1st Bletchley Amicus

Wow – things are a bit dusty around here. No updates for over a month: shocking! My degree is almost out of the way and then normal service will be resumed – honest.

This evening was the first night back after an eventful half term, including:

• an ‘intimate’ Ikea Breakfast (intimacy in terms of low numbers, nothing else)
• an enjoyable evening at Pizza Hut
• our first Amicus Wedding!

Congratulations to Simon and Nicci on their Wedding – hopefully the first of many Amicus Weddings (wink wink).  We welcomed Mr & Mrs Bradley back tonight after their honeymoon.  If you’ve been living under a stone for the last couple of weeks you may not have seen the photos, so here is a small selection to keep you going until the official photos are available (more here if you feel inclined):

So back to this evening, which was billed as an Origami Masterclass.  I’m pleased to say that Andrew didn’t disappoint.  He was very organised and remained well in control of the rabble most of the time (not an easy task).  He started by displaying some of his work and completely humbling us.  We were impressed by the ‘talking fish’, the ‘nodding dog’ and the ‘flapping bird’, but when the multi-coloured 3d star was produced we started to worry about what Andrew had in store for us.  Thankfully he treated us gently and we started with nodding dog and then moved on to the flapping bird.  One or two people struggled to follow the printed and verbal instructions – but then some struggled simply folding a square in half.  The evening featured lots of laughter and everyone enjoyed themselves.

Sarah Putman stepped into her brother’s shoes to lead devotions (because David was apparently revising for his exams – specifically ‘NBA Live 09′ apparently).  Despite being assured that she didn’t need to link devotions with the activity for the evening, she made a great connection between following the written and verbal instructions for the origami, and living up to the Lord’s instructions for our lives as Christians.

We closed the evening with the usual warm-up game of French Cricket and a rare footie match.

Reminder: Camp Deposits are now well over-due – and the balance is due in a few weeks time.  Please pay up as you’re holding up the admin process.

Next Week: Games (see calendar for more info)

The scene was set this evening for gorging on Pizza whilst reviewing the planning, practicalities and execution of the Promise Auction.  We had a good turn out of personnel, and bags full of shopping, and everything was in place (even access to the kitchen [gasp!].  The evening almost turned into a huge let-down when we discovered that the oven was ‘broken’.  After some profuse sweating, a quick panic, alternative plans, and a look of desperation on the faces of those who’d had no dinner, a sudden flash of inspiration resulted in a quick twiddle of the timer controls and all was well.  Twenty minutes later the pizza was ready to be consumed and Chris had returned with the chips.

We had a full and frank discussion of the entire Promise Auction planning process and the event itself.  Lots of useful feedback which we’ll file away for the next time we hold the event (not for a couple of years).  A full update of the event, including photos and video clips, will follow in due course, but we must pass on our thanks…

• to everyone who made a promise
• to everyone supported us on the night
• to everyone who made a bid (whether successful or not)

Although attendance on the night was a little disappointing, and a few lots didn’t sell, we’re delighted to reveal the total so far:

Your special treat for reading this far is a fantastic time-wasting website, Ball Droppings.  It may surprise you to know that it has nothing to do the adolescent boys, but it does come with the following instructions:

Turn your sound up. Draw lines on the black screen to bounce the balls. Enjoy the music.

Next Week: practice for the GB District Parade Service.

Sorry about the lack of updates for the last couple of weeks, but I’ve been trapped in my study writing my dissertation.  I appreciate your patience…

Last night we had a very successful final planning session for the Promise Auction, and even managed to record another classic video for the event.  It don’t want to speak too soon, but it looks like we’ve managed to jump over every hurdle and through every hoop (however pointless some might seem) and we’re almost there.  Rest well, you’ll need your stamina for Saturday!

If you weren’t there, you not only missed a classic quote from Simon (one we can’t publish on the website) but you missed out on some very exciting news too – now you’ll have to wait until Saturday {smirk}.  Once we’d finished the formal part of the evening we made our way through the ‘mist of sulking’ outside the multimedia room and headed to the Youth Hall.

I thought I’d leave you with three videos to make up for the lack of updates recently.

Typical Teenager? Ask your parents what they think ;o)

Parkour on a bike – simply amazing!!

Finally, a poem by John Goode entitled ‘My God‘:

Whilst watching this and thinking about the Promise Auction, these words really stuck out for me:

this is my God

the same God that I prayed to on my knees
spoke to Joseph in his dreams
parted the Red sea
raised Elijah among the stars
and lately I’ve been thanking them
for life’s hard times
because it’s in those times
that my lessons come
that my blessings come
I have a little more than a few
and a little less than some
but anything I have comes from nothing I’ve done

This Saturday: meet at the Church from 10am to set-up for the Promise Auction – dress code for the evening (not the day) is dark trousers or jeans, and we’ll provide a brightly coloured t-shirt.

Next Week: Pizza & Promise Auction Review

The Catalogue of Lots for the 2009 Promise Auction is now available for you to download (820k PDF).  There will be some surprise lots available on the night – so if the promise you’ve made isn’t in the catalogue, fear not.

Printed copies will be available at Spurgeon Baptist Church on Sunday morning, and a limited number will be available on the night.

Please see if there’s anything you can do to help…

Come along and bid generously – or just enjoy the evening!