Kick off Picnic, TV Commercial, Pet-Lovers

I just had to put this picture up this week because they were shooting an American Express TV Commercial in my neighborhood this week. Be on the lookout for an upcoming AmEx spot set in the 1970s (I saw their outfits) and know that it was shot in Kew Gardens, Queens, in Jack Raplee's neighborhood. Television and movie filming is quite common in New York City, but it always draws a crowd of curious observers and of course Geeks like me who take pictures, not of the actors, but of the equipment.

I've been planning to run a picture of Michael, our organizing pastor, on my blog for quite some time, so I had his wife take a picture of him and me at our church plant kick-off picnic this past weekend. I think the fact that his wife took the picture would explain the pucker. He usually looks a little less kissy.

This is a picture of the group who came to the picnic. It was a small representation of our actual launch community, but it was a good showing nonetheless. If you click on the picture, you can see me in the middle of the picture and Michael and Roseanne on the right at the end. He's not puckering in this picture.

These are more pictures from the kick-off picnic. The last picture is of Brian Fee playing Bocci with his daughter. I mention Brian for the benefit of the seminary geeks who are reading this blog. Yes, Brian Fee is in fact the son of Gordon Fee, a man whose texts were read with great enthusiasm by me and others at RTS and other evangelical seminaries around the country.
Don't worry about our church plant. This is not our banner but when I saw it hanging in front of a church in my neighborhood, I couldn't resist taking a picture of it. As most of you know by now, our church plant will be an evangelical, gospel-driven church, not given to strange traditions or rituals.

Lastly, Reyn said last week that he thought I sounded a little like Tom Brokaw. Hmm. Perhaps one of us missed his calling. Maybe he was supposed to plant a church in New York City and I was supposed to be a major news anchor. Curious isn't it.

Our church plant prayer list:
Our small groups are taking shape. I have three groups, so my work is cut out for me. I also am heading up the youth program at the church which begins in two weeks. Our rehearsal services begin next Sunday and our launch date should fall around Thanksgiving as Michael's ordination is Nov. 13. I am also currently trying to coordinate an interview on a Christian radio station in Connecticut sometime in the near future. This interview, along with some additional fundraising activity should also help my financial support picture, but I'm still a bit shy.

If you have been considering support for my work here (One-time, quarterly, monthly, whatever), please make checks out to Redeemer Presbyterian Church and write my name on the memo line. Send the checks to my home address (so I can keep accurate records) at 83-44 Lefferts Blvd. Apt. 3C; Kew Gardens, NY 11415. Take care this week and may God continue to bless you.