Inflatable Stories 2022 Year in Review

by | Feb 21, 2023 | Updates

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Inflatable Stories 2022 Year in Review

Summer calendars soon started filling up, and it turned into a wild ride!  <!–

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What a blessing 2022 was! After the insanity of the past several years, I wasn’t sure what to anticipate. Coming off the challenges of the pandemic, it got off to a slow start. I think many churches were tentative as they wondered whether we could finally plan special events without concern about dramatic shifts beyond our control. If I’m honest, I was anxious about what God might have in store, but when things started rolling it turned into a good spring and an incredible summer! Here are some of the highlights.

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After sharing how “God’s Truth Holds Up” at Bluegrass UMC in Evansville, IN.

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As I’ve come to expect, the first busy season came around Easter. Sharing for resurrection Sundays, and the days leading up to them, is an amazing opportunity. Over time I’ve settled into a favorite program designed for the season with the theme that, “God’s Truth Holds Up.” Beyond eggs and bunnies, the program is designed to help children understand we are celebrating Truth of Christ that holds up.

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Once a slow January passed, churches began filling their summer calendars, and it turned into a wild ride! By the end of the May, the Inflatable Stories calendar of opportunities was finally reaching the pace I had long hoped for, with opportunities ranging from my home state of Georgia all the way to places like Colorado Springs and Roswell, NM. Some of the locations were fascinating and beautiful, but more mesmerizing was the opportunity to bring the gospel to life in unique ways among churches with diverse styles and journeys. In McAllen, TX, I was reminded how wonderfully diverse we are as members of the body of Christ while I was challenged to brush up on my Spanish (embarrassingly weak right now). I was blown away by the incredible job their church community does with relationships and families and how they seamlessly incorporated exciting programming and Inflatable Stories into the work God is doing there all the time.

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It’s a blessing to share in Judea and to the ends of the earth, but we’re also called to share in our on Jerusalem. I’m blessed to share with my home church in Tallahassee, FL periodically.

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I have been grateful to share in many of your churches, and I am continually humbled by the opportunities to be involved in the work God is doing through you. The journey reminds me of Paul’s guidance in 1 Corinthians 3 that Paul planted seeds, Apollos watered, but God makes it grow. When I can come in to plant seeds, water, or fertilize the soil, I get the immeasurable blessing of contributing to the ongoing work God is doing. After my most hectic summer ever, I feared I might be exhausted or burnt out from the heavy travel schedule, yet I found myself excited and satisfied to be a part of all the work your churches are doing.

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One of my favorite ministry ideas of the year came during the “Holy Ghost Weenie Roast” at Argyle UMC. All the adults dressed as “Waldo” and the kids had to find them meaning the kids all had motivation to make a positive connection with the adults investing in them. This is the night Waldo and Goliath collided.

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Fall reminded me just how much we are still figuring out the “new normal”. September looked much different than it has historically, but in October things began building again in preparation for a packed December sharing the Inflatable Christmas, a Nativity story, all over the country. The final few bookings of 2022 had me anxious about the weather and transportation as I traveled to Alaska and Indiana. In Alaska, they saw more inches of snow in a short period than they have seen in years, but with a well-equipped SUV loaned to me by one of my gracious hosts, I never found myself snowed in. Excepting an entertaining fifteen minutes trying to get out of my driveway one morning when an incredible neighbor salvaged my day. In the end, both of those programs went smoothly.

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This is part of the crowd that braved a blizzard at Sullivan First Christian Church to join us for an Inflatable Stories Nativity in Indiana.

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With the final December booking, I was again anxious about weather in Indiana, despite knowing God clothes the lilies. There was a blizzard blowing in during the hours leading up to my program, and we were not sure what turnout we might expect. A great crowd that braved the storm, and we were again able to share the story of God’s love for the world through the story of Jesus birth. That evening I managed to make it safely to the airport and somehow all my flights worked out well the following day to get me home for Christmas.

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It’s not about sights along the road, memorable connections, or balloons. It’s about sharing the Good News with kids and their families.

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In the end, after a slow start 2022 ended up being the best year yet for Inflatable Stories, and words can’t express how grateful I am to have been able to share the Gospel through my own unique gifts all over the country.

In Christ,
Dan

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You see crazy things along the road! Can you guess where these were taken? Answers below.

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Answer Key: Sand- Monahan’s Sandhills State Park, TX; Jellyfish- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, NE; Metalmorphosis Transforming Statue, Charlotte, NC; Camp Weed, Live Oak, FL; Wonder Whip, Owensboro, KY; Ice Fishing, Canoe Lake, Palmer, AK

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Would you like to learn more about bringing
Inflatable Stories to your church?

I’d like more information!

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