Home Archive by category "Kidology" (Page 92)

Category: Kidology

In a Jiffy…

Well, we hit the road for our last church visit of the sabbatical – in Michigan. Nice to be in the PK Cruiser again. We left Chicago enjoying sunny skies. However, being home for a few days reminded us of lots of stuff we need to DO, so hitting the road one last time was nice. We will be soaking in this final trip up! (hopefully not a pun with rain in the forecast!) We were delighted to discover one of Anakin’s hang outs along the way…. Strong in the Force is this place! Soon we got to our destination – guesses? Well, here is a hint: It’s the JIFFY CAPITAL of the WORLD! That’s right! Look on your Jiffy Mix box – that’s where we went! To visit Pastor Jeff Bradley a long time friend I met through Kidology. Jeff won our first conference contest on Kidology and got to go to the Bahamas with Sara and I (and his wife Carol) for the Children’s Ministry Conference Cruise. Me and Jeff in the Bahamas in 2002. After we got to our destination (have you looked at the jiffy box yet?) we were bummed to have rain in light of…

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Sitting in Episode III

  12:01 a.m. showing and in the first ten in line! Well, this is it! I am now sitting in the theater awaiting the beginning of the movie that will conclude a story I’ve followed since I was eight years old. I got to the theater at 7pm, but there were only 2 people in line, so I watched the politically correct (meaning the Christians were the blood thirsty idiots who got what they derserved) “Kingdom of Heaven” – but enough about that. After that, there were only 5 more people in line for SW, so I set up my Celebration III chair and watched as the line steadily grew by the hundreds! My brother, Jordan, soon joined me along with Kidology board member Steve Clindaniel and his son Jonathan. Of couse, a review will come soon, but no spoilers, I promise. Well, between typing and visiting 30 minutes has passed and soon it will be dark…. in more ways than one. (if you sense my drift) Hard to believe I am about to see it, I started counting the days at over 400! Signing off now…. Meditate I must, prepare myself I must. Episode III about to see I…

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A Jedi with a Shepherds Heart…

The hills as you drive to beautiful Corvalis, Oregon are filled with sheep lazily grazing on wide open green pastures. Counting the sheep would have been a pointless effort, as there were too many and constantly moving. Just a few hours from the coast of Oregon, it is a beautiful place to live and minister, and the sight of sheep on the way in was fitting, as we were on our way to meet a young father and pastor with a true shepherd’s heart. Strong in the Force this Children’s Pastor is… Henry and his Padawan Learner… After church at Kings Circle (See Kings Circle Gallery) we headed out to lunch at my favorite restaurant that is now sadly missing in Chicago… The best former Chicago restaurant in Chicago. Allow me to rant: The busiest restaurant at our local mall in Chicago went ‘out of business’ due only to upper management mistakes. Soon all the other Baja Fresh’s in Chicagoland started to disappear, and rumor is that they are pulling out of the MidWest. Dumb. Why would a popular busy highly profitable restaurant close? I’d like to say to Baja Fresh’s Leadership: “I find your lack of vision disturbing.” A…

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Hinson Memorial Baptist Church…

We are currently in Portland, OR. Not only did I get to visit with my long-lost buddy and pal Rich Stafford (as usual, more pics to come!), but we got to visit a dear sweet grandma named Evelyn Monnier. There is no slowing down this 85 year old saint! Just a few years ago, she and a friend (not much youger) drove all the way to Chicago for a visit, on the way to the Cove in North Carolina! This time it was our turn to make the trek. Returement is a time when most people slow down, but not for Evelyn. Since retirement she has served on the mission field and been active in church and was on staff with ISI. (International Students International) It was while she was in the Philippines serving with Sara’s parents, that she was adopted as ‘Grandma’ to a 9 year old Sara. Evelyn with a picture of herself at age twenty. Quite a catch, eh? Rock of Ages. This church supported Sara’s folks years ago. Tonight we went with Evelyn to church – Hinson Memorial Baptist Church – and met the children’s ministry director, Judy Busch, who I was surprised to hear was…

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Children’s Pastors "Havefunner"

Who is the Man Behind the Mask? Allow me to travel back in time, a few blogs anyway, to Portland Oregon where we visited Shiloh Hills Fellowship. (see post and photo gallery) Spokane held a few surprises for us. Besides the amazing hospitality shown to us, I was glad to get to meet a great children’s pastor. Our original purpose in visiting Spokane was to meet Danile Bigler, a gifted young man who has impressed me (and many others) with his contributions to Kidology.org A Young Man with a Heart for Preschoolers. Daniel proved to be a fascinating young man with many talents and passions that could lead him in many directions… though I’m encouraging him to be a children’s pastor, one of his many possibilities. But whatever he does, he will have a great impact on the Kingdom, I’m sure. I was very glad, however, to find out that he is working as an intern for a fantastic children’s pastor at Shiloh Hills Fellowship. Daniel is at home with kids… Rick “Havefunner” Pastor Rick Haffner, (often called by his kids Rick “Havefunner”) has over thirty years of children’s ministry service, having served both in the church and public school…

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