By The Very Esteemed Callie Janoff

Starting A Chapter In Your Hood

Crafters knitting at the Eat Here Cafe in New York.

Spreading the word across the globe. The Church of Craft is for anyone who wants it regardless of your religion or creed. If you would like to introduce the power of making into the spiritual lives of the people in your community here are some ideas we have for you.

The first thing you need is a minister. Being a minister of the Church of Craft is a big commitment, but it is easily the most rewarding thing you may ever set out to do. The minister is the one who creates a place where the church can happen, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. This is the ministers' craft: to make that psychic space that facilitates the craft of others. The minister organizes a location and time for craft-ons and makes sure that everyone who is interested has access to this information. A minister of the Church of Craft doesn't have to have all the answers to all life's questions or be able to knit a sweater in an hour. If your love of making inspires you to want to help others make, that is the important thing. C of C ministers tend their flocks with patience, humility, flexibility, a spirit of adventure, and lust for learning.

The next thing you need is a place. A meeting place is as important as a minister, even if it is temporary or changes from month to month. Coming together strengthens your community and in many ways that is the purpose of a church. So far we have found that an effective way to come together as a group and practice our craft is at a craft-on. These are free form craft sessions where people bring supplies/tools or not and gather together to make stuff and inspire each other. Craft-ons are usually once a month, but hey if you need more, meet more! We have met in homes, studios, cafes, and parks. The only requirements for your place is that it be accessible to everyone who wants to come (within reason) and that there is room to spread out and potentially make a mess (glitter, glue, stray threads, wire trimmings, wood dust, you never know).

The last and most important thing you need to start your own chapter is a flock. A church is no more than the sum of its people; it is composed of them, exists for them, and serves them. The church has thrived in San Francisco and New York mostly by word of mouth. Talk to people, see what they think and feel, what they have time for and what they like to make. There are so many crafters out there (and some who don't know they are yet); you are bound to find them.

It should be mentioned that being a religious corporation or a legally designated church requires some additional time, $, and paperwork. As we learn more about these things we will update this section so check back or contact us at tvecallie@churchofcraft.org.