Author: dankubish

On the road again…

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Debbie and I are just about ready to leave again and hit the open road (or I should say open sky since we are flying).  We are headed off to Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago, Illinois for a children’s conference.  We are excited to see what other churches are doing that we might be able to try here at NewSpring.  Also, it is a time just to dream big for KidzWorld.  Colleen and Karla are coming along to see the Willow Creek ministry where over 3000 kids show up every weekend to learn about Jesus and how He loves them.  It should be an exciting time. Pray for us as we fly out there and return late Friday night.  Pray for Darrel (Karla’s husband) as he becomes Mr. Mom for a few days and for Colleen’s husband and boys who will be batchin’ it. I am just hoping to have a bathroom door on our bathroom when I get back (hint, hint). 

Then next week we make a very quick trip to Glenwood Springs, Colorado for Judgement House.  It is so exciting to see more and more churches get pumped up about Judgement House and what it can do for their church and community.  We shoot out of here late Wednesday from KC and head back early Saturday morning and hit Wichita around noon.  I know I must be getting “old” because all this traveling throws me off and it takes about 2 days to think clearly again.  But I know it is making a difference in the lives of so many others that it is worth it.  It won’t be long before we are kicking off Judgement House sign-up here at NewSpring. 

I am still so excited about all that happened last week at NewSpring.  It is great to hear about many adults receiving Christ in the Worship Center and all the kids who made the same decision in KidzWorld.  I hope you are taking time to “celebrate” what happened last weekend and let’s get ready to be in our places this weekend. 

My son told me that he watched the kids coming to KidzWorld and they were taking their shoes off as they walked through the tunnel to make sure they weren’t going to miss a second of fun in KidzWorld.  He also overheard a mom telling her son (who was attending for the first time) to have fun. Then she said, “That’s the first time I’ve ever told him to have fun in church.”  Another boy said as he was leaving, “Are you sure it is time to go? It went so fast!”  My favorite one was a granddad who said, “Come on, it’s time to go; they are shutting off the lights!”  Isn’t it cool to have kids and adults excited about being in church?  All these statements are a credit to the great volunteers who help us every week!  You guys are awesome!!!!

Well, I am finishing up this blog in the airport terminal.  Karla has just informed me that everytime she flies she loses her luggage or something else happens to make the trip exciting.  Sooo we got up to the gate and the flight is delayed for about hour because of weather in Memphis, TN.  So our connection in Minnesota might be tight.  I will let you know what happens.

 

Rejoicing over Sunday at NewSpring

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What an awesome day we had in KidzWorld!  Today we gave a lesson about salvation and had opportunity for kids to respond.  We are thrilled and excited to tell you that 13 kids accepted Christ as their Savior today!!!  Some of the kids were invited by friends and it was their first time to be in church.  What a beautiful image of a church.  Kids inviting kids to church and hearing about how Jesus loves them and responding to it!  To every single person that helps in KidzWorld…Rejoice in what God did through you today at NewSpring!

 

Here is a picture of all the boxes of food the kids have brought for the food pantry at Victory in the Valley.  This coming Sunday is the last day for bringing food. The first week of May we start a brand new offering project.  Can’t wait to tell the kids what it’s going to be.  The kids have been doing an amazing job with all of our offerings and are making a difference in so many people’s lives.

This is a picture of the work that is going on throughout the week in our KidzWorld Theater. This picture shows them pouring the footings for the balcony.  This coming week they will set the steel posts and finish pouring the final layer of concrete.  Nate and Philip had lots of fun with some other people as they hand dug each hole.  Some holes were 4 feet deep and 8 feet long.  They figured they dug out 176,000 lbs of dirt by hand!  Everyone has been working hard on this project but the kicker is that once Friday rolls around, they have to put everything back in place for the weekend. Then they tear it down Sunday evening to get ready to work on Monday.  Thanks to all who have helped keep KidzWorld going.

One Step Closer

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The bathroom project is going well.The tile is in and the walls and floors have been grouted and sealed.  The plumber came out yesterday to set the toilet and install the shower head and faucet.  Tonight we will tackle putting the plaster on the walls and installing the rest of the light fixtures and the exhaust fan.  The vanity should be ready soon and the door has been ordered.  For a family of 7 to have 1 shower makes it quite exciting and I’ve had to plan for a bit more traffic into my bathroom.  But it will be worth it in the end. 

This week in Route 252 we will be talking about joy and how to have joy even when things don’t go your way.  The footings for the balcony were poured this week and next week the steel supports go up. It won’t be too long before we have more space for more kids.

The Bathroom Remodel Continues

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Well, Debbie & I finally made it home around 2:15 p.m. today and we went straight to NewSpring to get busy.  But of course we couldn’t wait to get home and see the kids and the bathroom project.  As you can tell from the picture the crew has made some good progress.  After supper tonight we all got busy cutting tiles while Dale, Sarah, Grace & Philip set the tile.  The plumber comes out Wednesday to set the toilet so in just a few moments they are going to start laying the tile on the floor.

Our trip to the National Office of Judgement House was productive and in the upcoming weeks we will be sharing some future projects we have in mind.  Well, better get back to work!  Actually, I’m just watching right now.

Update on the Remodel

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Sarah just sent me this new picture of the bathroom remodel project going on while we are away at National Judgement House Trainer’s meeting.  This is a shot of the ceiling above the shower.  Sarah will not send a picture of the whole thing because she says, “There is a suprise that you can’t see until you get home.”  So I guess if I have to wait then you are going to have to wait too.

 

 

Judgement House & bathroom remodel

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  We just ended an all day meeting with the National Leaders from Judgement House.  We have an 90 minute break before we get together again.  It is so encouraging to hear the stories that are shared at these meetings.  What happens at NewSpring every year happens all over the country and the world during Judgement House.  Judy is from Canada and her church did Judgement House for the very first time in Canada this past October and now she has a burden to take it to many more places in Canada.  It’s just fantastic to hear people from North Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia tell stories of how JH has changed people’s hearts and their church’s vision for the lost!  I wish all of you could hear these stories first hand.  Continue to pray for the ministry of Judgement House as there will be a JH mission trip to Thailand this August.  How cool is that?  It is so great to be a part of a church and a ministry that reaches out to the lost.

   OK, here is the lastest picture of our bathroom remodel which is taking place while we are away.  As you can see they are making progress and I will keep you updated on the project. They have a lot of work ahead of them.

How does a hamburger taste when eaten at a 5 million dollar house?

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The answer….the same but the view is beautiful!  Debbie and I have just returned to our hotel after having a great time with all the National Staff of Judgement House and the National Trainers from around the country.  We meet once a year to see what is coming up new with JH and also the vision for the next 5 to 10 years.  It is always great to get together and hear how JH has transformed lives and churches arcross the United States and in 8 countries around the world.  The picture shows the house where we had a barbeque on the beach. This 5ooo sq ft house is located right on Clearwater Beach, Florida.  It is for sale for 5 million!  What a bargain!  This would make a great house for a staff retreat!   So I thought I would let you see a picture of it as well as a picture of the sunset tonight.  It was 89 today but it is supposed to get cold the end of the week–down in the 60’s on Monday!  BRRRR!  Tomorrow we start bright and early for a day of meetings with the board members of JH as well as discussion on how to train other churches more effectively. 

I am waiting on another picture of our remodling project but haven’t received it yet.  Will pass it along when I do.  I know all of you are anixously awaiting it.

While we are away

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We finally made it to Tampa around 3 a.m. this morning.  As I said in the previous post we were rerouted to Denver then instead of going directly to Tampa we flew to Ft Myers, Florida which is 133 miles from Tampa.  So I had to do some rearranging of our rental car reservations. We landed around midnight and drove up to Tampa.  Needless to say we were a little tired but hopefully we will get a good night’s sleep.

But you are probably wondering about the picture on the top of this blog.  Well, it is the main bathroom in our house.  My son, Nate, and my daughter, Sarah, have started remodeling the bathroom and they sent me this picture to let us know how it is going.  I will keep you updated.  This will be just like HGTV via my blog.

Cereal Boxes and the Airport

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These are the two things I am thinking about right now as I wait at the airport for a flight to get me to a National Leaders’ meeting for Judgement House.  It usually only takes about 5 minutes of sitting at an airport before I start thinking about all the things that need to be done at home and planning that needs to be done for upcoming events at NewSpring.  My mind just races about all the cool things that we could do for KidzWorld. I am also thinking about how to plan for Judgement House this year with the differant arrangements of our layout at NewSpring.  Just hang in there–I am getting to the point of this rambling.  Our flight was supposed to be going to Dallas, TX then on to Tampa.  But with the grounding of all the MD80 aircraft I am taking a little later flight and I am going 500 miles west to Denver to be able to go 1500 miles east.  That makes sense doesn’t it?  It seems like Debbie and I got the last two tickets going anywhere right now and there are some upset people who can’t make their flights and connections.  In fact, one lady is going to miss her week-long cruise if she doesn’t get to Dallas by tonight.  But all the effort of the ticket agent didn’t come up with a solution to get her there.  She got very frustrated with the situtation and I was beginning to fear for my life since she was right next to me.  But I think I could have taken her with the help of my wife! 

So with an extra hour on my hands I thought I would let you know about a neat thing KidzWorld is doing this month.  We are collecting boxes of cereal and instant meals for Victory in the Valley here in Wichita.  They help families that are going through the valley of cancer.  They provide lodging and meals for people who need that type of help.  They have a pantry for people who are staying there so they can make a quick meal before going back to the hospital or their treatment sessions.  If you would like to help you can drop off boxed cereal or boxes of Hamburger Helper, Mac & Cheese or other non-perishable packaged meals during the rest of April. We have a drop box inside the KidzWorld Theater or you can bring donations by anytime to the office.  The kids are doing a great job bringing their favorite boxes of cereal and they are learning they can help some else even at their age.  It’s cool to see kids realize it is not all about them and their world but what they can do for others who are in need. 

Some exciting things are coming up so watch for more info over the next couple of weeks. 

 

Adventure Avenue Invades Worship Center

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What an awesome job the kids did today singing in the worship center.  They sang the song “Give me a J” and they really got into it!  So many people commented on how cute and inspiring it was to see hundreds of preschoolers praise the Lord.  Thanks to all the many volunteers that not only help on Sunday but are coming on Saturday and making a difference in the lives of so many kids. 

A new family came today and said, “My children just loved it and they could tell us what they learned today!  We are definitely coming back next week and we’ll bring our neices and nephews with us.”

To all those who volunteer at NewSpring, great job and thanks for allowing God to use you in this way!