On September 21, 2019, I went on my first mentor team outing. It ended up being the only in-person outing I attended with Team Z. (I did, however, subsequently engage with team members briefly at the 2019 holiday party. We also worked together extensively on Zoom during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, i.e.,…
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Voice Memo: Observations and Reflections Before Picnic
On September 7, 2019, I attended the All Tapestry Fall Picnic. Before participants started arriving, I recorded a voice memo describing the playground where the event was taking place and reflecting on some of the meta questions I was chewing on at the time, including how to form relationships with the youth and how my…
Voice Memo: Group Dynamics at All Tapestry Event
Kyle Matthew Oliver · Cookie Decorating Voice Memo On December 15, 2018, I attended my first All Tapestry event with a solid orientation toward inquiry. Afterward, I recorded a voice memo about a relational dynamic I noticed. I have edited the recording above for length, some verbal ticks and false starts, and de-identification. Annotated Transcript:…
Papers & Presentations
This page is where I’ll collect the various pieces I’ve created to launch, document, and spread the word about this project and its various contributions to research and practice. 2018 ‘Space to be heard’: Facilitating, researching, and documenting digital storytelling in a church summer program* (paper presented at the 2018 Religious Education Association Annual Meeting)…
Meeting: Facilitator Training Lunch, Reflections on the Move
I met Hannah and Sam at a deli in Powell Gardens after a morning of hustling around. I thankfully remembered before I left the house that I would need to go to a local music store beforehand to buy an XLR cable to use with my new shotgun microphone, since today would be the first…
Team Z: First Time Hanging with Team on Outing
I heard Liz ask Zoe about how school was going, and she said her grades were some good and some bad (two A’s, two F’s). Liz then said, “Oooh, tell me about the A’s.” I ordered an iced coffee and came back to the table. I listened as the group chatted for a bit, then…
Encounter: Errands with Marie at Remembrance Event
Operating mostly from an instinct I’ve developed as a pastor (say “yes” whenever you can, especially to invitations to make connections in the community), I accepted mentor Marie’s invitation to volunteer at a yearly remembrance event hosted by a racial and economic justice organization she’s a part of. The event commemorates the death of a…
All Tapestry: Mini Golf with Team R
I arrived at the course on my bicycle mid-morning. I could see a group that looked like Hannah and company in a large tent structure. I walked around to one end and came in. Upon entering, I said hi to Deacon Derek, and then sat down and talked to Liam, Hannah’s husband. He asked about…
Mentors: Another Thank-You Dinner
I arrived early to this second, more regionally targeted mentor thank-you dinner, and passed the time reading in a café a couple doors down from the taqueria. It was the kind of place I think would have felt modestly upscale against the backdrop of the neighborhood’s past identity as a broadly targeted shopping district and…
Meeting & Mentors: Planning & Gratitude at WSCC
I arrived early at the Walnut Street Community Coalition to do some other work and take a call. The cafe was large, and open. It included a book store space, a register with various kinds of gift wrap (including Hanukkah-themed), and a long counter. I noticed prominent tattoos on several employees’ arms. I texted Hannah…