Worship

May 26 - Guest Performer

Santiago Venegas is a singer, songwriter and performer from Bogota, Colombia. He has performed previously in Erin Markey’s Puppy Love: A Stripper’s Tail (P.S  122, 2010), Justin Vivian Bond’s Re:Galli Blonde (A Sissy Fix) (The Kitchen,  2010) Uplifting Songs (Dixon Place, HOT Festival 2012) and most recently, La  Mama's Squirts ("Venegas blew me away" - Huffington Post) in January 2013.

Santiago was featured in Viva Ruiz’s short film “Immigrantula” (P.S.1 MoMA,
2010). He studied Fashion Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. He
enjoys knitting, crocheting, stressing about environmental deterioration, and
immigrant’s rights!

This Sunday:
A choreographed monologue exploring my anxiety about the state of the environment, followed by an a Capella performance of the song "After the Rain," which is accompanied by a slide show of images of environmental activists.

In the piece I explore questions related to environmental issues, focusing on questions about the lack of interest people have in these issues; I specifically use Hydro Fracking in New York as example since I believe there is still lack of information about this. I also speak about my own fears regarding the future of the planet, but at the end of the piece I reveal a suggestion of something, local to the city of New York, that you can do to help. In the shows at La Mama I would alternate talking about two different New York organizations that I think are great! One of them is Community Environmental Center and the other is an activist group called Occupy the Pipeline.

Special Services January 27 - May 26

Judson will be hosting a series of Native American Testimonies on the last Sunday of every month, as part of the Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign. Read below for some background information on our first guest speakers (who will offer poetry as our Modern Testimony), and some insight into the campaign itself.

Sunday Morning Worship

The Sunday worship service is held at 55 Washington Square South and begin at 11:00 a.m., unless otherwise specified. Click here for current schedule.

Assistive Listening Available

After the church service, there is a coffee hour and a welcoming table at the back of the church where new people (and any others) are invited to meet members of the Congregational Life Committee and to ask any questions or to make suggestions.

Child Care & Sunday School

For preschool through high school-aged people, Judson provides child care during the worship service which meets in the Sunday School area of Judson’s office suite. Read more about Sunday School.

Agape Sundays

Judson's "Agape" service is held the first Sunday of each month. The climax of this service is the rite of Communion, and the format is different from that of most Sunday services. The congregation gathers around long tables. Worshippers are invited to bring fruits, breads, and cheeses to share at table along with wine and juice supplied by the Church. Communion is celebrated, sometimes with traditional readings and prayers, sometimes with informal words. All are welcome to participate - the communion table at Judson is open to all.

Music

Music is integral to worship at Judson, indeed to our community life in many ways. The music for congregational singing uses many traditional church hymns, but we also sing from the folk, spiritual, show tune, popular and world music repertoire. Sources for special music during worship are similarly eclectic and might be instrumental, from the choir, from individual soloist, or small ensembles. We welcome your musical gifts!
Judson's choir, open to all, performs often but not each Sunday. (Rehearsals are on Sunday mornings, at 9:30, in the Meeting Room.)

You can learn more about the history of music at Judson by visiting the History section. Of particular interest might be our history with Al Carmines, who graced the community with his musical, theological, and other talents for many years. Michael Conley is the current music director. You can reach him at extension 27 in the Judson office: 212-477-0351. 

Open and Affirming

Who are You?...We are Judson Memorial Church: Spiritual. Open. Artistic. Expressive. Affirming. Come in.

Judson Memorial Church serves as a sanctuary for progressive activism, artistic expression, and spiritual nurture. We welcome persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities (including cisgender, transgender, and genderqueer) to participate fully in the life and ministry of the church. We support each and every quest to construct one’s own identity, affirming any and all who identify as lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, questioning, polysexual, asexual, pansexual, omnisexual, and straight.

Questions about what it means to be an "Open and Affirming" (ONA)United Church of Christ (UCC) congregation? Visit  www.ucccoalition.org/programs/ona/ to find out more.

Or a "Welcoming and Affirming" (AWAB--Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptist Churches) baptist congregation? Visit www.awab.org to find out more.

Worship
At Judson, worship is eclectic, inclusive, joyful, musical and likely to have an old hymn and a show tune, a dance and a drum, or someone who says something someone else thinks they shouldn’t. A common pattern is followed but space is made for the surprises of the Spirit. We value times for quiet and reflection as well as a sense of adventure. Sermons vary, from the challenging to the comforting to the humorous. We have an informal environment so come as you are.