Family Legacy in Christ

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This is the Truth Network kingdom pursuits where you hear from ordinary people instilled with an extraordinary passion together we explore the stories of men and women who take what they love and let God turn their passion into the kingdom pursuits now live from the truth. Your host Robbie Gilmore. I can honestly say I can't remember a show that I was more excited about can't because you know if you listen to that intro, which I remember writing your people have an extraordinary passion to live for the kingdom and and sometimes you know if we live long enough we get a chance to see what happened when somebody had an extraordinary passion for the kingdom and then what happens with their legacy and so if I can do this we all at the people all in this room had a dear friend named Vinny Menino that was very much a part of our lives on the masculine journey, but also he was on Christian card I theater at times and just one of my best friends so how cool if you knew Jimmy, he family was everything to I mean, would you agree out all absolutely family and he would talk about it without stop, no commas, no. I think that it is so easy he had an extraordinary passion for family and I think that's a big part of discipleship that that that that we come from families and so many different ways and so I have with us today. Paul Menino, which is Vinny's grandson, who happened to be planning a church right Paul, yeah that is correct. I am both Vinny's actual grandson and I am planning a church to see. You can see his extraordinary passion and you you know your grandfather them better than we did.

He had an extraordinary passion for family and for God. Absolutely yeah I mean those are the two most important things to him, you know. Towards the end of his life.

It's a funny thing. I grew up, he wasn't a follower of Jesus I got to watch that transformation as an older person and it kinda gives me hope that you know all dogs can learn new tricks, play yes it was a thrill to be able to watch that as a young man and then carried into being whatever I am now and so one of the things that I will always carry around in my soul about Vinny Menino was the day and Sam and Al and I were all there.

This day we were sitting around the table and I was in Vinny was very concerned he had been hit. He is a Vietnam, a Korean War veteran and he really struggled with forgiving himself a lot that went on in that war things I really couldn't even picture and I was trying to help Vinny with that and I was trying to help them to get forgiveness. I was actually trying to get them to think about his pastor and and so what I said to them in the meeting that day and this was before show I said will Vinny who is the closest person to God that you know and with complete and absolute conviction like I've never seen in my life. He said it's me because I thought he would say is pastor Doug Sable his pastor would tell you that you know but is the point is is that from his standpoint, he completely was that right Paul yeah it's funny we were literally just talking about this in the lobby while you were finishing up at the show and know I listen to. At least I guess one episode of the masculine journey.

He must've said the same thing and I know that seems weird for person to say but I sat back and thought about them like wow, for him to believe that he's that close to Jesus. Not because of what he's done but because the intimacy of his relationship with them.

I don't know. I found it quickly. Inspirational or abusive. Vinny is I'm sure you would agree out is when you ask him you working to get the poser answer no. The he owned everything he said he did that was completely authentic and could have been more authentic and honestly if I was really honest with myself, who do I think is the closest to Jesus because I know I'm his favorite right and and since he said that I've watched and I'm pretty convinced that most believers think exactly like Vinny thought that that they are the closest don't you think so out all absolutely in what one thing I'm in a Segway backed Paul for minute. One thing that he would do as he would talk about his sins to me and he would talk about the things he done and then something would happen, you would come up is like there was a redemption of all his sins. Somebody that was descended from him was taken a legacy to God and he goes, but poorly he spreads the gospel yeah you know a lot of people don't know this. At one point it was an awkward things I didn't like to talk about it but you know my dad. I have since reconciled with my dad and that's been a great thing, but when I was a kid. I didn't want his last name and then I had a stepdad for a while and I didn't want his last name. And so when I got to high school I had a choice of what my name could be and I wanted to be my grandpa's name so even though technically I guess I shouldn't be Paul Menino. I should be other things like I wanted to carry his name forward. And so it's kinda cool.

You know, even in this room that you know my wife has his name. My daughter has his name and and you know I don't know. Look, there is more to it than whatever my grandpa thought I mean II just and happy that I am sharing Jesus with my life and that no he got to see it, but he actually valued it because he had a relationship with Jesus himself. It's different right and you say will my grandsons, a preacher, but if you are not a believer yourself, what is that mean to you.

But when Jesus is everything to you then all of a sudden you realize that that's such a huge thing and I think more than anything.

That's what makes me thankful is that he understood the significance of what I was building my life around. I and and Sam is for those of you remember. Listen to Sam before. Hope that's nobody.

He is the he's over a ministry called Goodheart ministries but he also happens to be, which happens to be the mother father ministry of Masten journey. Have you and say that's a Goodheart ministries is actually who Al is and I up. I don't know that I have ever experienced a human being that live from their heart more than Vinny Menino. I would agree wholeheartedly let my favorite thing about Vinny was we would talk about the radio show in the conference room without asking. These are the questions of Alaska Valley and he tell me what the answer was going to be and then you get in here to be completely a different direction as his heart out of a different answer is completely out of left field. Like it out so is like that. It was always from the heart is always in spirit lead. I think you and for the most part an it was kind that kept us on our toes. It was a lot of fun maintenance. Here you had a guy from my perspective, you know he had been a Catholic all his life and so and and that Catholicism had burned in certain parts of his theology that you know I called my cathode is because you know is he went to a Methodist Church that he was Catholic and biblically made the Catholic part never got completely separated from the Methodists in his theology was really different but was however, his relationship could not be more real. Yeah. And for me I you know I grew up Catholic as well so I could always be a bridge to my grandpa because I grew up Catholic and I was an altar boy and I remember being in college and you know I had given my life to Christ and I was surveying in young life and some other ministries and he would like old bully.

I gotta get you involved with the Knights of Columbus family, grandpa, I'm not Catholic like I'm sure they won't take me and so it was A funny thing, but yeah it was your right, but I also saw the beauty and some of the things that he had been you know he had because you know there are certain things in it that had to do with the stations of the cross. Whatever. And his prayer life that you know he'd taken that and and it was absolutely beautiful to behold, and where else would you get the perspective intimacy consistent devotion.

Oh so much fun we have Al Henley back from the masculine journey and Sam Mayme as well as Paul Menino and actually his great-granddaughter. We might hear from her in a minute or two. Who knows what may come around the corner but yes I do have a riddle, and in Vinnie's honor has to do with doughnuts state to your listening to the Truth Network and TruthNetwork.com. Welcome back to this so pursuits where we are so blessed to have this not only Vinny Menino's heritage so to speak. Grandson Paul, buddy out. We also have his granddaughter great-granddaughter Evi and Vinnie had several of those is what was his daughter-in-law, Mary Kate is great-granddaughter how confusing granddaughter in law. I think granddaughter in law.

He would just called her his granddaughter. I know that that I would've known so very fun. Evi what would you call your grandfather wanted to: grandpa Katie Katie called him grandpa cutie. Why did she: grandpa cutie Paul will grandpa Vinny as you would know him you know strong New York accent so I'm just can impersonate in the best I can is like old house cutie pie doing all all my little cutie pie and so when we were little, or when Evi was really little.

She was she would say. Are we can see grandpa cutie because he called her cutie pie so that was her name.

I didn't like it so Evi did you were you ever the benefactor of the Vinny Donna did when he come to your house to the bring doughnuts well and just for those of us who knew and that he never went anywhere that he didn't carry don't is just his thing in the business is particular brand of doughnuts was always Chris becoming him excuse me, it wasn't Krispy Kreme and by the fact he lived here. It was Dunkin' Donuts. I supposed from his New York background anyway.

America runs on Dunkin's and from his standpoint, you did not want to work at Dunkin' Donuts when vintage through the doughnuts like this was not fresh.

I need a fresh not the ones you did last night.

So speaking of doughnuts, you know, we're gonna do this right you like to sell like this a lot. So speaking of doughnuts. I don't want to glaze over. I don't want to gloat glaze over the fact that I like Vinny a whole lot like that in you. I love that you missed the stuff that I did go if you stop eating donuts. You will leave three years longer. That's what I heard but is just three more years a chicken. I want to doughnuts and you know what's the use. You know what I'm saying Sean so here's a real question for you poser. Maybe Evi can get this one. What kind of doughnuts can fly. What kind of doughnuts can fly. You know that when Paul now anybody jumped in. Sean here it comes to getting grown up now thinks he knows when the Vinny said wasn't fresh was flying now. Yeah that's true that's true, but it was also Vinny would usually put one of these in the package. When he got them. You would always have jelly donuts and Vinnie was long and he like the ones of the raspberry jelly but he would also have one that flew which is a plane I'm sitting here going through every kind of known in my mind's love that anywhere yet we do have a Bible riddle.

We do not promise you, so you can call and when did they call it 866-34-TRUTH tells which book in the Bible did the people go though not in order to get out of there which book in the Bible and Sam probably knows the people go to go nuts in order to get out of there, 866-34-TRUTH 87884 and can guess that Sean come with the R8. If you're able to get that correct and you will win a book from the truth.

Treas. Tessa guess overhauling the right kingdom pursuits. He finds it all very true treasure trail you close enough.

Both of them contained books that are just unbelief. Truth treasure kingdom pursuits as wealth, but is that 866-34-TRUTH 87884, in which book of the Bible, the people go doughnuts in order to get there. So while we have Evi and Mary Kate. So Evi, do you have a favorite memory of your grandfather and great-grandfather Judy grandpa cutie turned me the part anywhere. We gave him on the government's and he just like any all of been like a scene set in one serving this kind of funny.

So our last visit with my grandpa. We were able to visit him and we asked him what can we smuggle into the you know nursing home in a nursing home and he said oh if you could get me some black coffee and a Corolla all and so like a fella and if you look for Ella. I think a crawler is a type of doughnut. I really didn't know that I am not a big doughnut guy. If anyone is aware like we got on line we investigated. We found a place pretty close to the place and them only when Evi tilts on what happened when when he got the doughnuts in the coffee when he got Dan he a lot of donuts in the evenings drinking the coffee very that he didn't say it was hot.

E.g. save his way. He, Kate, I can talent lesson.

An interesting thing and you know about this better than I do. Paul is Vinnie was he was a chef. I mean, he owned a restaurant yes and so food was a big part of his life.

Food was a big part of all of our lives at, you know, I grew.

I mean this is a perspective so he had worked in an Italian restaurant in Long Island for a long time and then he had worked in a seafood market for a long time. I remember being a little kid going to seafood market and what little kid goes up to the counter and says gimme some of that squid salad but that's what I wanted. That's what I grew up on and so then I he comes down south. We actually start an Italian restaurant in Knoxville and my grandpa was the head chef for my a lot of my childhood. He was the chef of the restaurant that my parents owned all that I you know I didn't. Did you know that.

Did you know we worked in seafood.

I had no idea about the seafood but Charlie was about calamari like if you went anywhere within the like at a nice restaurant, even to try to calamari, but now I get it… Great guy who's up and he would tell you saw some in my grandpa is not squid. Robbie, it's Koch. It's a totally different thing.

They call it squid, but is actually a conch look it up if it's true, I think I don't know a lot of things my grandpa said were fact I'm not sure they're fat good wind that out there were those who knew him knew that and love that about him and you know certainly he he left her cool legacy and so I'm interested Mary Kate, since we have you here. What's your favorite I grandfather in law story. He had a name for Evi. He also used to call me an old bag and child LIS anytime contacted him and he would always ask what color is Mary Kate's hair this week and trying to joke that he would guess because my hair is usually really crazy colors. They would always call me an old bag and it was just funny thing that we have between us where clearly I don't think I'm an old bag. Yet you are not he actually made me a T-shirt that says old bag and it it was fast, funny joke that I think for me, my favorite memory really isn't regarding me.

It's really being able to watch his relationship to Paul and to Evi.

He was always just extremely kind to me and I just loved him dearly, but just to see the special bond that him and Paul had younger to see that very often between a grandson and grandfather and I mean I miss him terribly fine.

They did. I mean, I think her own special yeah and I can't help but think that you know. For those of us who listen master and running regularly. They know that one of the love languages that Gary Chapman missed out on this is the love language of picking at each other on it. He didn't pick on you if you like it could have been like if he didn't talk to that that's true, that is true. I've never I you just made an observation that I wow he didn't know know but you know unfortunately Dennis wanted to be here couldn't be here, but he called Dennis whack job all the time everything was just, you know, he would he would come up with something that was you know that's what it was. What is it at first Dennis was offended and then it was like I don't know what he means by that.

Like, it's like a term of endearment.

Just go with the whack job. It is just like that's what he did and you know he was him. That was just that was who he was but it was a matter of intimacy you right he would get to know you and then he would. There would be one thing that you did that was just made your whack job and you are the whack job or your the old bag for you. I was the wheelman and when we would leave the show would get the truck and it's a gimme out a family we want to go anywhere anyway was going to Vegas let's go to New York. He went to England and so that kind of passion now is you're looking at it. Planning this church. Paul tell us about that.

So I I don't know how to I tried to pick on the people that I'm trying to start a church for. I would say that's transition but at the same time we are trying to reach people in the community that we are in and so I will get back to the breakout. I'd love to share a little bit about the community that were in up in Pennsylvania and but were really trying to reach college students, young adults, people really don't have a background in church which is kinda possible when you don't live in the Bible Belt. I mean, I know in the Bible Belt are people as well but up in Pennsylvania. We really see a lot of people who just have no frame of reference somewhere in Pennsylvania. Specifically I were in Kutztown, Pennsylvania which is a rural community. We've got people on horses and buggies that are around but you also have modern kinda colliding advanced with you. Gotta go to Philly for that got you got a good feeling conch so we come back plowing. It's a river so we got one maybe 866-34-TRUTH 87884. You're listening to the Truth Network and TruthNetwork.com kingdom and we do have a very special show for the day with Paul Menino in the Evi and Mary Kate Menino as well as Al Hindley miles from messenger radio and samhain it's it's kinda cool for the three of us to be back. We spent a lot of time in the studio with Vinnie and you know an almost to love him and you know it. My wife was his wheelman when Al was in. I should say you know he was going blind.

You know, at the end. And so you know he would try to tell her where to go, that she would be like shut up, Vinnie. You don't know where as she appreciated our he appreciated that. I'm sure all they had one of those relationships like I could, you know I you know like he had with everybody just a very you know they were close and and and all those things happen. Well I gotta tell you about AB Capo shows coming up at 1 o'clock today talking about a very serious topic Amy. You guys are talking divorce today on your show will all help people know but select all the way to accomplish like I've never I can learn how to become a cloud and I can dictate option and option i.e. God and the nanny I like people like Blake Mitchell, Jane, and what an experience like and what the impact on denial about their cyst well is a lot of stuff there and you have an attorney. This can be with you today that you saved all the attorney drugs for your show. This, anyway.

Today 1 o'clock Amy Cabo and Boris on the carousel.

You know you get both in the same package and an attorney wanted time to call in, so that they did Amy appreciate you so much God bless about well and we left her hero. Pauly was talking about his community there in Pennsylvania in a town that I actually never heard most people have and if they haven't been there so it's called Kutztown and again that's the, the Pennsylvania Dutch influence Pennsylvania Dutch is German.

By the way you ever watch the office Dwight shrewd that whole deal.

That's great is actually conch.

Yeah, kinda like that yeah so the influence there is heavenly German farming type group and were were pretty close to Lancaster County which is where they having only I that we have Mennonites and so it there, more like liberal Amish for lack of a better term, extremely religious people and that's interesting that God would have you there.

Coming out of the Catholic right so yeah yeah so we're in a total mishmash and in our community because if I say religion if I say God to a person.

The average person Kutztown there thinking Mennonites.

There are maybe thinking the Catholic church down the street because of course were in the northeast. Of course, as many Catholics. Or maybe some of the mainline denominations. Maybe that you know they're not thinking about the gospel that would be the thing that they're not thinking about and so for me in the town that were in being able to share the gospel with people, are we been saying this over time, the name of our church to be beacon church and the thought processes we just don't want to make it hard for people to hear about Jesus and I think sometimes some of the traditions in church and some of the things that the way that even we talk about God alienate people from the start because we assume that they arty know what were talking about. And so for me yeah I was a Catholic trying to figure out Protestant land I Kate I became a Christian when I was 16 years old I went to West for site high school, Titan, go Chris Paul and you know I but someone share Jesus with me and it happened to be a college student from Wake Forest and I didn't even realize at the time that that part of my testimony would play so heavily into the rest of my life but I been doing ministry for 25 2025 years now and it's I believe one that God can reach anybody. You can reach me he can reach anybody to reach my grandpa well I mean honestly he came to faith when he was 70. I don't think people realize that he was baptized at 77 like don't tell me what God can't do and and he reached me, but then also to see when a college student is on fire for Jesus that there are a force to be reckoned because somebody reached me, and so for us, our heart is for where we have at work normal small town 8000 people. But then we also have a 10,000 student public university right in town. It's bigger than the town were in it, so when they show up, the town instantly flips and becomes a college town is pretty wild.

We lived there for last six years and end there's really not something that we feel would be a great weight for college students to connect really readily with the gospel. And so that's that's were going with it so beautiful. Mary Kate and I did like Paul said you guys have been in ministry for a number years.

She's an old bag up the kind of any variety of ages.

I mean I started out with young children. We did together and children's ministry middle school, high school, college, so together. We've done quite a bit and I just I know if he done it before we can do it again, and a lot of people have assets that will how do you think you can make this work as likable wine. We have the faith that it's going to work into like we just kinda came out of the whole six years of life where we had a huge impact with college students. I don't know why would ever doubt that we couldn't do it again self-righteous anger.

Very excited. I mean, it's a little scary. I think jumping off that edge that were doing it as a family and not religious very excited for was aware that you may Paul an interesting question.

When I first ever median. Yeah on how gosh go ahead. It's funny.

Well, there's a four year age gap between us and so freshman in high school freshman college but later on down the line we put the timeline together and really the first time he ever saw me was sitting in a pew and make 1996 I was sitting in the front row and he said he always remembered me as being the really tall sat girl, but really I was going through quite a bit but you know that was only first I maybe think I saw him, but I'm 15 I'm oblivious right so she's a high school student at the time, college student, we happened to go to the same church as the church was where I Wilmington, North Carolina back in the church we got married again so you know over the years. Our paths Crossing Internet being a student teacher at my high school now when you're 18 and you don't have any rules. I definitely had on anywhere now for the nasty to go anywhere but like he would dish up in random places in my life around Wilmington and then we didn't see each other for really long time and I started attending the church that he was working at. I didn't know it at the time, but I got really involved in church and I wanted to help out with the youth group and he was the youth pastor and we met for coffee and 2003 and the rest is history set out at me if you're like me, this the first time you met Mary Kay yes what you describe, versus Hector now and that a beautiful thing that's amazing it you know. But I've heard so many stories is like Paul seen earlier we know people's lives. We just don't know what they look like right right I mean we've heard about their family for years and years and in this you know was, as I told Paul this is Vinnie's arrows manage on their gone forth, you've got a legacy wherever you're at and and and those family you know you spoken when you call them cutie prior old bag you know if this talk we got one more segment of kingdom pursuits Al Hindley Mary Kay Hallman me know and you're listening to the Truth Network and TruthNetwork.com where we hear how God takes your really really really grandson for you longtime listeners remember Vinnie on the master journey. He played Guido gasket on card I theater typecast there absolutely it was typecast and if you ever listen to my Mother's Day episodes. I used to be the one that played the Godfather same anywhere ago at yo respect your mother. I've heard that before, and I love it I love it you know it was this one of those things that we are so blessed to have somebody that had lived such a life right now so different from anybody's life that I have read meant no.

I grew up in Manhattan. He certainly had been involved with things that I never ever know much about that now. It was just it was an adventure to ride with that. Well, oh the stories in the music but he he was a kid when the Hindenburg went down the saw from the backyard and the what that was home. He was walking in downtown Manhattan.

When the plane flew into the night with you have Limburg when he flew over the Pacific know know know there was a lady I know what I want to say Eiffel Tower. That's not what is the Empire State building, a plane flew the Empire State building. He was downtown. He wants the happening is that's going to be a mess go heat heat but he was just, you know you you would get all the stories, so we never knew whether the stories were completely true or what exactly was to what was going on, but it was still you know it was many yet in whether they were true or not.

There were great stories just to hear and if he is a great storyteller. I'd like to think that that's something that I inherited from him is just the ability to tell a story. I try keep most of my true yeah I mean he is ability to tell a story and keep an audience it's yeah it is. It's like the movie big fish. I don't know you guys are big with the movie clips on the other. But you know that's a movie about a guy probably about my age. Susie's father died in an you all the stories this amazing life of all these things and they almost seem like it's it's real. There's a Smith like I can't quite figure it out and have always felt that way about the stories my grandpa Talbot at the end of the day. What was real was the way that he loved us what was real was the way he served people. Later on in life. I think sometimes maybe we just met, the lot mythologized our pasts in order to tell to succumb to tell a story. And yeah the story that I remember consistently from Jimmy was that he would talk about his uncle Angelo and I and he was Angelo's favorite.

In other words, what what Vinnie experienced was grace like what it really meant to be loved and accepted to be who you were more than he got it from his father. Now and and because his father was a hard man. Yeah. And so it was almost like a study in fatherhood to talk to Vinnie and any length because you could see how God provided this father form over here and Angelo and and and and help build up Vinnie's self-esteem, then clearly nobody knows, because you now hold. He wants how will my grandpa was nobody did. Always was because he used to tell me his birthday was this and that and then it wouldn't be you know say which birth certificate are you talking about I got to. That's exactly what he said on on all sorts of occasions so that was kind of you know the idea but yet you know somebody obviously poured into his life. The sense of you've got what it takes. Vinnie and and those stories from Angelo. You felt that yet. You know, and I think maybe having experience that himself with pop Angelo.

That's what they called him late. Maybe that's how he sided me. This is the part where might have a hard time talking, but you know the lady. She just said you not to want to caulk show that you should know about experience with divorce. Why do as a kid you know I didn't get to know my dad and then my stepdad was kind of a monster. And so for me, there was just no chance I was ever going to get that fatherly love. If I grandpa and Stepan and so he became for me that you know honorary dad.

You know you he was way more than a grandpa to me because really all throughout my life. You know, getting me through high school, getting me through college. Being a young man trying to figure things out. You know, even being a young married to Kate and I we butted heads early on, as all marriages do and to have somebody in your corner who says you can do it. I got you, and it wasn't just anybody in your corner like because when Vinnie said you knew that was a man that was talking to you didn't have any question.

This this guy had all kinds of mask. This was a man that was telling you you can do this. It was exuding after him just like when anyone sees me there like man look at that guy. He's a real man skating by the way my grandpa had that think the work will be gravitas, right and yeah I did mean a lot. But believe me, his big soft how he would always start with things also man what a joy to have you on Mary Kay Al have you back.

I can't tell you it was Paul, and I can't tell you how glad I am you you contacted us you know and we're so grateful for you. Listening is about you know you guys meant so much to Vinnie, believing the fact he had an opportunity to share life with the Truth Network the legacy moves on our air was skillful. This is the Truth Network