Observation Assignment Revised

8/14/2019 Observation Assignment Revised

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Observation Assignment

Site Location: Concordia Lutheran ChurchUpstairs Sanctuary and Family Life Center Foster

Assignment One

Description of the Locations:

Location One (The Church Sanctuary): The church congregation was first assembled in 1881,

with 81 people representing the first members of the congregation. The upstairs sanctuary was

first built in the 1920s andwas rebuilt in the 1940s after a fire destroyed most of the church.

Most of the parts of the sanctuary are from this era. There are two rows of approximately 15-20

pews that sit 15 people in each pew. The aisle runs down the center of the rows of pews, and

leads up the front of the sanctuary where there is a small baptismal font. At the front of the

church there are three steps that lead up to the altar, the pulpit and off to the right and left sides

there is the choir seating area. At the back of the sanctuary, which is formally known as the

vestibule, there is a welcoming area that is adorned with two large wooden doors that open up to

fifteen concrete steps leading out of the sanctuary. In the vestibule there is a small flight ofwooden stairs that leads up to the small balcony area. In the balcony area there are approximately

ten pews.

Location Two: (The Chur ch Fellowship Area/ Famil y Li fe Center):The family life center is

connected to the sanctuary by a long hallway that houses a coat closet, and restrooms. The

Family Life Center, or FLC, was first built in the 1940s. In 2001, the Council proposed the idea

of a new Family Life Center, which would further encompass the growing congregation. In 2002

a plan for the new FLC was approved, and a contractor was hired. After almost ten months of

construction, the Family Life Center that we have now was finished in July of 2003. The new

Family Life Center includes a new classroom wing with eight classrooms for Sunday school, a

parlor, an adult classroom area, a large fellowship area, and a kitchen. In the fellowship area,which will be referenced the most is a large room that can house approximately 25-30 tables that

seat 8 people each. During most fellowship times, half of the room will be filled with tables, with

a large open area on the other half for recreation purposes. The room also houses a full size

basketball court, or can be arranged for just a half court. The basketball goals are attached to the

ceiling and can be raised when not in use. At the front of the FLC there is a large wooden stage

that has two small staircases that are used for access to the stage. There is a large curtain that can

be manipulated using a pulley system to open or close it. Behind the stage there are two rooms

used for storage.

Note: Please see maps for a visual complement to the descri ptions.

Al so, for a detai led, captioned sl ideshow contain ing more pictures and descri ptions, please

visit my Wix website at j foste60.wix.com/jf oste60


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Maps/Pictures:


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This is the

family life

center,

from the

back left

corner.


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Definition of important terms:

Figured world-A social environment that operates on its own certain rules for behaviorand communication. Listed below is a summary for the rules and conventions for the

figured world that I chose to observe.

The figured world that I intend to observe is a Lutheran Church, Concordia Lutheran Church.

I will observe first during the early service, then during the fellowship and breakfast time,and later throughout a Sunday School Classroom. Some of the expected discourse

communities include families, couples, and many people whose families have attended the

church for a long period of time. There will also be choir members, musicians, ushers, andcommunion helpers. In a church environment, it is appropriate to wear formal style clothing

such as dresses, skirts, or nice khakis or jeans with a formal shirt that does not have writing

on it (i.e. not a t-shirt). Shoes should be dress shoes, heels or flats, and flip flops and tennisshoes are typically not considered appropriate. People are expected to arrive on time, and if

late to enter the room quietly to avoid interruption. Throughout the service it is expected that

This is one of the

entrance to the church.

Off the left is the

Sanctuary, and to the

right is the entrance to

the Family Life Center. If

you enter through the

red doors shown, there

is a hallway that leads to

the FLC also.

This is the kitchen area. The

metal scrolling door seen in

the right hand side of the

picture is the same metal

door seen in the picture of

the FLC


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The altar and pulpit- The altar and the pulpit represent the church environment in many ways.

The pulpit is the point from which a minister gives his sermon and represents to many people

worship, teaching, learning, and brings together the room to make it more than a room, but a

sanctuary. The altar is also a unifying factor of the sanctuary that makes the room a holy room in

which worship occurs.

Stained Glass Windows- The stained glass windows that are present in the Sanctuary are

important artifacts because these windows are all in memory or honor of people that once

attended the church. These are special to many families of those that are honored by the

windows.

Portrait of Jesus- At the front of the sanctuary, above the altar, there is a large stained glass

window portraying Jesus praying, with his disciples behind him. This large portrait can be lit up

from behind, and is always turned on during the service. Many people of the church feel that this

is an important artifact to the church because it represents that Jesus Christ is always with us.

The Communion Articles- This consists of two cups, and two trays. These are used to

administer communion to the congregation on certain Sundays in the church calendar. These

artifacts represent the last supper, and all that Jesus Christ gave for us to be saved. This is a

constant reminder of why we are Christians.

The Bible and Other Readings- This refers to the Holy Bible and any other Christian readings

that may be used during a church service or event. These are extremely important artifacts

because it is what Christians use to base their everyday lives off of, and it is what is used as a

reference and reason why people believe in Christianity.

The Baptismal Font- The baptismal font is an important artifact of the Christian, and more

specifically, the Lutheran Church. Baptism is the way that Christians show that they are

committed to the following Jesus Christ and leading godly examples. The Lutheran church is a

little bit different than some other Christian churches, because as Lutherans people are baptized

as babies, and their parents are the first source of teaching, and later in life when children are

older and mature enough to accept their faith for themselves, they are confirmed in Christ.

Discourse Communities- These are groups of people that share interests and ways ofcommunication. The discourse communities listed below are groups that appear

commonly in a church setting, however; during the observation notes I may refer to other

groups of people, or use different names for the groups listed.

The congregation- The congregation includes everyone who is an active member of the church.

This includes the pastor, and all other leaders. This may also refer to the group of people present

during one service, or the entire group of people that are members of the church. The shared way

of communicating is that with familiarity and sometimes formality, communication is mostly

verbal but may be through email, writing or other ways of communication. There are many

subgroups of discourse communities, and some of the most obvious and prominent are listed

below:


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Older People- The older people in the congregation tend to group together and

remember the past together. The older people of the church have typically attended for

many decades and usually their families also attend the church.

Youth-The youth is typically seen grouped together during fellowship time, and duringSunday school. The youth range in age from 5-18 and sometimes come together as a

large group or may break up further into small groups based on age.

New Members-Typically, the church will receive anywhere from 10-20 new members

every year. This may be through new births, marriages, or transfers from other church

congregations. The new members usually know a few people and tend to stick closely to

those that they know.

People with titles- This group of people includes the Pastor, the Pianist, the choir

directors, and Sunday school teachers. This may include others that have titles throughout

the church community. These people have each done something to earn a title and areusually thought of as leaders to some extent within their specialty.

The Council- The council are people who have been voted by the congregation to serve

as a board that votes on issues that occur in the church environment, each person serves a

term of three years. People within this group may also fall into the people with titles

group as well. Some people may seem a bit proud of their title and try to possess more

authority than the title dictates. Their shared way of communication is usually to meet

and speak about upcoming events, decide on budgets, and to vote on repairs, and other

issues.

The Interview-

This interview was conducted over email with the head pastor at Concordia Lutheran Chur ch.

1. Tell me about your experiences with Concordia Lutheran Church? I have been

Concordias pastor for 10 years and I continue growin my understanding of how this

congregation functions socially as a community. Because of the churchs setting in a rural,farming area of Rowan County, most of our members are connected by family

relationships. Although there are some exceptions, it is mostly family because most residents in

our immediate area have lived on or near family land for generations. In a city-urban setting thepopulation is more transient, but much of the area surrounding Concordia remains in the hands offamilies. When I arrived 10 years ago the main textile employer closed leaving 6,000 employees

without jobs. At that time some residents took advantage of offers to turn family land that was

not being farmed into subdivisions for new homes. However, as the economy worsened, thoseplans quickly eroded and the proposed influx of new residents ended. Looking back, I can see

clearly how Concordia remains (for the most part) a family-relational church.


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2. What are some significant differences you notice about the way people act, socialize,

and/or worship depending on the different service times? (Early service versus late

service) These family relationships (for good or bad) are sometimes brought into the churchsetting. For example: adult siblings in a land dispute, divorced couples who both remain at the

church trying to co-exist in the same congregation, one family who feels wronged by another,business disputes and other family conflicts that are recent or multi-generational. Socially,individuals react differently based on their family of origin. Some immediate family members in

a shaky relationship may attend different worship services; or at a church gathering in the Family

Life Center they may sit on opposite sides of the room; or in some church functions, one familymay simply not attend if they know the other will be there. In general it appears that those who

attend the early service are slightly older, fewer young families, and are less involved in other

aspects of church ministries.

3. What is different about the way people act, socialize, and/or worship at non-service

events (such as fellowship) than at a service? Many families are very rigid in their routines

when it comes to church: sitting in or near the same pews each Sunday in worship; talking to thesame people each week immediately after worship (because they share the same space week after

week). One thing I have noticed in recent years is that at breakfast between the worship services

some members usually stand in the same area or eat at the same tables. Then, when a visitor ornew member comes in, they are rarely invited to sit at a table. Interestingly enough, Concordia

does a wonderful job at making visitors feel welcome. This is evident in the new members we

continue to receive. However, our retention rate is poor because we are unable to assimilate theminto the life of the congregation. Although some new members are quite social and blend easily

into the life of the church, the larger percentage (especially those who know very few people)

could benefit from an intentional effort from Concordia to make them feel like family. I call it

the Wal-Mart Greeter Effect: Being warmly greeted by an employee when a customer comesthrough the door means nothing if the other employees in the store ignore you while theyre

shopping.

4. If you could change anything about the services, events, or gatherings within the church

what would you change? I believe that if Concordia only had one Sunday morning service itwould create a greater sense of community within the congregation. Although it might be

uncomfortable for those who have conflicts (related to business issues outside the church or

family issues outside the church), one service would go a long way toward some form ofreconciliation and unity in faith. Furthermore, it would make it easier for members at the early

service and late service to become more acquainted with each other. Example of a frequent

comment: I dont know who they are. They must go to the early service.

5. What is the most significant impact of socialization in a church setting? Worship. Ialways say that worship is central to who we are as a community. It is the most important part ofour life together and shapes our identity inside and outside the walls of the church. If we losethat focus then we are nothing more than a community recreation center, a playground, a YMCA

branch, a Supper Club, a private cemetery, or a local service organization. The impact of

socialization at Concordia is being transformed by Gods Word inworship within the church sothat we can be an instrument of Gods transforming compassion and love outside the church.


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The Observations:

Observation One

Sunday, September 1, 2013

8:15 AM-9:30 AM

Location: Church Sanctuary

8:15 AM - People arrive from either the side entrance or from the back (vestibule). As people

arrive they gather their bulletins and announcements from the tables located at either of the two

entryways. People converse around the entrances and in the pews and aisle.

8:20 AM-The acolyte (the person who lights the candles up front) arrives and prepares candles

and ensures that the area is ready. The ushers prepare the altar for communion that will takeplace during the service. They prepare by bringing in the communion articles and covering them

with cloths.

8:25 AM-The pastor enters the room. He speaks with the pianist to ensure that she is ready for

the service. He offers welcomes to members and guests still arriving, and puts the final

preparations on his service and gathers any last minutes announcements from members. People

begin to find their seats and conversations dwindle down.

8:30 AM-Everyone has found their seats at this point, and the pianist begins the prelude and the

acolyte walks out and begins lighting the candles.

8:35 AM-The pianist finishes up the prelude and the pastor stands and welcomes thecongregation and guests to the church and to the service. He relays important announcements

such as new babies, marriages, deaths, and upcoming events that happened after this weeks

bulletins were printed. Before beginning the service he invites the congregation to join him in

prayer.

8:40 AM- The service begins with a hymn, after the hymn there is a reading from the scripture

and a responsive reading is shared between the congregation and the pastor.

8:45 AM- A few late members enter the room, several people turn to see who is entering the

room.

8:50 AM-There is a short childrens sermon, and then the pastor begins his sermon.

8:55 AM-A baby begins to cry, and the mother takes the child and leaves the room. There are

currently two people asleep. The pastor continues his sermon. He makes references to the

bulletin and several people make notes in notebooks or along the margins in the bulletin. He

makes small jokes and tells relevant stories throughout his sermon.


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9:00 AM-The mother with a now sleeping baby reenters the room. The pastor concludes his

sermon with a prayer and a hymn begins. The congregation stands and joins the hymn. The

pastor takes a sip of water.

9:05 AM-The acolyte comes to the front of the altar and meets the ushers. The acolyte hands theushers two gold shallow bowls. The ushers then walk to the pews and begin taking up the

offering. As the offering is taken up, a church member comes to the front of the church and

begins a song.

9:10 AM-At the ending of the song, the congregation applauds, and the ushers bring the plates

with the offering back to the front of the church, and at this time the pastor prepares the acolyte

and the helpers for communion.

9:15 AM-People file to the front of the church to receive communion. As they take communion,

they are blessed by the pastor. Some people chose to dip their fingers in the baptismal font and

trace a cross across their foreheads. Throughout the communion the pianist plays a hymn. A fewmembers join in and sing the hymn.

9:25 AM-The pastor finishes up the sermon with a prayer and by thanking the congregation for

attending the service. He reminds the members of the upcoming events and invites them to the

breakfast that is taking place downstairs in the fellowship hall.

9:30 AM-As people leave through one of two exits they are greeted by ushers and/or the pastor.

The ushers and the pastor converse with individuals and shake hands as they leave.

Observation Two


9:45 AM10:15 AM

Location: Family Life Center (Fellowship Area)

9:45 AM- There is a long line with approximately 45 people at the kitchen receiving window.

These people are waiting in line to get breakfast. The breakfast is a buffet style where individuals

can approach the window and get the food they want. The choices are donuts, cheese and butter

toast, a variety of fruits, a variety of juices, milk, and coffee. The people standing in line are having

conversations with others in line. While others wait in line, some people have already gotten their

food and are sitting at the rounds tables. The people here are also talking with one another and

some young children are running around.


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9:50 AM- Many people continue to speak to one another. The pastor is walking around the room

talking with people at different tables. People continue to stand in line for the breakfast. Some

people are just now arriving, and some are leaving.

10:00 AMThe technology guy begins lowering the projection screen, and pulls up lyrics to thehymn that we will sing later in the fellowship time. The line for breakfast begins dying down, and

some people return for seconds or for refills of their drinks. There is a table set up selling tickets

to fundraiser that will occur in the next week.

10:05 AM- - The person designated for announcements this week stands up at the front of the

fellowship area and addresses the crowd. He tells of important announcements, and then shares a

prayer.

10:10 AM-The crowd sings a hymn, while the lyrics are posted on the projector screen at the front

of the Family Life Center, in front of the stage.

10:15 AM-Everyone is dismissed to go to their Sunday school classrooms that are located in theclassroom wing of the Family Life Center. Adults take the smaller children and babies to the

nursery. Most of the room is cleared out, though some people continue to stand and talk. Some

people are leaving, and some people are heading to their classrooms.

Observation Three


10:15 AM11:00 AM

Location: 1st-4thGrade Sunday school Classroom

10:15 AM- Children file into the room and take their seats around the small, short, rectangulartable that is located in the center of the room. There are ten children ranging from first to fourth

grade.

10:20 AM- The Sunday school teacher takes up offering from the children and fills out the

accompanying packet that notes how many children are present, how much offering was

collected, the date and the teachers name. One of the older children leaves the room to take the

packet to the offering drop off box.


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10:25 AM- The teacher begins her lesson with a prayer, and most of the children bow their heads

and close their eyes. She spends approximately 3 minutes telling a short bible story and then the

children respond with questions.

10:30 AM- They continue to ask questions and the teacher also asks questions to ensure theirunderstanding of the story. The complete a small activity in the Sunday school handouts that

complement the story that was told.

10:45 AM- The teacher explains instructions for a small craft that will represent the bible lesson

for Sunday school and for the services of the day.

10:50 AM- The children continue to work on their crafts and make small talk with other children

and the teacher. The teacher asks about school, family, and friends.

10:55 AM- The children beginning finishing up their crafts and start cleaning up the scraps of

paper and glue. As it gets closer to 11 AM, some children line up by the door to wait for their

parents.

11:00 AM- The bell to signal the end of Sunday school rings, and some of the older children

leave the room. Some children wait for their parents to come by and pick them up. The teacher

cleans up the rest of the craft, turns off the lights and leaves the room.

Observation Assignment Revised

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