Online Tea Party

Online Tea Party

Disruption of our usual spring graduation gatherings prompted CCS to be creative in celebrating this year. We combined old school tradition with contemporary technology to hold a virtual tea party on June 10^th. White gloves were not required, and everyone had to brew their own cup to their liking.

As RSVPs rolled in from across the country, we realized we would be hosting quite a large tea party! One learning from online events this spring is how many people will participate in community events or workshops when travel is removed as a barrier. Between 70-80 people visited during our party!

We put the grads on the spot with their final pop quiz, asking everything from what they value in friends to what they were wearing on their feet. We enjoyed a slideshow of photos from their time together, and worshiped together. We broke out into separate reception ‘rooms’ for conversation, and recreated the chaos of a large gathering where people are trying to find the person with whom they wanted to talk. We got to see one another’s living rooms, partners and parents.

Amidst the conversation and catching up, we collected a few “gleanings” memorable phrases that were spoken along the way:

• “How YOU doin’?”
• “Zoom baptism by fire!”
• “It’s a CCS mosh pit.”
• “It’s the diaconal mafia.”
• “Groupness.”
• “I feel like a blow-dried bag of hell.” (in answer to the common question of how are you coping in the midst of this pandemic reality)
• “I keep saying: ‘They didn’t ask you to go to war, just to put a mask on.’”
• “Laughing at one’s self is one of the great key skills of ministry.”
• “Let’s let the evangelicals do it first.”
• “Another experience of the great parade.”
• “I count this as a successful tea party!”
• “Go forth and reverend.”

We are looking forward to our next virtual get together!