Pastor Joe led to Kittredge
Marcia Kirby remembers a time when a deal was made that if the kids got more of their friends to attend Sunday School, then Pastor Joe would eat his lunch on the roof. This wasn’t the easiest bargaining idea since Pastor Joe doesn’t like heights. The kids brought lots of their friends so up Pastor Joe went with his bagged lunch. Folks thought he looked like the Fiddler on the Roof. Well, maybe the preacher on the roof.
Pastor Joe shares the following as another of his favorite memories of Kittredge.
“As Marcia and I look back at our service as Village Missionaries, we both agree that Kittredge was our most enjoyable time of service to the Lord. We have many fond memories especially of the many friends we have there. One of my favorite memories was the time I baptized Bill Huston. Let me give a brief explanation.
Bill and his wife Pat ran an office supply store in Evergreen. Shortly after we arrived to serve in Kittredge, I went into their store and immediately struck up a conversation with the proprietor, Bill. In the following months I would stop in and talk to Bill about office supplies and the Lord! I remember one time I needed a file cabinet and went in to see Bill. I bought the cabinet and also invited Bill and Pat to church. Well, they came. Bill and Pat placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the following winter. Immediately Bill wanted to be baptized, and I said GREAT, Let’s do it. Then Bill really surprised me when he said, “I want to be baptized in Bear Creek!” Well, I said, we will have to wait until summer. Bill responded, “Let’s do it now in January.” As you can guess, me being the adventurous type said, OK. Soon we were kicking the ice away from a fairly deep hole in Bear Creek. It was cold! We got a big enough clearing to go in. The water was flowing fairly fast, so when I put Bill under, we had to baptize his upper half first, then the lower half! What a glorious afternoon that was. One I will never forget, and I’m sure Bill won’t either!”
Bill and his wife Pat played Santa at many local events, including the church adult Christmas party.
The cedar siding was added to the outside of the church during the Kirby’s time serving Kittredge.
Many special things happened during their ministry here. Many people were led to the Lord under their love and teachings. VBS carnivals drew large crowds to our parking lot with games, prizes, fun, and the gospel. It was great fun! Several Easter Egg Hunts, with a gospel presentation, were held in the town park by the church family.
There were also home Bible Studies, the infamous “Burger Burns” since Joe grilled to a burnt semblance of a burger, pot lucks, Billy Graham Movie Nights. The Sunshine Club for kids was hugely popular. Community involvement included Pastor Joe serving on the civic association board along with a few other members of the church. More remodeling projects were done, like the closing off the stairwell that used to be on the back wall of the kitchen. Then the east wall of the “wood room” next to the kitchen was removed to open up the area and make one large room for more fellowship space and much more.
A group of women at that time used to take their sewing machines with them and travel down to Morrison, to the Bear Creek Nursing Home. They set up in a large room and did the mending that the residents needed. It was a special time of fellowship and serving the elderly at the same time.