All right, so it’s cold outside and most of us are hoping for summer, but not really thinking about it much yet. But some of us are! Specifically, we’re thinking about summer activities and what we as individuals and as a congregation might be involved in. It is looking like we will not be involved in the Business Expo this year, but your staff certainly thinks that the parade is a priority. It gives our community a “face” to put with the name, “Bethel.” It’s more than just the individual faces of people who are associated with and make up Bethel Church. But the parade is also a great way for us to show the community our personality.
In the past several years, we’ve used the parade as a way of advertising our Vacation Bible Schools and the Art Camp. That has been a great idea for us in the past. Now, however, the Art Camp registration is almost full by the time the parade happens. While advertising the Art Camp does still give the community a good picture of who we are, it only gives them a picture of one activity and the way that we go about that activity. With Art Camp floats, for example, we’ve given them a glimpse into one of our activities and the fun way that we pursue it. But there is so much more that makes up Bethel Church that people really need to know about.
So, we’re looking for help. What we would like to hear from you is, “How can our presence in the parade communicate that we are a congregation that strives to “connect people to God and to each other”? We (the staff) is thinking that if we do a really bang-up job on a float this year, we could simply re-use it every year. So, what do you think? What visual image communicates both “connecting people to God and to each other”? How could it be incorporated into a float? Who we could we have travel along with the float that would also communicate our vision? And what would those people be doing?
We’d love any input that you can give us and would receive it by whatever means you’d like to use to communicate with us. I personally would ask that you give a comment on my blog. That would also give you a chance to poke around on my portion of the website and offer suggestions on that as well. (By the way, I don’t know how it will show up in the email, but if you click on the word blog, it will take you to my blog.)
Yay! Great idea to be planning this far ahead, and very true that it is probably a good idea to switch the emphasis of the float from BAC to another characteristic of Bethel. Also, the sooner we get our church registered the closer we may be to the start of the parade, right? Could the walkers/riders still wear BAC t-shirts and scarves as a unifying effect,and as a way to remind people about BAC?
I think of Bethel as the friendship church – is there a way to illustrate this?
Just brainstorming: There is a song from the musical the ‘King and I’ called – “Getting to Know You”. Anyone familiar with it? James Taylor has a great, acoustic version of it. Is there a way to broadcast a continuos stream recording of it from the float, and work out some simple choreography using primarily hand movements? Hands wearing many different colored cotton gloves, maybe?
I love the idea, and the truth, of redemption. I think of Christ’s work on the cross as the true Redemption Center. Anyway to get that across visually in this postmodern age of recyle, reuse, save-the-earth thinking?
Since it is summer, and the Bethel Community Garden will presumably be going again (right Betsy and Richard and all the others who made it such a beautiful project last year?), can we have a garden themed float? “Come Grow With Us” Grow to know, love and serve the Lord; grow to know one another personally; grow a garden together?
Teri
PS John plans to make his trailer available again this year, if it suits.
I know this will be a big shock to you, but something came to mind while I was reading this!
The thought that came to my little brain was having 2 or even more people on the float talking with a bible in their hand! Really, what better way do we reach out then through conversations? The bible to me represents the number one person in our life and if we are having a conversation with someone who needs to be uplifted where do we turn for answers? In case you don’t know the answer it’s the BIBLE!!!!!
I think this would be fun and very cool!