What Kind Of Church Is This?

[BG45]

I cheated, because I knew that OP would not be asking the question were it not a Catholic parish.

[GeorgiiMichael]

It took me too long to figure out they were Catholic. The "Sacraments" page tipped me off, and the "Welcome" page did expressly state their Roman Catholicism. But it still took me several minutes to find that.

 

They've got good graphic design, I'll give them that, but they could have good graphic design and also announce their Catholicism clearly, which they don't do.

[Nihil Obstat]

I lied; I clicked around just a very small bit. From the landing page, Catholicism is definitely not evident. The prominence of their logo definitely implies non-denominational megachurch. Also there was no reference to its diocese, which seems pretty common on Catholic parish websites.

Obviously if I had clicked around more I would have found references to Catholicism, but first impressions are very non-denominational. If I were specifically looking for it, for instance in order to find Mass times, I would probably think I had accidentally navigated to a megachurch's website.

[Evangetholic]

Nihil says everything better than the rest of you.

[Nihil Obstat]

You are going to make me prideful. :|

 

[spoiler]

 

 

[/spoiler]

[OnlySunshine]

It looks like a non-denominational "church" my sister used to go to that they held in a movie theater.  I say "church" because, even though I wasn't actively Catholic at the time, I felt completely out of place there when we visited with her.  It just felt like some odd meeting place where they talked about God.  I didn't know the Church of the Nativity was Catholic until I went to the membership page.  It's terrible!  It's like they are trying to cover up their Catholic identity and appear non-denominational to be welcoming.  I'd be ashamed to go there.

 

After continuing to look at the website, I wouldn't even say they are affiliated with Holy Mother Church.  It looks like one of those sects of Independent Catholics or American Catholics who claim to be Catholic but allow things the Church doesn't allow.  :(

[OnlySunshine]

Actually, Fr. Michael White, the pastor of the Church in question, wrote a book and it looks like he built his current parish on the idea of a mega-church so it's not surprising...  :(

 

http://www.amazon.com/Rebuilt-Awakening-Faithful-Reaching-Making/dp/1594713863
 

Fr.  Michael White, ordained for Baltimore in 1984 (Baltimore) serves as pastor of Nativity Church in Timonium, MD. When Fr. White arrived at Nativity, the parish had no focus and was losing members. With his leadership, Nativity has been transformed into a Catholic “megaparish” that consciously works to attract people who are not involved in Church. Through an intense focus on ministry and service, this parish has not only grown, but sheds light on what contemporary Catholic parishes can look like, at least in some settings. Fr. White’s publications include Making Church Matter (Ave Maria Press, Spring 2013) and his “make church matter” blog at nativitypastor.tv/.  Among his competencies and interests are how churches work and how they grow; Italian art and architecture, language, food; and American and European history and politics.

 

http://www.pemdc.org/about/pnceaadvisoryboard.aspx

Edited March 18, 2013 by MaterMisericordiae

[Brother Adam]

That's the book that we are reading. Many good people want to move in this direction locally.

[Evangetholic]

I didn't come back to the Church to pay at being a Protestant. But maybe the Church's theology is more typically Catholic than this presentation? IMO it might work to get peope in the doors, but will they meet Cathoicism in all of its glory once there?

[Basilisa Marie]

I was legitimately surprised to learn it was Catholic when I clicked the "welcome" page, but I don't think it was "hard" to figure out.  At first glance, I would have bet money it was non-denom. 

 

I really like the graphic design, the layout, etc of the site.  I like their "faith, values and mission" page for the most part. That seemed pretty cool, especially with how they start with the Creed.  The "all access pass" seems kinda cheesy, but the idea of something for new members being really apparent is good. The pastor was the third to last person on the "our team" page, and I think that's an issue.  I don't like how they list the "worship leaders" before the pastor, or that they call them "worship leaders."  Usually it seems like the first person listed on the "staff" page is the one in charge.  

 

There are TONS of Protestant ideas that, while the members might think they could be helpful, seem like they would serve to confuse people more than help.  Worship leaders, "everyone's a minister," a "relevant message that isn't about rules or religion but about you and God" are the biggest three things I see that are problematic.  Overall the tone feels like they're trying to sell something, trick you into thinking it's cool, and feels like it's about a rock concert.   It's a pity, because I definitely think there are ways to make your church seem relevant and use media and welcoming without using uniquely and intrinsically Protestant language.  It gives me the impression that they're ashamed to be Catholic, or that being Catholic is a footnote to "their" church community.  I remember the kind of cool, relevant feeling I got from going to Steubenville conferences in high school, but the difference was that those felt passionately Catholic.  If Church of the Natvity could inject some of that "cool" passionate Catholicism into their mission identity stuffs, I think they'd really be on to something great.  

Edited March 18, 2013 by Basilisa Marie

[Apotheoun]

I didn't come back to the Church to pay at being a Protestant. But maybe the Church's theology is more typically Catholic than this presentation? IMO it might work to get peope in the doors, but will they meet Cathoicism in all of its glory once there?

The theology may be more Catholic than the website shows. It looks like you can watch - at least part of their masses - online. That should help in making a more informed judgment.

 

"Thank you for your patience as we continue to explore the technology behind live streaming and correct technical difficulties. Continue to join us at 10:30 and 5:30 est and be a part of our online community.

 

Enjoy the same music and message online that our congregation on Ridgely Road will be hearing online. After the message, we’ll be providing some special features just for our online congregation.  During the whole experience you can chat live with other participants and our online leaders. 

 

Join us as we go off campus and online!"

[Apotheoun]

That seemed pretty cool, especially with how they start with the Creed.  

Although they misidentified the creed as the "Creed of Nicaea" when it is in fact the Creed of Constantinople I. That mistake is fairly common.

[Basilisa Marie]

Although they misidentified the creed as the "Creed of Nicaea" when it is in fact the Creed of Constantinople I. That mistake is fairly common.

 

Heh, which is why I've heard it called the Nicean-Constantinoplian Creed, or Nicean for short.  I was more impressed with the fact that it was even on there at all, and featured so prominently.  That fact doesn't fit with the rest of the language the site uses. 

[Apotheoun]

Heh, which is why I've heard it called the Nicean-Constantinoplian Creed, or Nicean for short.  I was more impressed with the fact that it was even on there at all, and featured so prominently.  That fact doesn't fit with the rest of the language the site uses. 

Yes, I saw its inclusion as a good thing, but the attribution is still incorrect.

[Evangetholic]

Yes, I saw its inclusion as a good thing, but the attribution is still incorrect.

 

It's the most commonly used attribution among Christians--calling it otherwise could cause confusion.