Across the nation, January 2010
PHOTO BY CRAIG RUBADOUX, FLORIDA TODAY
COOKING CLASS - n recent years, Deyo had spent summers doing mission work outside Florida, but a trip last year to a poor community in Cincinnati inspired her to focus on problems in her own backyard, she told Florida Today. Police say efforts such as hers give children positive role models in a neighborhood known for high crime and gang activity.
COOKING CLASS - n recent years, Deyo had spent summers doing mission work outside Florida, but a trip last year to a poor community in Cincinnati inspired her to focus on problems in her own backyard, she told Florida Today. Police say efforts such as hers give children positive role models in a neighborhood known for high crime and gang activity.
CONNECTICUT
BRIDGEPORT — The Trumbull church has planted a new congregation in nearby Bridgeport. The 50-person congregation worships at a downtown Holiday Inn.
“As we commit ourselves to the furtherance of God’s kingdom within the city, we solicit your prayers and spiritual acknowledgment concerning this great work in New England,” member Nadine Keller said.
FLORIDA
WINTER GARDEN — More than a dozen ministers from central Florida congregations gathered at the West Orange church recently to share fellowship and exchange gifts. For about 10 years, the ministers have met to share ideas and prayer.
“We don’t want anyone in ministry to feel left alone in their individual ministry situations,” said Stephen Puckett, senior minister of the Melbourne church. “I believe every single person in ministry of any kind needs some sort of personal support system.”
GEORGIA
MONROE — The 2-year-old daughter of Brian Gray, youth minister at the Monroe church, was killed in a traffic accident on Thanksgiving weekend. Authorities said Helen Gray, who would have turned 3 on Dec. 23, was strapped in a car seat.
Her mother, Kristy Gray, suffered serious spinal injuries. Brian Gray was treated for minor injuries. Both he and his wife are graduates of Faulkner University in Montgomery, Ala. More than 5,000 people joined the “Prayers for the Brian Gray Family” group on Facebook.com.
ILLINOIS
METROPOLIS — In southern Illinois, God blessed the 120-member Metropolis church with 16 baptisms in the past 10 months, minister Michael Shank said.
“These are adults who, after an in-home Bible study, have expressed their desire to become New Testament Christians,” Shank said.
OHIO
CANTON — The two largest Churches of Christ in Canton — the 325-member 38th Street church and the 165-member Market Avenue church — have merged.
“After much discussion and prayer, it was decided that the Lord’s work could best be carried out by the uniting of these two fine congregations,” said Earl Ash, evangelism minister of the new Northwest Church of Christ.
The merged congregation’s nine elders include five from the 38th Street church and four from Market Avenue.
“Have there been struggles? Yes. Joys? Many,” Ash said. “But through it all we have reminded ourselves and each other that we are a family and that families love each other and can work as God’s people in everything.”
PENNSYLVANIA
SOMERSET — At 17, high school senior John Kern has figured out something that takes some men years to realize — he wants to be a preacher.
“I want to make my life learning about the Bible. I’ve always been interested in what it said,” Kern, a member of the Somerset church, told the Daily American.
He’s considering Abilene Christian University and Sunset International Bible Institute, both in Texas.
After his studies, he told the newspaper he wants to move back to the Northeast, where he said there is a huge need to teach the practices of the Church of Christ.
TEXAS
HOUSTON — Three Houston Texans players — Andre Johnson, Dunta Robinson and DeMeco Ryans — partnered with H-E-B stores to donate 1,000 Thanksgiving dinners at the Fifth Ward Church of Christ.
“It’s even more special to be able to come back to this church, this community I come to church at,” said Ryans, a Fifth Ward member who frequently attends Sunday evening services when the NFL team has an early game. “To do it here and see faces that I know, familiar faces, and see the smiles that we’re putting on the faces, it’s a real special feeling.”
WASHINGTON
LAKEVIEW — Glenn Newton, minister of the Lakeview church, often said hello to the police officers he encountered at the Forza Coffee Co. shop in nearby Parkland. That made the Nov. 29 shooting deaths of four officers at the coffee shop all the more difficult.
“Every Sunday I’d stop in there to get my coffee,” Newton told KOMO News. “The only reason I didn’t stop (the day of the shooting) is because we had a guest speaker I had to go pick up at his hotel, and I was running a little late.”
In the weeks after the shooting, the Lakeview church shed tears and prayed for the families left behind.
BRIDGEPORT — The Trumbull church has planted a new congregation in nearby Bridgeport. The 50-person congregation worships at a downtown Holiday Inn.
“As we commit ourselves to the furtherance of God’s kingdom within the city, we solicit your prayers and spiritual acknowledgment concerning this great work in New England,” member Nadine Keller said.
FLORIDA
WINTER GARDEN — More than a dozen ministers from central Florida congregations gathered at the West Orange church recently to share fellowship and exchange gifts. For about 10 years, the ministers have met to share ideas and prayer.
“We don’t want anyone in ministry to feel left alone in their individual ministry situations,” said Stephen Puckett, senior minister of the Melbourne church. “I believe every single person in ministry of any kind needs some sort of personal support system.”
GEORGIA
MONROE — The 2-year-old daughter of Brian Gray, youth minister at the Monroe church, was killed in a traffic accident on Thanksgiving weekend. Authorities said Helen Gray, who would have turned 3 on Dec. 23, was strapped in a car seat.
Her mother, Kristy Gray, suffered serious spinal injuries. Brian Gray was treated for minor injuries. Both he and his wife are graduates of Faulkner University in Montgomery, Ala. More than 5,000 people joined the “Prayers for the Brian Gray Family” group on Facebook.com.
ILLINOIS
METROPOLIS — In southern Illinois, God blessed the 120-member Metropolis church with 16 baptisms in the past 10 months, minister Michael Shank said.
“These are adults who, after an in-home Bible study, have expressed their desire to become New Testament Christians,” Shank said.
OHIO
CANTON — The two largest Churches of Christ in Canton — the 325-member 38th Street church and the 165-member Market Avenue church — have merged.
“After much discussion and prayer, it was decided that the Lord’s work could best be carried out by the uniting of these two fine congregations,” said Earl Ash, evangelism minister of the new Northwest Church of Christ.
The merged congregation’s nine elders include five from the 38th Street church and four from Market Avenue.
“Have there been struggles? Yes. Joys? Many,” Ash said. “But through it all we have reminded ourselves and each other that we are a family and that families love each other and can work as God’s people in everything.”
PENNSYLVANIA
SOMERSET — At 17, high school senior John Kern has figured out something that takes some men years to realize — he wants to be a preacher.
“I want to make my life learning about the Bible. I’ve always been interested in what it said,” Kern, a member of the Somerset church, told the Daily American.
He’s considering Abilene Christian University and Sunset International Bible Institute, both in Texas.
After his studies, he told the newspaper he wants to move back to the Northeast, where he said there is a huge need to teach the practices of the Church of Christ.
TEXAS
HOUSTON — Three Houston Texans players — Andre Johnson, Dunta Robinson and DeMeco Ryans — partnered with H-E-B stores to donate 1,000 Thanksgiving dinners at the Fifth Ward Church of Christ.
“It’s even more special to be able to come back to this church, this community I come to church at,” said Ryans, a Fifth Ward member who frequently attends Sunday evening services when the NFL team has an early game. “To do it here and see faces that I know, familiar faces, and see the smiles that we’re putting on the faces, it’s a real special feeling.”
WASHINGTON
LAKEVIEW — Glenn Newton, minister of the Lakeview church, often said hello to the police officers he encountered at the Forza Coffee Co. shop in nearby Parkland. That made the Nov. 29 shooting deaths of four officers at the coffee shop all the more difficult.
“Every Sunday I’d stop in there to get my coffee,” Newton told KOMO News. “The only reason I didn’t stop (the day of the shooting) is because we had a guest speaker I had to go pick up at his hotel, and I was running a little late.”
In the weeks after the shooting, the Lakeview church shed tears and prayed for the families left behind.
From the January 2010 Print Edition.
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