NOTES
for the
Family Service
at
St. Augustine's

May 20 2007

These are notes and comments on some of the items which appear in the Family Service script. Links from the script point to these entries; clicking the links in the left hand column of the table takes you back to the corresponding link in the script - or, where more than one link from the script points to the note, back to the first such link.
The comments are typically related to features of the service which are specific to our church or the time of the service, or which for some other reason we think might require alteration for another setting.
For references to the internal geography of the church, it might be helpful to inspect the plan.

BEFORE THE SERVICE -
Furniture : Lectern by the Hospital wall.
Doves on the blue curtain behind the altar.
Breakfast table with nine chairs around it in front of altar;
"Kitchen" table - small table to Hospital side of Breakfast table.
"Other" table at Hospital side.
Properties : On the "Kitchen" table :

Stove, Toaster with a loaf of bread next to it;
Pan and stirring spoon.
On the breakfast table :

Nine bowls, nine knives and nine spoons.
On the "other" table at Hospital side :

Newspaper for Father.

Dressing gown at back for Mother to 'wear';
Shirt at back for Father to 'wear'.
Papers and pen on the shelf for Bunty to find.
Toy at back for Twin 1 and Twin 2 to argue over.
Button, needle and thread on Hospital side of altar for Mother to use.
Pillow at Hospital side for Jesus mime.
Basket of dove-shaped cards at Hospital side.
People : Narrator at lectern,
Reader at lectern,
Computer person at computer,
Organist at organ.

BREAD We used a loaf of sliced bread, in its original wrapper. It's not elegant, but looks authentic.

SHELF Somewhere to store Bunty's homework. Anywhere will do, provided that it's in the area of the action and not too obvious. ( We used the top of the organ. )

STOVE We used a camping stove. We never turned it on, so anything which looks reasonably realistic will do.

DEVONPORT Devonport is by the sea, and has something of a yachting tradition. You will probably want to rewrite this bit.

DOVES We have a dark blue curtain on the wall behind the altar; we decorated it with a number ( twentyish ? ) of pictures of doves in flight. It's not mentioned in the service, so not necessary; we thought it reinforced the "peace" message.

TOASTER - or other breakfasty things. It doesn't have to work. ( Ours was both broken and not plugged in, but it looked all right. ) It's just to give Mother something to be busy about.

MIME LEADER leads the ( unrehearsed ) members of the congregation in the mime, and must therefore be well rehearsed in the actions and standing somewhere clearly visible to the volunteers.

NEWSPAPER This works because our most common daily paper does have a daily Bible verse. If yours doesn't, you can either just pretend anyway or find a more plausible source for the quotation.

DOVE-SHAPED CARDS The cards were of stiff paper with a dove and its mirror image printed tail-to-tail on one side, and two prayers on the other, so that when the card was folded down the centre there was a picture of the "same" dove on both outer sides, and a prayer "within" each half-dove on the inside. The paper was folded, and most of the background outside the dove cut out, leaving enough at the base to ensure that the folded card will stand up on a flat surface.

LAYING THE TABLE : BOWLS, KNIVES, SPOONS They are used for the breakfast sketch. They are originally stacked on the breakfast table; Ben lays them out in their places.

BUTTON, NEEDLE, THREAD - or whatever you think is what you need to fasten a button on a shirt. This must be somewhere where Mother can easily pick it up from near the breakfast table. Ours was on the end of the altar.

DRESSING GOWN It must be somewhere from which Mother can pick it up before her entrance. Ours was at the back of the church.

PAPERS AND PEN This is Bunty's homework material. It must be somewhere not very obvious fairly near the kitchen table, so that Bunty can search for it visibly during the play. ( Ours was on top of the organ. )

PILLOW The Mime Leader picks up the pillow before the mime begins, so it must be kept in a place convenient for that. It must be put where Jesus will lie.

SHIRT - or other suitable garment. It must be somewhere from which Father can pick it up before his entrance. Ours was at the back of the church.

TOY Anything reasonably ( though not too ) small and carriable. The twins are quarrelling about it as they enter, so it must be somewhere from which they can pick it up before their entrance. Ours was at the back of the church.

BREAKFAST TABLE Used in the breakfast sketch. A good-sized table, big enough to seat the family without any backs to the congregation.

BURNING Not really - all imagination. If you can find a safe way to make the pan look as though it's burning, try it.

KITCHEN TABLE Used in the breakfast sketch. Somewhere to put the stove and toaster; mainly to identify a kitchen area.

LEAD US ... We sang the psalm using a version and setting from somewhere we can no longer identify. In this setting, a leader sings most of the psalm, with the people joining in a short refrain ( chorus ) from time to time. Any other setting would do.

"OTHER" TABLE A small table, initially at the hospital side by the altar rail. Father picks up the newspaper from here. The hand-out dove-shaped cards are here too, and the table is eventually moved, with the cards, to between the altar rails, from which people can collect the cards.

PAN AND SPOON A good-sized pan with a large spoon, so that it is clearly visible from the back.

PEACE The poem is original to St Augustine's. Use it freely.


BEFORE THE SERVICE -
Furniture :	Lectern by the Hospital wall. Doves on the blue curtain behind the altar. Breakfast table with nine chairs around it in front of altar; "Kitchen" table - small table to Hospital side of Breakfast table. "Other" table at Hospital side.
Properties :	On the "Kitchen" table : Stove, Toaster with a loaf of bread next to it; Pan and stirring spoon. On the breakfast table : Nine bowls, nine knives and nine spoons. On the "other" table at Hospital side : Newspaper for Father. Dressing gown at back for Mother to 'wear'; Shirt at back for Father to 'wear'. Papers and pen on the shelf for Bunty to find. Toy at back for Twin 1 and Twin 2 to argue over. Button, needle and thread on Hospital side of altar for Mother to use. Pillow at Hospital side for Jesus mime. Basket of dove-shaped cards at Hospital side.
People :	Narrator at lectern, Reader at lectern, Computer person at computer, Organist at organ.

BREAD	We used a loaf of sliced bread, in its original wrapper. It's not elegant, but looks authentic.

SHELF	Somewhere to store Bunty's homework. Anywhere will do, provided that it's in the area of the action and not too obvious. ( We used the top of the organ. )

STOVE	We used a camping stove. We never turned it on, so anything which looks reasonably realistic will do.

DEVONPORT	Devonport is by the sea, and has something of a yachting tradition. You will probably want to rewrite this bit.

DOVES	We have a dark blue curtain on the wall behind the altar; we decorated it with a number ( twentyish ? ) of pictures of doves in flight. It's not mentioned in the service, so not necessary; we thought it reinforced the "peace" message.

TOASTER	- or other breakfasty things. It doesn't have to work. ( Ours was both broken and not plugged in, but it looked all right. ) It's just to give Mother something to be busy about.

MIME LEADER	leads the ( unrehearsed ) members of the congregation in the mime, and must therefore be well rehearsed in the actions and standing somewhere clearly visible to the volunteers.

NEWSPAPER	This works because our most common daily paper does have a daily Bible verse. If yours doesn't, you can either just pretend anyway or find a more plausible source for the quotation.

DOVE-SHAPED CARDS	The cards were of stiff paper with a dove and its mirror image printed tail-to-tail on one side, and two prayers on the other, so that when the card was folded down the centre there was a picture of the "same" dove on both outer sides, and a prayer "within" each half-dove on the inside. The paper was folded, and most of the background outside the dove cut out, leaving enough at the base to ensure that the folded card will stand up on a flat surface.

LAYING THE TABLE : BOWLS, KNIVES, SPOONS	They are used for the breakfast sketch. They are originally stacked on the breakfast table; Ben lays them out in their places.

BUTTON, NEEDLE, THREAD	- or whatever you think is what you need to fasten a button on a shirt. This must be somewhere where Mother can easily pick it up from near the breakfast table. Ours was on the end of the altar.

DRESSING GOWN	It must be somewhere from which Mother can pick it up before her entrance. Ours was at the back of the church.

PAPERS AND PEN	This is Bunty's homework material. It must be somewhere not very obvious fairly near the kitchen table, so that Bunty can search for it visibly during the play. ( Ours was on top of the organ. )

PILLOW	The Mime Leader picks up the pillow before the mime begins, so it must be kept in a place convenient for that. It must be put where Jesus will lie.

SHIRT	- or other suitable garment. It must be somewhere from which Father can pick it up before his entrance. Ours was at the back of the church.

TOY	Anything reasonably ( though not too ) small and carriable. The twins are quarrelling about it as they enter, so it must be somewhere from which they can pick it up before their entrance. Ours was at the back of the church.

BREAKFAST TABLE	Used in the breakfast sketch. A good-sized table, big enough to seat the family without any backs to the congregation.

BURNING	Not really - all imagination. If you can find a safe way to make the pan look as though it's burning, try it.

KITCHEN TABLE	Used in the breakfast sketch. Somewhere to put the stove and toaster; mainly to identify a kitchen area.

LEAD US ...	We sang the psalm using a version and setting from somewhere we can no longer identify. In this setting, a leader sings most of the psalm, with the people joining in a short refrain ( chorus ) from time to time. Any other setting would do.

"OTHER" TABLE	A small table, initially at the hospital side by the altar rail. Father picks up the newspaper from here. The hand-out dove-shaped cards are here too, and the table is eventually moved, with the cards, to between the altar rails, from which people can collect the cards.

PAN AND SPOON	A good-sized pan with a large spoon, so that it is clearly visible from the back.

PEACE	The poem is original to St Augustine's. Use it freely.

NOTES for the Family Service at St. Augustine's

May 20 2007

NOTES
for the
Family Service
at
St. Augustine's