Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Happy New Year & 2010 Lineup

Hi! Our Lady of the Valley's Theology on Tap hopes you had a wonderful, blessed Christmas, and we hope you're gearing up for a fun New Year!!


We have a really great lineup of ToT events in Winter and Spring of 2010! We had such success in our discussion of "Rediscovering Catholicism" last Fall that we have selected to continue our learning theme by having discussions on the lives of five Saints -- some more familiar than others -- all excellent models of how we can live better lives as Catholics and Christians. But wait...there's more! Our meetings will also feature not one, but TWO appearances by Father Alex Steinmiller, "Stump the Bishop" with Bishop Foley, and a Mardi Gras Social! To get right to it, here are the dates you should reserve on your calendar for 2010:

  • January 12 - our season kickoff! We'll have Mass, followed by dinner. We are very blessed to have Father Alex Steinmiller join us to say Mass.
  • January 26 - Father Alex will return to discuss "Authentic Catholicism."
  • February 2 - Discussion of the life of a Saint
  • February 16 - Mardi Gras social
  • March 2 - "Affluenza"
  • March 23 - "Stump the Bishop" with Bishop Foley
  • April 6 - Saint discussion
  • April 20 - Saint discussion
  • May 4 - Saint discussion
  • May 18 - You guessed it...our final Saint discussion! :)

It's one of ToT's most agressive lineups, but we can pull it off with your help! More details will come closer to each event. We hope to see you soon!



HAPPY NEW YEAR!!


The ToT Team

Monday, November 30, 2009

Advent Wreath Making

A few pics from the Advent Wreath Making held at OLV on 11/29...thanks to all who joined us!! ToT hopes everyone has a wonderful and blessed Advent and Christmas season!
























































Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Social Outing DATE CHANGED!!!

The date for our ToT social outing has been CHANGED to November 21. We'll meet for dinner at 6:00 for some great food and conversation. We're looking at Margarita Grill as a possibility...they have an outdoor patio (heated if it's cold), great food, and fantastic margaritas. :) An email will come out next week with more info.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

11/3 - Rediscovering Catholicism

Pictures below from the final meeting of our Rediscovering Catholicism series. THANK YOU to everyone who participated and helped make it a great series!!






















Wednesday, October 7, 2009

10/6 - Rediscovering Catholicism

Check out some pics from our ToT meeting on 10/6. Thanks to Tony for putting together a great discussion for us! Please join us for our next meeting on 10/20.














































Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Rediscovering Catholicism - Sept 15

Thanks to everyone for a great meeting last night! We had a great group - right around 25 people! It was wonderful to see some regulars along with several new faces. Thanks also to those who brought a snack for us to enjoy. SPECIAL thanks to our presenter, Chip, who got us off to a great start with a discussion of the first section of Rediscovering Catholicism.

If you couldn't make it, we hope to see you at our October 6 meeting!

Pictures below...


























Monday, September 7, 2009

September 1 Meeting - Success!

Great meeting! Great crowd, wonderful food, fantastic company! Thanks to all who attended! A few pictures below.....see everyone on the 15th!




































































Sunday, August 23, 2009

Season kickoff Tuesday September 1!!

Hello everyone! If you can believe it, summer is winding down. School's started, football is just around the corner...and it's once again time for the Theology on Tap season to get started!

Our Fall "kickoff" (no pun intended) event is just about a week away: Tuesday, September 1 at 6:00 PM. Take note of the special start time...we're doing something a little different this year for our kickoff. We'll start by sharing in a Mass lead by OLV's own Father Rick in the OLV chapel. Then we'll move to the social hall for dinner, hosted by the Theology on Tap team. We hope to put together a really great meal for everyone, and we hope everyone will enjoy hanging out, enjoying the good company, and catching up on how our summers went.

There will be no charge for this event. You read that right...no charge! Call it our own little contribution to the economic stimulus. :) Also, we'll have a limited supply of beverages on hand, so please BYOB. (You can even bring one of those fancy new brews that are all the rage around town lately!) Childcare will be provided.

If you plan to attend, please send us a quick email to let us know. That will help us plan to be sure we have enough food for everyone. All are welcome!

Tuesday September 1, 6:00 PM
OLV Chapel & Social Hall
No charge
BYOB
Childcare provided

Also, go ahead and mark your calendars for our upcoming events on September 15, October 6, October 20, November 3. This will be our four-week series where we discuss Matthew Kelly's Rediscovering Catholicism...should be a thought-provoking series! Also, we hope you can attend our social on Saturday, November 14. Look for more details on those events later!

Everyone have a great week!

The ToT Team
theologyontap@olvsch.com

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Back in Action! Fall 2009 Events...

Happy summer!! We hope everyone has had a fun and safe summer so far.

Despite the heat and all the 4th of July celebrations, OLV's Theology on Tap team has been working hard planning our Fall lineup. Here are some dates to mark on your calendar for the Tuesday night meetings as well as the Coffee and Theology series.

Tuesday Night ToT Meetings
This season, our first meeting will involve a mass, followed by a social dinner. Following that, we'll have a four-meeting series spanning September, October, and November. We'll then have a social outing. Also, this season, there is NO CHARGE to attend a Tuesday night ToT meeting!

  • September 1 - our season kickoff!
  • September 15
  • October 6
  • October 20
  • November 3
  • November 14 (Saturday night) - 4:30 mass at OLV followed by social outing. This could be bowling, dinner, skydiving, cowtipping...the possibilities are endless! :)
Coffee and Theology
Our Sunday morning bible study series continues this fall! The time is 9:45-10:45 Sunday mornings (between masses at OLV).
  • September 20
  • September 27
  • October 4
  • October 11
  • October 18
  • October 25
Advent Wreath Making
This year, our Advent Wreath Making event moves back to Sunday morning between masses at OLV. We will make our wreaths on November 22.

More details will come to the blog and through email as we get closer. We can't wait to see everyone again!! Have a great summer!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

DVD Series April 21 and 28

Hello everyone, and happy Easter season! Theology on Tap hopes everyone has had a wonderful, blessed Easter celebration.

This is a note to remind you of our upcoming events...On April 21 (next Tuesday!) and April 28, and we'll continue viewing the Matthew Kelly DVD series. For those who missed the first two meetings in the series, Matthew Kelly is a world-renowned speaker, and more than 3 million people have attended his seminars, talks, and retreats. His DVD series is titled "Living Life with Passion and Purpose," and he does an excellent job relating to young adults. Our first two meetings consisted of viewing the DVD mixed with some good discussion. This is a DVD series, but each DVD is a complete package unto itself :) ...so even if you haven't seen the first two, we hope you'll join us for the upcoming episodes!

We'll use our standard Theology on Tap meeting protocol: 7:00 PM in the OLV Parish Office Conference Room. $5/person, with drinks, snacks, and childcare provided.

See you there!

The ToT Team

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Coffee and Theology continues!

Our Coffee and Theology Series continues this Sunday, 3/8, 9:45-10:45 at OLV in the social hall. We're studying Philippians.

The series will continue through the rest of Lent (3/15, 3/22, 3/29, and 4/5). Attendance at every session is NOT required. The cost for the entire series -- including the study guide (and all the coffee and doughnuts you want!) -- is $7 per person. We hope to see you there!

DVD Series Recap - 2/24 & 3/3

Thanks to everyone who attended our DVD Series! We viewed the first two DVDs of Matthew Kelly's "Living Life with Passion and Purpose" series. Our first session included a little Mardi Gras fun (with beads and a king cake!). The first DVD set the stage by presenting us with a theme of "Our Lives Change When our Habits Change." We can become better versions of ourselves by working to eliminate bad habits and form good ones.

The second DVD centered on an important good habit to form: spending 10 minutes a day in prayer. Focused prayer...moving toward achieving union with God...can change our lives, and it can start with just 10 minutes a day. It's challenging, but it can make a big difference!

Matthew Kelly is a very dynamic speaker, with thought-provoking stories and examples, a good sense of humor, and a cool Austrailian accent. Combined with some great discussion among our own group, it made for two very entertaining evenings!!






And we enjoyed yet another incredible dip...thanks to Kate for sharing with us!!


Thanks again everyone! We'll let you know when our next ToT events are on the calendar. We hope everyone has a blessed and fulfilling Lent and Easter season!

Friday, February 27, 2009

ToT events: Habitat Saturday, Coffee Sunday, DVD Series Tuesday...

Just a quick note to remind everyone about the upcoming events...we have a busy Lent planned!

This Saturday, February 28, is the Habitat for Humanity build. Please send us an email to let us know if you're able to participate. It will begin at 7:30 AM, and usually runs until around 3:00. Lunch and tools are provided (you may want to bring work gloves and a tool/nail belt if you have one). It should be a lot of fun...and for a good cause!

This Sunday, March 1, is the first meeting of our Coffee and Theology series. We will meet from 9:45 to 10:45 (between masses) in the OLV Social Hall. We'll be discussing Philippians. We'll meet each Sunday during Lent (March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, and April 5). The cost for the entire series is $7 -- that gets you the book, along with all the coffee and doughnuts you'd like for the entire series! :) You don't have to attend every session - we encourage you to join us whenever you can. Childcare is provided for children not in CCD.

Tuesday, March 3 is the second of our DVD Series meetings. We had a great meeting this past week - lots of entertaining and thought-provoking discussion. We'll meet at 7:00 PM in the OLV Parish Office conference room. The cost is $5...drinks/snacks/childcare provided.

Thanks to everyone who was able to attend the DVD Series meeting this week. We hope to see everyone again soon!

Monday, February 16, 2009

Upcoming Events

Upcoming ToT Events...

ToT DVD Series: February 24 and March 3. 7:00 PM, OLV Parish Office Conference Room
We will review and discuss the first two installments of Matthew Kelly's "Living Every Day with Passion and Purpose" series. Matthew Kelly is a world-renowned speaker. His seminars, talks, and retreats have been attended by more than three million people in fifty countries. We'll have two meetings centered around some of his topics (and if we want to keep going, we'll schedule more!). We'll also have a Mardi Gras party along with our February 24 meeting!

Habitat for Humanity: February 28 (Saturday)
On Saturday, February 28, we will participate in the Habitat for Humanity project co-sponsored by Our Lady of the Valley. If you've never helped with a Habitat project, it's a fantastic and fun way to sacrifice our time and energy to help others, which helps us mimic the sacrifices of Jesus. We'll be working to build a house in Montevallo, and February 28 is the first Habitat workday, so we'll be framing the house. Lunch and most tools will be provided...as well as onsite directors and supervisors, so we can help even if we don't know anything at all about building a house!

Coffee and Theology: Sundays during Lent (March 1 through April 5), 9:45-10:45 - OLV Social Hall
Our Sunday morning guided bible study series, will begin Sunday March 1 going through April 5. This year, we will be studying Philippians.

Unfortunately, we've had to cancel the Mardi Gras Masquerade previously scheduled for February 20. We'll try to arrange another get-together to make up for it...let us know if you have any good ideas for events!

Thanks everyone! We hope to see you soon!

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Stump the Priest, 2/3 (No fish were harmed....)

The final installment of our Winter 2009 Stump the Priest Series was held on February 3. It was a blast! We had ANOTHER great crowd. Our guest of honor was Monsignor Paul Rohling from OLV. Having served in the Diocese for several years in various capacities and parishes, Father Paul brought much experience and wisdom to our meeting. So, we had a lot of questions for him...the fishbowl could hardly wait!

Our topics ranged from confession, to the Trinity, Mary, the Catechism...we covered a lot!

Special thanks to Father Paul, who taught us AND entertained us. We are so blessed to have been able to spend time with him!
Thanks to EVERYONE who attended our Stump The Priest series. It was a fantastic start to the year! At the end, the fishbowl was empty, with a few blank question cards ready for next time!
***No fish were harmed in the production of Stump the Priest '09. They were only slightly inconvenienced for about a month.*** :)
We look forward to seeing everyone at our DVD series starting February 24!

Pics from Stump the Priest, Week 2

Here are some pics of our second Stump the Priest event featuring Fr Joe Cullota. See if you can find yourself! :)



















Saturday, January 31, 2009

Stump the Priests going great!

Thanks to everyone who attended Stump the Priest with Father Joe on 1/27! We had a great crowd and a lot of fun!

Please join us for the final session of our Stump the Priest series this coming Tuesday (2/3) with Msgr Paul Rohling from OLV...7 PM, OLV Parish Office Conference Room. $5... drinks/snacks/childcare provided.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Stump the Priest with Fr Rick, 1/13

We kicked off Winter 2009 with the first edition of th season's Stump the Priest series. Our 'target' was Father Rick Chenault of OLV. :)

We started the year off right with a great crowd...both the usuals as well as several new faces! (And another excellent dip by Margaret Ann!)

After a few TRULY hilarious jokes :) by the MC to start us off, we got right to it. Father Rick fielded live questions from our group, as well as a few written questions placed in the Official ToT Question/Fish bowl. We asked some excellent questions...


...and Father Rick did an excellent job. We thought for sure we would stump him, but despite being new to the priesthood, Father Rick handled everything we threw at him like a pro. He's a great teacher, and was able to explain his answers in a way that we, as young adults, could relate to. His real-life examples helped us better understand some very difficult aspects of our faith.


Thanks so much to Father Rick for being a willing and excellent participant in our Stump the Priest series!

Next up: Stump the Priest continues on 1/27 with Father Joe Cullota from St. Mark the Evangelist. We hope to see you there!

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Winter/Spring 2009 Events Calendar

We have an action-packed schedule for the next few months...there's something for everyone! Be sure to add these events to your calendar:

Stump the Priest Series
January 13 - Father Rick Chenault (OLV)
January 27 - Father Joe Cullota (St. Mark the Evangelist)
February 3 - Msgr Paul Rohling (OLV)
**all events at 7:00 PM in the OLV Parish Office Conference Room
**snacks, drinks, childcare provided
**cost: $5

Mardi Gras Masquerade - "BYOM" (Bring Your Own Mask!)
February 20 - OLV Social Hall - 7:30 PM
**snacks, drinks provided
**$10 per person

Theology on Tap DVD Series
Matthew Kelly - Living Every Day with Passion and Purpose
February 24
March 3
March 10
**all events at 7:00 PM in the OLV Parish Office Conference Room
**snacks, drinks, childcare provided
**cost: $5


Coffee and Theology - Sunday morning Lenten Bible Study series
Meets in the OLV Social Hall from 9:45 to 10:45 AM on the following Sundays during Lent:
March 1
March 8
March 15
March 22
March 29
April 5

We look forward to seeing you!