January 2012 news
We had 6 for last week's meeting, our first of 2012.
The Pot Luck was great as usual, with an emphasis on vegetables and a lack of desserts! Is that a sign we're all suffering from post-holiday-food-fears? (and will my comments cause a backlash of all desserts for our February meeting?)
Here's what happened at the meeting:
Storyteller's Workshop:
- I've submitted a proposal to do a Storytelling workshop at the next UCC Association gathering, so I picked the group's collective brains on what should/could be included in a 90-minute workshop. My notes are in an attached file.
Business and Planning
- update on the Jail Ministry project
Tom and Amelia are still in contact with people from the Montgomery County Jail, but no visits are scheduled yet.
One of the groups Tom & Amelia have already talked to is the Horizon Prison Ministry , and they have some interesting programs running or in the works.
One existing program puts selected prisoners in a separate dorm for a year and teaches them spiritual growth, faith, and conflict resolution. At the end of the year, most of the inmates return to the general prison population to practice and teach what they have learned, while a few remain to be mentors for the next year's participants.
A potential program is Seminary Behind Bars, which would be modeled after a program in New York, which has the NY Theological School working with Sing Sing inmates to earn a Master of Professional Studies.
So, while we don't have any immediate action plans, Tom and Amelia are making good contacts and getting an understanding of the possibilities for storytelling in jails and prisons.
- planning for our May ensemble storytelling at Forest Chapel
We've started to flesh out this program, identifying stories about songs, stories that have been turned in to song, songs that show a religious theme.
The story list we came up with is in an attached file. We're still open for suggestions and most stories haven't been 'claimed' yet, so if you have ideas, send them to me.
We'll refine the program at our February and March meetings, then do some rehearsing at the April meeting, which is also at Forest Chapel.
- update on Story in a Box
I expected to do some technical experimentation on this over our holiday break, but...it didn't happen.
From our conversation at the meeting, seems the best approach will be to get something out even if the platform isn't everything we'd want it to be.
So I'll be setting up a Facebook Group for Story-in-a-Box. Watch for an announcement.
On a related note: Did you know that there's a strong "Network of Biblical Storytellers" group on Facebook?
It's a good way to see what other tellers are doing around the Network. You should think about joining.
- Guild finance report
Our current Treasury Balance is $61.64.
We need about $130 by August to cover the annual website fees. So, obviously, we need some income.
The Stories n Song program in May will be a 'split the pot' free will offering, so encourage your friends to come.
And of course, we're open to other money raising ideas or opportunities.
- Currents in Theology and Mission
The 2011 December issue of this scholarly journal published by the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, features articles about telling the Gospel of Mark, by many of our prominent and favorite NBS storytellers, including Tom, Dennis Dewey and Tracy Radosevic. It's available only be subscription, but you many be able to obtain a single issue from the school (www.lstc.edu) or at your local library. It's volume designation is "December 2011 Volume 38 Number 6".
On The CinDay Calendar:
February 23 - next CinDay Meeting, at Forest Chapel, UMC, Cincinnati
May 6, Sunday, "Music At 4: Story in Song", a CinDay ensemble storytelling with the Greenhills Strings, at Forest Chapel UMC
August 8-10, the 2012 Festival Gathering in North Carolina; keynote speaker is Phyllis Tickle
Joyce Orr
CinDay Guild
of the Network of Biblical Storytellers