Growing with Older Adult Ministries

Our Older Adult Ministries Program has received a renewal of its National Benevolent Association (NBA) grant for this year, along with an increase in funding. This is a positive acknowledgement of the work being done here in our Region, and the value the work has as a model for other congregations, Regions, and even other denominations.

Theologians and church experts are more frequently saying that church revitalization must enfold Older Adult Ministries in its intergenerational approach. So, our Older Adult Ministries seeks to increase its impact and exposure by connecting with more congregations, and having resources and services available more frequently. The program has served more than 35 congregations in our Region in four years, and will continue to expand.

The new NBA funding for this year will enable online resources to be created. These include a descriptive promotional video, and a series of short videos which can be used as discussion starters by adult church groups. The series will address common and ponderous topics about aging and church ministries. In the coming year more will be added to the series.

The program will increase its visibility by being present at Regional Assembly in October, offering a day-long seminar on Thursday, a display and workshop. Churches are encouraged to plan their own seminar to address specific needs in their community and churches. These can be two-hour to day-long workshops including hands-on materials, lively discussion, and creative planning. Everyone is invited and participation is free!

Watch for new educational videos available soon. These can be utilized by any church, with various age groups, to begin to explore and discuss the unique gifts and experiences older adults have to share intergenerationally. Our web page offers many resource links as well as study materials.

Contact Paul Koch at paul.ccma@sbcglobal.net or 636.221.7065 or Jan Aerie at aeriej@gmail.com or 216.870.1557 for more information.

Thanks to Jan Aerie for this information.

Disciples on Campus Mission Trip

(Top row – L to R) Rev. Jimmy Spear, Wyatt Rogers, Rev. Nick Larson, Megan Potthast, Hunter Rogers, Jonathan LaHue, Kim Potthast. (Bottom row -- L to R) Chloe Prewitt, Aliyah Lundsford, Sarah Butler, Julia Bower, Eli Gaffney

Each year the DOC – Disciples on Campus college ministry in Columbia, MO takes a mission trip over winter break. This year a dozen DOCers spent the first week of January serving and learning in Memphis, TN. The DOC group was hosted by  Kingsway Christian Church in east Memphis.

The group served alongside organizations such as St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen—providing a 150 year-old daily cup of nourishing hot soup; Friends for Life—serving the needs of the HIV/AIDS community; Mid-South Food Bank—feeding the needs of many Tennessee counties; Room in the Inn—offering overnight shelter to the Memphis homeless community. These organizations provided the chance for the week to include:  serving hot soup each morning, laundering shelter bedding, packing food, and learning about the needs of both the poor and homeless of Memphis. The group also had the opportunity to engage in the historical significance of several Memphis landmarks.  It was a moving experience to learn more about the slave trade (touring Slave Haven a station on the Underground Railroad) and to connect with the witness of the National Civil Rights Museum.

Each winter break mission trip builds on the community of the DOC group’s weekly gatherings giving the students a chance to spend a week away from school/home with a great group sharing in service, worship, play and fellowship. The DOC group consists of those students at school at one of four Columbia institutions and also those who are from a Columbia congregation attending school elsewhere.  A majority of this year’s group have known each other since middle school through many years of participating in the NEOLA summer church camp program. In DOC they continue to build on what have now become long term friendships. DOC is a joint student ministry of First Christian Church and Broadway Christian Church in Columbia.

Submitted by Jimmy Spear,
First Christian Church, Columbia

Christmas Time is Mission Time at Clinton Christian Church

The Advent and Christmas seasons have been very busy with outreach work for Clinton Christian Church.

One of their efforts is to help with the local Senior Center’s Candy Cane Project. Participants are asked to contribute gift bags filled with items needed by the Center’s clients including throw blankets, toilet paper, flashlights, first aid items, gloves, and socks. For the past two years, the church has filled and donated fifteen such bags. This year the total need rose from 115 to 150 bags, so the church contributed thirty bags rather than fifteen.

Another ministry of the congregation is to collect blankets for the homeless. Their tradition is to receive an offering of blankets instead of money at the Christmas Eve worship service. This year over 150 blankets were contributed. Thirty of those will be distributed as needed in the local community. The rest will go to Operation Chillout at First Christian Church of Blue Springs for distribution via agencies in the Kansas City area.

The congregation’s children are also mission minded, having become “Kids 4 Change.” Over four Sundays, they took up a loose change offering during worship to be donated to their local animal shelter. The total donated was $600! The congregation also provides the shelter with space at their semi-annual flea markets to promote animal adoption.

Thank you to Clinton CC pastor Rev. Tim Wessley for this information.

Operation Safe Winter

Rock Bridge Christian Church’s Rebecca Shaw describes how their congregation became involved with Operation Safe Winter in Columbia.

Operation Safe Winter CoMo is a local group started by concerned citizens and run with a small group of individuals who work directly with the unhoused population in Columbia. They saw a need in our community and have been working to fill a gap. This group began taking donations about a year ago, as well as running a mobile soup kitchen out to some of the camps in outer areas of town. They work mainly with other local advocate groups and individuals to collect donations and setup 'free stores' in differing areas in town once a month, laying out donations of food, clothing, camping gear, etc for the taking. Their volunteers get word to those in the unhoused community of these events, lay out items and cook a meal to serve during the event. It is truly an operation run by individuals working for the greater good.

I learned of this group through advocacy work done locally and brought the idea to collect goods to RBCC's Social Justice team. Our church members responded quickly and in true RBCC fashion, went above and beyond in their generosity, filling boxes with items as fast as we could put them out! Soon we had overflowing sleeping bags, blankets, warm clothing and care items to get to OSW for their next event.  

My five year old daughter became involved with Scouts this year and her leader and I were discussing service projects that children of a young age can be involved in. There aren't as many opportunities as one would hope for young children, so I invited Scout Troop 700 Lion Den to work with our SJ team and assist in collecting items to make personal care packages that could be passed out. The kids had a wonderful time packaging items and helping sort and worked hard! What a great opportunity to involve them in our community and give them the chance to really help others in need!

Our church will continue to serve as a drop off point for this organization and they will continue to collect items throughout the year. As many cities are seeing a rise in homeless populations, the needs continue.  Columbia City Council and advocacy groups are currently in discussions in hopes to find a permanent year-round facility to help with this cause. Until then, OSW, local advocates and congregations are stepping up to assist in these needs.

Loads of Love

Farmington Christian Church participates in the ecumenical Loads of Love ministry through the Farmington Ministerial Alliance. One Saturday morning a month, people in need of financial assistance can come to the local laundromat and have their washing paid for by a participating church. The machine fee is covered, detergent and other supplies are available, and sometimes there are even snacks and help with the folding!

The ministry was born out of the facts that laundry is a necessary expense that some people have trouble covering, and everybody deserves clean clothes. Often people bring larger items like towels and bed linens, which would be more difficult to try to wash at home.

When FCC first started participating, there were twelve nearby churches involved. Now there are eighteen, so each church is responsible for staffing the ministry once each year and a half. Spread out this way, the job becomes smaller for the volunteers, but still makes a big difference each month for the people who can always count on their Loads of Love.

Thank you to pastor Alan Berry and youth director
Kim Amsden for this information and photos.

Community Meals at Woodson Chapel Christian Church

For more than ten years now Woodson Chapel Christian Church in St. Joseph has been feeding its community every Monday night. The outreach started with the idea that people could benefit from such a ministry – whether they had financial trouble putting complete meals on the table, or they would perhaps otherwise be eating at home alone, or maybe they just wanted a hot meal that wasn’t fast food.

The attendance is usually between 45 and 65 each week. Supplying the meals to the community for free has become part of the regular church budget, but they also receive some donations from the participants who are able to contribute. There are two main cooks, a core group of helpers, and other occasional volunteers to staff the gatherings – preparing the meal, hosting, and cleaning up.

What a wonderful ministry of welcome, hospitality, and assistance!

…Jesus had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. Luke 24:35

Thank you to church administrator Barbara Frank and
pastor George Morey for this information and photo.

Open Hands - Bolivar Area Soup Kitchen

First Christian Church in Bolivar has launched a new ministry of feeding the hungry in their community. Pastor Bill Nichols shares about their experience over the last two months.

After a successful volunteer training and kickoff dinner on Monday, September 30th, the Open Hands Soup Kitchen started serving meals to the public on Monday nights beginning October 7th. While there were only a few members of the public in attendance for the first couple of weeks, we had and continue to have a plethora of volunteers from the public and continue to train new volunteers on almost a weekly basis. On Monday, November 25th, our 8th week serving the community, we fed over 100 people a full course Thanksgiving Meal. Once again, our volunteers came out in force not only to serve, but many brought desserts for the meal. Turkeys were donated by the local Woods Market and were smoked by one of First Christian Churches elders, Gary Short. Pastor Joe Langford, one of several local pastors who participate in this ministry, gave the devotion. Door prizes were drawn after the meal and then those present were able to pick up free grocery items to take home with them.

Open Hands is an ecumenical organization formed by several churches and community ministries that is hosted by First Christian Church in Bolivar. Several members of the church also participate in the ministry and the pastor’s wife Becky Nichols serves on the board of Open Hands. Crosslines Ministry in Springfield and Community Outreach Ministries in Bolivar help supply some of the groceries and paper supplies needed for this ministry. Donations to help support this ministry can be sent to First Christian Church, P.O. Box 416, Bolivar Missouri, 65613 and designated for BASK.

Thank you to Rev. Bill Nichols for this information and photos.

Meeting the Need for Meat

Community CC’s Cindy Stephens (left) is pictured here with Debbie, kitchen manager for Salvation Army in Jefferson City.

The tornado that blew through Jefferson City on May 22 is having continuing effects on the citizens of the city. Many lost homes and are continuing to rely on the Salvation Army for food and shelter. This is creating a stress on the budget for that organization. Recently the Salvation Army sent out a request for donations for meat as they are preparing twice the usual number of meals. The Outreach committee of Community Christian Church in Jefferson City took this need to their congregation. The request was met with a ‘Money for Meat’ special offering of $696.

The kitchen at Salvation Army serves three meals a day, every day of the year. Debbie, who oversees the kitchen, said that there are days when she wonders how she will be able to manage the next meal but someone will  appear at the door with the needed food. For several years, Community Christian Church donated  food  to help the Salvation Army food pantry, and continues this mission.

Community Christian Church temporarily worships at the Hawthorn Bank Community Building, as their church is being rebuilt after taking a direct hit by the tornado. The church members are so thankful to all who have given to the rebuilding effort. The meat fund for Salvation Army is one example of how the members are saying thanks to their community.

Thank you to Cindy Stephens of Community CC for this story and photo.

UCAN Challenge Fulfilled

In conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, Pastor Frank Chlastak of the First Christian Church in Poplar Bluff issued a challenge to the church members.

If the church raised $500, Rev. Chlastak would dye his hair and beard pink and would then preach from the pulpit. Members rose to the challenge and on November 10, Rev. Chlastak kept his word.

Several members and youth participated in the coloring.

Rick Quigley, a UCAN representative, was on hand to received the donation on behalf of the church.

UCAN (United Cancer Assistance Network) is a 501(c 3) nonprofit organization funded by local citizens who want to lend a hand to their friends and neighbors. It is designed to provide individualized support for area cancer patients and to ease some of the burden brought about in the wake of a cancer diagnosis.

Pastor Frank thanks to all who donated to the challenge. "We all have known or know someone who has been affected by cancer and UCAN does a wonderful job helping those in need of assistance, so why not have a little fun helping a good cause."

Thanks to Rev. Frank Chlastak for this story and photos.

Stitching and Ripping for the Lord

A Service of Blessing and Consecration of Gifts handmade by the “Stitching and Ripping for the Lord” outreach group was held October 6 at St. Joseph Catholic Church. This outreach ministry, started just five months ago by Rev. Ruth Ann Jones of Louisiana’s First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), is endorsed by the local Ministerial Alliance.  The Christian “Piece-Makers” group was responsible for making 109 “pillow case” dresses that will be delivered by a local Rotarian when he goes to Zambia, Africa next month.

Over 500 items were created and donated, including 157 preemie hats that will go to St. Louis Children’s Hospital; 111 knitted stocking caps for local school children (29 of them being “pony tail hats” for those who need an opening at the top of the cap for their pony tails.)  Over 20 scarves were also donated to the schools. 

Prayer shawls were distributed to the local Home Health and Hospice, and hats for those with cancer who have lost their hair were donated to the local hospital for distribution.  Hand-knitted and hand-crocheted facecloths, with some decorated with embroidered designs, totaled 137 and these will be wrapped around a bar of soap and included in Christmas Shoeboxes that will be packed at the church later this month.

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In addition to congregational singing, messages, scripture readings, and special music, the rite of asperges (blessing of the items with Holy Water) was done.  Participants in the worship service included Dorothy Webb, Win Cafer, Sharon Kakouris, Rev. Pat Glenn, Fr. William Korte, Rev. Jay Ayers, and Rev. Jones. This was truly an ecumenical project that benefited people locally and even internationally.

Thank you to FCC’s Linda Beer for this story and photos.

Brentwood CC Participates in Relay of Kindness

Last month Brentwood Christian Church in Springfield participated in the Relay of Kindness. Together with other churches and organizations across Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas, they provided much needed supplies to Mission: Border Hope. This non-profit organization provides supplies, lodging, food, and prayers to asylum seekers as they travel.

The Relay of Kindness started in Gladstone, Missouri, where the first truck was loaded with supplies bound for Columbia. Waiting in Columbia was a replacement truck which was pre-loaded with all of the supplies collected locally, a team of volunteers ready to transfer the Gladstone truck’s contents onto the Columbia truck, and new drivers to continue the route to St. Louis. As runners in a relay race pass a baton, these hundreds of volunteers passed the growing collection of supplies along the 1500-mile route to Eagle Pass, Texas.

Brentwood CC contributed to the cause significantly. Members donated the hygiene products and other supplies that had been requested. The church also served as a location where other local organizations could bring their collected items. Brentwood youth packed 100 hygiene kits. Additional church volunteers packed other donated items including diapers, baby wipes, baby formula, and feminine hygiene products, filling another 20 boxes. When the truck arrived from Wappapello, a team was ready to unload its contents, reload them onto the new truck with all of the Springfield contributions, and send it off to Joplin.

A total of almost 400 boxes relayed their way to Mission: Border Hope. From there the supplies and kindness will be distributed to those who are in desperate need of both.

Thanks to Brentwood CC Associate Minister Rev. Emily Bowen-Marler
for this information and photos.

If Birds Could Talk: Celebrating What We Share in Common as Stewards of Our Environment

Photo by MRBO’s David Duke.

When we think about Missouri’s natural resources, it is difficult not to realize that we have been blessed with abundance. In fact, our whole country has been blessed with abundance. But, along with celebrating this abundance, we can’t allow ourselves to take any of it for granted. So the greatest challenge that we have in common is to remember we are all stewards of our environment.

On Sunday, October 6th, Arrow Rock Federated Church presented a special Fall Fourth Sunday Community Conversation about this topic. (The goal for the Community Conversations program isn’t just to inform people about issues, but to bring people together from the surrounding community to actually take the time to sit down and talk to each other, sharing what they know/think/understand about important topics that are related to all of us.) Dana and Ethan Duke, Co-Founders of the Missouri River Bird Observatory headquartered in Arrow Rock, served as the presenters in a conversation about celebrating what we share in common as stewards of our environment. Working with small groups, they led a facilitated conversation identifying the concerns, issues, and challenges facing the environment in Arrow Rock and surrounding area. Participants were also invited to explore the opportunities we have in common with each other to protect the future of our natural resources.   

Thank you very much to Patrick Overton, pastor of the church and co-organizer of the Community Conversations program, for this story and photos. For more information about this program, how it was planned, and its outcomes, please continue reading his detailed description of the process.

"Happy Friday" Celebrates 15 Years!

Compton Heights Christian Church in St. Louis celebrates 15 years of “Happy Friday” outreach!  “Happy Friday” started in 2004 when one of our Elders, Madeline Haraway, was leading a devotion. In it, she shared the story of a minister in Washington State who took his pot of coffee out to the road to share with whoever walked by.  Madeline’s sharing of that story started a conversation that resulted in “Happy Friday.”  The leaders, Kathy Mead and Madeline Haraway, have maintained the energy and created the foundation for these 15 years of outreach.

The purpose of  “Happy Friday” is very simply to greet and build connection with people passing by the church on Friday mornings. It is to extend love and care, to be present and build relationship. Sometimes there is conversation about faith, but most often not. There is always welcome and a sense of fun. And there is always coffee! 

A small group of church members gather on Friday morning a bit before 7 am to set up a folding table with coffee, hot chocolate, and cups with lids to go. Holding up large hand-made signs that say  “Happy Friday,”  those who gather just stand in front of the church on S. Grand, from 7:00 to 8:00 am waving and sometimes shouting out “Happy Friday!” to people passing by in cars. (S. Grand is a busy street with people traveling to work and to school). There is a bus stop next to the church, so people getting off buses and waiting on buses often have coffee. People walking to work or school stop by.  Some people just drive by and honk and wave!  Some cars pull over and church members meet them at the car window to take their coffee or hot chocolate order.  

There are often longer conversations with those walking. Over time, people get to know each other!  Some have shared news of new jobs, or graduations. One man came just to let us that know that his wife had twins!  Some share a struggle in their lives and ask for prayer. Some choose to stop and take part in greeting others!

For the first several years, we were there, rain or shine, in cold and snow! That is part of what caught the attention of the community! In recent years, our group has decided not to go out when it is below freezing, or in significant rain.   

There have been some who have come to worship and have become a part of the congregation. One woman who eventually became an Elder, said “I kept passing you on my way to work, and I just wanted to find out what was going on in that church with the ‘crazy’ people out on the street!” Some never become a part of the worshiping congregation, but are definitely a part of our community. Deep relationships have been built such that many of us gathered at one of the apartment buildings nearby to have a memorial service for one of the “Happy Friday” community who died to this life. Over the years we have received letters and phone calls from people we’ve never met, telling us that their job is hard, but on Friday mornings they get to work and find themselves still smiling because of our greeting. 

Recently we received a piece of mail for the church addressed simply to “The Happy Friday People”  2149 S. Grand Blvd. 

We give thanks for those devoted ones who have kept “Happy Friday” going all these years – a consistent expression of joy and God’s love on S. Grand. Thanks to Madeline Haraway, Kathy Mead, Walt Tarde Jr., Arlene Arbogast, Darrell Hughes, Marilyn Koncen, Bud Obermiller, and all along the way who have greeted others with such delight and joy!

We know that other congregations have been inspired to create their own. Memorial Blvd. Christian Church in St. started “Happy Thursday” and then it branched into serving a meal!  Faith Christian in Memphis, TN took up the practice a number of years ago! So – create your own!  Don’t overthink it – keep it simple;  just head out to the street ready to greet!  God is already there!

Thanks to CHCC pastor Rev. Dr. Jecque Foster for this story.
See their Facebook page for more photos.

Blue Theology

As July turned to August at the end of Summer, 16 High Schoolers and adults from Broadway Christian Church set out to Pacific Grove California. We went to be a part of meaningful service project and energetic learning experiences inspiring us to invest in the future health of the ocean. Rev. Deborah Streeter and Rev. Dan Paul run an amazing Disciples Home Mission Station out of the Christian Church of Pacific Grove. 

This amazing congregation has been welcoming groups to their space for over a decade helping many from all over the country care for our oceans. This fun and inspiring program that they call “Blue Theology” which offers tremendous hands on learning and serving opportunities. We got to roll up our sleeves and clean up beaches, help with sand dune restoration with native plants, collect important data on sand crab and limpet research, as well as explore the Elkhorn Slue via Kayak, take a whale watching tour through the bay, and get a first hand prayer pilgrimage at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

On this trip, we explored what it means to be good advocates for a healthy ocean. We discussed and learned about how all waterways are ultimately connected to the ocean and how over 2.4 millions pieces of plastic end up in the ocean every day! Yet, we can be a part of a movement to correct this problem. After studying at the Monterey Bay Aquarium we were encouraged to do several beach clean ups where we picked up hundreds of cigarette butts, plastic bottles, caps, and other mostly small discarded items that ocean life can easily mistake for food. One of our students reflected “its scary just how much plastic we use and how easily something simple like a plastic grocery bag can look like a jellyfish in the ocean and get eaten!” That same student continues to pursue a plastic bag-less life back home in Missouri, realizing that she usually can just carry the items or put them into her backpack. It is small realizations that were at the heart of the Blue Theology experience. Sometimes the numbers and circumstances of climate change can seem overwhelming, and yet, we can and should make daily choices about how we consume and what we do with our trash.

Faith formation was a big part of the process where through nightly reflection and creativity, we were taught how to write poetry, do interpretive art projects, and make Blue Theology banners that we’ll proudly hang in our Loft Space at Broadway. We had several folks who felt like these creative processes were outside their comfort zones, yet the faithful members of CCPG and teachers at Blue Theology continue to make it accessible to all of us. Kimberly was particularly encouraging and a great companion to our learning.

We sang, laughed, created, ate, and worked together connected to the beautiful ocean that was literally a block away! Sharing in the joy of how we can face the challenges of ocean stewardship and together with God’s help and many hands we can help the ocean thrive once more. One of the amazing recovery stories was the sea otters’ that are at their highest concentration in the Bay. It was thought at one time there might have been only a few hundred of these keystone species left in the world, and yet with change in the way the bay was cared for and advocacy by local groups, there are thousands of these otters blessing each visitor to the bay with the joy of watching them frolic, feed and play in the ocean.

If you’re looking for a youth mission station, a clergy renewal retreat, or to take an intergenerational group, make sure you contact Pastor Dan (http://bluetheology.com) so that you too can experience the beauty, joy and transformation as you breathe in the salty air.

Thanks to Broadway CC’s Rev. Nick Larson for this story and photos.

Disciples Christian Church Participates in Festival of Sharing

Youth from Disciples Christian Church in Nevada, Missouri assembled twenty school kits for Church World Service. Items in the kits were donated by members of the congregation. The kits were delivered to ShareFest in Republic on Saturday, September 21 by congregation members. This is the twelfth year that the congregation has participated in the festival.

The Festival of Sharing is a cooperative response to world hunger, poverty, and injustice. These concerns motivate actions to raise awareness of the causes and generate solutions. The goal is to promote and support projects and programs by providing funding and resource goods. When people of faith come together and share, we can make a positive and powerful difference in the lives of people in need. Seven regional ShareFest events are being held throughout Missouri this September and October. These interfaith gatherings of resources connect the state of Missouri with a common goal: providing resources for our neighbors in need. 

Members from Disciples Christian Church at 125 North Prewitt volunteered at ShareFest receiving donations and loading items that were distributed to qualifying southwest Missouri agencies.

Thank you to DCC Pastor Harold Hicks for this information & photos.

Oasis Christian Church Launch

Oasis Christian Church, the newest congregation in the Mid-America Region, is unique in many ways. However, it also resembles a typical Disciples of Christ congregation.

• Oasis practices communion each time it meets…When the church gathers on the 1st and 3rd Sunday, it always gathers around the Lord’s table. Yet communion is not taken all at once but woven into the fabric of the worship gathering. Additionally, while Oasis remembers the sacrifice of Jesus as it shares the bread and the cup, communion is seen as a time of celebration, abundance, and resurrection so you won’t find a quiet, solemn event but instead a lively, joyful act.

• Oasis engages in mission with the local community…Like other churches, Oasis takes advantage of every opportunity to love its neighbors through giving to the local food pantry, hosting community hospitality events, and giving to people in need. Oasis sees local mission as an opportunity to engage in intentional partnership. Rather than own or rent a building, the church has partnered with the local city government in Corder to utilize the Community Building in exchange for making improvements to it so that the building may better serve the community. This building consists of an old gymnasium, small cafeteria, kitchen, office, and stage. Oasis meets in the cafeteria/kitchen and has plans to open the gym for use during the week. While Oasis does sponsor and host some big community events, it also walks along side other service organizations in the community to help them with their projects.

• Oasis believes that all are welcome to the table…The Disciples of Christ vision is the vision of Oasis Christian Church that we welcome all to the table because Christ first welcomed us. The church sees this welcome as more than being friendly or inviting, but as an opportunity to reflect on what it is that helps a person feel truly welcomed and uninhibited from coming to the table. Oasis does this through declaration and training. Worship gatherings are highly conversational in nature. Open discussion and conversation is welcome so long as it does not dehumanize others. The church upholds that all people are created in God’s image. Difficult topics are often discussed and addressed within the congregation and this is made possible by the above litmus test. This is coupled with leadership training. All of the leaders of Oasis have had training to listen intentionally and have been given tools to facilitate healthy dialogue.

 There are many other ways in which Oasis Christian Church is both the familiar yet new. That said, the overall goal of the people of Oasis is that, with the Spirit’s leading, they might be able to help churched and unchurched people alike - that resurrection is always possible. The old can always become new, life, love, and grace truly can prevail, and that Jesus can be made known to us in a simple act of breaking bread and sharing the Good News.

 As the congregation progresses, it hopes to be able to provide educational opportunities to clergy and laity alike so that they might be emboldened to re-envision their communities of faith in their contexts. For now, Oasis asks for your prayers in its mission that it might live into this new, old way of being a faith community. If you would like to help support the work Oasis Christian Church is doing, you can contact them at oasiscorder@gmail.com or find them on Facebook. The church also is looking for some items that other congregations might have hiding in a backroom that they would be willing to gift to a new church. They are in need of the following: liturgical altar cloths; altar ware such as crosses, candle holders, etc; chalices; and a children’s size table and chairs.

Finally, Oasis officially launches on Sunday, October 6th at 5:00pm. The church extends an invitation to anyone who would like to participate in the inaugural gathering. They do ask that if you plan to attend to RSVP to oasiscorder@gmail.com with how many will be attending.

by Rev. Matt Limback,
pastor Oasis Christian Church

FCC Mexico Helps Celebrate Recovery

First Christian Church in Mexico MO is part of a community of churches participating in Celebrate Recovery.

Celebrate Recovery is a specifically Christian 12-step program designed to offer relief from “hurts, hangups, and habits.” The program began in 1991 as a way to help people struggling with addiction or codependency. Since then, its scope has expanded and there are now meetings in churches all over the United States. According to the Celebrate Recovery website, there are now 35,000 Celebrate Recovery churches around the world.

The program is modeled on the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and on eight principles based on Jesus’s Beatitudes. These are basically a restatement of the 12 steps in New Testament terms. For example, the third principle, corresponding to AA’s “Made a decision to turn our will and lives over to the care of God as we understood him,” becomes “Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control. ‘Happy are the meek.’ Matthew 5:5.” The Celebrate Recovery program is “based on the actual words of Jesus rather than psychological theory.”

The group guidelines are also very similar to AA, emphasizing sharing without crosstalk, offering support over giving advice, maintaining anonymity and confidentiality, and maintaining a respectful environment. In addition to regular group meetings, members with the same problem are encouraged to form smaller groups. The members of the group act as each others’ “Accountability Partners,” keeping each other on track and away from temptation.   

First Christian has been instrumental along with Centennial Baptist and Genesis Church, all of Mexico, in getting the program started. Leaders had to go through the 12 steps and be willing to access what "Hurts, habits and hang up" they individually struggle with. Leaders for the small groups and worship times have come from these churches as well as meals for the fellowship time.

Because of anonymity rules we have not included any pictures of the group meeting.
If you have any questions feel free to contact Zane Whorton at zanew78@gmail.com.  

Thanks to Rev. Zane Whorton, pastor of FCC Mexico for this information.

Webster Groves Christian Church Welcomes a New Partner

Webster Groves Christian Church (WGCC) has spent the last few years working to find ways to use its building and other resources to serve the wider community. One of the congregation's emphases has been education - especially younger children. Several years ago the congregation began Project NOW, a weekend supplemental nutrition program for children and their families from a local Head Start preschool. Project NOW provides weekend meals and snacks, including fresh fruits, vegetables, and eggs, to about 15 families (60 people).

WGCC has now begun to partner with their local school district to help initiate KSD NOW, a program providing weekend supplemental nutrition to food insecure students in the elementary schools of the Kirkwood School District. WGCC is providing space for the storage, packing, and distribution of the food to teams of volunteers who deliver the weekend packs to the various elementary schools each week.

School district families, staff members, and local service clubs such as Kiwanis and the Optimist Club have partnered with Webster Groves Christian Church and parent teacher associations to help begin the program, which has already surpassed its first fundraising goal of $10,000 - raising approximately $14,000 in just a few weeks! This initial generosity of the wider community ensures that at least 50 students will receive a bag of nutritious food every Friday, and provides stability for this vital program.

Over 100 community participants attended the Kickoff Event and first packing party on August 28 at Webster Groves Christian Church. The event included family activities, and even a free dinner from the Amigos Restaurant Taco Truck!

Thanks to WGCC pastor Rev. Dr. Jeff Moore for this information and photos.

Mission at Shannondale

The Shannondale Community Center, in Shannon County, Missouri, received some Ozark Christian Church love June 23-27. While our numbers were down for unexpected and sudden illnesses/hospitalizations, civic duties, and family emergencies, you would have never known it by the work that was accomplished and the connections made.

Sunday evening was spent getting settled, and having a group devotional in the Shannondale United Church of Christ, as the threat of rain prevented our first planned community activity. As daylight broke on Monday, the overnight group was joined by several “day trippers” and the work began: the ladies constructed and installed ten wooden benches for the outdoor chapel, and had everything but the cleanup finished before lunch! Meanwhile the men were busy with the chainsaws, cutting up three large trees that had fallen in storms a few days before we arrived. Some of the ladies helped the men after the bench project was complete, while others began preparations for the Community Dinner & Movie Night. By late afternoon, with everyone cleaned up, it was time to focus on our evening guests coming from the Shannondale community. Hamburgers and hotdogs, along with sides, cookies and drinks were plentiful, and with everyone’s appetite satisfied, it was time to settle in for the movie, a kids’ favorite, “Finding Nemo.” Before the movie started, we talked with the kids about unconditional love, and even taught them a few signs in sign language for fish, Jesus loves me, I love you, and other simple words/phrases. As the night ended, several of those attending were already looking forward to the next community dinner and movie night – they wanted to make it a monthly event.

Tuesday saw the 2.5 miles of Highway 19 between Timber Lodge and Shannondale Community Center being cleaned of roadside litter.  In addition, the makeover of the Timber Time after school program room began. Both projects were completed by day’s end, and there was even time for a swim in the river and a visit to beautiful Round Spring, as well as the Shannondale tradition of “fireside vespers” led by Shannondale’s Executive Director, Nathan “Nate” Fulk.

We started Wednesday with the “big reveal” of the Timber Time classroom to Nate (he was impressed with the new look and functionality), then headed out to tear down and rebuild a fence around a community member’s front yard and garden.  After the work was finished, we treated ourselves to ice cream in Eminence and a visit to gorgeous Alley Spring. Our night ended again with “fireside vespers” led by Nate.

Our final day, found our team numbers thin, but still impacting the community with our Highway Snacks and Goodie Bag Giveaway. Several cars stopped to get a snack, a Bible and/or a bag full of household goodies. For those that didn’t have time to pull in, they responded in force to our “Honk 4 Jesus” sign.

Shannondale and all of the people we met and worked with are now a part of OCC’s heart, just like all of our other mission trip locations and contacts. God blessed OCC with hard workers with big hearts, and it is our prayer that we, in turn, blessed Shannondale with the same.

Thanks to Ozark Christian Church for sharing this story and photos.

FCC of Odessa Sponsors Car Show for Mission

First Christian Church of Odessa has again sponsored a car show the first weekend of August as part of the Odessa Puddle Jumper Days. Approximately 3,000 people enjoy the car show which features over 150 vehicles in categories of Motorcycles, Pre-2000 Cars, and 2000 to Current Day Cars.

Lyn Mefford, Elder and Car Show Chairman, pulls together a committee of 15-20 volunteers that puts in countless hours planning for the event and works hand-in-hand with the city and event planners. This is the premier event for the city each year and is an event that everyone looks forward to.

Since 2014 the Car Show Committee has made a profit of approximately $5,000 annually. This allows donations to be made to activities and organizations such as: Special Olympics, Trails Regional Library, FCC Youth Fund, Honor Flight, Odessa Police K-9 Unit, Veterans Patriot Feature, the BackSnack Program, CASA, the Odessa Senior Center and Building, House of Hope, and the Odessa downtown Christmas Lights.

The committee has also given to assist with medical bills for a child in town who was mauled by a dog, assisted in sponsorship of a young lady for a cultural trip to Jerusalem, assisted in the medical bills of a young girl from our church, adopted families at Christmas, sent children to summer church camp, and given scholarships to six church graduates for college.

It should also be noted that FCC also hosts a quilt show and an art show/competition in the church building at the same time. All these activities make for an exciting weekend, with many tired congregants afterward! It is, however, a well-run event that benefits the community in countless ways.

FCC in Odessa is shepherded by Pastor Russell Alexander.

Thanks to Pastor Russell Alexander for this story
and to FCC member Tim Baggs for the photos.