Looking Back, Looking Forward

This past year I took a leap of faith. Towards the end of 2011 I had an epiphany. It was one of those “aha-but-the-thought-kinda-scares-me” ideas.

So I lulled the idea into remission for a season. Meanwhile, throughout 2012 I spoke with some trusted advisors, friends and family about the idea just to make sure I wasn’t crazy. And everywhere I turned I encountered confirmation.

Which made me scareder. (In proper English, that would be translated as “more scared.”)

So, I sat on the idea some more. From the time the thought hit me about two years ago until the time I actually started doing something about it, more than a full year had passed.

In March this year I took the plunge, along with some other brave souls. We registered PlayFull as a not-for-profit corporation. Suddenly, we were official.

Since then, I would characterize our progress as slow but steady. Here are some tangibles to celebrate:

1. Our website went live in mid-July. It currently features more than 100 articles—some funny, some serious; some short, some long. There’s poetry, photography, book reviews, and thought-provoking quotes. Topics range from play and architecture to pajama day in the workplace. We’ve written about children’s ministry and team building, death and humility. We’ve cited Harvard professors and comic strip authors.

2. In October, we held our first PlayDate with Step Up to Help based in Denver, Colorado.

3. We honed two stories in our PlayFull Faith series. The first is a retelling of creation and the second is a retelling of the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus. Though there are many more stories to come in this series, we already have requests for copies of the first two.

4. Finally, we rounded out our board of directors and opened a bank account just a few weeks ago.

To be sure, more has been accomplished but these are the highlights.  For a crazy, upstart idea I’d say that’s not bad, though, eh.

In 2014, we will hopefully receive our 501c3 status from the IRS.  When that happens we will be able to more fully live into the vision.

On that note, here’s what I see:

I see groups of people learning and growing by playing together. I see teams equipped to work together in unity. I see leaders thinking creatively about obstacles they face. I see marriages renewed, conflicts resolved, and friendships forged.

I see faith invigorated. I see people discovering a God who dances. I see artistic expression. I see PlayFull’s stories shed new light on age-old traditions. I see people praying, simply, playfully.

In the new year we will write, photograph, facilitate conversation and collaboration. We will work on at least one book and continue to direct others to helpful resources. We will strive to complete our PlayFull Faith series. We will form PlayGroups in multiple locations. We will coach leaders and fuel self-awareness. Bottom line: We will strive to help others "play from the inside-out." Our desire is to provide various playful pathways towards personal, relational and organizational health. So...

Look out 2014. It’s time to play.

Thanks to all of you in advance for joining in. Your participation and your words of encouragement are invaluable.

Gratefully,

Troy