Across the nation, November 2008

ALABAMA

OWENS CROSS ROADS —  The Owens Cross Roads church recently celebrated its 100th anniversary.
The Huntsville area church has grown from about 150 members to more than 400 in the last eight years, elder J. Thomas Conwell Jr. said.

ARIZONA

ANTHEM —  The Canyon church recently conducted its first Leadership Summit after the selection of its first 12 deacons and a fourth shepherd.
The theme for the weekend was FUN, for Fellowship-Unity-Needs. The fun included a chili cookoff at elder Jeff Anderson’s home.

NORTH CAROLINA

CHAPEL HILL — The Well, a church plant at the University of North Carolina, celebrated its public launch recently with 65 people present.
The Cole Mill Road church in Durham is the partner church for the plant, served by  minister Matt Carter and his wife, Felicia.
OKLAHOMA

OKLAHOMA CITY — More than 60 women from 14 Oklahoma City area congregations attended a recent conference for women at the Putnam City church, said Joan Barbert, one of the organizers. The theme was “Feeding the Spirit.”
“It was a wonderful day of feasting for the soul,” Barber said.
SOUTH CAROLINA

MAULDIN — The Holland Park church dedicated its new building recently on 24 acres of land. The worship center has seating for 625. The Greenville area congregation formerly was known as the Northeast church in Taylors.

TEXAS

TROPHY CLUB — Led by Spencer and Pam Murphy, more than a dozen fourth- and fifth-graders at the Lake Cities church recently received awards for Scripture memorization. Each earned a medal.

VIRGINIA

SPRINGFIELD — Instead of a Vacation Bible School every summer, the Springfield church hosts a quarterly Super Saturday.
Coordinator Carrie Leslie sees it as a way to get children to invite friends to learn about God as well as a venue to present Bible stories in a way that children can connect them to their lives.
The theme of the most recent Super Saturday was “Appleseed Kids,” teaching about the progress of faith — starting with small seeds that grow into something substantial enough to be shared.
WASHINGTON

PUYALLUP — More than 200 people gathered at an elementary school recently for the launch service of the Renovo church. Over the last year, church planters Scott and Holly Christensen, with their three daughters, worked to gather a launch team, build small groups, serve the community and tell everyone they could about the church plant, said Stan Granberg, executive director of Kairos, a church-planting ministry based in Portland, Ore.