Across the Nation: ‘Mr. Albert’s Neighborhood,’ 2020 prayer time, top prison volunteer and more quick takes
Across the Nation is our monthly rundown of news briefs,…
Across the Nation: Kids Khorus, Walk in the Word, bar church 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)
At a Lone Star State church, ‘Kids Khorus’ quartet praises God: On a recent Sunday, four of the 15 members of the “Kids Khorus” at the East Pointe Church of Christ in Fort Worth, Texas, perform songs led by Frieda Flangan.
Pictured, from left, are Amari DarDar, 5; Jayda Bush, 10; Kristopher DarDar Jr., 6; and Brandon Elijah Bush, 3.
Kristopher DarDar Sr. serves as the minister for the congregation.
Spotlight
Arizona Christians enjoy outdoor reflection, fellowship: The West Valley Church of Christ in Goodyear likes to “Walk with the Word.”
Members come together once a month to walk at area parks. The activity offers a time of reflection and fellowship, minister Patrick Swayne said.
“Spending time in the Word and time with those born of water and the Word are both important for maintaining life in Christ,” Swayne said.
West Valley church members enjoy an
outing dubbed “Walk with the Word.”
A nonmember participated in a recent walk, and Swayne hopes more seekers will join.
“The outdoors, crafted by the One who inspired the Word, provides an awesome backdrop for this time,” he said, “and tossing in a hike provides for the much less important need of exercise.”
He pointed to 1 Timothy 4:8: “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
Quick takes
COLORADO
LIMON — After a fire destroyed the Limon Church of Christ’s building in 2013, the church held services in a schoolhouse and then a funeral home.
More recently, the congregation moved to a new location — an old bar.
According to minister Charles Prince, the 40-member church considered rebuilding its old facility. Instead, the congregation opted to purchase the former “Rusty Spur Saloon.”
The Limon Church of Christ transformed a former bar into its worship space.
“We had the decision to build a building or a church,” member Rich Metcalf said. “We decided to build a church.”
Prince said this was a good decision, as the location and setup are very different from most churches.
What used to be the dance floor is now the auditorium space. Other provisions were made for classrooms and the nursery.
MISSOURI
MONETT — The ladies of the Monett Church of Christ are using their talents to make dresses for young girls in La Palma, El Salvador. A mission team hopes to deliver the dresses in the next few months.
The women took men’s dress shirts and devised a pattern to cut the shirts to sew dresses. At press time, 18 women had completed 13 dresses.
“Being a Christian comes with joy,” said Orlando Reyes, the church’s Hispanic minister. “Joy in helping. Joy in receiving. Many little girls will have joy with new dresses to wear to services.”
The mission team also is raising money by selling T-shirts and collecting other needed items to take to El Salvador.
OKLAHOMA
CHOCTAW — BibleTalk.tv, an online video ministry of Bible studies, sermons and more, was recently featured in the Wall Street Journal as one of the most prolific users on Amazon Prime Video.
The ministry has “more videos on Prime Video than any major Hollywood studio except Viacom Inc.’s Paramount Pictures,” the Journal said.
“BibleTalk is still going strong,” Mike Mazzalongo, the minister behind the videos, said in an email. “Numbers are growing across all the platforms we are on, so we are encouraged.”
Mazzalongo is a member of the Choctaw Church of Christ, east of Oklahoma City.
Livestream from the Belton Church of Christ in Texas.
Quote of the month
“The church is being asked to be the church. They want us to live out the meaning of our confession. And our confession is much bigger than our assembly.” — Jeremie Beller, congregational minister for the Wilshire Church of Christ in Oklahoma City. Read the full column.
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