Creative Begin Project

Magazine Staff Congratulated

A lot has been happening at AiG while I have been away.

I have been gone for the past few days (I’m in California), but I was still able to participate at yesterday’s AiG staff chapel. We shared some great news with the staff, and rejoiced in the Lord, that for the second year in a row, our Answers magazine was given the top award for magazine excellence by the Evangelical Press Association. Seven other awards were received at the EPA conference in Colorado last Friday, including three first place honors (for best cover, original art/traditional, and two-page spread design).

During chapel, I shared a short congratulatory message over the phone to those involved in producing the magazine, while Dale Mason, Answers magazine publisher, talked about the different awards that were received. He also acknowledged the many staff members who are involved in the magazine’s production. There are only three full-time staff who are devoted to producing the magazine, but there are so many others who are involved, including Dr. Andrew Snelling (who reviews many of the very technical magazine articles) and theologians checking for biblical accuracy.

In the photo taken at the chapel service, Dale is seen with Answers senior editor Mike Matthews. In the photo on the screen behind them (left to right) are the following people: EPA president and senior online editor for Focus on the Family, Dean Ridings; Answers executive editor, Doug Rumminger; Answers designer, Dan Stelzer (holding the Award of Excellence for the General Magazine category); and EPA executive director, Doug Trouten.

Creative Begin Project

Later in the chapel meeting, my nephew David (my brother Steve’s son) was recognized for his very creative way of getting AiG’s new Begin books into the hands of those who need to hear the truth of the gospel. Begin is a walk through key Scriptures that new believers (and those who want to learn more about Christianity) would especially need to read. David, a student at Calvary Christian School in northern Kentucky, has a great talent for drawing and began sketching portraits for people. His goal was to raise money to purchase the Begin books for local Christian welfare organizations and for other ministry opportunities.

David’s efforts were not in vain. In just six months, he has raised enough money to purchase 160 copies of Begin. Dr. Bill Dickens, the administrator of Calvary Christian School, along with his wife Melody, presented David with the books and prayed that they would be used by God to reach people with the gospel. (See the photos below.)

Have you considered how you can be reaching others with books like Begin? God has gifted us all in many different ways, such as in art, music, speaking, and many more. If you have been getting Begin out to people in creative ways, we’d love to hear about it! Just submit your story on this page.

Leading Baseball Hitter Visits

Also while I am in California, I missed a well-known baseball player, Adam LaRoche, who toured our Creation Museum on the weekend. He’s the “clean-up” hitter for the Washington Nationals baseball team. He visited the museum after he went 2-4 and knocked in a couple of runs the night before as his team beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-3. His average after the game was an impressive .333 (in the top ten in hitting in the league, I was told), and the Nationals were in first place in the National League East division. This was his second visit to the museum, and this time he brought his wife, son, and daughter.

The Cincinnati Reds play baseball only about 20–25 minutes from our museum. Over the past two years, we’ve had some Reds players visit the Creation Museum and even a manager, but the largest group of players ever to tour represented the Arizona Diamondbacks—and Adam, a Diamondback at the time, was with the group. See the photo below of them taken inside the museum’s portico. Adam is third from the left, and Kentucky native Brandon Webb is third from the right. (A few years ago, Brandon earned the prestigious Cy Young Award, which is given to the best pitcher in the league.)

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken