Archive for the 'Creative Arts' Category

Art Shop!

Published
by
Lauren Stichter
on November 17, 2008
in Community, Creative Arts, Dialogue and Resources
. 0 Comments

In 2005, Jenna Avellino and I decided to sell our art work (lanterns, handbags & home goods) at a craft show in Brooklyn. The cost; $150 for our spot plus gas, bridge tolls, and weekend stay expenses in NYC. Although we did pretty well as vendors, we talked about how it would be nice if we had a cheaper place to sell our goods, closer to home. We also knew that many of our friends were in the same predicament, and wouldn’t it be cool if there was a place for all of us to sell our work? Jenna and I knew that if we wanted this kind of thing to happen, we would have to do something about it. This is when we came up with the idea for Art Shop.

On our ride home from Brooklyn, Jenna and I brainstormed our ideas. Art Shop could be more than just a way for us and our closest friends to sell our work; it could be a part of Circle of Hope’s community development and a way for us to connect with our neighbors. Jenna and I also agreed that she and I should not make any money off of running Art Shop, and that we should instead find a need within our community to give to.

The first year we offered about 18 spots, in Circle of Hope Frankford & Norris’s tiny little upstairs PM space, for $15 per artist, and filled the room with 30 artists. We used the money from the vendors to pay for opening night food and beverages, decorations, and we were also able to purchase 3 new tables for Circle of Hope. It was amazing, and Jenna and I immediately planned to do it again the next year.

In 2006, we moved things down to COH Broad & Washington, as we were in need of more space for more vendors. We filled the place with 60 artists. That year we also raffled off one item from each vendor, to bring in money for Shalom House.

In 2007, we stayed at BW and used the hallways for more vendor space, filling it with 75 artists. The proceeds from the vendor fees and the raffle went to a family in need within our community.

This year, as Circle of Hope Frankford and Norris’s space has grown, we are moving Art Shop back up to the Kensington/Fishtown area. We’re anticipating over 70 artists. Something new this year, is that instead of using some of the vendor fees to pay for food, we have 15 wonderful friends and family members who will be baking our Friday night desserts for us, so that we can use that part of our budget to give even more back to our community.

So, come out, support your local artists, shop, and have fun. See you all at Art Shop!

Africanized Paradigms

Published
by
Joshua Grace
on November 9, 2008
in Action, Circle Venture, Community, Creative Arts, Dialogue, Friends Projects, Partnerships, Peace, Planning and Resources
. 3 Comments

.

.

Steve Biko, in his essay White Racism and Black Consciousness wrote “In time, we shall be in a position to bestow on South Africa the greatest possible gift—a more human face.”  His idea was not limited to just showing South Africa-but restoring to the rest of people on the planet the important worldview more communitarian and a more people-before-stuff way to live.

I’m grateful that we have lots of opportunities to not only learn about Biko, but about the larger context of people that he spoke from.  One of those is the upcoming West African Drumming Classes

In getting ready for the next round of classes, some friends and I spent a few hours last night building drums (photo set here).
It takes a lot of hard work and a long time to just put a djembe together, before you can even play it (and play many together).  It is not a very rapid process, and we had some great conversations last night about how easier it would be to use a fiberglass drum and throw a synthetic head on it (rather than having to stretch an African goatskin across hand-carved wood).

How often we face a similar temptation with our spirituality.  Do we really have to be a community?  Do we really need to pull 100′ of rope just to be able to play a drum?  Does it have to stink like a dead goat from Guinea?  Isn’t there an easier way to get transformation?  Isn’t there a way that requires less time or effort to follow Jesus.

Meko, Rachel, and Jay in the re-heading process of a djembe

I’m reminded of the old African proverb that goes something like “if you want to go fast, go alone.  If you want to go far, go together.”  I guess you could try to find an easier way, or attempt to invent some trick to “get there” quicker with Jesus.  Even if you could, would you really want to?

the church is not a building, or several buildings

Published
by
Joshua Grace
on August 10, 2008
in Action, Circle Venture, Community, Creative Arts, Dialogue, Friends Projects, Partnerships and Planning
. 2 Comments

It’s funny sometimes to me when a church known for our paradigm adjustments talks a lot about buildings-and rehabs a lot of buildings.  By paradigm, I mean we understand that the church is people and we are the church.  Our buildings are practical, and they are used for much beyond just our Public Meetings or offices.   Over the past few years, we’ve done major rehabs for 3 meeting sites, Circle Counseling, Shalom House, a basement for CT on Broad, and the mezzanine for offices and kids.  Whew.  As much as that is, we have several more on the near horizon.

 

(photo of 2233 Frankford, future home of Circle Thrift by Carina Romano)

This season is filled with many opportunities for us to rehab some buildings.  We even happen to own two of them.  There is a lot of opportunity to serve, to hang together, share money, and to build in some more capacity for God to work in our neighborhoods.  Still, the church is not a building-or even several buildings.  Like we talked about at our recent Love Feast, we are part of that dwelling that God has been building for 1,000’s of years with all kinds of peoples with Jesus as the cornerstone.

So go ahead and keep being built into the place where God lives, where God can be seen and known.  It also seems good to keep practicing resurrection in our neighborhoods by making good use out of castaway structures. 

Over the next couple weeks, we’ll be focusing on 2233 Frankford Ave-Circle Thrift’s new home less than 2 blocks from her current spot.  Hopefully, on Labor Day we’ll have our human chain to move the CT inventory up a block.  Then we’ll be getting the new setup of 2007 Frankford for the next rendition including meeting/venue space on the first floor, expanding childcare capacity, a music/arts school run by psalters, and some sort of retail storefront.  We may even need to get a spot ready for our next congregation to launch in October/November in Camden!  We need a lot of prayer, a lot of togetherness, a lot of help, a lot of money, and a lot of love. 

So even as we are the church-God’s presence in the world in people-we can make some practical steps so God’s love can be felt and known by not only having more surface area…but how we renovate.   Go get ‘em! 

 

Identity: Who Are You?

Published
by
Joshua Grace
on March 1, 2008
in Community, Creative Arts, Dialogue and Family
. 1 Comment

My cell took a field trip this week, and it got me thinking about identity. Vicki is a 5th grade teacher at Grover Cleveland Elementary School at 19th & Erie Ave, and she helped organize a celebration of Black History Month called “Identity: Who Are You?”.

It was pretty amazing, full of great moments in kids performing songs, dances, readings, and skits. There were lots of meaningful readings mixed in, even a singing of Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing (not quite as good as this Kim Weston version)-which was quite moving for me to hear children singing out “We have come over a way that with tears have been watered/We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered”…man. It gives me goosebumps thinking about it. We have a long way to go, but we sure have been on the journey a while.

The question was repeated several times in different contexts- “who are you?” I’m grateful for the students and teachers of Cleveland Elementary to be so boldly asking and the students for offering such brilliant responses.

Who are you? Who do you identify with? What do you identify as? Is it your occupation? Your role in your family? Your relationship status? Your ethnic group? The brand of clothes you wear? The sports that you’re good at? In some comparison to others?

I don’t always know how to answer that question well. Even as I’m sorting through who I am, I find peace Jesus’ words in John 15. I want to find who I am not just living in Christ, but Christ living in me. I want to find who I am through us living in Christ, and Christ living in us.

Through lifting our hearts,
Through lifting our songs we learn
A new way to hear

music is not the only part of the PM

Published
by
Lauren Stichter
on February 21, 2008
in Community, Creative Arts, Dialogue and Planning
. 1 Comment

About a year ago, Joshua asked me if I’d like to “step-up” and become the Public Meeting Coordinator. As a PM Leader who loves to organize, teach and facilitate things, this offer made sense to me, and I easily accepted. Over the past year Joshua and I have been figuring out exactly what that role means. Currently Circle of Hope does not have this role defined yet. Because of this, I often bumble around trying to figure out what is mine to facilitate, and what is not. In an effort to begin to clarify this role, I have begun to think about exactly what I do as the PM Coordinator. I co-lead a team of musicians, organize love feast music, organize Evensong, recruit musicians, meet with the PM Leaders once a month, help create and maintain the PM team covenants, I got the L&A team rolling, etc. Nothing is in writing yet, and some of these responsibilities will change too, but I like that by thinking about these things and discussing them with Joshua, I get to figure out exactly what I’m supposed to be doing.

The one thing that became confusing about this new title of PM coordinator was that I often got emails from other teams (hosting, children’s, tech.) telling me that they couldn’t be in that Sunday, or asking me where to find someones email address from their own team. “That’s not really my job” I thought, and I often redirected these people to the coordinators of their own teams. I mentioned my annoyance about this issue to a friend recently and they said “but you’re the PM Coordinator, of course they think they should check in with you.” I responded by saying “well, I don’t actually coordinate the whole PM, I coordinate the PM teams.” To which they replied, “well I’m not a musician, but I think that my team IS a PM team. I help facilitate our Public Meetings too.” True! The music teams, aren’t THE PM Teams. We have lots of teams that help facilitate our Public Meetings- thank goodness! I wonder if my title should change, and if the title of our music teams should simply be that- Music Teams.

I assume Circle started the title PM Teams to steer away from calling our music teams, worship teams. Rightfully so, the music teams aren’t the only groups worshiping either. All of our teams, and basically we as a whole body and community, create an environment for us to worship in, and I love that music is not the only part of the PM at Circle of Hope.

West African Drumming Class and Black History Month

Published
by
Jay Beck
on February 16, 2008
in Action, Circle Venture, Community, Creative Arts, Dialogue, Friends Projects and Planning
. 2 Comments

I want to share with you some classes coming up and to reflect a bit on why I am so passionate about it and why you should be too! I was really excited last week when Johnny Rashid brought up at our Public Meeting what the Reconciliation Team has been discussing. I am so grateful that we have a team concentrating on issues of cross-cultural understanding and healing.

As some of you already know, because you took the class last year or because you are just brilliant, music is a powerful way that we can begin to communicate and understand each other across cross-cultural dividers. When we learn and try to hear what people from other cultures are expressing in their collective artistic communal voices, it can sometimes be a bright light that illumines our understanding of the way they see the world and also their struggles and joys.

So, I want to offer a drum class this year as an extension of meditating on and actively learning something active about Black History. I know this month is specifically focusing on African-American history, but it truly should not be separated. The world –views and cultural truths and strengths of the African peoples whether still in Africa or not are connected and are in desperate need of recovery and understanding here in America by both blacks and whites and everybody. These are timeless truths and long-tested ways of communicating that should be celebrated by all peoples.

The Reconciliation Team needs some help right now, so please if this resonates with you—get up and do something about reconciliation. Move with your body and mind to understand others and to bring healing.

Class Info:

Learn the intense and exciting polyrhythmic drum music from west africa.

Class will cover history, technique, cultural significance, and musical traditions of the djembe, dununba, sangban, kenkeni, gonkogui, and shekere.

8 week class beginning Feb. 27
7:00-9:00pm
wednesday evenings
@ 2130 N. Hancock St.
Philadelphia, PA. 19122
$15 a week

contact: jay beck
734-945-3225
jay@psalters.org

any skill level welcome
some drums provided, but bring your own if you have one.

(expanded version of this post at Jay’s myspace here.)

Click here for more info about psalters, here for more info about Circle Venture or our other mission teams such as the Reconciliation team and psalters.

meditations at a PM

Published
by
Howard Pinder
on December 3, 2007
in Creative Arts and Uncategorized
. 3 Comments

I know your face well.
I know the features,
the silhouettes.
I know the parts that
look well under dim light,
the bags that form
after a short nights sleep.

I know its crinkled lines,
the wear it has taken.
I know the spot
your lips form,
and your cheek, where
your hair touches.

I know these things, and
though we have never
met, you live. Your
face reassures me
that I am loved, even
when I lose my way.

At times I sense
your face beginning to
come into focus,
somewhere on outer edges
a flickering light of truth,
of the full me who
I do not know.

Piece by piece I
make way for you.
I am building a place
for you to reside.
I know your face, Jesus,
because you know mine.

I Think You’re Awesome

Published
by
Courtney Jones
on July 12, 2007
in Community, Creative Arts and Partnerships
. 4 Comments

The Broad and Washington Events team has been partnering with two men who make up the “We Think You’re Awesome” Collective for over a year now. My friend and future neighbor, Mike Brennan, is one half of that collective and about once a month he puts on a show at BW that draws a great crowd of people- interesting souls who love art and music and have created their own community which makes their lives intertwine like a bike rider making a lazy figure-8 in a parking lot.

Most of the time, I sit at the table by the door taking money and making small talk as people come in. And praying and knitting. I pray for the people I meet, I pray for myself- that anyone who comes in the door can see Jesus working in my smile and life.

The bands at our last show were diverse and most were loud, easily filling our multi-purpose back room with brilliant sounds and emotions. Problems, Amateur Party, and Des Ark played; all bands I had never heard of and couldn’t help but enjoy. In between, people milled about, finding a cool spot to sit or viewing the art in our space. Ben White was there with me, enjoying the general atmosphere, chatting with new friends, participating in the general mission of the events team and the 12 for the next 100 team.

At one point, I found myself walking by a conversation between Mike and one of the musicians. They were discussing the great space (meaning our building- the musicians and others who attend the shows appreciate that concerts take place in such a beautiful space) and Mike was sharing how successful our partnership with him has been. During the conversation (by now I had joined it, encouraging the artist to connect with us if he wants to use the space) Mike said, “Circle of Hope has an aim for community that is similar to what many punks are trying to create.” He went on to compare and contrast what each of us are looking for speaking about how groups long for the connection that community offers.

I’m encouraged to know that someone outside of us can see that and share it. I’m hopeful that it means we can show others that loving Jesus is our sincere desire. I have been encouraged to see how our cells and the groups that expand from them to create Circle of Hope do create a safe place for me to explore and express God’s love. Our community does allow for that kind of comfort and grace to emanate over those we come in contact with- and most importantly it ensures that we are not alone in the journey.

I am glad to be a part of this community, and in turn a part of each of you.