Today, actually, we're going to spend a few minutes saying thank you to our staff and getting to know them.
and then to specifically focus on Pastor Rick and Miss Donna.
And so we wanted, if you don't know them well, to give you a chance to meet them.
And get to know them a little bit.
Hey everyone, I'm Matt LeVe, and today is a different kind of day for us here at Argo.
We're going to take a peek into the inner workings of our church and find out more about the people that make the dream.
And you never know what we might find out when we do so. Let's go.
I want you to give me your name, favorite ice cream, and where you're from. Go ahead.
My name is Terry Johnson. I like salted caramel, ice cream, and I was born in San Diego.
San Diego, out in California.
I don't remember my name.
Okay, Amy Geiger, favorite ice cream is Jamaican McCrazy, so yummy, and where am I from?
Actually, I was born here in Jacksonville, Florida.
David Bass, chocolate, just chocolate.
Anything in it but chocolate. And I'm from Tampa, Florida.
My name is Donna Thompson. My favorite ice cream is cookies and cream.
Oh, my favorite too.
And I am from Jacksonville, Florida.
Kaylee Kennedy, Tim Lizzie from Brewster's, and Jacksonville, Florida.
My name is Justin Kennedy.
Favorite ice cream would have to be coffee Oreo from Brewster's, which by the way, Miss Leanne, if you're here, take a note.
And then where am I from? I'm from Albany, Georgia.
Albany, Georgia, very cool, very cool.
If you could choose one song to listen to you for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Oh, wow. I don't know that that's possible, but...
What would you go with if you had to choose only one song?
Oh, man. I should have gotten some advanced notes.
Cut them off guard on this one. I know. I cut them off guard.
I think one of the numbers that we do imprequently, but you know my name.
I'm going to have to choose one of the first songs I ever remember hearing, and that was Walk This Way by Aerosmith.
Now, do you want to sing it out for us a little bit?
Walk This Way.
Yeah.
Talk This Way.
There you go.
I like the duet.
That was pretty cool, wasn't it? Right now, buddy?
Right now, I think I picked the happy song, because I love it.
The happy song?
Can you demonstrate the happy song for us? Give us a little sing or not.
We'll come back to that.
We'll come back to that already.
I don't know.
Anything you want. Anything.
What's the first thing that comes to your mind?
Something by Taylor Swift.
Taylor Swift, that is genius right there.
He knows my name.
No.
It's one of my favorites that we sing here, the asterisk sings, but I'm actually going
to have to say, I can't tell you the title of it, but I would pick like a Bach or a Mozart
or maybe a Chopin.
That's true.
Go through the classical.
Classical.
Excellent.
I could listen to that forever.
That's true.
All righty, next question for you.
I want you to share your favorite verse with all of us, but I got three quick things for you.
A, sing it for us.
B, act it out dramatically.
Or C, say it backwards.
What are you going to do?
Well, it's easy because I wrote it here, so I remember it.
Okay.
It's John 14.6.
Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No man comes to the Father but by me.
So don't think I'm going to sing it.
I ain't going backwards.
That's way too many words.
Okay, okay.
So you're going to act it out for us?
I'll act it out.
You're going to dig out your inner Brad Pitt here, okay?
For God so loved the world that he gave his one.
That's the wrong verse.
That's John 3.16.
Oh snap.
And Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, the life.
I'm the way, the truth, the life.
I'm the truth, and the life.
No man comes to the Father except by me.
Man, somebody give this dude an Oscar.
Please.
Please, give me an Oscar.
Philippians 413, me, strengthens, who, Christ, through, things, all do and I.
I know my Redeemer lives.
I go there for and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Really?
There we go.
I like that.
I like that.
You're just baptized for the second time.
I'm going to say on page 28, I don't think I can see it backwards.
I'm not sure I want to sing it in front of everybody.
So I guess I'll have to act it out.
Act it out.
There we go.
And the verse is, for we know all things work together for good, for those who love God
and are called according to His purpose.
I have to act that?
Act it out dramatically.
Okay.
Let's see.
All things work together for good, good, good to those who are called according to His purpose.
How about that?
That was pretty good.
Not going to lie, that was pretty good right there.
I'm going to act it out.
Okay.
All right.
Here we go.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind.
That is excellent right there.
I think we've got a lot of good actors here at the Church of Dargo, man.
I'm going to sing.
Just go for it.
Just preparing you.
Let it out.
All right.
I don't even know what tune to put it to.
I'm just going to sing it.
So, oh my gosh, truly my soul finds rest in God, and Him is my salvation.
No, that was bad.
But that's my verse.
I love it.
It's on 62-1.
Very cool.
On any given day, what kind of shoes might people find you wearing?
Adidas.
Straight up Adidas.
No Nike at all?
Are you kidding me?
This dude really doesn't like Nike.
I like Vans.
I like my Vans, yes.
Great shoes, especially when you're playing music.
That's true.
You like jumping around at them while you're playing the guitar?
Yeah.
My favorite pair, though, and I'm probably wearing them this Sunday as we're seeing this video,
my high-top Vans that have the original four Disney characters on them.
Now, are you more of a stylish kind of person?
Should you just go for the flash here and you kind of like just the casual look?
Oh, look.
The basic orthopedic.
Basic kind.
Nice.
I like to wear heels because I'm short, so I do that on occasion, but then sometimes
I give in to comfort.
That's true.
And then I always choose sandals because I don't like my toes to be confined.
That's true.
You got to let your toes roam free sometimes, am I right?
Yeah.
Sparries.
Sparries.
That was just straight cut sparrows?
Yep.
You tennis shoes person her?
All about the sparrows.
All about the sparrows.
All about the sparrows.
All right.
There we go.
You had to choose between three items to take on a deserted island other than a Bible.
What's it going to be for you?
No, I know you said items, but I'm going to take my husband.
Ooh, good choice.
Because he has survival skills.
There we go.
Survivor man.
And he would know what to bring.
I think I would bring a book.
Excellent choice.
And take in my dog Leo because he's my favorite.
And I'm taking, which actually I would take this book.
That's my favorite called Quaker Summer by Lisa Sansen.
I could read that over and over.
And.
That last one.
Food.
There's got to be food involved.
That's true.
Or yeah, it can't be a fan or anything.
I don't know.
Let's talk.
Let's see.
I've got a book.
I've got my dog.
I'm going to take an unlimited supply of water and just hope I can figure out the food.
Justin.
And Lucky.
There we go.
Endless supply of food.
I'm sure my wife said Lucky.
So since she didn't include zero, I'm going to take zero.
Because zero is the better dog anyway.
She can have Lucky on her own island.
I'm going to take, I'm going to take a soccer ball because I need something to do.
That's true.
I can find plenty of water and food.
So I'll probably take a friend to play soccer with.
And Kaylee's not that athletic.
So sorry Kaylee.
You're staying at home.
I'm going to take my buddy Matt.
Toilet paper.
There we go.
I'm going to take a tent.
A tent.
That's a very good choice.
And some kind of clothing.
That might be necessary.
All three very good choices I would say.
Well a knife.
You've got to have a knife.
A...
You're thinking survivor mode here.
I'm thinking survivor mode.
Yeah I mean deserted island.
Well it is a deserted island.
That's true.
Maybe a volleyball.
What do you name it Wilson?
Oh no that would be too derivative.
Something to make fire with.
And a kindle with a solar charger.
A camera.
All right.
Get some good pics right?
Yeah.
What do you post them on Instagram?
I'd have to have a solar panel to charge my computer so that I could do that.
That's true.
Never mind them.
And maybe a sat phone.
Oh okay.
I want you to tell us your favorite animal.
What it is.
But I want you to also act out what that animal would do.
All right my favorite animal is a cheetah.
Cheetah okay.
And as we know cheetahs love to worry.
Six million dollar man right there.
There we go.
My favorite animal is a dog.
Just in case you don't get the acting part.
Woof woof.
Look at that.
Okay I'm going to go with my Q-man and I'm going to be an elephant.
An elephant.
There we go.
I have one named back for me at Animal Kingdom.
Do you really?
Yeah.
Wow.
Woo.
Look at that right there.
That is TV gold.
I'm probably going to have to go with the penguin.
Penguin?
They were always my favorite to watch at SeaWorld and places like that.
Oh true.
So now I have to act it out right?
You have to act it out.
All right.
I don't really know what kind of noise they make so I'm just going to.
Give us a little motion.
That is TV gold right there.
Ladies and gentlemen you just saw Justin Kennedy act out a penguin.
In 10 seconds I want you to describe your ministry with five words.
Ready?
Sit.
Go.
Jesus.
Fun.
More fun.
No sleep and more fun.
Adults.
Learning.
Serving.
Involvement.
And growth.
The best, that's one word.
Fun.
Energetic.
Loving.
Child-friendly.
Fun.
Safe.
Developmentally appropriate.
I'll give that two words so that's four.
Just awesome.
Awesome.
Children.
Love.
Teachers.
Children.
Children.
Children.
Children.
Children.
Children.
Children.
Children.
Children.
Children.
Children.
Children.
Children.
children.
Children.
Children.
Children.
Children.
Children.
Children.
Children.
Children.
Children.
�ilate.
Children.
Children and boys.
Children.
Children.
Children.
Children.
Children.
Children.
Children.
Children.
Children.
help people. Ding, ding, ding, ding. That was quick. Very good. Excellent. Excellent.
There we go. Well, thank you, Miss Donna, for joining us today. Glad we got to chat.
Okay, they're definitely and obviously a fun group. We're honored to have them. So
we asked a couple of people to share about our staff and to give them a thank
you and tell you about why they mean so much to us. Some of them are known well
by you guys and you have so many of those stories and in ways you could say thank
you and some of them you're just now starting to get to know in a fun way
today. So I'm gonna start. Where did we say we're starting, Jenny? Morning y'all.
Are they back in here? Can I be more honest? Kaley's in here again. Okay. I'm
supposed to talk. Oh, nice. Alright. I'm supposed to talk about Justin and Kaley
Kennedy and I was actually really excited when Anita asked me to because I
love them so much. I love them and trust them enough that they're my baby's god
parents. So that's a big deal. Anyway, it's hard for me to find the words to
describe just how much I love them and how much I respect them and what an asset
they are to our church and just to my family personally. But that is what I'm
attempting to do with notes though because it is so hard. So please excuse
me. I've yet to experience an area of ministry here in our church that at
least one of them is is not a part of and our children's ministry is a big deal.
I can even come to church in the morning and in the evenings because of all of
Kaley's work with recruiting and training and organizing people to watch our
children while we're in here and not just watch them but to teach them and to love
on them and she so loves our children. It's wonderful. I love taking my kid back
there every week because as each kid comes in Kaley's reaction to the kids
is just beautiful. She is excited to see them. She genuinely loves them. She
really has a heart for our kids and as if watching all these little ones isn't
isn't enough. She also serves every week for our middle schoolers and 12 and 13
14-year-old girls is tough and she does a beautiful job with it just watching
her worship with and then walk through the Bible and life with those girls is
blessing every week. And then Kaley's other but not necessarily better half
Justin is he works tirelessly for our church as well. He's here at 8 o'clock
on Sunday mornings to rehearse with the band and then plays through both
services and he stays late most weeks to prepare the week music from the
following week and a mere few hours later he's back again at 5 to prepare for our
6 o'clock service which is a blast y'all need to be coming to the 6 so he
puts in a good 8 hours every Sunday and it doesn't go unnoticed and the many
hours that is evident in his preparation for the his preaching on Sunday
nights and at Crave on Thursdays is also noticed it's very very evident how
much work he puts puts into those he our church's mission is to lead people into
a growing relationship with Christ and he has embraced that wholeheartedly and
he really tries to get that across when he's leading our kids and when he's
leading us at the 6 and it is discouraging sometimes because our
numbers at some of our ministries aren't what we would like them to be but he if
you could measure the growth of of our relationships with Jesus the people that
he teaches those numbers would be incredible so he keeps he keeps plugging
away even when even when it's hard and that's amazing so I would keep going
about how amazing they are but Anita did threaten to take our microphones so I
hope I've let you guys know just what an honor it is to serve with alongside and
then to be served by the Kennedys we love you guys good morning y'all this is
my life my home hose for our life group and she wonderful she's got this thing
that she's been trying to start for a couple years where it's sister Jenny and
sister Anita and brother Hal and all this and there's just one that it just will
not stick to and that's miss Amy you just can't say sister Amy's it's miss Amy
and if you've been here long enough you know miss Amy by show of hands at some
point with your church time have you ever asked a question of someone and the
response was go see miss Amy right raise your hands yeah she's she's she's kind
of a big deal I mean she she's gonna tell you she's not a big deal but she's
kind of a big deal my grandmother used to always say do you want to talk to the
man in charge or the woman that knows what's going on and I have to say sorry
miss Patrick how she she really knows what's going on I've had the
opportunity my wife and I have had the opportunity to serve at many levels here
at the church over many years and miss Amy's always kind of been at the center
point of that kind of helping direct and Lee and she is everything she does
everything she puts her hands on she wants nothing but the best she wants
nothing but the best to give to Christ she wants nothing but the best for this
church and nothing but the best to lift up to this ministry staff that's always
at the front of any decision that she makes I love me some miss Amy y'all
love some miss Amy I'm gonna tell you what she is been there for many many many
people I had some struggles over the past couple years and I really you know
I'd never really spoken with her how's always been my go-to guy and we have
some good counseling sessions and I'd come in one day and I'd lost my brother
and I needed to talk to somebody about something and she just happened to be
there and I wasn't not that I have any issues I was just kind of like oh I don't
know if you're gonna help me with this Amy and it was the the Lord putting
somebody in a spot that you needed at that point and it just happened to be
Amy at that time she is a servant if you've ever had the opportunity to work
with her she has a servant's heart and it just irradiates around her she's she's
so driven for perfection it's it's it's wonderful wonderful my wife couldn't be
here this morning she wasn't feeling well and I'd asked her on the way out of
the house I said do you want me to say anything on your behalf about Amy and
she's kind of lifted her head up and she goes Amy's off awesome and when I grow
up I want to be just like her so miss Amy we love you thank you so much for all
that you do for the church good morning I am Jennifer Kennedy and I am one of
the preschool teachers over here at our school at ACP K and I have been asked to
speak of Miss Terry Johnson and a bioverse that comes to mind is Matthew
18 five and whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me
when I think about Miss Terry the first few things that come to mind are her
just sweet loving and compassionate spirit that she has she has a heart
full of love and full of compassion for every child that walks through the doors
of our school each and every day we don't know what kind of home life that
these children have they can come to school one morning and just have a
really rough morning and one of those things that Miss Terry has taught us is
that that we need to show them love no matter what and that love is a choice
another thing that Miss Terry has about her presence is that she's always been
available for each and every person in our school not just to the families not
to the children but to her staff we she has this open door policy and that no
matter what that we can just always walk in and speak to her about whatever
maybe going on in our personal lives in a classroom whatever that may be so this
is one of the things that that we truly do love Miss Terry and for for everything
that she does hi my name is Dennis gay and I work with David and Kim in the
youth ministry and they're out of town this week so hey David and Kim they
might be able to see me on the live stream if it's working if not they can
see it on the film but I've known David and Kim for my daughter's gonna be 30
this this year so she was in the youth group back when David first started
volunteering there he was a volunteer and he and then later on he came on
staff and my children are six years apart so they were blessed to have my
children with them for about well they're still with them I guess but for
at least 12 years and so I know David from being a volunteer being a parent
working with him and and Kim also and one of the the characteristic about both
of them that is the overwhelming thing for me is their love their love for our
youth and I can tell you personally their love for my children both of my
children love the Lord even to this day they're active in their churches and
like I say Nancy and I'd like to think we were perfect parents but
unfortunately we weren't we're not perfect people but having other adults
around them
that loved them and that we knew as that worked out great for us and I've told
David this told Kim this personally but I want to say to front of the church
that it's real they do love the youth like I said in first service I'm slow
but in 15 years I would have known if it wasn't real David says it every single
week to the youth David and Kim both live it and I thank them for what they've
done for my family and for this church and they actually were watching so I
just got a text message that said that they are extremely overwhelmed and
touched and love you and thank you I thought it was somebody just trying to
mess with me and text me I was on stage but it was David is the one that would
do that too so I get to tell you just a little bit and express my gratitude for
a couple of people that sometimes don't have as much fun it seems like anyway
they don't work with the kids on the daily basis they're not out just being
goofy they're they're taking care of things and first how and a lot of you
guys know how but you might just be seeing him running back and forth he's
sitting right now in the worship gathering which is pretty unusual he's
usually standing in the back he is running to take care of something he's
just doing whatever needs to be done both on Sunday mornings but as well as
every day here what you may not know is he uses his precious days off to go
ahead and respond to critical emergencies happening here because that's
just how things fall that's what I'm told is everything that that seems to go
wrong that that how needs to help take care of is going to wait until he is off
and he is still yet basically here always here when needed and so many of us
can attest to that and whether it's something with the building or whether
it's counseling with someone who walks in the door or just giving an ear or a
hand to help one of us he's always there and always faithful to what God has
called him to do and so we are so grateful that God placed him here but
also that he listened to that and that he gives and loves and serves so thank
you how one of the people that he gets to work with on on some of those
building type emergencies is Stan and a lot of you guys know him as a musician
because he gives so well and dedicated of his talents to us musically but he also
takes care of so many things around the church and we're very grateful for his
handy hands and his skills and again his dedication to helping where God has
placed him so we say a huge thank you to Stan and and then behind all of our
staff our volunteers and other people that are working tirelessly and and our
staff know that they couldn't do what they do without you so on behalf of them
I'm gonna say a quick thank you to everyone that works with them and then
last but not least by any means I wanted to talk about Donna Thompson and I
wanted to ask my husband to talk about her but our time limit which we're
already long on and almost done I promise but would have been completely
blown I would have had to have grabbed the mic from him long ago because he
would have talked for hours to you about how amazing she is what she means to my
family just can't be stated she has raised along with her husband two
amazing kids who are having an impact here every single day at the church she
has a huge impact herself she's here day in day out doing what needs to be done
Donna is the person that doesn't ask she just jumps in finds what's needed and
gets it done and to have a friend like her to have a staff member like her is
just a thing beyond worth I'm cannot say enough about that so thank you Donna
for for all that you do from all of us I wanted yes please I wanted to close with
just a couple of quick thoughts about our staff as a whole and one of the
things that we want to do of course is say thank you but the greatest way that
we can say thank you to them is by following their example in using the
skills and talents that God has given us to be used right back here in our church
or in our community and they never hesitate to do that and there are so
many gifted and skilled people here that can do the same and never feel like
you can't be used God has you here for a reason he's given you skills and talents
and we want to partner together with you to to use those for his glory in this
place want to read Colossians 3 23 work willingly at whatever you do is though
you were working for the Lord rather than for people our staff do that Proverbs
16 3 commit to the Lord whatever you do and he will establish your plans and
they regularly are doing that as well praying and seeking his guidance for
what he would have them do. Father we thank you for these people that you've
placed in our church and in our community we're so grateful to you for for
what you have gifted them with that they have been chosen to follow your will
and plan and give back to the people here thank you for loving us enough to
give them to us thank you for loving us exactly where we are and for giving us
each a place we love you you guys have a great day
