The Village People

2009-04-05T22:19:00.000-07:00

21 People

21 People came out tonight to be a part of the Village People

Commune. That's a record. I shared. Holly Shared.

Things are going well. Things are crafting. The Spirit works

among us.

2009-03-29T20:01:00.000-07:00

The Goal Is Perpetual Motion

Community can be a tough thing to live within. I don't even

live in the same house as most of these people and already, at

times, I've felt the urge to pull the pin and get out. People piss

me off. Some guy talks too much. Some girl won't stop giggling.

People lose focus. That person needs to shut up and listen.

And then you have nights like tonight.

We ate and Emily spoke. I'd like to personally thank Emily for

speaking as I know it showed me deeper things not only about

her life, but in my life, as well. Awkwardness can be tough and

mood-killing but it is important to push through and dissect.

Good things are happening. The plan has been scrapped and

the Holy Spirit is being heard. It's hard but it is for the best.

We are instruments ready to make sound. Good sound.

We are moving.

2009-03-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

Re-Boot

Sometimes, systems become inundated and outdated. Their

inevitable replacement is something we can only sit back and

wait for with bated breath. Other times, a machine will still

work fine if it is updated with the necessary parts and given

the old 're-boot'. Thus seems to be the case with Village

People.

A few weeks back, a bit of an emergency meeting was held in

response to some uncertainty with VP and the lack of

commitment, desire, passion, focus and energy therein. At

that meeting, 8 of us talked about the tenants of what VP

should be about and how to go about pursuing that from

here. That meeting captivated the essence of what VP should

be - a place where dreams can be dreamed and a place where

we can all engage each other on a deeper level of Jesus-based

spirituality...and above all, a place where everyone within

can get to know each other beyond the usual daily banter.

Last week was the first follow up to this encouraging

meeting. A pot luck was held at the home of Marc Andre

Blier. There were 16 people. Testimonies were shared.

Food was consumed. The feeling was a little somber but

still exciting in the knowing that whatever comes out of VP

will take time before it grows and that if nothing else, we

are back on the right track.

My dream for VP is that it becomes a community of

well-being. A place where people can feel transparent to

share their burdens and a place where dreams are encouraged.

Ultimately, I don't know how long I will be around Ottawa but

I hope that VP will be around in this city for a long LONG

time. I hope that one day, media would approach the

community of VP and ask them why they are picking gum

up off the streets. I hope that one day, a volleyball and

mariokart tournament of love could happen where the whole

city could be invited and fed.

We are heading to Tatyanna's tonight for some more food,

dreaming and sharing. I'll keep you updated.

Maybe someday, many years from now, if there was ever an
album or a movie made about it, that my name would be in the
liner notes somewhere.

What Is VP To You?

2009-02-15T12:06:00.000-08:00

So it's been almost a year since we fired this thing up.

One snowy night in March, we met at Brad & Liz's apartment.

We talked about the possibility of meeting on a steady

schedule and for the most part, everyone was in. All of us

were connected with IAWAH and yet somehow

disconnected at the same time. In september, we fired things

up and went for a weekly flow. We wanted God to be the

leader and we wanted to be realistic in our approach. We

wanted old and young people to be involved and for it to

look like a family. We wanted to do things in the city of

Ottawa and help others in this community.

Things have changed. People have come and gone and newer

people have done the same. A lot of us are unsure about

what this thing is and what it needs to be. Some people are

strong with their vision but unsure as to how to carry that

out. Some want it to look like a bible study while others

want it to look more like a homeless mission. Some think

it can be both and more.

If it's supposed to happen and grow, it will happen and grow.

What do you think?

Let's hear some thoughts.

The Plan for Sunday Feb 8th

2009-02-06T07:33:00.000-08:00

Alright Villagers - Let's get villaging.

So the plan (tentatively) for sunday is a bit of a canal-skate in

the goodness of Winterlude. I believe Marc-Andre is heading

this up so contact mablier@gmail.com with any queries you

may have.

I don't think I'll be able to be there as there is a potential

Graven practice on sunday but more to come on that in the

next day or so.

Things have been wild, wacky and unplanned lately and

I'm sorry for that. Kathleen has done a great job as admin

but she (and everyone else) has been mega busy as of

late.

Let's keep hope alive...and keep the chords of community

tuned.

VP Superbowl Partay

2009-01-28T11:35:00.000-08:00

This coming sunday, be there or be square.

WHERE: 4770 Massey Lane (Ron Starra's pad).

WHAT: Superbowl Monster Bash

WHEN: Before 6 pm so as not to miss kick-off.

SHOULD I BRING ANYTHING?: Feel free to bring a
dessert, drink or salad. Pizza will be supplied.

CAN I GET A RIDE?: You bet your ass, you can.
Email gavinoids@hotmail.com if you need a ride
and we can hook something up.

CAN I BRING BEER?: Only if you are legal to
drink it in Ontario.

The main point of this night is just to allow more
social stuff to happen with our community. Feel free
to bring anyone else who might be interested to chill
and meet some new folks. Even if you're not into
football AT ALL - please just come and hang. There
will be many who aren't super-hyped about the battle
of the pigskin.

The First Post

2009-01-26T08:46:00.001-08:00

Alrighty. It's finally here - a place for all of our collective
thoughts and dreams to pool and bubble over.

Thanks for being a part of this journey.