Church attendance tends to slow in the summer, according to the Rev. Patti Walz of the Baldwinsville First United Methodist Church. It’s no wonder, given the abundance of warm-weather activities outside and the lack of air conditioning inside B’ville’s churches. Churchgoers’ fidgety feet would rather be hiking the trails and their parched palates would rather be sipping lemonade on the Seneca River.
To combat this summertime absenteeism, FUMC is hosting “Church on the Island,” an informal, nondenominational service at 8 a.m. each Sunday in July and August on Paper Mill Island.
Walz said she and Mohegan Manor owner Dennis Sick had been pondering the idea of Church on the Island for quite some time.
“He said, ‘It would be really cool to have a chapel on the island and have various churches involved,’” Walz said.
Earlier this spring, Walz was driving through the village and decided to stop by Paper Mill Island to see if it would be suitable for her and Sick’s idea. On her visit, Walz saw a huge fish leap out of the Seneca River, and she took it as a sign.
“Why not use the amphitheater?” she said.
In May, FUMC’s Rev. Lawrence Lundgren approached the village board of trustees about using the island for short morning services lasting 30 to 45 minutes. Since Paper Mill Island is a public park, the church does not have to reserve the island, but they must check the schedule to make sure the park will be available.
The first service, held July 3, drew 23 people, many of them FUMC parishioners. Walz wanted to incorporate Independence Day into the sermon, so she asked a local veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom, Charles Brooks III, to read Isaiah 40 over “America the Beautiful,” featuring Walz on piano and local flautist Erin Burtch.
Walz said she hopes to bring in other local artists and musicians for Church on the Island, incorporating their work into her sermons.
“We’ve got a lot of talent in town: We’ve got a great theater group, musicians,” she said. “The whole idea is to get them involved in the worship services.
The July 10 service featured Tai Chi instructor Randie Lynn Hughes as a special guest.
“When she does it, it’s very beautiful. She’s very graceful,” Walz said.
Walz said the meditative nature of Tai Chi “fits right in” with her story of Jesus seeking some time to himself by boating on the Sea of Galilee. She said such introspection brings one closer to God.
Walz emphasized that Church on the Island is a supplement to one’s regular church services, not a replacement. She said FUMC chose the 8 a.m. start time so as not to interfere with many B’ville churches’ morning services, which begin around 9 a.m. The early morning start also gives families a chance to squeeze some worship into their busy summer schedules.
“In the summertime, families want to do things during the day,” she said.
While FUMC is heading the charge, Walz said once Church on the Island is more established, other churches would be welcome to participate. If good weather persists into the early fall, she might ask the village to let the services stick around for September.
“The locally-run businesses seem to be really supportive, putting up fliers and stuff,” Walz said.
Canal Walk Café provides coffee for the congregants, and Walz said Church on the Island could draw customers to local restaurants.
“It brings people to town,” she said.
