I sing in the choir at church. Our regular practice was tonight. When I got to practice this evening, there were folks there who aren’t singing in the choir.
Let me back up a week. Last week when I went to practice there was a gentleman there who is getting married in a couple of weeks who came in and took over our practice with preparation for his wedding. While he was there, he invited all the choir members to come and sing at his wedding with other folks for chorale music. This week, actually today, he called the lady who is organizing us and basically invited the entire chorale there to practice for his wedding. So we spent the majority of our practice time on his wedding music. First, I’m not impressed with the person that he has organizing and leading his music. I’ve heard his work before and it leaves me cold. Second, its our practice time for what we are working on for church. If he wanted to organize it after our regular practices, that would be different. We don’t exist just for his wedding. I’m probably going to be working elsewhere that day. Auuggggh!
And I am dragging. Some of the kids worked their butts off. Some sat on their butts. But the Happeners got good stuff out of the weekend. Overall it was pretty good. There are things I would do differently, if I had them to do over. Such is life. But I’m making a list of the things that I need to change for me. And that will help me in the future. Not to mention having another additional 8 or so hours of sleep.
Its here! And the work really begins now. After lots of preparation, the weekend is here. We’ll be in Guntersville for the weekend, so I’ll be waaaaaaay out of pocket. The teenagers are great and will be pumped up for it. The parish has been absolutely fantastic about having us there and we are blessed to be able to be there. Pray for us all this weekend!
This Saturday is the overnight staff meeting. We’ll meet at the church where Happening is taking place and get the layout of the facility straight. The kids on staff will finish the preparations there at the church and have some training on small group facilitating, and their job roles for staff. The folks giving talks will work with the priests on their talks to make sure that they have the tools they need to make their talk their own.
It is now time to get a plan for that meeting, to make sure everything we need to do gets done! The youth who is the leader of the weekend and I are meeting tomorrow night to make sure we have everything in line that we need.
I’ve been working on stuff for the Happening web site. We’re getting a domain, and will have a small site to have the applications for happeners and staff. But it needs to be tested before anything is published. And I need to get the photos I have uploaded. Whee! There are also a few minor technical details such as who should be listed on the contacts, and what phone numbers need to be published, and stuff like that. Everyone’s favorite adminstrivia, right?
Well, the first staff meeting is done, and I’ve had a chance to sit down and make a few notes. The rector did a good job. The observing rector will do a good job too. I need to sit down with the rector and we need to put together a good agenda and checklist of things to accomplish for the next staff meeting. List sof the staff need to go out, and we need to promote it to the folks who are able to go through. But Yay, the first staff meeting is done!
I just got in tonight after spending a couple of hours putting together a Big Sis’s handbook for me. I also picked up some snack stuff for tomorrow’s staff meeting. Earlier today we got the second musician for the weekend confirmed. Tomorrow is that first staff meeting!
I will be glad when the meeting is over. I still have to visit the church in Guntersville and see what they need of us. November’s big sis is bringing the crate up with other administrative stuff, and I’m beginning to feel halfway comfortable with the Big Sis’s role. Maybe I’ll start to get better rest at night now. I’ve been sleeping very poorly lately. Its anxiety, I know. I want this Happening to go well. And with it being a landmark number, Alabama Happening #50, it gives the retreat more attention. Just what I wanted, more attention on the first time I am in charge.
Well, the organizational stuff continues apace for Happening 50. Its the youth retreat that I talked about before. We’ve got the youth staff pretty well set. One musician is set, one is up in the air. Its time to look at roles and talk assignments; gophers and group leaders. Both are so important. The group leaders get to stay with the small groups and lead their discussions, but the gophers are the glue that holds the weekend together. Without the gophers and their work, nothing would happen.
Now I’m the Big Sis for the weekend. What that means is that the buck stops here. I’m the responsible adult(!?!) with a church full off teenagers. Of course half of those teens are the ones who are doing the work of the weekend, so it isn’t as nuts as it could be. The first staff face to faces meeting is this Saturday afternoon. We’ll get the talks assigned to the kids and get some of the paperwork out of the way.
So please keep us all in your prayers for Saturday, and through the first weekend of March. Its going to be fun!
I’m coordinating a youth retreat in March for our church diocese. The retreat is called Happening. It takes place 3 times a year and takes place at different parishes across the diocese. The teenagers are the ones who do the majority of the work. They give the major talks during the weekend. They lead small group discussions, and are the ones who minister to their peers. Its a powerful experience of God’s unconditional love and it is humbling to watch the teens. Now its time to assemble the staff and assign roles and talks. And this is daunting to me. I’m keeping a prayerfull attitude to all the assignments of roles and talks.
Epiphany is in 4 days. The choir I’m a part of at church is singing this Sunday. So what are we singing? We Three Kings. It’s liturgically correct, and we already do know the tune and most of the words. 
Tomorrow?
OK, I guess.
Let me back up. My Mom directs weddings occasionally. She’s got a good bit of experience working with people of all ages and pursuading them to co-operate and do what needs to be done, but in a pleasant manner. So a young lady at our church is getting married tomorrow, and had set it up with the priest that Mom would direct the wedding. But she never called Mom to verify it or talk about what she wanted and needed. So yesterday Mom called her to see if she was actually directing the wedding, or just not wanted.
Yes, the wedding is at 11:00AM. Yes, the bridesmaids know to be there at 8:00AM. Yes, the photographer is going to be there at 8:30 to start photos.Yes, her brother is picking up the flowers for the wedding. Does he know that the flowers need to be there in time for photos? She didn’t think about that. Did she want acolytes for the service? She didn’t think about that. If the wedding party has to be there at 8:00 AM, they’ll need something to snack on so they won’t pass out up at the altar during the service. Didn’t think of that either. Are there going to be lay eucharistic ministers for communion during the service? Forgot that too. She and her husband have gone through counseling with the priest, and have gotten a lot of other things lined up. But if she had talked to Mom earlier, she wouldn’t be quite so frazzled now.
So I get a call yesterday to be an acolyte during the service. No problem. I’m not committed elsewhere on Saturday. I was given the time for the rehearsal, and showed up tonight. As we are in the middle of the rehearsal, we get to the point where prayers are read after the vows, and the priest asks if the bride has someone to read them. She doesn’t and so the priest suggests me. He asks me if I want to, and I say it is up to the bride. She oks it, so now I’m reading those prayers. And we start to get to the eucharist portion of the service, and I ask about lay eucharistic ministers. Now, I’m licensed to be a LEM, and since I’m already up at the altar, guess who’s the LEM? You have 3, and the first 2 don’t count. snicker. So I get to be at church in the morning at 10:00AM. Whee!
