Aidan is a Poser
theology, church planting, big ideas
Hi, I'm AJ Vanderhorst. Born in Lawrence, Kansas, home of the mighty Jayhawks, I currently live near downtown Kansas City. I'm married to the beautiful Lindsay, and have two rambunctious kids, Aidan and Asher. At the moment, my goal is to freelance write & get an urban church plant off the ground. It would also be cool to keep my hoops game alive and see a downtown Renaissance in KC.
This blog is where I think out loud about knowing Jesus, living out my theology, and making risky plans, so it has a personal, sometimes confessional flavor. We want to see a new, Jesus-exalting, culturally-focused work of God started in the urban arts district of KC. Feel free to contact me if something here sparks your interest.
A flu bug and lots of travel have kept me from posting lately, but here’s a photo we had taken early in early October during the annual family apple-picking trip…you know, just to break the silence. 
Some great stuff is going on–I’ll be writing an update soon.
Articles are starting to appear, previewing the upcoming NCAA basketball season. The best sports stretch of the year is right ahead… Here are a couple of good articles on KU’s current team, which includes seven new recruits (#2 recruiting class in the nation).
Kansas Reloads, but How High Can Jayhawks Fly? (USA Today)
KU’s Newcomers to Make Debut (Lawrence Journal World)
I could see a slow start for this year’s squad, but think KU will challenge Oklahoma, Texas and Baylor for the Big 12 Title and making a deep march in the NCAA tourney.
If you want to learn about urban Kansas City’s uneasy relationship with evangelical Christianity, the archives of The Pitch are a good place to start.
A couple observations jump out pretty fast.
1. Don’t use bait and switch “marketing” tactics to “share the gospel.” People hate it. (Scroll down to “Hell No, We Won’t Go!”
2. Don’t disrupt the neighborhoods you’re trying to serve. With, you know, crazy rock and roll music and overflow parking.
Additional suggestions? As I continue to read the local rags, I’ll be keeping a list.
I was driving down the Paseo a few days ago and noticed this abandoned castle-like structure a couple blocks away. Since Kansas City originated as a cow-town, not a European fiefdom, I was compelled to return with a few friends and my camera to explore the castle’s mysterious allure.
Still don’t know what this building used to be, but I’m working on it. This place is probably closer to 19th and Vine…and, I admit, is not actually downtown (too bad, eh). But like the Filling Station, you can get there from downtown in a couple minutes.
