In a shady spot on the sidewalk on Jay Street in New London, Connecticut, there is a lemonade stand. If you happen to walk by on a Wednesday afternoon, you’ll see Rev. Carolyn Patierno, minister of All Souls UU Congregation, sitting in a chair with her pitcher, ice, cups, and a smile, ready to pour for passersby.
For the past eleven years, Rev. Carolyn pulls and sits behind her red coffee cart on wheels on summer Wednesdays– a different kind of pulpit for the people. Only she isn’t preaching, or really getting into matters of religion and congregational life most of the time. When we spoke, Rev. Carolyn shared with me that her goal is to be present in the neighborhood that is home to her congregation, offering a simple “hello, I’m the minister here,” asking the person’s name, and handing them a cold, refreshing cup of free lemonade. Yes, there is even a sign handmade by a former congregational administrator with an artsy bent that assures potential partakers that they will not have to pay for a little treat on a hot day.
It’s this visibility on the busy street in front of the congregation building that is important to Rev. Carolyn. She was inspired by her friends from the intentional Christian community of the nearby St. Francis House, with whom she has been studying weekly for the past twenty years. The residents of the house have a “porch ministry” in which they sit on their porch and engage passersby in conversation. Rev. Carolyn believes it’s valuable for people to see that All Souls isn’t just a building that is occupied on Sunday mornings, but that there are things happening on other days, too. The folks doing good work inside those walls care about what’s going on in the community, and don’t expect anything in return for a little good will when the sun’s blazing and temperatures are reaching record highs. For people who don’t want to talk and just want a fresh cup, perhaps this is their only interaction that day, or week, or month, that doesn’t have the feel of a rote transaction.
Usually, it’s just Rev. Carolyn doing her thing on the sidewalk for half an hour each week. Sometimes, however, she is joined by others: the associate minister, a youth member of the congregation, or a young member of the refugee family living next door. Partnering with others, especially younger folks, makes for an especially rich experience, Rev. Carolyn tells me. My colleague Connie Goodbread has been known to say that everything we do is faith formation, and it strikes me that a multigenerational lemonade stand is no exception. Adults and youth coming together to offer something to their community is shared ministry. Bringing the gifts of our presence and resources outside the walls of a congregational building also embodies generosity, one of our shared Unitarian Universalist values.
The red cart lemonade stand has had somewhat of a butterfly effect over these years. Rev. Carolyn recalls that the people she has met on the street have come to worship services in the following weeks, curious about what All Souls is all about. Then there was the time when a woman drove up to the stand in a big truck, asking whether she might donate a sizable stack of books about how to sew. She shared that she had chronic pain and was no longer able to enjoy sewing, but that she wanted the books to go to a good home where they would be used and appreciated. Some of the books have indeed been scooped up by members of All Souls who are eager to learn a new skill or fine-tune a favorite pastime.
I can’t help but wonder what could happen if we were to take the lemonade stand a step further, and go mobile? One of the strengths of our smaller congregations is that they are excited about outreach, and many are already engaging with their local communities by tabling at the farmers’ market, marching in the Pride parade, and so on. So, why not set up a lemonade stand at the local little league game? If there are kids in your congregation, find out where their sports practices and games are, and show up with free refreshments! Perhaps a (multigenerational?!) coalition of artsy congregants could make decorations with the congregation’s name or logo. Many possibilities are out there if we take the time to move outside our own walls, as Rev. Carolyn has, and take to the busy street, or the porch, or the baseball field, or the town green. Who knows what gifts we may encounter in the new people we meet?
Share Your Congregation's Success Stories with "Congregational Interconnections"
Stories, resources, and practices shared by congregations in the spirit of creativity, group learning, and emerging practices. Consider sharing yours!