At Circle Church we’ve held discussions on the topic “The Needs of Our Neighborhood.” We arranged for groups to walk through the black ghetto, to drive around the medical center, to visit Circle Campus, to go into Skid Row, to view the area where neighborhood work was going on. After thirty minutes we reassembled to discuss briefly how we could most effectively meet the needs of these communities.
Along with the interaction groups that were held in the main hall, we usually conducted a lecture class in the balcony. It helped to relieve the congestion downstairs, and there are certain topics that lend themselves to guided expertise rather than to open discussion.
Having scheduled a Christian clinical psychologist to direct a three-week lecture series on marital problems, we then invited those who expressed more complex needs than could be handled in the Sunday morning sessions to register for extended evening counseling in someone’s home.
Certain individuals in the congregation have specialty areas and they are able in a unique way to relate their interest to the church. Usually the lecture will last for about twenty-five minutes with a period for questions following.
The Service of Interaction was intermittently spaced with approximately one special Sunday a month. We might have invited a guest artist to have a musical concert, or even better, recitals were often given by our own members. Joint recitals with two or three individuals performing were much appreciated. We also had occasional children’s musicals.
Panel discussions offered another possible “special.” For example, we had whites and blacks discuss the merits and demerits of the “Black Manifesto.” Debates on topics proved quite helpful. We also had film showings for the entire congregation, or one shown on an elective basis.
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