12.14.04
Posted in blogvention at 11:06 pm by
I am hereby appointing myself Chair of the first annual blogvention. You don’t need to buy your plane tickets just yet, but blocking off the weekend surrounding April 20-22, 2006 would be a good idea.
Since this will be the first blogvention, it seems wise to piggy-back this event with one that is already taking place. I’ve decided upon the Festival of Faith and Writing. That seemed the logical choice, as it is something that many of you may just have some interest in (aside from the aforementioned blogvention.)
Past speakers have included Anne Lamott, Joyce Carol Oats, Katherine Patterson, Maya Angelou, Chaim Potok, Frederich Buechner, and many, many other notables. A complete list of last year’s festival speakers can be found here.
Immediately following this festival will be a one day blogvention gala. There will be pretty much nothing on the agenda, save merry-making, consuming fermentables, late night conversations, and if I can convince Jen, a rental sauna. (Don’t book your plane tickets for the sauna, that’s a big friggin’ MAYBE.)
Much of the first annual blogvention–until it gets a better name–will happen right here at the Brandon & Jen mansion. (Of course, by mansion I mean 3 bedroom cape cod on a busy street.) We have 5 couches, a futon, 2 twin beds, 1400 sq. ft. of floor space for sleeping bags, and room for about 2 more in the queen bed (as long as you don’t mind sleeping between Jen and I.)
We’ll probably discuss issues like church, fundies, various standardized tests designed to pigeon hole people, alcohol, books, Christianity, and culture. And, of course, there’ll be plenty of homebrew (however, don’t let that stop you from bringing your own homebrews.)
I want to say that the day of the blogvention (we really do need a new name) will be a Sunday, so we may as well have a Church service–preferably one that doesn’t suck. I’ll leave that up to you seminarians.
I’m about 60% offering this option in jest, the other 40% of me is going to start cleaning out the basement tomorrow so that there’s room for y’all to sleep where you fall. It may take me until April of 2006 to get the basement presentable, so I’d better start right away.
So, who’s in?
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Posted in blogvention at 11:06 pm by
I am hereby appointing myself Chair of the first annual blogvention. You don’t need to buy your plane tickets just yet, but blocking off the weekend surrounding April 20-22, 2006 would be a good idea.
Since this will be the first blogvention, it seems wise to piggy-back this event with one that is already taking place. I’ve decided upon the Festival of Faith and Writing. That seemed the logical choice, as it is something that many of you may just have some interest in (aside from the aforementioned blogvention.)
Past speakers have included Anne Lamott, Joyce Carol Oats, Katherine Patterson, Maya Angelou, Chaim Potok, Frederich Buechner, and many, many other notables. A complete list of last year’s festival speakers can be found here.
Immediately following this festival will be a one day blogvention gala. There will be pretty much nothing on the agenda, save merry-making, consuming fermentables, late night conversations, and if I can convince Jen, a rental sauna. (Don’t book your plane tickets for the sauna, that’s a big friggin’ MAYBE.)
Much of the first annual blogvention–until it gets a better name–will happen right here at the Brandon & Jen mansion. (Of course, by mansion I mean 3 bedroom cape cod on a busy street.) We have 5 couches, a futon, 2 twin beds, 1400 sq. ft. of floor space for sleeping bags, and room for about 2 more in the queen bed (as long as you don’t mind sleeping between Jen and I.)
We’ll probably discuss issues like church, fundies, various standardized tests designed to pigeon hole people, alcohol, books, Christianity, and culture. And, of course, there’ll be plenty of homebrew (however, don’t let that stop you from bringing your own homebrews.)
I want to say that the day of the blogvention (we really do need a new name) will be a Sunday, so we may as well have a Church service–preferably one that doesn’t suck. I’ll leave that up to you seminarians.
I’m about 60% offering this option in jest, the other 40% of me is going to start cleaning out the basement tomorrow so that there’s room for y’all to sleep where you fall. It may take me until April of 2006 to get the basement presentable, so I’d better start right away.
So, who’s in?
Permalink
Trackback URL »
http://www.badchristian.com/2004/12/14/a_blogvention/trackback/
ryan said,
December 15, 2004 at 3:11 am
April 2006? Talk about planning ahead! I have no idea what I’ll be doing in April 2006. If possible, though, I’d love to be there.
James said,
December 15, 2004 at 9:05 am
If I’m free, I can probably manage to make my way a couple of miles up Fuller
kate said,
December 15, 2004 at 2:52 pm
If we wanted to have it sooner, we could do it after April 2005’s Festival of Faith and Music… not that James, Kari, and I are invested in getting people to that event because we’re working on it, or anything.
Adam said,
December 15, 2004 at 3:05 pm
I’m in, but only 40%, I mean, I don’t wanna look Stupid!
Brandon said,
December 15, 2004 at 3:36 pm
That’s true, Kate! But, there’s no way I can talk Jen into a sauna by April of 05. None-the-less, it does sound fun.
Kristen M said,
December 15, 2004 at 7:04 pm
Please count Micah and I in. We are soooo there. Great plan. I hope you are more serious than kidding.
greg said,
December 15, 2004 at 7:17 pm
Trying to talk my wife into it…
Lara said,
December 16, 2004 at 12:45 am
I think Calvin College does Christian education so well. I’m trying to decide if it’s because of reformed theology or just standard ‘liberalism’. If I *ever* went back to working in Christian higher ed (which I don’t plan to), I’d want to do it at Calvin. If only it weren’t in Grand Rapids, Michigan….
Brandon said,
December 16, 2004 at 12:56 am
It’s because of the impact of dutch reformers take on a traditional reformed christian understanding of the plight of humankind in creation. (That’s the former Calvin Admissions Counselor / Calvin Alum in me speaking.)
Take it easy on Grand Rapids. I can think of a world full of places where I would rather not be! =)
kate said,
December 16, 2004 at 11:48 am
Lara, that’s what I used to think about Grand Rapids, too. I grew up an hour away from New York City and then lived in D.C. for a year. I am a bonafide East Coast city girl, and when I moved to Grand Rapids, I spent the first three months wondering why the hell I had decided to move there. But it turns out that Grand Rapids is actually a Real Live City with cool restaurants and coffee shops and bars, a lively arts community, actual cultural events, and interesting neighborhoods. Also, it turns out that Lake Michigan is a great approximation to an ocean. I used to make fun of Michiganders who would claim to be “going to the beach” in summer. But they really do have beaches, with waves and everything.
All that to say, Calvin is a pretty neat place, and if you ever feel like working in Christian education again, it is truly the place to be. (Messiah College in Grantham PA isn’t bad, either.
)
(By the way, hi, I know you from your livejournal.
)
Lara said,
December 16, 2004 at 12:06 pm
Hi, Kate.
Messiah wasn’t a bad place at all, but I think I should have chosen Calvin for undergrad. Or I should have worked there…one or the other.
But anyway, my thing with the location…since I’ve been in coastal California for 3 years, I can’t really imagine living back in the mid-west because of the weather. Brrr….
I do believe you that Grand Rapids is a fun city, though. I’ve been there and had a great time.
kate said,
December 16, 2004 at 1:13 pm
Whoa, you actually went to Messiah?! I don’t think I knew that. My boyfriend went there (1998-2002, maybe you knew him–Nathan Johnston? I don’t know when you were there), and I know a lot of people I respect there, so that why I mentioned it. It’s up on my list as far as CCCU schools go. Strange coincidence!
I went to Taylor in Indiana, and like you, suspect that Calvin might’ve been a better choice had I known what I know now. (But I’m not sure I’d know what I know now if I hadn’t had trial-by-fire at Taylor, if that makes any sense.)
Incidentally, our “good friends” Karin and Linford remarked last week while here that they always think, “If only we’d known about Calvin…” w/r/t their own college decision.
Lara said,
December 16, 2004 at 4:13 pm
I did go to Messiah, but graduated in 1998 (GoodLordI’mAncient). My brother however, was in the class of 2001 and he might know your boyfriend. Honestly, in the world of Christian colleges, they do things pretty well…but my freshman year was the first year they allowed dancing on campus…even students over 21 still can’t imbibe of alcohol on or off campus. At least they have good concerts there. When I was a student I wasn’t even allowed to play David Wilcox or OtR on the campus radio station. Too much cussing in the music. Heh.
Taylor’s a good place, too. And I loved my time working at Westmont in the past 2 years…. I’m definitely not *against* Christian higher ed. I’m totally LOVING working at a Catholic institution though. Students are so much more respectful and real and willing to admit that they might make mistakes. So much less pressure for perfection and pressure on myself to be the “spiritual leader/discipler” of every student I meet. I mean, for goodness sake, I work in Residence Life, not Campus Ministry. (Sorry, I could rant on this for ages…)
I’d think K&L would fit right in at Calvin….Malone always seemed like an odd choice….
When you mentioned Messiah, I figured it was because you saw my resume or something.
Perhaps I’ll stop waxing on and on about my life in Brandon’s blog now….
Faith said,
May 31, 2005 at 1:03 pm
I’m looking at colleges for my son, Caleb, a junior at Bible Baptist High in PA. Two or three years ago, I felt like I could send him to any academically sound college and he/I would be okay. CLoser it gets the more neither one of us wants him to be far, far away and the more strongly I feel about him going to a reformed college. Grove city looks great but too far away. I’d love him to go to Covenant, but Lookout Mountain is way too far away. I lived through most of my life with an Arminian/fundy lunatic world view. Have come slowly to reformation and sanity in last five years. I’m old, so old…46 and a half. Ex employee of Messiah College, Grantham Pa works at my fav coffee spot. Yesterday she told me there is a fairly strong reformed presence at Messiah. True? Not? Grantham is about twenty minutes down the road from us. Caleb is sharp. Has excellent SATs. Fine average. Might be a National Merit Finalist…not sure yet, guess we’ll hear in fall. He’s super close to his family and has been in Christian School since second grade…homeschooled K and first. Not a prep, not a goody-goody, doesn’t have a strong personal faith…no devotional life, “catechises well” and extremely moral and rational about consequesnce of immorality. LIke: “Of course I won’t smoke,do drugs, have sex, drive insanely, etc. I don’t want to screw up my life.” Not, “Sure I struggle with temptation, but I want to honor God with my life, so I resist and when I fail I go to him for forgiveness.” Caleb doesn’t have a strong sense of his own need and sinfulness…very rational, Spock-like. Wants to become a video game creator, major in computer science, computer technology, what? I don’t really know. Just not “ordinary, business type programming…creative computer stuff.” Yeah, probably him and 75% of teeneage gamer, geek types. Although he’s not really a geek; not a no-lifer. He’s a highly intelligent, cute to look at, skater,gamer, classical pianist, Japanese sword wielding, anti prep kid who hangs with his younger brother, mother and neighborhood guys. He’s had a pizza and movie party every Saturday night since he was seven with the same bunch of guys. He doesn’t drive yet, doesn’t really care to. He needs an academically sound, reformed, little college, in our backyard. Should we look seriously at Messiah. It doesn’t have a cool little town to “discover” and “own.” He and I have been going to Ashcomb since he was two. I’m blathering. SOmeone help me, okay?