Across the Nation: Super Bowl + Souper Bowl, RV show + Gospel and more quick takes

Across the Nation is our monthly rundown of news briefs, links and quotes from Churches of Christ across the U.S. Got an idea for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at [email protected].

Featured photo (above)

Eagles’ Super Bowl win thrills N.J. church leaders: “How many verses in the Bible about Eagles & Patriots?” the sign at the Pitman Road Church of Christ in Sewell, N.J., asked before the Super Bowl.

“Eagles – 33. Patriots – 0,” said the flip side of the sign.

The actual game score turned out to be 41-33 in Philadelphia’s favor. Leaders at the congregation 30 minutes from the Eagles’ home field were thrilled.

Minister Derrick Busch, elder Mike Broyles and senior minister Dan Cooper preached in their Eagles’ attire that Sunday.

Spotlight

Quick takes

GEORGIA

LITHONIA — What’s fun on Super Bowl weekend?

Try the Souper Bowl.

Stonecrest Church of Christ members brought socks and soups that day to donate to the Hagar’s House emergency shelter and other charities.

To give the event a football touch, members wore the jerseys of their favorite teams, from the Atlanta Falcons to the Dallas Cowboys.

“The MVPs were each member who contributed to the outreach,” minister Richard L. Barclay said.

MISSOURI

ST. LOUIS — Ed Bialon, minister for the Overland Church of Christ, first connected with Stan Carroll when the two were stationed at the now-defunct Williams Air Force Base in Arizona in 1974.

Recently, the two reconnected as Bialon found Carroll online and invited his friend — always an avid fan of the St. Louis Blues hockey team — to join him at a game.

A fellow church member who is a season ticket holder gave them seats. KSDK-TV in St. Louis did a feature on the Air Force buddies’ reunion.

TENNESSEE

ATHENS — Training involvement ministers and helping congregations get all their members involved in ministry was the purpose of the second annual Church Involvement Conference.

Christians from seven states attended the conference hosted by the Athens Church of Christ. Among the sessions was a panel addressing the interests of millennials.

“The Church Involvement Conference believes that Christians are God’s workmanship created for good works and that every Christian should be zealous unto good works,” said Travis Irwin, the Athens church’s involvement minister. “They also believe that when we are serving, we are most like Christ, and that serving is a mark of true discipleship.”

TEXAS

LA GRANGE — Kyler Buzek, a member of the La Grange Church of Christ, was one of two students credited with “heroic actions” after a bus driver’s medical emergency.

Karson Vega jumped on the driver’s lap and steered the bus to safety, while Buzek called 911, the Fayette County Record reported.

Laura Elliott, whose husband, Scott, preaches for the La Grange church, said Buzek directed children away from the side of the bus headed toward a barrier as he talked to a 911 operator.

“It was a total ‘God thing’ that Kyler was even on the bus,” Elliott said.

TYLER — The Glenwood Church of Christ is educating parents on how to engage with their children in a digital world and keep them safe, KLTV reported.

It’s important for parents to understand what comes with easy access to the internet, youth and family minister Steven Smith told the television station.

“We have so many kids on so many different devices, and internet is everywhere, and parents say all the time they don’t even know where to start,” Smith said. “So we thought we just need to spend some time helping parents develop the tools and the resources they need to handle this ‘monster’ that is technology.”

Christina Jontra, director of digital learning at Grace Community School, addressed the church’s parents.

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Quote of the month

“It was the Lord in me.” — Shannon Wilburn, member of the Park Plaza Church of Christ in Tulsa, Okla, on donating a kidney to Walt Erwin, a fellow Christian she barely knew. Read the full story.

Filed under: Football National Top Stories