Two weeks between talks - just enough time, in my opinion.
Last Thursday was the high point of our existence as a ministry that puts on events with a featured program.
- The upstairs room – the program room – was transformed (thanks to the second-hand tables and cheap lamps I got my hands on) into a cafe atmosphere.
- In what timing can only be labeled as serendipitous, the sound equipment we ordered arrived on the day of the event, and a student showed up almost simultaneously to help set it all up.
- With a professional tech and comfortable seating setup, we put up decorations related to the night’s topic: the houses and a mural of the photos we had collected from all the students – and all the internet submissions.
- Students speaking comprised 50% of the night’s program – talking about our successful bake sale for Haiti relief (we raised 250 Euros) and what the idea of “home” means.
- After the program, the evening went into full swing as an impromptu dance party started downstairs and a singing circle – complete with instruments students brought from home – started upstairs.
It was comfortable but mind-opening; engaging and thoughtful without being insistent upon itself or trying to sell any message; creative but accessible to everybody; and personally meaningful to people who have never had a place to connect in such a way. We are somewhere in the void between art show and worship service, and it’s not such a bad place to be.
Jesus was never mentioned, nor was God, but “love” was the focus of everybody who shared on Thursday – students and staff, Christian and non.
And now that we’ve got momentum, it’s time to ironically celebrate the end of the semester.