Here’s my pre-launch to-do list:
1. Brainstorm.
2. Weave, mold, alter-to-fit everybody’s input into one unforgettable presentation.
3. Get approval. Squeeze brain cells dry (as Osy, my very dependable Media Ministry editorial assistant, puts it) to revise rejected portions.
4. Ask for volunteers for each task – at least that’s what I called it. Mike I. & Mike T. plus his brother Jep for the video; Osy & Julie as production assistants; Kring, Jessica and Khaki for the costumes; Betsy and Tin for the music; the others for the social networking invites/alerts and as prayer warriors.
5. Say a prayer of thanks for my ministry members who are creative, talented, enthusiastic and have the initiative to get things moving. Did I mention hardworking too?
6. Rope in people from other ministries to help:
•Benjie (straight out of his hospital bed) and Rollie to download the “Overseas Feasters” video. That live streaming portion was really from Canada courtesy of Butsch and Noemi Portento. Yes, Kulasa there are LOJ members who serve the Feast Alabang even from the land of Far, Far Away.
•Ernst and Jo of Creatives Ministry for the fashion show
•Toto of Youth Ministry
•Naty of Special Events for the food
•Eugene of Technical
7. Recruit models. We-ell, in some cases it was really more of cajole, beg on bended knees, hoodwink, blackmail. They said yes for the love of the Lord and probably to stop me from pestering them.
8. Take medicine to counter mild vertigo attacks aggravated by frustration and stress. The dancers, most of them imported from outside the community, arrived at the final rehearsals with dance steps for a different song and were totally clueless about the concept, among other things.
Bro Arun described the launch of the Feast Alabang official website as outrageous. He said people expect religious activities to be boring, serious, somber and limited to spiritual matters. But all the Feasts are growing phenomenally because the talks are about how God is lord over all areas of our lives. And, these are presented in outrageous ways.
The models were truly outrageous! All 14 of them – Tito Steve & Tita Mely, Sis Siony, Bro Efren & Sis Violy, Joey, Alex, Dan, Fe, Manny, Cora, Willy, Susan and Ched. Most of them have passed the golden mark with a handful already in their 70’s. But they gamely strutted their stuff in the catwalk like supermodels. The hoots and catcalls when they paraded onstage were deafening.
The people who made the launch possible had outrageous servants’ hearts. No one complained that we couldn’t give them lunch – we were going over the budget as more than the expected number of dancers came. Media Min members exercised great patience in re-choreographing the dance like nursery school teachers giving instructions to toddlers. The brothers threw away their dignity and did things they probably would not be caught dead doing by their subordinates. Tito Steve who never wears shorts donned one for the launch. The sisters in their be-wigged and be-feathered finery remained ready, eager and joyful through all three tiring sessions.
I had a pep talk prepared for the rehearsal but didn’t get to give it because of time constraints and the aggravation-induced wooziness. It was to encourage everyone to give their best. I believe they are God’s best – chosen especially for that moment to carry out this task of launching the website.
As for the dancers, I will probably never know or might know only a few years down the line why they were the ones sent by God instead of the Youth Ministry members I was expecting. I will make a guess that having experienced the Feast, they will join the community and have their future transformed to one over which our outrageous God reigns.
Watch the outrageous launch here:
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