Well Done, Renovators!

I thought our first attempt at a have-more-fun-and-get-more-done collective gathering went really well. After a great meal that included curried chick peas, burritos, and QD Death By Chocolate ice cream, Dan introduced our new meeting philosophy and we broke into teams and dug right in and got to work.

And we really got a lot done:

We passed out flyers for the BBQ and the Easter Sunday service to the entire ABC neighbor and some across Penn.

We scrubbed all the cement splatters off the walls in the “sanctuary.”

We picked up and unloaded 8 new round 8-top tables (just in time for Easter!).

And we got food assignments for Saturday’s BBQ squared away.

Nice job, everyone. I know I had a lot more fun.

Bringing the Party Back: Re-Envisioning Collective Meetings

One of the things about piloting something is that you are learning as you go, so you have learn from your mistakes and re-tool things along the way. As the old metaphor goes, it’s like changing the tires on a bus while its moving down the road.

As Collective leaders, Dan and I have had some conversations about how our all-collective meetings have lost the celebratory and social vibe they had at the outset of this experiment, and we’d really like to re-capture some of that energy. The role we want the Wednesday evening gatherings to play in the life of the collective is to solidify the group, celebrate what God is accomplishing through the collective, and motivate us all to continue to pursue the collective’s mission. They should add energy to your life, not drain it. They should be something you look forward to. They should be something you want to invite other people to.

In hopes of making our collective gatherings that kind of space, we want to rethink one of the premises that we started out with: the idea that those gatherings would not be good places for “doing stuff,” but would better serve as a place to plan, make decisions, and take care of “business” items. We’ve decided that we got that exactly backwards. (What tipped me off was at our last meeting when half the group got up in the middle of the business part of the meeting to go outside and start designing landscaping).

So starting this week, we’re going to stop trying to make decisions in that setting or to cover more than one or two business items. Instead, we will focus on building community with each other and actually doing stuff to accomplish our mission. We will have small projects ready to work on after dinner (landscaping, painting, flyering & meeting neighbors) and celebrate things that folks have accomplished outside of those gatherings. We will make it more of a party-with-a-purpose and less of a committee-meeting-with-too-many-members.

So come Wednesday at 6:15, and come ready to party. We’re also going to have some projects ready to work on and flyers for the BBQ (March 31) ready to be distributed to neighbors.

Neighborhood Potluck Brunch

The Renovation Collective will be hosting a potluck brunch this Saturday at 11am at the firehouse (230 Bingham St.). The purpose of the event is 3-fold:

-to enjoy some food and fellowship together,

-to connect with neighbors and friends who are not yet connected to Blacksoil

-to hear from ABC neighbors about how the firehouse can be used to bless the neighborhood.

In other words, this event is not primarily for Blacksoilers, it is to make friends and listen to them. So if you’re coming please invite someone. Dan and I spent some time talking with neighbors and inviting them yesterday, but there is still a lot  of ground to cover, so if anyone is interested in flyering or inviting ABC neighbors, talk to one of us.

New Lights and Band Meeting Set

Local electrician, Todd Meredith, finished installing new lighting in the big room at the firehouse. It looks great!

Also, Brother Barton’s Traveling Salvation Show will be meeting on February 24th at 7pm at the Firehouse. If you are a musician or artist and would like to participate or help design the program, please come. For more info, or if you know of a church or local community organization that might be interested in hosting a show, please contact Joshua Barton.

Celebrate!

At least one person is as happy about the new floor as Jeremy.

Dusters Needed Tonight

Renovators, the whole floor process has coated the inside of the firehouse (like every square inch of it) with a thin layer of dust. Dan and I will be there tonight at 7pm to wipe everything down, so we can have a breathable space in time for worship tomorrow night. If anyone can come and help, many hands will make light work. I imagine a crew of 5 or 6 could get it done in less than an hour.

If you have a bucket or rags, bring them along.

Concrete Love

 

I never imagined I could have so much affection for a concrete slab. I almost got a sleeping bag and spent the night next to it. I promise, this is the last floor picture. Probably.

What Happened Last Night

Last night, the Schneiders and Jon Hunt were kind enough to host our semi-monthly collective meeting. Mostly we just ate dinner and enjoyed each others company. But we did cover the following “business”:

-Todd Meredith, the electrician will be in the firehouse on Saturday from 7am forward working on lighting

-Josh Barton is organizing a meeting for those interested in being part of a Traveling Blacksoil Music Team; if that’s you, please respond to the doodle poll at: http://www.doodle.com/nfkriq64gfrupi86

-Outdoor Sign update from Caitlin: she has called several sign companies for estimates on “channel letters,” vinyl window letters, and other options; will report back (w/ Andrea) at next meeting

-Korey sent a link to the John C. Lasko Foundation that provides grants for worship space (https://www.bankofamerica.com/philanthropic/foundation.action?fnId=8) Joy is going to research requirements, etc. report back to collective. Doors in sanctuary came up as something we might be able to use grant for

-We decided to have a neighborhood potluck instead of a workday this month for our monthly “mission activity.” Brunch on February 25th at 11am at the Firehouse.  Bring an idea what dish you want to bring to next collective meeting (Feb 22nd). This will be a chance to meet neighbors and to listen to their ideas for how the building can bless the neighborhood.

-Caitlin will make flyers for the potluck brunch by Saturday. Jeremy and Dan will go door-to-door to invite neighbors, anyone else who wants to do so is welcome.

-Bill is going to contact the Habitat Restore about taking the “cubbies” from the kids’ room.

-Note: No Dirty Hands Work Day on Sunday because of Goble Shower.  Will be rescheduled.  Immediate goals for DHT are to finish painting, kids room flooring and baseboard and clear out shower room.

The Floor is In!

 

Radiant Tubing Down!

Thanks Kim, Dereck, Thom, Chris, and Caitlin for tying down our radiant heat tubing. And thanks, Chris, for bringing the pizza.