I had to get in one last HOLIDAY post before the season ends.

Last night's party was da bomb. I'm serious. I got a number of really nice comments, ranging from, "This is GREAT!"  and "What a fun set up!" to "I can't believe you did this is 5 days!"

We set up Guitar Hero in the sanctuary, so that it played over both screens (okay, and so we could close the doors if it got too raucous). The same group was in there, jamming the whole night away.  In the foyer, we set up 3 round tables, where people played Scrabble, Clue, Monopoly, Taboo and Catch Phrase. We even had an electronic cup stacking tournament at one point!

We used the classrooms to divide people so that they could get away from the craziness if they got caught in sensory overload. One room was Karaoke Revolution. One room had Playstation games being played on an overhead projector screen. One room was full of pillows and blankets, where kids went to QUIETLY watch Milo and Otis, Barbie Nutcracker, Underdog and more. More than one child zonked out in there during the night!  One room was set up comfortably with table and chairs, for people to just chill out and talk.

Oh, and the food!  We have amazing food talent in our church!  We started out with one table, but before long, we had to add a second DESSERT table, and a separate table for coffee, tea, lemonade and soft drinks. The spread was amazing. Nachos! Queso! These deli spirals that LITERALLY melted in your mouth. Homemade dips. cheese and sausage. Cheeseballs. Cupcakes, brownies, fudge, peanut butter things that were delectable. SO MUCH FOOD!  Nobody left there hungry!

The best part was that EVERYTHING was upstairs, so there was no escaping the bonding!  Heck no!  Not with 45+ people in attendance!  There was so much joviality, laughter and bonding. It was incredible.  At 11:55, we came into the foyer, where I had poured sparkling juice for everyone. We counted down to midnight, using our cell phones, and only missed it by 2 seconds!  It was awesome.

So, yes. We had a blast. Clean up was a breeze, with all those hands helping. I left one group there to finish up a hotly contested Monopoly game.

I am honestly and truly blessed to belong to a church where people really like each other, and enjoy each other's company. I'm praying, now that our food pantry ministry has moved to a different location, and we're able to reclaim the basement, perhaps we can have more opportunities to fellowship in a lighthearted manner.

THANKS, PASTOR GLEN!  WE HAD FUN!