John is a local puppeteer. Well actually, he’s a pastor, but as much as he can, John pastors through puppets, and both the kids and adults in his congregation get a lot out of how characters like Orange Monster and Chicken make all the hard things simple.
John pastors San Antonio Mennonite Church on St. Mary’s Street. SAMC is a neighborhood church that also aims to reach people far outside the neighborhood. Its main ministry effort focuses on the many asylum-seeking families who have ventured across the southern border and found their way to San Antonio. On Sundays, you might encounter people from Ecuador, Honduras, and West Africa. You might also encounter people from Woodlawn Lake, Stone Oak, and Boerne.
Also on Sundays, you’ll probably encounter John speaking through puppets. He aspires to be something like that great 20th century theologian Mr. Rogers, calling people of all ages, all neighborhoods, all walks of life, all nationalities, into neighboring together.