Talk about Baptism Options in a Catholic, Congregational Church and an Overall Idea to Include Everybuddy More Locally
When I heard the Catholic Church may have a standard for parents and godparents to be regular church goers in order for an infant to be baptized, I reflected on this a bit. Then had other ideas to share about helping everyone in a town and area feel more included....
I'd be interested to know what St. Maron's in Torrington would say...they are Maronite Catholic church. There is a lot to consider and while likely 'well intentioned' such as a Congregational Church who also didn't let a family baptize their children because of similar reasons (and the parents honestly didn't feel they would be coming to church in the future due to the their life/work load and so on...)
I have to say it's time to talk all of these things through. The reality is anyone with an interest in the spiritual aspect of life deserves a team of support in the community and ideally in a place to gather with one or more others, in a safe 'public' place.
Our country provides many protections for people that many don't use because 'they don't have a religion'. That alone keeps many people from benefiting from many resources, practical such as a building or room or even outdoor event as well as social and yes, spiritual. I will think about these things a bit more on livfully.org
More communities could provide recognition and support for each age group of people in a town or area over each decade (including expectant parents or those interested, and of course support for those in relationships, and even those who are single or live alone, etc, especially as they age or may need support.
Those are the kinds of things religious and civic groups could prioritize, even libraries for instance in rural communities could function as community centers and social service support (to complement official services.)
Personnel or volunteers could round out offerings for each age group, making sure they know about local and online resources (and hopefully provide laptops to any who need them that can be used there at least if not loaned out for a few days or more.)
Applying to programs for aid, camp, SNAP and Healthcare could be a shared town-wide effort that everyone knows how to do. Then more people could help one another.
Once people have the basics in place, finding help with transportation (Some provided by Medicare or Medicaid etc and others again maybe lined up with private or civic efforts) could help people get help early on for those matters and keep up with regular screenings, education and follow-up. Then SNAP, food stamps, would also help people stretch their basic funds and provide nutritious meals and information ideally about how carbs, sugars and nightshades and unhealthy fats can throw off one's metabolism.
Exercise such as walking and socializing to encourage higher participation could also be encouraged with group efforts and jounaling, charting how far a town or school walks in a month for instance.
These smaller efforts can naturally help people seek support for their social and people care needs (kids, elders or others who may need assistance as well as socializing a bit in general to help people feel connected over time locally and in neighboring areas.
Being isolated, not going outdoors or engaging in larger efforts may factor into poor health. So while I started off on the topic of baptism, I'd say 'a little child shall lead them' may be a good guide to finding support. Each person's knows what they value and how life plays out for them in terms of what seems to work well or make sense. Exploring and journaling over a few months the good memories and values one has gained from one's faith and school journeys, friends and family, other programs, recreation and more can help one clarify what makes sense.
There may be a few laws to check in terms of 'safe church policy', anti-bullying or other updated policies about speaking to people or otherwise interacting with people (being careful about personal boundaries, social space and more...)That's another post to think on or have people chime in about. Basically 'every place in a community has some similar guidelines and then some particular ones' Unwanted touch, hugs, kisses or other personal boundaries likely needs a review. Some terms even of how people are addressed (with terms like sweetie, princess, sisters and brothers, family and so on likely would make sense to review to see what people are comfortable with and feel is appropriate in an updated manner. )
Times for women to discuss matters or gather without men or even their children present could open up a space for discussion, and same for men. Finding the right format may be needed to help people find their tribe. Womens' Groups, Mens groups and ideally more Youth Groups could be another level of networking to help people find support. In the early years of school parenting networks can be helpful to remind everyone that children are expected to create a respectful learning environment. Maybe more facilitators would enhance that possibility as well.
Post new comment