A list of recent events:
Jennifer (Katy's sister) got married this last weekend
We saw Star Wars on the UltraScreen.
Youth group has ended for the school year (with a whopping zero students at the last youth group)
Katy's confirmation class ended for the school year.
The contemporary service ends this Sunday for the summer.
We moved out of our office at work (and will not have a new office until November when the building project is completed).
We were accepted for a new apartment 2 blocks away from our current apartment (and will move in during July).
We finally picked our wedding photos (so we should get those a couple of months after our 1-year anniversary).
We have a 4th-12th Grade Family BBQ tonight that no one has signed up for (so we may be the only ones there).
We found a Felicity Senior Season at Best Buy accidentally marked at 50% off (and, of course, bought it at that price).
We had multiple encouraging conversations with people in ministry, people who understand the ministry, and people who just care.
That's all I can think of for now, but this is more of a excuse to myself for not blogging more often.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
PB & J
Snail jelly. Lots of it. That's what snail eggs are called. We thought there was just the one on the glass, and we knew there was going to be one more. We now have four snail jellies on the glass. Our favorite snail jelly is the one that was laid on the biggest snail's shell. So, five snail jellies at what looks like thirty eggs per jelly means, yep, 150 more snails.
Of all the stupid things we've done in this fish tank, the stupidest was probably getting five snails. We'll see.
Of all the stupid things we've done in this fish tank, the stupidest was probably getting five snails. We'll see.
Friday, May 06, 2005
Hermaphrodites on Parade
We are soon going to have way more than 5 snails.
There is already one section of eggs stuck to the glass in the aquarium from this morning. Then, for about two hours today, two of our snails were having sex. It was mesmerizing. Is there something wrong with that?
I don't want hundreds of snails, only the few we have. Katy wants hundreds. Why wasn't THAT question on the PREPARE test?
There is already one section of eggs stuck to the glass in the aquarium from this morning. Then, for about two hours today, two of our snails were having sex. It was mesmerizing. Is there something wrong with that?
I don't want hundreds of snails, only the few we have. Katy wants hundreds. Why wasn't THAT question on the PREPARE test?
Audience of One
There is a popular phrase nowadays in Christianity: "Audience of One." Our youth ministry has a whole new understanding of what it means to "serve an audience of One."
Four out of the last five weeks, we have had one student at youth group (can it even be called youth *group* anymore?). It is incredibly difficult to plan a youth group when you only plan on one student. How do you plan games for one student? How do you get past the awkwardness of leading worship when the student is outnumbered 2:1 by leaders? How do you do a teaching lesson without it being a personal tutoring/lecture? How do you lead a discussion lesson with one student (with some of our students, it is not difficult to have a discussion; with others, its a tedious battle)?
In light of our current ministry situation...
Top 5 reasons 6 of our 7 regularly attending students aren't regularly attending:
5. Youth group is lame. For one of our students, youth group is probably not the most enjoyable gatherings in the world. He came for about two months when we started, but in most areas of life, he is just in a different place than our other students. We are finding ways to minister to him outside of youth group.
4. Sports. While this is the #1 excuse given, sporting events only occasionally overlap youth group. While sports are a valid excuse when true, the actual reason is usually something from reasons 1-3.
3. Lack of commitment from parents. While some parents care about their students being in youth group more than the students do, many parents simply see youth group as one more thing to take their students to, one more thing to take up the parents' time with driving. Maybe another sub-reason in this category would be forgetfulness, but then the onus falls onto the students.
2. Lack of transportation. This is actually a sub-reason for both #1 and #3. There is always transportation if someone cares to find it. The difficulty of this specific church is the 7 students all live opposite directions from most everyone else. There are three groupings of two families each in different directions. Some faimilies just don't understand the concept of carpooling. Some families are so commited to carpooling that, if the other family can't go some week, the family that could go doesn't. Even so, if it weren't for a lack of commitment, transportation could be found.
1. Lack of commitment from students. Students who come to youth group complain that the other students aren't there, yet the students who come won't commit to reminding or bringing other students. Some students struggle to commit to anything, as can be seen in their sporadic attendance at other events to which they have commited. Homework can always be pushed back an hour. Chores can be done before youth group. TV shows can be taped/tivo-ed. Friends can come with you to youth group.
At any youth group, missing six students in one week is typical. But when the youth group is only 7 students, 6 students gone is 85% of the youth group.
However, we are incredibly thankful that God has provided at least one student every week; we have never had a week with no students.
Four out of the last five weeks, we have had one student at youth group (can it even be called youth *group* anymore?). It is incredibly difficult to plan a youth group when you only plan on one student. How do you plan games for one student? How do you get past the awkwardness of leading worship when the student is outnumbered 2:1 by leaders? How do you do a teaching lesson without it being a personal tutoring/lecture? How do you lead a discussion lesson with one student (with some of our students, it is not difficult to have a discussion; with others, its a tedious battle)?
In light of our current ministry situation...
Top 5 reasons 6 of our 7 regularly attending students aren't regularly attending:
5. Youth group is lame. For one of our students, youth group is probably not the most enjoyable gatherings in the world. He came for about two months when we started, but in most areas of life, he is just in a different place than our other students. We are finding ways to minister to him outside of youth group.
4. Sports. While this is the #1 excuse given, sporting events only occasionally overlap youth group. While sports are a valid excuse when true, the actual reason is usually something from reasons 1-3.
3. Lack of commitment from parents. While some parents care about their students being in youth group more than the students do, many parents simply see youth group as one more thing to take their students to, one more thing to take up the parents' time with driving. Maybe another sub-reason in this category would be forgetfulness, but then the onus falls onto the students.
2. Lack of transportation. This is actually a sub-reason for both #1 and #3. There is always transportation if someone cares to find it. The difficulty of this specific church is the 7 students all live opposite directions from most everyone else. There are three groupings of two families each in different directions. Some faimilies just don't understand the concept of carpooling. Some families are so commited to carpooling that, if the other family can't go some week, the family that could go doesn't. Even so, if it weren't for a lack of commitment, transportation could be found.
1. Lack of commitment from students. Students who come to youth group complain that the other students aren't there, yet the students who come won't commit to reminding or bringing other students. Some students struggle to commit to anything, as can be seen in their sporadic attendance at other events to which they have commited. Homework can always be pushed back an hour. Chores can be done before youth group. TV shows can be taped/tivo-ed. Friends can come with you to youth group.
At any youth group, missing six students in one week is typical. But when the youth group is only 7 students, 6 students gone is 85% of the youth group.
However, we are incredibly thankful that God has provided at least one student every week; we have never had a week with no students.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Community
After spending over an hour talking to a worker at the pet store, I've made a few new purchases for the fish tank. What was so great about the guy I talked to is that, unlike one of the other guys in the store, he wanted to actually help me, even if that meant I didn't buy the most expensive things or even shopped elsewhere. He even told me not to buy any of the plants they were selling. He is a freshwater planted aquarium hobbyist (which is also what I am trying to do) and he just works at the store very part-time to get some cheaper deals to feed his addiction.
Without much further ado:
We have two new Otocinculus affinis catfish (the same fish as Jackhammer). We can't tell the difference anymore, but they are so much more interesting as a school than as an individual.
We also have five snails. Two snails are about 5 mm long and have almost semi-spherical shells. There are also three ramshorn shell snails in varying sizes; about .75 cm, 1.25 cm, and 2 cm.
We have also put much thought into when and how we will upgrade our aquarium(s). I'll probably have it narrowed down to exactly what we want by, oh, the beginning of next month...
Without much further ado:
We have two new Otocinculus affinis catfish (the same fish as Jackhammer). We can't tell the difference anymore, but they are so much more interesting as a school than as an individual.
We also have five snails. Two snails are about 5 mm long and have almost semi-spherical shells. There are also three ramshorn shell snails in varying sizes; about .75 cm, 1.25 cm, and 2 cm.
We have also put much thought into when and how we will upgrade our aquarium(s). I'll probably have it narrowed down to exactly what we want by, oh, the beginning of next month...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)