Across the Nation: A chaplain’s commissioning, a bus to serve homeless and more quick takes
Across the Nation is our monthly rundown of news briefs,…
Across the Nation: Loads of Love in Georgia, English-Spanish merger in Texas 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)
Growing Atlanta congregation celebrates opening of new building: Minister Orpheus Heyward cuts the ribbon at the new building of the Renaissance Church of Christ in the South Fulton County area of Atlanta, just minutes from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Originally known as the West End Church of Christ, the church has baptized more than 500 people since 2007 and grown to Sunday attendance of more than 1,200.
Spotlight
Laundry ministry: The Broad Street Church of Christ in LaGrange, Ga., has Loads of Love for its community. Through a ministry by that name, the church uses laundromats as places to strike up conversations about Jesus.
“Our congregation makes a bulk amount of homemade laundry detergent, divides it into 8-ounce containers and then delivers the detergent to the local laundromats,” preaching minister Evan Kirby said. “This offers us a chance to meet people in the community, serve them, pray with them and continue contact with them in the future.”
“This offers us a chance to meet people in the community, serve them, pray with them and continue contact with them in the future.”
An advantage of laundromats is that they offer a “captive audience,” he said. “You’re not keeping them from doing anything on their busy day. They are just waiting on their laundry to get done.”
Quick takes
LOUISIANA
CALHOUN — The Calhoun Church of Christ’s food bank spreads the love of Jesus by feeding the hungry.
About 10 to 15 church volunteers pack food bags on the third Friday of each month then distribute them that Saturday. The ministry serves 70 to 80 families each month, elder and preaching minister Thomas Keith Roberts said.
“When our food bank began about 15 years ago, we found a powerful way to truly be part of our community in a positive way.”
“Like so many small churches, we have sometimes been puzzled about how to do benevolent work in our community,” Roberts said. “We’ve often had requests from people passing through town needing gas money or someone calling on the phone wanting the church to pay their bills, which we couldn’t do.
“When our food bank began about 15 years ago, we found a powerful way to truly be part of our community in a positive way.”
Volunteers help fill grocery bags at the Calhoun Church of Christ in Louisiana.
MONROE — The Forsythe Church of Christ is using the Alpha Course as an outreach to unbelievers, people with little faith and those who struggle with faith.
The Alpha Course is offered each week at the Forsythe Church of Christ.
“It is a re-examination of the basics of the Christian faith using a series of films addressing Jesus, prayer, the Bible and other basic issues,” minister John Dobbs said, noting that the course is offered in a non-threatening environment focused on developing relationships and giving people time to come to faith as they learn together.
A team of about 10 church volunteers helps with a meal offered as part of the gathering, Dobbs said. “So we have excellent cooks, helpers, greeters, discussion leaders and those who are present to offer friendship and conversation to anyone who attends,” he said.
MASSACHUSETTS
WEST SPRINGFIELD — The West Springfield Church of Christ has added a worship assembly for Spanish speakers.
Minister Gareth Flanary said a small group of Guatemalan immigrants outgrew a home where they had been meeting.
“The West Springfield church is excited to partner with them,” Flanary said. “We look forward to expanding the outreach to the Hispanic community.”
TEXAS
FARMERS BRANCH — The English- and Spanish-speaking congregations of the Webb Chapel Church of Christ have merged to become one body.
Six elders and a transition team of 12 members — split evenly between the two groups — helped orchestrate the change, elder Robert A. Nienstadt said.
About 250 Anglo and 60 Latino members make up the Webb Chapel church, Nienstadt said.
“We started discussing this merger two years ago and decided it was the right time,” he said, noting that a typical model in Churches of Christ is to separate the groups. “All has been progressing smoothly, which is an indication of God’s blessing.”
Victims advocate Jimmy Hinton, left, prays with relatives and supporters of Clyde E. Brothers Jr.’s victims.
Quote of the month
“I was told I had hatred in my heart, and I needed to forgive.” — Debbie Williams, member of the Uniontown Church of Christ in Pennsylvania, on how church leaders responded to sex abuse allegations against former youth minister Clyde E. Brothers Jr. Read the full story.
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