UCC webinar to share ways of creating sacred space

The Rev. Susan Blain, United Church of Christ minister for worship, liturgy and spiritual formation, believes that the liturgical use of space “can be one of the richest theological symbols of God’s presence all around us.”

“We often take for granted our physical surroundings in church,” Blain said. “We count on orderly spaces with set pews facing forward, and an area up front where cross, table, pulpit signal the presence of the Holy. But of course we know that the Holy is all around us! Shaping sacred space can help us give expression to who we are in relation to God and one another.”

To lend some thought to how to do that, UCC Local Church Ministries will present a webinar this fall to discuss how churches can create sacred spaces through their buildings. Three panelists will offer suggestions and share their experiences for creating enriching worship spaces through the use of the arts and technology over the course of 90-minutes, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., on Oct. 27.

The panelists are Rev. Amy Bruch, who serves as the associate minister of children and youth at the Congregational Church of Topsfield in Topsfield, Mass., the Rev. Quentin Chin, an intentional interim pastor in western Massachusetts at the First Congregational Church of Dalton, and Kris Garratt, who recently retired from her position as worship coordinator at University Congregational UCC in Seattle and serves as artist-in-residence.

All three will help participants answer questions to consider the creation of sacred space.

“Are we using all of our worship spaces to best advantage? Can we move freely?” Blain asked. “The arts, new technologies, even simple changes in the arrangement of seating in church may all contribute to a deeper, more holistic experience of community prayer.”

No registration is required for the webinar, hosted by Amistad Chapel UCC, and streamed live on the UCC website.