Members of St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church dance and sing with an African drum group during worship in Lincoln Heights.

        More than 1,000 kids learn about God and Catholicism in education programs in Montgomery's Good Shepherd parish.

The Rev. Thomas DiFolco (left) celebrates Mass at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Lincoln Heights, (Gary Landers photo) | ZOOM |

        Vineyard Community Church in Springdale grew from 37 people meeting in a square-dance barn 15 years ago to one of the biggest churches in the Tristate.

        College Hill Presbyterian distributes meals to the needy and pushes for abstinence education in youth programs.

        Mount Auburn Presbyterian fights for social justice and deliberately disobeys the national denomination by allowing same-sex marriages.

        These churches have different ways of reaching people and spreading God's word, but they share a common distinction. They are among the best of the best churches in the country, says a new national study.

        The two-year study at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington sought the best congregations from among an estimated 100,000 Protestant churches and 18,000 Catholic parishes.

HONORED CHURCHES

Mount Auburn Presbyterian Where: 103 William Howard Taft Road, Mt. Auburn Who: The Rev. Steven VanKuiken Membership: 300 adults Best practices: Practices an open-door policy and has diverse worship and membership. St. Martin de Porres Catholic parish Where: 9927 Wayne Ave., Lincoln Heights Who: Father Thomas DiFolco Membership: 130 families Best practice: Incorporates African-American culture with Catholic faith. College Hill Presbyterian Where: 5742 Hamilton Ave., College Hill Who: The Rev. Pat Hartsock Membership: 1,500 people Best practices: Operates extensive outreach programs. Good Shepherd Catholic parish Where: 8815 East Kemper Road, Montgomery Who: Father Thomas R. Axe Membership: 4,200 households Best practice: Offers diverse religious education and spiritual development classes. Vineyard Community Church Where: 11340 Century Circle East, Springdale Who: The Rev. Dave Workman Membership: 6,000 average weekly attendance Best practices: Nationally-known for servant evangelism, a program of handing out free products and services as a way to express Godıs love.

        Project director Paul Wilkes asked seminaries, church leaders and religious organizations to nominate joyful congregations, places with innovative worship and an emphasis on spirituality.

        Mr. Wilkes wanted to find churches with soul.

        “I do not claim these are the only excellent churches in America,” said Mr. Wilkes from his Wilmington, N.C., home. “But these are excellent churches.”

        Funded by a grant from the Lilly Endowment, Mr. Wilkes took the nominated churches and parishes, sent out surveys and visited nearly 20 congregations. He culled the list to the top 300 Protestant and top 300 Catholic congregations in the country. The list and a handful of featured congregations will appear in two books to be published this winter, Excellent Protestant Congregations: The Guide to Best Places and Practices (Westminster John Knox) and Excellent Catholic Parishes: The Guide to Best Places and Practices (Paulist Press).

        The churches also will be listed at www.pastoralsummit.org.

        Mr. Wilkes says the goal of listing some of the best parishes and churches in the country is to get faith leaders to come together and share their practices. He's holding a pastoral summit in May in New Orleans, the firstto include both Protestant and Catholic leaders.

        In this era of shopping around for spiritual nourishment, it's important for church leaders to look for innovative ways to reach people, Mr. Wilkes says.

        “There are a heck of a lot of churches that are still painting by numbers, on autopilot, and they're surviving; but that's not what (people) want,” Mr. Wilkes said. They “want something alive for the center of their lives.”

        The five area congregations selected in the study reflect a diversity of faith communities. But these congregations share important traits: They work to make strangers feel at home, they build education programs to nurture spiritual development and they reach into the community to spread God's word and help others.

        “These churches are open,” Mr. Wilkes said of the congregations selected for the books. “They're open to new ideas, open to whoever comes through their door. They're not judgmental; they're not putting up barriers to people. ... they just open their eyes to what's going on around them.”
       

St. Martin de Porres

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        At St. Martin de Porres, members work to incorporate African-American culture in their religious education programs. The youth follow a rites-of-passage curriculum, modeled after African tribal culture. Music runs the gamut from traditional Catholic tunes to African-American spiritual songs. Last Sunday, children in the church gave a presentation on Kwanzaa during Mass.

        “We've been trying to understand over the past few years about what it means to be African-American in heritage and Catholic in faith,” said the Rev. Thomas DiFolco. “In the United States, that's a challenge.”

        Of the estimated 61.2 million Catholics in the United States, 3 million are African-American.

        Dellisa Ford-Edwards thinks the emphasis on faith and culture sets St. Martin de Porres apart from other parishes.

        “I know a lot of people are not that in touch with their culture and their heritage,” said the 29-year-old woman from Forest Park. “Going to St. Martin de Porres, I think they learn a lot more. ... You cannot find your path in life unless you know who you are as a person and as a child of God.”
       

Good Shepherd

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        As the largest parish in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Good Shepherd in Montgomery is able to offer a wide variety of programs.

        During this past Advent season, the parish sponsored three different programs to appeal to people at various stages of spiritual development.

        Members could make a confession to a priest, attend a parishwide penance service or participate in a family service aimed toward helping children reflect on the meaning of the season.

        “We try to provide opportunities for everyone to grow spiritually,” said Scott Mussari, director of educational ministries.

        The church also operates on the cornerstone principle that all are welcome, he said. From youth programs to adult worship, members and nonmembers alike can participate.
       

Vineyard

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        Vineyard Community Church is nationally known for its program of “servant evangelism,” in which members go into neighborhoods and offer free services and goods to symbolize the gift of salvation.

        Members have handed out toilet paper and coupons for gas. They've scrubbed bathrooms and washed windows — all to reach people and share the love of God. The church operates under the motto, “Small things done with great love will change the world.”

        Vineyard is part of a wave of contemporary churches. Its 130,000-square-foot facility resembles a college campus, complete with a coffee bar and auditorium-style sanctuary.
       

College Hill Presbyterian

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        At College Hill Presbyterian, members made a conscious decision two decades ago to stay in the community instead of fleeing to the suburbs. As a result, members have reshaped their ministries, says the Rev. Pat Hartsock.

        In the late 1980s, the church established a nonprofit arm, Feast of Love, to provide services to the community. Under the Feast of Love umbrella, church members serve 20,000 meals a year to shut-ins and at rehabilitation centers, distribute donated furniture to needy families and collect school supplies.

        The church hosts a Listening for Heaven's Sake program to teach leaders how to listen actively and with empathy and how to treat others with respect. The congregation of 1,500 believes in strong biblical standards and successfully lobbied the national denomination two years ago to promote abstinence in the youth curriculum.
       

Mount Auburn Presbyterian

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        On the other end of the political spectrum is Mount Auburn Presbyterian.

        Church leaders are openly disobedient to the national denomination by ordaining gay and lesbian members as elders. About a third of the members are gay and lesbian, the Rev. Steven VanKuiken says, and the church has held same-sex marriage ceremonies.

        Worship services also are diverse. On any given Sunday, the songs range from classical to folk to African music.

        “We're not real rigid when it comes to doctrine,” says the Rev. Mr. VanKuiken. “People are given a lot of room to search and find their own way.”
       

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