Religion Chat thread number 1

[nickelbabyjesus]

I wanted to put some random thoughts and stuff regarding church, without it having to be a debate or a specific topic (and not prayers, either)

It's basically, a "what happened at church (or in my musical/spiritual life) this week" thread.
Please join me!

I'll start:

We had Midnight Mass (on Christmas Eve, would you believe!), and it was half past 11, everyone was sitting and ready for the service to start - I waved the organist to give me my notes: he was just about to plat them when:
" TAXI FOR suchandsuch " came blaring out of our speaker system.
There's a Wetherspoon's over the road and looks like the DJ's mike was on the same frequency as our radio mikes.
So, all the congregation started giggling and we had to wait 5 minutes until everyone was calm and collected enough to carry on.

sorry, just re-read that and it was pretty random. Should really go to sleep instead of MNing

hello all. Still reeling a bit from exH's revelation that his love for his DS's is conditional, and that his GF is more important than them.

However, - to answer the questions about PD yes you can do animated text on it like on PP - I'm still experimenting with it - but it's got a few "set" options and then you can custonise them by the looks of it.

Not sure what you mean by movie make transitions

Sorry, B, I had already gone home - I did see your facebook and replied on there.

That's really unfair that his GF can't give the blame to your ex - if they're in his care then their behaviour is his responsibility.

:( that he's being like that. Hope it sorts out soon. It's not fair on you.

thanksamillion - that sounds great re: your toddler group. Hope it goes well and grows!

it's not me nickel - I don't care - yes it's nice to have the break at the weekends - but I managed for months last year when he didn't see them at all so I can cope again. It's the DS's I'm upset and angry for

yes, i see. I worry that they'll think that their dad doesn't love them, and even if that's true, it's not fair that they have that burden. :(

Baroque, I'm sorry about all the difficulty with ex, sounds so horrible for you :(

Thanks for the info re PD. Movie maker transitions - I mean like all the stuff you can do between slides, eg fading in and out, pushing across etc, some of them are pretty crap but fun anyway.

Sorry being quiet. Rather on a downer atm

oo - yes you can do that - I use them on the ones I did recently

well - just had a phone call from my Vicar - which has put a bit of a smile back on my face. She's read the CSI Jerusalem script and loves it - and we're going to go with it.

Good, I'm glad something's cheered you up!

So what happens, then - is it just a plain play, or is it an evening filled with other stuff?
tell me all about your plan....

ha - now you've got me - you know me scarily well don't you - as the me telling you my plan will distract me. I confess it put a temporary smile on my face (the phone call) - but seen as though you asked (and I do have a thread in chat asking for people to kick push me out of this dip

Play has 3 scenes. So will intersperse those with other stuff, multimedia, dance, congregation hymns, "choir" stuff etc. Kind of like an "ad break" between scenes.

ooh, that does sound like a good plan - I like it when events are doen in that way - as you start looking forward to what's coming next.

yes it's what we did with "Father Forgive" previous 2 years - that had more, much shorter, scenes - and not so distinct. This one has 3 clear secenes - oh no - it doesn't has 5 scenes "Crucifixion Scene", "Interviewing Guard" "Crime Lab Scene" "Interrogation Scene" and the "Closing Scene"

So - if we put a couple of things in between each scene then it'll spread out out to at least an hour.

And the great thing is that because we'll use our mahoosive screen for various bits in between we can find pictures to on the screen to be the backdrop/scene setter - so not so many props needed.

Next thing to do is to find people to play the parts......that's the trickier part. Need 6 - all with lines to learn, although I guess at a push we could do 5 and double up for the scribe and guard parts (as they' have a chance to "change" during the bits in the middle)

bloomin' 'eck this thread has taken on a life of it's own, I can't keep up!

Baroque - the play sounds fab :) Don't let the fact that your ex is being a dick get you down

thanksamillion - I hope the toddler group is a success, IME it takes a while to get a head of steam, but then you are off & running :)

mad - are you ok? Anything we can help with?

nickel - we struggle with parade services too. We don't get many turning up these days. (and when it's discussed lots of reminiscing that if you missed two parade services on the trot without good reason, you were chucked out of Brownies )We had one on Sunday as it happens, 1 Rainbow, 3 Brownies & 4 Guides, no Beavers/Cubs/Scouts at all :-( Twas good though as we got to sing Shine Jesus Shine, one modern song that I love & actually works well on the organ

Right I want to pick all your brains :) We've got a special PCC meeting next week to discuss Outreach, so give me all your best ideas. I feel I have to go as I'm the youngest member of the PCC (at 44 ) and although I can't remember what it's like to be young , I do have young kids...
We seem to do lots aimed at retired people (ie people think what they would like & do that) but great as that is, it isn't going to help grow the Church much, we need to get more young 'uns involved.

We have a Church primary school (that my daughter started in Sept), but we could definitely do a lot more via school - for example since our Children & Families worker left in July (and we couldn't afford to replace her...) we haven't even advertised the children's activities in the school newsletter...folks aren't going to come if they don't know stuff is on...

All ideas gratefully received :)

oooooo - now Betsy - somewhere up ^^ there (or down if you read threads the other way round) we had a bit of a discussion about what sort of out reach stuff we do. If you have the thread all on one page and search for "Grease" on the page the discussion is around that time.

Definitely see if you can get the activities advertised in the school newsletter.

thanks Baroque, reading what others do has made me realise how much we do already

Christmas tree festival - tick
spring fair - tick (church school do Christmas & summer fairs too)
school choir at carol service - tick
messy church - tick
toddler group - tick
concerts 2-3 times a year - tick
termly school eucharist - tick
We also have a parish opdram society that do shows & stuff

we also take part in the annual town carnival & have a monthly weekday worship session for preschoolers & parents.

It has already given me some new ideas to suggest next week though
Music Sunday - we could involve school/scouts/guides and/or do a concert
A Fair Trade fair (perhaps around Harvest)
A Facebook page.
A family fun day

We are in the same boat as everyone else though, short of cash (didn't meet our parish share last year), but sometimes you need to speculate to accumulate :) It's how we turn the interest we get at a lot of the events we do hold into regular bums on seats on a Sunday...

yes, do advertise the events in your newsletter - at least a month in advance.
It might be worth sending your newsletter to your local schools, and ask them to announce the events in class, maybe.
or send along the newsletter with special A5 flyers for the specific events, and as kthem to display them on the noticeboard or send along say 20 flyers and say "you may photocopy these for distribution"

(sorry, i meant your church newsletter - i can see you put School newsletter)

well our best attended service is our monthly after school service! (pointing that out to the negative folks in the church soon shuts them up when it's pointed out that this "chaotic, only once a month, not even following a liturgy of any sorts, service has more adults and children attending than most of the Sunday services do.........)"

oh, yes, facebook page - that's what i was thinking about...

oh yes - for our Leapfrog service we send in a flyer a few days before to remind people and invite them along. The school ~(as it's a church school) is very happy for us to send out separate notices)

Oh and last year - as a one off due to some funding that the Junior school got to use to "improve links between the church and the school" (not sure who from ) we had a Pizza Praise Party. Had a guy - can't remember his name - who came in and entertained/preached/talked/whatever to the children (and adults) with juggling, and jokes, and games, and Christian kids songs. Was AMAZING.

Then after he was utterly exhausted (and the kids were) we stopped for a break and they had pizza - I doubt anyone else in town managed to get a pizza from Perfect Pizza at that time on the Friday afternoon as they ordered about 30-40 extra large pizzas. And then more worship. Was AMAZING. The kids loved, the parents loved, WE loved it, and we did get one family coming to church after too (though our Sunday services are nothing like as exciting as that was).

Obviousl though that cost money .....

Betsy was going to suggest messy church and saw you already do it. Sounds like you are doing a lot already and can build on that.

Thanks for asking. Struggling with my lung disease at the moment and in constant pain, feeling rather down about it today, usually cope fine but for some reason finding it difficult and getting mad that it just won't get better. That and the heavy meds making me feel a bit woozy and out of it, and the fact taht I can't seem to communicate well on other threads and getting attacked for it. Ignore me...I'll be fine. Just a bad day.

oh mhd :(
I hope you recover quickly.
I'll pray for you.

also praying MHD.

I'm exhausted - only got about 2hrs sleep last night - and was an emotional wreck, still feeling a bit fragile now - but much better than I was - just need sleep......

I'll sing you a lullaby.

"close thine eyes, and sleep secure:
thy soul is safe, thy body sure.
He who guards thee, he who keeps
never slumbers, never, ever sleeps".

haha not now nickel- although having said that I'm thinking I may have a lie down and nave a snooze before dinner.......