Family & Friends
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Vineyard Sunday School — Handling Offenses the Bible Way Series
Posted by blogdude on 15 Dec 2011 | Tagged as: Church, Family & Friends
Conflict and offenses are coming. Jesus told us so! We need to handle them the way the Bible teaches to avoid being trapped by the enemy and stumbling off the path Jesus called us to walk.
Lesson #1
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Lesson #2
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Lesson #3
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Lesson #4
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Lesson #5
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Lesson #6
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Lesson #7
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Lesson #8
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Lesson #9
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Lesson #10
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Lesson #11
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Vineyard Sunday School — Joy Robber Series
Posted by blogdude on 15 Dec 2011 | Tagged as: Church, Family & Friends
Don’t let the enemy steal your joy! The joy of the Lord is our strength!
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Session #1
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Session #1 part 2
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Session #2
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Session #3
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Session #4
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Session #5
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Session #6
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Session #7
Happy Mother’s Day
Posted by blogdude on 07 May 2011 | Tagged as: Family & Friends
Hi Mom’s! We made some special videos down by the lake. Thought you’d enjoy our novice video work and since we couldn’t be there with you, this is better than just a phone call! Love lots! Click the links below and see our messages to you! Be sure and check out our video tour of the park too!
Vineyard Sunday School Class–Fruit of the Spirit
Posted by blogdude on 18 Oct 2010 | Tagged as: Family & Friends
I had some technical problems with the recording for lesson 7 but when time allows I hope to re-teach it and include it with this series.
Here are lessons 8, 9, 10 and 12 Hope you enjoy them!
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no number 11 due to tech problems
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Vineyard Sunday School Class Fruit of the Spirit #6
Posted by blogdude on 24 Sep 2010 | Tagged as: Family & Friends
Here is the next installment in our series… from 19 September 2010
The file is large so it may take a minute to get going. Patience is one of the fruits, right?
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Vineyard Sunday School Class Lesson
Posted by blogdude on 07 Sep 2010 | Tagged as: Family & Friends
For the past few weeks, I have been teaching the Pine Castle UMC Vineyard Sunday School class on the Fruit of the Spirit and the Life in the Spirit. Some of the members asked if we could record the class. Here is my first attempt at posting the lesson. Just click on the link below and you should be able to hear the lesson!
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It was an International Experience
Posted by cmack on 27 Feb 2010 | Tagged as: Church, Family & Friends, Missions
How do you transform a gymnasium into an International Market Place?
Is it even possible? Why would you want to? They say, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words,’ so I will show you with a few photos, “how” we did just that. And the “why”? It was our church’s (Pine Castle United Methodist Church) annual mission’s weekend called GIC or Global Impact Celebration. Kelly and I co-chaired the event with our Missions Pastor and many, many other volunteers.
Friday night was to be a world affair banquette with the movie “Peace Child,” and Sunday would feature our guest speaker, missionary and author – Don Richardson, followed by an Expo display of the missionaries and outreach ministries which our church supports.
First the expo draping went up to help disguise and soften the gymnasium walls. Tables were skirted in preparation for the Sunday Expo and stored to be used on Sunday. (Thanks Jeff for providing these for us!)
Backdrops from the Children’s department added color and definition to our ‘international’ theme. (Lee holds the ladder for Stephaney.)
Round tables were decorated (by a small army) for the banquet (thanks to Eleanor and her team). We were going for a South American ‘fiesta’ look with bright colors that popped, and colorful helium balloons to fill the dead space above the tables.
The perimeter of the gym would feature the International Market Place, displaying cultural artifacts and trinkets from around the world. Here Connie and Jeanette discuss how the Africa market will look.
An African ‘Safari’ look was the finished product (thanks Jeanette).
From Africa we transition into South America. Bright, happy and fun colors draws one into this village scene that could easily be Mexico or even Guatemala.
South America came alive thanks to Kim, Sondra & their team.
Next, we move into our Asian market (above and below photos).
This area included , China, Thailand, Myanmar and the country near and dear to my heart, Indonesia (two photos above), and the Marshal Islands & Japan (as seen below)
The Island Nations (above)
Stephaney and I are smiling because the work is done and we still have a half hour to change our clothes before the banquet starts.
Now, just add ‘people’, and let the festivities begin.
Volunteers like Marilyn and Liz served close to 200 people.
Our school chef, Patrick (in the black hat), outdid himself with an international meal that was amazing…from the pita bread & hummus to the couscous and adobo chicken with rice and more.
With the tables cleared, it’s now time to “let the program begin”. Kelly was the MC and the program began with a dramatic video of “Peace Child.”
It’s Don Richardson’s story of a primitive tribe of cannibals in Irian Jaya (Papua, Indonesia). The Sawi people honored & practiced treachery and betrayal and thus in the Gospel story (to Don’s dismay), chose Judas over Jesus as a hero. But hidden within their cultural, Don found a practice that would point them back to Jesus. It was the tradition of a ‘Peace Child.” When the chief’s only infant son was exchanged with the warring tribe for peace, Don was able to point them to Jesus, the perfect Peace Child. (Link to YouTube clip of Peace Child)
On Sunday, the round tables are replaced with the expo tables holding the displays put up by our missionaries. The missionaries line up in front of their tables waiting for the church members to enter.
Church members use their passports (found in their bulletin) to enter the expo and participate in the prize drawing later. They fill the aisles as they talk to the 40 some ministries attending and supported by PCUMC.
Some of our missionaries were unable to attend so church members volunteered to “represent” that person and share their ministry with others. Here, Jo shares with this couple about Suzanne’s work in Africa.
Our Guest Speaker, Don Richardson and his wife Carol join us at the Expo with their book table. (Books by Don Richardson: Eternity in Their Hearts, Peace Child, Lords of the Earth, Secrets of the Koran, Acting Without Agony and Unhidden)
And finally, a photo of Kelly standing in front of our Expo table, sharing about our ministry with fellow church member, Armand. (Kelly is wearing his Indonesian batik shirt and a black felt cap, or peci, as the Indonesians call it.)
Mission Accomplished
One of our goals was to create an atmosphere that would help make missions more touchable for the people. The encouraging part was the great turn out of volunteers helping bring it all together. It was a lot of work, but it was all worth it. It was a fun time for all.
Books, books and more books:
Posted by cmack on 03 Feb 2010 | Tagged as: Church, Family & Friends, Missions
At 7:00 pm we closed the book table, did an inventory and by 9:00 pm had all the remaining books packed up and ready to ship back home. When we closed out the cash register, the sales for the day showed we had been successful in moving a lot of inventory into peoples hands. We were all quite pleased with the results, considering the current state of our economy.
Kelly and I were attending the Mission ConneXion Northwest, sponsored by the northwest area churches and held this year in Vancouver, WA. It’s a two day event challenging the Church to fulfill the Great Commission. We were there assisting Ken, our ACMC team member, with his book sales for the conference.
- Kelly and the team set up the book tables for the conference
This event, with its 125 workshops, four leading keynote speakers, and inspirational worship sessions had something for everyone. The attendance count hasn’t been posted yet, but we are estimating around 6 to 7 thousand may have attended. (While it’s not as many as the 15,000 that has attended in previous years, it was a good attendance for the times.)
- One view of the crowd mingling in the foyer.
About 80 missions agencies set up exhibits providing information about work being done in countries around the world.
- Here is our Pioneers booth exhibit, right next to Wycliffe.
In between workshops and general sessions, the book table was a favorite gathering place where a wide variety of books about missions could be found.
We had 6 long tables stacked with books, videos, and other resources all pertaining to missions.
- There was something for people of all ages at the conference and at the book table.
- This young lady couldn’t resist taking a closer look at the book she chose.
- These two college girls found this corner the perfect spot to browse through their books.
- A customer asks Connie to explain the plot to this DVD movie, “The Enemy God” that was made by our Denver film team.
- Kelly rings up another sale.
We love getting mission materials into peoples hands and to the churches. It was a great weekend for us in, even if it was rainy and cold. We even got to have lunch with a couple we hadn’t seen since 1986, back when we were living in Portland. Friends and missions, what a combination.
Reflections:
Posted by cmack on 03 Jan 2010 | Tagged as: Church, Family & Friends, Missions
With the start of a new year, many of us are reflecting on the past year as we look to ‘what’s next’. I’m thinking back over three main events from the last 3 months of 2009.
The first event happened in October when we broke our record for ‘the number of new missionary going through our training program in one year’. Our 5th and last orientation program for the year had 29 new candidates bringing the years total to 158.
The second event was hosting this group of pastors and church leaders (shown below) for our November Church Partner Forum.
Even though it takes a lot of hard work to put it all together, it’s one of my most favorite events. The positive response and feed back from the participants makes it all worth while.
Church Partner Forum November 2009
The third event, that just ended on New Year’s Eve, was Urbana 2009. What? You’ve never heard of Urbana?
Upwards to 20,000 young people (ages 17-30) attend this student missions conference sponsored every 3 years by InterVaristy Christian Fellowship. It started in 1946, and from 1948 to 2003 was held at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana… thus the name “Urbana”. Since 2006 it has been held at the St. Louis Conference Center in Missouri.
It’s amazing to see this many young people give up 5 days of their Christmas break for the opportunity to see, hear and respond to God’s global mission.
Kelly and I had the privilege to attend back in 1991, and were amazed by the zeal and commitment of these young people whose hearts are turned toward God and missions.
Pioneers sent a team from our office to represent our agency. The photo above was taken by one of our co-worker showing our world globe and Pioneers’ sign hanging over the heads of the participants.
Yes, 2009 has been a great year and we have great expectations for 2010. Our prayer for you is that 2010 will be a blessed year for you and your family. Happy New Year!
Holidays and Vacation
Posted by cmack on 11 Dec 2009 | Tagged as: Family & Friends, Other Stuff, Technology
It was a great Thanksgiving and vacation! I know, everyone is already focusing on Christmas but I haven’t blogged for a while so I’m playing catch up. We tried something new on this trip…we “drove” from Orlando to Tennessee, instead of flying. Fourteen hours of driving in two days, at our age…need I say more? But it was all worth it.
What really made our trip great is that Kelly and I each got to do something we enjoy. For me it was, Thanksgiving with my family, for Kelly it was spending quality radio time in my parent’s back yard.
Mom roasted a beautiful 22 lb turkey and Dad did the carving. But that wasn’t all, my brother brought 3 turkeys, so we had deep fried turkey, smoked turkey, roasted turkey and all the trimmings.
I believe their were around 22 of us. The best part was that we were all able to sit together in one room.
Family means little ones who get all the attention
Since we were all in one room, no one was sent off to another room to sit at the ‘little kids’ table. It really was one big happy gathering, kids and all. (Of course we all know that the little kids are the best part anyway.)
Girl talk
The next day, when the big event was over, there was plenty of time to talk and visit with family. (This is me, my sister and sister-in-law getting in some good girl talk with Mom.) It was a great relaxing weekend.
And as I mentioned, Kelly got his quality ‘radio time’. The best part for him was that he was able to put his antenna up in my parents back yard and leave it up the whole time we were there (something he can’t do in our condo setup in Florida). Each day he could just walk outside with his radio and start transmitting.
Of course this Florida resident wasn’t quite use to the below 40 degree weather, but it didn’t stop him. Even when the rain came, he just moved up to the deck and continued his fun.