Notes From Practice Field Observation

These are taken from right before a sunday church service in the area I have chosen to practice my research.

These are the sample notese that I later expanded on:

10:36 arrival
10:37 2 guys talking in the circle between church and café. Using animations with sound effects
8 people in area
4 in café
4 in church
10:41 people are talking about where they are from (Ontario, Louisiana, Kansas)
Most of the people are not dressed up too fancy. The staff, pastor, and his wife are dressed up more.
10:46 person dressed like a raccoon arrives
10:47 12 people total
10:49 walked into church greeted by a staff member dressed all in black. Pastors wife also at door. Greet by her. Said hello to both of them and thank her for letting me be here. She is dressed up in a very extravagant kind of dress.
10:50 pastor talks about what he is going to preach about
Topic: answers to prayer

Observational Notes:

Interactions
10:37 saw two men outside the church talking using primarily sound effects and animations. Shortly after, they walked into the café and started talking with café staff member.

People Locations/Population Total
10:37 only 8 people in the area
4 were in the café
4 were in the welcome area in the church

Conversations/Interactions
10:41 People in the café were talking about where they were from. One said Ontario, Canada, one said Kansas, and one said Louisiana.

Outfits
The men were dressed in a t-shirt and jeans while the lady staff member was dressed up in a green skirt and suit jacket.

Outfits
In the church greeting area people were more dressed up. Male greeter was in an all black suit. Pastor was as well in a black suit. Pastor’s wife was dressed in a more extravagant green flowing kind of dress.

Outfits
10:46 a person dressed as a raccoon teleported into the middle of the benches, walked toward the church

Population Total
10:47 now a total on 12 people in the area

People Locations
10:49 Male greeter on the left side of the entrance. Pastor’s wife on the right side. Pastor no longer in that area

People Locations
A few other people in the greeting area just standing around.

People Locations/Interactions
Pastor in the service area. Sitting in the mid-right section of pews 1 row back. Looked like he was by himself. Man walked up to him and asked what the sermon was going to be about. Pastor responded by saying it is about the answers to prayers. Man said he was looking forward to it.

Methodological Notes:

I would need to get there earlier to she how the staff prepares, if any.

Just stood off to the side and observed and did not get involved and talk with anyone. I would need to interact with people more if possible.

Go into church earlier to see more how people interact inside the church greeting area and also another time to see how they interact inside the service area.

Are the people that here come every week or just sometimes? How many frequent the service? Are the numbers constant?

Theoretical Notes:

I went in comparing how a normally go to church and what normally happens there and what happens in this kind of environment. How effective can virtual church be because religion is a highly personally, heavily relational experience? How much can really be done?

When I arrived I saw 2 groups of people. One group was in the café and one in the church greeting area.

Curious what they were talking about: religion based or just shooting the breeze?

Heard the group I in the café talk about where they were from.

Over at the church, saw pastor was not in the greeting area anymore like one would expect at some church. It did have another male greeter though along with pastor’s wife greeting people as well. Male greeter tended to just say hello to people and that was it while pastor’s wife tended to be more personal with greeting and say hello then the person’s name.

After I walked into the church saw the pastor by himself in the mid-right section part of the pews. Thought it was strange that before a church service that the pastor was not being sociable with the congregation. Maybe he was getting everything prepared for the service?