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I Might Meet a Dog

A old friend of Erin’s sent her a hilarious TikTok song Jimmy Fallon and Kristen Bell did together because it reminded her of my wife. I sent it out to Venue Team Leads on Slack (normally reserved for more? important things like new Venue Building design or equipment) because it was funny. One hundred percent true too. Chorus? “I might meet a dog today”. Now I’m the first … Continue reading I Might Meet a Dog

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Venue’s New Building

This Fall Venue Church is opening our brand new building at 2920 Kingsview Blvd Airdrie!When we started Venue four years ago we couldn’t have imagined being positioned to purchase a new building at this stage, particularly following the plague years, but God has been good and people very generous. Also we run a tight budget, just ask my staff if I freak out about every dollar…I … Continue reading Venue’s New Building

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The Passport Office

I feel like some aspects of the Federal government have lost the sauce a bit. Our girl’s passports run out this month, and we wanted to renew rather than redo something or other (Erin’s department) because whatever it was I wasn’t listening to was hugely painful if we didn’t do it. Turns out most of the passport offices are closed completely, because “People don’t need passports if … Continue reading The Passport Office

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Long Haulin’

So when we went back a year in time to cave-living with the recent baffling shutdown, Venue’s live experiences (and every church in the province) were deemed both unsanitary, non-essential and unconstitutional by the powers that be, while liquor stores and the ever present Walmart, which hold people’s bodies, souls and minds together so well remain open, the Kope family decided to go camping for … Continue reading Long Haulin’

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Lloyd the Fish

Sunday morning before church my wife told me “Lloyd the fish is dead”. Another fish funeral with an iPhone playing a bagpipe rendition of Amazing Grace on the funeral march to its watery grave with the family in tow…My wife loves animals and has no problem whatsoever explaining that she likes them more than people. Not that she doesn’t like people, but she likes animals even … Continue reading Lloyd the Fish

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Adventures in Babysitting

When my girls began babysitting I set them up with a little business plan. This included how to stay in contact with parents properly, how hard they need to work when they’re not looking after the kids, how repeat customers are worth giving a break to, and how Venue people get the best rates because serving is important and family is family. Now it should be mentioned … Continue reading Adventures in Babysitting

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Arwen is Out

The day has finally arrived that every parent dreams of: our oldest daughter is leaving the house. From the moment she arrived we couldn’t help but think “This is amazing, but hopefully we’ll get our lives back soon?”Scene missing…Three more daughters, and some horrible parenting adventures later, we are ready to get rid of her. “Arwen, you’ve been a great addition to this family, but it’s … Continue reading Arwen is Out

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Masks and Bank Robbers

I’m an optimist. If I’m shovelling something nasty I’m looking for a pony…Now as a child I was a pretty severe asthmatic so wearing a mask is not something that I find fun, particularly when I’m uncertain masks do anything to help with viruses according to the types of research that develops and critiques approval of drugs etc. I think they make us feel safer and … Continue reading Masks and Bank Robbers

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Not a Lemming

Ever read history and wonder why entire nations were so stupid? I have. “Idiots!” Is what I think, followed closely by “That would never happen HERE, that would never happen to ME!”Perhaps the fact that the arrogance it would take for Thought #2 to so closely follow the very obvious missing of the lesson should let me in on the insight, but alas, it rarely does. The thought … Continue reading Not a Lemming

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It’s a Joy to Shovel

For some reason I thought I’d have to shovel snow forever because I only had daughters? Before you ladies lash out and give me the “equal rights” speech, keep in mind I live with five of your kind and have heard it all before. Personally I would love to give up any rights if someone else wanted to shovel the driveway for me. Also it might be noted some … Continue reading It’s a Joy to Shovel

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Signed Stevie G Jersey

I wholeheartedly believe one is more blessed to give than to receive. Venue people ask me all the time “How can we pray for you pastor?” “Just pray for ____ instead. I’m good (I think?)”…is what I used to say. The Kopes are Dutch and self sufficient in the extreme. It is much easier for me to give than to receive something, which is mostly a great trait … Continue reading Signed Stevie G Jersey

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Arwen’s Red Jetta

I’m very proud of my oldest daughter Arwen. She managed to save up birthday, babysitting and work money to the total of nearly nine thousand dollars by the time she turned eighteen. I didn’t have that kind of money when I was eighteen. We are budgeters, which means we shop around for the best prices of insurance, the best prices of food, heck the best prices of everything … Continue reading Arwen’s Red Jetta

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The God Complex

I think we think we’re God sometimes…We pat ourselves on the back for how wise and all knowing we are (internet), we have a good moment parenting, we experience love, we wake up early and exercise before the sun comes up (theoretically), but we forget sometimes that seeing something or experiencing something is not nearly the same thing as creating something in the first place. God blesses us with children we think we somehow created, when … Continue reading The God Complex

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My Poor Yard

My neighbour Jackie and I have been watching Telus and their co-conspirators desecrate our yards for the past month or so. I began the journey to their fibre development of Coopers very smugly, looking back. I love fast internet and hate slow.. well.. anything, so I signed up for their free install into my yard. Ironically the small town we lived in previously began the fibre instal … Continue reading My Poor Yard

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Fear’s Greatest Hits

I recently preached a sermon called Leverage Love (Not Fear) at Venue as I thought about some of the issues we’re facing today. I think the problem today is not what everyone is talking about. It’s not Covid. The problem is fear. Covid is just another problem that the world has lots of. Generations before us faced problems with different names, generations after us will face problems … Continue reading Fear’s Greatest Hits

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Arwen is Great

Arwen is my first daughter and she’s great. Arwen has a way of rolling through life getting tricky things accomplished while somehow creating no waves. Now our four girls occasionally make waves and fight with each other, but Arwen for the most part has a way about her that eases tension while getting stuff done. Her mind is a cutting one but it doesn’t make one feel cut if you … Continue reading Arwen is Great

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God of the Mountains

As a child growing up in a home where we talked about God I sort of assumed people who denied even his existence maybe just hadn’t thought about it that much?As an adult I still think the same thing:)I could get into some very real hangups people have with God, things I’ve struggled through like “How can a loving God allow pain?” (I landed on something called … Continue reading God of the Mountains

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When I’m an Old Man

“Erin, I’m going to be a ridiculously funny old man! I’m already ridiculously funny, but when I’m old….”   This is a fairly normal type of marriage conversation for us before you get too alarmed on her behalf, she’s used to it. To be fair, she thought I was a whole lot cleverer before she saw my idea-material (The Simpsons) when we were dating, but I’ve tried to stay funny … Continue reading When I’m an Old Man