Hello everyone this is Bumbles.. We had our first show in almost 2 1/2 years. Now things are starting to get back to normal, we hope to do more. Here are a few pictures from the show. I think Rufus might have more to post later.
Pastor Don Burley at Pemberton United Methodist Church asked Clowns Serving Christ to participate in the Pemberton trunk or treat on Sunday October 25, 2020. Pastor Don was first seen as a big milk carton and later in his traditional Dog costume. Whistles and Silly Lily walked around giving out smile stickers and lollipops and telling jokes and doing magic. The event was well attended with a large vendor truck that gave away pieces of pizza.
It all started one summer day when a neighbor ask me to join in a 4th of July parade in the community and help collect used eye-glasses for this organization by dressing as a clown. After putting on my wife’s make-up and dressing in old clothes, that didn’t match, I walked the parade route waving at cheering and laughing people. Never mind I didn’t really know how to be a clown, it never stopped me from being a brain surgeon. I was hooked. It felt good and something inside said I should be a clown, besides it has to be easier than brain surgery. So, off to costume stores to find a clown wig, nose and costume. Make-up was more difficult to come by until Halloween that year. With a “rainbow wig”, too much make-up, a large red nose, that beeped when squeezed and green polka-dot outfit a Clown was born. White face seemed right and since a decision was made to be a mute clown the name came naturally, while blowing numerous whistles. Now, what can I do besides walking in a parade once a year?
At this point Whistles felt a calling. Yes that “Big Clown in the Sky. Hey have you seen some of the animals he made? Well, it seemed God wanted Whistles to get out a message. So Whistles is off to Christian bookstores to start into a whole new world of literature, Gospel Clowning. Whistles even tripped over an organization called the Fellowship of Christian Magicians. It seemed God was serious about me being part of a plan to get the Good News out through Gospel Clowning.
After several years of attending this Christian Magicians Conference, this one man-clown ministry would start to grow in number. When Whistles best friend from high school, and his wife, moved near by a day occurred when clowning came up in a conversation. This old friend happened to be interested in magic, so Whistles invited his friend and his friends’ wife to the next church Easter Egg Hunt. They saw his performance, and even though the wife was afraid of clowns, they wanted to clown around with Whistles. These two were so interested they discovered a place called Clown Town. Clown Town was a two and a half day clown training conference run by professional clowns. The next year Whistles went to Clown Town as well and realized how scary he really looked. A big red nose was wrong, the rainbow wig had to go, and most of all proper make-up techniques for a white face was essential. So a new kinder Whistle’s was re-born.
God has called two other clowns to his ministry, and so Clowns Serving Christ Ministry was formed. It is made up of Whistles, Bumbles, his wife Jingles, Rufus and Pockets. Since we believe this was God’s idea, it is HIS ministry and we go where He leads. To God Be The Glory.