nothing at all like a Rolling Stones concert.  We follow the ancient liturgy of the church (chanting the Kyrie, readings from scripture, chanting the Psalm, sermon, prayers of the people, Eucharist, benediction etc.)  We also sing the old hymns of the church.  So there’s lots of ancient tradition at HFASS, but there’s also some innovation.  We always include poetry and a time called “Open Space” in which we slow down for prayer and other opportunities to actively engage the Gospel – writing in the community’s Book of Thanks or writing prayers or making art or assembling bleach kits for the needle exchange in Denver.

 

We like to say that we are  “anti-excellence/pro-participation” – meaning that the liturgy is led by the people who show up.  The pastor offers the Eucharistic prayer and (most times) the sermon; all the other parts of the liturgy are led by people from where they are sitting.  As a matter of fact, even the music is made by the community.  With the exception of the 4 or 5 times a year that we have a bluegrass service, the liturgy is a capella.  So all the music you hear in liturgy comes from the bodies of those who showed up.

 

Who is your pastor at HFASS?

Her name is Nadia Bolz-Weber.  She is ordained in the ELCA and started HFASS while she was still in seminary.  She has a BA in Religious Studies from CU Boulder and an MDiv from Iliff School of Theology.  You can find her writings at her Blog Jim Wallis’ www.Godspolitics.com, www.Patheos.com,  and her own website www.sarcasticlutheran.com. In 2008 her book, Salvation on the Small Screen? 24 Hours of Christian Television (Seabury Press) was published – it’s a theological and social commentary based on her experience of watching 24 consecutive hours of Trinity Broadcasting Network. (really.)

 

What is the space like where you meet?

We are surrently using the parish hall of a friendly Episcopalian church: windows that open, hard wood floors and best of all – no pews! That’s the good news.  The bad news is that there is no air conditioning.  We do what we can to make folks comfortable (popsicles and hand fans in the Summer)

 

What opportunities are there for participation in the life of the community?

* we have a choral guild that meets at 4:20 every Sunday to go over the harmonies  – they support the community’s singing and everyone is welcome to join!

* the jobs for hospitality and set up as well as altar guild are month long commitments

* there is an adult confirmation/catechumenate program for folks wanting to explore the Christian faith

* we have periodic 4-5 week long book studies or Bible studies when folks are into it

* HFASS has a clearness committee: a community based individual discernment process

* a liturgy guild meets quarterly to plan worship

* monthly movie night

* we take praying on one another’s behalf seriously – so there’s a prayer list-serve

* every couple months we have Beer & Hymns which is just want it sounds like

* there is a Fall and Spring retreat in which we, you know, retreat

* we host an annual Blessing of the Bicycles

* (this space left intentionally blank to represent what you might bring to HFASS)

 

How can I support this ministry?

Pray without ceasing.  And consider offering a one-time or ongoing financial gift through the Pay Pal button on the front of this website.

 

Are there children at HFASS?

Yes!   We have an area in our worship space which features a nice rug and a basket of snacks and toys for little ones.  We have a Godly Play program for kids during the Word portion of the liturgy (30 minues in the middle of worship).  We like for kids to be actively involved in our worship life as full participants.

 

What are this community’s practices around the Eucharist?

We have an Open Table at HFASS which means that everyone without exception is invited to receive the bread and wine at communion which for us is the body and blood of Christ.  This is his table.

 

Why do we need a House for All Sinners and Saints?
House is important because it is experimenting with new ways to do church which make sense to urban postmodern young people. It is a place where:

• The Gospel matters, liturgy is recontextualized, and we are free to reclaim the word "Christian".
• Scripture is honored enough to be faithfully questioned and struggled with
• We no longer have to culturally commute or bracket out parts of ourselves to be in Christian community
• We are co-creators of worship, rather than just passive participants; aesthetics and theology both matter
• The community is both intellectually and spiritually stimulating
• We provide a connection or a bridge to the mainline and to the traditions of the church