Across the Nation, February 2015
FLORIDA
JUPITER — For 32 years, Terry Rush has made an annual pilgrimage to the St. Louis Cardinals’ training facilities to attend the team’s Legends Camp and minister to fellow players and coaches.
At the most recent camp, Rush — who preaches for the Memorial Drive Church of Christ in Tulsa, Okla. — became just the sixth person inducted into the camp’s Hall of Fame.
St. Louis broadcaster and former player Al Hrabosky presented Rush with the honor.
“Hrabosky told the crowd that he was the inspiration for about 50 of my sermons,” Rush told the Memphis (Mo.) Democrat newspaper.
“I was very honored as only five other campers have received this,” the 67-year-old minister said. “The camp continues to be extremely exciting, even as I get older and I try not to pull a muscle just suiting up.”
Al Hrabosky, left, inducts minister Terry Rush into the St. Louis Cardinals’ Legends Camp’s Hall of Fame. (PHOTO PROVIDED BY TERRY RUSH) OKLAHOMA TULSA — The Crosstown Church of Christ serves as a Red Cross shelter and housed 22 people in its activity center after a recent motel fire that killed one man.
Several victims attended the congregation’s Sunday morning worship assembly, minister Robert Prater said.
“We are collecting money, clothes and other supplies for (the victims), including toys for kids and notes of encouragement,” Prater said.
OREGON
GRESHAM — Brian Simmons has a bit of a commute to make it to Sunday worship.
OREGON
GRESHAM — Brian Simmons has a bit of a commute to make it to Sunday worship.
SimmonsFor more than eight years, Simmons has served as the preaching minister for the Metro Church of Christ in the Portland area.
But when he accepted a position as a communications professor at Oklahoma Christian University this past fall, he moved 1,500 miles away. However, he flies back and forth to preach at the Metro church three weekends per month.
On a typical Sunday, he attends a meeting of elders and ministers at 7 a.m., teaches Bible class at 9 a.m. and preaches at 11 a.m. “It’s an odd arrangement, but it’s been successful thus far,” said Simmons, who lives in Portland during the summer.
TENNESSEE
FAYETTEVILLE — The Howell Hill Church of Christ started 2014 with 20 members and ended the year with 70 in attendance, preaching minister Tim Hall said.
TENNESSEE
FAYETTEVILLE — The Howell Hill Church of Christ started 2014 with 20 members and ended the year with 70 in attendance, preaching minister Tim Hall said.
“We reached out to our community,” Hall said. “Our members invited their family and friends. We visited people who visited our worship services.”
When a tornado struck the community in April 2014, the church decided to give $250 to every family that suffered a loss.
“Then came help from other churches,” Hall said. “We were able to touch even more lives. We ended up giving away thousands, and God just kept blessing us.”
