Hubby working at home = AWFUL

We survived June with several core team families missing on various Sundays. We've had 53, 59, and this past week, 67 people attend church services.

As we're getting used to what's expected of everybody, what's getting progressively worse is my attitude toward my dh. I guess it's because he works out of our bedroom. We sectioned off a part where his desk, laptop, bookshelves and file cabinets sit.

I can't wait until he moves into an office. Then, I won't know how he spends his time.

Service Structure

I realized that I'd never described a typical service. Although, I'm not the expert on it, because I have missed EVERY service, so far, lol! I teach K-2nd children's church, so I miss half the service, every time. Anyway, I know what the service entails because, 1- I create the powerpoint presentation for dh and 2- I see the schedule, that outlines every detail of the service, before church. This schedule is given to the pastor, praise team, sound man, and powerpoint lady.

7:30 - dh and one or two of my sons go off to setup for church stuff. I think, sound stuff is done, signs are set out, and a few of the boys get the classrooms setup.
8:30 - myself and one of my sons leave for church. The praise team is usually practicing by this point. I set up the children's registration table stuff, straighten up the classroom (those who setup, kind of just throw the stuff around randomly), get bulletin stuff organized, and talk to the powerpoint lady to make sure everything is working fine.
10:00 - official start of refreshment time (only first-timers ever show up at 10am), but the core team ends up hanging out and chatting because pretty much everything has been setup by this point.
10:30 - official start of church service. All of us scurry to our posts (children workers go to their classrooms, greeters have been outside for a while, and everyone else goes into the auditorium). The praise team starts singing right away.
10:35 - I bring my classroom into the auditorium so that we can enjoy the praise music, as well.
10:50 - some sort of break in the singing, worship leader asks us to greet others with a dumb question like "what animal do you most resemble?" If a skit or homemade video clip has been planned, it gets shown while everyone is seated.
11:00 - singing is done, children's church leaves the auditorium, and the video clip of the day gets shown (usually having to do with the message).
== interspersed throughout the message time is: videoclip, personal testimony from someone, and a game having to do with the message
11:35 - pastor gives closing prayer usually referring to the connection cards, some kind of altar call but he doesn't ask people to come forward, he asks them to mark it on their comment cards to be turned in soon.
11:40 - tithes and offering is taken, also connection cards
11:45 - after offering, one or more of the connection cards are "drawn" and they get to choose a gift ($5 gift card from walmart, church polo shirt, anything else someone donates as a giveaway, which is sometimes funny)
11:50 - typically the time I see parents come to pick up their kids. I begin breaking down, immediately. So do the sound people. The sound equipment takes the longest to put away. Lots of the core team end up standing around and chatting (we've got to talk to the attenders). So, by the time we all get done, it's usually around 1pm. If we tried really hard, I think we could get done by 12:30, but I've never seen us do it, yet.

Church survived without me!

I didn't think it was possible. I decided to visit my sister and mom, and my cousin was having a pool party, so I took the boys and we went up for Memorial Day weekend. I got people to fill my spot, but I was certain church would just crumble without me being there. They didn't even act like they missed me! AND I really missed helping set up and break down. It might sound really strange, but, it's a lot of fun moving desks, putting out my classroom stuff and putting it all away at the end of the service! Yes, I'm losing my mind. I visited my sister's church, which was nice. I was slightly bored by the service. They didn't have video clips, games, or give-aways. I guess they are a bit more sophisticated. Their worship team was really good, though, and the songs very familiar to me (that's always nice).

Anyway, dh told me that they had 57 and that was including the fact that 9 core team members were missing! They were so proud of themselves for getting everything up and running smoothly. Actually, we knew we've gotten to the point where we could have teams do setup and breakdown, rather than everyone, but we haven't organized ourselves well enough, yet. One day, we'll plan it out, so that not everyone has to come early, or stay late. I, personally, have a blast doing it! Maybe it's the organizational side of me. Maybe it's the fact that it's my once a week workout. It's probably just that I'm weird!