Compiled by Chris Moon
Central Christian Church in Mesa, Ariz., is one of several nearby churches that have helped house nearly 5,000 asylum-seekers who have crossed the Mexican border into the United States since October.
According to the Arizona Mirror, the megachurch has received five large groups of migrants released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The asylum-seekers are brought temporarily to the church’s worship center, where they are fed and clothed and connected with local families who can house them temporarily.
Eventually, the migrants go to live with relatives across the United States until their asylum cases can be resolved.
“Our hope is to be a hub where families come,” Leisa McDonald, associate director of global outreach for CCC, told Fox 10. “We coordinate their travel so their sponsor can get them from this location to that location.”
News outlets in Mesa last week reported that more than 100 men, women, and children from Guatemala and Honduras were dropped off at the church by ICE. The migrants had spent several days in federal custody.
They were greeted by church volunteers ready to help them.
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Koinonia Christian Campus Ministry has some new digs.
The college ministry at Missouri Southern State University recently opened its first two student-housing units less than a mile from the university in Joplin, Mo. The two homes each will house five students.
According to the Joplin Globe, the ministry hopes to build seven more houses on its 4.5 acres of land, along with a 200-seat student center.
“Our goal now is to raise the next $160,000 in the coming months to pay for infrastructure and a down payment on the next two houses,” Koinonia director David Weaver told the Globe. “After we have the first four houses completed and paid for, they will provide the cash flow from rent to build the student center, which will have a large-group meeting area as well as a coffee shop-type environment in the back half of the building.”
Koinonia started in 1967 and was originally affiliated with College Heights Christian Church.
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Owensboro (Ky.) Christian Church is preparing to send a missionary family—a large missionary family—to El Salvador.
Ryan and Melissa Humphrey are the parents of seven children, ages 2 to 11. According to the Messenger-Inquirer, the Humphreys met at Ozark Christian College and long have wanted to serve as missionaries. Ryan already has made nine trips to El Salvador.
The couple’s mission in the country will be to spread the gospel among gang members.
The family will spend two years in the country before returning on furlough. The Humphreys will serve as missionaries through Team Expansion.
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Emmanuel Christian Seminary Professor Jason Bembry has released a new book. Walking in the Prophetic Tradition highlights the preaching themes of some Old Testament prophets and compares them to modern-day leaders—including Martin Luther King Jr., Dorothy Day, and Myles Horton—whom the book argues stand in the same prophetic tradition. Bembry’s book, published by Wipf and Stock Publishers, was released Oct. 31. Bembry is professor of Old Testament at Emmanuel. He also wrote Yahweh’s Coming of Age in 2011.
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The mayor of West Point, Ga., recently credited Point University for helping improve the vibrancy of the city’s downtown. According to a story in the Times-News, Mayor Steve Tramell in his “State of the City” address said Point University brings 1,000 students, faculty, and staff downtown every day. The university also houses 400 students in nearby Lanett. “That has all been great for the downtown,” the mayor said.
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Kalkaska (Mich.) Church of Christ hosted a vigil Dec. 3 to raise awareness for those struggling with substance abuse. The event, in its fifth year, included prayer, a film, a local musician, and a candlelit walk. The vigil was scheduled between Thanksgiving and Christmas because it’s a particularly difficult time for those struggling with drugs and alcohol.
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Popular Christian band Tenth Avenue North made a stop on Sunday at RiverGlen Christian Church in Waukesha, Wis. The concert was part of the band’s “Decade the Halls Tour.”
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Racine Christian Church in Seneca, Mo., just hosted its 17th annual “Journey to Bethlehem” event, an interactive drama about the Christmas story. The event featured 400 volunteers. The church this year expanded the event in order to cut down on long wait times.
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