Have I mentioned that I work for a church? At least once, but that was a long time ago. I do. I am the publications person for a Lutheran church. You may think, ha ha, she puts together the little newsletter for a church, how lame is that. I assure you, it is much more than putting together a simple little newsletter. The fact that our church employs an actual person to create publications is almost a miracle. Most churches utilize the services of their parish secretary and volunteers to communicate church information to the public. In addition to the 24 page newsletter I create all of the brochures for the church, the annual ministry book, assemble the annual report and help out with other printed materials the church sees fit to produce. I built and manage the website, I fix the computers when they break. I serve on the Outreach team and the Tech team. Supposedly I do this all in 20 hours a month. Yeah right.
I don’t complain because I like my job. Sure, I would love more money, but at this point I have a job and one that is potentially expendable so I thank the Lord every day and do my work.
When I started out in careerdom I had no intention of working for a church. The trusty MIL was a music director and parish administrator for many years. She worked her butt off. Church work is hard. However, in the 5 years that I’ve been working for a church I’ve really come to like it. It probably helps that I work for a church with an awesome staff and equally cool congregation.
In my roll of publications I have the unique perspective of outreach. Most of the staff at a church is very focused on the congregation and what they need. Youth directors focus on the church’s youth. Music directors plan and execute music for services and special events. Pastors… well pastors are pastors. They preach, provide pastoral care and do other pastory things. The parish secretary keeps everyone in line. My job is to communicate the mission of the church to everyone. This includes the congregation and the public at large. I am here to tell you one thing. Church marketing sucks.
In fact, there is a whole website called just that. It’s not just a clever name. It’s true. I could go on and on about church marketing and it’s suckitude. Don’t get me wrong, some churches get it right, but most of them don’t.
Our parish secretary’s husband works for an organization that consults on capital campaigns (large church fundraisers). He visits churches all over the US and brings back publications for all of the churches he visits. If he finds one that is particularly good he emails me a link to their website. Otherwise he passes all of the material to me so I can see what other churches are doing. It is terrible. Because church marketing sucks.
Remember how I told you that I had a few ideas of what I want to do in life? This happens to be one of them. Churches need to step up and realize that it is ok to be professional in your approach to outreach. They need to know that the material they put out is not just for the congregation, but for everyone who passes through their doors. It’s a tall order.
Because frankly, this is funny… because it’s true.
I want to thank everyone for not egging my house while I was out of town. To be honest you might have, but I was so tired last night when we got home I didn’t even check. We were gone from 4:00 a.m. Saturday morning until 11:00 p.m. Monday night and it felt like the longest 3 days of my life. I say that in a good way. I didn’t want to come home. In fact, my return home feels rather cheap and empty. However, I’ve come home with purpose along with validation.
It is difficult to sum up my experiences at Holden Village and Let Justice Roll. What I will say is that it is the best youth event I’ve ever been to. I am a much better person for having gone.
So first some words about Holden.
Holden Village is in a secluded part of the Cascade Mountains. It takes nearly 1/2 a day to get there and it is only in Washington State.
The blue is the car, the green is the boat and the red is the bus.
We left our house at 4:00 a.m. and left Tacoma around 4:30 a.m. First we had to drive to Lake Chelan State Park to the Field’s Point Landing for the Lady of the Lake. We cut it mighty close. Our breakfast stop in Wenatchee ran a little long and we basically busted ass up the hill to get to the boat on time*. Once we boarded the boat we took our seats outside to enjoy the 2 hour boat ride up the lake**. I snapped a number of photos however, I was using a wide angle lens and that particular lens is in need of replacement so many of my photos are terribly washed out. After the sunburny journey up the lake we then boarded a bus for a trip aptly named “the bus ride of certain death.” You see, you travel up 2000 vertical feet in an old school bus. The first 1000 feet are via treacherous switchbacks, but with a remarkable view.
We arrived in the village on a sunny afternoon and were greeted by guests and village residents. We were treated to a wonderful lunch of salad and creamy broccoli soup and delicious bread. What a wonderful start to the weekend.
I have so many words to say about Holden Village. It is an amazing place. The people are so warm and welcoming. The surroundings are breathtaking and the peace you feel the minute you step off of the bus is unimaginable. It is like stepping into a whole different universe. It is like time stopped. 2 hours can feel like 2 days, in a good way. You live so in the moment that you forget that there is a busy world down the mountain. This place allows you to forget.
However, our mission in Holden was to not forget.
As I mentioned before we went for a youth event called Let Justice Roll. Equally amazing as Holden itself. This little event is put on by Trinity Lutheran College in Everett, WA. It’s main leader is someone that the trusty husband has known for 21 years. He is a man passionate about youth ministry. He is also passionate about social justice issues in the world today. The purpose of the event was to bring together youth from the area to discuss social justice. Sounds simple right? I assure you it was anything but.
We were graced with the presence of Pastor George Johnson. George was formerly the Director of the Hunger Program for The American Lutheran Church. George taught the youth about social justice focusing primarily on the difference between charity and justice. Every participant of the event walked away with a deeper understanding of social justice in the world. My hope is that fire will burn bright and be a path for change.
While at the event we were given a large amount of free time on Sunday afternoon. The trusty husband, myself, my girls and a few other leaders took a short hike up the mountain to sit on some chairs, take in the view and have fun and serious conversations. I was able to snap a few photos of the views.
Holden sits in the shadow of an old copper mine.
I have more to share on the subject, or I should say on life in general. The point of the matter is I had a wonderful time, I didn’t want to come home and my life has been changed forever.
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*there is only 1 boat a day to the Village
** Lake Chelan is 55 miles long and the Lucerne landing is about 1/2 way up the lake.
This weekend I’m spending a whole 3 nights away from my child. We’ve been planning this trip for a long time and the boy has known about it for a few weeks. All week long he has happily told his teachers 3-2-1 more sleep until I get to stay at Grammy & Papa’s for 4 sleeps*. All week he’s been pretending he’s excited about the idea of staying 3 nights at his grandparent’s. In reality he’s scared shitless. At almost 5 years old my child is finally going through separation anxiety. This is a good and a bad thing. Great because it is showing us that his attachment is pretty secure. Bad, because it makes going away very difficult.
This morning the trusty husband went into the boy’s room to get him and as soon as Derek walked in the door the boy started crying, “I don’t want you to go away for 4 nights.” Heartbreaking. He will be fine while we are gone, but will cry and be a poo when we get back. He takes his anger out in extreme defiance. Every last thing will be a monumental fight. I could ask him to go get himself a cookie out of the pantry and it will be screaming and gnashing of teeth.
I’m trying to prepare myself for it, but at the same time trying to stay positive and think that this time it might be different. Every time we go away it is an opportunity for him to learn that we do come back. This is the last hold out on the major PI issues the boy still faces. It’s a rough one.
All the separation anxiety aside, we are going somewhere pretty cool. We are taking 2 high school girls to Holden Village in Lucerne, WA for an event called Let Justice Roll. It is a Lutheran Retreat Center 1/2 way up Lake Chelan. The only way to get there is by a 2 hour boat ride and then a bus ride up the mountain. There are no phones, TV, internet or cell reception. There is just you, God and a bunch of teenagers. Crazy as I am, I’m looking forward to it.
You see… I’ve never been to Holden. Around here if you tell someone in the Lutheran community that you’ve never been to Holden they think you are crazy. Holden Village hosts youth weekends every year in May. Most people go as a youth. Others go as a youth group leader and others go just to go. I have been a youth group leader for almost 10 years now and I have never been. Just like I’ve never been to a National Youth Gathering, but that’s a different story. This is my opportunity to see this awesome place everyone talks about. I’m very excited.
We are praying for good weather, but it is the Northwest and you never know. There will be many photos and I’ll share them with you when I get back.
Until then I will share with you the taste test list so at least you’ll start putting Sweet Hope buttons on your sites. Curry, Lavender-Vanilla, Key Lime, Mint Julep, Cherry, Chai, Amaretto, Orange-Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter. No, there are no more taste test boxes left.
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*his math isn’t poor. He’s at his grandparents for 3 night and then we come home late the last night where he’ll be in his own bed
Aren’t I all fancy. Two posts in less than 24 hours. I must be feeling better. Either that or it’s Thursday and time for You Capture. I thought about going all lazy on you and bagging it this week since I have taken approximately 6 photos in the last week. But that wouldn’t be very sporting of me. I thought about pulling something out of the archives (because you know I have lots of those), but again where’s the fun in that.
The theme of the week is expression. You would think that would be easy with my child. Just snap a photo of him making a dumb face. I took one of those actually. However, I thought it better to think outside of the box. Whereas my box includes me still being slightly sick and in my housecoat (ie, things inside of my house).
I have a huge expression all over my house. It happens to be my favorite collectible. I collect crosses. I have an entire wall in my laundry room of crosses. They are in (almost) every room of the house and on the house. It isn’t so much because I’m a Bible toting Christian, but because it is one tangible expression of my faith. That and a constant reminder. I need those.
These happen to be a collection of crosses my MIL gave me a few years ago. I believe she purchased them at a craft store and put the mat and frame together. The boy loves to count them over and over. They are just outside of my kitchen so I can see them while I’m cooking. Of my entire collection they are some of my favorites.
The first is how I shot it off of the camera. If you want the specs on it I shot it in macro mode of my camera and the settings ended up being f/4.5, 1/10, ISO 400. It was also shot in RAW mode.
I then got my hands on it in Photoshop (rather Camera Raw). I upped the exposure +1.35, increased the brightness +50, and the saturation +43. I upped the highlights +29 and increased the blues +23. I put a huge vignette on it and called it good.
What did you capture?
If you happen to remember your basic Sunday School lessons Jesus and Noah did not live in the same time period. Jesus wasn’t there when Noah was instructed to build a giant boat and herd animals onto it two by two. Although, if they were to do it again on say… Easter Sunday both would certainly be present. Now at this moment you are thinking, “yep, she’s finally crossed over the edge from slightly sane to full blown crazy.” It is possible that you would be right. I’m pretty sure this is what happens when you decide to remodel your kitchen in 10 days. I don’t suggest anyone ever does that by the way.
We finished the lightening fast kitchen remodel on Saturday. Technically it was done on Friday, but we had to put all of the appliances back in and once again we were faced with fitting a 31 1/2″ refrigerator through a 29 1/2″ door opening. Along with the fact that this time we didn’t have a Sears installation monkey to hook up our stove. That took two trips to the mega home improvement store. We fell on the couch Saturday night exhausted. We were happy that we only had to get up at 6:45 the next morning for church instead of the usual 5:00 a.m. on Easter Sunday. Church is under construction so no Easter Breakfast.
Trouble is, we haven’t been to church (in our own church) since September. At this point we are beginning to qualify as a C&E*. Why haven’t we been to church in so long? One reason is that the service we like is at 8:30 in the morning. Meaning we have to get up at 6:45 on our God given day off. And frankly that’s early. We were blessed with a child that actually likes to sleep in so why not take advantage of it? The second reason is that the boy is a bit of a crier when it comes to church. For a year and a half church wasn’t so bad. Then last year we attended Holy Week services and in the middle of it the child started crying. Same thing happened last Easter and any subsequent time we tried to take him to church. We tried putting him in the nursery, but the nursery attendant changed and he cried there too. So basically, we spent our time on Sunday mornings eating donuts and drinking (bad Lutheran) coffee in the fellowship hall. We figured we could do that from home and still sleep in. So we stopped going. We attended service on Christmas at the trusty in-law’s church and that went ok. I am determined to go back to church so we prepared the child. We took a quiet, but busy bag and held him a lot and covered his ears every time music played (his issue is with the volume of the music and all of the people singing). Miraculously, the child did fine. It wasn’t until the very last hymn that I could see it. If that service had gone on any longer my child would have lost his shit right then and there. He didn’t, we praised him and a fine Easter was had by all.
That was until Noah stepped in.
The trusty husband and I were sitting on the couch (again) watching the BBC and I could hear the strangest noise. Kind of like something dripping. Only it wasn’t coming from in our fancy new kitchen. It was coming from behind our heads. Derek refused to admit that he heard anything until he went to investigate and came up with water on the sleeve of his shirt. AH HA! I’m not crazy. A trip into the attic revealed water running down a rafter and finding the hole that the surround sound speaker is screwed into. Lovely.
We ended up spending part of our Easter Sunday on the roof in the pouring rain nailing a blue tarp down to stop the leak. Good times. Good spendy times. Because this emphasizes the fact that we need a new roof on the house and sadly, it can’t wait until this summer like we originally planned. And to make matters worse, it’s April and well… it doesn’t stop raining here in April (or May, or June).
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*aka Christmas and Easter attendee
