Imagine a Sunday morning social situation where you can drop in to some random place and see all your pals. You won鈥檛 have to stand in line for 45 minutes for a brunch table, or kneel and take communion. This is a place where you might show up or you might not. There鈥檚 no pressure or commitment. Drop in every week or once every couple of months, no big deal, whatever works for you鈥� and it鈥檚 not church or brunch. It鈥檚 Church of Friends.
Lauren Bercovitch is an entrepreneur, content producer, blogger and mom. She is always very busy, but at the same time, very community-minded. Lauren is well aware of the social malaise that plagues Vancouverites, such as (when you make plans, but know in the back of your mind you might not actually go through with them and cancel last minute) or (when you say to your friends, 鈥淲e should totally get together for drinks!鈥� and you never do, but the intent was there, and that is often good enough for a lot of Vancouverites these days, right?)
Laurendecided to do something about our social sinning and launched something new for her friends called 鈥淐hurch of Friends.鈥� (Lauren is Jewish and her husband Chris is Catholic, but neither attend an actual church or temple on a regular basis.)
鈥淏asically, after having a kid, I realized that one of the benefits of, you know, a real church is that you have a standing date with your friends and people you have lots in common with, every single Sunday,鈥� Lauren patiently explained to me.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to organize anything, or let anyone know if you can鈥檛 make it to regular church鈥� You either show up or you don鈥檛. It鈥檚 a weekly check-in, with no hassle. It鈥檚 community in real life, and I realized that I needed that in my life, but not necessarily the Judeo-Christian organized religion part of it.鈥�
An organizer at heart, Lauren sent out an email to her social circle (my family included), laying out the commandments of her new 鈥淐hurch of Friends鈥� social congregations.
Every Friday night, Lauren sends out an email letting everyone know where 鈥淐hurch鈥� will be held on Sunday morning. Church of Friends is always in a different hang-out location around the city. Since many of Lauren鈥檚 friends are parents, the meetup could be at a play gym, Science World, a farmer鈥檚 market, or the beach. Lauren was quick to point out her non-parent friends are welcome at Church of Friends, too. So are pets.
鈥淭he most important part about Church of Friends,鈥� Lauren says, 鈥渋s that you do not have to RSVP to Church of Friends. That鈥檚 the key.鈥�
In a direct strike against the B.C. Bail, Lauren preaches that with Church of Friends, there is no obligation and, unlike what often comes hand in hand with both the B.C. Bail and church, there鈥檚 no guilt.
鈥淚 might bail,鈥� admitted Lauren. 鈥淭here could be 50 friends or zero any given Sunday. It鈥檚 the possibility of connection and enlightenment every week that is the key鈥� just like, in theory, actual church.鈥�
She hopes the gospel of her new non-religious social practice will spread to other groups of friends around the city. 鈥淚t could be a really cool thing. It already is for us.鈥�
Lauren lives in the Mount Pleasant area and pledged in her initial email that Church of Friends will not have a Main Street bias. There have been four Church of Friends so far, and all have been in the Main Street area. 鈥淥K, I lied about that part鈥�, Lauren confessed. 鈥淏ut next week is at the Hastings Farmer鈥檚 Market, I swear to God!鈥�
That鈥檚 in my neighbourhood! Hallelujah!
