Boys at Cell

This year my cell group at Bendigo has grown...we finished last year 4 members strong...then we went back to 3.... at our first cell for the year we were up to 6 (although only 4 were actually there)...and this week we were joined by the boys group as they are studying the same things as us so the group has pretty much doubled. 

I really enjoyed the girls group last year, but I have also missed the male opinion, so it was nice to have some guys there tonight.  I guess its not something that I have ever really thought about too much though, whether or not I want boys in my cell group...I suppose it doesn't really matter...its really about how the group works together and being able to share and grow together... I think it will be good to have them there...

Well I guess this was a pretty pointless blog...sorry...it did seem important when I started writing...but now that its done...  

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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Christmas Run Down - No. 2

So it must be time for another Christmas run down... but first, just to clarify for Dave's sake...you will find the lyrics fit better to the tradition tune not because it is actually any different but rather because it is slower... So just in case you missed the first one we will sing it from the beginning...

On the Third day of Christmas something I did do:

Sing with my Pa

Bendigo's Christmas Lights

A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

On the Forth day of Christmas something I did see:

Come Celebrate:

This has become a Christmas tradition...although this year it came with a very very very nasty surprise.  For 5 and a half years now...well actually maybe not quite that long...i guess depending on...well actually just keep reading.... for the last few years at very least I had what I thought was a fantastic memory of Blackburn carols...come celebrate.  It was a memory of one of the first few times I had met Davo.  He was playing in the Box Hill Big Band and they were playing at the carols.  After the evening, I plucked up lots and lots of courage and went to see Dave.  He was wearing his Salvo T-shirt, Jeans and those crazy blue shoes.  Anyway, after a brief chat with Beas and Mim tonight, it turns out this memory is....WRONG.  It never happened.  The Big Band has never done come celebrate so how could Dave have played in it? Well this little moment of truth has rocked my world.  How could I have a wrong memory??? Seriously how does that even happen? Well let me tell you...it appears that I have confused two memories...Dave playing in a different band at carols without the blue shoes or jeans and another event at Blackburn sound shell where Dave was playing in the big band...it does kind of make sense but it does make me wonder how much more I have made up! 

Sing with my Pa

Bendigo's Christmas Lights

and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

On the Fifth day of Christmas something I did see:

More Christmas Lights:

These weren't just any lights though, they are crazy christmas lights...like intense crazy.  They are in Narracan Street in my old hood of vermont south and well the are just full on...I can't really explain it so just have a look at the photo...

Come Celebrate
Sing with my Pa

Bendigo's Christmas Lights

and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

On the Sixth day of Christmas something I did use:

Conversation Cards:

 

To be honest, conversation cards are not things that I have had much time for in the past.  My opinion was why can't you just think of your own stuff to talk about, I don't think having the questions prescripted was actually going to make things less awkward, in fact I was convinced it would probably make things more awkward.  Anyway, that was until two days ago when Sally from work showed me some that she had got as a Kris Kringle present.  After actually looking at them I changed my mind, I decided they were great and actually went and got some to give as a Kris Kringle present of my own, and do you know what??? They were a hit.  We used them tonight at my Bendigo Cell group break up and it was a lot of fun...There is a freedom with conversation cards, because you aren't answering a nosy question from a friend, but just a card, you can say it like it is and its good!  Never again will I poo poo conversation cards.

More Christmas Lights
Come Celebrate

Sing with my Pa

Bendigo's Christmas Lights

and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

Well there you go, 6 days down, 6 to go....Hope you are enjoying the sing-a-long as much as me!

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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YP Sunday

There is something really special about Anniversary weekend and after the fantastic night last night today really topped it off. There is nothing better than watching kids get involved in worship, not because they are being forced to, but because they want to. The whole day today has been just amazing, in fact its was so incredible that there is just too much to say in one blog, so I thought instead I would just give a highlight from each of the services:

9:30 How often do you get to eat ice cream in church? Never right? Wrong…you get ice cream when Son is on the kids story…Who knew that Neapolitan ice cream actually shows you that God wants us to have all the good bits in our lives not just one good bit?



11:00 Primary kids are awesome, they are so small but so talented and so easily distracted! I seriously love that they are so unpredictable and that despite their courageous leader (Kat you seriously did a ripper job), they still manage to do what ever they feel like if given an inch!

6:00 I think that they highlight of the 6 was just getting to hang out with my kids church kids, I really love them stacks and they are such a blessing, I was so super proud of them and they did such an amazing job all weekend. I think that just they fact that I get to be a part of their lives is a highlight enough.

So there you go…if you missed it, well you really did miss out, so do yourself a favour and get there next year, you won’t regret it.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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Talkin 'bout your Generation

So Saturday night is down and its just Sunday to go and so far Anniversary has been a success. Tonight we celebrated the diversity of our church by battling it out one generation against the next ‘Talking about Your Generation’ from channel 10 style.

The night was really fantastic and thanks to the team we had helping out everything ran super smoothly. Oh and I am pretty sure that people had fun too, which is always super nice. It was seriously a fantastic night….and I don’t even care that I am probably a little biased, I was just so happy it worked, the teams did great, Benny did great and the kids were amazing. It felt a little strange that it was all actually happening because while we had been preparing, it felt like it would never actually get here and now its gone. It all seemed to happen kinda quickly actually and it’s a shame that it only happened once. In fact I am actually a little sad its all done, but I am really happy with everything that happened tonight

The thing I liked the most though was actually seeing all the contestants get involved, from people like my pa all the way down to my Kids Church kids. It was nice to have everyone there together and enjoying themselves. It wasn’t just one generation, but the whole church and the whole church had fun together. It gave me hope that as a church we could unify and it showed me just how much all the generations had to offer. I think that so often I miss out simply because I don’t interact with the other gens and I am not just talking about those that are older than me, but also those younger. I don’t think that God wants us to be constantly segregated into age group boxes and stereotypes but rather all in together, as the family and body of Christ. Sure its not going to work all the time, but perhaps I need to try harder at least some of the time. I know that even though I am 22 I have a lot to both learn from and teach those younger and older than me, but I can’t do that if they aren’t in my life. It’s a real shame that tonight was just a once off, but its definitely encouraged me to be a little more proactive about the people I have in my life and not to be so exclusive, especially not because of age.

Thank you everyone that was involved and attended the night, it really meant a lot to me and I really appreciate your support.

Oh and in case you missed out...check out this very embarrassing, but also amusing ad from the night...

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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1 more sleep

Well its almost here, there is just one more sleep to anniversary (just quickly for those of you that don’t know…the anniversary is a children’s celebrations weekend at church) and I am pretty much pooing my pants.

I am not sure what worries me the most… the fact that I might not get everything done, or that something will fall through, or that no one will come, or even that everyone will come and it will just be bad, I really don’t know. The weird thing is though, even though I am anxious about it all, I am also feeling quite at peace, I kind of feel that at this point in time, (given that its 3am and Kat and I have just finished making two thirds of Ben's question cards for tonight) that whatever happens will happen and there is not much I can actually do now anyway.

I must admit thought I am also a little excited, the anniversary this year has been a lot of work and soon it will be over and we will see if it is all worth it. Anniversary has been quite different for me this year, in years gone by I have just been required to attend and watch or be on the stage with the kids but not really coordinate anything, but this year Dave, Jude and I have been doing most of the coordinating which means being the perfectionist I am I kind feel that how it turns out is a reflection on me and what I can do, even if its completely untrue. I have kinda felt like this is my baby and I am really hoping that it will be just as good as it is when I picture it in my head.

Oh well I guess we will find out soon enough…

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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Maryborough Corps

Tonight I had the privellage of being involved in the worship team at the Maryborough Corps in central vic, a corps that I had heard a lot about but not experienced first hand… it is a corps that is growing rapidly and doing some incredible things in the town. In fact if you want to read a bit more about what’s happening down in Maryborough check our this blog from Captain Collo.

Having heard all these good things, when I got there tonight I was still surprised by a few:

1. Maryborough is massive, in my mind I had imagined Maryborough to be about the same size as Castlemaine…but I was wrong, which meant it wasn’t as easy to find the town hall as I had hoped. In fact, Maryborough is so big it even has a KFC and a Woolies!

2. Another thing that took me surprise was the type of youth group, now I know that that already sounds terrible, but Maryborough is a town with a lot of disadvantage and as a result there are some pretty rough kids, so being brought up in a very middle class salvos I was a little taken back by the fact that kids didn’t sit and listen, but instead talked through lots of the night. Now, I know that this sounds like a bad thing, but its not really, because through this, the youth group is still growing. And even though it didn’t look like what I thought it should, God is moving through the officers there and the kids. It was incredible because it really challenged what I was comfortable with at Box Hill and made me wonder if I would be as tolerant and committed as Captains Andrew and Kelly.

3. And finally, what took me by surprise was the passion and the love that was so clearly evident in Captains Andrew and Kelly. You could see their passion for their corps and community, the really really really loved their kids and they were making a difference in each of their lives. I couldn’t help but wonder if we were all as passionate, as committed and as hardworking as they are, what the salvation army would look like. It would be pretty incredible...I know that is has certainly challeneged me.

So thank your Captains Andrew and Kelly for what you are doing in Maryborough by God's help, and for the challenge and inspiration you have been to me.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

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