Social events
A core value of life at Ten Thousand Homes is the championing of, and investment in, people. Whilst this emphasis on people is reflected through the work of our various ministries, it also corresponds to our own community at TTH HQ. We recognize that before we can give out effectively, we must first invest in each other and be filled up ourselves.
With this in mind there are a variety of weekly and monthly social events dedicated to cultivating staff relationships and nurturing the spiritual health of the TTH community. A typical working week is bookended by our Team and Staff Connect meetings where we gather as a family to look ahead and reflect on any important goings on. Given the heart-stopping pace of life at TTH these are great opportunities for our different teams to join together and spend quality time reconnecting with each other.
These Connect meetings also see TTH staff breaking off into smaller groups where individuals are given space to explore where they are at spiritually with the support of fellow staff. This small group time typically begins with a question that directs conversation and encourages individuals to focus on a specific aspect of their spiritual well being. What follows are a series of candid discussions in which staff ‘press in’ and ‘get real’ about deeper spiritual and emotional issues they are currently facing. Although often challenging, these small group times are identified as a central component in the collective and personal growth of the TTH community.
As well as meeting to explore the darkest and deepest recesses of each other’s souls, staff do get together just to have fun. At TTH we are firm believers that our community will be considerably more enthusiastic and effective in their work if we actually enjoy our lives. Henceforth, in the first quarter of 2015 there were a number of social events designed purely to bring both temporary and permanent staff together, kick back and have a good time.
During ‘The Month of Lurrrve’ (February) our infamous TTH pavilion was transformed into a glamorous restaurant by our events team. For one night only the TTH community donned their finest evening attire and were served a sumptuous three course dinner complemented by an array of soft drinks. In addition to the fine cuisine and great company, talented artist Phoebe, who has recently joined TTH permanently, donated several stunning pieces of her own work which were given away to staff via a raffle. As with all our social events, this wonderful evening of food, drink and art ended with the TTH community converging on our makeshift dance floor to throw down some killer, and in some cases highly questionable, dance moves.
At the beginning of March our events time were at it again, organizing a ‘banana braii’ and film night that was hosted beside the notorious TTH swimming pool. The dim lighting and tranquil water created an ideal setting to gather as a community and spend some quality time unwinding together. Furthermore, this banana braii gave the US contingent of our family the chance to revive one of the great American traditions – taking a largely healthy foodstuff and completely stripping it of any nutritional value. In this case we smothered bananas in chocolate, nuts, honey, syrup, marshmallows and lard before roasting them in a barbecue to create a sticky, decadent, treat. Delicious! The evening was made all the more special by the presence of a YWAM team from Brisbane, Australia who were staying at TTH HQ during the outreach phase of their discipleship training school – you guys will be missed!