Church Life

NORTH AMERICAN SCENE: Fragrance-free Service Initiated

While many congregations hold both traditional and contemporary worship services, a United Methodist church in Boise, Idaho, is offering scented and unscented versions.

The 2,400-member Boise United Methodist Church began a “fragrance-free” Sunday afternoon service in July for worshipers who are sensitive to unnatural fragrances and fibers. Assistant pastor Jon Brown is in charge of the service, which is attended by his wife, who is sensitive to chemicals and fragrances. Unscented lay volunteers are helping out with music. “The church can be a real lethal place,” says pastor R. Tom Tucker. Those who attend the scent-free service must wear only natural fiber clothing and no perfume, cologne, after-shave, hair spray, scented soaps or deodorants.

Parishioners meet in a small, stone chapel at the church where scented cleaners are not used. Tucker says about a dozen people have been attending, but he is not concerned about numbers.

“This is a specialized ministry to a constituency that won’t attend otherwise,” he says. “This way they can come to worship and fellowship.” It is also viewed as an outreach. Most of those attending are not Methodists.

Copyright © 1994 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Also in this issue

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Cover Story

Reaching the First Post-Christian Generation

Randall Terry Attacks Religious Right

Christians Aid Forgotten Guyanese Poor

Christians Suffer Renewed Attacks

Muslim Death Threats Protested

Protesters Offer Silent Witness in Haiti

Florida Shootings Stifle Pro-lifers

Science Finds Religion at Symposium

New Catechism a Bestseller

Christians Decry Rights Bill

Urban Relocators Build Bridges

Jews for Jesus Fights Cult Label

City Erects Pagan Sculpture

Has Rift Between Orthodox, Protestants Begun to Heal?

Group Picks First American Leader

Churches Challenge Synod Ruling

BOOKS: Rating Our Theologians

SIDEBAR: Worth Mentioning: News, notices, and curiosities of religious publishing

PHILIP YANCEY: What Surprised Jesus

Christians Suffer Renewed Attacks

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FEC Targets Political Ad

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News Briefs: September 12, 1994

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Closing the Ultimate Sale

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Media Campaign Targets Unchurched

Talking 'Bout a Generation

In Praise of Premise Keepers

The Unrepeatable Tom Skinner

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EDITORIAL: Blinded by the ’Lite’

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EDITORIAL: AIDS Policy Failure

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Hard-Core Porn Technology Hits Home

SIDEBAR: Busters Online

SIDEBAR: X-ing the Church

ARTICLE: Testing the Spiritualities

ARTICLE: Charting Dispensationalism

SIDEBAR: Dispensationalisms of the Third Kind

ARTICLE: Clocking Out

ARTICLE: Who’s Afraid of the Holy Spirit?

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