WILLOW SPRINGS – From an early age, David Cox knew what he what he wanted to do when he grew up. But God had a different plan. “My original plan in life was to be a teacher and coach,” said Cox, now the pastor of Trinity Baptist Church, here. Growing up in Indiana, he had Hoosier Fever and was in love with basketball. “I thought nothing else would ever grab me like that,” Cox said. And yet, the Lord kept nudging Cox in a different direction. When he was around 16 years old, Cox began … [Read more...]
From prison to the pulpit: Midwestern Seminary student finds new life, purpose in Christ
KANSAS CITY – Having spent over a decade of time behind bars, coupled with a long history of drug abuse, Keanon Hurst is perhaps one of the last people you would expect to find on Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s campus, let alone behind a pulpit. A native of eastern Nebraska, Keanon describes himself in childhood as “the outcast who would do and say things to just get attention.” “It was obvious from a young age I was headed down the wrong path,” he said. However, it wasn’t … [Read more...]
GEM event fosters passion for missions
JEFFERSON CITY – Girls Experiencing Missions (GEM) is a two-day event where girls think about missions and pursuing a living relationship with Jesus Christ. Girls experience hands-on missions in praying, giving, learning and doing, and meet with a missionary. This year 57 girls, leaders and staff met at Concord Baptist Church, Jefferson City, to do just that. The girls traveled through six different missions rotations, fulfilling the different objectives of Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) – … [Read more...]
Joyful Giveaway: FBC Kearney cheerfully serves community
KEARNEY – On Dec. 3, First Baptist Church, Kearney, held its annual Joyful Giveaway (a community outreach event) served 165 families, met over 780 people, and gave away more than 400 bags – or 3-1/2 tons – of groceries. The church has presented Joyful Giveaway since 2011. Ken Parker, senior pastor, said the idea came out of his noticing a similar event at First Baptist Church, Branson. “We want to do something that makes people feel really special,” Parker said, “and demonstrate that … [Read more...]
First Baptist, Lewistown, hosts community concert to celebrate Christmas season
LEWISTOWN – First Baptist Church is continuing a tradition with a community Christmas vocal concert called “A Brand New Hallelujah.” “The church has done this (community choir) several years before. This is my first year at the church. We put out word to several churches, and we’ve been practicing on Sunday nights,” said Pastor Tony Stottlemyre. Director Cathy Kelso, said in addition to the FBC Lewistown, approximately 30 people from at least four other churches of the Mt. Salem/Wyaconda … [Read more...]
Live Nativity play presented in Springfield by Greene County Association volunteers
SPRINGFIELD – For their 40th year, Springfield area Baptists staged a play of the life of Christ in the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds. Held in early December, the play is a series of scenes of the life of Jesus Christ from birth to resurrection. This year about 2,000 people sat in bleachers to see the scenes enacted. At the end of the three evening run, the organizers discovered there were 84 people saved and 133 who asked for prayer. Local church volunteers will follow up on each of these … [Read more...]
Free Christmas store offered to low-income families at Grand Oak Mission, Springfield
SPRINGFIELD – The Grand Oak Mission Center is offering a free “Christmas store” to their low-income neighbors that participate in the activities of the ministry center. David Jackson, Grand Oak Mission director, said they set aside usable gifts, that people donate and people may “shop” for items for their family members. He said it is a blessing to the community, and they can choose up to three gifts for each of their family members who are registered with the center. Director of … [Read more...]
Journey to Bethlehem attracts 1,700 to FBC Troy
TROY – The “Journey to Bethlehem” walk through nativity at First Baptist Church here had 1,700 people tour the village of Bethlehem last year. Coordinators Heather Lindsay and Diane Campbell said they expect about that many this year, and they have added some new features to the walk-through dramatic reenactment of the first Christmas. The outdoor walk is set up around the church property with guides taking participants through various encounters with people who would have been on the … [Read more...]
‘Adults on Mission’ group ministers at Baptist Homes
JEFFERSON CITY – At the April 2022 Missouri Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) Missions Celebration, Baptist Homes and Healthcare Ministries sponsored a meal for attending conference leaders, board members and guests. As Ron Mackey, Vice President for Community Engagement, shared about the plans for expansion and ministries happening at the various locations around the state, he expressed a desire for WMU groups to return to their campuses after COVID. Linda Graham, WMU director for Blue … [Read more...]
Annual legislative prayer service set for Jan. 4
JEFFERSON CITY – Lawmakers and citizens will gather for what has become a Jefferson City tradition when Concord Baptist Church, in conjunction with the Missouri Baptist Convention’s (MBC) Christian Life Commission, hosts the 18th annual Prayer Service for Missouri government leaders, Jan. 4, 2023, at 9 a.m. The event always marks the first day of each new session of the General Assembly. The featured speaker for the prayer service is Kenny Qualls, pastor of First Baptist Church, … [Read more...]
MBU theatre recounts ‘Christmas truce’ of 1914
ST. LOUIS – By the end of 1914, British and German troops had dug themselves into trenches across the European landscape. The nations of Europe had been engaged in warfare since that summer, and bloody years of fighting still lay ahead. But, on the eve of Christmas in 1914, soldiers for a short time remembered Christ’s message of hope and peace. On that day, some British soldiers heard German troops singing Christmas carols on the other side of the battlefield. So, the following day, they … [Read more...]
Church tackles hunger in various ministries
NEOSHO – Monark Baptist Church keeps busy with a food ministry, distributed in several manners. “We have one of the largest food ministries in Southwest Missouri. We have a 365-day food ministry," said Pastor Melvin Stapp. The church averages 40 people on Sundays and about half of the parishoners are involved in the ministries. “We get a call for help almost every week,” pastor Stapp said. Monark has a food distribution the first and third Tuesday each month, which is like a typical … [Read more...]
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