17/02/2024
Hi everyone.
Its been a long time so I’m not sure the magical facebook algorithm will show this to anyone, but look! A new continent! We made it to New Zealand! (Thanks Youngs!)
‘So just gonna jump back in after more than a year and pretend like nothing happened huh?”
Fair point….and no…..and I realise you might have some questions! What happened? Is God’s Big Story finished? Where is Marvin?
So, the following is what feels like a bit of a self-indulgent explanation….because I don’t really have definite answers so all I can do is explain where we’re at…just because I’ve felt for a while I should at least say SOMETHING for anyone who has journeyed with us for 400 or so episodes! It’s a bit of an essay- it’s only there for anyone who comes to the page looking for answers,…if that’s you, buckle up….if not, don’t bother- it’s probably a bit whiney anyway!
So here goes:
If you made it to season 3 you’ll know we stopped mid-week with zero warning…and when that happened I didn’t think I was stopping….it just felt like a whole string of facebook posts had been me making apologies and excuses for episodes not being released on time…and that felt like constant negative communication….and who wants to read that! The point of facebook was to try and create a bit of community with kids and families who were listening…..I didn’t want t o repeatedly make promises like ‘We’re going to get going on this date’ just to then have to apologize if I couldn’t deliver…so when I stropped I was thinking I need to get this figured out…how I can do this in a sustainable way so it just works … and I guess I still haven’t figured that out!
If you’re newer to the podcast, or came to it a bit later than it was released, you might not know the history there. For the first year (Season 1) I released a new episode every weekday for the entire year. BUT that was 2020 when we were in lockdown and being stuck at home I was able to devote several hours a day to writing, recording and editing episodes 1-260.
As the pandemic passed, and as ‘normal’ youth ministry resumed, I did keep going, but it was tough…..in reality though the time itself is not the biggest challenge.
In my experience ministry is best done in community. What kept me going as long as I did was the families who listened who became friends…hearing that kids were enjoying it, asking questions, praying, growing in their faith, even just singing along with jingles…..that was the lifeblood of the podcast- it was a gift from God that literally kept me going. (A sincere thank you to all of you who got in touch!- you don’t know how much that meant to me 😊 )
But although apple tells me people are still finding and still listening to the podcast, mostly there is no feedback loop.
I like to think someone might be surprised to hear that apart from the scripture readings, and the Joshes recording the jingles with me, GBS is entirely a one man operation- writing recording editing, all the voices, that’s all just me! I don’t say that to blow my own trumpet (toot toot!), but to say its tough to do all that, send it all out into the internet and never really hear much of who’s listening, and if kids are enjoying it,…I’m talking to an audience that I know exists, but I don’t know who they are, and so in that sense they are imaginary…I have to imagine who I’m talking to…imagine they’re listening, imagine if it matters to them if I stop or not!
See? Self indulgent whiney-ness!
But yeah that’s what’s tough about podcasting, the fact that the answer to the question ‘why put in all the work’, is, in that sense, imaginary. And as our most devoted listeners were/are, by a huge majority thousands of miles away, mostly across the states (again it might surprise you to know most Edengrove families didn’t journey with us) …that job of imagining an audience is tougher still when the potential audience right in front of you, and the audience you created the thing for, didn’t notice you stopped!
See I told you! the whineyness is getting annoying isn’t it! (I’m not actually whining…but I’m pretty sure it sounds like I am!) :D
So there you have it…that’s the struggle, that’s what happened. Is it done for good…I’m not sure
Apple tells me season 1 episodes are listened to around 1000 times each month…I don’t know by whom! Occasionally I hear from a family that has reached Day 130 which still brings me great joy…..but 5 episodes a week, each episode probably takes around 3 hrs start to finish…that’s just a lot of time in the midst of youth programmes, session and committee meetings, bible studies, worship practices….you guys know how church life is.
Of course, if the big sponsorship deal arrives and Marv and I can go full time podcasting, then count us in, but as yet we’re strictly amateur.
If you’ve read all this, then wow…. …..Are we better off having waded through that? I’m not sure, but I felt I owed you an explanation! :D And if you have journeyed with us, can I say thank you…I’m always amazed and humbled when I hear from a family who don’t know me, but who have trusted me to walk through the Bible with their kids. I have always taken that responsibility tremendously seriously- I hope that trust has not been misplaced.
Grace and peace to you all friends,
I don’t know if the podcast adventure is paused or over, but it was mostly tremendous fun, and ‘meeting’ you all was the very best of it
(Marv and the gang would say hi too but they’re all out playing lazer-tag),
Till we ‘meet’ again,
Dave
