Some big news for you all. As you’re aware, we’ve been looking at ways to transition the running of SPAM since the beginning of the year. When we started the process, Kev and I fully intended to continue to help lead the group. However, as things progressed we both came to the conclusion that for new life and strong new leadership to emerge out of SPAM, we needed to step away from leading altogether. It was a tough call, but we think the right one.

Over the months, we’ve had a lot of ideas for the future direction and running of the group and fantastic offers of help. When we told the people who showed the strongest interest in leadership about our decision to step back, things really started to cement.

Last week those people decided on the following new SPAM leadership:

Emma Jaine is the new leader of SPAM, Patrick Dodson is the new assistant leader. They now have responsibility for, and final say in running SPAM. Leadership support is being given to them by Tom, Jo, Caren, Tim and Claire.

Kev and I are thrilled with this decision. We’ve been really impressed with Emma’s vision, can-do attitude and communication ability through the work she’s done to date on Explorations, and we believe she’s the right person at the right time to lead you in the next chapter of SPAM. We love that Patrick is going to be her right hand man. Patrick has been a big part of SPAM for the last couple of years and really complements Emma in the core leadership team. Tom and Jo have played major roles in leading and running SPAM already and contribute valuable experience to the wider team. Caren, Tim and Claire have been very active contributors to SPAM, so it’s brilliant that they’ve stepped up too.

Cool huh?

Our next SPAM gathering is this Monday 9 June (7.30pm @ Exposure, Suite 2:10 Axis Building, 1 Cleveland Rd, Parnell, bring a bottle).

Kev and I will be saying our official “see yaz” as SPAM leaders, and Emma and Patrick will be able to chat to you about the future direction of this amazing group.

So that’s the last SPAM-mail from me. It seems fitting for the last word to come from Emma.

Right O
J

Hi SPAMmers

SPAM-ku from Emma:
We love to make SPAM
Two tins have made many more
They leave the stack now

Just confirming we’re all on for our regular slot this Monday. Sorry for the late notice, developments on the SPAM transition front have been full on for the last few days, and I was hoping to give you some big news, but we’re not quite there yet.

What isn’t regular about this Monday (12 May @ 7.30pm) is the location. We’re going to meet at Katie’s space in Kingsland. The address is 3C Central Rd, but the entrance is actually on Kingsland Tce. It is a large concrete building with dark, skinny, tall doors out the front. BYO as usual.

Here’s a note to you all from Emma:

Join us in Kingsland if you’re interested in pursuing the current creative initiative with us. We’ll discuss what it means to engage in community as arts and media related people and how that relates to the current project/s in Kingsland. From there we’re hoping that YOU, our fellow SPAMmers, will pick up the thread and follow it with the interests and talents you can utilise to bless and engage the Kingsland community. If you’re into open ended projects and are interested to see what God can do with them, come along!

Right O
J

SPAM-ku for tonight:

Hast thou sinned with beef?
Get thee to a SPAMmery.
Go go go go go!

UPDATE - Change of venue
Now at The Paddington, 117 St Georges Bay Rd, Parnell @ 7.30pm.

Two quick things. Our next gathering is on: Monday 14 April (7.30pm @ Exposure, Suite 2:10 Axis Building, 1 Cleveland Rd, Parnell, BYO). SPAM’s turning three, so seriously, BYO!

It’ll be a chance to catch up / network / brainstorm Emma and Tom’s brilliant Explorations initiative too. Emma says she hasn’t received any responses yet, but her Hotmail is having a melt down. So please email her at emma@mallville.co.nz by Friday 11 April. Here’s a note from her:

“Just a reminder to email your brief / response to me as soon as you can so it can be considered before we meet again next month. All ideas welcome – be they the size of Texas or something smaller.

“Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to my Father. And whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.” John 14:12

“Love your neighbour as yourself.” Leviticus 19:18”

Right O
J

SPAM-ku for today:

Father says grace: “Lord,
We would normally thank you
For our food... but SPAM?”

Good to chat with many of you last month about the future of SPAM, both at our gathering, and afterwards. Thanks to those of you who have let us know that you’re interested in leading or helping with the running of SPAM. If you’d like to add to the discussion, do email me, or contribute to the SPAM Facebook Group that our Caren’s set up. Some people have had the impression that Kev and I are throwing in our towels on SPAM. We’re not. We plan to continue to be involved as leaders and creatives, just not with the day to day running. We haven’t made any decisions as to how things are going to be run yet, but we have some excellent ideas and offers that we’re working through.

In the mean time, it’s business as usual. Our next gathering is in a week: Monday 10 March (7.30pm @ Exposure, Suite 2:10 Axis Building, 1 Cleveland Rd, Parnell, BYO). Attached you’ll find some inspiration from Emma and Tom to get you started on their initiative they’ve called Explorations. Here’s what Emma wanted to say to you:

“We’ve put together a document for discussion at the meeting. It’s just the beginning, a seed if you will. We’re hoping that you all can be part of what makes it grow into a SPAM shaped being. Have a read through and dream big, dream small... Whatever your ideas are that you think fit with this sort of vision, bring them along to add to the discussion about where we go next as a collective.”

Had a look? Pretty cool huh? See you next week for a chin wag and a brainstorm.

Right O
J

SPAM-ku for today:

Stone walls do not a
Prison make but SPAM makes a
Lovely pin cushion.

Happy new year to you all. Hope you’re enjoying the long hot summer. Mine hasn’t been as relaxing as I’d hoped, but action-packed works for me too. Last week I had the pleasure of celebrating the arrival of Kev and Nikki’s third little girl – Mia Hope Denholm. Did I say little? Nine and a half pounds is a whole lot of baby.

Kev and I have been pondering and praying about the future of SPAM over the last few months (as have Mike and Tom). As SPAM enters its fourth year this April, we think it’s time for it to mature. Stand on its own two feet. Cut the cord. You get the metaphor?

As part of this maturing, we think it’s vital for Kev and I to step back from the actual running of SPAM, to make room for new leaders who feel called to help drive us in the future directions God navigates us to. Mmmm. Mixing metaphors now. As Jo is back in ad-land and no longer employed by Exposure to help co-ordinate SPAM, and Tom is not in a position to take on more of a leadership role, things are wide open.

Kev and I certainly still want to continue to give of ourselves through SPAM, but we want to serve in different ways: by supporting and nurturing new leaders, and exploring new creative avenues.

We believe God has pulled us all together to do big things for him: as we have already. We want to empower you guys to act like SPAM is yours. Coz it is. We want you to take the lead, knowing we’ve got your back, along with Mike ... oh ... and also the creator of the universe.

So what is the future direction for SPAM? I think God’s clearly spoken to us as a group already; through Darryl’s talk at Away: calling for us to be passionate, creative leaders in the church; and through Patrick’s workshops: calling us to develop culture, and to create together as artisans. I think God’s calling us to continue to serve him. Outwardly. Boldly. Together. And I’m certain he’s calling many of you to lead or to manage or to co-ordinate.

But maybe that’s just me. In the spirit of continuing this journey together, we want to seek God together. Please join us for a good old pray on Monday 11 February (7.30pm @ Exposure, Suite 2:10 Axis Building, 1 Cleveland Rd, Parnell, BYO). Let’s dedicate this year to God, and listen to what he has to say. Together.

“Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth”.
1 John 3:18 NIV

Right O
James and Kevin

SPAM-ku for today:

Don't serve SPAM at a
Bar mitzvah. Boy, did I find
That out the hard way!

You know me. You know that I’m a Christian.
Maybe you know what that means, maybe you don’t.
I’d like you to know what it means because it’s really important to me,
but I don’t want you to think I’m shoving it down your throat.
I’d like you to experience some Christian creatives
being open about what they believe.
Not shoving. Just open.

7pm Saturday 22nd September, then again Sunday 23rd 2007
St Paul’s, 28 Symonds Street
Free parking in Wilson’s Unipark, 6 St Paul Street

Everyone welcome

Culture, Download PDF

Art, Download PDF

What a fruitful year it’s been for SPAM: Family, The Easter Cross, Away, Open and Patrick’s inspirational presentations a couple of weeks ago – thanks again Patrick. It’s been brilliant working, socializing and doing the stuff with you guys. It’s a year well worth celebrating at our Christmas party on Monday 10 December (7.30pm @ Exposure, Suite 2:10 Axis Building, 1 Cleveland Rd, Parnell). To thank you all for your superb work, Exposure’s shouting the drinks, St P’s is laying on the food, and I’ve crafted the attached invitation from the cover of The Book of SPAM (ideal Christmas gift for ... um ... someone, available from Amazon).

All you need to bring is a $10 unwrapped children’s gift or $10 cash so that gifts can be bought for the Dingwall Children's home via City Lights. Perhaps a SPAM-inspired gift like art materials? And please RSVP to Katrina Bratton at katrina [at] artinc [dot] co [dot] nz this week to help her organize the catering.

Katrina’s also asked me to send you the attached to invitation to Robert Bratton’s next Blobology exhibition. The preview evening is from 5.30pm on Thursday 6 December.

As usual SPAM’s taking a break in January, but we’ll be kicking things off again on Mon 11 February. As I said at our last gathering, do have a relaxing break, and then do make some time to consider how you want to shape SPAM in 2008. We’re gagging to hear where you and God want to lead us next.

Right O
J

SPAM-ku for the season:

Wake up Christmas morn,
Only thing in stocking ... SPAM
Naughty once again

How’s your post Open world? Still exhilarated? Still exhausted? Still need to get your stuff to Jonathan to put online so that he can finish finessing the page?

We’ve heard a lot of awesome feedback about Open, and it was a huge success, although I am concerned that some of you got damaged in the process. That can happen with any creative project, and it certainly happens with God stuff. I’m praying that you all pull through and carry on with the stuff. I stopped for about ten years once. I hope none of you do that.

Because Open was such a massive effort, Tom, Kev and I have decided not to lead a SPAM Christmas project this year. Mike’s completely cool with that, but if any of you would like to lead something – say producing a film clip like previous years – please let Mike and I know. If you decide to, I could help you put together a brief for our SPAM gathering next Monday 12 November (7.30pm @ Exposure, Suite 2:10 Axis Building, 1 Cleveland Rd, Parnell. BYO).

Regardless, Patrick’s going to be presenting and leading a discussion on Monday called Tipping Culture and possibly an additional segment: Centrifugal v Centripetal Art. I’m sure this will be a thought-provoking evening, and I’m hoping that it will inspire some of you to leadership of SPAM or other creative God stuff next year. Don’t miss it.

Psst. Our final get together for this year will be our SPAM Christmas bash on Mon 10 Dec.

Psssst. If you went to Away, you might spot yourself at the top of the page here:
http://www.spam.org.nz/public/projects/away

Right O
J

SPAM-ku for tonight:

Moses said, “Behold
The power of the Lord! He
Turns pigs into cubes!”

Because I spend half of my waking hours making advertising, I really like things with
no ads. This segment – which I’ve called The Open Post – was inspired by the largest advertising-free blog on the web, which is called PostSecret. The blog consists of thousands of very personal secrets written on postcards and anonymously sent to a man named Frank. The secrets cover everything from murder to pregnancy, from cheating to generosity, from revenge to utter ridiculousness.

I love the openness and the rawness and the grossness of PostSecret.

It made me wonder what Christians might want to say if they were given the freedom
of anonymity. So I asked a bunch of them to create and send me postcards. And then
I made a few, and then some mates and I picked the best of them, and cut them to some music that another mate made.

You can watch the two clips here. They’ve been adapted slightly for online.

The hardest thing for me about being a Christian, is that I have this incredible secret that I want everyone to know about, but most people are so defensive and cynical about Christianity in Auckland. I hope doing this has helped some people to talk and that it might help some people to listen too.

James

The Open Post [Part I]

The Open Post [Part II]

Open?

When I meet a Jew
I think…."how closed you seem, how difficult to get to know. Why do you separate yourself from me? Doesn’t God love us all?"

When I see an Muslim
"I wonder if I can trust him. He looks OK, but…

When I meet a rich man
I think, "How come you have so much? You must be so greedy. How unfair that you have more than me!" And don’t you care about the poor? Hey, I could be successful too, if I wanted, but I choose not to, because I’ve got more important things to do! Plus, one day you might lose it all! I hope you do!

When I see the poor
I think, "why are you like this? You must have brought this on yourself! And anyway, the situation is hopeless and you won’t change. And if I do help you all the others will come expecting help too!"

When I get too close to a physically handicapped person
I want to move away. I don’t know what to say.

When I see a boy racer
I think, why do you waste all you money on a stupid car? And then drive up and down the same road a hundred times? Do you think you look cool?

When meet a gay man
I think, I’m so glad I’m "normal". What you do is weird. Wrong. I don’t understand. I don’t get it. Maybe I don’t want to.

Liberal…
I think, I am so glad that I am not a tree-hugging, diversity-embracing, culture-celebrating, tolerant, politically correct person like you.

Fundamentalist…
How come you are so sure you are absolutely and always correct? Don’t you know there is diversity in the world, many ways of doing things?

Business man…
You just spend all your time making money, you don’t care about anyone else.

Aging hippy…
Tie-dyed, sandal-wearing loser! Stuck in a time warp. Do you think this is still the 60’s? Man, get with the program!

Mexican…
Lazy! Just stay on your side of the border. Fix your own problems.

Immigrant….
You’re not going to take my job! And you will bring in your big, extended family too.

Old person…
You have nothing to say to me. Just sit quietly and eat your tea and bisquits and wait for bed time.

Too young…
You haven’t even experienced life yet! You have nothing to say to me!

But then, when I look at myself, I see…
Someone who, long ago, used to be open to others, open to trying new things, open to talking to people who were different, someone who, along the way, as the years went by, closed up.

Someone who is almost always too fast to judge others. And who gets it wrong almost all the time. (If I had a dollar for every time I mis-judged others I would be rich).

Someone who is really saying is, why can’t everyone else be more like me? But I am just as messed up, opinionated and self righteous and selfish as anyone else in the world.

Someone who finds it easy to talk to people who think like I do, to be friends with people who are like me. But who finds it hard to spend time with people who make me mad, who disagree with me, who yell and get angry, who have other ideas and ways of doing things, who’s English isn’t too good, who stutter, who are too slow.

Someone who wants to learn how to listen to others, to their stories, to discover the beauty of other ways of doing things, other ways of seeing the world, other languages and skin and thoughts.

I want to stay, well…open.