Oh, Park Street. They've always had a great name, around here. Where's there a Vineyard near you? Are you open to a charismatic church? I'm only asking because that's my impression of Vineyard congregations, not because I have any problem with them.

What's a charismatic church?

It's totally weird! I tend to pick gear based on how it works for me and how sturdy it looks--followed by affordability.

I choose gear based on Consumer Reports. Thus, we have a Graco Metrolite travel system, and when we do finally get a crib, it'll be the Delta Luv model they selected as their best buy rather than something stunningly attractive and expensive.

Oh, Park Street. They've always had a great name, around here. Where's there a Vineyard near you? Are you open to a charismatic church? I'm only asking because that's my impression of Vineyard congregations, not because I have any problem with them.

Yeah...I've heard good things about Park Street too. I actually even like the looks of their singles' program...and I HATE singles' programs. I didn't realize that Vineyard was charismatic (not that I'm opposed to that either). There's one here in Cambridge. They used to be on the way to BU at a high school, but they just moved into their own building, which is somewhere around Alewife, I think: [link] I HATE their new advertising campaign that they've got on the T, though. It's too pop culture for me. I may be new-fashioned in my thinking, but I'm old-fashioned in my church service liking. I like hymns and stuff. I'm just not into the new contemporary services.

What's a charismatic church?

From Wikipedia: Charismatic is an umbrella term used to describe those Christians who believe that the manifestations of the Holy Spirit seen in the first century Christian Church, such as glossolalia (known as "speaking in tongues"), healing and miracles, are available to contemporary Christians and ought to be experienced and practiced today.

I like hymns and stuff. I'm just not into the new contemporary services.

If that's the case, I doubt you'd like Vineyard. I went to a Vineyard church for about 6 months, and the only time they sang anything traditional was at Christmas.

That said, though they're charismatic, I never felt like there was any pressure that I needed to start speaking in tongues or otherwise seeking the sort of spiritual gifts people of my Baptist-Presbyterian-Anglican bent tend to be wary of. And I have a really great friend who was one of the founding members of the Cambridge Vineyard, and I tend to assume anything with T. on the leadership would be worth trying out. We've drifted out of touch, in the way of people living on opposite ends of I-90 ("You're just down the road, but you never come see us," quoth T.), but I'd be happy to drop him a line to get more info on the church--it'd be an excuse to get back in touch.

but I'd be happy to drop him a line to get more info on the church--it'd be an excuse to get back in touch.

That would be cool. I'm more likely to go check a church out if I "know" someone there...or have someone "looking" for me.

Cool. I'll email him today.

vw, I can't say for sure that the Vineyard near you is charismatic. The churches I know of with that name are. Does the one near you have a website?

There's a Vineyard Fellowship that currently rents our local middle school for their Sunday service, because they outgrew their old digs. Our church (not charismatic--typical New England Congregationalists--you can tell we're expressing emotions when erm...if erm...we're not snoring) was looking into starting a Friday night Praise service. Our pastor is friendly with their pastor, so we let the Vineyard use our sanctuary to get the feel of what it would take. We attended. I enjoyed it. In fact, when they opened singing Holy, Holy, Holy, and I had something my soul is telling I should tell you was a spiritual experience, but my inner-New Englander is suggesting that's surely too strong a way to describe it. *g*

That said, I wouldn't have taken the children, if I had it to do over again, because it was too long (we ended up leaving because after we were there for well over an hour when it was clear they were just warming up and it was getting too late to have the kids out). I hadn't stopped to think that it would be much longer than an hour (cf inner New Englander). Also, people were beginning to express themselves in ways I haven't had enough experience with, to be able to provide an adequate explanation for my children. I did not hear any tongues while we were there, but as I said, I didn't stay long enough. From what I understand though, it is something you might find some Vineyard services.

Er, that was a cross post, and I missed the link you originally gave me, vw. Sorry about that.