A new local Lutheran church is being started to try to attract younger, more diverse and unchurched people.

From Newsday:

Lutheran Church's Ablaze! to attract members

"Instead of robes and vestments, Harmon said, "We'll wear a jacket and polo shirt. We'll probably have more of a band, music that is more in tune with what people are hearing today."

"We want to tear down barriers that unchurched people feel keep them from coming to church."

"There are more and more congregations that will see their Sunday morning and their other activities during the week populated by people who are not just old white guys."

In the interest of ecumenical dialogue I would like to point out that if you want to attract people other than "old white guys", wearing polo shirts and jackets is.....probably not the best idea. That sounds like the official uniform of old white guys. Churches that are "diverse" tend to have congregations that dress in suits and dresses. Also, having a band to provide music that is 'in tune with what people are hearing today' would be quite interesting, considering some of the songs on the pop charts today. I don't want to put the people behind this effort down, but whenever I hear about efforts to attract younger, more diverse people to Church, it tends to be a bit off.

Anthony, a reader of this blog, kindly emailed me to advise Bishop Murphy would be coming to the Traditional Latin Mass in Uniondale on March 9th. I was reminded of his email when I spotted it on the Bishop's schedule in The Long Island Catholic. He will be there to confer the honor of Msgr. on Fr. James Pereda.

UPDATE: I just spotted this same news on Creative Minority Report, with the added note:

"On June 15, 2008 at St. Agnes Cathedral the Most Reverend William Murphy, Bishop of Rockville Centre, will confer the Sacrament of Confirmation according to the Traditional Form."