August 2009 Archives

How would you describe All Souls to someone who's thinking of coming along?

That's the question we set in the survey. Some ninety responses later and I'm scratching my head to know how to communicate the results...

But try this:
It's a wordle - from a terrifyingly addictive website, where you simply enter your text (you can put anything into it - "War and Peace", the lyrics of U2...), it strips out common words (like "and" or "it"), counts the rest and assigns size according to popularity.

The more popular the term, the bigger the word is shown.

And I haven't touched the data before entering it, apart from the obvious stuff: removing "All Souls", taking out people's names and (in just one instance) a rather misleading word (someone wrote "not boring", so wordle just selected "boring"!!)...

Every single survey response went into the pot.

It's the image that's going to be on the front of postcards dropping through the letter box of every house in the area during the week leading up to September 6th - and they'll be available to take away as invitations from church too.

God's good - this isn't down to us, it's what He's been doing here... and there's plenty more to come!

Heard about this at New Wine - no idea if it'll take off, but it sounds like a simple idea that has plenty of potential for building community.

StreetBank allows you to offer three things - a skill, an item for lending and/or something you'd be up for giving away.

You put in your email address and your postcode and the website links you up with anyone else in your area looking for what you've got to offer... and vice-versa.

Hardest part in getting a site like this going - hitting that critical mass where most of your street are on it.

Worth a try though....

Definitely the best image for New Wine - in fact wondering with the cartoonist (from the ASBO Jesus site) should tender for this to be their new logo?

Six households from All Souls headed off for a week at the Christian festival/conference/holiday (never quite sure which description fits best - perhaps a bit of each?) - the photos are online here...

We all came back having had a fantastic week - inspite of the torrential rain, mud and (it has to be said) somewhat variable quality of speakers/input!

I always have mixed feelings recommending New Wine - the conditions are pretty basic (though they improve every year), the teaching input is wildly unpredictable (though this year it was a pleasure to have Mike Breen leading the morning input in Venue 2) and the seminar programme always seems to promise far more than it delivers...

...and yet there's nothing quite like it! Camping together brings out the best in people and friendships are made and deepened in a way it would be hard to imagine happening in many other contexts. The sung worship is often electrifying, prayer ministry plentiful and powerful and the 'after hours' events with music, food and entertainment enormous fun.

Most of all, from our perspective at least, the children's work is of a quality and depth that you'd be hard-pushed to better. The majority of "New Wine regulars" that I know say that the primary reason they go back year after year is the positive impact it has on their children's faith - they find themselves part of something much bigger than just their home church, they are bouyed up by a sense of confidence and joy and (above all else) this is children's work that actually expects God to show up - "it's not just about filling the time and keeping them happy".

Looking round those of us who went, it was very clear God was at work - some specific prayers answered, faith deepened and children encouraged. Great stuff!

Coming with us next year?